Ephesians 2

AND you has he quickned This Verb quickned is not in the Greek, but the defect of it may be supplied from Chap. 1. verse 19. thus, The greatness of his power to us-ward, and to you that were dead in trespasses and sins, the remaining part of that Chapter being included in a Parenthesis, which though long, yet is not unusual. Or rather, as our Translators and others doe from verse 5. of this Chapter, where we have the word quickned. It imports a restoring of Spiritual Life by the infusion of a vital principle (in the work of Regeneration) whereby men are enabled to walk with God in newness of Life. that were dead Spiritually, not Naturally; i. e. destitute of a principle of spiritual life, and so of any ability for, or diposedness to the operations and motions of such a life., in trespasses and sins The Preposition in is wanting in the Greek by an Ellipsis, but the expression is Full, Col. 2.13. this Dative Case therefore is to be taken in the sense of the Ablative. By these words he means either all sorts of sins habitual and actual, less or greater; or rather promiscuously and indifferently the same thing several ways expressed. Sin is the cause of Spiritual Death; where Sin Reigns, there is a privation of Spiritual Life..

Wherein in time past ye walked Conversed in a continual course of life. They were live to Sin, when dead in Sin; or by Sin dead to spiritual good. according to the course of this world Either according to the Age of the World that then was, or men then in the World, or according to the custome and mode, the shape and fashion of the World. The same word here translated course is rendred world, Rom. 12.2. be not conformed (configured or fashioned) to the world, i. e. to the ways and manners of it. So here according to the Course, is according to the ways of Men in the World, both in Manners and Religion., according to the prince The Devil, or as Mat. 12.24, 26. the prince of Devils. of the power Power for Powers, as they are called, Chap. 6.12. those Devils or Powers of Darkness are marshalled under him as their Prince, who sets up a Kingdom to himself in opposition to Christ. of the air That are in the Air, this lower Region (by God's permission) that they may be ready and at hand to tempt men, and doe mischief in the world. Or that work so many effects in the Air, raise Storms and Tempests, &c. as in the case of Iob and his Children., the spirit that now Even at this time since the coming of the Gospel still continues to work. worketh Effectually works in; rules, and governs, and acts them, 2 Tim. 2.26. in the children of disobedience By an Hebraism, they that are addicted to Disobedience i. e. Obstinate Sinners..

Among whom also we all We Apostles and Believers of the Iews. Either Paul by a Coenosis reckons himself among them, though not guilty with them; or rather though he were not an Idolater as the Ephesians, yet he had been a Blasphemer, and a Persecutor, 1 Tim. 1.13. and though he were blameless as to the Righteousness of the Law, Phil. 3.6. yet that was only as to his outward conversation, and still he might fulfill the desires of a fleshly mind. had our conversation Walked in the same way after the course of the world, &c. in times past, in the lusts of our flesh Flesh is here taken more generally for depraved Natures, the whole principle of Corruption in man., fulfilling the desires of the flesh The inferiour and sensitive faculties of the Soul, as appears by the opposition of the Flesh to the Mind. and of the mind The Superiour and Rational Powers, to denote the depravation of the whole Man even in his best part, and which seems to have rectitude left in it; to the former belongs the filthiness of the Flesh, to the latter that of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 7.1. see Rom. 8.7. Gal. 5.19, 20, 21., and were by nature Not merely by custome or imitation, but by Nature as now constituted since the Fall. the children of wrath By an Hebraism for Obnoxious to Wrath, as Sons of Death, 1 Sam. 26.16. for worthy of, or liable to Death. aswell as others.

But God who is rich Abundant. Riches of Mercy here, as Riches of Grace, ch. 1.7. see Psal. 51.1. and 86.5. in mercy, for his great love The fountain from whence his mercies vouchsafed to us proceed; Riches of Mercy from great Love: God shows mercy to us miserable Creatures in time, because he loved us from Eternity, viz. with a love of good will. wherewith he loved us Both Iews and Gentiles; there being the same Original Cause of the Salvation of both.,

Even when we were dead in sins, has quickned Has raised us up from the Death of Sin to the Life of Righteousness, not only in our Justification in which God frees us from our obnoxiousness to eternal Death, and gives us a Right to eternal Life, who before were dead in Law, (though this may be included) but especially in our Regeneration by the infusion of a vital principle. us together with Christ Either 1. God in quickning Christ has also quickned us; Christ's quickning or receiving his Life after Death being not only the Type and Exemplar of our Spiritual enlivening or Regeneration, but the cause of it, in as much as we are quickned as meritoriously by his Death, so effectively by his Life: Christ as having died and risen again exerciseth that Power the Father gave him of quickning whom he will, Ioh. 5.21. or 2. in Christ as our Head Virtually, and by the Power of his Resurrection Actually: or 3. by the same Power whereby he raised up Christ from the Dead, ch. 1.19. see the like expression, Col. 2.13. by grace ye are saved Some reade the words without a Parenthesis, supplying by whose, and so refer them to Christ, quickned us together with him by whose grace ye are saved; but if the Parenthesis stand yet, here seems to be a connexion with the foregoing words, at least a reason of the Apostle's bringing in these, for having mentioned God's great love, v. 4. as the cause of their Spiritual enlivening here, which is the beginning of their Salvation; he infers from thence that the whole of their Salvation is of Grace, i. e. alike free, and as much out of God's great love, as the beginning of it, viz. their quickning is..

And has raised us up together Either this may be understood of a farther degree of Spiritual Life in the progress of Sanctification vouchsafed to Believers in this World, or rather of the Resurrection of the Body which is said to be raised together with Christ, because it is to be raised by the same Power that raised him up, and by virtue of his Resurrection, in which we have Fellowship with him as being united to him., and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus As our Head, and Representative. Our Spiritual enlivening, v. 5. we have not only fundamentally in Christ when restored to life, but actually begun in our selves in our effectual calling, but the Resurrection of our Bodies, and our sitting in Heaven we have not as yet actually fulfilled in our selves, yet have it in Christ our Head, who rose for us and we in him, and sits in Heaven for us, and we in him may be said to sit there too by reason of our Union with him, and being members of him..

That in the ages to come In all succeeding Generations while the World continues. he might show As in an instance or specimen, 1 Tim. 1.16. q. d. God's kindness to us Believers in this Age since Christ's coming is such an instance of the exceeding Riches of his Grace, as may be an encouragement to future Generations to embrace the same Christ in whom we have believed. the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus By and through whom God conveys all saving benefits to us..

For by grace The free favour of God, as v. 5. are ye Even ye Ephesians, Gentiles who had not such promises made to you as the Iews had, v. 12. saved From first to last, from your calling, v. 5. to your glorification, v. 6. Obj. How are Believers said to be saved, when they are not yet glorified? Ans. 1. Because Christ their Head is glorified. 2. Because their Salvation begun in their effectual calling shall be as certainly accomplished in them as it is begun in them, and perfected in their Head Christ. through says By which ye lay hold on the grace offered you in the Gospel. Faith is not considered here as a work done by us, but as an instrument or means applying the Grace and Salvation tendred to us., and that not of your selves Not for your own worth, nor by your own strength., it is the gift of God That ye are saved is the gift of God, and therefore free and purely by Grace. God is opposed to self: Gift relates not merely to Faith immediately preceding, but to the whole Sentence.

Not of works Any works whatever, and not only works of the ceremonial Law: for if they only were excluded the opposition between God and Man, grace and works were not right, which yet we find so often elsewhere, (see Rom. 11.6.) men might not be saved by works of the Ceremonial Law, and yet still be saved by works, and of themselves., lest any man should boast Glory in their own works or worth, as men are apt to doe when they think they have any thing of their own which contributes to their Salvation, see Rom. 3.27. and 4.2..

For we We Believers both Iews and Gentiles. are his workmanship Not only as men, but especially as Saints, which is the proper meaning here. The Israelitish People formerly were God's Work, Deut. 32.6. Isai. 43.21. and 44.21. so are Believers under the Gospel, being new creatures, Gal. 6.15. The Apostle confirms what he said before, that by grace we are saved and not of works, in that we are God's workmanship, and are formed by him e'er we can doe any good work, and his forming us in our Regeneration is a part of the Salvation mentioned v. 8. created in Christ Jesus Who as our Head enlivens us as members united to him by Faith. As the first Creation was by Christ as the Second Person in the Trinity, Ioh. 1.2. so the second Creation is by the same Christ as Mediatour, the Lord and Head of the New Creation, in whom we live, and move, and have our new being, and not in our selves, 2 Cor. 5.17. to good works As the immediate end for which we are new created. We receive our new being that we may bring forth new works, and have a carriage suitable to our new principle. which God has before ordained Or rather, as the Margin, prepared, i. e. prepared and fitted us for them, by enlightning our minds to know his will, disposing and enclining our wills, purging our affections, &c. that we should walk in them i. e. That we should glorifie God in an Holy Conversation agreeable to that Divine nature whereof we are made partakers in our New Creation..

Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh Either 1. Carnal, Unregenerate, as Rom. 8.8, 9. Or 2. rather Uncircumcised in the Flesh, as well as in Heart, Ezek. 44.7. such as neither had the Grace signified, nor the Sign representing it., who are called uncircumcision By way of Reproach; to be Uncirumcised being the badge of them that were not Israelites, and so were not in the number of God's people., by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands i. e. by those that are Circumcised: the Abstract here, as in the former Clause, being put for the Concrete. He means the carnal Iews, who had the Circumcision of the Flesh which was made with hands, but not that of the Heart, Rom. 2.29. made without hands, Col. 2.11..

That at that time ye were without Christ i. e. Without knowledge of him, or interest in him. This is the foundation of all other miseries, as Christ is the foundation of all saving good and therefore the Apostle begins with this., being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel The Church of God confined formerly to the Israelites: their Church and State was the same Body, and God the founder of, and Law-giver to them in both respects., and strangers from the covenants of promise Those Covenants in which the great promise of Christ and salvation by him was made. The Covenants were several, as that with Abraham, and that by Moses, and differs in some accidents, but the promise in them was one and the same, which was the substance of each., having no hope Viz. Beyond this Life; as they could not but he who were without Christ, and without the promises., and without God Not without some general knowledge of a God, but without any saving knowledge of him, as not knowing him in Christ: or they lived as without God, neglecting him, and being neglected by him, and suffered to walk in their own ways. in the world Which is the Congregation of the wicked, and is here opposed to the Church..

But now in Christ Jesus Either in the Kingdom of Christ, or Gospel Administration, Gal. 5.6. or, ye being in Christ, united to him by the Spirit and Faith. Being in Christ here, is opposed to being in the World, v. 12. ye who were sometimes far off Far from God, from his Church, from his Promises, &c. having no Communion with him by his Spirit. He means a spiritual distance, yet seems to allude to Isai. 49.1, 12. Those Gentiles there mentioned being estranged from God in their hearts, aswell as removed from his people in place. are made nigh Brought into a state of communion with God, and his People, and participation of their privileges, and right to the Promises. by the bloud of Christ The merit of his Death expiating Sin, (which caused this distance) and so making way for their approach to God, and enjoyment of Gospel Blessings..

For he is our peace i, who has made both one i. e. one Body, or one People, or one New Man, v. 15., and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us Having taken away the Ceremonial Law, which was as a wall of separation between Iew and Gentile, as appears in the next verse. It seems to be an allusion to that Wall of the Temple which parted between the Court of the People into which the Iews came, and the outmost Court, that of the Gentiles, who when they came to Worship, might not come into the other Court, and were excluded by this wall.: i. e. Peace-maker, or Mediatour of Peace, both between God and Man, and between Iew and Gentile. He is called our Peace, as elsewhere our Righteousness, Redemption, Salvation. God is said to reconcile us, 2 Cor. 5.19. but Christ only to be our peace.

Having abolished Abrogated, taken away the power of binding men. in his flesh Not the flesh of Sacrificed Beasts, but his own Flesh: before he mentioned his Bloud, and now his Flesh, to imply the whole Sacrifice of Christ, comprehending his Flesh as well as Bloud. The Ceremonies had their accomplishment in Christ, and so their abolishment by him. the enmity By a Metonymy he so calls the Ceremonies, which were the cause and the sign of enmity between Iew and Gentile. The Iews hated the Gentiles as Uncircumcised, and the Gentiles despised the Iews for being Circumcised. even the law of commandments contained in ordinances Either by the Law of Commandments, the Apostle means the Law of Ceremomonial Rites, and by the word which we render Ordinances, he means Doctrine, and then (the word contained not being in the Gr.) the sense is, that Christ by his Doctrine or Commandments abolished those Ceremonial Rites: the word Commandment seems thus to be used, Deut. 16.12. and 1 Kings 2.3. Ezek. 18.21. Or else (which yet comes to the same) the word rendred Ordinances signifies such Ordinances as depended upon the sole will of the Law-giver; and is, Col. 2.14. taken for Ceremonial ones, and so is to be taken here, This the Apostle seems to add, to show what part of the Law was Abrogated by Christ, viz. nothing of the Moral Law, but only the Ceremonial., for to make Or create, or form, in opposition to abolish. in himself By Union with himself as the Head in which the several Members agree. of twain Two Bodies or two People, Iews and Gentiles., one new man i. e. New Body (or new (viz. Christian) people. As the body of a Commonwealth is one civil person, so the body of the Church is in a like sense one person., so making peace Between Iew and Gentile having taken away those Ceremonial Laws, which were the cause of the difference between them..

And that he might reconcile both unto God Another end of Christ's abolishing the Ceremonial Law, viz. That he might reconcile both Iew and Gentile (all the Elect together) unto God: and in this respect especially he is our Peace. in one body Either both People united as one mystical Body, or rather this one Body here, is the Body of Christ offered up to God as the means of reconciliation, Col. 1.22. by the Cross i. e. by the Sacrifice of himself upon the Cross., having slain the enmity thereby The enmity between God and Man by the expiation of Sin the cause of it. Of this enmity the Ceremonial Law was a Witness, Col. 2.14. aswell as a Sign of that between Iew and Gentile..

And he came Partly in his own person as to the Iews, and partly by his Apostles whom he appointed to Preach the Gospel to the Gentiles: so 2 Cor. 13.3. and preached peace to you that were afar off Far from the knowledge of the truth, from Christ, and Salvation by him, as v. 13., and to them that were nigh Nigh in comparison of the Gentiles, nigh by the Knowledge of God and his Law, and the promises of the Messiah: see Isai. 57.19..

For through him As our Mediatour and Peace-maker, who has reconciled us to God. we both have an access Are admitted or introduced. by one spirit By the Holy Ghost who is our Guide to lead us to the Father, as Christ is the way by which we goe to him, Ioh. 14.6. As there is but one Mediatour through whom both Iews and Gentiles come to God, so but one and the same Spirit, Chap. 4.4. unto the Father.

Now therefore ye are no more strangers, and foreigners Such are they that may dwell in a City, but are not Free of it. He means the same as v. 12. they were not now aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, &c. but fellow citizens with the saints Members of the same spiritual Society or Corporation with other Saints, Patriarchs, Prophets, &c. The Church of God is compared to a City, of which every Saint is a Member or Free-man, Phil. 3.20., and of the houshold of God The Church is here compared to an House, as 1. Tim. 3.15. They are said to be of the Houshold that belong to it, but especially the Children. Among Men, Servants are counted Domesticks, but with God none but his Children..

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets The foundation which the Apostles and Prophets laid by their Preaching, viz. Christ whom they held forth as the only Mediatour between God and Man, the only Saviour and Head of the Church: see 1 Cor. 3.11. Foundation in the Singular Number, to imply the unity of their Doctrine centring in Christ, Apostles and Prophets, whose Office was to Preach, not Kings and Patriarchs., Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone As both supporting the building by his strength, and uniting the several parts of it, Iew and Gentile: see Mat. 21.42. Psal. 118.22. They that are of chief Authority are called the corners of a People, as sustaining the greatest burthen, 1 Sam. 14.38. Isai. 19.13. Obj. If Christ be the corner Stone, how is he the Foundation? Ans. The same thing may have different denominations in different respects; Christ is called a Foundation 1 Cor. 3.11. a corner Stone, 1 Pet. 2.6. a Temple, Ioh. 2.19. a Door, Ioh. 10.7. a Builder, Mat. 16.18. so here again a corner Stone, and yet laid for a Foundation, Isai. 28.16..

In whom Or upon whom, viz. Christ the Foundation. all the building Whatsoever is built on Christ the Foundation, and so all particular Believers as the several parts of the building. fitly framed together Joined and united both to Christ the Foundation by Faith, and to each other by love. groweth Either 1. ariseth; the building goeth on till it come to be a Temple. Or 2. it notes the Stones or Materials of the House to be living ones, receiving life from Christ, 1 Pet. 2.5. Growth supposeth life. The Verb is in the Present Tense, to signifie that the Builders are still at work, and this Temple nor yet finished. unto an holy Temple In allusion to the Temple at Ierusalem, whereas the Holy of Holies was a Type of Heaven, so the Temple it self was a Type of the Church, both as it was the place of God's Presence, and of his Worship. in the Lord Either this must be joined to groweth, and then it is a Pleonasm, the Antecedent being here repeated, though the Relative had been expressed, and it implies the Growth of Believers (the materials of this spiritual building) to be from Christ. Or it may be joined with Holy, and then it signifies that they have their Holiness from Christ, or it may be read Holy to the Lord, and then it expresses the nature of this Temple, that it is undefiled, consecrated to the Lord, and meet for him..

In whom you also are builded together, for an habitation of God A Temple where God may dwell. Not only the whole Collection of Believers is called the Temple of God, but particular Churches, and particular Saints are so called, because of God's dwelling in them by his Spirit: see 1 Cor. 3.16, 17. and 6.19. through the Spirit This may relate either to the words immediately going before, an habitation of God, and then the meaning is, an Habitation or Temple in which God dwells by his Spirit: or to the Verb Builded, and then they import the building of them into a Temple to be the Operation of the Spirit, working that Faith and Love in them whereby they are united to Christ the Foundation, and to the several parts of the Building..