Charles Ellicott Commentary Ephesians 1:15

"For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which [ye show] toward all the saints," — Ephesians 1:15 (ASV)

After I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints.—These words have an almost exact parallel in Colossians 1:4, addressed there to a church which St. Paul had not seen, and have been quoted in support of the belief that this Epistle cannot have been addressed, properly and solely, to the well-known Ephesian Church. They are not, however, decisive, for we have a similar expression to Philemon (Philemon 1:5), St. Paul’s own convert.

We may note a distinction between “faith in the Lord Jesus” and “faith toward the Lord Jesus” (like “the love toward the saints”). Compare 2 Timothy 1:13 (“faith and love in Christ Jesus”). “Faith in Christ” is a faith which, centered in Christ, nevertheless rests through Him on the Father; recognizing a “life hid with him in God” (Colossians 3:3) and a sonship of God in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26). The connection of the two clauses here shows that such a faith abounds (i.e., overflows) into love—first necessarily to God, so being made perfect (Galatians 5:6), but next toward all His children. For “this commandment we have from Him, that he who loveth God, love his brother also” (1 John 4:21).