Ephesians 5:2

5:1,2 Because God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you, therefore be ye followers of God, imitators of God. Resemble him especially in his love and pardoning goodness, as becomes those beloved by their heavenly Father. In Christ's sacrifice his love triumphs, and we are to consider it fully.

Walk in love As imitators of God who is love. Loved us (ἡμᾶς) The correct reading is ὑμᾶς you. Gave (παρέδωκεν) To death Compare Romans 4:25, where the same verb was delivered is followed by was raised. See also Romans 8:32; Galatians 2:20. Offering - sacrifice (προσφορὰν - θυσίαν) Offering, general, including the life as well as the death of Christ: sacrifice, special: on the cross. Properly, a slain offering. A sweet smelling savor (ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας) Rev., correctly, odor of a sweet smell. See on 2 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Corinthians 2:15, 2 Corinthians 2:16. The Septuagint, in Leviticus 1:9, uses this phrase to render the Hebrew, a savor of quietness. For (εἰς) expresses design, that it might become, or result: so that it became.

And walk in love; let your whole conversation be in love. As Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us; viz. to die for us, Galatians 2:20 , as the greatest argument of his love, John 15:13 Romans 5:8 . An offering and a sacrifice to God: either offering signifies a meat-offering, which was joined as an appendix with the bloody sacrifice; or rather more generally, all the oblations that were under the law; and the word sacrifice either restrains it to those especially in which blood was shed for expiation of sin, or explains the meaning of it: q.d. Christ gave himself an offering, even a sacrifice in the proper sense, i.e. a bloody one. For a sweet-smelling savour; i.e. acceptable to God; alluding to the legal sacrifices, {see Genesis 8:21 Leviticus 1:9} and intimating those other to have been accepted of God, only, with respect to that of Christ; and that as Christ dying to reconcile sinners to God was acceptable to him, so our spiritual sacrifices are then only like to be accepted of him, when we are reconciled to our brother, Matthew 5:23,24 .

Ephesians 5:2 . Περιπατεῖτε , walk ) The fruit of our love, which has been kindled from [by the love of] Christ [to us].[76]— ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν , for us ) The Dative, to God , is not construed with the verb, gave Himself , but with an offering and sacrifice , which immediately precede it. For Paul is alluding to Moses, in whose writings such words are common: ὁλοκαύτωμα τῷ Κυρίῳ , εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας , θυσίασμα τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐστί , κ . τ . λ ., Exodus 29:18 ; Exodus 29:25 ; Exodus 29:41 ; Leviticus 23:13 ; Leviticus 23:18 , etc.— προσφορὰν καὶ θυσίαν , an offering and a sacrifice ) Comp. Hebrews 10:5 , etc.— εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας , for a sweet-smelling savour ) By this sweet-smelling odour we are reconciled to God. [76] And also kindled by the Holy Ghost as the agent.—ED.

2. And—in proof that you are so. walk in love—resuming Eph 4:1, "walk worthy of the vocation." as Christ … loved us—From the love of the Father he passes to the love of the Son, in whom God most endearingly manifests His love to us. given himself for us—Greek, "given Himself up (namely, to death, Ga 2:20) for us," that is, in our behalf: not here vicarious substitution, though that is indirectly implied, "in our stead." The offerer, and the offering that He offered, were one and the same (Joh 15:13; Ro 5:8). offering and a sacrifice—"Offering" expresses generally His presenting Himself to the Father, as the Representative undertaking the cause of the whole of our lost race (Ps 40:6-8), including His life of obedience; though not excluding His offering of His body for us (Heb 10:10). It is usually an unbloody offering, in the more limited sense. "Sacrifice" refers to His death for us exclusively. Christ is here, in reference to Ps 40:6 (quoted again in Heb 10:5), represented as the antitype of all the offerings of the law, whether the unbloody or bloody, eucharistical or propitiatory. for a sweet-smelling savour—Greek, "for an odor of a sweet smell," that is, God is well pleased with the offering on the ground of its sweetness,and so is reconciled to us (Eph 1:6; Mt 3:17; 2Co 5:18, 19; Heb 10:6-17).

The ointment compounded of principal spices, poured upon Aaron's head, answers to the variety of the graces by which He was enabled to "offer Himself a sacrifice for a sweet-smelling savor." Another type, or prophecy by figure, was "the sweet savor" ("savor of rest," Margin) which God smelled in Noah's sacrifice (Ge 8:21). Again, as what Christ is, believers also are (1Jo 4:17), and ministers are: Paul says (2Co 2:17) "we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ."

Verse 2. - And walk in love. Taking up anew the exhortation of Ephesians 4:1 . Let your ordinary life be spent in an atmosphere of love. Drink it in from heaven, as plants drink in the sunshine; radiate it forth from eyes and face; let hands and feet be active in the service; let looks, words, and acts all be steeped in it. Even as Christ also loved us. The passing from the Father to the Son as our Example is not a new departure; for the Son reveals the Father, the Son's love is the counterpart of the Father's, made visible to us in the way most fitted to impress us. Though Christ's love, like his Father's, is eternal, the aorist is used, to denote that specific act of love which is immediately in view. And gave himself for us. The Pauline phrase ( Galatians 1:4 ; Galatians 2:20 ; Titus 2:14 ; 1 Timothy 2:6 ), simple, but very comprehensive: "himself" - all that he was as God, all that he became as Man, a complete self-surrender, a whole burnt offering. "For us," not merely on our behalf, but in our room (after verbs of giving, dying, etc.); this, indeed, being implied in the idea immediately following of a sacrifice , which, alike to the Jewish and pagan mind, conveyed the idea of a life given in room of another. An offering and a sacrifice to God.

Offering and sacrifice are nearly synonymous, but the first probably includes the whole earthly career of Christ incarnate - his holy life, blessed example, gracious teaching, loving companionship, as well as his atoning death, which last is more precisely the θυσία , sacrifice. The offering and sacrifice were presented to God, to satisfy his justice, fulfill the demands of his law, and glorify his holy and righteous government. For a sweet-smelling savor. Allusion to Noah's sacrifice of every clean beast and of every fowl - " the Lord smelled a sweet savor;" that is, the whole transaction, not the offering merely, but the spirit in which it was offered likewise, was grateful to God. The whole work of Christ, and the beautiful spirit in which he offered himself, were grateful to the Father, and procure saving blessings for all who by faith make the offering their own. Ephesians 5:2

(2) As Christ also hath loved us. —To this idea of the “imitation of God,” essential to all true religion, St. Paul now adds an exhortation to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, in that especial exhibition of love by suffering and self-sacrifice, which is impossible to the Godhead in itself, but which belongs to the incarnate Son of God, and was the ultimate purpose of His incarnation. There is a similar connection of idea in John 15:12-13 , “This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” The imitation of God is in free and natural beneficence; the imitation of Christ is in that power of showing mercy, which is bought by suffering and sacrifice. He not only “loved us,” but “gave Himself for us.” An offering and a sacrifice to God,—The same words, “sacrifice and offering,” are found in close connection in Hebrews 10:5, which is a quotation from Psalm 40:7. Comparing these with the Hebrew words which they represent, and looking also to the etymology of the Greek words themselves, we see that the word “offering” signifies simply a gift offered to God, and is applied especially, though not exclusively, to unbloody sacrifices; while the word “sacrifice” distinctly implies the shedding of blood. Each word, when used alone, has constantly a more general sense.

Thus “offering” is used in Hebrews 10:10; Hebrews 10:14; Hebrews 10:18, for the sacrifice on the cross; while “sacrifice,” in Acts 7:42, is made to translate the word commonly rendered as “offering.” But when placed in juxtaposition they must be held distinctive; and hence we may conclude that our Lord made Himself “an offering” in the perfect obedience of His great humility, “coming to do God’s will” (according to the prophetic anticipation of Psalm 40:7-8), and gave Himself a “sacrifice,” when He completed that offering by shedding His blood on the cross. Both are said to be offered “for us,” i.e., on our behalf. We have, therefore, here a complete summary—all the more striking and characteristic because incidental—of the doctrine of the Atonement. For a sweet-smelling savour.—The sense of this phrase is explained in Philippians 4:18 by the addition of the words “a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.” It is the translation of an expression, frequent in the Old Testament (as in Genesis 8:21; Exodus 29:18; et al.), signifying “a smell of acquiescence” or “satisfaction.” It describes the atoning sacrifice as already accepted by God.

2 . walk ] On the metaphor, see above on Ephesians 2:2 . It is just in the steps of actual life that Divine grace is to shew itself, if it is indeed present. as Christ also ] “ Also ,” as an Exemplar additional to the Father, and in different though profoundly kindred respects. See next notes.—On “God” and “Christ” thus collocated see above on Ephesians 4:32 . hath loved … hath given ] Better, loved … gave . Cp. for a pregnant parallel, Galatians 2:20 , “Who loved me , and gave Himself for me .” And, again of the community, the Church, ch. Ephesians 5:25 ; Revelation 1:5 . On this holy Love see above Ephesians 3:19 ; Romans 8:35 ; 2 Corinthians 5:14 . us ] Considerable evidence, but scarcely conclusive, gives the reading “ you .” All the ancient Versions favour the received text. given himself for us ] as atoning, pacificatory, satisfactory Sacrifice. Thus we may safely interpret in the light of Scripture at large, and of the next following words here. But the business of this passage is with the Lord’s Example, and it does not enter in detail into His Sacrificial work, nor employ (in the Gr.) the strict formula for substitution, such as the Lord Himself uses, Matthew 20:28 , “to give His soul a Ransom in place, instead, of many.” The supreme Act of self-devoting love for others which, as a fact, the Atoning Death was, is here used as the great Example of all acts of self-devoting love in the Christian Church.