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Eph_4:21. Εἴγε ] tum certe si, as to which, however, there is no doubt (for Paul himself had preached to them Christ, and instructed them in Christ), introduces, as in Eph_3:2, in a delicate way the confirmation of the οὐχ οὕτως ἐμάθετε τὸν Χριστόν : assuming, at least, that ye have heard him and have received instruction in him, as it is truth in Jesus, that ye lay aside, etc., that is: if, namely, the preaching, in which ye became aware of Christ, and the instruction, which was imparted to you as Christians, have been in accordance with the fact that true fellowship with Christ consists in your laying aside, etc.
αὐτὸν ἠκούσατε ] to be explained after the analogy of the ἐμάθετε τὸν Χριστόν , Eph_4:20; but αὐτόν , like ἐν αὐτῷ subsequently, is prefixed with emphasis.
ἐν αὐτῷ ] is neither ab eo (Castalio, Gataker, Flatt), nor de eo (Piscator), nor per eum (Beza), nor “illius nomine, quod ad illum attinet” (Bengel); but it is to be explained from the conception ἐν Χριστῷ εἶναι : in Him, in the fellowship of Christ, that is, as Christians. Observe the progress of the discourse, which passes over from the first proclamation of the gospel ( αὐτὸν ἠκούσατε ) to the further instruction which they have thereupon received as already converted to Christ ( ἐν αὐτῷ ἐδιδαχθ .)—two elements, which were previously comprehended in ἐμάθετε τὸν Χριστόν .
καθώς ] in the manner how, introduces the mode of the having heard and having been instructed, so that this ἠκούσατε καὶ ἐδιδάχθητε καθὼς κ . τ . λ . corresponds to the previous οὐχ οὕτως ἐμάθετε τὸν Χριστόν , affirmatively stating what οὐχ οὕτως had indicated negatively.
ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ] Truth it is in Jesus, that ye lay aside, etc., in so far as without this laying aside of your old man there would be no true, but only an apparent fellowship with Jesus.
ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ] Paul passes from the official name Χριστός to the personal name Ἰησοῦς , because he, after having previously recalled the preaching made to the Ephesians and instruction concerning the Messiah, now brings into prominence the moral character of this preaching and instruction, and the moral life of true Christianity is contained in believing fellowship with the historical person of the Messiah, with Jesus (comp. 2Co_4:10 ff.: for “Christi ideam perfectissime et fulgidissime explevit Jesus,” Bengel), whose death has procured for believers their justification, and by virtue of their fellowship with Him the new life (Rom_6:2-3), so that to be ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ with a retention of the old man, would be a contradictio in adjecto—would be untruth, and not ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ . We may add that this transition, unforced also at Eph_1:15, from Χριστός to Ἰησοῦς was not necessary; for, had Paul again written ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ , there would therewith, as before, have been presented to the moral consciousness just the historical Christ Jesus. Comp. Gal_5:24; Col_3:10 f. The accusative with the infinitive ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς depends on ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ , so that it appears as subject of the sentence (Kühner, II. p. 347 f.). Usually ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς is made to depend on ἐδιδάχθητε , in which case καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ is very differently explained. Either it is regarded as a parenthesis (Beza, Er. Schmid, Michaelis), as by Rückert, who takes καθώς augmentatively, so that the sense is: “If ye are rightly instructed concerning Christ, ye have not so learned Him, for that would be false; with Him (there where Christ is, lives and rules) there is, in fact, only truth (moral, religious truth) to be met with.” Or καθώς ἐστιν κ . τ . λ . is attached to ἐδιδάχθητε , and then ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς is taken as epexegesis of καθώς ἐστιν κ . τ . λ ., in which case ἀλήθεια in turn is differently explained.[236] Or the connection is so conceived of, that a οὕτως is supplied before ἈΠΟΘΈΣΘΑΙ , in which case Jesus appears as model.[237] So also Harless (followed by Olshausen), who, taking ἀλήθεια as moral truth (holiness), justifies ὑμᾶς from the comparison of Jesus with the readers (“as truth is in Jesus, so to lay aside on your part”), in which case Ἰησοῦ , not Χριστῷ , is held to be used, because the man Jesus is set forth as pattern. Matthies likewise makes ἀποθέσθαι , depend on ἐδιδάχθητε , but annexes καθώς κ . τ . λ . as more precise definition to ἐν αὐτῷ : “in Him, as or in as far as the truth is in Jesus, as He is the truth.” So Castalio appears already to have taken it. But all these explanations break down in presence of the ὑμᾶς , which, if ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς belonged to ἐδιδάχθητε , would be quite inappropriate. In particular, it may be further urged (a) in opposition to Rückert, that according to his explanation the parenthesis καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ must logically have had its place already after τὸν Χριστόν ; (b) in opposition to Harless, that the alleged comparison of Jesus with the readers is at variance with the order of the words, since Paul must have written: καθὼς ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἀλήθειά ἐστιν , ὑμᾶς ἀποθέσθαι ; (c) in opposition to Matthies, that καθὼς κ . τ . λ . does not stand beside ἐν αὐτῷ , and that ἀλήθεια must have had the article. De Wette explains it to this effect: In Jesus there is (as inherent quality, comp. Joh_8:44) truth (especially in a practical respect), consequently there is implied in the instructions concerning Him the principle and the necessity of moral change. But even thus we may expect, instead of ἀποθ . ὑμᾶς , merely the simple ἀποθέσθαι . Others have attached ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς to Eph_4:17, as continuation of the μηκέτι ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν κ . τ . λ . (Cornelius a Lapide, Bengel, Zachariae; not Wetstein, who at Eph_4:22 merely says “respicit comma 17”), in which case καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθ . ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ is likewise differently understood.[238] But after the new commencement of the discourse ὙΜΕῖς ΔῈ ΟὐΧ ΟὝΤΩς , Eph_4:21, this is simply arbitrary and forced. Credner takes a peculiar view (Einl. II. p. 398 f.): “Ye have not thus learned to know the Messiah, provided that ye (as I am warranted in presupposing, for it is only to such that I write) have heard Him and have been instructed in Him, as He as truth (truly, really) is in Jesus.” Thus Paul is held to distinguish his readers from such Gentiles as, won over to faith in the near advent of the world’s Redeemer, had reckoned themselves as Christians, but without believing in Jesus as that Redeemer. But of such Gentiles there is not found any trace in the N.T. (the disciples of John, Act_19:1 ff., are as such to be reckoned among the Jews); besides, there would lack any attachment for the following ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς , and in using ἈΛΉΘΕΙΑ (instead of ἘΝ ἈΛΗΘ . or ἈΛΗΘῶς ) Paul would have expressed himself as enigmatically as possible. Lastly, Hofmann (Schriftbew. II. 2, p. 291), without reason, wishes to attach ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ not to ΚΑΘΏς ἘΣΤΙΝ ἈΛΉΘ ., but to what follows; the in itself quite general ΚΑΘΏς ἘΣΤΙΝ ἈΛΉΘΕΙΑ stood in need of being characterized definitely as Christian, not the ἈΠΟΘΈΣΘΑΙ Κ . Τ . Λ ., as to which it was already implied in the nature of the case and was self-evident.
[236] Camerarius, Raphel, Wolf: “edocti estis … quae sit vera disciplina Christi, nimirum ut deponatis.” Comp. Piscator: “quaenam sit vera ratio vivendi in Jesu tanquam in capite … nempe deponere.” Grotius: “si ita edocti estis evangelium, quomodo illud revera se habet;” so also Calixtus, Koppe, Rosenmüller, Morus, and others.
[237] Jerome led the way with this explanation: “quomodo est veritas in Jesu, sic erit et in vobis qui didicistis Christum.” Subsequently it was followed by Erasmus, Estius (“sicut in Christo Jesu nulla est ignorantia, nullus error, nihil injustum, sed pura veritas et justitia, sic et vos,” etc.), and others, including Storr, Flatt (“as He Himself is holy”), Holzhausen, Meier ( ἀλήθεια is Christian virtue, “that ye, as truth in Jesus is, should lay aside”).
[238] Bengel: “ita uti veritas (vera agnitio Dei veri) reapse est in Jesu; qui credunt in Jesum, verant.” Zachariae: “For in what Jesus teaches to us is alone to be found the truth by the heathen … despised.” Both thus explain it, as if ἀλήθ . had the article.