The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 146

philosophy is the attempt of man to spell ont some of the ideas of God. What wisdom was requisite for the creation of the world and the ordering of all things, from tho movements of a star down to the life of a cell! What wisdom is involved in the govern- ment of the world, maintaining life and gladness, developing the latent resources of tho universe, making nil things work together for good, ruling great kingdoms and incli- vidual lives in justice and mercy I But a higher wisdom is required for redemption. It is more difficult to regenerate than to create, to regain Paradise than to form it at the first. 1. Not only are the power and goodness of God needed for this work, but also his wisdom. Preaching may be foolish, but the gospel preached is the wisdom of God. 'l'he highest intellectuality has been exercised in working ont the world's redemption. 2. St. Paul sees this especially in the breadth of the results-in the inclusion of Gentile with Jew. High wisdom is broad, and liberal charity requires much intelligence. Comprehensiveness shonld not be a matter of vague sentiment. To be effective it must be fortified by ripe wisdom. 3. This wisdom is manifold. God has many interests to consider, many conflicting forces to deal with, and many issues to·provide for. Therefore (1) different men may have different views, and yet all be in the right. (2) Many purposes may be aimed at in redemption beyond what we can see, and thus many processes which to us look meaningless find their cnr1. The water is not taken over the mill-wheel simply that it may find its nearest course to the river;· nor is the Christian led over a broken path because that is the nearest way to heaven. II. THE MANIFOLD WISDOM OP' GOD IS MADE KNOWN THROUGH THE CHURCH TO THE HIGHEST INTELLIGENCES. The Church is the manifestation of a wisdom that was hidden before Christianity appeared. Truth is explained by illustration, and the Church is a concrete illustration of Divine wisdom. It is not in the thinking and teaching of Divine wisdom by Christians, but in their very existence as such, that the wisdom of God is revealed. To be a redeemed soul is to be a proof of that wisdom, just as for one who had been incurably sick to be a healthy man was to be a living proof of the healing power of Christ. This revelation was made to other worlds and higher intelli- gences. 1. God cares/or other worlds than our own; elsewhere processes of education are being carried on with creatures in whom God takes interest. 2. We are called to minister instruction to other WOTlds. The service is mutual ; angels are ministering spirits to men, men are instructive witnesses of redemptive wisdom to nngels. 'lbus the lowest can help the highest. An angel can learn lessons from a man, as n man can find instruction in an insect. Our lives, then, are linked to other worlds. What happens to us has bearings elsewhere. This thought may help us to face some mystery of life. As in the case of Job, what is humanly unintelligible may be explained when it is seen that the beings of another sphere are being instructed through our experiencu. 3. If the highest intelligences "desire to look into" these things, and see the manifold wisdom of God in them, surely we men should treat the w01·ks of redemption with profound reverence,and regard the study of them as worthy of our highest thouglit.- W. F. A. Ver. 12.-0hristian boldnus. I. BOLDNESS IS A CHRISTIAN GRACE. The gospel destroys the gloomy old religions of terror. It dispels even the natural fear of guilty souls in the presence of the holy God. It brings liberty and courage. It is essentially the manly faith of the world's adult age. II. 'l'rus BOLDNESS IS MANIF'EST IN OUR CONFIDENT ACCESS TO GoD. The Christian is not to approach God under the circumstances which made the courngeous entrance of Queen Esther into the presence of King Ahasuerus so nobly patriotic. We see Gotl as our Father waiting to be gracious. It is unworthy to fear. Our prayer should not be the cry of the captive for mercy, but the glad request of the child. Note: 1. Christian boldness is wasted unless we use it in ·ccming nearer to God. 2. '!'his boldness is no excuse for irreverence. III. CHRISTIAN BOLDNESS IS EXPLAINED BY OUR RELATION TO CmtIST. 1. Christ dispels our ignorant terrors by revealing the fatherhood of God. We have but to acquaint ourselves with him to be at peace (Job xxii. 21). 2. Christ gives to us the l'erfcct love that casts out fear. 3. Christ reconciles us with God, and so removes all ,;rnund of rc11,5onable alarm. For while we are unreconciled aud unforgiven, courage is 144 THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. [OH. llL 1-21. ------- ---------------------------- madness, and the wildest terror the reasonable condition of those whose consoience is roused and who realize their frightful peril. But through Christ we are forgiven and recc,ncilro t-0 God. It is ungrateful, after being thus blessed, to c!Jerish the old fears. lY. CHRISTIAN BOLD::--,.SS IS ENJOYED THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST. 1. Faith is llc,-,,,-,;sry in order to bring us into those ,-elations with Ohrist which make our boldntss r:f:JC and just.ifillble. Without faith we are not redeemed, and while unredeemed we l::m:- no grvund f,lt being bold in Christ. 2. Faith is necessary in order to e11able us r..: ~a1ia our free and &lfe condition through Christ. Until we trust Christ we shall :::,,t dllre t-0 approach God with a confidence that is grounded on our relations with Christ. Thus spiritual. CO'l\"aroice is a mark of unbelief. He who trusts most strongly will enjoy mo.st freedom of access to God.-W. F. A. Ver. 14.-The universal fatherhood of God. I. THE NATURE OF THE PATllliKHooi:. OF Gon. I. God is the Source of our being. He has not only created us as he has created the rocks. We are not manufactured, but begotten by God. He has breathed his life into us. 2. God has formed us in his own image. There is a similarity of nature in child and pa.rent. All spirits belong to the same family and have a common likeness to God. 3. God is closely related to us. Throughout life the father is most nearly connected with his children by nature and consequent claims and duties. God is our Father now; he has not merely called us into being in the past. He always and necessarily bears the fatherly relation to ns. II. THE EXTENT OF THE FATHERHOOD OF Goo. From God "every family in heaven and earth is named ; " then God is the Father of every family. His fatherhood is universal. I. It reaches to aJ1 spiritual beings. Of what orders, how many, and how various they are, are wholly beyond our speculation. But none are so remote, so pecu- liar, so lofty, or so low as not to come within God's fatherly relationship. 2. It is iuci.ivido.ally concerned with each separate order of beings. "Every family." The families a.re distin,,,cruished and so are their homes. God regards his children with personal interest. 3. It is not destroyed by evil conduct. There are fallen beings, orders, and families that are de,,araded in sin. But these make no exception to the uni versa! fatherhood. In spite of the shameful corruption of some of the families, God is still Father of alL David did not cease to be the father of the rebel Absalom. The prodigal son conld arise and go unto his father. The worst sinner, when he comes to himself, may say, "My Father." This necessarily results from the very nature of fatherhood. The three facts of origination of life, commnnity of nature, and close relationship can never be annihilated. For a father to ignore them is for him to become an unnatural parent. III. THE 00NSEQUENCEB OF THE FATHERHOOD OF Goo. I. In God. (1) He will manifest a fatherly interest in every family. In choosing the Jew he cannot forget the Gentile. In blessing the Christian he cannot overlook the heathen. Christians, liko the Jews, have foolishly thought to appropriate God to themselves. But less enlightened races have not been neglected by God. He has not left himself without witness in pagan lands. All religions, in so far as they contain any truth, are inspired and rest on Divine revelations. God visits all his children. The seeking after God in the dark of remote mq~ers i" r;. vague response to the voice of God heard_ by the~ in the~r consciences.. (2) God has rights over all men, and no one has a right to disown his Father. God ml! judge a.II and jnstly chastise the disobedient children who refused to admit his claims. (3J God desires to bless all his children and will always welcome back the penitents. 2. In w. (1) We should remember that, as spiritual beings, we are related. If men are akin to the inhabitants of other worlds, much more are they very cl06t:ly related to one another. Hence our duties of brotherhood to ~oreign nations and to savage races. (2) We should have boldness and confidence m our approach to God. St. Paul names the universal fatherhood of God iIL the preface of a prayer.-W. F. A. Ven;. 14-19.-Thegreat mystery of the love of Ohrist. The special object of St. Paul's prayer for the Ephesians is that their knowledge may b_e ~nlarged, and the one direction in which be desires for them the increase of knowledge JS in regard to the love of Christ. That is the most wonderful and the mo11t vital theme of Christian meditation; it can OH, III, 1-21.] 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 145