Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
All Commentaries on Ephesians 1:5 Go To Ephesians 1
John Chrysostom
AD 407
That is to say, because He earnestly willed it. This is, as one might say, His earnest desire. For the word good pleasure every where means the precedent will, for there is also another will. As for example, the first will is that sinners should not perish; the second will is, that, if men become wicked, they shall perish. For surely it is not by necessity that He punishes them, but because He wills it. You may see something of the sort even in the words of Paul, where he says, I would that all men were even as I myself. 1 Corinthians 7:7 And again, I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children. 1 Timothy 5:14 By good pleasure then he means the first will, the earnest will, the will accompanied with earnest desire, as in case of us, for I shall not refuse to employ even a somewhat familiar expression, in order to speak with clearness to the simpler sort; for thus we ourselves, to express the intentness of the will, speak of acting according to our resolve. What he means to say then is this, God earnestly aims at, earnestly desires, our salvation. Wherefore then is it that He so loves us, whence has He such affection? It is of His goodness alone. For grace itself is the fruit of goodness. And for this cause, he says, has He predestinated us to the adoption of children; this being His will, and the object of His earnest wish, that the glory of His grace may be displayed. According to the good pleasure of His will,
