2. And--in proof that you are so.
walk in love--resuming
Eph 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,
Ga 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
(Joh 15:13;
Ro 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
(Ps 40:6-8),
including His life of obedience; though not excluding His
offering of His body for us
(Heb 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
Ps 40:6
(quoted again in
Heb 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
(Eph 1:6;
Mt 3:17;
2Co 5:18, 19;
Heb 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
(Ge 8:21).
Again, as what Christ is, believers also are
(1Jo 4:17),
and ministers are: Paul says
(2Co 2:17)
"we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ."
JFB.
Picture Study Bible