* Footnote * John 13 : 34
A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another.* Footnote * John 15 : 12
This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.* Footnote * 1_John 4 : 21
And this commandment we have from God, that he who loveth God love also his brother.*H But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you, as becometh saints:
Ver. 3. Covetousness. [1] The Latin word is generally taken for a coveting or immoderate desire of money and riches. S. Jerom and others observe, that the Greek word in this and divers other places in the New Testament may signify any unsatiable desire, or the lusts of sensual pleasures; and on this account, S. Jerom thinks that it is here joined with fornication and uncleanness. But S. Chrys. in the last chapter, (v. 19. hom. xiii. and on this chap. v. 3.) shews 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, Luke xvi. 13. You cannot serve God and mammon. Wi.
* Footnote * Colossians 3 : 5
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which is the service of idols.*H Or obscenity or foolish talking or scurrility, which is to no purpose: but rather giving of thanks.
Ver. 4. Nor obscenity. [2] What is here meant by this word, S. Chrys. tells us at large in the moral exhortation after his 17th homily; to wit, jests with immodest suggestions or a double meaning, and raillery or buffoonery against the rules of good conversation, scarce made use of by any but by men of low condition and of a mean genius, which is not to the purpose of a Christian, who must give an account to God of all his words. Wi.
*H For know you this and understand: That no fornicator or unclean or covetous person (which is a serving of idols) hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Ver. 5. Nor covetous person, which is a serving of idols. It is clear enough by the Greek that the covetous man is called an idolater, whose idol in mammon; though it may be also said of other sinners, that the vices they are addicted to are their idols. Wi.
*H Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief.
Ver. 6. The apostle here puts them in mind of the general judgment, when the angel of God will, on account of their crimes of avarice, fornication, &c. 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 moreover informs them, that the severest punishments will be inflicted on such wicked persons. Estius.
* Footnote * Matthew 24 : 4
And Jesus answering, said to them: Take heed that no man seduce you.* Footnote * Mark 13 : 5
And Jesus answering, began to say to them: Take heed lest any man deceive you.* Footnote * Luke 21 : 8
Who said: Take heed you be not seduced: for many will come in my name, saying: I am he and the time is at hand. Go ye not therefore after them.* Footnote * 2_Thessalonians 2 : 3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for unless there come a revolt first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition*H Be ye not therefore partakers with them.
Ver. 7. Be ye not, therefore, partakers with them: do not imitate their wickedness, or the wrath of the Almighty will likewise fall on you. Estius.
*H For you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of the light.
Ver. 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 grievous sins. But delivered by Christ from this darkness, they have become light in the Lord, shining in faith and justice. Estius.
*H For the fruit of the light is in all goodness and justice and truth:
Ver. 9. For the fruit of the light. So the Latin and divers 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 Prot. translation. Wi.
*H Proving what is well pleasing to God.
Ver. 10. With solicitude seek out what things are pleasing to God, and carefully perform them. Estius.
*H And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness: but rather reprove them.
Ver. 11. You are light, they are darkness; do you, therefore, shew by the light of your good works how base and detestable their works of darkness are. Estius.
*H Wherefore he saith: Rise, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead: and Christ shall enlighten thee.
Ver. 14. Rise, thou that sleepest. The sense may be taken from Isai. lx. 1. S. Jerom thinks they may be cited from some work not canonical. Wi.
* Footnote * Colossians 4 : 5
Walk with wisdom towards them that are without, redeeming the time.* Footnote * Romans 12 : 2
And be not conformed to this world: but be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and the acceptable and the perfect will of God.* Footnote * 1_Thessalonians 4 : 3
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: That you should abstain from fornication:* Footnote * Genesis 3 : 16
To the woman also he said: I will multiply thy sorrows, and thy conceptions: in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children, and thou shalt be under thy husband's power, and he shall have dominion over thee.* Footnote * Colossians 3 : 18
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as it behoveth in the Lord.* Footnote * 1_Peter 3 : 1
In like manner also, let wives be subject to their husbands: that, if any believe not the word, they may be won without the word, by the conversation of the wives,*H Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the saviour of his body.
Ver. 23. For the husband is the head of the wife. Though S. 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. xi. 3. where even the Prot. translation has, that the man is head of the woman. — He (Christ) is the saviour of his mystical body, the Church: though some expound it, that the husband is to save and take care of his wife, who is as it were his body. Wi.
* Footnote * 1_Corinthians 11 : 3
But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ: and the head of the woman is the man: and the head of Christ is God.*H Therefore as the church is subject to Christ: so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things.
Ver. 24. As the church is subject to Christ. The Church then, according to S. Paul, is ever obedient to Christ: and can never fall from him, but remain faithful to him, unspotted and unchanged to the end of the world. Ch.
* Footnote * Colossians 3 : 19
Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter towards them.*H That he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life:
Ver. 26. Cleansing it by the laver [3] of water, in 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. Wi.
*H That he might present it to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Ver. 27. Not having spot or wrinkle. S. Aug. 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. Wi.
*H So also ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Ver. 28-31. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself. S. Paul would have this a love like that which a man hath 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 Mat. xix. 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. ii. 23.) This is now bone of my bones, &c. 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. Wi.
* Footnote * Genesis 2 : 24
Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh.* Footnote * Matthew 19 : 5
For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one flesh.* Footnote * Mark 10 : 7
For this cause, a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife.* Footnote ** 1_Corinthians 6 : 16
Or know you not that he who is joined to a harlot is made one body? For they shall be, saith he, two in one flesh.*H This is a great sacrament: but I speak in Christ and in the church.
Ver. 32. This . . . sacrament, (or mystery) . . . in Christ, and in the Church. This sacrament, in construction, must be referred to what immediately went before, i.e. to the conjunction of marriage betwixt man and wife; and this is called a great sacrament, or mystery, as representing the union or spiritual nuptials of Christ with his spouse, the Church. Wi.