The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 98

si:iirit hn.s the theocratic power at bis back-has, it may be said, ten legions of angels at l11S ;;orn~imd, as the_ Mast~r ~ad. ". ,vhoso toucheth :t'ou toucbeth the apple of mine eye. 'l here was this protection enJoyed by the Israelites very remarkably in connec- tion wit.h their going up to their feasts. And, in the Christian commonwealth we can f~cl there ~s a wall of protection round abou_t us. We can boldly say," If the Lord 1_s _on _our s1de,.who are all they tha~ ~n be agamst us_?_" (3) There is the privilege ,!f petitioning. It 1s a fundamental pnnc1ple of the Bnt1sli. constitution that every J,ritish subject has the right of petitioning the sovereign or Houses of Parliament. There. is the same right vested in those who belong to the commonwealth of God. This nght Daniel exercised when he made his petition three times a day. 2. They are members of the hou.selwld of God. •• And of the household of God," The relation ir. tl~e family is closer than in the suite. 'l'he theocracy was as a house in relation to wbich the_v bad ken strangers or sojourners; but now they had the full rights of me.::nbers of the family. (1) There is the n.ght C!f a place in the household. "The s..•rvant abideth not in the house for ever; but the son abideth ever." There is no bre.\king up of the household of God, such as is witnessed in earthly families. There is no banishment, such as there was from the household of David. (2) There is the rjghJ of irderrourse. Not the right of interview, let it be noticed, but the right of lni.ng in the Father's presence, and, in communion with him, entering into his thoughts and plans. "The servant" knoweth not what his master doeth. But of this inter- ronrse we have not yet the full manifestation. (3) There i's the right of being provided for. " If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, aud is worse than an infidel" God holds himself bound by covenant to make all suitable provision for us, here and hereafter. And in our Father's house there is enough and to spare. 3. They are part of the temple of God. We are really subjects and really sons, but we are only compared to stones. It is a comparison by which are brought out some important truths. (1) .Apostles and prophets are founda- tion-stones. "Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets." The latter, in accordance with eh. iii. 5 and eh. iv. 11, are regarded as New 'festament prophets. It is supposed that the meaning of the language, "the foundation of the apostles and prophets," must be ruled by 1 Cor. iii. 10, where Christ is called the only Fo=dation. But, apart from the consideration that a figure does not always need to be used in the same way, the sense in which the apostles and prophets are the founda- tion is supported by Peter being called the Rock, and also by the twelve foundations being identified with the twelve apostles. There is nothing derogatory in such an interpretation to Christ, to whom in the connected clause is given the place of pre-' eminence in the foundation. All that we are to understand is that, in wha:t they had of Christ in their life and teaching, they were stones on which ot~ers were laid, and they were not stones far up in the building, but were at the very foundation of the Ephesian Church. Nay, they were foundation-men for the Christian Church as a whole, and it can be said that we are builded on them. And they were men that sub- served the Divine purpose well. (2) Ohrist Jesus himself is the chief Oorrier-stone. "Christ Jesus himself being the chief Corner-stone." -Having said so much of the subordinates, he could not omit saying this of the Master, 'l'hey were only ordinary stones of tbe foundation; but Christ was the chief Stone of the corner, not only sup- porting, but combining. He was a Stone disal~owed ?Y the Jewish builders. He w~s to be of no use in the Church or theocracy with which they had to do. Aud yet it was in the wonderful working of God, in the very disallowing of him by these builders that he became the chief Stone of the comer. It is entirely owing to him as cause that a temple of God is being erected, each stone a saved _so?l. (3) There are many buildings, but only one temple. " In whom each several bu1ldmg, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord." It will be seen that, in the Revised tra.ne- Ja.tion, there is a change from " all the building" to "each several building." It •is admitted that for the latter there is a necessity of scholarship; but for the former there is 61lpp--.,se,i w be a necessity of thought. It does not appear, however, that the naturalnes& and bt:auty of thought suffer by the translation which the Revisers have adop!.E>"~ The key to the uoderstanding of it seems to be Matt. xxiv. 1. Hie disciples came w him to i,how hi.m the buudings of the temple. Here the very word is use:d in the pluraL There were parts that might have formed buildings by themselves. And CIU, II, 1-22.] 'fHE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 95