John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 1. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you , &c.] Or in the Lord; that is, for the Lord's sake; (See Gill on Ephesians 3:1). Some connect this phrase, in the Lord, with the following word, beseech: as if the sense was, that the apostle entreated the believing Ephesians, in the name of the Lord, and for his sake, to take heed to their walk and conversation, that it be as became the calling by grace, and to glory, with which they were called: and this exhortation he enforces from the consideration of the state and condition in which he was, a prisoner, not for any wickedness he had been guilty of, but for the Lord's sake, which seems to be the true sense of the word; and that, if they would not add afflictions to his bonds, as some professors by their walk did, he beseeches them, as an ambassador in bonds, that they would attend to what he was about to say; and the rather, since such doctrines of grace had been made known to them, which have a tendency to promote powerful godliness; and since they were made partakers of such privileges as laid them under the greatest obligation to duty, which were made mention of in the preceding chapters. That ye walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are called ; by which is meant, not that private and peculiar state and condition of life, that the saints are called to, and in: but that calling, by the grace of God, which is common to them all; and is not a mere outward call by the ministry of the word, with which men may be called, and not be chosen, sanctified, and saved; but that which is internal, and is of special grace, and by the Spirit of God; by whom they are called out of darkness into light, out of bondage into liberty, out of the world, and from the company and conversation of the men of it, into the fellowship of Christ, and his people, to the participation of the grace of Christ here, and to his kingdom and glory hereafter; and which call is powerful, efficacious, yea, irresistible; and being once made is unchangeable, and without repentance, and is holy, high, and heavenly. Now to walk worthy of it, or suitable to it, is to walk as children of the light; to walk in the liberty wherewith Christ and his Spirit make them free; to walk by faith on Christ; and to walk in the ways of God, with Christ, the mark, in their view, and with the staff of promises in their hands; and to walk on constantly, to go forwards and hold out unto the end: for this walking, though it refers to a holy life and conversation, a series of good works, yet it does not suppose that these merit calling; rather the contrary, since these follow upon it; and that is used as an argument to excite unto them: but the phrase is expressive of a fitness, suitableness, and agreeableness of a walk and conversation to such rich grace, and so high an honour conferred on saints.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - Nothing is pressed more earnestly in the Scriptures, than to walk a becomes those called to Christ's kingdom and glory. By lowliness understand humility, which is opposed to pride. By meekness, tha excellent disposition of soul, which makes men unwilling to provoke and not easily to be provoked or offended. We find much in ourselve for which we can hardly forgive ourselves; therefore we must not be surprised if we find in others that which we think it hard to forgive There is one Christ in whom all believers hope, and one heaven they ar all hoping for; therefore they should be of one heart. They had all on faith, as to its object, Author, nature, and power. They all believe the same as to the great truths of religion; they had all been admitte into the church by one baptism, with water, in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, as the sign of regeneration. I all believers God the Father dwells, as in his holy temple, by his Spirit and special grace.
Greek Textus Receptus
παρακαλω 3870 5719 V-PAI-1S ουν 3767 CONJ υμας 5209 P-2AP εγω 1473 P-1NS ο 3588 T-NSM δεσμιος 1198 N-NSM εν 1722 PREP κυριω 2962 N-DSM αξιως 516 ADV περιπατησαι 4043 5658 V-AAN της 3588 T-GSF κλησεως 2821 N-GSF ης 3739 R-GSF εκληθητε 2564 5681 V-API-2P
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. In the Lord. See on Philip. i. 14.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:1 {Wherewith ye were called} (hes ekleqete). Attraction of the relative hs to the genitive of the antecedent klesews (calling) from the cognate accusative hen with ekleqete (first aorist passive indicative of kalew, to call. For the list of virtues here see #Col 3:12. To anecomenoi allelwn (#Col 3:13) Paul here adds "in love" (en agapei), singled out in #Col 3:14.
