Ephesians 1:5

5 he^[a] predestined us for adoption to sonship^[b] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

Ephesians 1:5 in Other Translations

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

5 Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!)

5 having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

5 Because of his love he had already decided to adopt us through Jesus Christ. He freely chose to do this

5 He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will,

5 So he decided long ago to adopt us as his children. He did it because of what Jesus Christ has done. It pleased God to do it.

Ephesians 1:5 Meaning and Commentary

Ephesians 1:5

Having predestinated us
Predestination, taken in a large sense, includes both election and reprobation, and even reaches to all affairs and occurrences in the world; to the persons, lives, and circumstances of men; to all mercies, temporal or spiritual; and to all afflictions, whether in love or in wrath: and indeed providence, or the dispensations of providence, are no other than the execution of divine predestination; but here it is the same with election, and is concerned with the same persons, and has regard to a special blessing, the elect are appointed to, as follows;

unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself;
by which is meant, either the grace of adoption, which is an act of the Father's love, a blessing provided and secured in the covenant of grace; and is of persons to an inheritance, to which they have no legal right; and is entirely free, there being no need on the adopter's part, and no worth on the part of the adopted: or rather the inheritance they are adopted to; which exceeds all others, is incorruptible, undefiled, and fades not away; and lies among the saints in light, and belongs to all the children of God: and this they are predestinated unto by God the Father, who takes them into his family, puts them among the children, and gives them a goodly heritage: and that "by Jesus Christ"; or through him; for both the grace of adoption, and the kingdom and glory they are adopted to, come by and through him as Mediator; through his espousing their persons, assuming their nature, and redeeming them from under the law and its curses; through his giving them a power and privilege openly to be the sons of God; and through faith in him, whereby they are manifestly such: the phrase "unto himself", either refers to God the Father, who has chosen, set apart, formed and reserved his people and children for himself, for his peculiar treasure, and for his own glory; or to Jesus Christ, that he might have some brethren, and they be conformed to him, and he be the firstborn among them, and in all things have the pre-eminence; and that they might be with him, and behold his glory, and he be glorified in them: and this act of divine predestination was

according to the good pleasure of his will:
the will of God is the rule of all his actions, and of all his acts of grace and goodness; and the good pleasure of it appears in the predestination of men to grace and glory: and from hence it is manifest, that foreseen faith, holiness, and good works, are excluded from being the moving cases of predestinating grace; and that it is wholly to be resolved into the good will and pleasure of God; the view in it being entirely as follows,

Ephesians 1:5 In-Context

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

Cross References

• 1. ver 11; Romans 8:29,30
• 2. S Romans 8:14,15
• 3. Luke 12:32; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Colossians 1:19

Footnotes

• [a] Or "sight in love. " 5"He"
• [b] The Greek word for "adoption to sonship" is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture.