Ephesians Series: Ephesians 1:12d-The Praise of the Father’s Glory

Ephesians 1:3 The God, namely the Father of the Lord ruling over us, who is Jesus Christ, is worthy of praise. Namely, because He is the one who has blessed each and every one of us by means of each and every kind of Spirit appropriated blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. 4 For He chose each and every one of us for His own purpose because of Him alone before creation in order that each and every one of us would be holy as well as uncensurable in His judgment. 5 He did this by predestinating each and every one of us for the purpose of adoption as sons because of His love through Jesus Christ for Himself according to the pleasure of His will. 6 This was for the purpose of praising His glorious grace, which He freely bestowed on each and every one of us because of the one who is divinely loved. 7 Because of whom, each one of us are experiencing that which is the redemption through His blood, namely the forgiveness of our transgressions according to His infinite grace. 8 This He provided in abundance for the benefit of each and every one of us because of the exercise of a wisdom, which is absolute and divine in nature resulting in the manifestation of an insight, which is absolute and divine in nature. 9 He did this by revealing the mystery of His will for the benefit of each and every one of us according to His pleasure, which He planned beforehand because of our faith in and resultant union and identification with Himself. 10 This was for the dispensation which brings to completion the various periods of history. Namely, to unite for the benefit of Himself each and every animate and inanimate object in the sphere of the sovereign authority of the person of the one and only Christ. Specifically, to unite for the benefit of Himself those things in the heavens as well as those things on the earth in the sphere of the sovereign authority of Himself. 11 Because of whom, each and every one of us has been claimed as a possession because of having been predestinated according to the predetermined plan. Namely, the one who is causing each and every animate and inanimate object to function according to His purpose, that is, His sovereign will 12 in order that each and every one of us would belong to a particular group of people. Namely, those who are certain of possessing a confident expectation of blessing because of their faith in and union and identification with the one and only Christ for the purpose of praising His glory. (Lecturer’s translation)

Ephesians 1:12 continues the thought from Ephesians 1:11 and contains three prepositional phrases and a participial clause.

The first prepositional phrase eis to einai hēmas (εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς), “in order that each and every one of us would belong to a particular group of people” modifies the first person plural aorist passive indicative conjugation of the verb klēroō (κληρόω), “each and every one of us has been claimed as a possession,” which appears in Ephesians 1:11.

This prepositional phrase is also itself modified by the articular participial clause tous proēlpikotas (τοὺς προηλπικότας), “Namely, those who are certain of possessing confident expectation of blessing.”

This participial clause is then modified by the prepositional phrase en tō Christō (ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ), “because of their faith in and union and identification with the one and only Christ.”

Lastly, the second prepositional phrase eis epainon doxēs autou (εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ), “for the purpose of praising the Father’s glory,” not only modifies the participial clause tous proēlpikotas (τοὺς προηλπικότας), “Namely, those who are certain of possessing a confident expectation of blessing” but also the first prepositional phrase eis to einai hēmas (εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς), “in order that each and every one of us would belong to a particular group of people.”

Now, the first prepositional phrase eis to einai hēmas (εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς), “in order that each and every one of us would belong to a particular group of people” presents the purpose of the assertion in Ephesians 1:11 that the Father claimed each and every church age believer as His possession because of having predestinated them according to His predetermined plan.

Therefore, this indicates that the Father claiming each and every church age believer was “for the purpose of” each and every church age believer belonging to a particular group of individuals.

The verb klēroō (κληρόω) in Ephesians 1:11 identifies them as those who have been claimed by the Father as His own possession because of the Father predestinating them according to His predetermine plan.

The participial clause tous proēlpikotas (τοὺς προηλπικότας), “Namely, those who are certain of possessing a confident expectation of blessing” also identifies them as those who are certain of possessing a confident expectation of blessing because of their faith in and union and identification with the one and only Christ.

The second prepositional phrase eis epainon doxēs autou (εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ), “for the purpose of praising His glory” identifies the purpose of the Father claiming the church age believer as His possession because of having predestinated them according to His predetermined plan.

It also identifies the purpose of the church age believer belonging to a group of people who possess a confident expectation of blessing.

Consequently, it also indicates that the purpose of the Father claiming the church age believer as His possession.

It also indicates that the purpose of the church age believer of belonging to a group who possess a confident expectation of blessing.

This is indicated by the fact that the noun epainos functions as the object of the preposition eis (εἰς), which is marking the purpose of the action of the first person plural aorist passive indicative conjugation of the verb klēroō (κληρόω), “each and every one of us has been claimed as a possession,” which appears in Ephesians 1:11.

It also is marking the purpose of the present active infinitive conjugation of the verb eimi (εἰμί) here in Ephesians 1:12.

As was the case in Ephesians 1:6, the noun epainos (ἔπαινος) here in Ephesians 1:12 means “praise” since the word pertains to an expression of approval and commendation and speaks of the excellence of a person.

The word pertains to the act of expressing admiration or approval.

Here in Ephesians 1:12, the noun epainos is used in relation to the Father claiming the church age believer as His possession because of the Father predestinating them according to His predetermined plan.

It is also used in relation to the church age believer belonging to a group of people who possess a confident expectation of blessing because of their faith in and union and identification with Jesus Christ.

Therefore, this word indicates that the church age believer belongs to a group of people who are the Father’s possession and possess a confident expectation of blessing in order to “praise” the Father’s glory.

The noun doxa (δόξα) pertains to the honor, which is accorded to, or the splendor which characterizes, a person or thing.

In Ephesians 1:12, it serves as a description of the work of the Son during His First Advent.

Therefore, it is used in relation to the crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session of the Father’s one and only Son, Jesus Christ during His First Advent.

The Son glorified His character and nature by redeeming sinners out of the slave market of sin through His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross (cf. Eph. 1:7).

Therefore, in Ephesians 1:12, doxa is related to the manifestation of the Father’s character and nature, which exceeds the limits of human and angelic understanding and experience.

However it was perfectly manifested through His Son’s substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross.

This sacrifice manifested the justice and righteousness of God in that it propitiated the Father’s holiness, which demanded that sin and sinners be judged.

It also manifested God’s attribute of love, which was for the benefit of His enemies, namely, sinful humanity who are enslaved to sin, Satan and his cosmic system.

The Father’s glory is related to His omnipotence of God because the Son’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session delivered all of sinful humanity from the wrath of God, condemnation from the Law, personal sins, spiritual and physical death and enslavement to sin, Satan and his cosmic system.

Thus, doxa refers to the honor, which is accorded to that which characterizes the Son and the splendor which characterizes Him.

It speaks of the fact that the Son is a transcendent being in that He exceeds the limits of human and angelic understanding and experience.