Ephesians 2:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And— This particle gives us the thread of St. Paul's discourse, which it is impossible to understand without seeing the train of it: without that view it would be like a rope of gold dust; all the parts would be excellent, and of value, butwould seem heaped together without order or connection. This and here, it is true, ties the parts together, and points out the connection and coherence of St. Paul's discourse; but yet it stands so far from the verb set, in Ephesians 2:20, of the foregoing chapter, and quickened, in Ephesians 2:5, of this, which are the two verbs it couples together, that it would scarcely be observed or admitted by one unacquainted with St. Paul's stile; and therefore it may not be amiss to lay it in its due light before the reader. In Ephesians 1:18-20 : the Apostle prays, that the Ephesians may be so enlightened, as to see the great advantages they received by the gospel: those which he specifies are, 1. What great hopes it gave them. 2. What an exceeding glory accompanied the inheritance of the saints. 3. The mighty power exerted by God on their behalf, which bore some proportion to that which he employed in the raising of Christ from the dead, and placing him at his right-hand: upon the mention of which, his mind being full of that glorious image, he lets his pen run into adescription of the exaltation of Christ, which lasts to the end of the chapter; and then resumes the thread of his discourse, which runs briefly thus: "I pray God thatthe eyes of your understanding may be enlightened, that you may see the exceeding great power of God, which is employed upon us who believe; corresponding [κατα την] to that energy wherewith he raised Christ from the dead, and seated him at his right-hand; for so likewise has he raised you, who were dead in trespasses and sins: us, I say, who were dead in trespasses and sins, hath he quickened and raised together with Christ, and seated together with himin his heavenlykingdom." This is the train andconnection of his discourse from ch. Ephesians 1:18 to ch. Ephesians 2:5 though it be interrupted by many incident thoughts, which, after his usual manner, he enlarges upon by the way, and then returns to the main subject: for here again we must observe, that having, in the verse before us, mentioned their beingdead in trespasses and sins, he proceeds to enlarge upon that forlorn estate of the Gentiles before their conversion; and then comes to what he designed, namely, that God, out of his great goodness, quickened, raised, and placed them together with Christ in his heavenly kingdom.