Ephesians 4:32

4:29-32 Filthy words proceed from corruption in the speaker, and they corrupt the minds and manners of those who hear them: Christians should beware of all such discourse. It is the duty of Christians to seek, by the blessing of God, to bring persons to think seriously, and to encourage and warn believers by their conversation. Be ye kind one to another. This sets forth the principle of love in the heart, and the outward expression of it, in a humble, courteous behaviour. Mark how God's forgiveness causes us to forgive. God forgives us, though we had no cause to sin against him. We must forgive, as he has forgiven us. All lying, and corrupt communications, that stir up evil desires and lusts, grieve the Spirit of God. Corrupt passions of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil-speaking, and malice, grieve the Holy Spirit. Provoke not the holy, blessed Spirit of God to withdraw his presence and his gracious influences. The body will be redeemed from the power of the grave at the resurrection day. Wherever that blessed Spirit dwells as a Sanctifier, he is the earnest of all the joys and glories of that redemption day; and we should be undone, should God take away his Holy Spirit from us.

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, {19} even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (19) An argument taken from the example of Christ, most grave and strong, both for the pardoning of those injuries which have been done to us by our greatest enemies, and much more for having consideration of the miserable, and using moderation and gentle behaviour towards all men.

Be ye (γίνεσθε) Lit., become, as following the putting away of anger, etc. Kind (χρηστοί) See on easy, Matthew 11:30; see on gracious, 1 Peter 2:3. Each other (ἑαυτοῖς) Lit., yourselves. See on Colossians 3:13. "Doing as a body for yourselves that which God did once for you all" (Alford).

And be ye kind; sweet, amiable, facile in words and conversation, Luke 6:35 . Tender-hearted; merciful, quickly moved to compassion: so we have bowels of mercies, Colossians 3:12 . Forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you; be placable, and ready to forgive, therein resembling God, who for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you more than you can forgive to one another.

32. (Lu 7:42; Col 3:12). even as—God hath shown Himself "kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving to you"; it is but just that you in turn shall be so to your fellow men, who have not erred against you in the degree that you have erred against God (Mt 18:33). God for Christ's sake—rather as Greek, "God in Christ" (2Co 5:19). It is in Christ that God vouchsafes forgiveness to us. It cost God the death of His Son, as man, to forgive us. It costs us nothing to forgive our fellow man. hath forgiven—rather as Greek, "forgave you." God has, once for all, forgiven sin in Christ, as a past historical fact.

Verse 32. - But be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another (opposed to bitterness, wrath, anger; Bengel). Kind ( χρηστοί ), sweet, amiable in disposition, subduing all that is harsh and hasty, encouraging all that is gentle and good; tender-hearted ( εὔσπλαγχνοι ), denoting a specially compassionate feeling, such as may arise from the thought of the infirmities, griefs, and miseries to which more or less all are subject; these emotional conditions to bear the practical fruit of forgiveness , and the forgiveness to be mutual ( χαριζόμενοι ἑαυτοῖς ), as if under the feeling that what you give today you require to ask tomorrow, net being too hard on the faults of others, remembering that you have your own. Even as God in Christ also forgave you. The A.V. rendering, "for Christ's sake," is objectionable every way: it is not literal; it omits the characteristic feature of the Epistle, "in Christ," losing the force of the consideration that the forgiveness was dispensed by the Father, acting with or wholly one with the Son; and it gives a shade of countenance to the great error that the Father personally was not disposed to forgive till he was prevailed on to do so by the interposition of the Son. The aorist, " forgave ," is more literal and better than the perfect, "hath forgiven;" it points to a definite time when forgiveness was bestowed, viz. the moment of real belief in Christ, and hearty acceptance of his grace.

The vague atmosphere in which many envelop the question of their forgiveness is very hurtful; it checks their thanksgivings, dulls their joy, quenches hope, and dilutes the great dynamic power of the gospel - the power that impels us to forgive our brother, as well as to abound in the work of the Lord with a tender conscience, the sense of forgiveness urges to the most full and hearty doing of God's will; but when hypocrites, with seared consciences claim to be forgiven, they steal what is not their own, and become more abandoned to wickedness. Ephesians 4:32

(32) Kind . . . tenderhearted. —“Kindness” is gentleness in bearing with wrong ( Luke 6:35 ; Romans 11:22 ; Ephesians 2:7 ; 1Peter 2:3 ). “Tenderheartedness” (see 1Peter 3:8 ) is more positive warmth of sympathy and love. Both issue in free “forgiveness,” after the model of the universal and unfailing forgiveness “of God in Christ” to us—the only model we dare to follow, suggested by our Saviour Himself in the Lord’s Prayer, and expressly enjoined in Luke 6:36 . It is a forgiveness which in us, as in Him, does not imply condonation of evil, or even the withholding of needful chastisement, but which absolutely ignores self, conquers man’s selfish anger, and knows no limit, even up to “seventy times seven.”

32 . be ] Lit., become ; shew yourselves, in the actions and developments of life. kind ] The Gr. word (noun or adj.) occurs in similar contexts, Luke 6:35 ; Romans 2:4 ; Romans 11:22 (“ goodness ”); 2 Corinthians 6:6 ; Galatians 5:22 ; Colossians 3:12 . Its primitive meaning is “ useful ”; hence “helpful,” and so “kindly.”—It is the original of “easy” in Matthew 11:30 ; the Lord’s “yoke” is a real yoke, but instinct with the lovingkindness of Him who imposes it. tender-hearted ] The same Gr. word as in 1 Peter 3:8 (A.V., “ pitiful ”). It occurs nowhere else in N.T. Kind-hearted may perhaps be a better rendering, as somewhat wider. The word carries the idea of the previous word a little more into life and detail. forgiving one another ] Lit., “ forgiving yourselves .” Usage and common sense alike fully justify the rendering of A.V. and R.V. (which reads, somewhat needlessly, “ each other”). The “yourselves,” as a grammatical fact, indicates the solidarity of the body within which the reciprocity takes place; though this fine shade of meaning must not be exaggerated. For a close parallel to the precept see Colossians 3:13 . The holy duty of heartfelt forgiveness, entire and unreserved, is prominent in the Lord’s teaching; cp. especially the Lord’s Prayer ( Matthew 6:12 ; Luke 11:4 ); Matthew 18:21 , &c. No duty is more readily owned in the abstract, none more repugnant to the will in many a case in the concrete.

But the law of Christ knows no exceptions, and grace is able to meet every demand for fulfilment.—It is humbling and instructive to see here, as in the Lord’s Prayer, that the abiding need for mutual forgiveness is assumed. even as ] The Divine pardon is at once supreme example and sacred motive. Cp. just below, ch. Ephesians 5:2 . God ] The Father, “Fount of Deity,” and as such styled often simply God where Christ is also and distinctively named ( John 17:3 ; 2 Corinthians 5:19 ; 2 Corinthians 13:13 ; Judges 21). The Son has also Deity, but as in the Stream, not in the Fountain. See Pearson, On the Creed , Art. 1. for Christ’s sake ] Lit. and better, in Christ . The reason of pardon, and the process of it, are alike summed up “in Christ,” “in” Whom the Father reveals Himself as God of Peace: “in” Whom resides the immediate atoning reason of Peace; and “in” Whom, by grace and faith, are the human objects of pardon, “very members incorporate” of Him Who is eternally the Accepted One of the Father.—Cp. Ephesians 1:7 . hath forgiven ] Lit., and better, did forgive ; ideally and in covenant, “before the world was”; historically, when the Son was accepted and glorified as the perfect Propitiation, raised from the dead; in individual experience, when each person believed ( Romans 5:1 , &c.) It is important to observe how the Apostle bids them deal with Divine forgiveness not as a hope but as a fact.