Commentary on Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians Timothy Titus and Philemon John Calvin (continued)
Chapter 1
COMMENTARIES ON THE
EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE EPHESIANS. CHAPTER 1
Ephesians 1:1-6
Ephesians 1:1-6
1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
1. Paulus Apostolus Iesu Christi per voluntatem Dei, sanctis omnibus qui sunt Ephesi, et fidelibus in Christo Iesu,
2. Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Gratia vobis et pax a Deo Patre nostro, et Domino Iesu Christo, 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ;
3. Benedictus Deus et Pater Domini nostri Iesu Christi, qui benedixit nos in omni benedictione spirituali, in coelestibus Christo;
4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
4. Quemadmodum elegit nos in ipso ante mundi creationem, ut simus sancti et inculpati in conspectu suo per charitatem;
5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
5. Qui praedestinavit nos in adoptionem per Iesum Christum in seipso, secundum beneplacitum voluntatis suae,
6. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
6. In laudem gloriae gratiae suae, qua nos gratos habuit in dilecto. 1. Paul, an apostle. As the same form of salutation, or at least very little varied, is found in all the Epistles, it would be superfluous to repeat here the observations which we have formerly made. He calls himself ``an apostle of Jesus Christ;'' for all to whom has been given the ministry of reconciliation are his ambassadors. The word Apostle, indeed, carries something more; for it is not every minister of the gospel, as we shall afterwards see, (Ephesians 4:11,) that can be called an apostle. But this subject has been explained more fully in my remarks on the Epistle to the Galatians. (See Calvin on ``Galatians 1:1'')
He adds, by the will of God; for ``no man ought to take this honor unto