Joseph Benson's commentary on Ephesians 1:3-11

Verses 3-6  

"Blessed be God, who hath blessed us"

—God’s blessing us is his bestowing spiritual and

heavenly blessings upon us. Our blessing God is

the paying him our solemn and grateful acknowledgments, both on account of his own essential blessedness, and of the blessings which he bestows on us; "with all spiritual blessings"—The spiritual blessings here spoken of are such as are necessary to the perfection and happiness of our spirits; namely, the light of the gospel, the influences of the Spirit of God, the pardon of sin, adoption into God's family, the sanctification of our nature, and eternal life. These blessings are here opposed to the earthly blessings which were promised to the natural descendants of Abraham, the ancient church of God, which consisted in the possession of Canaan, in victory over their enemies, fruitful seasons, &c., as described Deut xxviii. To these, and such like blessings, Abraham's seed, by faith, were entitled by the promise, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." In heavenly places—Or rather, In hearenly things, as ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις, it seems, ought to be here translated. Certainly, we must enjoy spiritual blessings in heavenly things, before we can enjoy them in heavenly places; namely, blessings which are heavenly in their nature, original, and tendency, and shall be completed in heaven; far different from the external privileges of the Jews, and the earthly blessings they expected from the Messiah. According "as he hath chosen us in him"—Both Jews and Gentiles, whom he foreknew as believing in Christ, 1 Pet. i. 2. That he speaks of such, and of such only, is evident from verses 12–14, where see the notes. Indeed, none but true believers in Christ, none but those whose faith in him works by love, are ever termed, in the New Testament, God's chosen, or elect. For the election spoken of in the New Testament is not the election of individuals, out of the mass of mankind, to repent, believe, and obey, passing by the rest; but it is the election of such as are already possessed of faith, love, and a new nature, to be the people and children of God; which election it behooves them to make sure, by aspiring after a larger measure of these, and of all other graces and virtues, and by enduring to the end, 2 Pet. i. 10. "Before the foundation of the world"—Or, before the world began. This, as Macknight observes, “being said of the Ephesian brethren in general, it cannot be an election of the whole of them as individuals” [unconditionally] “to eternal life;” but must be that election, which, before the foundation of the world, God made of true believers, of all nations, to be his children and people, and to enjoy the blessings promised to such. "That we should be holy"—Dedicated to God, employed for him, and transformed into his image; and "without blame"—As to our whole spirit and conduct; "before him"—Or in his sight, who searches the heart, and observes all our ways. As the election here spoken of is an election of believers to be holy, all such ought continually to keep in mind this end of their election, that they may press on toward it more and more. "In love"—To God, his people, and all mankind, the source of all true holiness; "Having predestinated, or fore-appointed, us"—Who do now, or shall here after, believe in him with our heart unto righteous ness; "unto the adoption of children"—For those who receive Christ, namely, in all his offices and characters, or who believe in him, enjoy the dignity of being his children and heirs, and joint heirs with Christ. See on John i. 12; Gal. iii. 26. "According to the good pleasure of his will"—According to his free, fixed, and unalterable purpose to confer these blessings on all those who believe in Christ, and those only. "To the praise of the glory of his grace"—His glorious, unmerited, and free love, with out any desert on our part; "wherein he hath made us accepted"–Greek, ἐχαρίτωσεν, he hath taken us into favour, namely, his peculiar favour; "in the Beloved"—In Christ, his beloved Son, through whom, though in ourselves we are so unworthy of them, we receive these inestimable blessings.

Verses 7 and 8

"In, or by, whom we have redemption" —By price and by power, are bought and delivered

from the guilt and dominion of sin, the tyranny of

Satan, and the final displeasure and wrath of God. "Through his blood"—Shed for these purposes; or

through what he hath done and suffered; having

undertaken the great and awful work of making

an atonement for us by the sacrifice of himself, by which we obtain, what is an introduction to all the other blessings here mentioned, "the forgiveness of sins"—For, being pardoned, God's wrath is removed from us; we are taken into his favour; adopted into his family; born of his Spirit; love him who hath thus first loved us; and, through this love, become holy, and without blame before him. And by these blessings in heavenly things, we are qualified to receive blessings in heavenly places; "according to the riches of his grace"—According to the abundant overflowings of his free, undeserved mercy and favour, to such sinful and guilty creatures; therein "he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom"—Manifested by God in the whole scheme of our salvation; "and prudence"—Which he hath wrought in us, that we may know and do all his acceptable and perfect will.

Verses 9 and 10

"Having made known to us"—By his

Word and Spirit; "the mystery of his will"—The gracious scheme of salvation by faith, the appointment of which depended on his sovereign will alone; termed a mystery, because it was but darkly revealed under the law, is now totally hid from unbelievers, and has heights and depths in it which surpass all the knowledge even of true believers. “The whole doctrine of the gospel, taken complexly, is called the wisdom of God in a mystery, 1 Cor. ii. 7; not be cause any part of it is unintelligible, but for the reasons mentioned in the note on that verse.” “The same appellation is given to particular discoveries made in the gospel. For example, the salvation of the Gentiles through faith, without obedience to the law of Moses, is called a mystery, Rom. xi. 25; Xvi. 25. So likewise is the great discovery, that such of the saints as are alive on the earth at the coming of Christ, shall not die, but be changed, 1 Cor. xv. 51; and 2 Thess. ii. 7, we have the mystery of iniquity; and Rev. i. 20, the mystery of the seven stars; and Rev. x. 7, the mystery of God; and Rev. xvii. 5, 7,

mystery, Babylon, the woman, the beast, and the

false prophet. To this latter group, the appellation of mystery is given with singular propriety. For as the initiated [into the heathen mysteries] were instructed by having certain mystic shows set before them, the visions in the Revelation of the seven stars, and of the woman, and the beast, and the false prophet, representing the future state of the church, are all very aptly termed "mysteries.” "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times"—When that time was fully come, which he, in his wise appointment and distribution of things, had judged most suitable and eligible; or in this last administration of his fullest grace, in which all the former dispensations terminated, which took place at the time most proper for it. “The word οἰκονομία, here rendered dispensation, signifies the plan which the master of a family, or his steward, has established for the man agement of the family. Also it significs a plan formed for the management of any sort of business. In this passage it signifies the plan which God had formed for accomplishing the salvation of believers.” —Macknight. "He might gather together in one"— Greek, ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι, he might recapitulate, or unite again under one head; "all things in Christ"— All persons, whether angels or men, whether living or dead, with all things that are connected with or concern them; both in heaven and on earth—This is considered by some as a Jewish phrase, to express the whole world; and Locke thinks it may be equivalent to Jews and Gentiles, which is the meaning adopted also by Macknight, who says, “According to this interpretation, the gathering of all things under Christ, means both the forming of believing Jews and Gentiles into one catholic church, and the bringing of them both into the heavenly country through the mediation of Christ.” Beza, by things in heaven, understands the saints in heaven, who died before Christ came into the world, and who are not to be made perfect till the resurrection. But the interpretation adopted by Whitby, Chandler, Doddridge, Wesley, and many others, seems more probable, namely, that by things in heaven, both in this passage and Col. i. 20, the angelical hosts are to be understood; and by things on earth, believers of all nations, who, with the angels, shall at length be joined in one great society, or church, for the pur pose of worshipping God through all eternity, agree ably to Heb. xii. 22. “Both angels and men were at first in sweet and harmonious subjection to the Son of God, the great Creator of both; but man having broken himself off from this society, the Son of man, by his humiliation and sufferings, recovers all who believe in him, and in his human nature presides over the kingdom to which, in the world of glory, they and his angels belong. This interpretation presents so noble a view, that no other will bear a comparison.”—Doddridge.

Verses 11 and 12

  "In whom also we"-Believing Jews;

"have obtained an inheritance"—Namely, that of the promises made to the children of Abraham and of God, even the blessings of grace and of glory, the privileges belonging to the true members of the church militant and triumphant.  "Being predestinated" to it when we became true believers, and as long as we continue such, see on verse 5; "according to the purpose of him"—Of God; "who worketh all things"—As he formed and governs all things; after "the counsel of his own will"—The unalterable decree, He that believeth shall be saved: which is not an arbitrary will, but a will flowing from the rectitude of his nature; otherwise what security would there be that it would be his will to keep his word even with the elect? The apostle seems to have added this clause with a view to convince the believing Jews that God would bestow on them, and on the believing Gentiles, the inheritance of heaven through faith, whether their unbelieving brethren were pleased or displeased therewith. That we believing Jews; "should be to the praise of his glory" —Should give men occasion to praise God for his goodness and truth; "who first trusted"—Or hoped, as  προηλπικότας signifies; "in Christ"—That is, believed in him, and hoped for eternal salvation from him, before the Gentiles did. And this was the case, not only in Judea, but in most places where the apostles preached; some of the Jews generally believing before the Gentiles. Here is another branch of the true gospel predestination: he that believes is not only elected to eternal salvation if he endure to the end, but is fore-appointed of God to walk in holiness and righteousness, to the praise of his glory.