Ephesians 1:22

and hath put Lit. and did put; at the great act of Enthronement after Resurrection. Cp. 1 Corinthians 15:27 &c., where we have explicit reference to Psalms 110:1, and in a way which suggests here the interpretation that the subjection of all things was then accomplished in the earnest, but is not to be accomplished in final acttill the "destruction of death." The phrase here carries the thought of Christ's Lordship on from His relations to angels as their King to His attitude towards all opposition as its Conqueror.

and gave him "Him" is emphatic by position; He and no otheris the Head.

head A word combining the idea of exaltation with that of the vital union necessary to an organism. The ascended Lord presides over His Church, but more He is to it the constant Cause and mighty Source of spiritual vitality. "Because He lives, it lives also." Its organization grows from Him, and refers to Him. Cp. 1 Corinthians 11:3; Colossians 1:18; Colossians 2:10; Colossians 2:19; and below, Ephesians 4:15; Ephesians 5:23. The idea, it will be seen, appears in this precise form (the Headship of the Body) only in Eph. and Col.; unless 1 Corinthians 12:21 is to be added.

over allthings] I.e., immeasurably beyondanything else that can seem to claim headship; any fancied Power of quasi-philosophic systems.

the church This great word appears here in its highest reference, the Company of human beings "called out" (as the word Ecclêsiaimplies) from the fallen world into vital union with the glorified Christ. The word occurs nine times in this Epistle (here, Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 3:21 Ephesians 5:23-25; Ephesians 5:27; Ephesians 5:29; Ephesians 5:32) and always in the same high connexion. Cp. for parallels Colossians 1:18; Colossians 1:24; Hebrews 12:23; and, in a measure, Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 15:9. As it stands here, the word rises above the level of visibility and external organization, and has to do supremely with direct spiritual relations between the Lord and the believing Company. In is, in fact, (see ch. 5), "the Bride, the Lamb's Wife," of the Revelation, only not as yet manifested in bridal splendour. It is "the called, justified, and glorified," of Romans 8; "the Church of the Firstborn," of Hebrews 12; "the royal priesthood, the people of possession," of 1 Peter. All other meanings of the word Church are derived and modified from this, but this must not be modified by them. "The Church of Christ, which we properly term His body mystical, can be but one … a body mystical, because the mystery of their conjunction is removed altogether from sense. Whatsoever we read in Scripture concerning the endless love and saving mercy which God sheweth to His Church, the only proper subject thereof is this Church. Concerning this flock it is that our Lord and Saviour hath promised, -I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." They who are of this Society have such marks and notes of distinction from all others as are not objects unto our sense; only unto God who seeth their hearts … they are clear and manifest" (Hooker, Eccles. Polity, III. 1.) See further Appendix B.

which is his body A metaphor which suggests not only vital union with the Head, but that the will of the Head is exercised through the members. They are His instruments. A kindred but not identical use of the metaphor appears Romans 12:5; "members one of another;" and 1 Corinthians 10:17. For closer parallels cp. Colossians 1:24; Colossians 2:19; and below, Ephesians 2:16; Ephesians 4:4; Ephesians 4:12; Ephesians 4:16; Ephesians 5:23; Ephesians 5:30.

the fulness of him, &c. This mysterious phrase has been much discussed. On the whole the inferences have taken one or other of two main lines. The word "fulness" (plerôma), has been (1) explained to mean the receptacle of fulness, or filled receptacle;the vehicle, so to speak, in which the resources of the grace of Christ manifest their greatness, and which is filled by them. Among other pleas for this view is the fact that in some schools of the Gnosticism which so soon followed the apostolic age the Plerômawas the recognized term for the home, or sphere, of the great Emanations (Æons) of the Absolute Being (Bythus), and in one theory, of the Absolute Being Itself also. The word has been (2) held to mean, in all doctrinal passages of the N. T., substantially, the ideal fulness, or totality, of Divine attributes or graces; as certainly in Colossians 2:9. Bp Lightfoot (Colossians, pp. 323 339) discusses the word in an exhaustive essay. He shews that Plerômacannot naturally mean (as it has been taken to mean in some passages) the thing which fills a void. It is the filled condition of a thing, whether the thing be a rent to be mended, an idea to be realized, or a prophetic plan to be "fulfilled." He shews further that the word had acquired a technical theological meaning in St Paul's time, probably in the Palestinian schools of Jewish thought; a meaning connected especially with the eternally realized Ideal of Godhead; the Divine Fulness. This Fulness resides (by the Father's will, yet necessarily,) in the Eternal Son (Colossians 1:19); and the Son, Incarnate, Sacrificed, and Risen, is so conjoined in spiritual Union to His regenerate Church that what is true of Him is true, within sacred limits, of her. As He without measure is the Fulfilment, or Ideal, of Divine Attributes, so she in measure is the Fulfilment, or Ideal, of Divine Graces; which are, we may venture to say, the Attributes in their reception and manifestation by the regenerate Church. She is the Body through which is realized the Will of the Head, the Fulfilment in which is realized the Grace of the Head. It will be observed that the two interpretations of the word indicated in this note have an underlying connexion. See this curiously illustrated by Bp. Lightfoot (Colossians, pp. 331, &c.), from the history of Gnostic theories.

that filleth all in all The reference is to the Son, Who is in view through the immediate context. His vital connexion with His true Church is such that it not only is the Receptacle of His Divine grace, but is actually pervaded everywhere by His spiritual omnipresence. The form (middle) of the verb suggests intensity and richness of action; a power which is indeed living and life-giving.

" All in all:" in other words, He is the Cause of all the holiness that is in all His members; whatever in them is filled with grace, He fills it. It seems needless to seek a remoter meaning, as, "filleth all things (the universe) with all things" (Alford).

The true Church, in its glorious Ideal, which is meanwhile its proper Reality, only not yet fully manifested, is thus presented in spiritual and eternal union with its exalted Head. The Apostle is now about to descend to the special instance of the bringing into it of its Ephesian members. Cp. Colossians 1:21, &c.

B. ST AUGUSTINE ON THE CHURCH. (Ch. Ephesians 1:22.)

He is describing with general approval Tichonius" Book of the Seven Rules[42] (for the elucidation of Scripture mysteries), and writes thus (De Doctrinâ Christianâ, iii. 32): "The second Rule is that concerning the Lord's twofold Body(de Domini corpore bipartito). The phrase is unsuitable, for that is not really the Lord's Body which will not be with Him eternally. He should have said, -concerning the Lord's true and commingled Body," or -true and feigned Body," or the like; for not only eternally, but now, hypocrites are not to be described as being with Him, however they may seem (quamvis videantur) to be in His Church. This rule demands a watchful reader; for [often] the Scripture, turning from one party to speak to, or about, another, seems to be still speaking to, or about, the first, as if the two constituted one Body, by reason of their temporal commingling and their equal share in sacraments."

[42] This book is extant. See Migne's Patrologia Latina, Vol. xviii.

In allusion to this passage Bp Ridley writes (Works, Parker Society Ed., pp. 126 127): "That Church, which is His Body, and of which Christ is the Head, standeth only of living stones and true Christians, not only outwardly in name and title, but inwardly in heart and in truth. But forasmuch as this Church … as touching the outward fellowship, is contained within that great house [2 Timothy 2:20] and hath, with the same, outward society of the sacraments and ministry of the word, many things are spoken of that universal Church (which St Augustine calleth the mingled Church) which cannot truly be understood but only of that purer part of the Church. So that the rule of Tyconius concerning the mingled Church may here well take place, &c."