Ephesians 4:10

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) THE SAME - rather [ autos (G846)], HE. ALL HEAVENS - Greek, 'all the heavens' (Hebrews 4:4; Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 7:26; Greek, 'passed through the heavens' to the throne of God itself). MIGHT FILL, [ pleeroosee (G4137)] - 'that He (both) might' and 'may fill;' namely, with His divine presence and Spirit, not with His glorified body. 'Christ, as God, is present everywhere; as glor...

10._That ascended up far above all heavens; _that is, beyond this created world. When Christ is said to be in heaven, we must not view him as dwelling among the spheres and numbering the stars. Heaven denotes a place higher than all the spheres, which was assigned to the Son of God after his resurrection. (141) Not that it is literally a place beyond the world, but we cannot speak of the kingdom of God without using our ordinary language. Others, again, considering that the expressions, _above all heavens, _and _ascension into heaven, _are of the same import, conclude that Christ is not separated from us by distance of place. But one point they have overlooked. When Christ is placed above the heavens, or in the heavens, all that surrounds the earth — all that lies beneath the sun and stars, beneath the whole frame of the visible world — is excluded. That he might fill all things. To fill...

7-16 Unto every believer is given some gift of grace, for their mutual help. All is given as seems best to Christ to bestow upon every one. He received for them, that he might give to them, a large measure of gifts and graces; particularly the gift of the Holy Ghost. Not a mere head knowledge, or bare acknowledging Christ to be the Son of God, but such as brings trust and obedience. There is a fulness in Christ, and a measure of that fulness given in the counsel of God to every believer; but we never come to the perfect measure till we come to heaven. God's children are growing, as long as they are in this world; and the Christian's growth tends to the glory of Christ. The more a man finds himself drawn out to improve in his station, and according to his measure, all that he has received, to the spiritual good of others, he may the more certainly believe that he has the grace of sincere...

Verse 10. _HE THAT DESCENDED_] And he who descended _so low_ is the same who has ascended _so high_. He came to the _lower parts of_ _the earth_-the very deepest abasement; having emptied himself; taken upon him; the form of a servant, and humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross; now he is ascended _far above_ _all heavens_-higher than all height; he has a name above every name. Here his descending into the _lower parts of the earth_ is put in opposition to his ascending _far above all heavens_. His abasement was unparalleled; so also is his exaltation. _THAT HE MIGHT FILL ALL THINGS._] That he might be the fountain whence all blessings might flow; dispensing all good things to all his creatures, according to their several capacities and necessities; and, particularly, fill both converted Jews and Gentiles with all the gifts and graces of his Holy Spirit. Hence it follo...

HE THAT DESCENDED IS THE SAME ALSO THAT ASCENDED - The same Redeemer came down from God, and returned to him. It was not a different being, but the same. FAR ABOVE ALL HEAVENS - see the notes on Ephesians 1:20; compare Hebrews 7:26. He is gone above the visible heavens, and has ascended into the highest abodes of bliss; see the notes on 2 Corinthians 12:2. THAT HE MIGHT FILL ALL THINGS - Margin, “fulfil.” The meaning is, “that he might fill all things by his influence, and direct and overrule all by his wisdom and power.” Doddridge. See the notes on...

EXPOSITION PRACTICAL PORTION OF THE EPISTLE. EPHESIANS 4:1 CHURCH PRINCIPLE OF GROWTH AND PROGRESS; THE CHURCH A BODY. EPHESIANS 4:1 I THEREFORE. Inference not only from last chapter, but the whole Epistle. Paul's interest in the Ephesians led him to a double application of the great subject which he had expounded: (1) to ask God on their behalf that he would bestow on them the full measure of the blessing to which of his grace they were entitled ...

HE THAT DESCENDED IS THE SAME ALSO THAT ASCENDED,.... It was the same divine Person, the Son of God, who assumed human nature, and suffered in it, which is meant by his descent, who in that nature ascended up to heaven: this proves that Christ existed before he took flesh of the virgin; and that though he has two natures, yet he is but one person; and disproves the Popish notion of the descent of Christ's soul into Limbus or hell, locally taken: and this ascension of his was, UP FAR ABOVE ALL HEAVENS: the visible heavens, the airy and starry heavens; Christ ascended far above these, and went into the third heaven, the holiest of all; and this is expressive of the exaltation of Christ, who is made higher than the heavens; and the end of his ascension was, THAT HE MIGHT FILL ALL THINGS, or "fulfil all things"; that were types of him, or predicted concerning him; that as he had fulfilled...

Ephesians 4:1. _I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;_ It is a loving call. Walk lovingly. It is the condescension of God that called you. Be, therefore, lowly. It is God in tenderness who has loved you. Be, therefore, meek, «forbearing one another in love.» Ephesians 4:3. _Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all._ Therefore, strive for unity. Woe unto those who divide believers that rob

2. THE MINISTRY AND ITS PURPOSE CHAPTER 4:7-16 _ 1. Ministry according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Ephesians 4:7)_ 2. The needed and permanent gifts (Ephesians 4:11) 3. The purpose and the goad (Ephesians 4:12) Each member in the body of Christ has a specific place for a specific work. See Romans 12:4 and 1 Corinthians 12:4. And the bestowal of gifts for service in the body is in His hands. He ascended upon high and triumphed over all enemies. He led captivity captive and gave gifts unt

THE DOCTRINE OF GIFTS IN RELATION TO UNITY. Every Christian has his gift of grace: and the grace given to each is proportioned to the measure of Christ's giving (Ephesians 4:7). That is what Scripture means when it says, He went up on high and took captive a captivity and gave gifts to men (Ephesians 4:8). He went up surely that means that He came down also to these lower regions, our earth. He that came down is the very same Person who went up, high above all the heavens, to fill all things (Ephesians 4:9 f_._); and it is He who has given gifts to His Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, teachers for the fitting of God's people for the work of service, for the upbuilding of Christ's Body ...