View Ephesians 1 in the note window.
1: By the will of God - Not by any merit of my own. To the saints
who are at Ephesus - And in all the adjacent places. For this epistle
is not directed to the Ephesians only, but likewise to all the other
churches of Asia.
3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
blessed us - God's blessing us is his bestowing all spiritual and heavenly
blessings upon us. Our blessing God is the paying him our solemn and
grateful acknowledgments, both on account of his own essential blessedness,
and of the blessings which he bestows upon us. He is the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, as man and Mediator: he is his Father, primarily, with
respect to his divine nature, as his only begotten Son; and, secondarily,
with respect to his human nature, as that is personally united to the
divine. With all spiritual blessings in heavenly things - With all manner
of spiritual blessings, which are heavenly in their nature, original, and
tendency, and shall be completed in heaven: far different from the external
privileges of the Jews, and the earthly blessings they expected from the
Messiah.
4: As he hath chosen us - Both Jews and gentiles, whom he foreknew
as believing in Christ, (1Pe 1:2).
5: Having predestinated us to the adoption of sons - Having
foreordained that all who afterwards believed should enjoy the dignity
of being sons of God, and joint - heirs with Christ. According to the
good pleasure of his will - According to his free, fixed, unalterable
purpose to confer this blessing on all those who should believe in
Christ, and those only.
6: To the praise of the glory of his grace - His glorious, free
love without any desert on our part.
7: By whom we - Who believe. Have - From the moment we believe.
Redemption - From the guilt and power of sin.
Through his blood - Through what he hath done and suffered for us.
According to the riches of his grace - According to the abundant
overflowings of his free mercy and favour.
8: In all wisdom - Manifested by God in the whole scheme of our
salvation. And prudence - Which be hath wrought in us, that we may know
and do all his acceptable and perfect will.
9: Having made known to us - By his word and by his Spirit.
The mystery of his will - The gracious scheme of salvation by faith, which
depends on his own sovereign will alone. This was but darkly discovered
under the law; is now totally hid from unbelievers; and has heights and
depths which surpass all the knowledge even of true believers.
10: That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times - In this
last administration of God's fullest grace, which took place when the
time appointed was fully come. He might gather together into one in
Christ - Might recapitulate, re - unite, and place in order again under
Christ, their common Head. All things which are in heaven, and on
earth - All angels and men, whether living or dead, in the Lord.
11: Through whom we - Jews. Also have obtained an inheritance - The
glorious inheritance of the heavenly Canaan, to which, when believers,
we were predestinated according to the purpose of him that worketh all
things after the counsel of his own will - The unalterable decree, "He that
believeth shall be delivered;" which will is not an arbitrary will, but
flowing from the rectitude of his nature, else, what security would there
be that it would be his will to keep his word even with the elect?
12: That we - Jews. Who first believed - Before the gentiles.
So did some of them in every place. Here is another branch of the true
gospel predestination: he that believes is not only elected to salvation,
(if he endures to the end,) but is fore - appointed of God to walk in
holiness, to the praise of his glory.
13: In whom ye - Gentiles. Likewise believed, after ye had heard
the gospel - Which God made the means of your salvation; in whom after
ye had believed - Probably some time after their first believing.
Ye were sealed by that Holy Spirit of promise - Holy both in his nature
and in his operations, and promised to all the children of God.
The sealing seems to imply,
- A full impression of the image of God on their souls.
- A full assurance of receiving all the promises, whether
relating to time or eternity.
14: Who, thus sealing us, is an earnest - Both a pledge and a
foretaste of our inheritance. Till the redemption of the purchased
possession - Till the church, which he has purchased with his own blood,
shall be fully delivered from all sin and sorrow, and advanced to
everlasting glory. To the praise of his glory - Of his glorious wisdom,
power, and mercy.
15: Since I heard of your faith and love - That is, of their
perseverance and increase therein.
16: I cease not - In all my solemn addresses to God. To give
thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers - So he did of all
the churches, (Col 1:9).
17: That the Father of that infinite glory which shines
in the face of Christ, from whom also we receive the glorious
inheritance, (Eph 1:18),
may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation - The same who is
the Spirit of promise is also, in the progress of the faithful,
the Spirit of wisdom and revelation; making them wise unto
salvation, and revealing to them the deep things of God. He is
here speaking of that wisdom and revelation which are common to
all real Christians.
18: The eyes of your understanding - It is with these alone that we
discern the things of God. Being first opened, and then enlightened -
- By his Spirit. That ye may know what is the hope of his calling - That ye
may experimentally and delightfully know what are the blessings which God
has called you to hope for by his word and his Spirit. And what is the
riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints - What an immense
treasure of blessedness he hath provided as an inheritance for holy souls.
19: And what the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who
believe - Both in quickening our dead souls, and preserving them in
spiritual life. According to the power which he exerted in Christ,
raising him from the dead - By the very same almighty power whereby
he raised Christ; for no less would suffice.
20: And he hath seated him at his own right hand - That is, he hath
exalted him in his human nature, as a recompence for his sufferings, to
a quiet, everlasting possession of all possible blessedness, majesty,
and glory.
21: Far above all principality, and power, and might, and
dominion - That is, God hath invested him with uncontrollable
authority over all demons in hell, all angels in heaven, and all
the princes and potentates on earth. And every name that is
named - We know the king is above all, though we cannot name all
the officers of his court. So we know that Christ is above all,
though we are not able to name all his subjects. Not only in
this world, but also in that which is to come - The world to come
is so styled, not because it does not yet exist, but because it
is not yet visible. Principalities and powers are named now; but
those also who are not even named in this world, but shall be
revealed in the world to come, are all subject to Christ.
22: And he hath given him to be head over all things to the
church - An head both of guidance and government, and likewise of
life and influence, to the whole and every member of it. All
these stand in the nearest union with him, and have as continual
and effectual a communication of activity, growth, and strength
from him, as the natural body from its head.
23: The fulness of him that filleth all in all - It is hard to say in
what sense this can be spoken of the church; but the sense is easy and
natural, if we refer it to Christ, who is the fulness of the Father.
