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The Epistle to the Ephesians The Epistle to the Ephesians v2_The Epistle to the Ephesians 15 March 2012 13:25 Page 1 THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. The Epistle to the Ephesians v2_The Epistle to the Ephesians 15 March 2012 13:25 Page 2 The Epistle to the Ephesians v2_The Epistle to the Ephesians 15 March 2012 13:25 Page 1 THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. by R. W. Dale, M.A. Quinta Press The Epistle to the Ephesians v2_The Epistle to the Ephesians 15 March 2012 13:25 Page 2 Quinta Press, Meadow View, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, Shropshire, England, SY!" #RN The format of these volume is copyright © $""% Quinta Press For proof-reading purposes the line breaks are in the same place as the original, hence the stretched text The Epistle to the Ephesians v2_The Epistle to the Ephesians 15 March 2012 13:25 Page 3 THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR. The Epistle of James, and other Discourses. Third thousand. Crown &vo, cloth, '/– Christ and the Future Life. Fourth Edition. Crown &vo, !/' The Jewish Temple and the Christian Church. A Series of Discourses on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Tenth Edition. Crown &vo, '/– Impressions of Australia. Crown &vo, (/– Nine Lectures on Preaching. Delivered at Yale, New Haven, Conn. Ninth Edition. Crown &vo, '/– Week-day Sermons. Fifth Edition, Crown &vo, )/' The Ten Commandments. Seventh Edition. Crown &vo, '/– The New Evangelicalism and the Old. Crown &vo, cloth, '/– The Living Christ and the Four Gospels. Ninth Thousand. Crown &vo, '/– Fellowship with Christ: And other Discourses, Preached on Special Occasions. Fifth Thousand. Crown &vo, '/– Christian Doctrine: A Series of Discourses. Sixth Thousand. Crown &vo, cloth, '/– The Epistle to the Ephesians v2_The Epistle to the Ephesians 15 March 2012 13:25 Page 4 * +,-./0,1 23 .4, ,54,16731 LONDON; HODDER AND STOUGHTON, $#, PATERNOSTER ROW. THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS ITS DOCTRINE AND ETHICS. BY R.W. DALE, M.A, LL.D. BIRMINGHAM. TENTH EDITION. LONDON HODDER AND STOUGHTON !", PATERNOSTER ROW. !&%# BUTLER & TANNER, THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS, FROME, AND LONDON. PREFACE. HESE Lectures were intended to illustrate to a Tpopular audience the Doctrine and the Ethics of Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians. As they were delivered on Sunday mornings, in the ordinary course of my ministry, it was necessary for the sake of “edification” to dwell on some topics at greater length and with greater urgency than would have been necessary for purposes of exposition; and for The Epistle to the Ephesians v2_The Epistle to the Ephesians 15 March 2012 13:25 Page 5 50228-0,7963: 9078. ( the sake of “practice” it was necessary to apply the precepts of the Epistle to the details of conduct. Some passages which were suggested by the obliga- tions of the pastor rather than of the expositor I have omitted; others I have condensed; and to many passages I have given a less free and familiar form than that in which they were delivered. One or two of the Lectures, as they appear in this volume, were obviously too long for endurance in these times, though they would have been regarded as abnormally brief by the robust ecclesiastical ancestors of the congregation of which I am the minister; in delivery these Lectures had to be divided. vi But both in substance and in style the Lectures still retain clear traces of their original character: They were written for a popular congregation, not for the solitary student. And I do not know that I should have had the courage to publish them but for the very kind and hearty reception which has been given both in England and America to a similar series of Lectures which I published some years ago on the Epistle to the Hebrews. I have learnt that there are large numbers of Christian people to whom expository lectures of this popular kind are of more service than ordinary commentaries. My obligations to Meyer are too numerous to admit of recognition in detail. Throughout my study of the Epistle his commentary was always at my side; whenever I have differed from him it has been with the greatest hesitation, and with the uncomfortable apprehension that, after all, he was probably in the right and I in the wrong. I ought also to express my obligations to Bishop Ellicott. In my early ministry I found his commentaries of great value; and in the preparation of these Lectures my sense of their excellence has been confirmed and renewed. R. W. DALE. The Epistle to the Ephesians v2_The Epistle to the Ephesians 15 March 2012 13:25 Page 6 ' +,-./0,1 23 .4, ,54,16731 CONTENTS. 57:, ;3.029/-.20< ! +,-.. ;. =7/+’1 >521.+,1465—?4, @763.1 7. A54,1/1— =7/+’1 B,3,96-.623. (A54. 6. !, $) !! ;;. A+,-.623 63 C4061.. (C475. 6. ), *) $( ;;;. D,:,3,07.623 739 @231465 63 C4061.. (C475. 6. (, ') *" ;E. ?4, F20:6G,3,11 28 @631. (C475. 6. #) () E. ?4, F20:6G,3,11 28 @631 739 .4, H,7.4 28 C4061.. (C475. 6. #) '@ E;. ?4, F637+ D,1.207.623 28 >++ ?463:1. (C475. 6. &–!"). %" E;;. ?4, I2+< @5606. .4, @,7+ 28 J29’1 I,06.7:, 739 .4, A703,1. 28 2/0 ;34,06.73-,. (C475. 6. !!–!*) !"% E;;;. ?4, ;++/K637.623 28 .4, @5606.. (C475. 6. !(–!#) !$& ;L. ?4, D,1/00,-.623 739 J+20< 28 C4061. 63 D,+7- .623 .2 .4, I25, 28 .4, C4/0-4. (C475. 6. !&–66. #) !** L. @7+G7.623 M< J07-,. (C475. 66. &, %). !#" L;. C4061.673 N,3 J29’1 O20PK731465. (C475. 66. !") !&( L;;. Q/9761K 739 C4061.6736.<. (C475. 66. !!–$$). $"! viii +,-.. 57:, L;;;. ?4, J07-, :6G,3 .2 =7/+. (C475. 666. !–!)) $$" L;E. F6++,9 /3.2 7++ .4, F/+3,11 28 J29. (C475. 666. !*–$!). $*$ LE. ?4, R36.< 28 .4, C4/0-4. (C475. 6G. !–!'). $'" LE;. ?4, ;KK207+6.< 28 .4, I,7.4,3. (C475. 6G. !#–!%) $%* The Epistle to the Ephesians v2_The Epistle to the Ephesians 15 March 2012 13:25 Page 7 50228-0,7963: 9078. # LE;;. ?4, C4061.673 N,.429 28 N207+ D,:,3,07.623. (C475. 6G. $"–$*). )"& LE;;;.N61-,++73,2/1 N207+ =0,-,5.1. (C475. 6G. $( G. $!) )$) L;L. O6G,1 739 I/1M7391. (C475. G. $$–))) )*% LL. C46+90,3 739 =70,3.1. (C475. G6. !–*). )#& LL;. @,0G73.1 739 N71.,01. (C475. G6. (–%). )%& LL;;. ?4, O70 7:7631. =063-657+6.6,1 739 =2S,01. (C475. G6. !"–!$) *!$ LL;;;.?4, O42+, >0K2/0 28 J29. (C475. G6. !)–!#). *$' LL;E.=07<,0; ;3.,0-,1120< =07<,0; C23-+/1623. (C475. G6. !&–$*) *)( INTRODUCTORY. EPHESUS. ERUSALEM, Antioch, Ephesus, Rome—these Jgreat cities represent the most considerable influences which determined the early fortunes and development of the Christian church.! In Jerusalem the sacred traditions of sixteen centuries were too strong for the free and adven- turous spirit of the new Faith. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself had observed the religious customs of the Jewish people, had worshipped in their syna- gogues and in their temple, had kept their feasts; and though He had disregarded, ostentatiously dis- regarded, some of the mechanical and technical precepts which had been deduced from the com mandments of the Jewish law, lie had acknow- ledged the authority of the law itself, and had never challenged the claims of the Jews to religious supremacy over the rest of mankind. The Epistle to the Ephesians v2_The Epistle to the Ephesians 15 March 2012 13:25 Page 8 & +,-./0,1 23 .4, ,54,16731 There were some of His words, indeed, which naturally created doubt, and even alarm, among those who regarded the institutions and prerogatives of ! In Alexandria, under the influence of a high culture, there was a blending and reconciliation of tendencies which were separately active elsewhere. $ Judaism with blind and passionate veneration. What must have seemed the light audacity with which He spoke of the possible destruction of the temple, the very home of God, and of His raising it up in three days; His denial that the distinction between things clean and unclean had any real moral significance; His declaration to the Samaritan woman that the hour was coming when the sacred- ness both of mount Gerizim and of Jerusalem would have passed away; the startling warning in His conversation with Nicodemus that Jewish birth was not an adequate title to the blessedness of the Messianic age, and that “except a man be born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God”: were all very perplexing and even ominous. But in the general current of our Lord’s popular teaching there was little or nothing to suggest that a great religious catastrophe was impending. Knowing who He was and what He accomplished for mankind by His incarnation, His death, and His resurrection, we see that it was inevitable that the ancient institutions of Judaism should lose their sanctity. Now that we have had time to consider “the grace and truth” which “came by Jesus Christ,” we can see that there was a great contrast be- tween the spiritual and ethical contents of the new Faith and the spiritual and ethical contents of the old Faith; a contrast so immense that the organisa- tion winch was a support and defence to the religious life of ancient saints would be a peril to the nobler The Epistle to the Ephesians v2_The Epistle to the Ephesians 15 March 2012 13:25 Page 9 50228-0,7963: 9078. % ) life of the kingdom of heaven and a restraint upon its free and vigorous development. But the approaching change was not suspected by even the closest friends of Christ during His earthly ministry.
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