Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Ephesians 4:6

Ephesians 4:6. One God. The deepest ground of unity is found the existence of one God, who has revealed Himself in the redemption of His people'

And Father of all. This is not equivalent to Creator, but refers to the special paternal relation sustained to all believers by the Father. The context is decisive against any weakening of it into ‘All-Father.' Alford thinks there is a reference to God's Fathership of all men as a lost possession, but the argument of the Apostle is not helped by such a view. He urges Christians to preserve unity (Ephesians 4:3), and he then contrasts the relation of God to ‘all' with the gift of Christ to ‘each' (Ephesians 4:7). The reference to Christians alone in ‘all' strengthens both positions. After the mention of ‘one Spirit' (Ephesians 4:4) and ‘one Lord' (Ephesians 4:5), it is natural to refer this verse to the Father alone, who is further described: Who is over all (believers), as Ruler and Guide, and through all; since the individuals are instruments used by Him, and in all. The best authorities omit ‘you,' an explanatory insertion to confine the application to Christians. God the Father dwells in all believers, not in a pantheistic sense, but as set forth in the gospel; comp. chap. Ephesians 2:22, Since ‘baptism ‘was mentioned in Ephesians 4:5, and its formula points to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, many find in this verse a reference to these three Persons of the Trinity. The prepositions ‘over' and ‘in' would agree with this view, but ‘through' is not fairly applicable to the Son. Moreover, the verse loses much of its force, if applied to the Trinity, since unity is the idea dwelt upon. The reference to God the Father is not only more grammatical, but much safer. On the entire paragraph, Hodge well remarks: ‘There are many passages to which the doctrine of the Trinity gives a sacred rhythm, though the doctrine itself is not directly asserted. It is so here; there is one Spirit, one Lord, one God and Father. The unity of the Church is founded on this doctrine. It is one, because there is to us one God the Father, one Lord, one Spirit. It is a truly mystical union: not a mere union of opinion, of interest, or of feeling; but something supernatural, arising from a common principle of life. This life is not the natural life which belongs to us as creatures; nor intellectual, which belongs to us as rational beings; but it is spiritual life, called elsewhere the life of God in the soul. And as this life is common on the one hand to Christ and all His members, and on the other to Christ and God, this anion of the Church is not only with Christy but with the Triune God.'

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Ephesians 4:6

Old Testament

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