Albert Barnes Commentary Ephesians 1:5

"having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will," — Ephesians 1:5 (ASV)

Having predestinated us. Regarding the meaning of the word used here, see the comments on Romans 1:4 and Romans 8:29.

The word used (proorizw) properly means to set bounds before, and then to predetermine. It carries the essential idea of setting bounds or limits, and of doing this beforehand. This means it was not that God determined to do it when it was actually done, but that He intended to do it beforehand. No language could express this more clearly, and I suppose this interpretation is generally admitted.

Even by those who deny the doctrine of particular election, it is not denied that the word used here means to predetermine. They maintain that the sense is that God had predetermined to admit the Gentiles to the privileges of His people.

Admitting, then, that the meaning is to predestinate in the proper sense, the only question is, who are predestinated? To whom does the expression apply? Is it to nations or to individuals? In reply to this, in addition to the remarks already made, I would observe:

1. That there is no specification of nations here as such, no mention of the Gentiles in contradistinction from the Jews.

2. Those referred to were those included in the word "us," among whom Paul was one—but Paul was not a Gentile.

3. The same objection will lie against the doctrine of predestinating nations that will lie against predestinating individuals.

4. Nations are made up of individuals, and the predetermination must have had some reference to individuals. What is a nation but a collection of individuals? There is no such abstract being or thing as a nation; and if there was any purpose regarding a nation, it must have had some reference to the individuals composing it.

He that would act on the ocean must act on the drops of water that make up the ocean; for besides the collection of drops of water, there is no ocean. He that would remove a mountain must act on the particles of matter that compose that mountain, for there is no such thing as an abstract mountain.

Perhaps there was never a greater illusion than to suppose that all difficulty is removed in regard to the doctrine of election and predestination by saying that it refers to nations. What difficulty is lessened? What is gained by it? How does it make God appear more amiable and good?

Does it render Him less partial to suppose that He has made a difference among nations, than to suppose He has made a difference among individuals? Does it remove any difficulty about the offer of salvation to suppose that He has granted the knowledge of His truth to some nations and withheld it from others?

The truth is, that all the reasoning founded on this supposition has merely been throwing dust in the eyes. If there is any well-founded objection to the doctrine of decrees or predestination, it is to the doctrine at all, alike concerning nations and individuals, and there are just the same difficulties in one case as in the other.

But there is no real difficulty in either. Who could worship or honor a God who had no plan, purpose, or intention in what He did? Who can believe that the universe was formed and is governed without design? Who can doubt that what God does, He always meant to do?

When, therefore, He converts and saves a soul, it is clear that He always intended to do it. He has no new plan. It is not an afterthought. It is not the work of chance. If I can find out anything that God has done, I have the most certain conviction that He always meant to do it—and this is all that is intended by the doctrine of election or predestination.

What God does, He always meant to do. What He permits, He always meant to permit. I may add further, that if it is right to do it, it was right to intend to do it. If there is no injustice or partiality in the act itself, there is no injustice or partiality in the intention to perform it.

If it is right to save a soul, it was always right to intend to save it. If it is right to condemn a sinner to woe, it was right to intend to do it. Let us, then, look at the thing itself; and if that is not wrong, we should not blame the purpose to do it, however long it has been cherished.

Unto the adoption, etc. See the comments on John 1:12 and Romans 8:15.

According to the good pleasure of His will. The word rendered "good pleasure" (eudokia) means a being well pleased, delight in anything, favor, goodwill (Luke 2:14; Philippians 1:15). It then denotes purpose or will, with the idea of benevolence being included. Robinson. Rosenmuller renders the phrase, "from His most benignant decree." The evident object of the apostle is to state why God chose the heirs of salvation.

It was done as it seemed good to Him in the circumstances of the case. It was not that man had any control over Him, or that man was consulted in the determination, or that it was based on the good works of man, real or foreseen. But we are not to suppose that there were no good reasons for what He has thus done.

Convicts are frequently pardoned by an executive. He does it according to his own will, or as seems good in his sight. He is to be the judge, and no one has a right to control him in doing it. It may seem to be entirely arbitrary. The executive may not have communicated the reasons why he did it, either to those who are pardoned, to the other prisoners, or to anyone else.

But we are not to infer that there was no reason for doing it. If he is a wise magistrate, worthy of his station, it is to be presumed that there were reasons which, if known, would be satisfactory to all. But those reasons he is under no obligation to make known.

Indeed, it might be improper that they should be known. Of that, he is the best judge. Meanwhile, however, we may see what would be the effect on those who were not forgiven. It would very likely excite their hatred, and they would charge him with partiality or tyranny.

But they should remember that whoever might be pardoned, and on whatever ground it might be done, they could not complain. They would suffer no more than they deserve. But what if, when the act of pardon was made known to one part, it was also offered to the others on certain plain and easy conditions?

Suppose it should appear that while the executive meant, for wise but concealed reasons, to forgive a part, he had also determined to offer forgiveness to all. And suppose that they were in fact disposed in the highest degree to neglect it, and that no inducements or arguments could prevail on them to accept it.

Who then could blame the executive? Now, this is approximately the case concerning God and the doctrine of election. All men were guilty and condemned. For wise reasons, which God has not communicated to us, He determined to bring at least a portion of the human race to salvation.

He did not intend to leave this to chance and haphazard. He saw that all would of themselves reject the offer, and that unless some efficient means were used, the blood of the atonement would be shed in vain. He did not make known to men who they were that He meant to save, nor the reason why they particularly were to be brought to heaven.

Meanwhile, He meant to make the offer universal, to make the terms as easy as possible, and thus to take away every ground of complaint. If men will not accept pardon, if they prefer their sins, if nothing can induce them to come and be saved, why should they complain?

If the doors of a prison are open, the chains of the prisoners are knocked off, and they will not come out, why should they complain that others are in fact willing to come out and be saved?

Let it be borne in mind that the purposes of God correspond exactly to facts as they actually occur, and much of the difficulty is taken away. If in the facts there is no just ground of complaint, there can be none, because it was intention of God that the facts should be so.