Eph. 1:14. for the redemption of His possession, (της περιποισεως)
By the word "possession" – περιποίησις – he designates God's care and solicitude for us. Therefore he says that this pledge leads to perfect deliverance and to our complete salvation, for this purpose it was given. For perfect freedom will come when sin is utterly destroyed, when the saints are freed from cohabitation with sinners and are saved and acquired by God, to be His people. And some understand "possession" – περιποίησις – as referring to us ourselves. So, "unto the redemption of the possession," that is, of us, who constitute the property and acquisition of God.
Eph. 1:14. To the praise of His glory.
He constantly adds this, assuring that what has been promised will certainly be fulfilled. For if He were doing it for our sake, one could still have doubts, but now, when He intends to accomplish this for the manifestation of His goodness, who can object that He will not do it? So also the Scripture says: "But deal with me, O Lord, for Your name's sake" (Ps. 108:21), and: "Not unto us, but unto Your name give glory."
Eph. 1:15. For this reason I also, having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love toward all the saints,
Eph. 1:16. I do not cease to give thanks to God for you,
"For this reason." Why then? Because you, having believed, received the seal of the Spirit and obtained the pledge of future blessings and perfect redemption, and are to receive what has been prepared for those who rightly believe and live piously — "I unceasingly give thanks for you." Do you see what a compassionate heart? He offers thanksgiving for all, as if he himself had received the benefit. For he writes this not only to the Ephesians, but to all. So then, although it is worthy to thank God for all else that we have been deemed worthy of, it is also worthy to give thanks for the faith of the believers, because they were so enlightened that they fled to the cross of the Savior, turning away from the destroyer. For such is the nature of brotherly love. "Having heard," he says, "of your faith in Christ Jesus." And not only of faith, but also of love, that is, a merciful and brotherly disposition, and even a philanthropic one, as extending to all and not only to the local saints, that is, to the poor among the believers. And everywhere he joins love with faith, since it gives birth to a virtuous life. For without it faith is useless — faith without works and life; just as life is also useless without faith.
Eph. 1:16. remembering you in my prayers,
Note how many he has in his mind, how many he remembered in his prayers. But we do not even remember ourselves as we ought.
Eph. 1:17. that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
What do you pray and ask for on our behalf? That God may give you wisdom — "the God" of "our Lord Jesus," that is, of the Man like us according to the flesh. "The Father of glory," that is, the One who has granted us great and glorious blessings. For he always names Him on a particular basis, as in the expression: "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3); and the prophet: "O Lord, my strength, my shield" (Ps. 18:2–3). Therefore here also, since He has granted us great and glorious blessings, he calls Him the Father of glory, that is, the source. For one cannot call Him by any other than the most glorious name we have. Gregory the Theologian, however, understood "glory" as the Divinity of the Only-Begotten; so that in relation to the same Christ, He is both God and Father: in relation to Christ, that is, to His humanity, God; and in relation to glory, that is, to His Divinity, Father.
Eph. 1:17. gave you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
Eph. 1:18. and enlightened the eyes of your heart,
That is, that He may give you the gift of being enlightened by the Spirit. For if the Spirit does not reveal the hidden mysteries, it is impossible to comprehend them by any other means. For only "He," and not an angel nor an archangel, "searches all things, even the deep things of God" (1 Cor. 2:10). "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 2:14). Therefore, when the Spirit reveals the mysteries to us, then we shall be in the knowledge of God, and our eyes shall be enlightened, and we shall not doubt and say that this or that is impossible, but shall see all things as they are.
Eph. 1:18. "that you may know what is the hope of His calling,"
That is, to what hope we are called. It is clear that it is to adoption and to the enjoyment of heavenly blessings and to having Christ as our head. But since this belongs to the future, spiritual revelation is needed to know it.
Eph. 1:18. and what is the richness of His glorious inheritance for the saints,
And this, as something still unknown, has need of revelation from the Spirit — namely, what blessings the saints will inherit. For they are great. Therefore he also calls them "the riches of the glorious inheritance," that is, unspeakable glory, surpassing understanding. And he calls it an "inheritance" because it will yet be given to the sons.
Eph. 1:19. and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty strength,
Eph. 1:20. which He worked in Christ, raising Him from the dead
The foregoing concerned the future. But now he speaks of what has already taken place, so that from this the former might also become credible. What then is this? That, he says, we believed, for this too requires revelation, so that you might understand it more clearly. So then what? Did the Ephesians not realize that they had believed? Of course they realized it, but not in the way he now speaks of. For it is not easy to know this, because great power is needed to persuade a soul and turn it away from error — such power is needed as is not required for raising the dead. For the Lord raised the dead by a single word alone, yet He did not persuade the Jews even with many speeches and wondrous deeds. Therefore he says that for this too we have need of the revelation of the Spirit, in order to understand that our acceptance of faith is a matter of great power and the working of God. And just as He raised Christ from the dead, so also He raised us, who were dead, from unbelief. Therefore he also called this "the surpassing greatness of His power" and "the might of His strength." For when the prophets accomplished nothing, and all creation — both the visible, teaching by its good order, and the invisible, in the person of the angels who instructed and admonished — then unexpectedly we received salvation. And the words "He worked in Christ," understand them as spoken of the human nature. For the One who rose from the dead is Man, even though He was united with God.
Eph. 1:20. and seated [Him] at His right hand in the heavens,
Eph. 1:21. far above all Principality, and Authority, and Power, and Dominion,
He did not say "high," but "far above," to indicate the greatest height. For from the uttermost depth He raised human nature in Christ to the very highest point. Of course, he speaks of it as having died and been raised, since the divine nature truly did not die, was not raised, and was not exalted, as it was always above every height. Thus, above every angelic power sat the formerly despised human nature.
Eph. 1:21. and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come,