Ephesians 1:12

Eph_1:12

That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.

The dignity and obligations of those called early to faith

I. To be brought to faith before others is a prerogative which persons so called have above others.

1. Let us acknowledge their dignity. The young rise up before the ancient in nature; so should it be with us who are babes, when we meet with those who are veterans in Christ (see Rom_16:6; 1Co_16:15).

2. Let those so honoured walk worthy of their dignity, by adorning their age in Christ with graces corresponding, such as experience, wisdom, weanedness, all kinds of mortification. Should one of fifty have no more wisdom and staidness than another at fifteen, it would make their old age despicable.

II. The end of all the benefits we obtain in Christ is, that we may set forth His glorious grace and mercy toward us. Let our words, our works, our whole man be at His command and service. The Church in the Canticles so praises the beauty of her spouse, that she wakens others; so should we from our hearts set forth the praise of our Christ, that others may by our means be brought to inquire after Him. Those who find bounteous masters on earth, how will they tell of their affability and liberality, of every circumstance wherein they do them any grace and favour? How will they protest themselves devoted to their service; how impatient are they of anything which so much as seems to tend to their disparagement? What a shame, then, it is that we should walk, neither feeling our hearts affected, nor yet opening our mouths to praise Him who has redeemed us and brought us to the hope of an immortal and incorruptible inheritance. (Paul Bayne.)

Believers ministering to Gods praise

In order to understand this sentence, we must consider that the term, trusted in Christ, implies more than it expresses; even the coming to God, or repentance, through belief, or hope, or trust that Christ, by His death, has made reconciliation with God for all who will come to Him in this hope, belief, and trust. The sentence, then, must be understood as thus: That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first drew near unto Him, through trust in the reconciliation which Christ has made; and then we see how this is to the praise and glory of God. For Gods glory is manifested by the exercise of His gracious attributes of mercy and loving kindness and forgiveness; but these He is prevented from exercising towards men when their hearts are impenitent and unbelieving, as we find it recorded of our Lord, that He could there do no mighty works, because of their unbelief. But what does the apostle mean when he speaks: we who first trusted in Christ? He is speaking apparently of the Jews, the first to whom the gospel was preached; as we find our Lord instructing His apostles, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; and again, we have St. Paul saying that the offer and promise of salvation was made to the Jew first; and it is well to remember that all the first apostles and heralds of salvation were from among the Jews, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah and others, that the Word of the Lord should go forth from Jerusalem; and hence we see how that, in more than one sense, the first Jewish believers may be said to have ministered to the praise and glory of God. For not only did they, by their faith and repentance, make room for Gods glory to be manifested by the extension of mercy and forgiveness to themselves; but they, leading the way, were the occasion of others also embracing the faith, and themselves proclaimed it to the rest of the world. (A. P. Perceval, B. C. L.)

God must have all the glory of grace

A certain king had a minstrel, and he bade him play before him. It was a day of high feasting; the cups were flowing, and many great guests were assembled. The minstrel laid his fingers among the strings of his harp and woke them all to the sweetest melody, but the hymn was to the glory of himself. It was a celebration of the exploits of song which the bard had himself performed. He had excelled high Howells harp, and emulated great Llewellyns lay. In high-sounding strains he sang himself and all his glories. When the feast was over the harper said to the monarch, Oh, king, give me my guerdon; let the minstrels mede be paid. And the king said, Thou hast sung unto thyself; pay thyself; thine own praises were thy theme; be thyself the paymaster. He cried, Did I not sing sweetly? O, king, give me the gold! But the king replied, So much the worse for thy pride, that thou shouldest lavish such sweetness upon thyself. Brethren, even if a man should grow grey-headed in the performance of good works, yet when at the last it is known that he has done it all to himself, his Lord will say, Thou hast done well enough in the eyes of man, but so much the worse, because thou didst it only to thyself, that thine own praises might be sung, and that thine own name might be extolled. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

We must trust Christ

What had the woman who touched the hem of our Lords garment heard? Nothing of His kindness towards herself, but towards others, and upon this she believed. So a rope is but cast down into the sea to a multitude of drowning men, and all are bidden for their life to lay hold on the rope that they may be saved; it were unreasonable and foolish curiosity for any of these poor men, now upon death and life, commanded to hold fast the rope, to dispute whether did the man who east down the rope intend and purpose to save me or not? and while my mind is perplexed on that point, I will not put out one finger to touch the rope. Fool! dispute not, but lay hold on the remedy. (S. Rutherford.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. We—The same we as in the preceding verses, meaning Paul and his Ephesians directly, including all believers inferentially. Most commentators (including Meyer, Ellicott, and Riddle) make who in apposition with we, and to… glory, the main predicate; reading thus: that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. (!) It seems sufficient to refute this to note, that to the praise of his glory, however pregnant in meaning, is, in every instance, a subordinate clause, and not the main predicate of the sentence, Eph_1:6; Eph_1:14; none the less so in the last instance because brought so emphatically at the close of the sentence. The meaning of the verse is: we are predestinated, the glory being God’s, to be fore-hopers in Christ.

First trusted—Literal Greek, the ones having fore-hoped in Christ. It does not mean that we trusted (or, more correctly rendered, fore-hoped) before somebody else, or that we are by God designed to be the earliest believers; but we, like all believers, hoped for the restitutive inheritance in Christ before its realization. As Eph_1:9-10 describe the restitution, Eph_1:11 says we have an inheritance therein, being predestinated; Eph_1:12 now tells us to what we are predestinated, namely, to being fore-hopers in Christ for attaining the inheritance in the restitution.

All the commentators we have examined here seem, we think, to miss the true meaning. The we they take to be Jews, and ye Gentiles; the distinctive of the Jews being, that they fore-hoped in the Christ, that is, the Messiah. Alford thinks it a proof of this meaning that Christ has here the article before it, and so signifies the Messiah. It seems enough to reply that Christ has the article before it in Eph_1:10, where it signifies the Messiah, not as specifically fore-hoped by the Jews, but the Messiah of our race, as its great restorer. The we of Eph_1:12 must, then, be the we of Eph_1:11, and that of all the previous wes, or first persons plural, of the paragraph; so that it would follow that Paul is, forsooth, all the time speaking about Jews until Eph_1:13! If not, let we of Eph_1:11 be the universal elect, and of Eph_1:12 the Jews; then what is the meaning? It would then mean we, the universal Church, are predestinated in order that we, Jews, expecting the Messiah, may be to the praise of his glory!

But what is the meaning of the Greek word (rendered incorrectly in the English version first trusted) προηλπικοτας, the ones having fore-hoped—fore-hopers? It means those who hoped before the attainment of the object of hope; hoped for a distant restitution. The objection of Alford, that fore-hope is, then, nothing more than hope, is nugatory. One might as well say that to predestinate, that is, to fore-destine, is nothing more than to destine. But in both cases the prefix serves to rest the mind on the anterior state of the hoping man, as looking to, and waiting for, the future result.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Chapter 4

THE FINAL REDEMPTION

Eph_1:12-14

WHEN the apostle reaches the "heritage" conferred upon us in Christ (Eph_1:11), he is on the boundary between the present and the future. Into that future he now presses forward, gathering from it his crowning tribute "to the praise of Gods glory." We shall find, however, that this heritage assumes a twofold character, as did the conception of the inheritance of the Lord in the Old Testament. If the saints have their heritage in Christ, partly possessed and partly to be possessed, God has likewise, and antecedently, His inheritance in them, of which He too has still to take full possession.

Opening upon this final prospect, St. Paul touches on a subject of supreme interest to himself and that could not fail to find a place in his great Act of Praise-viz., the admission of the Gentiles to the spiritual property of Israel. The thought of the heirship of believers and of Gods previous counsel respecting it (Eph_1:11), brought before his mind the distinction between Jew and Gentile and the part assigned to each in the Divine plan. Hence he varies the general refrain in Eph_1:12 by saying significantly, "that we might be to the praise of His glory." This emphatic we is explained in the opening phrase of the last strophe: "that have beforehand fixed our hope on the Christ,"-the heirs of Israels hope in "Him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write." With this "we" of Pauls Jewish consciousness the "ye also" of Eph_1:13 is set in contrast by his vocation as Gentile apostle. This second pronoun, by one of Pauls abrupt turns of thought, is deprived of its predicating verb; but that is given already by the "hoped" of the last clause. "The Messianic hope, Israels ancient heirloom, in its fulfilment is yours as much as ours." This hope of Israel pointed Israelite and Gentile believer alike to the completion of the Messianic era, when the mystery of God should be finished and His universe redeemed from the bondage of corruption (Eph_1:10, Eph_1:14). By the "one hope" of the Christian calling the Church is now made one. From this point of view the apostle in Eph_2:12 describes the condition in which the gospel found his Gentile readers as that of men cut off from Christ, strangers to the covenant of promise, -in a word, "having no hope"; while he and his Jewish fellow believers held the priority that belonged to those whose are the promises. The apostle stands precisely at the juncture where the wild shoot of nature is grafted into the good olive tree. A generation later no one would have thought of writing of "the Christ in whom you (Gentiles) also have found hope"; for then Christ was the established possession of the Gentile Church.

To these Christless heathen Christ and His hope came, when they "heard the word of truth, the gospel of their salvation." A great light had sprung up for them that sat in darkness; the good tidings of salvation came to the lost and despairing. To the Gentiles St. Paul declared, addressing the obstinate Jews of Rome, "this salvation of God was sent: they indeed will hear it". {Act_28:28} Such was his experience in Ephesus and all the Gentile cities. There were hearing ears and open hearts, souls longing for the word of truth and the message of hope. The trespass of Israel had become the riches of the world. For this on his readers behalf he gives joyful thanks, - that his message proved to be "the gospel of your salvation."

Salvation, as St. Paul understands it, includes our uttermost deliverance, the end of death itself. {1Co_15:26} He renders praise to God for that he has settled Gentile equally with Jewish believers with the stamp of His Spirit, which makes them His property and gives assurance of absolute redemption.

There are three things to be considered in this statement: the seal itself, the conditions upon which, and the purpose for which it is affixed.

I. A seal is a token of proprietorship put by the owner upon his property; or it is the authentication of some statement or engagement, the official stamp that gives it validity; or it is the pledge of inviolability guarding a treasure from profane or injurious hands. There are the protecting seal, the ratifying seal, and the proprietary seal. The same seal may serve each or all of these purposes. Here the thought of possession predominates (comp. Eph_1:4); but it can scarcely be separated from the other two. The witness of the Holy Spirit marks men out as Gods purchased right in Christ. {1Co_6:19-20} In that very fact it guards them from evil and wrong, {Eph_4:30} while it ratifies their Divine sonship {Gal_4:6} and guarantees their personal share in the promises of God. {2Co_1:20-22} It is a bond between God and men; a sign at once of what we are and shall be to God, and of what He is and will be to us. It secures, and it assures. It stamps us for Gods possession, and His kingdom and glory as our possession.

This seal is constituted by the Holy Spirit of the promise, -in contrast with the material seal, "in the flesh wrought by hand," which marked the children of the Old Covenant from Abraham downwards, previously to the fulfilment of the promise. {Gal_3:14} We bear it in the inmost part of our nature, where we are nearest to God: "The Spirit witnesseth to our spirit." "The Israelites also were sealed, but by circumcision, like cattle and irrational animals. We were sealed by the Spirit as sons" (Chrysostom). The stamp of God is on the consciousness of His children. "We know that Christ abides in us," writes St. John, "from the Spirit which He gave us." {1Jn_3:24} Under this seal is conveyed the sum of blessing comprised in our salvation. Jesus promised your "heavenly Father will give His Spirit to them that ask.," {Luk_11:13} as if there were nothing else to ask. Giving us this, God gives everything, gives us Himself! In substance or anticipation, this one bestowment contains all good things of God.

The apostle writes "the Spirit of the promise, the Holy [Spirit]," with emphasis on the word of quality; for the testifying power of the seal lies in its character. "Beloved, believe not every spirit; but try the spirits, whether they are of God". {1Jn_4:1} There are false prophets, deceiving and deceived; there are promptings from "the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience," diabolical inspirations, so plausible and astonishing that they may deceive the very elect. It is a most perilous error to identify the supernatural with the Divine, to suppose mere miracles and communications from the invisible sphere a sign of the working of God. Antichrist can mimic Christ by his "lying wonders and deceit of unrighteousness". {2Th_2:8-13} Jesus never appealed to the power of His works in proof of His mission, apart from their ethical quality. Gods Spirit works after His kind, and makes ours a holy spirit. There is an objective and subjective witness- the obverse and reverse of the medal. {2Ti_2:19} To be sealed by the Holy Spirit is, in St. Pauls dialect, the same thing as to be sanctified; only, the phrase of this text brings out graphically the promissory aspect of sanctification, its bearing on our final redemption.

When the sealing Spirit is called the Spirit of promise, does the expression look backward or forward? Is the apostle thinking of the past promise now fulfilled, or of some promise still to be fulfilled? The former:, undoubtedly, is true. The promise (the article is significant) is, in the words of Christ, "the promise of the Father." On the day of Pentecost St. Peter pointed to the descent of the Holy Spirit as Gods seal upon the Messiahship of Jesus, fulfilling what was promised to Israel for the last days. When this miraculous effusion was repeated in the household of Cornelius, the Jewish apostle saw its immense significance. He asked, "Can any one forbid water that these should be baptised, who have received the Holy Spirit" as well as Act_10:47. This was the predicted criterion of the Messianic times. Now it was given; and with an abundance beyond hope, -poured out, in the full sense of Joels words, upon all flesh.

Now, if God has done so much-for this is the implied argument of Eph_1:13-14 -He will surely accomplish the rest. The attainment of past hope is the warrant of present hope. He who gives us his own Spirit, will give us the fulness of eternal life. The earnest implies the sum. In the witness of the Holy Spirit there is for the Christian man the power of an endless life, a spring of courage and patience that can never fail.

II. But there are very definite conditions, upon which this assurance depends. "When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation" - there is the outward condition: "when you believed"-there is the inward and subjective qualification for the affixing of the seal of God to the heart.

How characteristic is this antithesis of hearing and faith! St. Paul delights to ring the changes upon these terms. The gospel he carried about with him was a message from God to men, the good news about Jesus Christ. It needs, on the one hand, to be effectively uttered, proclaimed so as to be heard with the understanding; and, on the other hand, it must be trustfully received and obeyed. Then the due result follows. There is salvation-conscious, full.

If they are to believe unto salvation, men must be made to hear the word of truth. Unless the good news reaches their ears and their heart, it is no good news to them. "How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? how shall they hear without a preacher?". {Rom_10:14} The light may be true, and the eyes clear and open; but there is no vision till both meet, till the illuminating ray falls on the sensitive spot and touches the responsive nerve. How many sit in darkness, groping and wearying for the light, ready for the message if there were any to speak it to them! Great would Pauls guilt have been, if when Christ called him to preach to the heathen, he had refused to go, if he had withheld the gospel of salvation from the multitudes waiting to receive it at his lips. Great also are our fault and blame, and heavy the reproach against the Church to-day, when with means in her hand to make Christ known to almost the whole world, she leaves vast numbers of men within her reach in ignorance of His message.

She is not the proprietor of the Christian truth: it is Gods Gospel; and she holds it as Gods trustee for mankind, -that through her "the message might be fully preached, and that all the nations might hear". {2Ti_4:17} She has St. Pauls programme in hand still to complete, and loiters over it.

The nature of the message constitutes our duty to proclaim it. It is "the word of truth." If there be any doubt upon this, if our certainty of the Christian truth is shaken and we can no longer announce it with full conviction, our zeal for its propagation naturally declines. Scepticism chills and kills missionary fervour, as the breath of the frost the young growth of spring. At home and amongst our own people evangelistic agencies are supported by many who have no very decided personal faith, from secondary motives, -with a view to their social and reformatory benefits out of philanthropic feeling and love to "the brother whom we have seen." The foreign missions of the Church, like the work of the Gentile apostle, gauge her real estimate of the gospel she believes and the Master she serves.

But if we have no sure word of prophecy to speak, we had better be silent. Men are not saved by illusion or speculation. Christianity did not begin by offering to mankind a legend for a gospel, or win the ear of the world for a beautiful romance. When the apostles preached Jesus and the resurrection, they declared what they knew. To have spoken otherwise, to have uttered cunningly devised fables, or pious fantasies or conjectures of their own, would have been, in their view, to bear false witness against God. Before the hostile scrutiny of their fellow-men, and in prospect of the awful judgment of God, they testified the facts about Jesus Christ, the things that they had "heard, and seen with their eyes, and which their hands had handled concerning the word of life." They were as sure of these things as of their own being. Standing upon this ground and with this weapon of truth alone in their hands, they denounced "the wiles of error" and the "craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive". {Eph_4:14}

And they could always speak of this word of truth, addressing whatsoever circle of hearers or of readers, as "the good news of your salvation." The pronoun, as we have seen, is emphatic. The glory of Pauls apostolic mission was its universalism. His message was to every man he met. His latest writings glow with delight in the world-wide destination of his gospel. It was his consolation that the Gentiles in multitudes received the Divine message to which his countrymen closed their ears. And he rejoiced in this the more, because he foresaw that ultimately the gospel would return to its native home, and at last amid "the fulness of the Gentiles all Israel would be saved". {Rom_11:13-32} At present Israel was not prepared to seek, while the Gentiles were seeking righteousness by the way of faith. {Rom_9:30-33}

For it is upon this question of "faith" that the Whole issue turns. Hearing is much, when one hears the word of truth and news of salvation. But faith is the point at which salvation becomes ours- no longer a possibility, an opportunity, but a fact: "in whom indeed, when you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit." So characteristic is this act of the new life to which it admits, that St. Paul is in the habit of calling Christians, without further qualification, simply "believers" ("those who believe," or "who believed"). Faith and the gift of the Holy Spirit are associated in his thoughts, as closely as Faith and Justification. "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" was the question he put to the Baptists disciples whom he found at Ephesus on first arriving there. {Act_19:2} This was the test of the adequacy of their faith. He reminds the Galatians that they "received the Spirit from the hearing of faith," and tells them that in this way the blessing and the promise of Abraham were theirs already. {Gal_3:2; Gal_3:7; Gal_3:14} Faith in the word of Christ admits the Spirit of Christ, who is in the word waiting to enter. Faith is the trustful surrender and expectancy of the soul towards God; it sets the hearts door open for Christs incoming through the Spirit. This was the order of things from the beginning of the new dispensation. "God gave to them," says St. Peter of the first baptised Gentiles, "the like gift as he did also unto us, when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning". {Act_11:15-18} Upon our faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit enters the soul and announces Himself by His message of adoption, crying in us to God, "Abba, Father". {Gal_4:6-7}

In the chamber of our spirit, while we abide in faith, the Spirit of the Father and the Son dwells with us, witnessing to us of the love of God and leading us into all truth and duty and divine joy, instilling a deep and restful peace, breathing an energy that is fire and fountain of life within the breast, which pours out itself in prayer and labour for the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit is no mere gift to receive, or comfort to enjoy; He is an almighty Force in the believing soul and the faithful Church.

III. The end for which the seal of God was affixed to Pauls Gentile readers, along with their Jewish brethren in Christ, appears in the last verse, with which the Act of praise terminates: "sealed," he says, "with the Holy Spirit, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession."

The last of these words is the equivalent of the Old Testament phrase rendered in Exo_19:5, and elsewhere, "a peculiar treasure unto me"; in Deu_7:6, etc., "a peculiar people" (i.e., people of possession). The same Greek term is employed by the Septuagint translators in Mal_3:17, where our Revisers have substituted "a peculiar treasure" for the familiar, but misleading "jewels" of the older Version. St. Peter in his first epistle {1Pe_2:9-10} transfers the title from the Jewish people to the new Israel of God, who are "an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for Gods own possession." In that passage, as in this, the Revisers have inserted the word Gods in order to signify whose possession the term signifies in Biblical use. In the other places in the New Testament where the same Greek noun occurs, {1Th_5:9 2Th_2:14 Heb_10:39} it retains its primary active force, and denotes "obtaining of the glory," etc., "saving of the soul." The word signifies not the possessing so much as the "acquiring" or "securing" of its object. The Latin Vulgate suitably renders this phrase, in redemptionem acquisitionis, -"till the redemption of the acquisition."

God has "redeemed unto Himself a people"; He has "bought us with a price." His rights in us are both natural and "acquired"; they are redemptional rights, the recovered rights of the infinite love which in Jesus Christ saved mankind by extreme sacrifice from the doom of death eternal. This redemption "we have, in the remission of our trespasses" (ver. 7). But this is only the beginning. Those whose sin is cancelled and on whom God now looks with favour in Christ, are thereby redeemed and saved. {Eph_2:5; Eph_2:8} They are within the kingdom of grace; they have passed out of death into life. They have but to persist in the grace into which they have entered, and all will be well. "Now," says the apostle to the Romans, "you are made free from sin and made servants to God; you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end eternal life."

Our salvation is come; but, after all, it is still to come. We find the apostle using the words "save and redeem" in this twofold sense, applying them both to the commencement and the consummation of the new life. The last act, in Rom_8:23, he calls "the redemption of the body." This will reinstate the man in the integrity of his twofold being as a son of God.

Hence our bodily redemption is there called an "adoption." For as Jesus Christ by His resurrection was marked out (or instated) as "Son of God in power," {Rom_1:4} not otherwise will it be with His many brethren. Their reappearance in the new "body of glory" will be a "revelation" to the universe "of the sons of God."

But this last redemption-or rather this last act of the one redemption-like the first, is through the blood of the cross. Christ has borne for us in His death the entire penalty of sin; the remission of that penalty comes to us in two distinct stages. The shadow of death is lifted off from our spirits now, in the moment of forgiveness. But for reasons of discipline it remains resting upon our bodily frame. Death is a usurper and trespasser in the bounds of Gods heritage. Virtually and in principle, he is abolished; but not in effect. "I will ransom them from the power of the grave," the Lord said of His Israel, with a meaning deeper than His prophet knew. When that is done, then God will have redeemed, in point of fact, those possessions in humanity which He so much prizes, that for their recovery He spared not His Son.

So long as mortality afflicts us, God cannot be satisfied on our account. His children are suffering and tortured; His people mourn under the oppression of the enemy. They sigh, and creation with them, under the burdensome and infirm tabernacle of the flesh, this body of our humiliation for which the hungry grave clamours. Gods new estate in us is still encumbered with the liabilities in which the sin of the race involved us, with the "ills that flesh is heir to." But this mortgage- that we call, with a touching euphemism, "the debt of nature"-will at last be discharged. Soon shall we be free forever from the law of sin and death. "And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come with singing to Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness, and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

To God, as He looks down upon men, the seal of His Spirit upon their hearts anticipates this full emancipation. He sees already in the redeemed spirit of His children what will be manifest in their glorious heavenly form. The same token is to ourselves as believing men the "earnest of our inheritance." Note that at this point the apostle drops the "you" by which he has for several sentences distinguished between Jewish and Gentile brethren. He identifies them with himself and speaks of "our inheritance." This sudden resumption of the first person, the self-assertion of the filial consciousness in the writer breaking through the grammatical order, is a fine trait of the Pauline manner.

Arrhabon, the "earnest," ("fastening-penny"), is a Phoenician word of the market, which passed into Greek and Latin, -a monument of the daring pioneers of Mediterranean commerce. It denotes the part of the price given by a purchaser in making a bargain, or of the wages given by the hirer concluding a contract of service, by way of assurance that the stipulated sum will be forthcoming. Such pledge of future payment is at the same time a bond between those concerned, engaging each to his part in the transaction.

The earnest is the seal, and something more. It is an instalment, a "token in kind," a foretaste of the feast to come. In the parallel passage, Rom_8:23, the same earnest is called "the firstfruit of the Spirit." What the earliest sheaf is to the harvest, that the entrance of the Spirit of God into a human soul is to the glory of its ultimate salvation. The sanctity, the joy, the sense of recovered life is the same in kind then and now, differing only in degree and expression.

Of the "earnest of the Spirit" St. Paul has spoken twice already, in 2Co_1:22; 2Co_5:5, where he cites this inner witness to assure us, in the first instance, that God will fulfil to us His promises, "how many soever they be"; and in the second, that our mortal nature shall be "swallowed up of life!"-assimilated to the living spirit to which it belongs-and that "God has wrought us for this very thing." These earlier sayings explain the apostles meaning here. God has made us His sons, in accordance with His purpose formed in the depths of eternity (ver. 5). As sons, we are His heirs in fellowship with Christ, and already have received rich blessings out of this heritage (ver. 11). But the richest part of it, including that which concerns the bodily form of our life, is still unredeemed, notwithstanding that the price of its redemption is paid.

For this we wait till the time appointed of the Father, -the time when He will reclaim His heritage in us, and give us full possession of our heritage in Christ. We do not wait, as did the saints of former ages, ignorant of the Fathers purpose for our future lot. "Life and immortality are brought to light through the gospel." We see beyond the chasm of death. We enjoy in the testimony of the Holy Spirit the foretaste of an eternal and glorious life for all the children of God-nay, the pledge that the reign of evil and death shall end througout the universe.

With this hope swelling their hearts, the apostles readers once more triumphantly join in the refrain: "To the praise of His glory."

William Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor's Bible (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1887–1910) — public domain. 65 of 66 books (1 Corinthians is not separately keyed, as that volume carries no machine-parseable verse references); section-level commentary keyed to the opening verse. Introductory and overview sections not keyed to a specific passage are excluded.

1:12-13 we Jews . . . you Gentiles: Literally we . . . you; the reference to Jews and Gentiles is implied.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Eph 1:12. Ἡμᾶς, us) Jews.—τοὺς προηλπικότας, who before or first hoped or trusted) This is the predicate. The Jews first obtained hope in Christ when manifested to them (1Co 15:19); afterwards the Gentiles, Act 13:46. The word before or first, here, is not to be referred to Old Testament times; comp. on the subject of hope, Eph 1:18; ch. Eph 2:12; Eph 4:4.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eph_1:12. Causa finalis of the predestination to the Messianic κλῆρος:[103] in order that we might redound to the praise of His glory (actually, by our Messianic κληρονομία), we who have beforehand placed our hope on Christ,we Jewish-Christians, to whom Christ even before His appearing was the object of their hope. Only now, namely, from εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς onward, does Paul divide the subject of ἘΚΛΗΡΏΘ. and ΠΡΟΟΡΙΣΘΈΝΤΕς, which embraced the Christians generally, into its two constituent parts, the Jewish-Christians, whom he characterizes by ἡμᾶς … τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριετῷ, and the Gentile-Christians, whose destination to the same final aimnamely, εἰς τὸ εἶναι εἰς ἔπαινον κ.τ.λ.he dwells on afterwards in Eph_1:13-14 (passing over to them by ἘΝ ᾯ ΚΑῚ ὙΜΕῖς), and hence Eph_1:14 concludes with a repetition of ΕἸς ἜΠΑΙΝΟΝ Τῆς ΔΌΞΗς ΑὐΤΟῦ.[104]

ἩΜᾶς] has emphasis, preparing the way for the subsequent introduction of ΚΑῚ ὙΜΕῖς.

ΤΟῪς ΠΡΟΗΛΠΙΚΌΤΑς] quippe qui, etc. On προελπίζειν, to hope before, comp. Poseidippus in Athen. ix. p. 377 C. The προ does not transfer the hoping into the praescientia Dei (Jerome), nor has it a reference to the later hoping of the Gentiles (Beza, Piscator, Grotius, Boyd, Estius, Bengel, Michaelis, and others), since the hoping of the Gentiles is not subsequently expressed; nor is προηλπ. equivalent to the simple form (Morus, Bretschneider), which is not the case of any verb with προ; but it applies to the fact that the Jews had the Old Testament prophecies, and hence already before Christ set their hope upon the Messiah (Rom_3:2; Rom_11:4; Act_3:25; Act_26:6 f., 22, Act_28:20, al.). So, correctly, Zöckler takes it, de vi ac notione vocab. ἐλπίς, 1856, p. 32 f. But de Wette, who (comp. Rückert, Holzhausen, Matthies, Bleek) denies the divisionalso unnoticed by Chrysostom and his successorsinto Jewish and Gentile Christians (understanding ἩΜᾶς, generally, of the Christians, and ὑμεῖς, Eph_1:13, of the readers), takes προ in ΠΡΟΗΛΠ. as: before the Parousia. Comp. Theophylact: πρὶν ἢ ἐπιστῇ ὁ μέλλων αἰών. But in this way the ΠΡΟ would be without significance, while, as taken by us, it is characteristic. It is incorrect, too, that Eph_1:13 affirms nothing peculiar of the Gentile-Christians. As standing in contrast to the προηλπικότας εἶναι of the Jewish-Christians, what is said in Eph_1:13 serves precisely to characterize the Gentile-Christians. They, without having entertained that previous hope (Eph_2:12), have heard, believed, etc.

The usual construction, suggested of itself by the very sequence of the words, has beenafter the example of Morus, Koppe, ed. 1, Flatt, and Matthiesdeparted from by Harless, followed by Olshausen, inasmuch as he regards εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ as an inserted clause [incisum]: we who were predestined, etc., to be thoseto the praise of His glorywho already before hoped in Christ. In this way Paul would point to the reason, why the κλῆρος had first been assigned to the Jews. But (1) in that case ἘΚΛΗΡΏΘ. and ΠΡΟΟΡΙΣΘ. must already have applied specially to the Jewish-Christians, which no reader could guess and Paul, in order to his writing intelligibly, must have indicated, by putting it in some such way as: ἐν ᾧ ἡμεῖς ἐκληρώθημεν, οἱ προορισθέντες … εἰς τὸ εἶναι … τοὺς προηλπικότας κ.τ.λ. As the passage actually stands, the reader could find the Jewish-Christians designated only at Eph_1:12, not previously. (2) εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ has, in accordance with the context (see Eph_1:14; comp. also Eph_1:6), by no means the character of an incidental insertion, but the stress of defining the ultimate aim, and that not in respect of a pre-Christian state, but of the Christian one. This, however, only becomes suitably felt, when we read εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ together. (3) The predestination of God (προορισθέντες) is in the connection related not to a pre-Christian state, such as, according to Harless, the εἶναι τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τ. Χριετῷ would be, but to the realization of the Messianic blessedness (Eph_1:5). Comp. Rom_8:29; 1Co_2:7; as also Act_4:28. Lastly, (4) the objections taken by Harless to the usual connection of the words are not tenable. For (a) the symmetry of the two corresponding sentences in form and thought depends on the fact that in the case of both sections, the Jewish and the Gentile Christians, the glorifying of, God is brought into prominence as the final aim of their attaining to salvation, and hence Eph_1:14 also closes with εἰς ἔπαινον τ. δόξ. αὐτοῦ. (b) The repeated mention of the predestination on Gods part to salvation is solemn, not redundant; and the less so, inasmuch as the description of God as τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος is added. (c) The objection that we cannot tell why the apostle brings in that predestination only with regard to the προηλπικότες, while yet it manifestly applies also to the ἈΚΟΎΣΑΝΤΕς, is based on the misunderstanding, according to which ἘΚΛΗΡΏΘ. and ΠΡΟΟΡΙΣΘ. are already restricted to the Jewish-Christians; for the subject of these words is still the Christians without distinction,

Jewish and Gentile Christians,so that the predestination of those and these is asserted. It is only at Eph_1:12 that the division of the subject begins, which is continued in

[103] Many others, including Flatt, Meier, Harless, have attached εἰς τὸ εἶναι to προορισθ. (predestined, to be, etc.); but this is not only not in keeping with the analogous εἰς ἔπαινον κ.τ.λ., vv. 6 and 14, but also inappropriate, because προορισθ. did not yet refer specially to the Jewish-Christians.

[104] Thus what Paul dwells on in vv. 1114 may be summarized thus: In Christ we have really become partakers of the Messianic salvation, to which we were predestined by God, in order that we Jewish-Christians, and also you Gentile-Christians, should redound to the praise of His glory.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eph 1:12 . εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ : to the end that we should be unto the praise of His glory . The art. τῆς is inserted by the TR before δόξης , but on slender authority. It is omitted by most of the primary uncials and other important documents. On the other hand, the αὐτοῦ after δόξης is omitted by a few ancient authorities, especially [66] 1 [67] . This clause states the ultimate end which God had in view in foreordaining us to be made His κλῆρος . It was not for our own privilege (as the Jews with their limited and exclusive ideas had misinterpreted the object of God in His election of them), but that through us His glory might be set forth. Cf. the prophetic declaration, “the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise” (Isa 43:21 ); and such passages as Psa 144:12 ; Sir 39:10 ; Php 1:11 ; 1Pe 1:7 . The sentence is best connected with the principal verb, not with the προορισθέντες which defines the ἐκληρώθημεν , but with the ἐκληρώθημεν itself. It is also to be taken as a whole, containing one idea, precisely as is the case with the other εἰς ἔπαινον sentences in Eph 1:6 ; Eph 1:14 . To break up the clause so as to take the εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς to express the end or object , further defined by the τοὺς προηλπικότας , and to make εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ an incidental or parenthetical clause, is in the highest degree artificial and out of harmony with the other sentences. The question remains as to the persons included in the ἡμᾶς whether Christians generally, or Jews or Jewish Christians specially. In order to answer that question the force of the following clause must be determined. τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ : we who had (RV marg., “have”) before trusted in Christ . Better, we, to wit, who have aforetime hoped in the Christ . The article defining the προηλπικότας is most naturally taken as placing the προηλπικότας in apposition to the ἡμᾶς and as explaining the ἡμᾶς now in view to be a particular class, and not the subjects of God’s grace generally. The attempt is made, indeed, in more than one way ( e.g. , by Hofm., Harl., Abb., Haupt, etc.) to construe τοὺς προηλπικότας as the predicate, so that the sense should be, “to the end that we should be those who have before hoped (or believed) in Christ”. But this is not a construction naturally suggested by the simple form of the sentence. It has also the disadvantage of not being in harmony with what is the prevalent, though not invariable, use of the article as distinguishing subject from predicate, and it turns the εἰς ἔπαινον κ . τ . λ . awkwardly into a parenthetical sentence “to the end that we, to the praise of His glory, should be those who have before hoped in Christ”. It is to be further noticed that the προ in προηλπικότας must have its proper force, expressing a hope cherished before the event. Some understand this differently, taking the προ to express the fact that Jewish Christians preceded Gentile Christians in hoping in Christ (Beza, Grot., Beng., etc.). Others (De Wette, etc.) would make the event in view as the object of hope the second Advent of Christ, the Parousia of the Epistles. But the point appears to be that there were those, namely, pious Jews of OT times, who cherished a hope in the Christ of promise and prophecy before the appearance of Christ in history. The words are entirely appropriate as a description of those who looked for Christ before He came. The prep. ἐν is most naturally understood as is the ἐν after the simple ἐλπίζειν , e.g. , in 1Co 15:19 , and the ἐλπίζειν itself must have the natural sense of hoping , not believing or trusting . Yet, again, the object of the hope is here not Χριστὸς , but ὁ Χριστός , “ the Christ,” “the Messiah”. The sense consequently is, “we, to wit, who have reposed our hope in the Christ before He appeared”. These things help us to answer the question Who are the persons referred to? They are, say some, Christians generally , as those who hope in the Christ who is to return, and of whom it may be said, speaking of them from the standpoint of the final fulfilment at Christ’s second Advent, that they are those who have reposed their hope in the Christ who is to come. This is urged specially on the ground that, as all through the preceding paragraph Paul has spoken of things pertaining to Christians generally and has used the terms “we,” “us” of Christians without distinction, it is unreasonable to suppose that at this point he changes all and puts a restricted meaning on the ἡμᾶς . On this view the following ὑμεῖς must also be taken not as referring to a distinct class of Christians, but simply as applying to the Ephesian readers in particular what is said of all Christians as such. It must be allowed that much may be said in favour of this view. But on the other hand it is just at this point that Paul introduces a ὑμεῖς as well as a ἡμᾶς a fact that naturally suggests a distinction between two classes; as in chap. Eph 2:11-22 he draws out the distinction definitely and with a purpose between two classes who became believers in the Christ in different ways and at different times. Hence it appears simplest (with Mey., etc.) to regard Paul as speaking in this clause specially of those who like himself had once been Jews, who had the Messianic prophecies and looked for the Messiah, and by God’s grace had been led to see that in Christ they had found the Messiah. In the following ὑμεῖς , therefore, he refers to those who had once been Gentiles and had come to be believers in Christ. This is supported by the explanatory nature of the clause introduced by τούς , by the proper sense of the προηλπικότας , and by the introduction of τῷ Χριστῷ in place of Χριστῷ .

[66] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[67] Codex Augiensis (sæc. ix.), a Græco-Latin MS., at Trinity College, Cambridge, edited by Scrivener in 1859. Its Greek text is almost identical with that of G, and it is therefore not cited save where it differs from that MS. Its Latin version, f, presents the Vulgate text with some modifications.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eph_1:12

That we should be to the praise of his glory, εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς , εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, that is, that we should be the means of causing his divine majesty or excellence to be praised. Here, as in Eph_1:6, the glory of God is declared to be the design of the plan of redemption and of everything connected with its administration. The persons here spoken of are described as τὸυς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ, those who first hoped in Christ. That is, who hoped in him of old, or before his advent; or, who hoped in him before others, mentioned in Eph_1:13, had heard of him. In either case it designates not the first converts to Christianity, but the Jews who, before the Gentiles, had the Messiah as the object of their hopes. The form of expression here used (ἐλπίζειν ἐν) does not mean simply to expect, but to place ones hope or confidence in any one. Compare 1Co_15:19. It is not, therefore, the Jews as such, but the believing Jews, who are here spoken of as in Christ the partakers of the inheritance which he has purchased.

The construction of these several clauses adopted in the foregoing exposition is that which takes them in their natural order, and gives a sense consistent with the usage of the words and agreeable to the analogy of Scripture. The first clause of this verse is made to depend upon the last clause of Eph_1:11 : Having predestinated us to be the praise of his glory; and the last clause, Who first hoped in Christ, is merely explanatory of the class of persons spoken of. The whole then hangs naturally together: We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestinated to be the praise of his glory, we, who first hoped in Christ. There are, however, two other modes of construction possible. The one connects the beginning of Eph_1:12 with the first clause of Eph_1:11, and renders ἐκληρώθημεν, we have attained. The sense would then be, We have attained, or, it has happened unto us to be to the praise of his glory. This however not only unnaturally dissevers contiguous clauses, but assigns to ἐκληρώθημεν a weakened sense inconsistent with the Scripture usage of that and its cognate words. A second method connects the last clause of the 12th verse with the second clause of the 11th. Having predestinated us to he the first who hoped in Christ. But this also rends the clauses apart, and does not express a sense so suitable to the context. It is saying much more, and much more in the way of an explanation of the fact affirmed in the first clause of Eph_1:11, to say, We were predestinated to be the praise of Gods glory; than to say, We were predestinated to be the first who hoped in Christ. The majority of commentators therefore take the clauses as they stand, and as they are concatenated in our version.

Charles Hodge — Commentary on Romans (1835), First Corinthians (1857), and Ephesians (1856) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He speaketh of the Jews.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(Eph 1:6, Eph 1:14).

who first trusted in Christ--rather (we Jewish Christians), "who have before hoped in the Christ": who before the Christ came, looked forward to His coming, waiting for the consolation of Israel. Compare Act 26:6-7, "I am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: unto which our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come." Act 28:20, "the hope of Israel" [ALFORD]. Compare Eph 1:18; Eph 2:12; Eph 4:4.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 12. That we] Jews, now apostles and messengers of God, to whom the first offers of salvation were made, and who were the first that believed in Christ.

Should be to the praise of his glory] By being the means of preaching Christ crucified to the Gentiles, and spreading the Gospel throughout the world.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. That we should be to the praise of his glory. Here again he mentions the final cause of salvation; for we must eventually become illustrations of the glory of God, if we are nothing but vessels of his mercy. The word glory, by way of eminence, (κατ ᾿ ἐξοχὴν) denotes, in a peculiar manner, that which shines in the goodness of God; for there is nothing that is more peculiarly his own, or in which he desires more to be glorified, than goodness.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(12) That we . . . who first trusted in Christ.—That the reference here is to the first Christians, in contradistinction to the Gentiles of the next verse, is clear. But the meaning of the phrase “who first hoped” (or, more properly, who have hoped beforehand) is less obvious. Our version seems to interpret it simply of “believing before” the Gentiles, i.e., of being the “first believers;” and this interpretation may be defended by the analogy of certain cases in which the same prefix signifying “beforehand” has this sense (e.g., Act_20:5; Act_20:13; Rom_3:9; Rom_12:10; 1Co_11:21). But the more general analogy strongly supports the other interpretation, “who have hoped in the Christ before He came”—that is, who, taught by prophecy, entering into that vision of a great future which pervades the older Covenant, looked forward “to the hope of Israel,” and “waited for the consolation of Israel;” and who accordingly in due time became, on the Day of Pentecost, the firstfruits of His salvation.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. That we should be, &c.] On the time when of this, see next note but one, at the end.

his glory] His revealed Character, of which the Gospel of the Son is the grand illustration; being thus “the Gospel of the glory of the blissful God” (1Ti_1:11; and cp. 2Co_4:4, “the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God”).

who first trusted in Christ] Lit. who have (or, had) hoped beforehand in Christ. “Trust” here nearly represents “hope” (as perhaps quite, Joh_5:45; Rom_15:12); but, unless context forbids, the reference of hope to the future should always be recognized. And this is emphasized here by the “beforehand,” which in the Gr. is a part of the verb-form. What then is the precise expectation about Christ in view here? It may be either (1) that of Jewish believers, as e.g. the O. T. saints, and Symeon, &c., up to the First Advent; or (2) that of all believers up to the Second Advent; a view of Christ specially as the Coming One, in either case. Both interpretations find some support in the context. If (1) is adopted, the reference will be to Jewish believers as against Gentile, and their priority both in time and, in a certain sense, in claim, as holders of the great Messianic Hope; as if to say, “that we, who as Israelites had inherited and cherished that hope before it was fulfilled, and before it was imparted to you, should be, &c.” If (2) is adopted, the reference will be to the expectant attitude of all Christians till the Lord’s Return (cp. e.g. Rom_8:24-25, and note); at which Return they, in a final sense, will “be to the praise of His glory” (cp. 2Th_1:10). To this reference we incline. The grandeur and universality of the scope of the whole passage favours it rather than the other; though it must not be forgotten on the other hand that this Epistle is often specially occupied with contrasts between Jew and Gentile.—Thus paraphrase; “That we should contribute to the glory of God, at the appearing of Christ; welcomed then as the once patient and expectant believers in His promise while still it tarried.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That we should be to the praise of his glory,.... This is the end of predestination to the inheritance; and the sense is, either that the praise of the glory of God, in his grace and goodness, might be discovered and made known unto the saints, as it is displayed in election, redemption, justification, pardon, adoption, regeneration, and eternal salvation; or that they should praise and glorify him on account of these things, by ascribing all to his grace, and nothing to themselves; by giving him thanks for all his benefits; by ordering their conversations aright as become the Gospel; and by doing all things with a view to his glory:

who first trusted in Christ; the Jews, the apostle, and others of the Jewish nation;

who before hoped in Christ, as the words may be rendered; who hoped in Christ before the Gentiles did; and indeed the people of Israel hoped for Christ before he came; the promises of the Messiah were made to them, and he was the peculiar hope and expectation of that people; and to them he first came, and to them the Gospel was first preached; and some of them first believed in Christ, and trusted in him, and not in their own righteousness, strength, wisdom, and riches, nor in their own hearts, nor in any mere creature, nor in their carnal privileges; all which they renounced confidence in, and dependence on, when they came to the knowledge of Christ; in whose person they trusted for acceptance, and in his righteousness for justification, and in his blood for pardon, and in his fulness for supply, and in his power for protection and perseverance: this supposes knowledge of him, and a sense of the frailty and vanity of all other objects; and was a betaking themselves to him, a leaning and staying on him, a committing all unto him, and an expectation of all good things from him.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Ver. 12. Who first trusted] It is a singular honour to be first in so good a matter. Hope is here put for faith, whereof it is both the daughter and the nurse.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That we should be to the praise of his glory - Should be the occasion or the means of celebrating his glory; or that praise should be ascribed to him as the result of our salvation.

Who first trusted in Christ - Margin, “hoped.” This is in accordance with the original. The foundation of their “hope” was the Saviour. Some suppose that the apostle here refers to the Jews who were converted before the gospel was preached extensively to the Gentiles. The reason for this opinion is, that in the following verse he contrasts those to whom he here refers with others whom he was addressing. But it may be that by the word “we” in Eph 1:11-12, he refers to himself and to his fellow-laborers who had “first” hoped in the Saviour, and had then gone and proclaimed the message to others; see the notes on Eph 1:11. They “first” believed, and then preached to others; and they also believed, and became partakers of the same privileges.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

That we should be to the praise of his glory; either:

1. Passively, that the excellency and greatness of God’s wisdom, power, grace, mercy, &c. might be shown forth in us by our being predestinated, called, sanctified, saved: or rather:

2. Actively, that we, by the holiness, obedience, and fruitfulness of our conversations, suitable to such privileges, might manifest and set forth the glory of him that vouchsafed them to us.

Who first trusted in Christ; who were the fruits of the New Testament church, the gospel having been first preached to the apostles by Christ himself, and by them to the Jews, (their own nation), and having been first believed by them.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

That we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ. The "we" which hitherto has been applied to the whole Church, Jewish and Gentile, begins to have a more limited reference, and to contrast with "you" in ver. 13. The first "we" in this verse embraces all, as in the preceding part of the chapter; the second (omitted in the A.V) is conditioned by the words following, and is applicable to the Jewish Christians, who, through the promises given to the fathers, had seen Christ"s day afar off, and had thus hoped in him. This special reference to hJmav is followed immediately by a reference to uJmeiv.

Hope in Christ.

first hoped in Christ." Hope, as one of the great springs of human action, is to be distinguished from simple foresight or simple expectation; for the one may be a foresight of evil, the other an expectation of coming misfortune. Hope, on the contrary, is the expectation of future good. We do not hope for mistake, or for misfortune, or for pain; we hope for what will fill our future with brightness. "Hope is the noblest offspring, the first born, the last buried child of foreseeing and forecasting man." Hope is often illusive, but the hope of the gospel is real on account of its deep, strong, and immutable foundations.

I JESUS CHRIST IS THE TRUE FOUNDATION or OUR HOPE. So strongly linked with it, indeed, that he is expressly called "our Hope", (1Ti_1:2) and "the Hope of glory". (Col_1:27) To have hope in Christ is a higher thing than to have hope directed towards Christ. What is there in the person or work of Christ to awaken or sustain our hope?

1. In his atonement there is a foundation laid for the hope of pardon in the heart of the chiefest of sinners.

2. In his present work as our High Priest and Intercessor there is a foundation laid for the hope of purification.

3. Christ in us "dwelling in us by faith is the assurance of our hope; for it is Christ in us who is the Hope of glory.

4. Christ is the Pattern of our hope, for when he shall appear, we hope to be like him, being "predestinated to be conformed to his image.

5. The climax of our hope will be reached at his appearing, for that is the blessed hope of the Church. We are "to hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ". (1Pe_1:13)

II THE SOURCE OF OUR HOPE IN CHRIST. We are predestinated thereunto. (Eph_1:11) It is the "God of hope" who causes us "to abound in hope"; (Rom_15:13) it is he who gives us "a good hope through grace not of nature or man"s merits, for it is ascribed to his "abundant mercy" as the spring of it; (1Pe_1:3) and he gives us "the patience and comfort of the Scriptures, that we may have hope". (Rom_15:4)

III IT IS A HIGH PRIVILEGE TO HAVE AN EARLY HOPE IN CHRIST. "Who first hoped in Christ." This was the great privilege of the Jews. The Gentiles were last, not first, in their enjoyment of Christ. The Apostle Paul deemed Andronicus and Junia highly favored, because "they were in Christ before him". (Rom_16:7) It must always be subject of pious regret that we had not an earlier experience of Christ; for we should thus have been preserved from many sins and follies; we should have had such a fuller enjoyment of his gospel, and we should have had many more opportunities of doing good. T.C.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That we - Jews. Who first believed - Before the gentiles. So did some of them in every place. Here is another branch of the true gospel predestination: he that believes is not only elected to salvation, (if he endures to the end,) but is fore-appointed of God to walk in holiness, to the praise of his glory.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

12. We should be to the praise of his glory. This is the final result of our predestination and adoption. We who first trusted in Christ. Jewish believers like Paul who had the Christian hope before (see Revision) the Gentiles.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

12. εἰς τὸ εἶναι κ.τ.λ. ‘So that the contemplation of us who of old time as members of the Christ have been full of hope might lead men to give praise for His glory.’ At this point for the first time in the Epistle the distinction of Jewish and Gentile Christians comes to the front; cf. Eph 2:1; Eph 2:3; Eph 2:11.

ἐν τῷ χριστῷ, ‘as being throughout the course of our national history members of the Christ.’ ἐν as in ἐν Χριστῷ, Eph 1:3, and the kindred phrases throughout the passage. Ct. the Gentile state before the Gospel came to them (Eph 2:12). The object or ground of hope is expressed by εἰς 2Co 1:10; 1Pe 3:5; or by ἐπὶ with acc. 1Ti 5:5; 1Pe 1:13, or with dat. 1Ti 4:10; 1Ti 6:17. ἐν in 1Co 15:19; Php 2:19, is best taken as here. The ‘Golden Age’ of the Israelites lay continually ahead of them. They are marked out in consequence among the nations of the world by their hopefulness. This hope was justified and handed on to the Christian Church, quickened and intensified by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; cf. 1Pe 1:3; Eph 1:18.

τῷ χριστῷ. The presence of the article (ct. ἐν Χρ., Eph 1:3) suggests that St Paul is thinking of the Christ and His members as constituting a living whole as in 1Co 12:12. See Additional Note.

εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ. Cf. Eph 1:6.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12.] in order that we (here first expressed, as distinguished from ὑμεῖς, ver. 13: see below) should be to the praise of His glory (see on ver. 6 and ver. 14 below), namely, we who have before hoped in the Christ (we Jewish-Christians, who, before the Christ came, looked forward to His coming, waiting for the consolation of Israel: cf. especially Act 28:20, ἕνεκεν γὰρ τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τὴν ἅλυσιν ταύτην περίκειμαι—and 26:6, 7. The objection, that so few thus looked, is fully met by the largeness of St. Paul’s own expression in this last passage. But this whole interpretation requires defending against opponents. First, the verse is variously punctuated. Harl., and Olsh. even more decidedly, read it εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς, εἰς ἔπαινον δόξ. αὐ., τοὺς προηλπ. ἐν τῷ χρ. But to this it may be objected, (1) that εἰς ἔπ. δόξης αὐ., occurring as it does again at the end of the whole passage as the final aim of all, cannot with any probability be here merely parenthetical: (2) that above, ver. 6, and below, ver. 14, it, as well as the predestination, has reference to the fulness of the Gospel, not to incomplete prefatory hope in Christ (this would be no objection to De W.’s view: see below): (3) that thus we should require some demonstrative expression preceding, to mark out these ἡμᾶς, such as ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν ἡμεῖς οἱ προορισθέντες. The objections which Harl. brings against the ordinary construction are implicitly answered in this exposition. They rest mainly on the mistake of referring ἐκληρώθ. προορισθέντες to the Jewish Christians: see above. De W. denies all reference to Jews and Gentiles,—(1) from the analogy of words compounded with προ- (προ-ακούειν Col 1:5, προλέγειν Gal 5:21; 1Th 3:4, προγράφειν Rom 15:4, προεπαγγέλλεσθαι Rom 1:2), which he says indicate always priority as to the thing spoken of (in his idea here merely, ‘hope previous to the fulfilment of that hope,’ i.e. προ- has no meaning, for all hope must be this), not in comparison with other persons: but (a) this is not true—cf. προελθόντες Act 20:13, προέχεσθαι, προηγεῖσθαι, προτιθέναι, προάγειν, προπορεύεσθαι,—and (b) if it were, it does not touch our interpretation—hoped before (Christ’s coming):—(2) from ver. 13 saying nothing peculiar to Gentile Christians (but see there): (3) from καὶ ὑμᾶς, in ch. 2:1, and Col 1:21, not meaning Gentile Christians, but being merely addressed to the readers generally. But in both these places it is so, merely because other things or persons have just been treated of: whereas here he would understand this ἡμᾶς as including the ὑμεῖς, thus depriving it of the force which it has there).

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That we should be. Connect with we were made a heritage.

Who first trusted [τους προηλπικοτας] . In apposition with we [σηουλδ βε] . So Rev., we who had, etc., trusted, more properly hoped; and first trusted is ambiguous. We refers to Jewish Christians, and the verb describes their messianic hope before [προ] the advent of Christ. Hence Rev., correctly, we who had (have) before hoped. In Christ should be "in the Christ," as the subject of messianic expectation and not as Jesus, for whom Christ had passed into a proper name. It is equivalent to in the Messiah. See on Mt 1:1.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.