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; II 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 (I John 4:17), and ministers are: Paul says (II Corinthians 2:17) "we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ."
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Ephesians 5:2:
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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