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If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.
Verse 1. Here begins the second or the moral part of this epistle.—If you be risen, and so forth The remaining part of this epistle has no great difficulties, but excellent instructions, as that to the Ephesians. Witham.
Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory.
Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Verse 5. Your members, … fornication, uncleanness, and so forth He considers man’s body as made up of sins and sinful inclinations. Witham.—It is not to bring back Judaism we practise abstinences and fasts, nor with the same motive as the Jews, but to accomplish the precepts of mortifying the irregular desires of the flesh among which gluttony must find a place. In a mortified body sensuality is more easily subdued. A.
For these things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.
Verse 6. The children of unbelief are either those who perished in Noe’s flood, for Saint Peter in his epistle give them this title, or they are the inhabitants of Chanaan, whom Josue exterminated; for these also are called children of unbelief, in the epistle to the Hebrews, and their crimes were the same as those mentioned here. Calmet.
You also once walked in those, when you lived in them,
but now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth.
Verse 8. Blasphemy. [1] It may here signify either the sin of blasphemy against God, or speaking ill of our neighbour by detraction, calumnies, affronts, and so forth See Saint John Chrysostom Witham.—Now that you live in God, with Jesus Christ, quit not only the above shameful crimes, but also these sins, which, although they excite less horror, will separate you no less from the Author of all sanctity.
Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings,
and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator,
Verse 10. According to the image of him who created him. We are created to the image of God, inasmuch as our souls are spiritual and immortal, but here we are put in mind to imitate God by sanctity and justice, as God is holy and the fountain of justice. Witham.—The image or resemblance of our Creator was effaced by sin, but is retraced by Jesus Christ, who forms in us this new man. V.
where there can’t be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, or free person; but Christ is all, and in all.
Verse 11. Where, or in which state, when we put on the new man by sanctity and grace, God makes no distinction betwixt Jew and Gentile, and so forth Witham.—In the Church of Christ God makes no exception of persons; all are called to the marriage feast, whether Jews (formerly the most favoured people of God) or Greeks, (who were reckoned the most polite, or learned) or Barbarians, or Scythians: (who are esteemed the most cruel and ferocious of men) still these are called; Christ died for all. Calmet.—In Saint Paul’s epistles, by the Greeks are usually designated the Gentiles. V.
Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;
bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.
Verse 14. Above all these things have charity, the love of God, and of your neighbour, which is the bond of perfection, the end of all virtues, which unites the hearts of all to God. Witham.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.
Verse 15. The peace of Christ rejoice: [2] reign, conquer, bear away the prize. Witham.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
Verse 16. Employ yourselves in studying and reading the Scriptures; meditate on what our Saviour has done and suffered for you. It is a calumny of our enemies, that we forbid the reading of the Testament. But the Church, fearing lest the faithful should read to their own destruction what was ordained for their salvation, wisely ordains that they should have recourse to their pastors, and receive from them those versions which she approves as most conformable to the Latin Vulgate, which has received the sanction of the holy Catholic Church, and at the same time forbids them those which might corrupt their faith. In this she acts the part of a good and provident mother, conducting her children to the rich and salutary pastures of peace and plenty, and carefully guarding then from others where tempting but noxious weeds luxuriantly grow up, watered with the baneful streams of polluted and poisoned sources.
If pure be the steams from the fountain,
As purely the river will flow;
If noxious the stream from the mountain,
It poisons the valley below.
Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Verse 17. Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let all be done for his honour and glory. See 1 Corinthians 10:31. Witham.
Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter against them.
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord.
Fathers, don’t provoke your children, so that they won’t be discouraged.
Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God.
And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
But he who does wrong will receive again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality.