διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ: to be connected with ἐξέχεεν. See John xv. 26, Acts ii. 33. The finished work of Jesus Christ was the necessary pre-condition to His effusion of the Holy Spirit.
Ver. 7. ἵνα, κ.τ.λ.: It is not quite certain, whether this expresses the object . of ἐξέχεεν or of ἔσωσεν. The former connexion brings out best the climax of the passage. κληρονόμοι marks the highest point to which man can attain in this life. See reff. The two pre- ceding stages are marked by λουτρὸν παλινγενεσίας and ἀνακαίνωσις, while δικαιωθέντες . . . χάριτι is an expression in theological language of the simpler κατὰ τὸ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος ἔσωσεν ἡμᾶς. The grace by which man is justified is usually spoken of as that of God the Father, Rom. iii. 24; and so ἐκείνου, not αὐτοῦ, is used as referring to the remoter antecedent.
κληρονόμοι: According to the analogy of the other passages where it occurs, this word is best taken absolutely ; or, if the notion must be completed, we may understand θεοῦ. The term would not need any elucidation to one of St. Paul’s company. It is also an argument against connecting κληρ. ζωῆς αἰωνίου (R.V.m) that ἔλπις ζωῆς αἰωνίου occurs in i, 2; and Gal. iii. 29, κατ᾽ ἐπαγγελίαν κληρ., is parallel.
Vv. 8-11. To sum up what I have been saying : Belief in God is not a mat- ter of theory or of speculation, but of practice; it must be accompanied by good works. This true religion unites the beautiful and the profitable. On the other hand, foolish speculations and con- troversies about the law are profitless
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