Bible Commentaries
Ephesians 1

Verse 1

Eph 1:1

Ephesians 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God,—This phrase was Paul’s ordinary designation of his apostolic mis­sion and authority; used whenever there was nothing peculiar in the occasion of the epistle, or the circumstances of the church to which it was addressed. It may be contrasted, on the one hand, with the more formal enunciation of his commission, addressed to the Roman church (Romans 1:1-5), and the emphatic abruptness of the opening of the Galatian Epistle—“an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead).” (Galatians 1:1). On the other hand to the Thessalonian church, in the epistles written shortly after their conversion, he uses no description of himself whatever (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1); in the epistles to the Philippians and to Titus he simply describes himself as the “serv­ant of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:1), to Titus, he says: “an apostle of Jesus Christ” (Titus 1:1), and to Philemon: “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus” (Philemon 1:1).

to the saints that are at Ephesus,—All Christians are called saints in the scriptures. They are so called more frequently than Christians or any other name in the scriptures. The term is applied to all who claim to be Christians, regardless of their degree of consecration or perfection of character. Some are more faith­ful than others. Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that God would sanctify them “wholly.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). To grow in faithful obedience to the will of God is to become more sanctified. There is a gradual growth in sanctification, as there is in obeying the truth of God.

and the faithful in Christ Jesus:—The faithful are not a different people from the saints, but another descriptive term applied to them. [Faithfulness is faith in action, the relation in which fidelity is exercised and shown; trusting and trustworthy.]

Verse 2

Eph 1:2

Ephesians 1:2

Grace to you—This is a prayer that God would give them all the blessings they were capable of receiving and enjoying.

and peace—Peace is a state of freedom from war. As war conveys the idea of discord and numberless calamities and dan­gers, so peace is the opposite, and conveys the idea of concord, safety, and prosperity. Thus to wish one peace is the same as to wish him safety and prosperity. The word peace is used in contrast with that state of agitation and conflict which a sinner has with his conscience. The sinner is like the troubled sea which cannot rest. (Isaiah 57:20). The Christian is at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1).

from God our Father—God is the Father of all Christians, as they have been begotten by him “unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3), have been adopted into his family, and are like him. (Matthew 5:45; 1 John 3:1-2). The expression here is equivalent to a prayer that God the Father would bestow grace and peace on them.

and the Lord Jesus Christ.—The two graces are here in their due order; for there is no peace without grace. They cover the whole space of the believer’s life; for it begins in grace, its latter end is peace. [There is a certain intensity of bright sug­gestion in the asserted origin of these blessings. The Father is “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10) and “the God of peace” (Hebrews 13:20); and equally so “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17), and “he is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). But the Father is the original fountain of all blessings, and Jesus Christ is the dispenser of the blessings to the faithful believer.]

Verse 3

Eph 1:3

Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,—Glory and honor and praise and thanksgiving be to God for the gift of his Son and for the blessings that have come through him to the world.

who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing—Jesus Christ had bestowed upon them spiritual blessings that built up and strengthened the spirit of man. These blessings were such as were bestowed by the Spirit of God. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24).

in the heavenly places—This must refer to the church of Christ and the exalted spiritual relations into which God had brought them in Christ.

in Christ:—The idea of fellowship is the prominent thought; every spiritual blessing we have received, the heavenly places in which they are received, are ours only through our fellowship with Christ. It seems to qualify all that precedes, rather than any one phrase. In this section especially, these words form the center and heartbeat of the apostle’s mind. In this verse is suggested what is afterwards unfolded, that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are concerned in the one blessing we receive.

Before proceeding further in the study of this epistle, it is very important to get firmly fixed in the mind the use of the words we and us, and ye and you, as used in the first, second, and third chapters. We and us are used down to and through the twelfth verse, and refer to the Jewish Christians; beginning with the thirteenth verse, ye and you are used, and refer to the Gentile Christians. By reading the first, second, and third chapters with these facts in mind, this becomes evident and explains much of the foreordination of chapter one having taken place in the selection of the Jews for the reception of the Messiah.

Verse 4

Eph 1:4

Ephesians 1:4

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,—From this we learn that certain persons were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, but there is not a word said as to whether this choosing was conditional or un­conditional.

that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love:—This is the character to be worn by the persons chosen, and it clearly shows that Paul was speaking of a class, and not of individuals as such. This in no way intimates that God by any direct power made them holy and without blemish; but he had chosen that class as his beloved, and left it to every man to make himself one of the class. It is said of that class that they were the elect “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience.” (1 Peter 1:1-2). One who does not first show his election by obeying God may be sure that he will never be elected to anything beyond obedience. So obedience is the prerequisite to all other and higher election. There is not a word in this to discourage a man from seeking to make his calling and election sure, nor to give him assurance of salvation, save to obedience to the will of God.

Verse 5

Eph 1:5

Ephesians 1:5

having foreordained us—There is no doubt but there is a certain foreordination taught in the Bible. In the passage before us it is clearly taught, as well as in some others. Jesus said: “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16). In this he recognizes that he had a flock that were not then following him as the Shepherd. At Corinth the Lord said unto Paul: “Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to harm thee: for I have much people in this city.” (Acts 18:9-10). They had not yet believed, but God calls them his people. The meaning of both passages is that there were a number of persons of that frame of mind and disposition of heart that when they heard the gospel they would believe and obey it.

unto adoption as sons—[Adoption is a term of relation, expressing sonship in respect of standing. It was taken from the Roman custom, that was made for the taking of a child who was not one’s child by birth to be his son, and legal heir, the transference of a son who was independent, as by the death of his natural father, to another father. Thus among the Romans a citizen might receive a child who was not his own by birth into his family and give him his name, but could do so only by a formal act, attested by witnesses, and the son thus adopted had in all its entirety the position of a child by birth, with all the rights and all the obligations pertaining to that relation. By adoption, therefore, Paul does not mean the bestowal of the full privileges of the family on those who are sons by nature, but the acceptance into the family of those who do not by nature belong to it, and the placing of those who are not sons originally and by right in the relation proper to those who are sons by birth. So Paul regards our sonship not as lying in the natural relation in which men stand to God as his children, but as implying a new relation of grace, founded on a covenant relation to God and on the work of Christ. (Galatians 4:5-7). ]

through Jesus Christ unto himself,—It is through the mediation of Christ that the adoption of men is realized. (Galatians 3:26 to Galatians 4:7). He not only brings men into relation as sons, but makes them sons in inward reality and character, giving them the filial mind, leading them by his Spirit (Romans 8:12-14; Galatians 4:6; Galatians 5:18), translating them into the liberty of the glory of his chil­dren. The final object of God’s foreordination of men to the standing as sons is to bring them to himself, into perfect fellow­ship with himself as the true end and object of their being.

according to the good pleasure of his will,—God foreordained the provisions of salvation, the characters that should be saved, and the conditions and tests by which they would be saved. He left every man free to choose or reject the terms and provisions of salvation and in so doing to refuse to form the character God has foreordained to be his children and so predestined to ever­lasting life.

Verse 6

Eph 1:6

Ephesians 1:6

to the praise of the glory of his grace,—Those adopted as sons are to bring praise and honor to the glory of his grace. The riches of grace manifested in the blessings brought to man by Jesus Christ are entitled to praise, honor, and glory to God on earth and in heaven.

which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved:—In or by that grace we are accepted in Christ, the beloved of God. This all teaches that all those in Christ are blessed.

Verse 7

Eph 1:7

Ephesians 1:7

in whom we have our redemption—Jesus redeemed all who would trust him, follow him, become his servants. To re­deem is to rescue or relieve from enthrallment. Man was en­thralled in sin, Jesus suffered, shed his blood, and died to redeem from bondage to the evil one. Through sin man had become enthralled to the devil. Jesus subjected himself to death to rescue man from the bondage of death. Only those who accept the re­demption on the terms offered can appropriate it, or be its beneficiaries. Only those who are in Christ are redeemed, pur­chased, ransomed.

through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,—Jesus shed his blood to secure for man the remission of sins. “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:28). “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God; for the showing, I say, of his righteousness at this present season: that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:24-26). This shows that the redemption was provided in Christ, and that it was such that enabled God to be just while justifying him that believes in Christ. To the Ephesian elders Paul said: “Take heed unto yourselves, and all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28). The statement that “he purchased with his own blood” is doubtless equivalent to “he laid down his life for us.” “The blood is the life.” (Deuteronomy 12:23). The shedding of his blood is giving up his life. He gave his life for our lives.

according to the riches of his grace,—The great word grace, which has been used twice already in these opening verses, touches the sentiment of all Paul’s teaching on the redemption of sinful men. It has a large place in all his epistles, and not least in this one. For here it meets us at every turning point in the great statement of the divine counsel, the securities of the forgiveness of sin. The way of salvation. It has the particular sense of free gift, undeserved bounty, and is used specially of the good­ness of God which bestows favor on those who have no claim or merit in themselves. That our redemption cost so great a price—the blood of Christ—is the supreme evidence of the riches of the divine grace. And the measure of what God does for us is nothing less than the limitless wealth of his loving favor.

Verse 8

Eph 1:8

Ephesians 1:8

which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,—In that grace he provided that the apostles and spiritually endowed teachers should have wisdom and prudence abundantly in carrying forward the provisions of his grace. [Of the two gifts, wisdom clearly is the higher gift, signifying the knowledge of the true end of life, which can only come from some knowledge of the wisdom of God—divine purpose of his dispensation. Such knowledge is revealed to us through the “mind of Christ,” who is himself the true wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 2:6-10; 1 Corinthians 2:16), hence wisdom is spoken of with various other gifts, which are but partial manifestations of it. Here with prudence—wisdom in action; in Colossians 1:9, with understanding—wisdom in judgment; in 1 Corinthians 12:8 and Colossians 2:3, with knowledge—wisdom in perception; in Ephesians 1:17, with revelation—the means by which wis­dom is gained.]

Verse 9

Eph 1:9

Ephesians 1:9

making known unto us the mystery of his will,—To Paul was committed the revelation of the great mystery. Ten times is this mystery named in his epistles. When in prison in Rome, he besought his brethren to pray: “That utterance may be given unto me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:19-20). It was a revealed mystery, which had “been hid for ages and genera­tions” (Colossians 1:26)—indeed, “hid from the foundation of the world”; a matter, not unknowable, but simply unknown until it came to light through the revelation made known through Paul.

[Not only the types and prophecies of the Mosaic dispensation, but the whole history of the world, with all the marvelously intricate movements of providence, had a certain Christ-ward tendency and leaning as if to prepare the way for him who was the end of the law, the turning point between the old and the new, “the pivot on which the entire plan of God moves.” Thus we find the coming of the Messiah into the world in human flesh to be the center of gravity of the world’s great movements. The mystery of the gospel which Paul made known was a very large and inclusive thing, embracing Jews and Gentiles, heaven and earth, in its full and gradual development. Sometimes it appears as if it meant only Christ "to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27). Sometimes it appears as if it included nothing but the reception of the Gentiles into the church upon conditions of perfect equality with the Jews: “Whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ; which in other genera­tions was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to wit, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:4-6). It was never revealed till after the day of Pentecost following the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead that the law of Moses was abolished. Sometimes it is as if it meant a divine purpose or plan, with Christ for the center, stretching out over the whole length of the Christian dispensation, and finally re-collecting into one “the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth.” (Ephesians 1:9; Ephesians 1:19). In fact it means all three things; for the divine plan “to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth,” included, as one of its earliest and most momen­tous facts, the inclusion of the Gentiles in the church, and Jesus Christ as the very center of the whole divine dispensation, and “unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be” (Genesis 49:10) in all ages of the world. This is the mystery of the gospel—not the church, for it was by the church that the mystery was to be made known: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God.” (Ephesians 3:10). Yet the church was included in this glorious mystery of God, as the form in which there should be the final summing up of all things in the heavens and upon the earth.]

according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him—God’s mystery would be made known on his own terms, as he in Christ had proposed or determined. [God formed in Christ the purpose, by which the dispensation of his grace, in due time was to reunite the universe under the leadership of Christ. This mysterious design, hitherto kept secret, he has made “known unto us.” Its manifestation imparts a wisdom that surpasses all the wisdom of former ages. (Ephesians 3:4-5; Comp. 1 Corinthians 2:6-9; Colossians 2:2-3).]

Verse 10

Eph 1:10

Ephesians 1:10

to a dispensation—That at the time when he would con­sider it most favorable he would gather together all things in Christ. [This marks the period during which the summing of all things is to be accomplished—the period of the dispensation of grace. The term suggests the idea or system not consisting of mere fragmentary parts, but a thoroughly compact and organized system, in which the individual parts have their due places in the working out of a destined result. Just as in creation there is unity of plan with certain typical ideas and regulative members lying at its base, so there is in God’s dispensation a certain suc­cession of times and seasons working out the purpose of his will. The God who “made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation.” (Acts 17:26). The coming of Christ into the world marks the new era in history, dividing it into two parts. The appearance of Christ marking the turning point between them.]

of the fulness of the times,—[The epoch in question is the best time in the divine calendar. For it is God’s time, and he is the Lord of all time. The age that saw the advent of the Savior was ripe for the event It was “the day appointed of the father.” (Galatians 4:2). The Roman Government had opened the highways for the gospel in every land by its mighty conquests and its large toleration, while Greece gave the world the richest of languages to become the New Testament inspiration. Meanwhile man-made religion had outlived itself, and skepticism mocked at the decaying superstition of the people. “In the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God.” (1 Corinthians 1:21). All Gentile experiments in living had been tried, but with the unvarying results of disappointment. Meanwhile there was at the heart of heathenism a mysterious longing for some change in the world’s destinies, and the eyes of men turned instinctively to the East. It was God’s will that the Gentiles should, with a conscious need of redemption, feel after him for themselves, “if haply they might . . . find him.” (Acts 17:27). Among the Jews, likewise, there was a significant “looking for the consolation of Israel.” (Luke 2:25). Idolatry among them had entirely disappeared and many hearts were prepared to welcome the desire of all nations. (Haggai 2:7). The full age had come, “when the heir would enter on his inheritance.” Thus the advent was in every sense “the fulness of time.” It was the due time “when Christ died for the ungodly.” The world had long waited for it. The pur­pose of God had only to receive its fulfilment by the coming of Christ.]

to sum up all things in Christ,—These words strike the key­note of the whole epistle—the unity of all in Christ. “To sum up all things” is the same expression used where all command­ments are said to be “summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Romans 13:9). The full meaning of the expression in the passage before us is to gather again under one head the things that had been originally one, but had since been separated. The best comment upon the truth here briefly summed up is found in the following: “In him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visi­ble and things invisible, whether throne or dominions or princi­palities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him; and he is before all things, and in him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fulness dwell; and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.” (Colossians 1:16-20).

the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth;—All things in heaven as well as in earth are reconciled in him. The apostle says: “Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth.” (Philippians 2:9-10). That is, everything in heaven and on earth shall be united under the rule of Christ. The government of Christ on earth is the kingdom or rule of heaven extended to earth. In the beginning the earth was an outer court of heaven, in which God dwelt, and over which he ruled supreme, but his rule has been sub­verted and destroyed by the rebellion of man.

in him, I say,—[He is not speaking of Christ in the abstract, considered in his person or as he dwells in heaven, but in his relation to men and to time. The Christ manifest in Jesus (Ephesians 4:20-21), the Christ of prophets and apostles, the Messiah of the ages, the husband of the church (Ephesians 5:23), the author and finisher of this grand restoration.]

Verse 11

Eph 1:11

Ephesians 1:11

in whom also we were made a heritage,—[This is to be closely connected with in him, and here has the full sense of in Christ. All Christians are God’s heritage; but the succeeding verse limits it to the original Jewish believers. The word used is derived from one meaning lot or portion. The idea is that of such passages as: “Jehovah’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9), transferred into the spiritual conception of the New Testament. This is a strong way of expressing the value put upon the fruit of the Lord’s redeem­ing work.]

having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things—Those who enter Christ are fore­ordained in accordance with the provision of God’s will.

after the counsel of his will;—This is not only the deliberate exercise of God’s will, but also the guidance of that will by wis­dom to the fulfillment of the law of his righteous dispensation.

Verse 12

Eph 1:12

Ephesians 1:12

to the end that we should be unto the praise of his glory,—The apostles were appointed to a work that brought praise to the glory of God. This was done by preaching what God had done for man, to save him from sin, to eradicate the spirit of rebellion from the world and to restore man, and through man, the world to harmonious relations with God and the universe.

we who had before hoped in Christ:—[This unmistakably refers to Israelitish saints who had the promise before the coming of the Messiah, and hoped accordingly. Such were Simeon, Anna the prophetess, and others up to the birth of the Lord. (Luke 2:34-38). Among those who had been looking for the redemption of Israel were the early disciples, the obedient on the day of Pentecost, and thousands of other Jews, including Paul himself. The Jewish people generally had been expecting his appearing. But only the true spiritual Israel could be said to have hoped in the Messiah, and these also included only those Jewish converts who hoped in him upon his coming. As God’s own people, as his heritage, confidently hoping in Christ, who was to come, they contributed to the glory of God. Praise in respect to them and by them would redound to the glory of God.]

Verse 13

Eph 1:13

Ephesians 1:13

in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth,—Here the Gentile Christians, as distinguished from the Jewish nation, are clearly meant. “In whom” is repeated before the dose of the sentence, which remains incomplete till near the end of the verse. So far as the Ephesians were concerned, they had heard the word of truth from Paul.

the gospel of your salvation,—This, the word of truth meant this good news of salvation which, through faith, they were enabled to appropriate to their own salvation.

in whom, having also believed,—The repetition of “in whom” keeps the attention fixed upon the main thought in the verse, that all this benefit so received is in Christ. We should notice how constantly the apostle keeps in view the faith which accompanies and conditions all these great benefits. Faith in God enables the humblest to trust and be guided by the wisdom of God. Jesus Christ and his teachings are the perfect wisdom of God, and the simple child of mortality through faith can walk in the light of that wisdom.

ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,—These Ephesians received this gift of the Spirit by the laying on of the hands of Paul. (Acts 19:1-7). They received this gift of the Spirit in its miraculous manifestation. We do not; but we re­ceive it in our hearts, by receiving the word of God into our hearts and bring them into subjection to it. The Spirit becomes the controlling element in the heart and dwells there. We do not recognize it by our senses as did those who received the miraculous gifts, but it is nonetheless a real controlling element in the heart and life, bearing fruit of the Spirit. And this Spirit of Christ in the heart is a seal that we have been accepted by God.

Verse 14

Eph 1:14

Ephesians 1:14

which is an earnest of our inheritance,—An earnest is money given in advance, as a pledge or security that the full amount promised shall be paid. In its use here, it means that assurance that the believer has of the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart that the ultimate blessing, of which he has now a fore­taste, shall not fail. The following is illustrative of the meaning here: “The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." (Romans 8:16-17). It should be observed that the earnest of the Spirit in the passage before us and the witness of the Spirit is not some vague, mysterious ex­perience of which no rational account can be given. It is rather the very work of the Spirit himself. The Spirit gives the direc­tions as to the kind of life the believer is to live, and his own spirit bears testimony as to whether he conforms his life to these instructions. But the Holy Spirit, through this testimony or witness, moulds the human spirit into his own likeness, dwells with the spirit of the believer; so that the same Spirit that was in Jesus Christ dwells in him. He is led by the Spirit, and through the Spirit of God acts and works, because his spirit is imbued with the purposes, thoughts, temper, and being of the divine Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) there is a happy and harmonious union of the Holy Spirit with his spirit that brings confidence and assurance to his heart and enables him to cry: “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God.” (1 John 3:1).

[The inheritance thus acquires a significance which should be noticed. As earnest money is part of the full amount which is ultimately to be made complete, so what a Christian experiences now is, while an earnest of the inheritance to be finally his in its fullness, a part of that very inheritance, and in so far makes him know what the inherit­ance as finally enjoyed shall be. So much of real spiritual blessing as he now enjoys is heaven already in his heart; what he has in the work and fruits of the Spirit is for him alike pledge and foretaste.]

unto the redemption of God’s own possession,—The redemp­tion is the raising them from the grave to immortality. [For this we wait till the time appointed of the Father—the time when he will reclaim his heritage in us, and give us full possession of our heritage in Christ. We do not wait as did the saints of former ages, ignorant of the Father’s purpose for our future lot. Life and immortality are brought to light through the gospel. By faith we see beyond the chasm of death. We enjoy through the gracious promise: “That the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward. For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was sub­jected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:18-23).]

unto the praise of his glory.—[His grace having done its work, all issues to the praise of his glory. This paragraph began with an ascription of blessing, it ends with this refrain which makes praise the ultimate end of the entire scheme of redemption. Our free ascription of praise is for what he has done and for what he is.]

Verse 15

Eph 1:15

Ephesians 1:15

For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you,—This does not imply that he had only heard of their conversion, but refers to the report he had heard, since being with them four or five years previously. Perhaps he had heard nothing after the time when he bade fare­well to the Ephesian elders at Miletus (Acts 20:36-38), until the time to which the reference is here made. It certainly was, therefore, a matter of great interest to hear from them; and that they were growing in piety and devotion to the Lord. The ex­pression “faith among you” indicates that it was of a marked degree.

and the love which ye show toward all the saints,—[This love is founded upon the character and relations of its objects as the people of God, and therefore it embraces all the saints. The word all permits no distinction as respects condition, rank, pos­sessions, or internal endowments either mental or spiritual. But the community of faith precedes and produces the community of feeling. The order is always faith and love.]

Verse 16

Eph 1:16

Ephesians 1:16

cease not to give thanks for you,—A remarkable feature of Paul’s life was the frequency of his thanksgiving, indicating the prevalence in him of a bright, joyous state of mind, and tending to increase and perpetuate the same. Constantly to recognize God’s goodness in the past begets a larger expectation of him in the future.

making mention of you in my prayers;—[While thankful for them his heart was not satisfied regarding them—he wished them to forget the things behind, and reach forth to those before. His prayers for the saints are always remarkable. They are very short, but wonderfully deep and comprehensive; very rich and sublime in aspiration; powerful in their pleas, whether expressed or implied; and exhaustive in their range of blessings which they implore.]

Verse 17

Eph 1:17

Ephesians 1:17

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,—This brings out the dependence of the Lord Jesus upon the Father, and sets forth the prominence of the divine sovereignty so conspicuous in the foregoing act of praise. Christ’s constant attitude towards the Father was that of his cry of anguish on the cross, “My God, my God” (Mark 15:34), and after the resurrection, he said: “I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and my God and your God” (John 20:17). Yet he never speaks to men of our God. To us God is “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,” as he was to the Israelites of old time “the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

the Father of glory,—The key to this is found in “Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father.” (Romans 6:4). In the light of this august manifestation of God’s power to save the lost in Christ, they were called to see light. (Verses 19, 20). Its glory shines already about the blessed name of Father, thrice glorified in the apostle’s praise. (Verses 3-14).

may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;—The prayer was that God would give them a spirit of wisdom that they might understand the revelation, that they might acknowledge him as Lord. The same thought is expressed in the following words: "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9); or, understand­ing the spiritual truths revealed in him. [The spirit here is neither exclusively the Holy Spirit nor the spirit of man, but the complex idea of the spirit of man dwelt in and moved by the Spirit of God, through the word of truth. Wisdom seems to denote the general gift of illumination; revelation, capacity of apprehending the revealed—perceiving the drift and meaning of what God makes known, so that it may be a real revelation to us. (Matthew 13:11). In seeking to know Christ more, we are in the true way to get more insight into all that is divine. (John 14:9). The importance of seeking more knowledge, after we have believed and been sealed by the Holy Spirit, is here apparent; a growing knowledge is a most healthful feature of the Christian life. (2 Peter 3:18).

Verse 18

Eph 1:18

Ephesians 1:18

having the eyes of your heart enlightened,—The heart is the innermost center of man. It is the seat of the understand­ing and the source of thoughts, desires, emotions, words, and ac­tions. It is the motive power of human life. Whatever is in the heart rules the conduct The eyes of the heart enable one to look out on the world and shape his course. This is a figure of speech that is common in all languages. What the eye is to the natural body the mind is to the soul of man. When the Lord Jesus ap­peared unto Saul on the way to Damascus, he said unto him: “To this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee, to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:16-18).

[In pursuance of his duties under this commission, Paul prays that through this inspired wisdom his readers might have the eyes of their hearts opened so as to see the grandeur and wealth of their blessings in Christ. To illustrate the point: Two men sit side by side in the assembly of the saints, at the same gate of heaven. The one sees heaven opened; he hears the song of praise, his spirit is a temple filled with the glory of God. The other sees the place and the aspect of his fellow worshipers; he hears the songs of praise, the voice of those who read the scrip­tures and offers the prayers. But for anything besides, any in­fluence from the heavenly world, it is no more to him at that moment than are the most beautiful strains of music to the ox that eats the grass. It is not necessarily strangeness and distance of divine things alone that cause insensibility; their familiarity has the same effect. He knows the gospel so well, he has read it, gone over its points of doctrines many times; it is as familiar to him as the alphabet. He discusses without a tremor of emotion truths the first whisper and dim promise of which once lifted men’s souls into ecstasy, or cast them down into shame and bewilderment so that they forgot to either eat or sleep. The awe of things eternal, the Spirit of glory, and God rest on him no longer. So there come to be gospel-hardened preachers and gospel-hardened hearers. The eyes see and see not; the ears hear and hear not; the lips speak but without feeling; the heart is waxen fat. (Deuteronomy 32:15). This is the retributive justice of grace abused. It is the result that follows by an invincible psychological law where outward contact with spiritual truth is not attended with an inward apprehension and response. We certainly need to pray, in handling these dread themes, for a true sense and savor of divine things—that there may be given, and ever given afresh to us, “a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.”]

that ye may know what is the hope of his calling,—What is the ideal of our faith, the purpose for which God called us into the fellowship of his Son, and what is he going to do for us and make of us? He will deliver us from the present evil world, and richly supply unto us “the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:11). This hope is an “anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and stedfast and entering into that which is within the veil.” (Hebrews 6:19). But is this the hope of our calling which Paul here chiefly signifies? It certainly is not. But with many it is the one thing which stands for the hope of the gospel. They say: “We trust that our sins are forgiven and we hope we shall get to heaven.” The experiences of many begin and end there. They make it an anchor of refuge, a soothing of the conscience, and an escape from the anguish of guilt and fear of death, not a life vocation, a grand pursuit.

[This may suffice for the beginning and the end; but we need something to give body and substance, meaning and movement to the life of faith. Of himself Paul said: “I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all tilings, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, . . . that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming con­formed unto his death; if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead. ... I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:8-14). Certainly Paul hoped for heaven; but he hoped for something else first, and most. It was through Christ that he saw heaven. To know Christ, to follow him, and be with him forever was the thing for which Paul lived, and can we hope to be eternally blessed if we fail to cherish a like devotion?]

what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,—[God cares immensely about men, about the character and destiny of men. He said unto Satan: “Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil.” (Job 2:3). God holds a man like that in high esteem. Who can tell the value that the Father of glory sets upon the tried fidelity of his humblest servant here on earth; the intensity with which he reciprocates the confidence of one trembling heart. “Jehovah taketh pleasure in them that fear him.” (Psalms 147:11). “To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2). Thus we learn that Jehovah is deeply concerned about his chil­dren, in the character of his saints. It should be noted that the inheritance is spoken of as his and that it is an inheritance in the saints, not for them. The language is much like that of verses 11 and 14 which makes the meaning to be that inheritance unto the redemption unto God’s own possession which God is spoken of as having in his redeemed people—his heritage. The riches of the church lie not in the moneyed resources, but in the men and women who compose it, in their godlike attributes of mind, in their knowledge of the word of God, their zeal, their love of God and man, in purity, gentleness, truthfulness, courage, and fidelity manifested before God and man.]

Verse 19

Eph 1:19

Ephesians 1:19

and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us- ward who believe,—Paul is here speaking of the glorious state of believers, the exceeding greatness of God’s power which sur­passes all difficulties, being omnipotent, is to be understood of that might which is manifested, both in present redemption and future glorification, not in the latter alone, which, however, is included. There is thus a kind of climax—the hope which the calling awakens—the exhaustless and inexpressible glory of that inheritance to which hope is directed—the limitless power that bestows it.

according to that working of the strength of his might—[The power of God is not latent; it actually works “according to,” that is, up to the full measure “of the strength of his might”—of the strength which is a part of his nature. The whole phrase forms a glorious climax, in which the apostle accumulates words even stronger and stronger to approach the omnipotence of the Spirit. It is a force of exceeding greatness; its only measure is the immeasurable might of the divine nature.] This power is the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, for “if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11).

Verse 20

Eph 1:20

Ephesians 1:20

which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead,—This was the act of almighty power, the wonders at once of a triumph over the physical mystery of death, and the manifestation of an “eternal redemption” from condemnation and sin. The power which raises those dead in trespasses and sins is the same as that which raised Christ from the dead, and there is a striking analogy between these events and an intimate connec­tion between them. The one was not only the symbol, but the pledge and the procuring cause of the other. [From another point of view the resurrection was the act of the Savior’s own will; he said: “I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment received I from my Father.” (John 10:17-18). But where it is viewed as the Father’s acceptance of the work of the Son, or as the Father’s testimony to the Son, it is attributed to the Father as his act. (Acts 2:24; Acts 3:15).]

and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,—[This does not mean any particular place, but the power which the Father bestowed on Christ, that he may administer in his name the government of heaven and earth. The expression does not refer to any bodily posture, but denotes the highest royal power with which Christ has been invested. God has raised Christ to his right hand, because he has made him to share in his government, because by him he exerts his power; the metaphor is borrowed from earthly princes who confer the honor of sitting along with themselves on those whom they have clothed with the highest authority. As the right hand of God fills heaven and earth, it follows that the kingdom and power of Christ are equally extensive.]

Verse 21

Eph 1:21

Ephesians 1:21

far above all rule, and authority, and power, and domin­ion, and every name that is named,—The power that raised Jesus from the dead set him at the right hand of God in heaven, far above all principalities and powers and dominions of heaven and of earth. Separate shades of meaning may doubtless be found for these expressions, but the main object of the accumulation is to expand and deepen the idea of Christ’s universal lordship.

not only in this world,—[The pre-eminence of his name is to be eternal. It shall never be eclipsed by any other name, nor shall there be any name worthy to be coupled with his name. In all the history of humanity we find no name that can be fitly coupled with his.]

but also in that which is to come:—[This takes in all the duration after that event. Thus Christ is raised far above all created powers in heaven, all that are recognized in the present dispensation, and all that may exist in the future beyond. All this is said to exalt our sense of the divine power that so raised up and exalted Christ Jesus—the same power that still works in believers.]

Verses 22-23

Eph 1:22-23

Ephesians 1:22-23

and he put all things in subjection under his feet,—That same power had put all things pertaining to the church under the authority and rule of Jesus Christ.

and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body.—The church is the body of Christ on earth of which Christ is the head. Among animals the head is the center and source of life. Jesus stands as the head of the body, whence it receives instruction and life and vigor. The bodies of men controlled by the Spirit of God are the only manifestations of the church visible to men in the flesh. This relation of the church to Christ, represented by the body to the head, is a spiritual one and is regulated by the Spirit of the head permeating all the members of the body. But the Spirit does this through the word of truth he presents. Spiritual influences are directed to the spirit of man that thinks, considers, wills, purposes, and acts in accordance with that will.

the fulness of him that filleth all in all.—In Christ all the fullness of the Godhead dwells. In him is manifested to the world the fullness of the power, the wisdom, and the love of God. Of him the apostle says: “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanc­tification, and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Jesus filled with all the fullness of God bestows the fullness of his blessings on his body, the church.