Charles Ellicott Commentary Ephesians 1:7

"in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace," — Ephesians 1:7 (ASV)

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.—This passage is identical in sense and expression with Colossians 1:14, except that the word used here for “sins” means, properly, “separate acts of transgression,” while the word there is the more general word for sin in the abstract. (In Ephesians 2:1, both are used.) In both passages, we have united, as corresponding to each other, the two expressions our Lord Himself uses to describe His atonement—in Matthew 20:28, as the “giving His life a ransom for many,” and in Matthew 26:28, as “the shedding of His blood for the forgiveness of sins.”

These two expressions appear to be complementary to each other, rather than identical.

1. The primary idea in “redemption” is deliverance from bondage, mostly the bondage of sin itself (Titus 2:14; Hebrews 9:15; 1 Peter 1:18–21); occasionally (and in this sense with a different Greek word), the bondage under sentence of punishment for sin (Galatians 3:13; Galatians 4:5). Into that bondage we have plunged ourselves; God’s mercy redeems us from it at an unspeakable price (John 3:16; Romans 7:24–25).

2. The primary idea in “the forgiveness of sins through His blood” is propitiation, that is, the offering to God of “a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice” for sin, by One who is the Head and Representative of the human race (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10). So St. Paul interprets our Lord’s words by the declaration that “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7); and it is notable that the Atonement is designated in His exact words in the earliest apostolic preaching (Acts 2:38; Acts 5:31; Acts 10:43; Acts 13:38; Acts 26:18).

Hence the former phrase looks at the Atonement from the side of God, the latter from the human side; both being accomplished by Him who is Son of God and Son of Man at once. Together they represent the whole truth.

According to the riches of his grace.—As above, in relation to praise, stress is laid on the gloriousness of God’s grace, so here, in relation to enjoyment of it, on its overflowing richness (Ephesians 3:8; Ephesians 3:16; Romans 9:23).