Charles Ellicott Commentary Ephesians 2

And you hath he quickened.—And you also. St. Paul here begins the particular application to the Ephesians, the main subject of this chapter, which was broken off in Ephesians 2:3-10 and resumed in Ephesians 2:11. The words “hath He quickened” (or, properly, did He quicken) are supplied here from Ephesians 2:5—rightly, as expressing the true sense and promoting greater clarity, but perhaps not necessarily.

Trespasses and sins.—These two words, more often used separately, are here brought together to form a climax. The word rendered “trespass” signifies a “swerving aside and falling”; the word rendered “sins” is generally used by St. Paul in the singular to denote “sin” in the abstract, and signifies an entire “missing of the mark” of life. Hence, even in the plural, the term “sins” denotes universal and positive principles of evildoing, while “trespass” rather points to failure in visible and specific acts by those not necessarily out of the right way.

The course (or, age) of this world.—Here again, the two words often rendered as “world” are united. The former simply signifies “the age,” or appointed period of this visible universe; the latter, its material and sensuous character. When we are warned against the one (as in Romans 12:2, Be not conformed to this world; see also 1 Corinthians 1:20; 1 Corinthians 2:6; 2 Timothy 4:10), it is against the “vanity”—that is, the transitoriness and unreality—of the present life. When we are warned against the other (Galatians 6:14; Colossians 2:8–10), it is against its “pomp,” its carnal, material, unspiritual splendour. Here the former life of the Ephesians is described as at once transitory and carnal.

The prince of the power of the air.—The connection of the “world” with the Evil One as its “prince” is not uncommon in Holy Scripture (John 14:30; John 16:11); and the “power” of this passage is exactly that which Satan claims as “committed” to him in Luke 4:32. But the phrase “the power of the air” is unique and difficult.

We note:

1. That this phrase does not signify “a power over the air,” but “a power dwelling in the region of the air.” Now, the word “power” (see Note on Ephesians 1:21), both in the singular and the plural, is used in this Epistle, almost technically, of superhuman power. Here, therefore, the Evil One is described as “the prince,” or ruler, of such superhuman power—considered here collectively as a single power, prevailing over the world, and working in the children of disobedience—in the same sense in which he is called the “prince of the devils,” the individual spirits of wickedness (Matthew 9:34; Matthew 12:24).

2. Why is this spoken of as ruling “in the air”? There may possibly be an allusion (as has been supposed) to the speculations of Jewish or Gentile philosophy; but it seems far more probable that “the air” is here meant simply to describe a sphere, and therefore a power, below the heaven and yet above the earth. The “air” is always opposed to the bright “ether,” or to the spiritual “heaven”; the word and its derivatives carry with them the ideas of cloudiness, mist, and even darkness.

   Hence it is naturally used to suggest the conception of the evil power, as allowed invisibly to encompass and move above this world, yet overruled by the power of the true heaven, which it vainly strives to overcloud and hide from earth. In Ephesians 6:12 the powers of evil are described with less precision of imagery, as dwelling in heavenly places, the opposition being there only between what is human and superhuman; yet even there the “darkness” of this world is referred to, corresponding to the conception of cloudiness and dimness always attaching to “the air.”

The spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.—The Greek here shows that the word “spirit” must be taken in apposition, not to “prince,” as an English reader would naturally suppose, but to “power.” As the individual demons when considered as working on the human spirit are called spirits—unclean spirits in the Gospels, evil spirits in Acts 19:12 , deceiving spirits in 1 Timothy 4:1—so here the collective power of evil, considered as working in the children of disobedience, is called “a spirit,” like the spirit of the world, in 1 Corinthians 2:12, but here even more distinctly opposed to the “Spirit of God.”

In reference to this spiritual power over the soul, our Lord’s casting out demons is described (Acts 10:28) as a deliverance of those who were oppressed of the devil; the apostolic work of conversion (Acts 26:18) as a turning from the power of Satan to God, and excommunication as a deliverance to Satan (1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Timothy 1:20); and in 2 Thessalonians 2:9, exactly the same word for “inward working” is applied to the action of Satan on the soul. From this half-personal use of the word “spirit,” it is easy to pass to the more abstract sense of an inner spiritual principle (Romans 11:8; 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 4:6).

Among whom also we all . . .—Up to this point, Saint Paul had addressed himself especially to the Ephesians as Gentiles: now he extends the description of alienation to “all,” Jews and Gentiles alike, as formerly considered among the children of disobedience. Indeed, the great object of this chapter is to bring out the equality and unity of both Jews and Gentiles in the Church of Christ; and this truth is naturally introduced by a statement of their former equality in alienation and sin.

In the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.—The parallelism of these two clauses illustrates very clearly the extended sense in which the word “flesh” is used by Saint Paul, as can indeed be seen by the list of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-20.

Here, “the flesh,” in the first clause, includes both “the flesh and the mind” (or, more properly, the thoughts) of the second; that is, it includes both the appetites and the passions of our fleshly nature, and also the “thoughts” of the mind itself, insofar as it is devoted to this visible world of sense, alienated from God, and therefore under the influence of the powers of evil.

In fact, in scriptural use, the sins of “the flesh,” “the world,” and “the devil” are not different classes of sins but different aspects of sin, and any one of the three great enemies at times represents all.

And were by nature the children of wrath, even as others (or rather, the others—that is, the heathen).—From this passage, the phrase “children of wrath” has passed into Christian theology as an almost technical description of the unregenerate state. Therefore, it needs careful examination.

1. The phrase “children of wrath” (corresponding almost exactly to children of a curse, in 2 Peter 2:14) seems to be borrowed from the Hebrew usage in the Old Testament, by which (as in 1 Samuel 20:30; 2 Samuel 12:5) a son of death is one under sentence of death, and in Isaiah 57:4 (the Greek translation) children of destruction are those doomed to perish. In this sense, we have, in John 17:12, the son of perdition; and in Matthew 23:15, the son of hell. Therefore, it differs considerably from the phrase children of disobedience (begotten, as it were, of disobedience) mentioned above.

   However, it is notable that the word for “children” used here is a term expressing endearment and love, and is therefore properly, and almost invariably, applied to our relation to God. Therefore, when it is used as in this passage, or, still more strikingly, in 1 John 3:10, children of the devil , there is clearly an intention to arrest the attention with a startling and paradoxical expression. “We were children,” not of God, not of His love, but “of wrath”—that is, His wrath against sin; “born (Galatians 4:4) under the law,” and therefore shut up under sin, and under the curse.

2. Next, we consider the phrase “by nature,” which, in the true reading of the original, is inserted as a kind of limitation or definition between “children” and “of wrath.” Initially, it was probably suggested by the reference to Israel, who were by covenant, not by nature, the chosen people of God. The word “nature,” when applied to humanity, indicates what is common to all, as opposed to what is individual, or what is inborn, as opposed to what is acquired.

   But whether it refers to humanity as it was created by God, or to humanity as it has become by “fault and corruption of nature,” must always be determined by the context. Here, the reference is clearly to the latter. “Nature” is opposed to “grace”—that is, the nature of man as alienated from God, compared to the nature of man as restored to his original birthright, the “image of God,” in Jesus Christ .

   The existence of an inborn sinfulness does not need revelation to be evident to those who have eyes to see. It needs a revelation—and such a revelation the gospel gives—to declare to us that this is not man’s true nature, and that what is really original is not sin, but righteousness.

3. Therefore, the whole passage describes the state of people before their call to union with Christ as naturally “under wrath,” and is well illustrated by the full description in Romans 1:18; Romans 2:16 of those on whom the wrath of God is revealed. There, people’s state is depicted as still having some knowledge of God (Romans 1:19–21), as having the work of the law written on the heart (Romans 2:14–15), and accordingly as still being under probation before God (Romans 2:6–11).

   Elsewhere we learn that Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, died for all, even the ungodly (Romans 5:6–8; Revelation 13:1); and that none are wholly excluded from His atonement except those who tread under foot the Son of God, and count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing (Hebrews 10:29).

   Therefore, that state is not absolutely lost or hopeless. Yet, when the comparison, as here, is with the salvation of the gospel, they are declared “children of wrath” who are “strangers to the new covenant of promise,” with its two supernatural gifts of justification by faith and sanctification in the Spirit. Their condition is described, comparatively but not absolutely, as having no hope, and without God in the world.

Rich in mercy.—Not only merciful, but rich “in the multitude of mercy,” as attaching even to those dead in sin (see Chrysostom on this passage). The idea of richness in grace, glory, mercy, is especially frequent in this Epistle. (Ephesians 1:18; Ephesians 2:7; Ephesians 3:8; Ephesians 3:16.)

For his great love.—Again, as in Ephesians 1:4, stress is laid on the love of God, before all else, as the one moving cause of salvation. (Compare to Romans 5:8, God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.)

Even when we were dead in sins.—These words should be connected, not with “loved us,” but with “has quickened,” or rather, quickened. He brought life out of spiritual death.

On verses 5-6:

The thought in these verses follows exactly the same course as in Ephesians 1:19-20. There the type and earnest of the working of God’s mighty power are placed in the resurrection, the ascension, the glorification of Christ Himself in His human nature. Here what is there implied is worked out:

1. All Christians are declared to be quickened (or, risen again) to spiritual life with Christ, according to His promise, Because I live, you shall live also (John 14:19). (See the exact parallel in Colossians 2:13.) But there is a promise even beyond this: I am the life: whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die (John 11:25; John 17:2). Hence, even more emphatically, and in full accordance with this latter promise, we have in Colossians 3:4, Christ who is our life; as in 2 Corinthians 4:10–11, The life of Jesus is made manifest in us. What this life eternal is He Himself declares (John 17:3)—to know the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent.

2. Next, this partaking of the life of Christ is brought out in two striking forms—as a partaking, not only of His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20–22; Philippians 3:11), but also (in a phase of thought peculiar to these Epistles) of His ascension to the heavenly places. This is in Christ Jesus, in virtue of a personal and individual union with Christ. It implies blessings, both present and future, or rather one blessing, of which we have the earnest now and the fullness hereafter—for the resurrection and ascension of Christ are even now the perfection and glorification of humanity in Him.

3. So far as we are really and vitally His members, such perfection and glorification are ours now, by His intercession (that is, His continued mediation for us in heaven) and by His indwelling in us by the Spirit on earth. The proof of partaking His resurrection is newness of life, death unto sin, and new birth unto righteousness (Romans 6:5–11), which is in Colossians 3:12 expressly connected with the entrance upon unity with Christ in baptism. The proof of having our life hid in Christ at the right hand of God, is the setting our affection on things above (Colossians 3:1), by which “in heart and mind we there ascend, and with Him continually dwell.”

4. These proofs are seen only in measure here. Through the change which we call death, we pass at once to a still higher stage of life, by fuller union with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:6–8), and at the great day we shall have both in perfection—perfect newness of life in likeness to Him (1 John 3:2), and perfect glorification in Him in that communion with God which is heaven (John 17:5; John 17:10; John 17:24). The one thing which St. Paul does not attribute to us is that which is His alone—the place at the right hand of the Father.