Ephesians 5:2

Walk in love. Or, “keep on walking in love,” “make it a habit to talk in love.” One’s life is to be spent in the atmosphere of love. For a definition of “love” (agape) see on 1 Cor. 13:1.

Christ also hath loved us. Important textual evidence may also be cited (cf. p. 10) for the reading “you” instead of “us” (cf. on eh. 4:32).

Given himself. Christ showed His love by giving Himself, and we cannot do less. The strength of Christ’s love was so great that He voluntarily offered Himself in sacrifice.

One of the purposes of His incarnation was to exhibit His love and that of the Father, for “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself’ (2 Cor. 5:19). “Greater love hath no man than this” (John 15:13).

An offering and a sacrifice. Christ’s ministry and sacrificial act were prefigured in the sanctuary services. Christ’s voluntary gift of Himself was prefigured in the ceremonial ritual of ancient Israel. Some have suggested a distinction between the word “offering” as denoting an offering without blood and the word “sacrifice” as a slain sacrifice. The Greek words thus translated do not necessarily imply such a distinction. Paul was probably borrowing the phrase from Ps. 40:6.

Sweetsmelling savour. Literally, “an odor of a sweet smell.” God the Father was well pleased with the offering of Christ as well as with the spirit in which it was made, not, however, in the sense that He needed to be appeased or to be reconciled (see on Rom. 5:10). For the figure of a “sweetsmelling savour” see further on 2 Cor. 2: 5 (cf. Phil. 4:18).