CHAPTER 1
LECTURE 1
From Paul who by God’s decision is apostle of the Messiah Jesus, to the saints (in Ephesus) who are faithful to the Messiah Jesus. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
With the full spiritual blessing of the heavens he has blessed us in Christ.
For he chose us in him before the world’s foundation
to be holy and faultless before him in love.
He predesignated us to become his children, through Jesus Christ,
his very own, according to his favorable decision─
to the praise of his glorious grace,
[Read Marcus Barth, on “the Messiah Jesus” (p. 66), on “to be comprehended under one head” (p. 89). ]
1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to all the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ,
4 As he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and unspotted in his sight in charity,
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the purpose of his will,
6a Unto the praise of the glory of his grace.
The Apostle writes this letter to the Ephesians who were Asians, coming from Asia Minor which is part of Greece. * They were not initiated into the faith by the Apostle Paul but he did strengthen them in it. Even before he had met them, they had been converted, as can be gathered from Acts 19 (1): “It happened that, while Appollo was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, where he found certain disciples.” Once they were converted and fortified by the Apostle, they were steadfast in the faith, not succumbing to false doctrine. Thus, they were entitled to encouragement rather than reprimand; and Paul’s letter has a tone of reassurance and not of rebuke. He wrote them from the city of Rome through the deacon, Tychicus.” *
The Apostle’s intention is to strengthen them in good habits, * and spur them on to greater perfection. The method of presentation can be seen in the division of the letter:
First, the greeting, in which he shows his affection for them.
Secondly, the narrative, in which he strengthens them in good habits (1:3-3:21).
Thirdly, the exhortation, in which he urges them on to greater perfection (4:1-6:9).
Fourthly, the conclusion of the letter, in which he fortifies them for the spiritual combat (6:10-24).
In the salutation, the person greeting comes first, second those greeted, and thirdly the formula of greeting. In reference to the first, he gives the name of the person, Paul ; second, that person’s authority as an Apostle of Christ ; lastly, the giver of this authority, by the will of God . He says Paul which is a name of humility, * whereas the title of Apostle is one of dignity; the reason is that “he that humbles himself shall be exalted” (Lk. 14:11; 18:14). An Apostle, I mean, of Jesus and not one of the pseudo-apostles who are of Satan: “It is no great thing if his [Satan’s] ministers be transformed as the ministers of justice” (2 Cor. 11:15). I am an apostle, he says, not by my own merits but by the will of God . In many instances it is just the opposite—“They have reigned, but not by me” (Hos. 8:4).
He writes to all the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful . Either [this could mean], I, Paul, write about morals to those who are holy through the exercise of virtues; and about faith to those who believe with true knowledge. Or, [it may mean], to the saints who are the elders and perfect [members], and to the faithful who are less experienced and imperfect. They are said to believe in Christ Jesus and not in their own deeds. *
He adds here the formula of greeting which indicates three qualities which make any gift pleasing: the sufficiency of the gift, in grace be to you and peace ; the power of the giver, from God our Father ; and the excellence of the mediator, and from the Lord Jesus Christ . For a gift is pleasing when what is given is sufficient and is offered by someone in power, as a king or prince, and is presented by a solemn messenger, for example, by his son.
He mentions grace meaning justification from sin, and peace which is calmness of mind, or reconciliation to God, in regard to the freedom from punishment due to sin. May this be to you from God our Father from whom every good comes: “Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (Jam. 1:17). And the Lord Jesus Christ without whom no blessings are given. That is why nearly all the [liturgical] prayers are concluded “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Holy Spirit is not mentioned in the greeting form ula since he is the bond uniting Father and Son and is understood when they are mentioned; or he is understood in the gifts appropriated to him, grace and peace. *
Then when he says Blessed be God... (v. 3) in giving thanks, he strengthens them in good, and he does this in three ways:
First, by giving as a reason Christ, from whom they have received so many gifts (Ch. 1).
Secondly, by reason of they themselves who have been transformed from a former evil condition to their present good one (Ch. 2).
Thirdly, because of the Apostle himself, whose ministry and solicitude has confirmed them in their good state (Ch. 3).
The first is divided into three sections:
First, in giving thanks he touches on blessings in a general way.
Secondly, then the blessings given the Apostles in particular (1:8).
Thirdly, finally the blessings especially granted to the Epbesians themselves (1: 13).
He treats of six blessings offered generally to the human race:
First, that of praising [God] in the certainty of future beatitude (1:3).
Secondly, that of being chosen in the foreordained separation from those headed toward destruction (1: 4).
Thirdly, that of predestination in the foreordained community of the good, namely, of the adopted sons (1:5).
Fourthly, that of becoming pleasing [to God] through the gift of grace (1: 6b).
Fifthly, that of being redeemed, liberated from the punishment of diabolical slavery (1: 7a).
Sixthly, that of being pardoned by having sin blotted out (1:7b).
Regarding the benefit of praise (v. 3) two aspects are touched on:
First, the praise itself which should be rendered, at Blessed be God.
Secondly, the blessing on account of which it should be rendered, at who hath blessed us.
He says that God should be blessed or praised by you, me and others with our hearts, tongues and actions. He who is God by the divine essence and Father because of his property of generating [the Son]. The copula and is not placed between God and Father to designate two separate persons, for there is only one Father, but to denote what he is by his essence and what he is in relation to the Son. Father , I say, of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is, of the Son who is our Lord because of his divinity, and Jesus Christ according to his humanity.
God who has blessed us with hope in the present while in the future he will bless us with the reality. He puts [the verb] in the past tense, instead of the future, on account of his certainty. * Even though by our own merits we were cursed, he blessed us with every spiritual blessing both for soul and for body. For then the body will be spiritual: “It is sown a natural body: it shall rise a spiritual body” (1 Cor. 15:44). [This will occur] by a blessing enjoyed in heavenly places , that is, in heaven, and in Christ since it will be through Christ or by Christ’s action: “For he himself will transform our lowly body” (Phil. 3:21).
This blessing is greatly to be desired. And this by reason of its efficient cause since God is the one who blesses; and by reason of its material cause since he has blessed us ; and because of the formal cause since he blessed us with every spiritual blessing ; and on account of the end, he blessed us in heavenly places . “Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord” (Ps. 127:4).
Next (v. 4), he treats of the blessing of election; he sets forth the advantages of this election because: it is free, as he chose us in him ; it is eternal, before the foundation of the world ; it is fruitful, that we should be holy ; and it is gratuitous, in charity .
Therefore he states: He blessed us in the same way—not through our merits but from the grace of Christ— as he chose us and, separating us from those headed to destruction, freely foreordained us in him, that is, through Christ. “You have not chosen me; but I have chosen you” (Jn. 15:16). This happened before the foundation of the world , from eternity, before we came into being. For when the children were not yet born, nor had done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election, might stand” (Rom. 9:11). He chose us , I say, not because we were holy—we had not yet come into existence—but that we should be holy in virtues and unspotted by vices. For election performs this twofold action of justice: “Turn away from evil and do good” (Ps. 33:15).
Saints , I assert, in his sight ; interiorly in the heart where he alone can see: “The Lord sees the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). Or, in his sight may mean that we may gaze on him since the [beatific] vision, according to Augustine, is the whole of our reward. He will accomplish this, not by our merits, but in his charity; or, by our [charity] with which he formally sanctifies us. *
Then (v. 5) he adds the third blessing, that of predestination in the foreordained community of those who are good. Six characteristics of predestination are sketched here. First, it is an eternal act, having predestinated ; secondly, it has a temporal object, us ; thirdly, it offers a present privilege, the adoption of children through Jesus Christ ; fourthly, the result is future, unto himself ; fifthly, its manner [of being realized] is gratuitous, according to the purpose of his will ; sixthly, it has a fitting effect, unto the praise of the glory of his grace .
Hence he affirms that God, having predestinated us , has fore-chosen us by grace alone unto the adoption of children that we might share with the other adopted children the goods yet to come—thus he says unto the adoption of children . “For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear; but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons,” and further on, “waiting for the adoption of the sons of God, the redemption of our body” (Rom. 8:15 & 23).
It must be through contact with fire that something starts to burn since nothing obtains a share in some reality except through whatever is that reality by its very nature. Hence the adoption of sons has to occur through the natural son. For this reason the Apostle adds through Jesus Christ , which is the third characteristic touched on in this blessing, namely, the mediator who draws all to himself. “God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that he might redeem them who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal. 4:4-5). This is accomplished unto himself , that is, inasmuch as we are conformed to him and become servants in the Spirit. “See what love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; and so we are,” after which comes: “We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him” (1 Jn. 3:1-2).
Here it should be noted that the likeness of the predestined to the Son of God is twofold. One is imperfect, it is [the likeness] through grace. It is called imperfect, firstly, becatise it only concerns the reformation of the soul. Regarding this Ephesians 4 (23-24) states: “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.” Secondly, even with the soul it retains some imperfection, “for we know in part” (1 Cor. 13:9). However, the second likeness, which will be in glory, will be perfect; both as regards the body—“He will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.” (Phil. 3:21)—and in regard to the soul—“when the perfect comes, the imperfect shall pass away” (1 Cor. 13:10).
What the Apostle says, therefore, about his predestinating us unto the adoption of children can refer to the imperfect assimilation to the Son of God possessed in this life through grace. But it is more probable that it refers to the perfect assimilation to the Son of God which will exist in the fatherland. In reference to this adoption Romans 8 (23) asserts: “Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption of the sons of God.” *
Divine predestination is neither necessitated on God’s part nor due to those who are predestined; it is rather according to the purpose of his will . This is the fourth characteristic which recommends the blessing to us, for it springs from pure love. Predestination, according to [how man] conceives it, presupposes election, and election love. A twofold cause of this immense blessing is designated here. One is the efficient cause— which is the simple will of God— according to the purpose of his will . “Therefore, he has mercy on whomever he wills; and whomever he wills he hardens” (Rom. 9:18). “Of his own will he has given us birth by the word of truth (Jam. 1:18). Unto the praise of the glory of his grace specifies the final cause which is that we may praise and know the goodness of God. Once again this eminent blessing is recommended inasmuch as the homage [it results in] is in accord with itself. For the [efficient] cause of divine predestination is simply the will of God, while the end is a knowledge of his goodness.
Whence it should be realized that Gods will in no way has a cause but is the first cause of everything else. Nevertheless, a certain motive can be assigned to it in two ways. On the part of the one willing, the motive for the divine will is his own goodness which is the object of the divine will, moving it to act. Hence, the reason for everything that God wills is his own goodness: “Yahweh has made everything for his own purpose” (Prov. 16:4). On the side of what is willed, however, some created existent can be a motive for the divine will; for example, when he wills to crown Peter because he has fought well (cf. 2 Tim. 4:7-8). But this latter is not the cause of [God’s] willing; rather it is a cause of it happening the way it did. *
Nonetheless, it should be acknowledged how, in the realm of what is willed, effects are a motive for the divine will in such a way that a prior effect is the reason for a later one. * But when the primary effect [i.e., the perfection of the Universe] is arrived at, no further reason can be given for that effect except the divine will. For instance, God wills that men should have hands that they might be of service to his mind; * and [he wills] man to possess a mind since he wills him to be a man; and he wills man to exist for the sake of the perfection of the Universe. Now since this is what is primarily effected in creation, no further reason for the Universe can be assigned within the domain of creatures themselves; [it lies] rather within the domain of the Creator, which is the Divine Will.
In this perspective, neither can predestination find any reason on the part of the creature but only on the part of God. For there are two effects of predestination, grace and glory. Within the realm of what is willed [by God], grace can be identified as a reason for the effects which are oriented towards glory. For example, God crowned Peter because he fought well, and he did this because he was strengthened in grace. But no reason for the grace, as a primary effect, can be found on the part of man himself which would also be the reason for predestination. This would be to assert that the source of good works was in man by himself and not by grace. Such was the heretical teaching of the Pelagians who held that the source of good works exists within ourselves. Thus it is evident that the reason for predestination is the will of God alone, on account of which the Apostle says according to the purpose of his will . *
To understand how God creates everything and wills it because of his own goodness, it should be realized that someone can work for an end in two ways. [A person may act] either in order to attain an end, as the sick take medicine to regain their health; or [he may act] out of a love of spreading the end, as a doctor will work to communicate health to others. But God needs absolutely nothing external to himself, according to Psalm 16 (2): “Yahweh, you are my Lord; you are my Good; there is none above you. [Vul: you have no need of my goods].” Therefore, when it is said that God wills and performs everything on account of his own goodness, this should not be understood as though he acted in order to confer goodness on himself but rather to communicate goodness to others.
This divine goodness is properly communicated to rational creatures in order that the rational creature himself might know it. Thus, everything that God performs in reference to rational creatures is for his own praise and glory, according to Isaiah 43 (7): “Everyone called by my name, whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed and made” so that he may know what goodness is, and in this knowledge praise it. The Apostle thus adds unto the praise of the glory of his grace , that man might realize how much God must be praised and glorified.
Nor does he say “unto the praise of justice.” For justice enters into the picture only where a debt is present or is to be returned. But for man to be predestined to eternal life is not due to him—as was said, it is a grace given in perfect freedom. Nor does he simply say of the glory , but annexes of his grace as though it were of a glorious grace. And grace is just this; the greatness of grace is revealed in that it consists in the greatness of glory. [Its grandeur is shown] also in the way it is bestowed; for he gives it without any preceding merits when men are unworthy of it. “God proves his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us”; and a little further on, “when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Rom. 5:8 & 10).
By now it must be clear how divine predestination neither has nor can have any cause but the will of God alone. This, in turn, reveals how the only motive for God’s predestinating will is to communicate the divine goodness to others.