nexion of the passage. " The infinite wisdom of God," says Paul
(" which reveals itself in the gospel the mystery of redemption), is
through the church (as the theatre of his working) made known to
the angels in heaven." According to this Paul supposes the angels
capable of an increase of their knowledge. We have no reason to
refer this exclusively to good or exclusively to bad angels. Paul
speaks altogether generally. AU higher beings receive by means of
EPHESIANS III. 11, 12. 85
the church a deeper insight into God's wisdom. We found in the
gospels that sympathy with events in the church is attributed to the
angels ; particularly, joy at the penitence of sinners (Luke xv. 10).
Paul says further, in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, " we are
become a spectacle to the angels" (iv. 9) ; but here only is an increase
of their insight into God's wisdom through the church and the
events in her spoken of. A concordant declaration is found in 1 Pet.
i. 12 in the words, e/c a ZmdvfioiJGiv ayye/lot napaicv^ai,, into ivhich the
angels desire, etc. The idea is difficult to conceive, since, as we
cannot imagine in the angels any propagation, so neither can we
imagine any development, nor, therefore, in general, any history.
The earth, with man, the bearer of her consciousness, appears, ac-
cording to this idea of the apostle, again as the centre of God's work-
ings, as the Golgotha of the universe. The universe takes part in
the occurrences on her, not merely in the contemplation of them,
but also in their actual reaction. The increase of knowledge in
the angels is to be conceived as at the same time a change of their
position ; all that is in heaven and on earth is reconciled through
Christ. (Eph. i. 10 ; Col. i. 20.) The particular thing, however,
which is now first (vvv), i. e., after the revelation of the hidden de-
cree of God, made known to them, as the manifold wisdom of God
(TroAvTTOi/aAof <jo0ta rov Qeov), is the wonderful way of God in the par-
don of the sinner, through the adjustment in him of the antagonism
between justice and grace. But how comes Paul upon this idea
here in this connexion ? He wishes to contrast with his personal
nothingness the grandeur of his call, and therefore pursues the
theme of his ministry through all its stages. " First of all," says
he, " he has to preach among the Gentiles, then to enlighten all
men as to the mystery, and both in order to make known, even to
the angels in heaven, the infinite wisdom of God." (Nw is want-
ing in F.G., but it certainly is necessary to the context ; it forms the
antithesis to the concealment from eternity of the Divine decree.
On KV roZf ETTovpavloig, see at i. 3, 20. Hohv-noiiuhog is, it may be sup-
posed, coined by Paul himself ; it is not found again in Greek. It
means properly multiformis, manifold, many-formed ; as a predicate
of God's wisdom it denotes the various forms in which it manifests
itself.)
Vers. 11, 12. In conclusion, Paul refers the wisdom of God,
which is now made manifest to the angels, to the eternal decree of
redemption (see on i. 5, 10), which he conceived in Christ, in whom
through faith Christians have joy and access to God. (In verse 11
Trpodeatg r&v al&vuv is " the purpose determined on in eternity," as
Jude ver. 6, Kpiaig ^syd^g rjnepag ) "judgment that will take place on
the great day." Further the inoirjoev KV Xpn-c5, wrought in Christ,
is necessarily to be referred to the historical realization of God's de-
86 EPHESIANS III. 13-15.
cree through Christ's suffering and death, not to the inner act of
the Divine will. First, the aorist leads to that interpretation,
secondly, the form of the name ; Christ Jesus designates, always
and without exception, the Word become flesh. Afterwards ver. 12
gives the consequence of the decree being carried out ; irapprjoia de-
notes the state of faith in its relation to the world, and Trpoaayory^ in
its relation to GTod [see ii. 18]. The accumulation of substantives
has given occasion to various readings. F.G. read TT/V -npoaayuyriv
elg TT/V KappTjaiav, D. reads lv rw ttevdep^ijvai for ev rq TreTroidjjoei. But
the common text deserves the preference on the testimony of all
critical authorities. nerrotft^OTf (see 2 Cor. i. 15, iii. 4, viii. 23, x. 2)
is certainly closely related to napprjaia. It here defines the Trpoaayory^
more accurately as a coming near unto God, which proceeds in a
trustful tone of mind. On the other hand, did TTJ$ mare^ avrov de-
notes the means by which both Trappijoia and npooayo^yrj are alone
possible. The genitive avrov relates to Christ ; see on this construc-
tion in lieu of el? avrov the Comm. on Rom. iii. 26.)
Ver. 13. The idea which follows at length concludes the long
digression from verse 2 ; we may add that it is stated so generally
that many interpretations of it are possible, and have been proposed.
Qeov or v^ may be supplied at alrov^iat, and again tyi or V/M^ at
iKKanelv. With Harless I prefer supplying alrov^ai Qebv JUT/ eKKanelv
fyte, / ask of God that I may not faint, because thus only & receives
its proper meaning, and dio too by this interpretation is best con-
nected with the main idea which precedes. Paul had spoken in
what precedes of his great mission, and with this is fitly connected,
" for the reason that so great a charge has been entrusted to me I
beseech God that I may not faint in my tribulation for you." But
the v-rrep THMV 1 connect, on account of the analogy of iii. 1 and Col.
i. 24 (on which see more particulars), with BU^toi fiov, not with
alrovnai. The last words of the verse, ijrig earl 66i-a vfritv, again admit
a double reference also ; the T/T^, attracted by the following (Jo|o,
can be joined to OMipeig, or to ju?) eamv. I prefer the latter, be-
cause it could be asserted only in a forced way that Paul's sufferings
were a glory of the Gentile Christians. On the other hand, the
thought " my indefatigable endurance of all dangers, the approving
of my faith in tribulations, that is your glory," is entirely pertinent.
Vers. 14, 15. Here now Paul resumes with TOVTOV xdpiv, on this
account, the course of ideas from ver. 1, and utters the prayer for his
readers, which should come in immediately after ii. 22. The bend-
ing of the knees is mentioned Acts xx. 36 as a symbol of devotion
and humiliation before God. But the designation of the Father by
the addition # ou, . r. A. is peculiar here ; for the words rov nvpiov
4jp&v 'Irjaov Xpiorov here are decidedly not genuine, according to A.
B.C., and Lachmann has justly erased them. The clause # ov, n. T. A.
EPHESIANS III. 16. 87
is therefore immediately connected with Trarepa, by which the refer-
ence to Christ is excluded ; rather God, in the most general sense,
as Father, i. e., as Creator of all beings, is designated. Accord-
ing to the special reference of the prayer to the Gentile Christians
(ver. 1), the clause declares expressly that God is the Father of the
Gentiles also^ not of the Jews alone. The meaning of the clause
t ov K. T. A. is entirely determined by that of the word narpid, for
the formula ovo^d^adai K nvbg cannot be translated otherwise than :
" to be named from something," and not as = elvai " to be," or even
" to be made." Ilarptd is found again in the New Testament only
at Luke ii. 4, Acts iii. 25, in the sense of 0vA^, " family, the whole
of those who are descended from one TraTrjp." But the language,
"every family in heaven and on earth," involves an incongruity.
The reference to heaven can apply only to the world of angels, of
which no <f>vkr) can be predicated, because no propagation takes
place in it. Grotius, Wetstein, and Holzhausen, thought they
could solve the difficulty from the Eabbinical idea, which repre-
sents the Jews as the earthly, the angels as the heavenly, family
of God. (See Buxtorf. lexic. talm. p. 1753. The Eabbis had re-
ceived the word ;^s also.) But in this epistle Paul is precisely
occupied with proving that Jews and Gentiles are equals : it is there-
fore utterly improbable that he would here have reference to that
sectional representation. Besides, the article must then have been
necessarily repeated before lv ovpavolg and em -nfc y?fc . Equally in-
admissible is another interpretation which takes narpid in the sense
of " paternity," TrorpdrT/f. For although this seems to afford a
good sense, still it is not demonstrable that Trarpid is ever so used.
Again, the idea of " paternity in heaven" is unsuitable, because in
the world of spirits no development takes place. The passage
seems to become plain, only as we take ndoa here as at ii. 21, in
the sense of " entire," although the article is wanting. Paul con-
ceives in his mind all the beings of the creation in its two halves,
the spiritual and the material world, as one posterity, as one family
of God (compare ii. 19, olneloi rov 0eoi5), and this entire family has
its name of children from God. In sense, therefore, Luther's version,
" all that are called children in heaven and on earth," is entirely
correct.
Ver. 16. The first thing which the apostle now begs of God for
his readers is that he, according to the riches of his glory (which in-
cludes particularly along with it his almighty power), may strengthen
them as to the inner man. The " being strengthened" (paT(ww0^-
vai) which is further enforced by the adverbial 6vvdp.ei } refers pri-
marily to the will ; and the strengthening of the will through God's
Spirit alludes to the conflict which awaits all Christians. The ei$
rbv eda) av0pa>7rov, in the inward man, determines, finally, with more
88 EPHESIANS III. 17, 18.
exactness the direction of the working of the Spirit ; the Divine
Spirit operating in the believer refers primarily not to the body, the
eo> dvdpunos, but to the human spirit, or this considered as a faculty,
to the vovg, mind, as the eau dvOp^og. Mention of this antithesis
was already made at Rom. vii. 22, 23. The inner man is not =
K<uvb$ av0p7TOf, new man; even the unregenerate man, living under
the law, has the Sou dvdp^og, the vov<;. But without the opera-
tion of Divine grace through the Holy Ghost it remains in that ^a-
raiorrjq (iv. 17), which makes it incapable of conquering ; it is only
through strength from above that the vovg becomes a conqueror.
(See on Rom. vii. 25.)
Vers. 17, 18. The meaning of ttaToiitfiocu rbv Xpiorbv did rift
Tuareg KV ralq icapdiaig vptiv, that Christ may dwell in your hearts
by faith, cannot in itself be doubtful after what has been ob-
served at ii. 22. It denotes the indwelling of Christ, the Xpi<jrb$
KV i\\Liv (Col. i. 27), which realizes itself in the new birth through
the working of the Holy Ghost on the one. side, and of the recep-
tivity of man (of the moriq) on the other. (Compare the remarks
on John xiv. 23, Gal. ii. 20.) But how does the idea here stand
related to what precedes and what follows ? Paul cannot en-
treat God that he would grant that Christ may dwell in them ;
for surely Christ already dwelt in the hearts of the readers (ii. 22)
inasmuch as they are treated by the apostle as regenerate. Cer-
tainly the regenerate man may by degrees be more and more
strengthened in the work of sanctification by the inner man ; but
regeneration itself, and the dwelling of Christ in the heart connected
with regeneration, are incapable of increase ; they merely are, or
they are not. The difficulty can be removed only by connecting the
following words : KV dydnq KppifafiKvoi nal redefi^tu)^evoi, being rooted
and grounded in love, immediately with the KaroiKfjaai K. r. A True,
considering the passage from a purely grammatical point of view,
the connection of the clause KV dyd-ny K. r. A. seems to require a
Metathesis of the Iva ; but intrinsic difficulties produced by this
isolation of the naroinriaai rbv Xpiarbv did rfj^ Triarecj^ KV ralg napSiais
vfMv } totally forbid that supposition. The Anacoluthon, which is
accordingly to be supposed here (just as in Col. ii. 2), is excel-
lently justified by Harless remarking (p. 318), " the change of con-
struction (in the nominative of the participles) was the more
natural here, that the predicate applicable equally to Kapdiaig and
to vfitiv, could therefore be less properly joined exclusively with
one of the two; and moreover the determining predicative clause,
as an essential feature in the sentence, could not be subordinate
to the preceding, but must stand independently." In this mode
of taking it that great difficulty entirely vanishes. Paul prays
for the indwelling of Christ not as something else after the being
EPHESIANS III. 18, 19. 89
strengthened in the inner man ; this rather appears as a subordi-
nate characterizing of the being strengthened, in the sense, that a
dwelling of Christ in a mind not as yet established is distinguished
from a dwelling in the established one. "That therefore Christ
may by faith dwell in you, as in those who are established in love."
The new birth is therefore presupposed in them ; but Paul beseeches
God that they may grow in sanctification, that they may be firm
also in their regeneration, and not relapse into their old ways. The
redei.ieXiufisvoi-j grounded, points back to the above figure of the tem-
ple (ii. 20, seq.) ; on the other hand, epptfapEvoi, rooted, is to be ex-
plained by the figure which compares the faithful with plants.
(Comp. Ps. i. 3, Matth. xv. 13.) But love here cannot be God's or
Christ's love towards believers, but conversely the love of believers
towards them, which is the expression of the will strengthened by
the Holy Ghost, who makes it capable of manifesting faith in keep-
ing the law, i. e., in love. However, that the article is wanting
when properties are conceived as subjective possessions which Har-
less asserts I am as little persuaded as is Winer (Gr. p. 113).
Vers. 18, 19. From this grounding in love next proceeds an in-
creased insight into the essence of the gospel, which insight is here
taken telologically as the aim. As the object of the spiritual appre-
hension (see, on Kara^a(3so6ai, Acts iv. 13, x. 34, xxv. 25) we must
understand neither the dydrrrj preceding, nor the one following,
but that mystery hidden from eternity (verses 9, 10), which to the
angels themselves is first made known through the works of God in
the church. The natural powers of man do not suffice for this ap-
prehension ; he is first made capable of it by the power of grace ;
therefore it is said Iva K^ia%varjre KarakapeoOai, that ye may be able,
etc. But this apprehension is not restricted to this or that esoteric
circle, as Meier thinks, who understands the saints (ayiot,} of the
apostles and prophets alone ; it is rather to be referred to all
believers. The four dimensions, borrowed from the relations of
space, are not, in connexion with Kara^afteadai, to be understood
as denoting distinct, conceptional knowledge any more than the
yv&vai which follows (for such cannot possibly be the possession
of all believers in common), but of that comprehensive knowledge
of essentials which by implication knows everything, and which
John describes as the anointing of the Spirit which teaches every-
thing. (See on 1 John ii. 27.) As the second point, is then
named the dyd-mj rov Xpiarov, which is the root of the mystery itself,
the length, breadth, depth, and height of which is to be compre-
hended. But the combination : yv&vai T^V vTpf3dkkovaav TT^ yvu-
<ref dyaiTT/v, "to know the love, which passeth knowledge," forms an
Oxymoron. The incomprehensible cannot be comprehended. To
this cannot be answered, that the knowledge to which love is to lead
90 EPHESIANS III. 20, 21.
is the new one wrought by the Spirit, the other, which love surpasses,
that of the natural man ; for the love of Christ surpasses even the
knowledge of the regenerate man. But the true knowledge of Di-
vine things and also of the love of Christ, is just this, to recognize
that it is the infinite which to an ever increasing knowledge must
ever present fresh aspects of knowledge. At first Luther correctly
rendered this passage, " and know that the love of Christ surpasses
all knowledge." But afterwards he allowed himself to be led into
the error of understanding the love of Christ of the love of men
towards Christ, and translated : " and to know that to love Christ
is better than all knowledge." ('E^tr^vw does not differ in meaning
from the simple verb ; it is found in the New Testament only here.
On TI see at i. 18. On vTrepjSaAAe/v, see i. 19, ii. 7.)
But the last words of ver. 19, iva TrAT/pw^re eig ndv TO TrA^pw^a
TOV Qeov, that ye may be filed, etc. are still difficult. However, if
we compare i. 23, it cannot be doubtful that TrfajpufM r. 6. is here
too the Divine Being, as comprising the fulness of life and of power.
The referring TrAf/pw/m to the church, which Koppe in particular has
defended, is here inadmissible, as Meier has already well proved.
The reading trkripwdy nav TO ir^p^fia in B. was, we may suppose,
devised by such copyists as thought they must interpret nkrjpufia of
the church. With the reference then to God, the meaning of the
words would be this, " that ye may be filled (with all Christian gifts
and virtues) unto the complete fulness of God, i. e., that ye may be
so filled, as God is filled," according to Christ's word : " ye must be
perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Mutth. v. 48,
on which see the Comm.) But is not that already involved in the
indwelling of Christ (ver. 17) ? Where Christ, the living Son of
God, dwells, is surely already all the fulness of God. Christ in us
and we in Christ are doubtless to be distinguished. The new birth
begins with Christ being in the heart, but it is only by degrees that
the new man grows up from childhood to manhood, so that we are
also completely in Christ. This aspect of personal perfection in the
new birth, up to manhood in Christ, is here denoted by the being
filled with all the fulness of God.
Vers. 20, 21. Finally, a magnificent doxology (similar to those
at Rom. ix. 5, xi. 36, and especially xvi. 25-27, also Jude vers. 24,
25) forms the conclusion of this prayer, and thus also of the whole
first part of the epistle. The praise of God is referred primarily to
the almighty power, through which God can not only fulfil prayers, but
is able to execute far more than we pray for, or understand. (In ver.
20 the construction of virtp as an adverb in the sense : " who can do
everything super-abundantly," is decidedly to be rejected ; " to be
able to do beyond all" is a popular description of omnipotence
is found again 1 Thess. iii. 10, v. 13. God bestows
EPHESIANS III. 20, 21. 91
this on man in Christianity, which gives far more than the boldest
prayer can express. The dvvapig iv rjfuv Evepyovnevrj is according to
ver. 16 the power of the Holy Ghost, which produces in the heart all
that was expressed in the foregoing verses. Ver. 21. 'Ev ry eKKkrjaia
h XpitfTw is striking. A.C. read KOL KV X., D.F.G. have also aai, but
they place ev X. before, and iv ry IK. after. Lachmann has declared
in favour of the /cat, but the intrinsic arguments are too decidedly
against it. Its origin is easily explained from an Asyndeton being
found in the passage, and the transposition from its being thought
that Christ ought not to stand after the church. But iv X. would
seem merely to determine more exactly the iKithqaia, " in the church,
which is in Christ," perhaps with reference to the iKK^rjoia of the Old
Testament, in which were Jews only. The formula : elg -rrdoag rag
yKvedgrov aitivog T&V aluvuv is also remarkable. Had we merely
el$ TT. rdf y. TOV at. } the entirety of the aluv would appear simply di-
vided into its different successive ages ; but the repetition of the TWV
al. disturbs the thought, for in relation to the one al&v the al&veg
can again denote only sections of it. But while the yeveai relate
to the short spaces of human development and duration of life, the
al&ves denote longer spaces of time, which, taken in their totality,
express the metaphysical idea of eternity. [Gal. i. 5 ; Phil. iv. 20 ;
1 Tim. i. 17 ; 2 Tim. iv. 18 ; Eev. i. 6.] Accordingly, the pecu-
liarity of the passage lies simply in the fact that the separate al&veg
are again collected into the entirety of the aluv, of which no other
example is found.)
n.
PART SECOND,
(IV. 1 VI. 24.)
4. THE UNITY OF THE FAITH.
(iv. 1-16.)
To the predominantly doctrinal exposition Paul now subjoins the
ethical discussion, which, however, is, naturally, also continually
penetrated with, and supported by, doctrine.
Paul opens this second part with a call to preserve the unity of
the faith. After the foregoing discussions this can refer only to
the relation between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians ; it
might, therefore, be at first deduced from these verses, that in the
churches to which this epistle is addressed differences also existed
similar to those in Galatia. But, as we have already shewn in the
Introduction, there is here no trace of formal controversy ; every-
thing wears merely the appearance of a warning against apprehended
future differences.
Chap. iv. 1, 2. Paul begins his exhortations with again (com-
pare iii. 1), mentioning his captivity, and calls himself the prisoner
in the Lord, i. e., prisoner as a Christian, a Christian prisoner, in
which are expressed both the cause of his imprisonment, and the
spirit in which he endures it. That Paul adds this in the sense ;
" to me as suffering for Christ's sake it is surely at least permitted
to exhort you/' is very improbable, for even his apostolical office
amply justified him in the exhortation. Nor can I favour the as-
sumption that Paul wished, by mentioning his imprisonment, to
awaken compassion, and thereby excite his readers to render obedi-
ence to his exhortations. It seems to me more probable that Paul
means by the addition 6 dea^io? iv nvpiu, the prisoner in the Lord, to
represent himself as absolutely obedient to the Lord's will, and by
that means to encourage them to a like state of mind. The nature
of the conduct which Paul recommends to his readers is determined
by the calling (Ai;f(Kf), of which they are to walk worthily ; this
call is a holy call (2 Tim. i. 9) to the kingdom of God, the commu-
nity of the saints ; the walking of those called must, therefore, be
holy also. Of course the question here is not of any holiness pro-
EPHESIANS IV. 3-6. 93
ceeding from one's own strength, but of a holy walk which grows as
fruit from the root of faith. In the parallel passage (Col. i. 10), it
is : TTepinaTTjaai dgiug rov icvpiov, i. e. } walk holy, as the Lord is holy
(1 Pet. i. 16). To connect i^ra ndoric; raneivotypoavvrig Kal TrpadrT/rof,
with all lowliness and meekness, with " walk worthily" is inappro-
priate, because in the more general word " worthily" the special
ones following are already included ; humility and meekness, etc.,
are rather to be taken as an unfolding of what is included in atw?
TreptTTOTT/crat. On the other hand, to take fiera paKpodvfiicu; alone,
as Lachmann too punctuates, does not seem natural ; it more fit-
tingly connects itself with dve%6fjvoi dAA^Awv, in this sense : "bearing
with long-suffering (your various weaknesses) among each other."
(Comp. the parallel passage Col. iii. 12, where the same words
occur.)
Ver. 3. Since long-suffering is only a form of expression belong-
ing to love, KV dydTrq, in love, cannot be taken with what precedes,
but only with what follows, as Lachmann also correctly punctuates.
The endeavour to preserve in love the unity of the Spirit presupposes
the existence of the unity, and the fear alone lest disturbing ele-
ments might destroy it. This accords entirely with our supposition
that no controversy against false teachers already existing is found
in the Epistle to the Ephesians, and that endeavours to guard the
readers against the future attacks of such are alone observable. In
interpreting the clause : iv TOJ ovvdeapu Tfjg elp^vrjg, in the bond
of peace, we must not be guided by the parallel passage Col. iii.
14, where love was designated as the bond of perfectness (ovvdeofios
T ?) $ r e A e c OTIJT o $) for the two are very different. Peace here is
rather the opposite of strife or discord (tyig, di^oaraaia.) As such it
is the bond (avvdeapoc;) by which the members of the church are held
together as an (evor^ rrvevfiarog'), and thus determines with more
precision that spiritual unity which is to reign in the church ; for
that the " unity of the Spirit," is not, as G-rotius thought, the church
herself, is abundantly obvious.