The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 6

call<·d God his Go,l nnd his Fnthcr(John xx. mystery. Before even the world was founded, 1 i') in '"irlne of the stale of subjection to m:uikind presented themselves to God ae him in which, I\S the Son of man, he had lost.;_ the wo_rk of redemption wo.s planned voluntarily pl!M'ed himself. In this Mpect nnd its details arranged from nil eternity. Rnd relation to Christ, God is here thanked Defore euoh o. mystery it becomes us to put because be hatb blo.."lled us in him. 2. the shoes from oft' our feet, a.nd bow rever- 'E•• ...aarf ,u>.o-yl~ ..-v,uµ.aT11.:'fi: !lot merely ently before him whose "judgments are spiritual as opposed to matennl, but as unsearchable and his ways past finding out." applie.d by the Hol,!f Spirit, the office of the That we should be holy and without blame Third Person being to bring Divine things before him in love. Thie ie obviously the into actual oont.act with human souls-to design of God's electing e.ot; ,iva, 11µ.as can- apply to us the blessings purchased by not denote the ground, but the purpose of Christ; whioh blessings are Iv To•• l'ff'ou- the choice. God did not· ohoose,! some be- pavio,s---in heavenly places. They belong to cause be foresaw their holiness, b'llt in order the heavenly kingdom; they are therefore that they might become "holy and without tbe highest we can attain to. 'fhe expression blame." These two terms denote the posi- occnrs three times, and with the same mean- tive o.nd nege.tive sides of purity: holy- ing. 3. 'Ev Xpu,.,-c;:. The Medium or Mediator • possessed of all the fruits of the Spirit thron.c:h whom they oome is Christ; they (Gal. v. 22, 23); without blame, or blemish- are not fruits of the mere natural bounty of mll.l'ked by no stain or imperfection (see eh. God, but of his redeeming bounty-fruits of v. 27). The terms do not denote justifica- the mediatorial work of Jesus Obrist. Thus, tion, but a condition ·of sanctification which in this summary, we recognize whet is implies justification alree.dy bestowed,. but eminently che.mcteristio of this Epistle- goes beyond it;' our justifico.tion· is· a s,tep the doctrine of the Trinity, and the function towards our complete final sanctification. of each Person in the worli: of redemption. This renewe.l being "before him," mnst be No other writing of the New Testament is such as to bear the scrutiny of·hie eye; so pel'VBded rith the doctrine of the Trinity. therefore not e:z:terna.l or superficiel'merely, The three great t.opics of the Epistle will but reaching to the very heart and eentre of be folID.d to be considered in relation to the our nature (1 Sam. xvi. 7). The expression three Persons of the Trinity. Thns: 1. further denotes how it is of- the very nature Origin and foundation of the Church, re- and glery ·of the new life to be spent' i'n ferred to the eternal com1sel and good God's presence, onr souls. flourishing in tbe pleasure of the Father. 2. The actnal birth precious snnshine which ever beanis' .. out or erist.enoe of the Church with all its therefrom.• Far, when thos renewed, we:do prirueges, to the &toning gre.ce and merit of not fly from his presence like Adam (Gen. the Son. S. The transformation of the iii. 8), but delight in it (Ps. :z:lii: l ; !xiii., 1). Church, the realization of its end or purpose, Foor is changed to love (1 J,ohn iv. 18) ; the in its final holiness and ~Jory, to the sanctify- loving relation between· us and God is 're- ing grace of the Holy Spirit. This throws stored. It has been much disputed whether light on the expression, "every blessing;" the words lv l.-yd."']1 ·ought to •be 'construed it includes (1) all thet the Father can with the fourth verse or with .,,;pooplo-ctt 'in bestow; (2) all thet the Son can provide; the fifth. The weig~t of autbdrity 'seems (3) all that the Spirit can apply. The re- in favour of the latter·; but we .prefer the sources of all the three Persons thns conspire construction which is given both in . the to bless the Church. In the verses that Authorized and the Revised Version, first, follow, the Fillt Person is prominent in vere. because if ;,, l.')'d.7111 qualified ,rpooplo-as, 'i~ 4--6; ihe eecond ie introduced in vers. wonld come more na.tura.lly after· it; and 6--J 2; and the third in vers. 13, 14. But second; because the scope of the passa_ge, all through the FiDt Penon ia the great the train of the apostle's thought, seems to directing Powar. require us to keep lv lryJ.,rp in ver. 4. We Ver. 4c..-Bv1111 u he oho88 118 in bun before never could come to be holy and without the foundation of the world; literally, he blemieh before God unless the loving r.ela.- cbou UI! out, or ,d,ect,ed, UB (l(,>-•!aTo) JM tions between us were restored (comp: oh, :hunaelf (middle voice). The Father chose iii. 17, "Rooted and grounded in.'Iove."). ,the heirs of salvation, selected tb011e who The spirit of fove, trnst, admiration, dire~a were to be quickened from the dead ( eh. ii. l) to God helps our complete sa.nctitlcation- and l!llved. He chose them i.n Ckrufr-in cbanges 111 into the same image '(2 :Oqr, ,connection with his work e.nd office as fill~ • • • • :Mediator, giving them to him to be re- Ver. 5.-Kaving t,redest:inated (or; 'for~ .deemed (John :z:vii. 11, 12): not after man ordained) us to adoption through Jesus Christ •was created, nor after ma.n he.d fallen, but unto himself, The same idee. is denoted by "Lefore the foundation of the world." We ,rpoopto-as in thiA verse e.nd l,<>,<,aTO hi are here fe.ce to face with a profound ver. 3, but while in (od(aTo the iuee.. ol Oil, I, 1-23,] 'l'HE EPISTLE ·ro THE EPHESIANS. 3