Ephesians 4:9,10 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ephesians 4:9-10. (Now, that he ascended, &c.— St. Paul's argumentation in these two verses is skilfully adapted to the main design of his Epistle. The convert Gentiles were attacked by the unconverted Jews, who were declared enemies to the thoughts of a Messiah who should die. St. Paul, to enervate that objection, proves, by a passage out of the Psalms, (Ephesians 4:8.) that he must die, and be buried. Besides the unbelieving Jews, several of those who were converted to the gospel, or at least professed to be so, attacked the Gentile converts on the other side, persuading them that they could not be admitted to be the people of God in the kingdom of the Messiah, nor receive any advantage by him, unless they were circumcised, and put themselves wholly under the Jewish constitution. He had said a great deal in the first three Chapter s to deliver them from this perplexity; but yet takes occasion here to offer them a new argument, by telling them, that Christ, the same Jesus that died, and was laid in his grave, was exalted to the right-hand of God, above all the heavens, in the highest state of dignity and power; thathe himself being filled bodily with the fulness of God, believers, who were allhis members, might receive immediately, from him their head, a fulness of gifts and graces, upon no other terms but as they were his members.