Ephesians 5

Ephesians 5:1-33 . EXHORTATIONS TO LOVE: AND AGAINST CARNAL LUSTS AND COMMUNICATIONS. CIRCUMSPECTION IN WALK: REDEEMING THE TIME: BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT: SINGING TO THE LORD WITH THANKFULNESS: THE WIFE'S DUTY TO THE HUSBAND RESTS ON THAT OF THE CHURCH TO CHRIST.

1. therefore--seeing that "God in Christ forgave you" ( Ephesians 4:32 ).
followers--Greek, "imitators" of God, in respect to "love" ( Ephesians 5:2 ): God's essential character ( 1 John 4:16 ).
as dear children--Greek, "as children beloved"; to which Ephesians 5:2 refers, "As Christ also loved us" ( 1 John 4:19 ). "We are sons of men, when we do ill; sons of God, when we do well" [AUGUSTINE, on Psalm 52]; (compare Matthew 5:44 Matthew 5:45 Matthew 5:48 ). Sonship infers an absolute necessity of imitation, it being vain to assume the title of son without any similitude of the Father [PEARSON].

2. And--in proof that you are so.
walk in love--resuming Ephesians 4:1 , "walk worthy of the vocation."
as Christ . . . loved us--From the love of the Father he passes to the love of the Son, in whom God most endearingly manifests His love to us.
given himself for us--Greek, "given Himself up (namely, to death, Galatians 2:20 ) for us," that is, in our behalf: not here vicarious substitution, though that is indirectly implied, "in our stead." The offerer, and the offering that He offered, were one and the same ( John 15:13 , Romans 5:8 ).
offering and a sacrifice--"Offering" expresses generally His presenting Himself to the Father, as the Representative undertaking the cause of the whole of our lost race ( Psalms 40:6-8 ), including His life of obedience; though not excluding His offering of His body for us ( Hebrews 10:10 ). It is usually an unbloody offering, in the more limited sense. "Sacrifice" refers to His death for us exclusively. Christ is here, in reference to Psalms 40:6 (quoted again in Hebrews 10:5 ), represented as the antitype of all the offerings of the law, whether the unbloody or bloody, eucharistical or propitiatory.
for a sweet-smelling savour--Greek, "for an odor of a sweet smell," that is, God is well pleased with the offering on the ground of its sweetness,and so is reconciled to us ( Ephesians 1:6 Matthew 3:17 2 Corinthians 5:18 2 Corinthians 5:19 Hebrews 10:6-17 ). The ointment compounded of principal spices, poured upon Aaron's head, answers to the variety of the graces by which He was enabled to "offer Himself a sacrifice for a sweet-smelling savor." Another type, or prophecy by figure, was "the sweet savor" ("savor of rest," Margin) which God smelled in Noah's sacrifice ( Genesis 8:21 ). Again, as what Christ is, believers also are ( 1 John 4:17 ), and ministers are: Paul says ( 2 Corinthians 2:17 ) "we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ."

3. once named--Greek, "Let it not be even named" ( Ephesians 5:4 Ephesians 5:12 ). "Uncleanness" and "covetousness" are taken up again from Ephesians 4:19 . The two are so closely allied that the Greek for "covetousness" (pleonexia) is used sometimes in Scripture, and often in the Greek Fathers, for sins of impurity. The common principle is the longing to fill one's desire with material objects of sense, outside of God. The expression, "not be even named," applies better to impurity, than to "covetousness."