Who hath saved us, &c.— "Who hath rescued us out of the evil world, and called us to sanctity, not because we had deserved that mercy of his, but of his own free mercy and goodness long ago designed us in Christ; and now hath revealed it to us, and made us partakers of it, by Christ's coming into the world, and preaching the gospel to us, who hath thereby voided the power of death over us, and made a clear revelation of that life and immortality which was not before so certainly revealed, that if we will believe in him and obey him, we may certainly be made partakers of it." The phrase προ χρονων αιωινων, which our version translates before the world began, is literally before the secular ages, or before any age hath passed, and so it ought to be rendered. The promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, being made at the beginning of the world, the promise of that life to which we were to be restored by this seed, and had lost by the subtilty and malice of the serpent, is said to be given, before any age hath passed, or, as the great Mr. Locke explains it, before the secular ages of the Jews. But I shall explain this passage more fully, when I come to consider that exactly parallel one, Titus 1:2-3 to which I refer my readers.
It is to be acknowledged, that the heathens had, by tradition and the glimmering light of their dispensation, conceived some hope of some future good things to be received after this life was ended; that being absolutely necessary, says the apostle, that they might come to God, or do him any acceptable service: for, he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Hebrews 11:6. But yet this hope was very weak and feeble in them, and scarcely credited by their philosophers. It is stiled by Cicero (Tusc. Q. 1.) A surmise of future ages. It is, says Seneca, (Ep. 102.) That which our wise men do promise, but they do not prove. Socrates, even at his death, speaks thus (Apol. in fine): I hope to go hence to good men, but of that I am not very confident; nor doth it become any wise man to be positive that so it will be. I, says he, must now die, and you shall live; but which of us is in the better state, the living or the dead, God only knows.
Mr. Parkhurst, under the word φωτιζω, observes, that it signifies "to bring to light," and occurs, 1 Corinthians 4:5 and in the present text: and he translates the latter clause of the verse, and hath brought life and incorruption to light by the gospel: that is, not the doctrine, but the thing; Christ, by actually rising from the dead, has caused this important fact, as fulfilled in and by him, to be published by the gospel; (see 1 Corinthians 15:1; 1 Corinthians 15:4.) having manifested or exemplified in his own person that life and incorruption, which shall be the happy lot of all his faithful saints. See 1 Corinthians 15:42; 1 Corinthians 15:50-55. So when St. John 1; Ephesians 1:2 says in terms very similar to those of St. Paul, that η ζωη εφανερωθη, the life was manifested, he does not refer to the doctrine of a future or eternal life; but to that which he had seen with his eyes, which he had looked upon, and his hands had handled; even the incarnate word, as is evident from the context. The word φωτισαντος here used, is not merely opposed to the obscurity of the doctrine of life and immortality before the coming of Christ; but also to God's preceding purpose, or promise of what was afterwards really fulfilled in our Redeemer, as a pledge of what should likewise be accomplished in all persevering believers. See 1 Corinthians 15:23. The reader will observe, that the apostle's term is not Αθανασιαν, immortality, but 'Αφθαρσιαν, incorruption; as referring more particularly to the resurrection of the body. Comp. Acts 13:34-37.