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.
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VERS. 1.-- *Paul an Apostle.* After his manner he sets a salutation first. Then he gives thanks to God, setting forth first the benefits bestowed upon the human race, afterward those granted especially to the apostles themselves; then to the Ephesians themselves also, showing by whom and unto what they have been called. Then he shows the dignity and pre-eminence of Christ; afterward he invites them to patience and to charity, commending the unity of the faith and of the Church, and enumerating the gifts of grace. At last, exhorting them to the contest against the princes of darkness, he describes the armour of the Christian warfare. *To all the saints.* To the perfect, and not to them only, etc. *To the faithful.* Who, if not saints, are at least sound in faith. *To the saints,* by the exercise of the virtues. *And to the faithful,* by right faith, which is in Christ Jesus. Rightly did he set down those two, for then a good life profits and is believed, if faith is in Christ Jesus. Then are they truly saints, if they are faithful in Christ. Or: distinguish between the saints and the faithful, so that by the saints thou understand the greater and the more perfect, by the faithful the less perfect.
2 Grace be to you and peace, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ:
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VERS. 3.-- *Blessed.* The salutation having been set first, he begins from the giving of thanks, intimating that all things are from God. *He hath blessed.* The word of blessing is indeed one, but according to what befits the person it must be understood in various ways. God is blessed by man, when he is extolled with worthy praises. But man is blessed by God, when God imparts to him the gifts of his grace, not by that man's merits, but by his own mercy.
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.
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VERS. 4.-- *Even as he chose,* etc. Let no one, then, suppose that souls are eternal with God, and that they then merited something, according to the error of those who say that before these visible things there were certain holy souls, and that they were therefore then chosen.
5 Who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto himself: according to the purpose of his will:
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VERS. 5.-- *Who predestinated.* A predestination having been set down which pertains to the justice and holiness of the present life, another is here set down pertaining to eternal life, whose effect he noted above.
6 Unto the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he hath graced us, in his beloved son.
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VERS. 6.-- *Unto the praise of the glory of his grace,* etc. As if he should say: the glory of the graces is the eternal adoption. *In which he hath shown grace.* The effect of the first preordination unto justice. *In the beloved Son.* God the Father loving his only-begotten, the Son lavishes divine things upon those whom he loves and to whom he wills.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins, according to the riches of his, grace,
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VERS. 7.-- *In whom we have,* etc. He shows a twofold grace, because he both redeemed, and did not impute our sins.
8 Which hath superabounded in us, in all wisdom and prudence,
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VERS. 8.-- *Which hath superabounded.* Thus far concerning those things which [he gave] to the whole human race: now he speaks of those which he gave to the apostles singularly.
9 That he might make known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in him,
10 In the dispensation of the fulness of times, to re-establish all things in Christ, that are in heaven and on earth, in him.
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VERS. 10.-- *In the dispensation.* That is, in the fullness of the time dispensed by God, that is, in this time of grace, in which the divine providence reasonably dispensed to fulfil the things which in other times were promised or prefigured. For if men were utterly ignorant, not taught beforehand, they would not receive Christ, and unless the proud had first been convicted by the natural and the doctrinal law, they would little esteem the coming of Christ. *To restore.* Now those things are restored which are in the heavens, etc., *as far as* they are renewed from the oldness of corruption. *All things, which are in the heavens.* That is, the angels; or: *to restore,* that is, to fill up. *Which are in the earth.* That is, men, who had been depraved by sin. *In him.* That is, through Christ.
11 In whom we also are called by lot, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will.
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VERS. 11.-- *In whom we also.* Lest the apostles, in whom grace superabounds, should seem to have deserved better than others, he shows that they were thus called freely, not by merits, even as others also were. *By lot.* Grace is called a lot, because it is not the choice of man, but of the will of God. Whence the Lord's tunic woven from above, which signifies charity, came by lot. *He worketh all things.* Even to will the good, and that we should begin to believe, so that by our example no one may glory in man. For it is true: *You have not chosen me, but I you,* etc. And the praise of the glory of God is when many are gained unto the faith, as the glory of a physician is when he cures many.
12 That we may be unto the praise of his glory: we who before hoped in Christ:
13 In whom you also, after you had heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation), in whom also believing, you were signed with the holy Spirit of promise.
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VERS. 13.-- *In whom you.* Now he comes to those things which he gave to the Ephesians. *When you had heard. When* here notes the cause, and the time.
14 Who is the pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of acquisition, unto the praise of his glory.
15 Wherefore, I also, hearing of your faith that is in the Lord Jesus and of your love towards all the saints,
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VERS. 15.-- *Therefore.* The benefits conferred upon the human race, or upon the apostles, or upon the Ephesians having been enumerated, the Apostle subjoins what he thinks concerning their benefits, namely that he gives thanks, and asks that more be added, lest they be proud, but stretch beyond.
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making commemoration of you in my prayers,
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation, in the knowledge of him:
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VERS. 17.-- *That God,* etc. As if he should say: to obtain it I put forward not merits, but that he is God and the Father of Christ, etc.
18 The eyes of your heart enlightened that you may know what the hope is of his calling and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
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VERS. 18.-- *The eyes of the heart.* In his own image, therefore, know thou its author, who is not attained by bodily sense. Do not, therefore, think that God is attained by bodily sense, but with the eyes of the mind hear him. In the body, where the members are diverse, thou hearest in one place, thou seest in another. But in thy heart, where diverse members are not found, there thou hearest where thou seest. And to this end may he enlighten the eyes. *That you may know,* etc. This he says that they may be the more inclined: because when they shall fully know what the fruit of believers is, they will become the more inclined toward the cultivating of religion. Or thus: that hope be taken properly. And the sense is: That you may know what it is, namely his will, that is, how much the hope of eternal life avails, unto which he calls. And that you may know what the fulfilment of that hope is. Which he thus says: *And what are the riches.* Here he discloses what he understood by the name of hope: for he takes hope as the thing hoped for.
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards us, who believe according to the operation of the might of his power,
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VERS. 19.-- *What is the exceeding greatness.* The highest doctors shall have a certain increase of glory, beyond that which all shall have in common. For all shall have the same penny. *But star differeth from star in brightness*. *And there shall be diverse mansions in the house of the Father*.
20 Which he wrought in Christ, raising him up from the dead and setting him on his right hand in the heavenly places.
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VERS. 20.-- *Raising him up,* etc. Now the example of the glory of the saints consists in the resurrection of the Saviour, that in it the faithful may know what has been promised to them. *At his right hand.* The right hand is the eternal beatitude which is given to the saints: the left is the misery which is given to the wicked. For by no form of body is God bounded and enclosed.
21 Above all principality and power and virtue and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.
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VERS. 21.-- *Above every,* etc. This he says on account of the incarnation of the Son of God, that even having been made man he may be said to be above all the heavens, and above every creature, having his name by nature, not by adoption.
22 And he hath subjected all things under his feet and hath made him head over all the church,
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VERS. 22.-- *Under his feet,* etc. By the feet full subjection is noted, and all things are deservedly subject to him, because they were made through him; or, the feet signify the humanity, because as the foot is the lower part of the body, so in Christ the lower nature is the humanity, which even the angels adore. *And him,* etc. After he has commemorated the dignity of Christ, he returns to us, showing that his dignity pertains to us; as if he should say: God so exalted Christ that this his exaltation pertains to us: because he himself is the head, and we the body, that we may partake of him. *The head.* According to the deity: because all were made by him, and also according to the humanity, by which the Church is joined to him, by nature and by grace. *For of his fullness we have all received*.
23 Which is his body and the fulness of him who is filled all in all.
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VERS. 23.-- *His fullness.* Because he is filled up through them, yet being all things in all, here and in the time to come. Likewise. When those who have entered unto confession bend the knee to Christ, he is filled up, because those who withdraw seem to empty him. *All things in all.* Because the members confer nothing upon him, but he himself all things upon the members: because by his power they are what they are.