CHAP. III.] BE NOT BITTER AGAINST THEM. 67 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not "bitter against them. X У t Eph. v. 25, 28, 33. 1 Pet. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things: 7. for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. u Eph. iv. 31. * Eph. vi. 1. 21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, Eph. v. 24. lest they be discouraged. Tit. ii. 9. 20. "Unto the Lord." So some Cursives, Copt., Eth.; but x, A., B., C., D., E., F., G., K., L., most Cursives, It., Vulg., Goth., read, "in the Lord." Syriac has in conspectu Domini nostri. 21. "Provoke not." So N, A., C., D., E., F., G., K., L.; but B., K., most Cursives, Syriac, &c., read, "irritate not" (¿pɛbíεTE). this way. If we understand that Col. iv. 16, refers to the Epistle to the Ephesians, a copy of which was brought to the Laodiceans, then St. Paul intended that on this point at least, the one Epistle should be supplemented by the other; and in far greater matters than this these Epistles supplement one another, for in that to the Ephesians we have the election of Christians in Christ, their exaltation in Him, and their oneness under Him as their Head, and in the other, that to the Colossians, the eternal power and Godhead of Him of Whose Body we are members, and His absolutely unique place as the Head of the Unseen Universe. "As it is fit in the Lord." In the Epistle to the Ephesians the reasons for this fitness are given, in that "the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the Head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the Body. Therefore as the Church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." 19. "Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them." This precept also is treated very briefly by the Apostle here, because he had handled it at much greater length in the Ephesian letter. "Be not bitter," "Behave not harshly,”—in the words of St. Peter (himself a married man), "give honour to the wife as to the weaker vessel,”—put up with weaknesses and even follies. 20. "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord." In the sister Epistle the Apostle gives the Scripture proof that obedience to parents is well pleasing to God in the promise" that thou mayest live long upon the earth" appended to the Fifth Commandment. 21. 66 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged." "Discouraged," lose heart, go about their task in 22 a Servants, obey'in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as menpleasers; a Eph. vi. 5, &c. 1 Tim. vi. c Philem. 16. d Eph. vi. 6, 7. e Eph. vi. 8. but in singleness of heart, fearing God: d 23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; e 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive for ye serve the f 1 Cor. vii. 22. the reward of the inheritance: Lord Christ. 22. "Fearing God." Vulg. (Amiat.), Syriac, 24. "For ye serve." but retained by K., L., So K., most Cursives; but N, A., B., C., D., E., F., G., I., f, g,. read, "the Lord." "For" omitted by N, A., B., C., D., E., 17, 47, 71, Vulg., Copt.;. most Cursives, Syr., Arm., Goth. a listless, moody, sullen frame of mind. (Lightfoot.) But may it not rather mean discouraged in their Christian course, or even dis-couraged in embracing the religion which their fathers have embraced, seeing that as yet it has not improved their temper or made them more considerate and forbearing with their own flesh and blood? 22. "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service," &c. The Apostle dwells more upon. the duties of slaves than he does upon those of husbands, wives, and children. This (by Bp. Lightfoot and Bp. Alexander following him) has been attributed to the fact that about this time he wrote the Epistle to Philemon respecting his slave Onesimus; so that his mind may be supposed to be full of the subject; but may it not have been because of the extreme importance of the matter at that time? for nothing could have gone more against the spread of Christianity among the classes who possessed slaves than any suspicion that the liberty which it proclaimed was one which released slaves from their obligations to their masters. To this it may be added that from all accounts the Church was largely recruited from the slave class, so that it was doubly important to impress upon slaves that Christ was their true master and that in all their service towards their earthly masters they must set Him before their eyes. 23, 24. "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily ye serve the Lord Christ." The reader will thank me for giving the following extract from a sermon of Bp. Latimer on The Lord's Prayer: CHAP. III.] HE THAT DOETH WRONG. 69 25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong 25. "But he that doeth wrong." So E., K., L., most Cursives, Syriac; but N, A., B., C., D., F., G., five Cursives, Ital., Vulg, Copt., read, “for” (rap). "St. Paul would have them (slaves) so live that they may adorn and sanctify the name of God: For that servant that doth the thing whereunto he is called, he doth adorn his estate. That servant is a good gospeller that will not be an eye-servant. There be some servants, who do their duties as long as their master is in sight; but as soon as their master is gone they play the lubbers. Unto such fellows I say 'beware.' For though your bodily master see you not, yet your great Master God seeth you and will punish you." 66 6 "Quod agis, toto pectore agito.' What thou doest, do it from the bottom of thine heart, with a good will. Go not away with the Devil's Paternoster as some do. Do all things with a good mind. For I tell you, you be not forgotten in Scripture; you are much commended in the same. St. Paul speaketh very honourably of you saying, 'Domino Christo servitis,' you serve the Lord Christ. It becometh not you to put a difference what business ye be commanded to do. For whatsoever it be, do it with a good will, and it is God's service. Therefore you ought to do it, in respect that God would have you to do so; for I am no more assured in my preaching that I serve God, than the servant is in doing such business as he is commanded to do; scouring the candlesticks or whatever it be. Therefore for God's sake consider the matter. Some of you think, if Christ were here, you would go with Him and serve Him. I tell you when you follow your service, and do such things as your master and mistress shall command you, you serve Him as well as if He were here bodily." 25. "But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done," &c. This does not appear in the corresponding part of the Epistle to the Ephesians. In the parallel passage there is one of promise, "Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord." St. Paul here seems to correct himself: he had written as if there was nothing but promise, now he shews the reverse side. "He that doeth wrong," &c. This is written of servants or slaves, and shews that as long as they were in a state of servitude their time and labour belonged to their masters, and if they did not honestly g Rom. ii. 11. Enh. vi. 9. 1 Pet. i. 17. See Deut. x. 17. which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. render it they were guilty of injustice; but it applies with even greater force to masters, for the slaves, if ill-treated, were comparatively helpless, but they would assuredly be some day righted. The words of the wise man apply to all who suffer wrong as well as to the fatherless, "Their Redeemer is mighty, he shall plead their cause with thee." (Prov. xxiii. 11.) M CHAP. IV. ASTERS, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in a Eph. vi. 9. b Luke xviii. 1. Rom. xii. 12. Eph. vi. 18. 1 Thess. v. 17, 18. c ch. ii. 7. & iii. 15. heaven. b 2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same, with thanksgiving; 1. "Masters give unto your servants that which is just and equal," &c. Some have understood this "equal" (lit. the equality) as if the Apostle meant by it that they should recognize the principle of the equality of all men in their dealings with their slaves, but it seems rather to mean that they should be impartial, not harsh to one and kind to another. "That ye also have a master in heaven." This, which mastersshould remember in their dealings with their slaves, we should all remember. God is not only our Father, our Creator, our God, but our Master. "If I then be a Father where is mine honour? and if I be a Master, where is my fear?" (Mal. i. 6.) He has called us unto liberty, but in doing this He has not parted with His claim to our constant service. 2. "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." Continue in prayer, means cleave unto prayer. It is the same word as in Acts ii. 42, "And they continued stedfastly in CHAP. IV.] d PRAYING ALSO FOR us. 71 3 Withal praying also for us, that God would d Eph. vi, 19. open unto us a door of utterance, to speak 'the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: g 3. "For which also." B., F. (Gr.), G., 9, 71, read, "for whom." N, A., C., D., E., K., L., all Cursives, &c., read, " for which." 2 Thess. iii. 1. the Apostle's doctrine and fellowship." Alford renders it "persevere in prayer." "Watch in the same." "Watch" may be taken literally. In the early ages of the Church they prayed constantly whilst others were asleep: Thus, in the jail at Philippi, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises at midnight. Anyhow, it means that prayer is not to be performed listlessly, but after the manner of men who are on the watch to engage the ear of God. Chrysostom (and following him many commentators, as Cornelius a Lapide) gives a prayer of marvellous force and piety: "I know a certain holy man who prayeth thus: he used to say nothing before these words, but thus, 'We give thee thanks for all thy benefits shewn forth upon us the unworthy, from the first day until the present, for what we know, and what we know not, for the seen, for the unseen, for those in deed, those in word, those with our wills, those against our wills, for all that have been bestowed upon the unworthy, even us; for tribulations, for refreshments, for hell,' for punishment, for the kingdom of heaven. We beseech thee to keep our soul holy, having a pure conscience; an end worthy of thy loving-kindness. Thou that lovedst us so as to give Thy Only-Begotten for us, grant us to become worthy of Thy love; give us wisdom in Thy word, and in Thy fear, O Only-begotten Christ, inspire the strength that is from Thee. Thou that gavest thy Only-Begotten Son for us, and hast sent Thy Holy Spirit for the remission of our sins, if in aught we have wilfully or unwillingly transgressed, pardon and impute it not; remember all that call upon Thy Name in truth; remember all that wish us well, or the contrary, for we are all men.' Then having added the prayer of the faithful he there ended." 3. "Withal praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance." "Praying for us," -St. Paul, as if he were the merest 1 This may seem strange; but if the man who prayed thus had a firm belief in God as a perfect moral governor, and that even hell was indispensable to the moral order of the universe, it may not seem so strange. |