Ver. 5. Servants, be obedient.—R.V. margin, “bond-servants.” There was One who had “become obedient even unto death,” having “taken the form of a bond-servant” (Phil. ii. 7). With fear and trembling.—“With that zeal which is ever keenly apprehensive of not doing enough” (Meyer). The same phrase is used of the way in which our personal salvation is to be worked out (Phil. ii. 12).
Ver. 6. Not with eyeservice.—A word used only by St. Paul. The thing it describes is easily recognised to-day.
Ver. 7. With good will doing service.—If a philosopher-slave like Epictetus could rise superior to his condition, surely Christianity could do as much for the humblest believer.
Ver. 8. Knowing that whatsoever good . . . bond or free.
"This is the famous stone
That turneth all to gold,
For that which God doth touch and own
Cannot for less be told"ÂGeorge Herbert.
Ver. 9. Do the same things unto them.—The utmost application of the “golden rule.” Forbearing threatening “may either mean abating or giving up.”
Ver. 10. Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.—In ch. i. 19 the phrase “power of His might” is reversed. See [note there.]
Ver. 11. The whole armour.—“The panoply.” “A complete suit of armour.” The wiles of the devil.—A craftily designed plan of attack.
Ver. 12. For we wrestle.—We need not suppose a transference of the metaphor. It may describe the hand-to-hand fight in which equally matched opponents refuse to back an inch. Not against flesh and blood.—With “vulnerable crests” (Macbeth). When ghostly combatants appear, unassailable, and with powers of injury against which we are helpless, we may well say:
“Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves
Shall never tremble.”