INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 1 In this chapter are contained the inscription of the epistle, the salutation of the persons to whom it is written, the apostle's thanksgiving for blessings received by him, and them; in which the efficient, moving, procuring, and final causes of salvation are taken notic... [ Continue Reading ]
and fulness, Ephesians 1:21. Ver. 1. PAUL, AN APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST BY THE WILL OF GOD,.... Romans 1:1. 1 Corinthians 1:1. 2 Corinthians 1:1. Galatians 1:1. TO THE SAINTS WHICH ARE AT EPHESUS; of this place, see the note above upon the title of the epistle, and Acts 18:19. The persons residi... [ Continue Reading ]
GRACE BE TO YOU, AND PEACE FROM GOD,.... Romans 1:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,.... God, the first person in the Trinity, is the God of Christ, as Christ is man and Mediator; he chose and appointed him to be the Mediator, and made a covenant with him as such; he formed and prepared an human nature for him, and anointed it... [ Continue Reading ]
ACCORDING AS HE HATH CHOSEN US IN HIM,.... This choice cannot be understood of a national one, as Israel of old were chosen by the Lord; for the persons the apostle writes to were not a nation; nor does he address all the inhabitants of Ephesus, only the saints and faithful in Christ that resided th... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING PREDESTINATED US,.... Predestination, taken in a large sense, includes both election and reprobation, and even reaches to all affairs and occurrences in the world; to the persons, lives, and circumstances of men; to all mercies, temporal or spiritual; and to all afflictions, whether in love o... [ Continue Reading ]
TO THE PRAISE OF THE GLORY OF HIS GRACE,.... The grace of God manifestly appears in the predestination of men to adoption; in that God had no need of sons, he having a dear and well beloved one; in whom he is well pleased; and in that those he adopts are so unworthy of the relation; and in that men,... [ Continue Reading ]
IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD,.... Redemption supposes captivity and slavery, and is a deliverance out of it; God's elect by nature are in bondage to sin, Satan, and the law; through the grace of Christ, they are redeemed from all iniquity; ransomed out of the hands of him that is str... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREIN HE HATH ABOUNDED TOWARD US,.... That is, in the grace which is so abundantly displayed in redemption and forgiveness of sin, through the blood of Christ: IN ALL WISDOM AND PRUDENCE; this may be understood, either of the aboundings of grace in the Gospel; which may be called all wisdom and p... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING MADE KNOWN UNTO US THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL,.... The Gospel, which is a mystery, a hidden mystery, the mystery of God and of Christ, and the mystery of the Gospel; the several doctrines of it are called the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; such as are concerning the trinity of persons in th... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT IN THE DISPENSATION OF THE FULNESS OF TIMES,.... Or "according to the dispensation", c. as the Alexandrian copy reads the fulness of time appointed by God, and fixed in the prophets; after many times and seasons were elapsed, from the creation of the world; at the most suitable and convenient t... [ Continue Reading ]
IN WHOM ALSO WE HAVE OBTAINED AN INHERITANCE,.... Or a part and lot; that is, have obtained one in Christ, in his person, and in his fulness of grace, in the blessings and promises which are in him; or have obtained to be the Lord's clergy, or heritage, to be his portion and inheritance; or rather t... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WE SHOULD BE TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY,.... This is the end of predestination to the inheritance; and the sense is, either that the praise of the glory of God, in his grace and goodness, might be discovered and made known unto the saints, as it is displayed in election, redemption, justificati... [ Continue Reading ]
IN WHOM YE ALSO TRUSTED,.... The Gentile believers, the Ephesians, whom the apostle now particularly addresses; and who participated of the same grace and privileges with the believing Jews; the promise belonged to all that God called, whether afar off or nigh; and the same common salvation was sent... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH IS THE EARNEST OF OUR INHERITANCE,.... The incorruptible and never fading one in heaven, or the heavenly kingdom; this is the Father's gift, his bequest, and belongs only to children; it comes to them through the death of the testator, Christ, and is for ever; and of this the Spirit of God is... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE I ALSO,.... As well as others: AFTER I HEARD OF YOUR FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS; who is the immediate object of faith, and a very proper and suitable one; having every thing in him that is agreeable to the case and circumstances of those that trust in him. And the grace of faith, which termi... [ Continue Reading ]
CEASE NOT TO GIVE THANKS FOR YOU,.... On account of their faith and love; which were gifts of grace bestowed upon them, and not the produce of their own free will and power; and therefore thanks are given to God for them: MAKING MENTION OF YOU IN MY PRAYERS; which shows the apostle to be a praying... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THE GOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,.... In what sense God the Father is the God of Christ, Ephesians 1:3 THE FATHER OF GLORY; or the glorious Father; who is glorious in himself, in the perfections of his nature, and in the works of his hands; and as a father, he is a glorious father to Christ, a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEING ENLIGHTENED,.... By the Spirit of God already, to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin; the insufficiency of their own righteousness; the beauty, glory, fulness, and suitableness of Christ, as a Saviour; the excellency, truth, and usefulness of the doctrines of th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHAT IS THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TO US-WARD WHO BELIEVE,.... The objects of the divine power here intended, are believers in Christ; which distinguishes this power from that which was put forth in creation, and from that which will be displayed in the resurrection of the dead, and fr... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH HE WROUGHT IN CHRIST, WHEN HE RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD,.... There are many articles of faith contained in this passage; as that Christ died, that he is raised from the dead, that he was raised from the dead by God the Father, and that his resurrection was by the power of God: the resurrection... [ Continue Reading ]
FAR ABOVE ALL PRINCIPALITY AND POWER,.... Good angels and bad angels, and civil magistrates, who also may be intended by the following words: AND MIGHT AND DOMINION; good angels may be so called, because of their employment under God in the affairs of Providence, and the government of this world; a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HATH PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET,.... These words are taken out of Psalms 8:6. 1 Corinthians 15:27. AND GAVE HIM TO BE THE HEAD OVER ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH; the Vulgate Latin version reads, "and gave him to be the head over every church", or "all the church"; the Ethiopic version, "the who... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH IS HIS BODY,.... That is, which church is the body of Christ; as an human body is but one, consisting of various members, united to each other, and set in an exact proportion and symmetry, and in a proper subservience to one another, and which must be neither more nor fewer than they are; so t... [ Continue Reading ]