Ephesians 3:11

κατὰ πρόθεσιν τῶν αἰώνων : according to the eternal purpose. Literally, “according to the purpose of the ages” or “world-periods”; but represented with substantial accuracy by the “eternal” of the AV and the other old English Versions with exception of Wicl. and the Rhemish. The term πρόθεσις must be taken here as elsewhere in the proper sense of purpose, not in that of foreknowledge (Chrys.); and the clause is to be connected neither with the σοφία nor with the πολυποίκιλος in particular, but with the γνωρισθῇ. The disclosure of the manifold wisdom of God to the angelic world, contemplated in the commission given by God's grace to Paul, was of further-reaching moment than that. It was contemplated in God's eternal purpose and took place in accordance with that. The gen. αἰώνων may be a gen. of time (cf. Jude 1:6); Alf. compares our phrase “an opinion of years”; or it may rather be one of the many forms of the gen. of possession “the purpose pertaining to the ages,” formed before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3), long hidden in the Divine Mind (Ephesians 3:9), but existent and in God's view from the beginning till now (cf. 2 Timothy 1:9). ἣν ἐποίησεν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν : which he wrought in Christ Jesus our Lord. The subject of the ἐποίησεν is the πρόθεσις, not the σοφία (Jer., Luth., etc.). The verb is rendered “purposed” by the RV; as it is also taken by many to mean formed, constituted (Calv., Harl., Hofm., De Wette, Alf., Abb., etc.). This use of the verb is somewhat like that in Mark 3:6; Mark 15:1 (συμβούλιον ποιεῖν), etc., and gives a good sense. On the other hand, the use of ποιεῖν in such connections as θέλημα ποιεῖν (Matthew 21:31; John 6:38; Ephesians 2:3), γνώμην ποιεῖν (Revelation 17:17), etc., seems to be sufficient justification for giving it the sense of fulfilling, carrying out; and the designation Christ Jesus (not Christ simply), pointing as it does to the historical Person, suggests that what is in view now is the realisation of the purpose rather than its formation. On the whole, therefore, it is perhaps best to render it “which He wrought, or carried into effect, in Him whom we preach as Christ Jesus our Lord” (Mey., Ell., etc.). The TR (with [291] 1 3 [292] 3 [293] [294] [295], etc.) gives ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ; the best critics (LTTrWHRV), on the authority of [296] [297] [298] [299] [300] 17, etc., insert τῷ before Χριστῷ. The designation ὁ Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν is singular; cf., however, the τὸν Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Κύριον of Colossians 2:6.

[291] Codex Sinaiticus (sæc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.

[292] Codex Ephraemi (sæc. v.), the Paris palimpsest, edited by Tischendorf in 1843.

[293] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[294] Codex Mosquensis (sæc. ix.), edited by Matthæi in 1782.

[295] Codex Angelicus (sæc. ix.), at Rome, collated by Tischendorf and others.

[296] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[297] Autograph of the original scribe of א.

[298] Autograph of the original scribe of א.

[299] Codex Alexandrinus (sæc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).

[300] Codex Ephraemi (sæc. v.), the Paris palimpsest, edited by Tischendorf in 1843.