Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
And--in proof that you are so.
walk in love--resuming Ephesians 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, Galatians 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 (John 15:13; Romans 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 (Psalms 40:6-8), including His life of obedience; though not excluding His offering of His body for us (Hebrews 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 Psalms 40:6 (quoted again in Hebrews 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 (Ephesians 1:6; Matthew 3:17; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Hebrews 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 (Genesis 8:21). Again, as what Christ is, believers also are (1 John 4:17), and ministers are: Paul says (2 Corinthians 2:17) "we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ."
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Song of Solomon 1:3
Ezekiel 20:41
Luke 1:10
1 Corinthians 11:1
2 Corinthians 2:15
Ephesians 1:4
Ephesians 5:1
Philippians 4:18
2 Thessalonians 2:13
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