The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 7

aelection out from among others is prominent, grace quoad man, is. to me.~e him perreotly in 'll'paoplua, the speoinl phase of thought is holy; quoad God, 1s to give to the uni- tho.t of the time, "'Pd, before--before the foun- verse a right conception of his grace, and dation of the worl<l. Both denote the exercise draw forth corresponding tributes of praise. of Divine sovereignty. In ver. 4 we ho.ve the It is to show thnt Di vine grMe is not & Jim p, ultimate purpose of God's decree-the entire shallow attribute, but one of glorious riches, sanotifiootiou of the elect i •here, in ver. 5, we deserving infinite praise. The idea of the fin<l one of the intermediate steps of the pro- richness, fulness, abundance, of God's grace cess-o.doption. 'l'he apaetle'd reo.son for is prominent throughout the Epistle. Go<i speaking of o.doption hi this place, and of <lesirea to draw e.Ltention, not only to this justification afterwards, is that he had just o.ttribute, but to the boundlessness of it- referred to the restoration of a relation of Tm,e thus to draw the love and confidence of his between us and God as connected with our creatures to himself and in&pire them witl 1 ultimate complete eo.nctifioe.tion; thus it was the desire to imitate him (comp. Matt. xviii. natural.for him to bring in our ad.option 1111 21-35). Wherein he abounded toward us the preor<le.ined act in which this loving re- in the Beloved, Two slight difficulties aru lation is formed. Our obedience ie not the fonnd here--0ne in the text, the other in forced obedience of s.ervants, but the loving the interpretation. After xci.p,Tas o.inou qbedience of sane. A-0.option implies more somecopiesree.di!vif,others,f,. A.V. follow~ than sentiment-a. real legal relation to God the former; R. V. the latter. XaptT&w usually o.s his sons (Rom. viii. 17). The adoption is means to bestow grace; sometimes, to make "by Jesus Christ:" "As many a.a received gracious or beautifnl. The former is more him; to them gave he the right to become in accordance with New Testament usage children of Gad" (John i. 12). And it is (Alford) and with the tenor of the passage. •ls abT~w, unto or into himself-denoting a. '.rhe glory of the gra.ceof which God de,ires to movement towards God which terminates in create e. true impression is not an abstraction, union to him. Aocording to the good plea.- not--aglory hi<lden away ineome inaccessible sure of his will, The spring or motive to region, but e. reveo.le<l glory, a communicated the selection is solely in God, not in man. glory; it is revealed in the grace wherein he It is an act of sovereignty. It has been a.bounded to us, or which he freely bestowed disputed whether "the good pleasure of hie on us, in the Beloved. The grace bestowed will" is equivalent to benevolentia or to on believers exemplifies tbe glorious quality bene placitum. Pe.rallel passages like Matt, of the attribute-its glorious riches. The xi. 26 and Luke x. 21 lelld us to prefer the connection of God with Christ in the bestowal latter. The idea. of kindness is not excluded, of this grace, and of believers in the recep- but it is not what is affirmed. Kindness is tion of it, is a.gain noted by the remarkable always involved in the Divine will; but the term," in the Beloved." Tho.t the Father's point here is simply that it pleased God to relation to Christ we.a one of infinite love b choose o,nd ordain the Ephesian believers a fa.et never to be lost sight of. His havi!lg to the privilege of adoption through Jesus constituted the Beloved One the Kinsman Christ, . This is presented as e. ground of and Mt!die.tor of sinners shows the riches of praise, a reason for their blessing God. The the glory of his graco. " He tho.t spare ' not Divine sovereignty is not presented in Scrip- his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, ture to seekers, but to finders, It is a.pt to how sho.ll he not, with him also freely give embarrass those that seek; and accordingly us all things?" Our union to the Belove<l, the aspect of_ God's character presented to our pnrticipo.ting in all the blessings of his them is his good will to men,,his free offer of purchnse, our becoming heirs of G o<l and mercy: "Look unto me, and bo ye saved ; " joint heirs with Jesus Christ, further illus- "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise trates the glorious riches of his grace. co.stout." But it is e. ground of thanksgiving "Behold, what manner of love tbe l!'ather to those who have accepted the offer: they s~tl hath bestowed on us, that we should be that before the foundation of the world God callell children of God I" chose them in Christ. What o,n in~erest he Ver. 7.-In whom we have the redemption must liave lio.d in them, and how thoroughly through his blood. Some of the blessings they may rely on his finishing the work he referred to in ver. 8 are now specifie<l-oo- h11cs begun I Divine sovereignty, human ginning with redemption (T¾,v a.,ra}urlpwuiv). teRponsibility, and the free and universal The e.rtiole niakes it emphatio-tho great offer .. of meroy are all found in Scripture, redemption, the _real re<lewption, compared .t.nd, though we &fO unable to harmoniz11 to which all other re<leruptions are but thep-1 by our logiq, ought all to have u place sh11<lows. "It is e. redomptiuu through blood, in our minds. ,• . , ,. therefore e. proper propitfotiDn or ex.pio.tion, Ver. 6.-To the prai1111 of.the glory 9f bis blood being. 11lwnys tho emblem of expia- g.aoo; with a view to puise being give1i tion. In Uhrist, or in union to Chri~t, w~ w the glory of his. graoe. The purpo~~ of /iai·e or are having this blessing; it is no*  4 THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. (os. L 1-23,