And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
And - in proof that you are so.
Walk - resuming Ephesians 4:1, "walk worthy of the vocation," etc. In this consists the imitation.
As Christ also hath loved. From the love of the Father he passes to that of the Son, in whom God most endearingly manifests His love to us.
Us. 'Aleph (') B read 'you:' A Delta G f g, Vulgate, "us."
Given himself for us, х paredooken (G3860)] - 'gave Himself up (namely, to death Galatians 2:20) for х huper (G5228)] us;' i:e., in our behalf: vicarious substitution is indirectly implied 'in our stead.' The offerer and the offering were one and the same (John 15:13; Romans 5:8).
Offering and a sacrifice. "Offering" х prosphora (G4376)] expresses generally His presenting Himself to the Father, as Representative, undertaking the cause of our lost race (Psalms 40:6-8), including His life of obedience, though not excluding His offering of His body for us х prosphora (G4376)] (Hebrews 10:10). Usually an unbloody offering, in the limited sense. "Sacrifice" refers to His death for us exclusively. Christ is here, from Psalms 40:6 (quoted in Hebrews 10:5), represented as antitype of all the offerings of the law, whether unbloody or bloody, eucharistical or propitiatory.
For a sweet-smelling savour - Greek, 'for (to be) an odour of a sweet smell;' so that God is well pleased with the offering and with us for its sake (Leviticus 1:9: cf. Philippians 4:18; Matthew 3:17; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Ephesians 1:6; Hebrews 10:6-17). The ointment compounded of principal spices, poured upon Aaron's head, answers to the various graces which qualified Him to 'offer Himself a sacrifice for a sweet-smelling savour.' Another prophecy by figure was "the sweet savour" (savour of rest, margin) which God smelled in Noah's sacrifice (Genesis 8:21). Again, as what Christ is, believers also are (1 John 4:17), and ministers are, Paul says (2 Corinthians 2:15), "We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ."