TEXT. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it: 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing of water, by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives, as their own bodies: he that loveth his wife, loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. PARAPHRASE. 25 thing. And, you husbands, do you, on your side, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the 26 church, and gave himself to death for it; That he might sanctify and fit it to himself, purifying it by the washing of baptism, joined with the preaching 27 and reception of the gospel *; That so he himself † might present it to himself an honourable spouse, without the least spot of uncleanness, or misbecoming feature, or any thing amiss; but that it might be holy, and without all manner of blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives, as their own 29 bodies; he that loveth his wife, loveth himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord Christ doth the 30 church: For we are members of his body, of his NOTES. 26 * Εν ῥήματι, "by the word." The purifying of men is ascribed so much, throughout the whole New Testament, to the word, i. e. the preaching of the gospel, and baptism, that there needs little to be said to prove it; see John xv. 3, and xviii. 17, 1 Pet. i. 22, Tit. iii. 5, Heb. x. 22, Col. ii. 12, 13, and as it is at large explained in the former part of the sixth chapter to the romans. 27"He himself," so the alexandrine copy reads it auπòs, and not œʊʊǹy, more suitable to the apostle's meaning here, who, to recommend to husbands love and tenderness to their wives, in imitation of Christ's affection to the church, shows, that whereas other brides take care to spruce themselves, and set off their persons, with all manner of neatness and cleanness, to recommend themselves to their bridegrooms; Christ himself, at the expence of his own pain and blood, purified and prepared himself his spouse, the church, that he might present it to himself, without spot, or wrinkle. TEXT. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, let every one of you, in particular, so love his wife, even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. PARAPHRASE. 31 flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh *. 32 These words contain a very mystical sense in them†, 33 I mean in reference to Christ and the church. But laying that aside, their literal sense lays hold on you, and therefore do you husbands, every one of you in particular, so love his wife, as his own self, NOTES. 30 and 31 These two verses may seem to stand here disorderly, so as to disturb the connexion, and make the inference disjointed, and very loose, and inconsistent to any one, who more minds the order and grammatical construction of St. Paul's words, written down, than the thoughts that possessed his mind, when he was writing. It is plain the apostle had here two things, in view; the one was, to press men to love their wives, by the example of Christ's love to his church; aud the force of that argument lay in this, that a man and his wife were one flesh, as Christ and his church were one: but this latter, being a truth of the greater consequence of the two, he was as intent on settling that upon their minds, though it were but an incident, as the other, which was the argument he was upon; and therefore, having said, ver. 29, that " every one nourisheth and cherisheth his own flesh, as Christ doth the church," it was natural to subjoin the reason there, viz. because "we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones: "a proposition he took as much care to have believed, as that it was the duty of husbands to love their wives; which doctrine, of Christ and the church being one, when he had so strongly asserted, in the words of Adam concerning Eve, Gen. ii. 23, which he, in his concise way of expressing himself, understands both of the wife and of the church, he goes on with the words in Gen. ii. 24, which makes their being one flesh the reason why a man was more strictly to be united to his wife, than to his parents, or any other relation. 32 + It is plain, by ver. 33, here, and the application therein of these words, Gen. ii. 23, to Christ and the church, that the apostles understood several passages in the Old Testament, in reference to Christ and the gospel, which evangelical, or spiritual, sense was not understood, until, by the assistance of the Spirit of God, the apostles so explained and revealed it. This is that, which St. Paul, as we see he does here, calls mystery. He that has a mind to have a true notion of this matter, let him carefully read 1 Cor. ii. where St. Paul very particularly explains this matter. TEXT. VI, 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother, (which is the first commandment with promise) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4 And ye, fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters, according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ: 6 Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7 With good-will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: 8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. PARAPHRASE. VI. 1 and let the wife reverence her husband. Children, obey your parents, performing it as required thereunto by our Lord Jesus Christ; for this is right 2 and conformable to that command, Honour thy fa ther and mother, (which is the first command with 3 promise) That it may be well with thee, and thou 4 mayest be long-lived upon the earth. And on the other side, ye fathers, do not, by the austerity of your carriage, despise and discontent your children, but bring them up, under such a method of discipline, and give them such instruction, as is suitable to the 5 gospel. Ye that are bondmen, be obedient to those who are your masters, according to the constitution of human affairs, with great respect and subjection, and with that sincerity of heart which should be 6 used to Christ himself: Not with service only in those outward actions, that come under their observation; aiming at no more but the pleasing of men; but, as the servants of Christ, doing what 7 God requires of you, from your very hearts; In this with good-will paying your duty to the Lord, and 8 not unto men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any one doth to another, he shall be considered and rewarded for it by God, whether he be bond or free. TEXT. 9 And ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatning: knowing that your Master also is in heaven, neither is there respect of persons with him. PARAPHRASE. 9 And ye masters, have the like regard and readiness to do good to your bond-slaves, forbearing the roughness even of unnecessary menaces, knowing that even you yourselves have a Master in heaven above, who will call you, as well as them, to an impartial account for your carriage one to another, for he is no respecter of persons. SECT. XI. CHAP. VI. 10-20. CONTENTS. He concludes this epistle, with a general exhortation to them, to stand firm against the temptations of the devil, in the exercise of christian virtues and graces, which he proposes to them, as so many pieces of christian armour fit to arm them cap-a-pee, and preserve them in the conflict. TEXT. 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against princi PARAPHRASE. 10 Finally, my brethren, go on resolutely in the profession of the gospel, in reliance upon that power, and in the exercise of that strength, which is 11 ready for your support, in Jesus Christ; Putting on the whole armour of God, that ye may be 12 able to resist all the attacks of the devil: For our conflict is not barely with men, but with prin TEXT. palities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore, take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and PARAPHRASE. cipalities, and with powers*, with the rulers of the darkness, that is in men, in the present constitution of the world, and the spiritual managers of the op13 position to the kingdom of God. Wherefore, take unto yourselves the whole armour of God, that you may be able to make resistance in the evil day, when you shall be attacked, and, having acquitted yourselves in every thing as you ought, to stand 14 and keep your ground: Stand fast, therefore, having your loins girt with truth; and having on the breast15 plate of righteousness; And your feet shod with a readiness to walk in the way of the gospel of peace, 16 which you have well studied and considered. Above all taking the shield of faith, wherein you may receive, and so render ineffectual all the fiery darts of 17 the wicked one, i. e. the devil. Take also the hopes of salvation for an helmet; and the sword of the 18 spirit, which is the word of Godt: Praying, at all seasons, with all prayer and supplication in the NOTES. 12" Principalities and powers" are put here, it is visible, for those revolted angels, which stood in opposition to the kingdom of God. 17 In this foregoing allegory, St. Paul providing armour for his christian soldier, to arm him at all points, there is no need curiously to explain, wherein the peculiar correspondence between those virtues and those pieces of armour consisted, it being plain enough, what the apostle means, and wherewith he would have believers be armed for their warfare. |