Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Ephesians 4:6

"one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all." — Ephesians 4:6 (ASV)

The last in the ascending scale is the “Father.” He is not associated with other unities like the one Spirit and the one Lord. He stands alone. There is only “one God,” not many as in pagan culture (1 Corinthians 8:5–6). He is the “Father of all,” with particular reference to his redemptive paternity, though his creative fatherhood is not entirely ruled out in view of what follows. The triple note mentioned here divides up his modes of action. If the first “all” is exclusively personal, the rest are not necessarily so. God reigns “over” all in his transcendent sovereignty; he works “through” all in his creative activity; he dwells “in” all by reason of his immanent pervasiveness. The trinitarian structure of vv.4–6 bears out the assumption that here we have an incipient creed. It was on the basis of such biblical passages that the historic affirmations of faith were developed.