EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2 EPHESIANS 2:1 Paul setteth before the Ephesians their former corrupt heathen state, EPHESIANS 2:4 and God's rich mercy in their deliverance. EPHESIANS 2:8 We are saved by grace, not of works, yet so as to be created in Christ unto good works. EPHESIANS 2:11 They who were once str... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREIN IN TIME PAST YE WALKED; conversed in a continual course of life. They were alive _to_ sin, when dead _in_ sin; or by sin dead to spiritual good. ACCORDING TO THE COURSE OF THIS WORLD; either according to the age of the world that then was, or men then in the world, or according to the custom... [ Continue Reading ]
AMONG WHOM ALSO WE ALL; we apostles and believers of the Jews. Either Paul by a _coenosis_ reckons himself among them, though not guilty with them; or rather, though he were not an idolater as the Ephesians, yet he had been _a blasphemer, and a persecutor,_ 1 TIMOTHY 1:13; and though he were blamele... [ Continue Reading ]
RICH IN MERCY; abundant. Riches of mercy here, as riches of grace, EPHESIANS 1:7; see PSALMS 51:1, PSALMS 86:5. FOR HIS GREAT LOVE; the fountain from whence his mercies vouchsafed to us proceed; riches of mercy from great love: God shows mercy to us miserable creatures in time, because he loved us f... [ Continue Reading ]
HATH QUICKENED US; hath raised us up from the death of sin to the life of righteousness, not only in our justification, in which God frees us from our obnoxiousness to eternal death, and gives us a right to eternal life, who before were dead in law, (though this may be included), but especially in o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HATH RAISED US UP TOGETHER; either this may be understood of a further degree of spiritual life in the progress of sanctification vouchsafed to believers in this world; or rather, of the resurrection of the body, which is said to be raised together with Christ, because it is to be raised by the... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT IN THE AGES TO COME; in all succeeding generations while the world continues. HE MIGHT SHOW, &C.; as in an instance or specimen, 1 TIMOTHY 1:16: q.d. God's _kindness to us_ believers in this age, since Christ's coming, is such an instance of THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE, as may be an encou... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR BY GRACE, the free favour of God, as EPHESIANS 2:5, _are ye, _ even ye Ephesians, Gentiles, who had not such promises made to you as the Jews had, EPHESIANS 2:12, SAVED, from first to last, from your calling, EPHESIANS 2:5, to your glorification, EPHESIANS 2:6. OBJECTION. How are believers said... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT OF WORKS; any works whatever, and not only works of the ceremonial law: for if they only were excluded, the opposition between God and man, grace and works, were not right, which yet we find so often elsewhere; _\see ROMANS 11:6\_ men might not be saved by works of the ceremonial law, and yet st... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WE, we believers, both Jews and Gentiles, are his workmanship; not only as men, but especially as saints, which is the proper meaning here. The Israelitish people formerly were God's work, DEUTERONOMY 32:6 ISAIAH 43:21, ISAIAH 44:21; so are believers under the gospel, being new creatures, GALATI... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE FLESH; either: 1. Carnal, unregenerate, as ROMANS 8:8,9. Or rather: 2. Uncircumcised in the flesh, as well as in heart, EZEKIEL 44:7; such as neither had the grace signified, nor the sign representing it. WHO ARE CALLED UNCIRCUMCISION, by way of reproach; to be uncircumcised being the badge... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT AT THAT TIME YE WERE WITHOUT CHRIST; i.e. without knowledge of him, or interest in him. This is the foundation of all other miseries, as Christ is the foundation of all saving good, and therefore the apostle begins with this. BEING ALIENS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL; the church of God, conf... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS; either in the kingdom of Christ, or gospel administration, GALATIANS 5:6; or, ye being in Christ, united to him by the Spirit and faith. Being IN CHRIST, here, is opposed to being _in the world,_ EPHESIANS 1:12. YE WHO SOMETIMES WERE FAR OFF; far from God, from his church, f... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE IS OUR PEACE; i.e. Peace-maker, or Mediator of peace, both between God and man, and between Jew and Gentile. He is called OUR PEACE, as elsewhere our righteousness, redemption, salvation. God is said to reconcile us, 2 CORINTHIANS 5:19, but Christ only to be our peace. WHO HATH MADE BOTH ONE;... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING ABOLISHED; abrogated, taken away the power of binding men. IN HIS FLESH; not the flesh of sacrificed beasts but his own flesh: before he mentioned his blood, and now his flesh, to imply the whole sacrifice of Christ, comprehending his flesh as well as blood. The ceremonies had their accomplis... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THAT HE MIGHT RECONCILE BOTH UNTO GOD; another end of Christ's abolishing the ceremonial law, viz. that he might reconcile both Jew and Gentile (all the elect together) unto God: and in this respect especially he is our peace. IN ONE BODY; either both people united as one mystical body, or rathe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CAME; partly in his own person, as to the Jews, and partly by his apostles, whom he appointed to preach the gospel to the Gentiles: so 2 CORINTHIANS 13:3. AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHICH WERE AFAR OFF; far from the knowledge of the truth, from Christ, and salvation by him, as EPHESIANS 3:13. AND... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THROUGH HIM, as our Mediator and Peace-maker, who hath reconciled us to God, WE BOTH HAVE ACCESS, are admitted or introduced, BY ONE SPIRIT UNTO THE FATHER; by the Holy Ghost, who is our Guide to lead us to the Father, as Christ is the way by which we go to him, 1 THESSALONIANS 14:6. As there is... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEREFORE YE ARE NO MORE STRANGERS AND FOREIGNERS; such are they that may dwell in a city, but are not free of it. He means the same as EPHESIANS 3:12, they were not now _aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, &c. But fellow citizens with the saints; _ members of the same spiritual society or c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ARE BUILT UPON THE FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS; the foundation which the apostles and prophets laid by their preaching, viz. Christ, whom they held forth as the only Mediator between God and man, the only Saviour and head of the church: see 1 CORINTHIANS 3:11. FOUNDATION, in the sing... [ Continue Reading ]
IN WHOM; or upon whom, viz. Christ the foundation. ALL THE BUILDING; whatsoever is built on Christ the foundation, and so all particular believers, as the several parts of the building. FITLY FRAMED TOGETHER; joined and united both to Christ the foundation by faith, and to each other by love. GROWET... [ Continue Reading ]
AN HABITATION OF GOD; a temple where God may dwell. Not only the whole collection of believers is called the temple of God, but particular churches and particular saints are so called, because of God's dwelling in them by his Spirit: see 1 CORINTHIANS 3:16,17 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19. THROUGH THE SPIRIT:... [ Continue Reading ]