Unit 7 rem close — Spirit's sword; bold speech; peace and incorruption

—petition for all the saints and for me. The healthy word flows from a divine spirit; the opposing word speaks from the earth. The one who is from the earth is of the earth and speaks from the earth; the one who comes from heaven is above all, and what he has seen and heard he witnesses. The word from the Spirit is a sword; that is why Paul here calls the sword of the Spirit the word of God. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword; it penetrates as far as the division of soul and spirit, cuts and divides, and also works through prayer and petition for those who pray at every time and pray in the Spirit, according to "I will pray with the spirit." It works for those who watch in order to grow rich in God's word and persist in gaining it, so they may help others and, through prayers, work with those who help. Notice also the apostle's moderation: he asks the Ephesians for petitions on his behalf.

"That speech may be given me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel" (Ephesians 6:19). Origen: when the mouth is opened after speech has been given, the mystery of the gospel is made known with boldness, no longer in proverbs and parables. The Savior says the same: "An hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in proverbs, but will announce the Father to you with boldness." Only the person whose heart does not condemn can hold a word spoken with boldness—and every such person can—because if the heart does not condemn, we have boldness toward God, and whatever we ask we receive from him. So the one who makes the mystery known with boldness is rare, because rare is the one who has boldness toward God. Who will boast of a pure heart? Who will speak boldly of being clean from sins?

"But that you also may know my affairs, what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord will make everything known to you, whom I sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know about us and that he may encourage your hearts" (Ephesians 6:21–22). Because the apostle's whole life, every act and energy, happened by the Word of God with Christ living in him, he sends Tychicus to announce to the Ephesians the rule of his life and the order of his deeds. It was fitting that, so the Ephesians might have a pattern of good conduct, he send Tychicus for that very reason. They would also be encouraged as they learned that the best things, and those fitting an apostle, were being accomplished in Paul.

"Peace to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 6:23). Origen: if any other gift is given from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, peace is one too—among the most honored gifts, the peace that surpasses every mind, which will guard the hearts and thoughts of the saints. It is a calm and fair weather of the soul, foreign to every storm, unrest, and passion. Likewise love with faith is a gift from God and the Lord Jesus Christ: love toward God with the whole heart and what follows, and toward the neighbor as oneself. The one who has received love as a gift also shows it toward enemies, hating no one and praying for those who abuse him.

"Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption" (Ephesians 6:24). Some have explained loving him in incorruption as being pure from the works of corruption, and they take those works as sexual intercourse—hence custom calls the pure from intercourse "incorrupt" and those who have tasted mixing "corrupted." Others stretch "If anyone corrupts the temple of God, God will corrupt him" that way, and then cannot save "But each has his own gift from God, one this way, another that." See whether every sin can be corruption of the soul, and complete abstinence from it incorruption. Then those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption are those who abstain from every sin; and with all of them is the grace of God. Since there are some who love the Lord yet do not love him in incorruption, Paul says, "Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption."