Ephesians 3:11

Ephesians 3:11. According to the eternal purpose, lit., ‘the purpose of the ages.' The purpose belongs to the ages, will be retained during the ages, controlling them. This implies a purpose formed before these ages (comp. Ephesians 3:9), hence ‘eternal' gives the sense accurately.

Which he wrought in Christ Jesus our Lord. ‘Wrought' (lit., made) has been applied by many to the forming of the purpose (‘constituted,' E. V., ‘purposed'). But it seems best to refer it to the execution of it, regarded as an accomplished fact. In favor of this is urged, (1.) that the historical Saviour is here described in full terms; (2.) that the next verse is an explanatory confirmation of the accomplished, not of the purposed, design (Meyer); (3.) that this sense of the verb is more common in the New Testament than that of ‘constituted.' At the same time ‘wrought' seems preferable to the more definite ‘fulfilled.' Comp. my note, Lange, Ephesians, p. 117. This purpose was wrought in Jesus of Nazareth, the personal Messiah, the Lord of His people. His work and Person are not to be sundered here.