Ephesians 1:9

Not only has God a will, but the intention of his will is expressed in Christ. Hence all things are done through him. There is nothing in the mystery that is not done through Jesus Christ.

The Stoics also hold that there is a distinction between wisdom and insight. They say, "Wisdom is the knowledge of things divine and human, insight only of that which is mortal." According to this distinction we might apply Paul's term wisdom to the invisible and visible and insight only to the visible.

According to his good pleasure, he says, which he purposed in him; that is, He longed for this, He was in throes, as one may say, to bring forth this mystery. And of what nature is this? It is that it is His will to …

In all wisdom and prudence, he says, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, as if one should say: he made known to us the things in his heart. For this is the mystery which is full of all wisdom and prudence. …

That is to say, Making us wise and prudent, in that which is true wisdom, and that which is true prudence. Strange! what friendship! For He telleth us His secrets; the mysteries, saith he, of His will, as if one should say, He hath made known to us the things that are in His heart. For here is indeed the mystery which is full of all wisdom and prudence. For what will you mention equal to this wisdom! Those that were worth nothing, it hath discovered a way of raising them to wealth and abundance. What can equal this wise contrivance? He that was an enemy, he that was hated, he is in a moment lifted up on high. And not this only,-but, yet more, that it should be done at this particular time, this again was the work of wisdom; and that it should be done by means of the Cross. It were matter of long discourse here to point out, how all this was the work of wisdom, and how He had made us wise. And therefore he repeats again the words, "According to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him." That is to say, this He desired, this He travailed for, as one might say, that He might be able to reveal to us the mystery. What mystery? That He would have man seated up on high. And this hath come to pass.

That is, He poured out grace upon us so that, having made us wise and understanding, He might "reveal to us the mystery of His will"; he was saying, as it were: He revealed to us the mysteries of His heart. Or in this way: …

Thus for us alone the grace of Christ has been set aside for knowledge; and that for the unenlightened it cannot be comprehended.

For His favor was upon her good works before the ages, as well as on her and for a long time, for that which was foreordained has come, and has been greatly accepted.

The reception of an uncommon revelation is their next blessing, that he might make known unto us the mystery of his will. As if he had said: Our wisdom does not consist in discovering the natures of material realities, nor the course of the stars, …

Having made known to us - By his word and by his Spirit. The mystery of his will - The gracious scheme of salvation by faith, which depends on his own sovereign will alone. This was but darkly discovered under the law; is now totally hid from unbelievers; and has heights and depths which surpass all the knowledge even of true believers.

), that is, so much of his good-will to men, which had been concealed for a long time, and is still concealed from so great a part of the world: this we owe to Christ, who, having lain in the bosom of the Father from eternity, came to declare his will to the children of men.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,....

Having made known to us the mystery of his will - The word “mystery” (μυστήριον mustērion) means literally something into which one must be “initiated” before it is fully known (from μυέω mueō, to initiate, to instruct); and then anything which is concealed or hidden. We commonly use the word to denote that which is above our comprehension or unintelligible. But this is never the meaning of the word in the New Testament.

"He hath abounded," or "made (grace) to abound toward us" (Eph 1:8), in that He made known to us, namely, experimentally, in our hearts. the mystery--God's purpose of redemption hidden heretofore in His counsels, but now revealed (Eph 6:19; This "mystery" is not like the heathen mysteries, which were imparted only to the initiated few. All Christians are the initiated.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

Having made known unto us the mystery - That the Gentiles should ever be received into the Church of God, and have all the privileges of the Jews, without being obliged to submit to circumcision, and perform the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish law was a mystery - a hidden thing which had never been published before; and now revealed only to the apostles. It was God’s will that it should be so, but that will he kept hidden to the present time. A mystery signifies something hidden, but it ceases to be a mystery as soon as it is revealed. See the note on Mat 13:11; and particularly that on Rom 11:25 (note). Good pleasure - Την ευδοκιαν· That benevolent design which he had purposed in himself, not being induced by any consideration from without.