Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2
A brief Exposition of the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians.
The ARGUMENT.
PAul, having planted a famous Church at Ephesus, (Act. 19. 1, 10, &c) a prime City in the lesser Asia, Rev. 1. 11. and having foreseen by the Spirit of prophesie, that though this Church (as appeareth from the strain of the whole Epistle) was for the time free from schism, and constant in the doctrine of the Gospel; yet false teachers in progress of time would arise among them to pervert them, Act. 20. 29, 30. And fearing also, lest his own present sufferings (he being now a prisoner at Rome, chap. 3, 1.), should make them faint and sit up in their christian course, chap. 3. 13. Therefore, and upon these occasions be writeth this Epistle unto them. His scope wherein, is, to excite them unto constancy and further progresse in faith and piety, as appeareth from the subject matter of the whole Epistle, and more especially from chap. 3. 13, &c. and chap. 4. 1. In order to which scope (after the Inscription, ver. 1, 2. chap. 1.) he propoundeth to their view a short sum of the doctrine of faith and salvation by Christ, which he doth several wayes illustrate, commend, extend both to Jew and Gentile, and guard from contempt occasioned by the crosse, exhorting them of times indirectly to cleave unto it, and make progresse in the knowledge of it, to the end of chap. 3. After which, he inciteth them to the study and practice of holinesse, both in the general and special duties of a christian life, chap. 4, 5. and to ver. 21. of chap. 6. And so (having recommended some private affairs of his own to the care of Tychicus, ver. 21, 22.) he concludeth the Epistle with almost the same salutation by which be made his entry to it, ver. 23, 24.