ἵνα ἐνδείξηται, ‘to display as a trait of his own character.’

ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσιν τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις. Cf. Ephesians 1:21 τῷ μέλλοντι and Ephesians 3:21. ‘The ages that are coming on.’ There is a vista ahead to which no limit can be assigned. There is nothing to show that in St Paul’s view the earth would pass away before these ages could begin. With ἐπερχ. cf. Luke 21:26; James 5:1; Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 41:22 f., Isaiah 42:23; Isaiah 44:7; Isaiah 45:11.

τὸ ὑπερβάλλον πλοῦτος. Cf. Ephesians 1:19.

ἐν χρηστότητι ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς. ‘By His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.’ Christ Jesus is the embodiment of God’s loving-kindness to us. χρηστότης, a fairly common word in the LXX. Psalms, used Romans 11:22; Titus 3:4 of the loving-kindness manifested in the salvation of men (cf. Hort on 1 Peter 2:3). It is ‘grace’ or ‘mercy’ in action.

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Old Testament