Ephesians 3:12

ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν παρρησίαν καὶ τὴν προσαγωγήν : in whom we have boldness and access. The second τήν, which is inserted by the TR, has the support of some good authorities, [301] [302] 3 [303] [304] [305], Chrys., etc.; but is not found in [306] [307] [308] 17, etc., and is to be omitted (with LTTrWHRV). As the παρρησία and the προσαγωγή meet in one idea the τήν does not require to be repeated. The article before the nouns has much the force of “ our boldness and access”. The παρρησίαν is not to be limited to freedom of speech, freedom in preaching, or boldness in prayer, but is to be taken in the large sense which it has in Philippians 1:20; 1 Timothy 3:13; Hebrews 10:19; and especially in 1 John 2:28; 1Jn 3:21; 1 John 4:17; 1 John 5:14 freedom of spirit, cheerful boldness, “the joyful mood of those reconciled to God” (Mey.). The conjunction of the προσαγωγή with the intrans. παρρησία makes the intrans. sense of access more appropriate here than the trans. sense of introduction; cf. under Ephesians 2:18. ἐν πεποιθήσει : in confidence. The noun πεποίθησις belongs to late Greek (Joseph., Philo., Sext. Empir., etc.). In the LXX it occurs once (2 Kings 18:19); in the NT it is found only in Paul (2 Corinthians 1:15; 2 Corinthians 3:4; 2Co 8:22; 2 Corinthians 10:2; Philippians 3:4, and here). It indicates the disposition in which the παρρησία and προσαγωγή are made good. διὰ τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ : through our faith in Him. The αὐτοῦ is best taken as the gen. objecti; cf. Romans 3:22; Galatians 2:16. Thus, as the ἐν ᾧ expresses the fact that Christ is the ground of our παρρησία and προσαγωγή, and the ἐν πεποιθήσει the state of mind in which we enjoy these blessings, so this clause declares the means by which they become our actual possession. The whole verse, moreover, is not so much a simple addition to the preceding statement as rather an indirect appeal to personal experience, in confirmation of what was said of the fulfilment of God's eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord, the ἐν ᾧ having, as Ell. explains it, much the same force as ἐν αὐτῷ γάρ.

[301] Codex Ephraemi (sæc. v.), the Paris palimpsest, edited by Tischendorf in 1843.

[302] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[303] Codex Mosquensis (sæc. ix.), edited by Matthæi in 1782.

[304] Codex Angelicus (sæc. ix.), at Rome, collated by Tischendorf and others.

[305] Codex Porphyrianus (sæc. ix.), at St. Petersburg, collated by Tischendorf. Its text is deficient for chap. Ephesians 2:13-16.

[306] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[307] Codex Sinaiticus (sæc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.

[308] Codex Alexandrinus (sæc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).