Rom 13:12, Eph 4:22, 25, Col 3:8 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 12. The night . The word night , in the New Testament, is used to denote night literally, ( , etc.;) the starry heavens, ( ;) and then it denotes a state of ignorance and crime , and is synonymous with the word darkness, as such deeds are committed commonly in the night, . In this place it seems to denote our present imperfect and obscure condition in this world as contrasted with the pure light of heaven. The night, the time of comparative security and sin in which we live even under the gospel, is far gone in relation to us, and the pure splendours of heaven are at hand. Is far spent . Literally, "is cut off." It is becoming short ; it is hastening to a close. The day . The full splendours and glory of redemption in heaven. Heaven is often thus represented as a place of pure and splendid day, . The times of the gospel are represented as times of light , ( , etc.;) but the reference here seems to be rather to the still brighter glory and splendour of heaven, as the place of pure, unclouded, and eternal day. Is at hand . Is near; or is drawing near. This is true respecting all Christians. The day is near, or the time when they shall be admitted to heaven is not remote. This is the uniform representation of the New Testament, . That the apostle did not mean, however, that the end of the world was near, or that the day of judgment would come soon, is clear from his own explanations. See . Comp. . Let us therefore . As we are about to enter on the glories of that eternal day, we should be pure and holy. The expectation of it will teach us to seek purity; and a pure life alone will fit us to enter there, . Cast off . Lay aside, or put away. The works of darkness . Dark, wicked deeds, such as are specified in the next verse. They are called works of darkness , because darkness in the Scriptures is an emblem of crime, as well as of ignorance, and because such deeds are commonly committed in the night. , "They that be drunken, are drunken in the night ." Comp. . Let us put on . Let us clothe ourselves with. The armour of light . The word armour --(οπλα)--properly means arms , or instruments of war, including the helmet, sword, shield, etc., . It is used in the New Testament to denote the aids which the Christian has, or the means of defence in his warfare, where he is represented as a soldier contending with his foes, and includes truth, righteousness, faith, hope, etc., as the instruments by which he is to gain his victories. In , it is called "the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left." It is called armour of light , because it is not to accomplish any deeds of darkness or of crime; it is appropriate to one who is pure, and who is seeking a pure and noble object. Christians are represented as the children of light , . Note, . By the armour of light, therefore, the apostle means those graces which stand opposed to the deeds of darkness, ( ;) those graces of faith, hope, humility, etc., which shall be appropriate to those who are the children of the day, and which shall be their defence in their struggles with their spiritual foes. See the description in full in . (d) "therefore cast off" (e) "put on the armour of light"

Romans 13:12

Verse 12. The night. The word night, in the New Testament, is used to denote night literally, (Mt 2:14, etc.;) the starry heavens, (Rev 8:12;) and then it denotes a state of ignorance and crime, and is synonymous with the word darkness, as such deeds are committed commonly in the night, 1Thes 5:5. In this place it seems to denote our present imperfect and obscure condition in this world as contrasted with the pure light of heaven. The night, the time of comparative security and sin in which we live even under the gospel, is far gone in relation to us, and the pure splendours of heaven are at hand.

Is far spent. Literally, "is cut off." It is becoming short; it is hastening to a close.

The day. The full splendours and glory of redemption in heaven. Heaven is often thus represented as a place of pure and splendid day, Rev 21:23,25, 22:5. The times of the gospel are represented as times of light, (Isa 60:1,2,19,20, etc.;) but the reference here seems to be rather to the still brighter glory and splendour of heaven, as the place of pure, unclouded, and eternal day.

Is at hand. Is near; or is drawing near. This is true respecting all Christians. The day is near, or the time when they shall be admitted to heaven is not remote. This is the uniform representation of the New Testament, Heb 10:25, 1Pet 4:7, Jas 5:8, Rev 22:20, 1Thes 5:2-6, Php 4:5. That the apostle did not mean, however, that the end of the world was near, or that the day of judgment would come soon, is clear from his own explanations. See 1Thes 5:2-6. Comp. 2Thes 2.

Let us therefore. As we are about to enter on the glories of that eternal day, we should be pure and holy. The expectation of it will teach us to seek purity; and a pure life alone will fit us to enter there, Heb 12:14.

Cast off. Lay aside, or put away.

The works of darkness. Dark, wicked deeds, such as are specified in the next verse. They are called works of darkness, because darkness in the Scriptures is an emblem of crime, as well as of ignorance, and because such deeds are commonly committed in the night. 1Thes 5:7, "They that be drunken, are drunken in the night." Comp. Jn 3:20, Eph 5:11-13.

Let us put on. Let us clothe ourselves with.

The armour of light. The word armour--(οπλα)--properly means arms, or instruments of war, including the helmet, sword, shield, etc., Eph 6:11-17. It is used in the New Testament to denote the aids which the Christian has, or the means of defence in his warfare, where he is represented as a soldier contending with his foes, and includes truth, righteousness, faith, hope, etc., as the instruments by which he is to gain his victories. In 2Cor 6:7, it is called "the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left." It is called armour of light, because it is not to accomplish any deeds of darkness or of crime; it is appropriate to one who is pure, and who is seeking a pure and noble object. Christians are represented as the children of light, 1Thes 5:5. Note, Lk 16:8. By the armour of light, therefore, the apostle means those graces which stand opposed to the deeds of darkness, (Rom 13:13;) those graces of faith, hope, humility, etc., which shall be appropriate to those who are the children of the day, and which shall be their defence in their struggles with their spiritual foes. See the description in full in Eph 6:11-17.

(d) "therefore cast off" Eph 5:11 (e) "put on the armour of light" Eph 6:13

Ephesians 4:22

Verse 22. That ye put off. That you lay aside, or renounce. The manner in which the apostle states these duties renders it not improbable that there had been some instruction among them of a contrary character, and that it is possible there had been some teachers there who had not enforced, as they should have done, the duties of practical religion.

Concerning the former conversation. The word conversation here means conduct--as it commonly does in the Bible. 2Cor 1:12. The meaning here is, "With respect to your former conduct or habits of life, lay aside all that pertained to a corrupt and fallen nature. You are not to lay everything aside that formerly pertained to you. Your dress, and manners, and modes of speech and intercourse, might have been in many respects correct. But everything that proceeded from sin; every habit, and custom, and mode of speech and of conduct that, was the result of depravity, is to be laid aside. The peculiar characteristics of an unconverted man you are to put off, and are to assume those which are the proper fruits of a renewed heart."

The old man. Rom 6:6.

Which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. The meaning is,

(1.) that the unrenewed man is not under the direction of reason and sound sense, but is controlled by his passions and desires. The word lusts has a more limited signification with us than the original word. That word we now confine to one class of sensual appetites; but the original word denotes any passion or propermiry of the heart. It may include avarice, ambition, the love of pleasure or of gratification in any way; and the meaning here is, that the heart is by nature under the control of such desires.

(2.) Those passions are deceitful. They lead us astray. They plunge us into ruin. All the passions and pleasures of the world are illusive. They promise more than they perform; and they leave their deluded votaries to disappointment, and to tears. Nothing is more "deceitful" than the promised pleasures of this world; and all who yield to them find at last that they "flatter but to betray."

Ephesians 4:25

Verse 25. Wherefore putting away lying. It may seem strange that the apostle should seriously exhort Christians to put away lying, implying that they were in the habit of indulging in falsehood. But we are to remember,

(1.) that lying is the universal vice of the heathen world. Among the ancient heathen, as among the moderns, it was almost universally practised. It has been remarked by a distinguished jurist who had spent much time in India, that he would not believe a Hindoo on his oath. The same testimony is borne, by almost all the missionaries, of the character of heathens everywhere. No confidence can be placed in their statements; and, where there is the slightest temptation to falsehood, they practise it without remorse.

(2.) The Ephesians had been recently converted, and were, to a great extent, ignorant of the requirements of the gospel. A conscience has to be created when heathens are converted, and it is long before they see the evils of many things which appear to us to be palpably wrong.

(3.) The effects of former habits abide long, often, after a man is converted. He who has been in the habit of profane swearing finds it difficult to avoid it; and he who has been all his life practising deception will find himself tempted to practise it still. It was for reasons such as these, probably, that the apostle exhorted the Ephesians to put away lying, and to speak the truth only. Nor is the exhortation now inappropriate to Christians; and there are many classes to whom it would now be proper--such as the following:

(1.) He who is in the habit of concealing the defects of an article in trade, or of commending it for more than its real value-- let him put away lying.

(2.) He, or she, who instructs a servant to say that they are not at home, when they are at home; or that they are sick, when they are not sick; or that they are engaged, when they are not engaged-- let them put away lying.

(3.) He that is in the habit of giving a colouring to his narratives; of conveying a false impression by the introduction or the suppression of circumstances that are important to the right understanding of an account--let him put away lying.

(4.) He that is at no pains to ascertain the exact truth in regard to any facts that may affect his neighbour; that catches up flying rumours without investigating them, and that circulates them as undoubted truth, though they may seriously affect the character and peace of another--let him put away lying.

(5.) He that is in the habit of making promises only to disregard them-- let him put away lying. The community is full of falsehoods of that kind, and they are not all confined to the people of the world. Nothing is more important in a community than simple truth--and yet it is to be feared that nothing is more habitually disregarded. No professing Christian can do any good who has not an unimpeachable character for integrity and truth--and yet who can lay his hand on his breast and say before God that he is, in all cases, a man that speaks the simple and unvarnished TRUTH?

For we are members one of another. We belong to one body--the church --which is the body of Christ. Rom 5:12. The idea is, that falsehood tends to loosen the bonds of brotherhood. In the human body harmony is observed. The eye never deceives the hand, nor the hand the foot, nor the heart the lungs. The whole move harmoniously as if the one could put the utmost confidence in the other--and falsehood in the church is as ruinous to its interests as it would be to the body if one member was perpetually practising a deception on another.

(d) "with his neighbor" Zech 8:16 (e) "are members" Rom 12:5

Colossians 3:8

Verse 8. But now ye also put off all these. All these which follow, as being also inconsistent with the Christian calling.

Anger, wrath. Eph 4:26.

Malice. Eph 4:31.

Blasphemy. Mt 9:3. The word here seems to mean all injurious and calumnious speaking--whether against God or man.

Filthy communication out of your mouth. Lewd, indecent, and immodest discourse. Eph 4:29. The conversation of the heathen everywhere abounds with this. A pure method of conversation among men is the fruit of Christianity.

(++) "blasphemy" "evil speaking"