TEXT. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise," 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. PARAPHRASE. 13 and glory to God. And ye, ephesians, are also, in Jesus Christ, become God's people and inheritance", having heard the word of truth, the good tidings of your salvation, and, having believed in him, have been scaled by 14 the Holy Ghost; Which was promised, and is the pledge and evidence of being the people of God, his inheri tance given out for the redemption of the purchased NOTES. Ꮓ speakable grace and goodness to them, of which before they had no knowledge, no thought, no expectation. 13 Ev vμs seems in the tenour and scheme of the words, to refer to By exλnpwonμer, ver. 11. St. Paul making a parallel here, between those of the gentiles that first believed, and the ephesians, tells them, that as those, who heard and received the gospel before them, became the people of God, &c. to the praise and glory of his name; so they, the ephesians, by believing, became the people of God, &c. to the praise and glory of his name, only in this verse there is an ellipsis of ἐκληρώθηκε. 14 * The Holy Ghost was neither promised, nor given to the heathen, who were apostates from God, and enemies; but only to the people of God; and therefore the convert ephesians, having received it, might be assured thereby, that they were now the people of God, and rest satisfied in this pledge of it. y The giving out of the Holy Ghost, and the gift of miracles, was the great means, whereby the gentiles were brought to receive the gospel, and become the people of God." z" Redemption," in sacred scripture, signifies not always strictly paying a ransom for a slave delivered from bondage, but deliverance from a slavish estate into liberty: so God declares to the children of Israel in Egypt, Exod. vi. 6, "I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm." What is meant by it, is clear from the former part of the verse, in these words, "I will bring you out, "from under the burthen of the egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bond"age." And, in the next verse, he adds, “and I will take you to me for my "people, and I will be to you a God:" the very case here. As God, in the place cited, promised to deliver his people out of bondage, under the word "redeem;" so Deut. vii. 8, he telleth them, that he had brought them out "with a mighty hand, and redeemed them out of the house of bondage, from "the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt:" which redemption was performed by God, who is called the Lord of hosts their Redeemer, without the payment of any ransom. But here there was poinois, a purchase, and what the thing purchased was we may see, Acts xx. 28, viz. " the church of God," EPETTOS Goals, which "he purchased with his own blood," to be a people, that should be the Lord's portion, and the lot of his inheritance, as Moses speaks of the 46 PARAPHRASE. 1 possession, that ye might also bring praise and glory to God'. NOTES. children of Israel, Deut. xxxii. 9. And hence St. Peter calls the christians, 1 Pet. ii. 9, λa sis wepiwośnow, which in the margin of our bible, is rightly translated "a purchased people:" but if any one takes ixλnpwonμr, ver. 11, to signify "we have obtained an inheritance," then xλnporquía, in this verse, will signify " that inheritance,” and εἰς ἀπολύτρωσιν τῆς περιποιήσεως, σε until the "redemption of that purchased inheritance," i. e. until the redemption of our bodies, viz. resurrection unto eternal life. But, besides that this seems to have a more harsh and forced sense, the other interpretation is more consonant to the style and current of the sacred scripture, and (which weighs more with me) answers St. Paul's design here, which is to establish the ephesians, in a settled persuasion, that they, and all the other gentiles that believed in Christ, were as much the people of God, his lot, and his inheritance, as the jews themselves, and equally partakers with them of all the privileges and advantages belonging thereunto, as is visible by the tenour of the second chapter. And this is the use St. Paul mentions of God's setting his seal, 2 Tim. ii. 19, that it might mark who are his and accordingly we find it applied, Rev. vii. 3, to the foreheads of his servants, that they might be known to be his, chap. iv. 1. For so did those who purchased servants, as it were, take possession of them, by setting their marks on their foreheads. As he had declared, ver. 6 and 12, that the other gentiles, by believing and becoming the people of God, enhanced thereby the praise and glory of his grace and goodness; so here, ver. 14, he pronounces the same thing of the ephesians, in particular, to whom he is writing, to possess their minds with the sense of the happy estate they were now in, by being christians; for which he thanks God, ver. 3, and here again in the next words. SECT. III. CHAP. I. 15.-II. 10. CONTENTS. HAVING in the foregoing section thanked God for the great favours and mercies which, from the beginning, he had purposed for the gentiles, under the Messiah, in such a description of that design of the Almighty, as was fit to raise their thoughts above the law, and, as St. Paul calls them, beggarly elements of the jewish constitution, which was nothing in comparison of the great and glorious design of the gospel, taking notice of their standing firm in the faith he had taught them, and thanking God for it: he here, in this, prays God, that he would enlighten the minds of the ephesian converts, to see fully the great things, that were actually done for them, and the glorious estate, they were in, under the gospel, of which, in this section, he gives such a draught, as in every part of it shows, that in the kingdom of Christ they are set far above the mosaical rites, and enjoy the spiritual and incomprehensible benefits of it, not by the tenure of a few outward ceremonies: but by their faith, alone, in Jesus Christ, to whom they are united, and of whom they are members, who is exalted to the top of all dignity, dominion, and power, and they with him, their head. TEXT. 15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, PARAPHRASE. 15 Wherefore, I also, here, in my confinement, having heard of the continuance of your faith in Christ Jesus,: NOTE. 15 4 ̓Ακέσας τὴν καθ ̓ ὑμᾶς πίςιν ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ Ιησε, « Wherefore 7 also after "I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus." St. Paul's hearing of their faith, here' mentioned, cannot signify his being informed, that they had received the gospel, and believed in Christ; this would have looked impertinent for him to have told them, since he himself had converted them, and had lived a long time amongst them, as has been already observed. We must, therefore, seek another reason of his mentioning his hearing of their faith, which must signify something else, than his being barely acquainted that they were christians; and this we may find in these words, chap. iii. 13, “ Wherefore I desire that ye faint not, at my tri"bulations for you." He, as apostle of the gentiles, had alone preached up freedom from the law, which the other apostles, who had not that province (see Gal. ii. 9) in their converting the jews, seem to have said nothing of, as is plain from Acts xxi. 20, 21. It was upon account of his preaching, that the christian converts were not under any subjection to the observances of the law, and that the law was abolished, by the death of Christ, that he was seized at Jerusalem, and sent as a criminal to Rome to be tried for his life; where he was now a prisoner. He being, therefore, afraid that the ephesians, and other convert gentiles, seeing him thus under persecution, in hold, and in danger of death, upon the score of his being the preacher, and zealous propagator and minister of this great article of the christian faith, which seemed to have its rise and defence, wholly from him, might give it up, and not stand firm in the faith which he had taught them, was rejoiced, when in his confinement he heard, that they persisted stedfast in that faith, and in their love to all the saints, i. e. as well the convert gentiles, that did not, as those jews, that did, conform to the jewish rites. This I take to be the meaning of his hearing of their faith, here mentioned; and con2 formably hereunto, ch. vi. 19, 20, he desires their prayers," that he may with "boldness preach the mystery of the gospel, of which he is the ambassador in NOTE. "bonds." This mystery of the gospel, it is plain from ch. i. 9, &c. and ch. iii. 3-7, and other places, was God's gracious purpose of taking the gentiles, as gentiles, to be his people, under the gospel. St. Paul, whilst he was a prisoner at Rome, writ to two other churches, that at Philippi, and that at Colosse : to the Colossians, chap. i. 4, he uses, almost verbatim, the same expression that he does here," having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of your love, "which ye have to all the saints," he gives thanks to God, for their knowing and sticking to the grace of God in truth, which had been taught them by Epaphras, who had informed St. Paul of this, and their affection to him, whereupon he expresses his great concern, that they should continue in that faith, and not be drawn away to judaizing, which may be seen from ver. 14 of this chapter, to the end of the second. So that "the hearing of their faith," which he says, both to the ephesians and colossians, is not his being told, that they were christians, but their continuing in the faith they were converted to and instructed in, viz. that they became the people of God, and were admitted into his kingdom, only by faith in Christ, without submitting to the mosaical institution, and legal observances, which was the thing he was afraid they should be drawn to, either through any despondency in themselves, or importunity of others, now that he was removed from them, and in bonds, and thereby give up that truth and freedom of the gospel, which he had preached to them. To the same purpose he writes to the philippians, chap. i. 3—5, telling them that he gave u thanks to God,” ἐπὶ πάσῃ τῇ μνείᾳ αὐτῶν, upon every mention was made of them, upon every account he received of their continuing in the fellowship and profession of the gospel, as it had been taught them by him, without changing, or wavering at all, which is the same with "hearing of their "faith," and that thereupon he prays, amongst other things, chiefly that they might be kept from judaizing, as appears, ver. 27, 28, where the thing, he desired to hear of them, was, "that they stood firm in one spirit, and one mind, "jointly contending for the faith of the gospel; in nothing startled by those who "are opposers;" so the words are, and not "their adversaries." Now there was no party, at that time, who were in opposition to the gospel, which St. Paul preached, and with whom the convert gentiles had any dispute, but those who were for keeping up circumcision and the jewish rites, under the gospel. These were they, whom St. Paul apprehended, alone, as likely to affright the convert gentiles, and make them start out of the way from the gospel, which is the proper import of lupouro. Though this passage clearly enough indicates what it was, that he was, and should always be, glad to hear of them; yet he more plainly shows his apprehension of danger to them to be from the contenders for judaism, in the express warning he gives them, against that sort of men, chap. iii. 2, 3. So that this hearing, which he mentions, is the hearing of these three churches persisting firmly in the faith of the gospel, which he had taught them, without being drawn at all towards judaizing. It was that, for which St. Paul gave thanks, and it may reasonably be presumed, that, if he had writ to any other churches of converted gentiles, whilst he was a prisoner at Rome, upon the like carriage of theirs, something of the same kind would have been said to them. So that the great business of these three epistles, written during his being a prisoner at Rome, was to explain the nature of the kingdom of God under the Messiah, from which the gentiles were now no longer shut out, by the ordinances of the law; and confirm the churches, in the belief of it. St. Paul, being chosen and sent by God, to preach the gospel of the gentiles, had, in all his preaching, set forth the largeness and freedom of the kingdom of God, now laid open to the gentiles, by taking away the wall of partition, that kept them out. This made the jews his enemies, and, upon this account, they had seized him, and he was now a prisoner at Rome. Fearing that the gentiles might be wrought upon to submit to the law, now that he was thus removed, or suffering for the gospel, he tells these TEXT. 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, PARAPHRASE. 16 and your love to all the saints, Cease not to give thanks 17 for you, making mention of you in my prayers; my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, would endow your spirits, with wisdom and revelation, where18 by you may know him; And enlighten the eyes of your understandings, that you may see what hope his calling you to be christians carries with it, and what an abun NOTES. three churches, that he rejoices at their standing firm in the faith, and thereupon writes to them to explain and confirm to them the kingdom of God under the Messiah, into which all men now had an entrance, by faith in Christ, without any regard to the terms, whereby the jews were formerly admitted. The setting forth the largeness and free admittance into this kingdom, which was so much for the glory of God, and so much showed his mercy and bounty to mankind, that he makes it, as it were, a new creation, is, I say, plainly the business of the three epistles, which tend all visibly to the same thing, that any one, that reads them, cannot mistake the apostle's meaning, they giving such a clear light one to another. 15 "All the saints." One finds in the very reading of these words, that the word [all] is emphatical here, and put in, for some particular reason. I can, I confess, see no other but this, viz. that they were not, by the judaizers, in the least drawn away from their esteem and love of those who were not circumcised, nor observed the jewish rites; which was a proof to him, that they stood firm in the faith and freedom of the gospel, which he had instructed them in. 17 "Father of glory:" an Hebrew expression, which cannot well be changed, since it signifies his being glorious himself, being the fountain from whence all glory is derived, and to whom all glory is to be given. In all which senses, it may be taken here, where there is nothing that appropriates it, in peculiar, to any of them. Wisdom," is visibly used here for a right conception and understanding. of the gospel. See note, ver. 8. "Revelation," is used by St. Paul, not always for immediate inspiration, but as it is meant here, and in most other places, for such truths, which could not have been found out by human reason, but had their first discovery from revelation, though men afterwards come to the knowledge of those truths, by reading them in the sacred scripture, where they are set down, for their infor mation. VOL. VIII, |