The Economy of Christ and the Will of God

Just as he wrote to the Romans before he had seen them, so also to the Ephesians, after John had preceded and cast the preaching to them, timely exhorting them not to be mastered by the law. Since the apostles, passing through Jerusalem, kept the law because of those who believed from the circumcision, and then since John had sufficiently theologized and left nothing of the preachings toward the knowledge of God, as was capable for men, in order to present the plan of the incarnation, there comes the appropriate magnitude and, through words worthy of the things, being set forth and having taken up the more difficult matter: for the divinity had an appropriate and confessed honor, but the incarnation, according to appearances humble, was able to narrate worthily by spiritual power.

And thus 'through' and 'to God' according to Paul, and it is not diminished, Father (Eph 1:1). And rightly he says 'through the will of God', so that he might show that just as God willed John to be an apostle, so also we. And he writes this so that the things said by him might be trustworthy.

If each has been used appropriately, both Father and Lord, the Son will be confessed greater than the Father, if the one has the name Father, and the other Lord (Eph 1:2). But the cause of these sayings was confessed: because he said, 'our Father', and He is Father of Christ, so that the same name might not be placed also upon the only-begotten and upon the believers, or else he would cast down the Son against nature, or lift those up above nature, having said 'our Father' and showing that the title comes through grace, he brought forward: and 'Lord Jesus Christ'; for it was not in common nature, since the appellation not being common, the honor was not to be common. Why then is the Father Lord of these, but he himself is not also Lord of the Son, if the appellation of both was used appropriately?

If then in Christ for adoption (Eph 1:4)...

The saints were defined; the Son is not merely appointed, but Son by nature. Regarding Eph 1:5–6, if according to the law the will is an activity, what is this good pleasure of that will? For he would not have said 'the will of a will.' It is for the praise of the glory of his grace. Having already spoken beforehand, he said that he orders his own Word by the requirement of the economy.

Regarding Eph 1:10: Because the created being fell through disobedience, and because men acted impiously, the heavenly things were alienated from the earthly; Christ having come, he recapitulated all things. And after this, he says something differently: having made peace between those in the heavens and those on the earth. For he himself is our peace, the one who made both the two into one, the Jews and the Greeks, through the faith into Christ. Regarding Eph 1:11: Clearly here he says one thing for 'activity' and another for 'will.' Having spoken of the one working all things according to the will, he spoke of the will, in order to show that the will is decreed. Whatever anyone has established from a good purpose, these things are decreed to judge, saying he used the voices. Regarding Eph 1:13: Of those foreknown, he says, you also are, being made ones with Christ through obedience and through the faith that comes by hearing and the seal that comes by faith, which is a likeness to Christ through the appropriation of the Spirit. But from whom did they hear the word of truth? Or from John the Evangelist? For there he was preaching. Therefore, Paul discourses with them on a higher level, having been equipped from that teaching.

Regarding Eph 1:14, 17–21: The redemption of the possession is this; for we are redeemed so that we might be possessed and made at home with God, being redeemed, remembering the blood by which we were redeemed and the whole economy. It is clear that he calls the one according to the flesh of Christ 'God'; for nowhere here does he mention the requirement of divinity, but the economy toward us, which confesses that the flesh is real. Yet often the Scripture calls that very essence of God 'glory'; because...