Verse 6
To the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the beloved.
The initial triple phrase recurs as in a refrain in Ephesians 1:12 and Ephesians 1:14. The Father is the source of blessing here, the Son in Ephesians 1:12, and the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1:14. It would appear that Paul built up this type of phrase to extol and praise God as the giver of all blessings.
Freely bestowed on us in the Beloved ... In the KJV this is "He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." "The verb here is the same verb used in Luke 1:28, and nowhere else in the New Testament."[12] Of the greatest significance is the past tense, not perfect, indicating that God's action in making people accepted is not a continuing operation. Sinners are not acted upon continually and individually as they may believe in Christ; the great enabling charter of all human redemption has already been granted, sealed and delivered. This tremendous reservoir of divine grace has already been given "in the Beloved," that is, "in Christ." Through the gospel, people are called to believe the truth and to be baptized into Christ; and the human response to that invitation determines destiny.
The significance of this same verb being used in the Annunciation to Mary, and nowhere else in the New Testament, lies in the fact that, as in the case of the blessed Mary, who was "full of grace" in the sense of grace received, not grace to bestow; so it is with God's church, it is the recipient, not the dispenser of God's grace.
In the Beloved ... This was probably an ancient messianic title, corresponding to "Son of his love" (Colossians 1:13), and "my Beloved" (Mark 1:11). The great truth here is, as Bruce said, "That all the blessings which are ours by God's grace are ours in Christ; there is no way apart from him in which God either decrees or effects the bestowal of his grace on men."[13]
[12] Alfred Barry, Ellicott's Commentary on the Holy Bible, Vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 17.
[13] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 30.
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