DOWNLOAD FREE! For the cost of a prayer, own a copy of this entire Catholic miscellany. Tolle lege! E p h e s i a n s     5 Bible notes concordance | Catechism compendium index glossary | library | faq <prev next> Letter from Paul to the Ephesians 5 Eph 5:3 Rapacity. The Latin word is generally taken for a coveting or immoderate desire of money and riches. St. Jerome and others observe, that the Greek word in this and many other places in the New Testament may signify any insatiable desire, or the lusts of sensual pleasures; and on this account, St. Jerome thinks that it is here joined with fornication and impurity. But St. Chrysostom in the last chapter (Eph 4:19), (ver. 19. hom. xiii. and on this chap. ver. 3.) shows that by the Greek word is understood avarice, or an immoderate desire of riches, when he tells (hom. xviii) that this sin is condemned by those words of Christ, Lk 16:13. You cannot serve God and mammon. (Witham) Eph 5:4 Nor any indecent. What is meant here by this word, St. Chrysostom tells us at large in the moral exhortation after his 17th homily; namely, jests with immodest suggestions or a double meaning, and banter or buffoonery against the rules of good conversation, hardly made use of by any but by men of low condition and of a mean genius, for this is without purpose of a Christian, who must give an account to God of all his words. (Witham) Eph 5:5 or rapacious (for these are a kind of service to idols) It is clear enough by the Greek that the rapacious man is called an idolater, whose idol is mammon; although it may be also said of other sinners, that the vices they are addicted to are their idols. (Witham) Eph 5:6 The Apostle here reminds them of the general judgment, when the angel of God will, on account of their crimes of rapaciousness, fornication, etc. fall on the children of unbelief; by which are meant the wicked. He had before assured them that the perpetrators of such crimes would be excluded from the kingdom of Heaven; and now he also informs them, that the severest punishments will be inflicted on such wicked people. (Estius) Eph 5:7 Therefore, do not choose to become participants with them: do not imitate their wickedness, or the wrath of the Almighty will likewise fall on you. (Estius) Eph 5:8 By darkness is here meant the state of infidelity into which they had been plunged so far as to adore stones as God, and committed without remorse the above-mentioned serious sins. But delivered by Christ from this darkness, they have become light in the Lord, shining in faith and justice. (Estius) Eph 5:9 For the fruit of the light. So the Latin and many Greek copies; not the fruit of the Spirit, as we read in many Greek manuscripts; and in this Dr. Wells thought fit to change the Protestant translation. (Witham) Eph 5:10 With concern seek out what things are pleasing to God, and carefully perform them. (Estius) Eph 5:11 You are light, they are darkness; therefore, do you show by the light of your good works how dishonorable and detestable their works of darkness are. (Estius) Eph 5:14 You who are sleeping: awaken. The sense may be taken from Isa 60:1. St. Jerome thinks they may be cited from some work not canonical. (Witham) Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife. Although St. Paul here speaks of a man, who is a husband, we may rather translate man than husband, being the same sentence and same words as 1 Cor 11:3 where even the Protestant translation has, that the man is head of the woman. He (Christ) is the Savior of his mystical body, the Church: although some expound it, that the husband is to save and take care of his wife, who is as it were his body. (Witham) Eph 5:24 As the Church is subject to Christ. The Church then, according to St. Paul, is always obedient to Christ: and can never fall from him, but remain faithful to him, unspotted and unchanged to the end of the world. (Challoner) Eph 5:26 Washing her clean by water and the Word of life. By this washing is generally understood the sacrament of baptism; and by the Word of life, not the word of the Gospel preached, but the words or form used in the administration of baptism, according to Christ's institution: but this is not so certain. (Witham) Eph 5:27 Not having any spot or wrinkle. St. Augustine and others expound it of the glorious Church of Christ, in Heaven: others even of the Church of Christ in this world, as to its doctrine, sacraments, and discipline, or practices approved by the Catholic Church. (Witham) Eph 5:28 He who loves his wife loves himself. St. Paul would have this a love like that which a man has for himself, or for his own flesh, when they are now joined in wedlock, and are become as it were one flesh and one person, as to a civil life and society. See Mt 19:5. The wife is to be considered as a part of the husband, as a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. The words are to be taken with an allusion to what Adam said, (Gen 2:23) Now this is bone from my bones, etc. And so, according to the Apostle, speaking figuratively, the Church, which is the spouse of Christ, is framed as it were of his bones and of his flesh sacrificed on the cross. (Witham) Eph 5:32 This... Sacrament, (or mystery)... in Christ, and in the Church. This sacrament, in construction, must be referred to what immediately came before, i.e. to the conjunction of marriage between man and wife; and this is called a great sacrament, or mystery, as representing the union or spiritual wedding of Christ with his spouse, the Church. (Witham) <prev next> E p h e s i a n s     5 Celledoor Bible cpdv-ebe v0.7.7 ©2009 Frederick Manligas Nacino. Some rights reserved.