Ephesians 1:9

2. This eternal election is according to a divine ideal of an ultimate reconciliation of all mankind, through the headship of Christ, unto God, Ephesians 1:9-10.

9. Having made known This making known is a revelation in time of a mystery which was in eternity; namely, the revelation by the gospel. It is a disclosure to the world of what was designed before the foundation of the world.

Mystery The matter covered by the mystery, namely, the gracious designs of God which truly lie in his eternal holy nature. Hence mystery of his will means the hitherto unrevealed beneficent restorative purpose by God willed in the past eternity; that is, the divine ideal of God for the restoration of all men, through the divine Son of man, to oneness with God.

According to his good pleasure Literally, according to the beneficence of his which he hath purposed. The beneficence consisting in the summation, in Christ, of Ephesians 1:10.

In rendering ευδοκια beneficence, we differ from Meyer, Alford, Ellicott, and others, and agree with Olshausen and Eadie. The former are obliged to render in substance: Having revealed… according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed. But to purpose a good pleasure is a solecism. Having revealed… according to the beneficence of his, which he purposed, makes sense. And then Paul goes on to tell what the purposed beneficence is.

The phrase according to, is used five times in the section. God’s blessing accords with his choice of us: his predestination with beneficence of his will: forgiveness with riches of grace: revelation with beneficence: predestination with purpose.