And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odour of sweetness.

“I have become acquainted with your name, much-beloved in God, which ye have acquired by the habit of righteousness, according to the faith and love in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Being the followers of God, and stirring up yourselves by the blood of God, ye have perfectly accomplished the work which was beseeming to you. For, on hearing that I came bound from Syria for the common name and hope, trusting through your prayers to be permitted to fight with beasts at Rome, that so by martyrdom I may indeed become the disciple of Him "who gave Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God," [ye hastened to see me].”

“"Walk in love." Behold, here, the groundwork of all! So then where this is, there is no "wrath, no anger, no clamor, no railing," but all are done away. Accordingly he puts the chief point last. Whence wast thou made a child? Because thou wast forgiven. On the same ground on which thou hast had so vast a privilege vouchsafed thee, on that selfsame ground forgive thy neighbor. Tell me, I say, if thou wert in prison, and hadst ten thousand misdeeds to answer for, and some one were to bring thee into the palace; or rather to pass over this argument, suppose thou wert in a fever and in the agonies of death, and some one were to benefit thee by some medicine, wouldest thou not value him more than all, yea and the very name of the medicine? For if we thus regard occasions and places by which we are benefited, even as our own souls, much more shall we the things themselves. Be a lover then of love; for by this art thou saved, by this hast thou been made a son. And if thou shalt have it in thy power to save another, wilt thou not use the same remedy, and give the advice to all, "Forgive, that ye may be forgiven"? Thus to incite one another, were the part of grateful, of generous, and noble spirits. "Even as Christ also," he adds, "loved you." Thou art only sparing friends, He enemies. So then far greater is that boon which cometh from our Master. For how in our case is the "even as" preserved. Surely it is clear that it will be, by our doing good to our enemies. "And gave Himself up for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell." Seest thou that to suffer for one's enemies is "a sweet-smelling savor," and an "acceptable sacrifice"? And if thou shalt die, then wilt thou be indeed a sacrifice. This it is to "imitate God."”

“Having set forth the exhortation to kindness and mercy, which are effects of charity, here he shows them an example. Concerning this he does two things. First he leads them to the imitation of the exemplar, namely God; second he shows in what they ought to imitate him, at the place "and walk," etc. He says therefore: I have said that you ought to forgive one another, just as God also in Christ has forgiven you; therefore be imitators of God, because this is necessary, although it is difficult. Ecclesiastes 2:12: "What is man, I ask, that he should be able to follow the king his maker?" Yet human nature will never be perfected, except in union with God. Hence Job 23:11: "My foot has followed his steps." Therefore he is to be imitated, in such a way as we have the possibility, because it belongs to a son to imitate his father. And therefore he adds "as children," namely of the father through creation. Deuteronomy 32:6: "Is not he your father, who has possessed, and made, and created you?" And he adds "most dear," namely whom he has chosen for participation in himself. There follows "and walk," etc. Where first he sets down the manner of imitating, namely in charity; second he shows the sign of his immense charity, at the place "and delivered," etc. That we are therefore most dear children, this the charity of God brings about. Romans 8:15: "For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption of children, whereby we cry: Abba, Father. For the Spirit himself gives testimony to our spirit, that we are the children of God." We ought therefore to imitate him in love. And he says "walk," that is, always make progress. Genesis 15: "walk before me, and be perfect." And this "in love," because love is such a good in which man ought to make progress, and such a debt which man ought always to pay. Romans 13:8: "Owe no man anything, but to love one another." Or "in love," which is the way of following God more closely. 1 Corinthians 12:31: "I show unto you yet a more excellent way." 1 Corinthians 13:1: "If I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels," etc. Colossians 3:4: "above all these things having charity," etc. And this by the example of Christ. Hence he adds "as Christ also has loved us." John 13:1: "having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end." And because, according to Gregory, the proof of love is the showing forth of the deed, therefore he adds "and delivered himself for us." Apocalypse 1:5: "He has loved us, and washed us from our sins." Galatians 2:20: "I live in the faith of the Son of God, who has loved me, and delivered himself unto death for me." Isaiah 53:12: "he has delivered his soul unto death," etc. Now this death was useful and necessary for us, therefore he adds "an oblation and a sacrifice," etc. Now here the Apostle speaks according to the manner of the old law, in which, as is said in Leviticus 4:25ff., when someone had sinned, there had to be offered for him a sacrifice and an oblation, which is called "for sin." Likewise, when someone gave thanks to God, or wished to obtain something, a peace-offering had to be offered, as is said in Leviticus 3:9, which indeed was an oblation of most sweet odor to the Lord, as is said in the same place. But these things were accomplished through Christ, because, that we might be cleansed from sins and obtain glory, he delivered himself for us as an oblation through the things which he did in his life. Isaiah 53:7: "he was offered because it was his own will," etc. And "a sacrifice to God for sin." And this "for an odor of sweetness." Now he alludes here to what is said in Leviticus 3:5f. But surely that odor was not then acceptable to God in itself, but according to its signification, inasmuch as it signified the fragrant oblation of the body of Christ the Son of God. Genesis 2: "behold the odor of my son, as the odor of a full field." Canticle 1:3: "draw me after you, we will run to the odor of your ointments." In this way, then, we ought to sacrifice ourselves to God spiritually. Psalm 50:19: "a sacrifice to God is a spirit," etc.”

“And walk in love,.... To God; to which the saints are obliged, not only by the law of God, which requires it, but by the goodness of God, and the discoveries of his love to them; and which shows itself in fearing to offend him, in a conformity to his will, in making his glory the chief end of all actions, and in loving all that belong to him: and also the saints should walk in love to Christ; who is to be loved fervently, constantly, in sincerity, with all the heart, and above all creatures and things; because of the loveliness of his person, the love he bears to them, and the things he has done for them, and the relations he stands in to them; and which is manifested in keeping his commands, in delighting in his presence, and in a concern at his absence: and also they should walk in love to one another, which is chiefly designed; which is Christ's new commandment, and is an evidence of regeneration; and without which a profession of religion is in vain: and to "walk" in love, is not merely to talk of it, but to exercise it; and to do all that is done for God, and Christ, and the saints, from a principle of love; and to advance, increase, and abound in it, and to go on and continue therein: the example to be copied after, and which carries in it an argument engaging to it is, as Christ also hath loved us; with a love exceeding great and strong, which is wonderful, inconceivable, and unparalleled; and even as the Father has loved him; with a love that is free and sovereign, unchangeable and everlasting, of which he has given many instances; and a principal one is hereafter mentioned: the "as" here is a note of similitude, not of equality; for it cannot be thought that the saints should love God, or Christ, or one another, with a love equal to Christ's love to them, but only that theirs should bear some likeness to his: the Alexandrian copy and Ethiopic version, instead of "us", read "you": and hath given himself for us; not the world, and the things of it, which are his; not men, nor angels, nor animals, but himself; he gave away his time, service, and strength; his name, fame, and reputation; all the comforts of life, and life itself; his whole human nature, soul and body, and that as in union with his divine person; and that not only for the good of his people, but in their room and stead; not for angels, nor for all men, but for his chosen ones, the church, his sheep, his people, and when they, were sinners; in the following manner, and for the said purpose: an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling savour; Christ was both priest and sacrifice; he offered up himself a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of his people, to expiate them, and make reconciliation and satisfaction for them; and this he offered up to God, against whom they had sinned, and whose justice must be satisfied, who called him to this work, and engaged him in it; and which was well pleasing to him, he smelled a sweet savour of rest in it, it being an unblemished sacrifice, and voluntarily offered up; and was complete, full, and adequate to the demands of his justice; by it sin was put away, finished, and made an end of, and his people perfected for ever; see Gen 8:20.”

“And walk in love - Let every act of life be dictated by love to God and man. As Christ - hath loved us - Laying down your lives for your brethren if necessary; counting nothing too difficult to be done in order to promote their eternal salvation. Hath given himself for us - Christ hath died in our stead, and become thereby a sacrifice for our sins. An offering - Προσφορα· An oblation, an eucharistic offering; the same as מנחה minchah, Lev 2:1, etc., which is explained to be an offering made unto the Lord, of fine flour, with oil and frankincense. It means, any offering by which gratitude was expressed for temporal blessings received from the bounty of God. A sacrifice - Θυσια· A sin-offering, a victim for sin; the same as זבח zebach, which almost universally means that sacrificial act in which the blood of an animal was poured out as an atonement for sin. These terms may be justly considered as including every kind of sacrifice, offering, and oblation made to God on any account; and both these terms are with propriety used here, because the apostle's design was to represent the sufficiency of the offering made by Christ for the sin of the world. And the passage strongly intimates, that as man is bound to be grateful to God for the good things of this life, so he should testify that gratitude by suitable offerings; but having sinned against God, he has forfeited all earthly blessings as well as those that come from heaven; and that Jesus Christ gave himself ὑπερ ἡμων, in our stead and on our account, as the gratitude-offering, προσφορα, which we owed to our Maker, and, without which a continuance of temporal blessings could not be expected; and also as a sacrifice for sin, θυσια, without which we could never approach God, and without which we must be punished with an everlasting destruction from the presence of God and the glory of his power. Thus we find that even our temporal blessings come from and by Jesus Christ, as well as all our spiritual and eternal mercies. For a sweet-smelling savor - Εις οσμην ευωδιας· The same as is expressed in Gen 8:21; Lev 1:9; Lev 3:16 : ריח ניהוח ליהוה reiach nichoach laihovah, "a sweet savor unto the Lord;" i.e. an offering of his own prescription, and one with which he was well pleased; and by accepting of which he showed that he accepted the person who offered it. The sweet-smelling savor refers to the burnt-offerings, the fumes of which ascended from the fire in the act of burning; and as such odors are grateful to man, God represents himself as pleased with them, when offered by an upright worshipper according to his own appointment.”

“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, Gal 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; Rom 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 (Psa 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 Psa 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; Mat 3:17; Co2 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 (Gen 8:21). Again, as what Christ is, believers also are (Jo1 4:17), and ministers are: Paul says (Co2 2:17) "we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ."”