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ye are saved" in Eph. 2: 5 and the succeeding emphasis upon grace apart from merit
"lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2: 9). The word hina comes in verse nine as well as in
verse seven. It is of the Divine purpose that in the ages to come He shows his kindness to
us in Christ Jesus, and it is also the Divine purpose "that" no man should boast.
When at last the church of the Mystery is manifested in glory, it will be among other
things "an exhibit" of what grace means to all the serried ranks of spirit beings. We do
not do the passage justice however if we stay here at the word grace. We have "riches"
of grace, but even that is not all. We have "exceeding riches" of grace to consider, to
preach and to give thanks to God. Even that is not all, for these exceeding riches of grace
are to be expressed in "kindness" toward us. "Riches" of grace, of glory, of Christ, and
of full assurance, characterize the epistles Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians; and
Romans speaks of the riches of His goodness, and glory, and contains the doxology that
opens with "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God", but
there are only two passages in all Paul's epistles which say that God was or is rich.
"Though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor" (II Cor. 8: 9).
"God, Who is rich in mercy" (Eph. 2: 4).
No believer who rejoices in salvation by sacrifice will need a lengthy argument to
prove that the one passage is linked to the other, as is cause and effect. We can only be
the recipient of these riches of grace, because He Who was rich, became poor on our
account. God Who is rich in mercy, provided the steps, "quickened with", "raised with",
"seated with", and He also provides the goal "manifested with", or, as in the verse before
us, kindness beyond dreams. The term "the ages to come", could strike a note of fear
were we not assured of this grace, but Paul includes the age to come in that which is
placed in subjection beneath the feet of Christ, and we have already seen how this is
accomplished.
His being raised
is balanced by our being raised with Him
His being seated
is balanced by our being seated with Him
So now we can add a third correspondence:
The age to come is beneath His feet; the ages to come can contain nothing but grace
and kindness for His believing people.
These riches are said to be "exceeding" huperballo, a word that occurs three times in
Ephesians:
"The exceeding greatness of His power toward us" (Eph. 1: 19).
"The exceeding riches of His grace . . . . . towards us" (2: 7).
"The love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" (3: 19).
An hyperbole in language is a figure of exaggeration (to be distinguished from
hyperbole the answering of an argument by anticipation), and generally indicates that the
subject is so vast as to go beyond the powers of human language to describe. Huperballo
is composed of huper "over" and ballo "to throw". There are four derivatives from ballo