1 Paul, G3972 an apostle G652 of Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 by G1223 the will G2307 of God, G2316 to the saints G40 which are G5607 at G1722 Ephesus, G2181 and G2532 to the faithful G4103 in G1722 Christ G5547 Jesus: G2424
To the saints G40 and G2532 faithful G4103 brethren G80 in G1722 Christ G5547 which are at G1722 Colosse: G2857 Grace G5485 be unto you, G5213 and G2532 peace, G1515 from G575 God G2316 our G2257 Father G3962 and G2532 the Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ. G5547
Paul, G3972 an apostle G652 of Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 by G1223 the will G2307 of God, G2316 and G2532 Timothy G5095 our brother, G80 unto the church G1577 of God G2316 which G3588 is G5607 at G1722 Corinth, G2882 with G4862 all G3956 the saints G40 which G3588 are G5607 in G1722 all G3650 Achaia: G882
Paul, G3972 called G2822 to be an apostle G652 of Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 through G1223 the will G2307 of God, G2316 and G2532 Sosthenes G4988 our brother, G80 Unto the church G1577 of God G2316 which G3588 is G5607 at G1722 Corinth, G2882 to them that are sanctified G37 in G1722 Christ G5547 Jesus, G2424 called G2822 to be saints, G40 with G4862 all G3956 that in G1722 every G3956 place G5117 call upon G1941 the name G3686 of Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 our G2257 Lord, G2962 both G5037 theirs G846 and G2532 ours: G2257
Paul, G3972 a servant G1401 of Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 called G2822 to be an apostle, G652 separated G873 unto G1519 the gospel G2098 of God, G2316
For G1223 this G5124 cause G1223 have I sent G3992 unto you G5213 Timotheus, G5095 who G3739 is G2076 my G3450 beloved G27 son, G5043 and G2532 faithful G4103 in G1722 the Lord, G2962 who G3739 shall bring G363 you G5209 into remembrance G363 of my G3450 ways G3598 which G3588 be in G1722 Christ, G5547 as G2531 I teach G1321 every where G3837 in G1722 every G3956 church. G1577
But G1161 that G2443 ye G5210 also G2532 may know G1492 my G1691 affairs, G2596 and how G5101 I do, G4238 Tychicus, G5190 a beloved G27 brother G80 and G2532 faithful G4103 minister G1249 in G1722 the Lord, G2962 shall make known G1107 to you G5213 all things: G3956
And G1161 it came to pass, G1096 that, while Apollos G625 was G1511 G1722 at G1722 Corinth, G2882 Paul G3972 having passed G1330 through the upper G510 coasts G3313 came G2064 to G1519 Ephesus: G2181 and G2532 finding G2147 certain G5100 disciples, G3101 He said G2036 unto G4314 them, G846 G1487 Have ye received G2983 the Holy G40 Ghost G4151 since ye believed? G4100 And G1161 they said G2036 unto G4314 him, G846 G235 We have G191 not so much as G3761 heard G191 whether G1487 there be any G2076 Holy G40 Ghost. G4151 And G5037 he said G2036 unto G4314 them, G846 Unto G1519 what G5101 then G3767 were ye baptized? G907 And G1161 they said, G2036 Unto G1519 John's G2491 baptism. G908 Then G1161 said G2036 Paul, G3972 John G2491 verily G3303 baptized G907 with the baptism G908 of repentance, G3341 saying G3004 unto the people, G2992 that G2443 they should believe G4100 on G1519 him which should come G2064 after G3326 him, G846 that is, G5123 on G1519 Christ G5547 Jesus. G2424 When G1161 they heard G191 this, they were baptized G907 in G1519 the name G3686 of the Lord G2962 Jesus. G2424 And G2532 when Paul G3972 had laid G2007 his hands G5495 upon G2007 them, G846 the Holy G40 Ghost G4151 came G2064 on G1909 them; G846 and G5037 they spake G2980 with tongues, G1100 and G2532 prophesied. G4395 And G1161 all G3956 the men G435 were G2258 about G5616 twelve. G1177 And G1161 he went G1525 into G1519 the synagogue, G4864 and spake boldly G3955 for the space G1909 of three G5140 months, G3376 disputing G1256 and G2532 persuading G3982 the things concerning G4012 the kingdom G932 of God. G2316 But G1161 when G5613 divers G5100 were hardened, G4645 and G2532 believed not, G544 but spake evil G2551 of that way G3598 before G1799 the multitude, G4128 he departed G868 from G575 them, G846 and separated G873 the disciples, G3101 disputing G1256 daily G2596 G2250 in G1722 the school G4981 of one G5100 Tyrannus. G5181 And G1161 this G5124 continued G1096 by the space G1909 of two G1417 years; G2094 so G5620 that all G3956 they which dwelt in G2730 Asia G773 heard G191 the word G3056 of the Lord G2962 Jesus, G2424 both G5037 Jews G2453 and G2532 Greeks. G1672 And G5037 God G2316 wrought G4160 special G3756 G5177 miracles G1411 by G1223 the hands G5495 of Paul: G3972 So G2532 G5620 that from G575 his G846 body G5559 were brought G2018 unto G1909 the sick G770 handkerchiefs G4676 or G2228 aprons, G4612 and G2532 the diseases G3554 departed G525 from G575 them, G846 and G5037 the evil G4190 spirits G4151 went G1831 out of G575 them. G846 Then G1161 certain G5100 of G575 the vagabond G4022 Jews, G2453 exorcists, G1845 took upon them G2021 to call G3687 over G1909 them which had G2192 evil G4190 spirits G4151 the name G3686 of the Lord G2962 Jesus, G2424 saying, G3004 We adjure G3726 you G5209 by Jesus G2424 whom G3739 Paul G3972 preacheth. G2784 And G1161 there were G2258 seven G2033 sons G5207 of one Sceva, G4630 G5100 a Jew, G2453 and chief of the priests, G749 which did G4160 so. G5124 And G1161 the evil G4190 spirit G4151 answered G611 and said, G2036 Jesus G2424 I know, G1097 and G2532 Paul G3972 I know; G1987 but G1161 who G5101 are G2075 ye? G5210 And G2532 the man G444 in G1722 whom G3739 the evil G4190 spirit G4151 was G2258 leaped G2177 on G1909 them, G846 and G2532 overcame G2634 them, G846 and prevailed G2480 against G2596 them, G846 so G5620 that they fled G1628 out of G1537 that G1565 house G3624 naked G1131 and G2532 wounded. G5135 And G1161 this G5124 was G1096 known G1110 to all G3956 the Jews G2453 and G5037 Greeks G1672 also G2532 dwelling G2730 at Ephesus; G2181 and G2532 fear G5401 fell G1968 on G1909 them G846 all, G3956 and G2532 the name G3686 of the Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 was magnified. G3170 And G5037 many G4183 that believed G4100 came, G2064 and confessed, G1843 and G2532 shewed G312 their G846 deeds. G4234 Many G2425 of them also G1161 which used G4238 curious arts G4021 brought G4851 their books G976 together, G4851 and burned them G2618 before G1799 all G3956 men: and G2532 they counted G4860 the price G5092 of them, G846 and G2532 found G2147 it fifty G4002 thousand G3461 pieces of silver. G694 So G3779 mightily G2596 G2904 grew G837 the word G3056 of God G2962 and G2532 prevailed. G2480
Fear G5399 none G3367 of those things which G3739 thou shalt G3195 suffer: G3958 behold, G2400 the devil G1228 shall G3195 cast G906 some of G1537 you G5216 into G1519 prison, G5438 that G2443 ye may be tried; G3985 and G2532 ye shall have G2192 tribulation G2347 ten G1176 days: G2250 be thou G1096 faithful G4103 unto G891 death, G2288 and G2532 I will give G1325 thee G4671 a crown G4735 of life. G2222
These G3778 shall make war G4170 with G3326 the Lamb, G721 and G2532 the Lamb G721 shall overcome G3528 them: G846 for G3754 he is G2076 Lord G2962 of lords, G2962 and G2532 King G935 of kings: G935 and G2532 they that are with G3326 him G846 are called, G2822 and G2532 chosen, G1588 and G2532 faithful. G4103
And G1161 when G5613 she was baptized, G907 and G2532 her G846 household, G3624 she besought G3870 us, saying, G3004 If G1487 ye have judged G2919 me G3165 to be G1511 faithful G4103 to the Lord, G2962 come G1525 into G1519 my G3450 house, G3624 and abide G3306 there. And G2532 she constrained G3849 us. G2248
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ephesians 1
Commentary on Ephesians 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 1
In this chapter we have,
This great apostle was wont to abound in prayers and in thanksgivings to almighty God, which he generally so disposes and orders that at the same time they carry with them and convey the great and important doctrines of the Christian religion, and the most weighty instructions to all those who seriously peruse them.
Eph 1:1-2
Here is,
After this short introduction he comes to the matter and body of the epistle; and, though it may seem somewhat peculiar in a letter, yet the Spirit of God saw fit that his discourse of divine things in this chapter should be cast into prayers and praises, which, as they are solemn addresses to God, so they convey weighty instructions to others. Prayer may preach; and praise may do so too.
Eph 1:3-14
He begins with thanksgivings and praise, and enlarges with a great deal of fluency and copiousness of affection upon the exceedingly great and precious benefits which we enjoy by Jesus Christ. For the great privileges of our religion are very aptly recounted and enlarged upon in our praises to God.
The apostle mentions the great end and design of God in bestowing all these spiritual privileges, that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ-we to whom the gospel was first preached, and who were first converted to the faith of Christ, and to the placing of our hope and trust in him. Note, Seniority in grace is a preferment: Who were in Christ before me, says the apostle (Rom. 16:7); those who have for a longer time experienced the grace of Christ are under more special obligations to glorify God. They should be strong in faith, and more eminently glorify him; but this should be the common end of all. For this we were made, and for this we were redeemed; this is the great design of our Christianity, and of God in all that he has done for us: unto the praise of his glory, v. 14. He intends that his grace and power and other perfection should by this means become conspicuous and illustrious, and that the sons of men should magnify him.
Eph 1:15-23
We have come to the last part of this chapter, which consists of Paul's earnest prayer to God in behalf of these Ephesians. We should pray for the persons for whom we give thanks. Our apostle blesses God for what he had done for them, and then he prays that he would do more for them. He gives thanks for spiritual blessings, and prays for further supplies of them; for God will for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them. He has laid up these spiritual blessings for us in the hands of his Son, the Lord Jesus; but then he has appointed us to draw them out, and fetch them in, by prayer. We have no part nor lot in the matter, any further than we claim it by faith and prayer. One inducement to pray for them was the good account he had of them, of their faith in the Lord Jesus and love to all the saints, v. 15. Faith in Christ, and love to the saints, will be attended with all other graces. Love to the saints, as such, and because they are such, must include love to God. Those who love saints, as such, love all saints, how weak in grace, how mean in the world, how fretful and peevish soever, some of them may be. Another inducement to pray for them was because they had received the earnest of the inheritance: this we may observe from the words being connected with the preceding ones by the particle wherefore. "Perhaps you will think that, having received the earnest, it should follow, therefore you are happy enough, and need take no further care: you need not pray for yourselves, nor I for you.' No, quite the contrary. Wherefore-I cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, v. 16. While he blesses God for giving them the Spirit, he ceases not to pray that he would give unto them the Spirit (v. 17), that he would give greater measures of the Spirit. Observe, Even the best of Christians need to be prayed for: and, while we hear well of our Christian friends, we should think ourselves obliged to intercede with God for them, that they may abound and increase yet more and more. Now what is it that Paul prays for in behalf of the Ephesians? Not that they might be freed from persecution; nor that they might possess the riches, honours, or pleasures of the world; but the great thing he prays for is the illumination of their understandings, and that their knowledge might increase and abound: he means it of a practical and experimental knowledge. The graces and comforts of the Spirit are communicated to the soul by the enlightening of the understanding. In this way he gains and keeps possession. Satan takes a contrary way: he gets possession by the senses and passions, Christ by the understanding. Observe,
Having said something of Christ and his resurrection, the apostle digresses a little from the subject he is upon to make some further honourable mention of the Lord Jesus and his exaltation. He sits at the Father's right hand in the heavenly places, etc., v. 20, 21. Jesus Christ is advanced above all, and he is set in authority over all, they being made subject to him. All the glory of the upper world, and all the powers of both worlds, are entirely devoted to him. The Father hath put all things under his feet (v. 22), according to the promise, Ps. 110:1. All creatures whatsoever are in subjection to him; they must either yield him sincere obedience or fall under the weight of his sceptre, and receive their doom from him. God GAVE him to be head over all things. It was a gift to Christ, considered as a Mediator, to be advanced to such dominion and headship, and to have such a mystical body prepared for him: and it was a gift to the church, to be provided with a head endued with so much power and authority. God gave him to be the head over all things. He gave him all power both in heaven and in earth. The Father loves the Son, and hath given ALL things into his hands. But that which completes the comfort of this is that he is the head over all things to the church; he is entrusted with all power, that is, that he may dispose of all the affairs of the providential kingdom in subserviency to the designs of his grace concerning his church. With this therefore we may answer the messengers of the nations, that the Lord hath founded Zion. The same power that supports the world support the church; and we are sure he loves his church, for it is his body (v. 23), his mystical body, and he will care for it. It is the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Jesus Christ filleth all in all; he supplies all defects in all his members, filling them with his Spirit, and even with the fulness of God, ch. 3:19. And yet the church is said to be his fulness, because Christ as Mediator would not be complete if he had not a church. How could he be a king if he had not a kingdom? This therefore comes in to the honour of Christ, as Mediator, that the church is his fulness.