Bible Commentaries

Ephesians 1:7

Forgiveness of sins lies at the very heart of the Christian religion. That title of our Lord which appeals most to the heart of mankind is the title which is His as Saviour. It is proclaimed in that fact which of all facts in history has most impressed itself upon the imagination of mankind, the Sacrifice of Christ. In the Apostles" Creed we say, "I believe in the forgiveness of sins". It is a petition in that prayer which is the model of all prayer—the Lord's Prayer, we pray, "Forgive us our trespasses". And it is the experience of a multitude of souls fallen into Bin, but raised from the dust of sin to new life, endowed with new spirit, inspired with new hopes, and all because they believe in the forgiveness of sins.

I. What is Forgiveness?—What does it mean, this forgiveness of sins? It is easy to see that forgiveness is something more than the remission of penalties. A great French writer, Victor Hugo, tells a story of a convict who had been doing penal servitude for nineteen years, and who was released on ticket of leave, and he found on every hand that men's doors were closed to him; how he comes to the door of a French bishop, and there he begs for food and shelter. And the food and the shelter are granted him; but he sees the bishop's silver plate and when he cannot sleep at night the temptation comes to him, and he yields to it, to take the silver, and he goes. A few hours afterwards he is brought back by the police, and they are admitted into the presence of the bishop. "Ah," he says, "I am glad to see you. I gave you the candlesticks too. They are worth ten pounds. Why did you not take them with the rest?" And he turns to the police, explains that a mistake has been made, that the captive must be let go free. The police go, and then the bishop turns to the man and says to him, "My brother, never forget that you have promised to employ this money in learning to be an honest man. You no longer belong to evil, but to good. I withdraw your heart from the spirit of perdition, and I give you to God." Now to treat a guilty man as though he were not guilty, is that forgiveness? Certainly in some cases to do so would be an intolerable wrong. Here is a man who makes a livelihood out of vice. To treat that man as innocent would be sinful. But here is this man treated by his friend just as though he was innocent, and to the onlookers such action seems to be what someone has called an inspiration of Ephesians 1:7-8

Grace is too commonly regarded as a pleasing sentiment, a welcome feeling of cosy favour entertained toward us by our God. The interpretation is ineffective, and inevitably cripples the life in which it prevails. Grace is more than a smile of good nature. It is not the shimmering of an illumined lake; it is the sun-lit majesty of an advancing sea. It is a transcendant and ineffable force, the outgoing energies of the redeeming personality of God washing against the polluted shores of human need.

I. In the text the energies of grace are more particularly discovered in their relationship to sin. "Forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace." The word "grace" is not a prevalent word in modern speech, and its rare occurrence may be explained by the partial disappearance of the word "sin" from our vocabulary. If we exile the one we shall not long retain the other. What philosophy and personal inclination are disposed to extenuate, the Christian religion seeks to deepen and revive.

II. What is the ministry of the heavenly energy? The inspiring evangel of the text gathers itself round about three emphases. Let us feast our eyes on the wealthy programme. (1) Grace flows round about the life in powers of liberation. It sets itself to deal both with the guilt and the power of sin, and it removes the one, and subdues the other. (2) The grace that liberates also illuminates. The grace that brings "redemption" also confers "wisdom". (3) Grace brings "prudence," power of fruitful application; power to apply the eternal to the transient; power to bring the vision to the task, the revelation to the duty, the truth to the trifle.

III. How do we come into the sweep of the marvellous effluence of the grace of God? "In whom we have." That is the standing ground. To be in Him, in the Christ, is to be in the abiding-place of this superlative energy.

—J. H. Jowett, Apostolic Optimism, p111.

References.—I:7-10.—E. J. Kennedy, Old Theology Restated, p34. I:9 , 10.—Expositor (4th Series), vol. i. p140; ibid. vol. vi. p421; ibid. (5th Series), vol. iv. p136. I:9 , 20.—Ibid. (7th Series), vol. v. p148. I:10.—Ibid. vol. ii. p181; ibid. (6th Series), vol. xi. p347. I:11-14.—A. Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture— Ephesians 1:17-19

The Apostle prays that the Ephesians may have supernatural light shed upon the gold of their supernatural wealth.

I. It is our great privilege to grow in clearness of understanding, beholding with more open vision the beauty and preciousness of the truth as it is in Jesus. The first light that falls upon our spiritual understanding is marvellous light; but whilst we continue obedient unto the heavenly vision, it will shine ever more brightly. The vision of a faithful soul grows in comprehensiveness and penetration, realising with infinite delight the great and beautiful doctrines of the spiritual universe. The biographer of the late Dr. Dale, of Birmingham, says of him: "He lived under the benignant sway of a succession of great truths, following one another like the constellations of the heavens". In successive periods of his life familiar truths in succession became extraordinary, captivating him, filling him with wonder, thrilling him with delight. Is not this the ideal life? First one and then another article of the creed glowing into light, dawning on the soul, seizing it, occupying it, delighting it, leaving it with special enrichment and perfection! A true course is one of progressive illumination. No Christian life is altogether right and satisfactory except more light, and more, is shining upon it out of God's Word—except uninteresting bits of the raiment of the truth are continually being transfigured; except passages which resemble darkened glass are becoming telescopic; unless commonplace chapters of historian, Prophet, and Apostle suffer a strange change into streets of gold whose stones are like unto a stone most precious, as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal; and unless starless spaces in the firmament of revelation are being sown with galaxies, and irradiated with the glory of the Lord.

II. Note that the sources of illumination are within. "Having the eyes of your heart enlightened." It is insight rather than reflected light; it springs up in the depths of the soul. This is not the instruction gained by intellectual study; it is rather experimental, coming through the inner powers of affection, thought, and will.

—W. L. Watkinson, The Ashes of Roses, p79.

References.—I:17-23.—Bishop Stubbs, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xlvi. p358. Expositor (5th Series), vol. v. p251 , I:18.—J. G. Greenhough, The Mind of Christ in St. Paul, p148. A. Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture— Ephesians 1:18-20

The phrase "in the heavenly places" is peculiar to the Epistle to the 1 Peter 1:12).

V. The last context in which we find the words (VI:12) is a surprising and a startling one. The same words which are used to describe the abode of Christ, our own position of blessing in Him, and the home of the holy angels, are here used to describe the scene of our conflict with "the spiritual hosts of wickedness". "Our wrestling" with them is described as taking place "in the heavenly places," just as in this same Epistle Satan is described as "the prince of the power of the air". The common use of this word "air" in Scripture is of the atmosphere which surrounds the earth; and we must remember that the word "heaven" has a wide range of meaning, for there is "the heaven of heavens," and St. Paul speaks of being caught up into "the third heaven". We may, therefore, think of "a heavenly place" which corresponds to the region of "the air," no less than of one which is the abode of the holy angels and of God Himself. But it is foolish to attempt to localise too closely; the term is designedly vague, so as to include the realm and abode of all spiritual forces and powers. There reigns the Father in His supreme majesty, there the Son of God reigns in His mediatorial kingdom, there the Holy Spirit pours "blessed unction from above," and there we are the object, not only of watchful interest to those ministers that do God's pleasure, but also of never-ceasing attack from the ministers of Satan.

Thus, if our life "in the heavenly places" involves great privileges, it also involves serious conflict. We are "in the heavenly places," but so too are our foes; or, at least, they can reach us there, and disturb our peace. But, thank God, we can face the fact without fear.

—Bishop Drury, The Prison Ministry of St. Paul, p157.

The Standard Miracle

Ephesians 1:18-20

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the New Testament standard of power. It is the sample and pledge of what God can do for man.

I. The uniqueness of Christ's resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead reveals the might of God working at the fulness of its strength. When we want to know what God is able to do, we go back to the Resurrection of His Son. This crowning miracle is inclusive of all others. It demonstrates conquest over every dominion that affects human life. Of the unique significance of the resurrection the Scriptures leave no room for doubt. It is God's crowning testimony to His Ephesians 1:22-23

Anthony Froude "is as delighted with Arnold as I am; on his remarking to Dr. Pusey on the beauty of Arnold's comparing the Church and State to the Soul and Body, Pusey quietly but most solemnly said, "I consider the Church belongs to a much higher Body"."

—Caroline Fox's Journals.

Reference.—I:23.—Expositor (5th Series), vol. vii. p241.