Ephesians 1:1

EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE EPHESIANS.

Chronological Notes relative to this Epistle.

Usherian year of the world, 4065.

-Alexandrian era of the world, 5563.

-Antiochian era of the world, 5553.

-Constantinopolitan era of the world, 5569.

-Year of the Eusebian epocha of the Creation, 4289.

-Year of the Julian period, 4771.

-Year of the minor Jewish era of the world, 3821.

-Year of the Greater Rabbinical era of the world, 4420.

-Year from the Flood, according to Archbishop Usher, and the English Bible, 2409.

-Year of the Cali yuga, or Indian era of the Deluge, 3163.

-Year of the era of Iphitus, or since the first commencement of the Olympic games, 1001.

-Year of the Nabonassarean era, 808.

Year of the era of the Seleucidae, 373.

-Year of the Spanish era, 99.

-Year of the Actiac or Actian era, 92.

-Year from the birth of Christ, 65.

-Year of the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 61.

-Year from the building of Rome, according to Varro, 813.

-Year of the CCXth Olympiad, 1.

-Jesus, high priest of the Jews.

-Common Golden Number, 5.

-Jewish Golden Number, 2.

-Year of the Solar Cycle, 14.

-Dominical Letter, D.

-Jewish Passover, March 22d.

-Easter Sunday, March 29th.

-Epact, or the moons age on the 22d of March, or the Xth of the Calends of April, 14.

-Year of the reign of Nero Caesar, the sixth emperor of the Romans, 8.

-In the first year of Porcius Festus, governor of the Jews.

-Year of Vologesus, king of the Parthians, 11.

-Year of Domitius Corbulo, governor of Syria, 2.

-Roman Consuls; C. Caesonius Paetus, and C. Petronius Turpilianus.

CHAPTER I.

The apostle's salutation to the Church, 1, 2.

He blesses God for calling the Gentiles to the adoption of

children by Jesus Christ, by whose sacrificial death both

they and the Jews find redemption, 3-7.

He shows that it was through the great abundance of God's

wisdom and goodness that the Gentiles were called into a

state of salvation, and that they should receive the Holy Spirit

as the earnest of their inheritance, 8-15.

He praises God for their conversion, and prays that they may

be farther enlightened, that they may see the glory of Christ,

and partake of the blessings procured by his passion and

exaltation, 16-23.

NOTES ON CHAP. I.

Verse Ephesians 1:1. To the saints which are at Ephesus] As some learned men think that this epistle was written to the Church of the Laodiceans, and that the words εν εφεσω, in Ephesus, were not originally in this epistle, the consideration of the subject has appeared to be more proper for the preface; and to that the reader is referred for a particular discussion of this opinion. By the term saints we are to understand those who in that place professed Christianity, and were members of the Christian Church. Saint properly signifies a holy person, and such the Gospel of Christ requires every man to be, and such every true believer is, both in heart and life; but saint appears to have been as ordinary a denomination of a believer in Christ in those primitive times, as the term Christian is now. Yet many had the name who had not the thing.

The faithful in Christ Jesus] πιστοις. the believers-the persons who received Christ as the promised Messiah, and the Saviour of the world, and continued in the grace which they had received.