Ephesians 1:6

εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ. Cf. Ephesians 1:12; Ephesians 1:14; Philippians 1:11; 1 Peter 1:7. See Lightfoot and Hort ll. cc. ‘The glory is the triumphant manifestation of the Divine power and grace. The praise is the recognition of these attributes by men.’ The glory of the Father in and through the Son is the final end alike of the Incarnation, culminating in the Ascension of the Son (John 8:50; John 17:1; Philippians 2:11), and of ‘the extension of the Incarnation’ in the Church (John 14:13; John 15:8; Ephesians 3:21). But ‘the glory of the grace’ may consist in its power to reveal the presence of God in the hearts of those on whom it is bestowed, whether Jew or Gentile. See Additional Note on ὁ πατὴρ τῆς δόξης. Cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:12, ὅπως ἐνδοξασθῇ τὸ ὄνομα … καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν αὐτῷ κατὰ τὴν χάριν.

τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ. See Additional Note. ‘Grace’ is the word which for St Paul most completely sums up the attitude of God to man revealed in Christ Jesus—the free unearned favour that He bears towards them. In Rom. St Paul lays stress on the fact that it precedes all human deserving. In this Epistle, as in 1 Pet. (where see Hort’s notes, esp. on Ephesians 1:2; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 1:13), stress is laid on its inclusiveness. Gentiles, with no claim of race or covenant, are brought within the range of it. ‘Election’ itself is only the method of its manifestation, Romans 11:5.

ἧς ἐχαρίτωσεν ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ, ‘whereby He filled us with grace as included “in” His Beloved.’ ἧς by attraction for ᾖ or ἐν ᾗ found in DGvg. ἐχαρίτωσεν. See Robinson, pp. 226 ff. and Westcott in loc. The word occurs three times elsewhere in the Greek Bible, Sir 18:17; Ps. 17:26 Sym.; Luke 1:28 In both O.T. passages it is used of persons who have been endued with grace and act graciously. In Luke it is used as here of one who has ‘found grace’ with God and whom God has filled with grace. ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ. LXX. for Jeshurun, Deuteronomy 33:5 On ‘The Beloved as a Messianic Title’ see Robinson, pp. 229 ff. Cf. ἀγαπητός, Matthew 3:17; Matthew 12:18; Matthew 17:5, and parallels. Special stress is laid in St John on the love of the Father for the Son, John 3:35; John 10:17; John 15:9; John 17:23 f., John 17:26. In Matthew 17:23; Matthew 17:26 His disciples are drawn up, as here, into the circle of this love. The word is chosen rather than Χριστῷ to bring out the idea of χάρις. God can be ‘gracious’ to us without let or limit because we are members of the Son on whom He lavishes the whole wealth of His love. Cf. Colossians 1:13, μετέστησεν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς�.