Ephesians 6:21-24 But that you also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord… 1. Why he does not enter on them. "But that ye also may know my affairs, how I do, Tychicus... shall make known to you all things." He knew that they would be anxious to have some account of his affairs. He would have given them a written account but for the fact that Tychicus, the bearer of his letter to them, would be able to give them (and others too, it is implied) a more detailed account by word of mouth. We have already remarked on the absence of the personal in this catholic Epistle. The one exception is the introduction of the name of Tychicus, and it is introduced to account for the absence of details about himself. In the Epistle to the Colossians, along with the same reference to Tychicus, there are numerous salutations. It favors the hypothesis of this being a circular letter (intended for a circle of which Ephesus was the center), that none are conjoined with the apostle in sending salutations (the apostle alone may have been known to all the Churches), and none are singled out as special objects for salutation (as in the one Church of Colossae). 2. Qualifications of Tychicus. "The beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord." In Acts 20:4 he is classed as an Asiatic. If he did not, then, belong to the same city (Trophimus associated with him was an Ephesian), he belonged to the same province, as those to whom he conveyed the letter. Of more importance than his country was his Christian character, for which the apostle vouches. He limits his consideration to the Christian sphere (where Christ appoints and animates), and, within that sphere, Tychicus was both a beloved brother and faithful minister. He had those qualities of heart which attached men to him, an important element in a mission, he had also those qualities of conscience which, as they made him fit to be entrusted with the gospel, also made him fit for the special service required of him. 3. Definite statement of the object of his mission. "Whom I have sent unto you for this very purpose, that ye may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts." A servant of the Church, he was, in the first instance; but he was sent by Paul on this special errand. He was not only to communicate information to them regarding Paul, but also regarding Paul's companions in Rome. Through what he communicated, he would comfort their hearts. For the precise bearing of this we are left to conjecture. He might be able to tell them that the health of Paul and of such a fellow-prisoner as Aristarchus was not suffering from their confinement. He might be able to report that not only Paul, but all of them, were remaining steadfast in the faith of Christ. He might be able to announce some increased liberty in the preaching of the gospel. He might especially be able (with communicated apostolic fervor) to report the preaching of Paul, and himself to present the gospel as the means of comfort. DOUBLE BENEDICTION. 1. First benediction. "Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." The source from which blessing is invoked is (as at the beginning of the Epistle) God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. There is given both the First Cause and the Second Cause. It belongs to God the Father (to whom can it more belong than to him?) to bless his children. Christ is the Second Cause, by whom God made the worlds, by whom also he redeemed and blesses his people. He is, therefore, also invoked as the Source of blessing. (1) First blessing. "Peace be to the brethren." We are to understand "peace" here, as at the beginning of the Epistle, in the sense of freedom from unrest, as being under the loving care of God. It may mean freedom from persecution, if that is lovingly arranged by God. It may also mean freedom from internal dissensions, if God sees fit to grant that. There is a limitation in the scope of the blessing compared with the language of the following benediction. We are not to understand it as peace to the whole Church of Christ, but rather peace to the brethren to whom, in turn, the Epistle was to be sent round. (2) Second blessing. "And love with faith." The apostle (as he has done throughout) presupposes faith, but not as a fixed quantity. Rather does he invoke it in its higher degrees, and, at the same time, invoke love as its concomitant. Let love not lag behind, but let it keep pace with faith. If we turn believingly to God as our Father and Christ as our Savior, we should also turn affectionately to the brethren. Let there be love (in all its beauty) to manifest the reality and activity of our faith. 2. Second benediction. "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in uncorruptness." The blessing. "Grace." This is to be understood as in other places. Let there be the outflowing of the Divine compassion. Let there be every fitting manifestation of the Divine favor. The scope of the blessing. As to its form, it is catholic. It excludes selfishness and denominational jealousies, and takes in the whole circle which Christ acknowledges. As to matter, there are two things pointed to. (1) The grand characteristic of the Christian is love to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian is one who (appealed to by the Savior) can say with Peter, "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee." Such an affection as God has put into the nature of the child, of the parent, such (in its personal character, in its tenderness, in its strength) is to be our affection to Christ. Such a virtuous affection (as distinguished from natural affection) as we have toward the brethren, such, purified and heightened, is to be our affection toward the Master. The ground of virtuous affection is moral goodness, and especially one form of it, viz. holy benevolence. We love a man who, besides being conscientious, is filled with universal good will. So we love Christ because (with all dutifulness) he is the perfection of all unselfishness and benevolence toward men. In estimating his character (as an object for our love) we must take into account his rank in the universe, viz. that he was the Son of God. If a king and one of his subjects were both voluntarily to go into slavery for the purpose of redeeming their country, the sacrifice would be regarded as greater on the part of the king than on the part of his subject. There may be the same patriotism; but there is something to be put down to the rank. So all that Christ was and did is enhanced in proportion to the height from which he descended. It was not simply love to man in a human position, but love that made infinite descent to burn in the human soul of Christ. We must also take into account the public capacity in which he acted. He was not rendering such help as we personally may render to one another. But he was the Christ, the appointed Representative of all mankind. He had all our interests on his hands. His character comes out in the whole of his life. He evinced a universal benevolence: "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." He was called the Friend of sinners. He loved men apart from their outward surroundings and natural capacities; he loved them as sinners in need of salvation. Especially does his character come out at the last. He went (in suffering the desert of sin) under that which is called the hiding of the Father's countenance. And it was not only dauntless trust in God, but unquenchable love to men, that maintained him there. He went down to the lowest depths for us (in experience the most terrible), that he might carry us with him to the heights. (2) An indispensable element is pointed to in our love to Christ. "In uncorruptness." There is a spurious love to Christ, which is founded on his sufferings without reference to their spiritual meaning. "I wept when the waters went over his soul." Such love, as it is not well founded, so also is it transient. The closing climactic thought in this great catholic Epistle is that our love to Christ is to have an immortality, an incorruptibility. As there was a deathless principle in his love to us, so there is to be a deathless principle in our love to him. It will have of this, according as it is founded on the real excellence of Christ. The purer and clearer our conception of his transcendent benevolence and beneficence, the more will our love have of undying and ever-unfolding beauty. - R.F. Parallel Verses KJV: But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: |
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