Matthew Henry

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

“All our spiritual blessings flow down to us in that stream. This great benefit, which comes freely to us, was dearly bought and paid for by our blessed Lord; and yet it is according to the riches of God's grace.”

as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.

“The innumerable company of angels become one with the church through Christ: this God purposed in himself, and it was his design in that dispensation which was to be accomplished by his sending Christ in the fulness of time, at the exact time that God…”

In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,

“Christians are said to have obtained this inheritance, as they have a present right to it, and even actual possession of it, in Christ their head and representative. The seal and earnest of the Spirit are of the number of these blessings.”

And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

“The blessed Spirit is holy himself, and he makes us holy. He is called the Spirit of promise, as he is the promised Spirit. By him believers are sealed; that is, separated and set apart for God, and distinguished and marked as belonging to him.”

who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.

“The earnest is part of payment, and it secures the full sum: so is the gift of the Holy Ghost; all his influences and operations, both as a sanctifier and a comforter, are heaven begun, glory in the seed and bud.”

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

“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.”

I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,

“We ought to labour after, and pray earnestly for, a clearer insight into, and a fuller acquaintance with, the great objects of a Christian's hopes. The riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.”

and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength,

“It is a desirable thing to know experimentally the mighty power of that grace beginning and carrying on the work of faith in our souls.”

which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms,

“That indeed was the great proof of the truth of the gospel to the world: but the transcript of that in ourselves (our sanctification, and rising from the death of sin, in conformity to Christ's resurrection) is the great proof to us.”

far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

“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.”

And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church,

“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…”

which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

“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?”

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

“The miserable condition of the Ephesians by nature is here in part described. Unregenerate souls are dead in trespasses and sins.”

in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now…

“As the good Spirit works that which is good in obedient souls, so this evil spirit works that which is evil in wicked men; and he now works, not only heretofore, but even since the world has been blessed with the light of the glorious…”

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,

“Love is his inclination to do us good considered simply as creatures; mercy respects us as apostate and as miserable creatures.”

in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

“And what may we not hope for from such grace and kindness, from riches of grace, to which this change is owing? Through Christ Jesus, by and through whom God conveys all his favour and blessings to us.”

by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace

“Thus he made in himself of twain one new man. He framed both these parties into one new society, or body of God's people, uniting them to himself as their common head, they being renewed by the Holy Ghost, and now concurring in a new…”

Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household,

“Observe here, The church is compared to a city, and every converted sinner is free of it. It is also compared to a house, and every converted sinner is one of the domestics, one of the family, a servant and a child in God's house.”

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.

“The apostles and prophets are the foundation of that building. They may be so called in a secondary sense, Christ himself being the primary foundation; but we are rather to understand it of the doctrine delivered by the prophets of the Old Testament and the…”

In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

“The universal church being built upon Christ as the foundation-stone, and united in Christ as the corner-stone, comes at length to be glorified in him as the top-stone: In whom you also are built together, &c.,”

And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.

“Observe, Not only the universal church is called the temple of God, but particular churches; and even every true believer is a living temple, is a habitation of God through the Spirit.”

that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.

“Here we may observe that the coalition of Jews and Gentiles in the gospel church was a mystery, a great mystery, what was designed in the counsel of God before all worlds, but what could not be fully understood for many ages, till the accomplishment…”

Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

“(2.) How highly he speaks of Jesus Christ: The unsearchable riches of Christ. There is a mighty treasury of mercy, grace, and love, laid up in Christ Jesus, and that both for Jews and Gentiles.”

and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

“It is true that both the first creation, when God made all things out of nothing, and the new creation, whereby sinners are made new creatures by converting grace, are of God by Jesus Christ.”

His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,

“The holy angels, who look into the mystery of our redemption by Christ, could not but take notice of this branch of that mystery, that among the Gentiles is preached the unsearchable riches of Christ.”