(15) But speaking the truth in love.--It has been doubted whether the words "in love" should not be connected with "may grow up," &c., exactly as in Ephesians 4:16, "maketh increase of the body . . . in love." But both order and sense seem to point to the connection given in our version. The correct rendering is, being true in love; including in this the "being true" to others, by speaking truly and acting honestly towards them (as in Galatians 4:16), but including also the "being true" absolutely--that is, the loving the truth, and clinging to it at all costs. The latter element, indeed, is the one which stands here more properly in antithesis to the childish instability described in the preceding verse; as it is in itself the more important, and is, in fact, the only basis for the other.
"To thine own self be true,
And it will follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
This "being true" is expressed in many forms. Sometimes as "being of the truth" (John 18:37; 1 John 2:21; 1 John 3:19); sometimes as "abiding in the truth" (John 8:44), or "having the truth in us" (1 John 1:8); sometimes as "doing the truth" (John 3:21), and "walking in the truth" (2 John 1:4; 3 John 1:4). In all cases it is closely connected with the idea of unity with Him who is Himself "the Truth" (John 14:6).
With the phrase "being true in love" we may compare the corresponding phrase of "loving in truth . . . for the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us" (2 John 1:1; see also Ephesians 4:3, and 3 John 1:1). In both we recognise the harmony of the two great principles of individuality and unity, on which true humanity, and therefore likeness to God, depends. In the contemplation and love of truth each of us is alone; even in the speaking and doing truth towards others we have to consult only God and our own conscience, which is His voice within. In love, on the contrary, we deny and sacrifice self, merging our individual being in humanity or in God. Taking the first alone, we have a hard, almost stoical, self-concentration; taking the other alone, it may become towards man an idolatry, to which both truth and freedom are sacrificed, and even towards God may pass into a mysticism, in which all active energy is lost. Uniting both, we have the perfect humanity, at once individual and social, at once free before God and lost in God. Accordingly, it is thus that we "grow up into Him who is the Head, even Christ," who, by perfect truth and perfect love, manifested to us in His humanity all the fulness of God.
The head, even Christ.--In this name of our Lord we have the link of connection between the individual perfection and corporate unity. He is (as in 1 Corinthians 11:3) the Head of each man. He is also the Head of the whole Church.
Verse 15. - But speaking the truth in love.Ἀληθεύοντες is hardly translatable in English it implies being true as well as speaking the truth and following the truth. Truth is the element in which we are to live, move, and have our being; fidelity to truth is the backbone of the Christian ministry. But truth must be inseparably married to love; good tidings spoken harshly are no good tidings; the charm of the message is destroyed by the discordant spirit of the messenger. The more painful the first impression which a truth is fitted to produce (e.g., Ephesians 2:1-3), the more need is there for dealing with it in love - a much-needed and much-neglected exhortation. May grow up into him in all things who is the Head, namely, Christ. Growing up into Christ is like baptizing into the Name of the Father, etc.; it implies that the growth tends to a closer union to Christ, as, on the other hand, union to Christ causes the growth: the two act and react on each other. This growth is to be "in all things" - in the whole man - in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, in all the communicable properties of Christ. How great the work of growth is that should be sought in the case of every living believer is evident from the enormous gulf there is between his spiritual and moral state and that of Christ. Yet such growth is reasonable, considering the relation of the body to him, its Head. The fact of this relation should encourage us to seek and expect the growth, and encourage ministers to labor hopefully towards promoting it.
4:7-16 Unto every believer is given some gift of grace, for their mutual help. All is given as seems best to Christ to bestow upon every one. He received for them, that he might give to them, a large measure of gifts and graces; particularly the gift of the Holy Ghost. Not a mere head knowledge, or bare acknowledging Christ to be the Son of God, but such as brings trust and obedience. There is a fulness in Christ, and a measure of that fulness given in the counsel of God to every believer; but we never come to the perfect measure till we come to heaven. God's children are growing, as long as they are in this world; and the Christian's growth tends to the glory of Christ. The more a man finds himself drawn out to improve in his station, and according to his measure, all that he has received, to the spiritual good of others, he may the more certainly believe that he has the grace of sincere love and charity rooted in his heart.
But speaking the truth in love,.... Either Christ himself, who is the truth, and is to be preached, and always spoken of with strong affection and love; or the Gospel, the word of truth, so called in opposition to that which is false and fictitious; and also to the law, which is shadowish; and on account of its author, the God of truth, and its subject matter, Christ, and the several doctrines of grace; and because the spirit of truth has dictated it, and does direct to it, and owns and blesses it: this, with respect to the ministers of the Gospel, should be spoken openly, honestly, and sincerely, and in love to the souls of men, and in a way consistent with love, in opposition to the secret, ensnaring, and pernicious ways of false teachers; and with respect to private Christians, as they are to receive it in love, so to speak of it to one another from a principle of love, and an affectionate concern for each other's welfare, to the end that they
may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even "Christ": the work of grace upon the soul is a gradual work, and an increase of this in the exercise of faith, hope, love, and spiritual knowledge, is a growth; and this is a growth in all things, in all grace, as in those mentioned, so in others, as humility, patience, self-denial, resignation of the will to the will of God, and especially the knowledge of Christ; for it is a growing into him, from whom souls receive all their grace and increase of it; for he is the head of influence to supply them, as well as the head of eminence to protect them; see Ephesians 1:22 and now the preaching of the Gospel, or the sincere speaking of the truth, is the instrumental means of such growth.
"To thine own self be true,
And it will follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
This "being true" is expressed in many forms. Sometimes as "being of the truth" (John 18:37; 1 John 2:21; 1 John 3:19); sometimes as "abiding in the truth" (John 8:44), or "having the truth in us" (1 John 1:8); sometimes as "doing the truth" (John 3:21), and "walking in the truth" (2 John 1:4; 3 John 1:4). In all cases it is closely connected with the idea of unity with Him who is Himself "the Truth" (John 14:6).
With the phrase "being true in love" we may compare the corresponding phrase of "loving in truth . . . for the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us" (2 John 1:1; see also Ephesians 4:3, and 3 John 1:1). In both we recognise the harmony of the two great principles of individuality and unity, on which true humanity, and therefore likeness to God, depends. In the contemplation and love of truth each of us is alone; even in the speaking and doing truth towards others we have to consult only God and our own conscience, which is His voice within. In love, on the contrary, we deny and sacrifice self, merging our individual being in humanity or in God. Taking the first alone, we have a hard, almost stoical, self-concentration; taking the other alone, it may become towards man an idolatry, to which both truth and freedom are sacrificed, and even towards God may pass into a mysticism, in which all active energy is lost. Uniting both, we have the perfect humanity, at once individual and social, at once free before God and lost in God. Accordingly, it is thus that we "grow up into Him who is the Head, even Christ," who, by perfect truth and perfect love, manifested to us in His humanity all the fulness of God.
The head, even Christ.--In this name of our Lord we have the link of connection between the individual perfection and corporate unity. He is (as in 1 Corinthians 11:3) the Head of each man. He is also the Head of the whole Church.
may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even "Christ": the work of grace upon the soul is a gradual work, and an increase of this in the exercise of faith, hope, love, and spiritual knowledge, is a growth; and this is a growth in all things, in all grace, as in those mentioned, so in others, as humility, patience, self-denial, resignation of the will to the will of God, and especially the knowledge of Christ; for it is a growing into him, from whom souls receive all their grace and increase of it; for he is the head of influence to supply them, as well as the head of eminence to protect them; see Ephesians 1:22 and now the preaching of the Gospel, or the sincere speaking of the truth, is the instrumental means of such growth.