Ephesians 1:10 - Exposition

With a view to the dispensation of the fullness of the times (or, seasons ) ( Ephesians 1:9 and Ephesians 1:10 are one sentence, which should not be broken up). This seems to denote the times of the gospel generally; not, as in Galatians 4:4 , the particular time of Christ's advent; the οἰκονομία , or economy, of the gospel being that during which, in its successive periods, all God's schemes are to ripen or come to maturity, and be fulfilled. To gather together under one head all things in Christ. ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι is a word of some difficulty. It is true it is derived from κεφάλαιον , not κεφαλή : therefore some have thought that it does not include the idea of headship ; but the relation of κεφάλαιον , to κεφαλή is as close that this can hardly be. The word expresses the Divine purpose—what God προέθετο —which was to restore in Christ a lost unity, to bring together disunited elements, viz. all things, whether they be things in heaven or things on earth. There is no hint here of a universal restoration. Such a notion would be in fiat contradiction to the doctrine of Divine election, which dominates the whole passage. God's purpose is to form a united kingdom, consisting of the unfallen and the restored—the unfallen in heaven, and the restored on earth, and to gather this whole body together under Christ as its Head (see Ephesians 3:15 ). We cannot say that this purpose has been fully effected as yet; but things are moving towards it, and one day it will be wholly realized. "He that sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new" ( Revelation 21:5 ).