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Eph_2:7. Aim of God in connection with what is said, Eph_2:5-6.
ἵνα ἐνδείξηται ] prefixed with emphasis: in order—not to leave concealed and unknown, but—to exhibit and make manifest, etc. Comp. Rom_9:23.
ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσι τοῖς ἐπερχ .] in the ages coming on, i.e. in the times after the Parousia, as being already on the approach (comp. LXX. Isa_44:7; Isa_45:11; Jdt_9:5; 3Ma_5:2; Luk_21:26; Jam_5:1; Hom. Od. xxiv. 142; Thuc. i. 126; Plat. Soph. p. 234 D; Aesch. Prom. 98: τὸ παρὸν τό τʼ ἐπερχόμενον , Pind. Ol. x. 11: ἕκαθεν γὰρ ἐπελθὼν ὁ μέλλων χρόνος ). In the times from the Parousia (conceived as near at hand) onward, the manifestation designed by God of His grace towards believers was to take place, because not before, but only after the Parousia, would the making alive of the believers, etc., implicitly contained in the making alive of Christ, be actually accomplished in the subjects. Incorrect, seeing that the apostle was previously speaking, not of the spiritual, but of the real resurrection, etc., is the rendering of Morus: “per omne vestrum tempus reliquum quum in hac vita tum in futura quoque,” as well as that of Wolf (comp. Calvin, Piscator, Boyd, Estius, Calixtus, Michaelis, Zachariae, Meier, Matthies, Baumgarten-Crusius, Bleek): “tempora inde ab apostolicis illis ad finem mundi secutura.” Koppe brings out, “ut aeternum duraturum argumentum extaret,” which is quite mistaken, since, while it is true that the αἰῶνες οἱ ἐπερχόμενοι are eternal times, the words do not signify tempora aeternum futura. Respecting the plural τοῖς αἰῶσι , comp. on Eph_3:21. To infer from this that the setting in of the Messianic period will not be accomplished suddenly, but by way of successive development (Schenkel), is at variance with the whole N.T. The future αἰών sets in through the Parousia very suddenly and in an instant, Mat_24:27; 1Co_15:52, al. Hence we have not mentally to supply with ἐνδείξ . anything like: “ever more completely” (Flatt), or “ever more effectively” (Schenkel), which is sheer caprice.
The form τὸ πλοῦτος is here also decisively attested. See on Eph_1:7.
ἐν χρηστότητι ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ] is to be taken together, and the instrumental ἐν indicates by what God will manifest the exceeding great riches of His grace in the ages to come, by kindness towards us in Christ Jesus, i.e. by means of the fact that He shows Himself gracious towards us, of which the ground lies in Christ (not in us, see Eph_2:8). The article was not at all requisite before ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς , since χρηστότητι is anarthrous, and besides χρηστότης ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς , like χρηστὸν εἶναι ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς (Luk_6:35), can be closely joined together in thought. Comp. on Eph_1:15.
The χάρις is the source of the χρηστότης , which latter displays itself in forgiving (comp. Prayer of Manass. 11; Tit_3:4; Rom_2:4) and in benefiting, and therefore is the evidence of the former, the opposite of ἀποτομία , Rom_11:22. Comp. Tittmann, Synon. p. 195; van Hengel, ad Rom. II. p. 682.