Ephesians 1:3-14 opens with a statement full of blessing. God is blessed (εὐλογητὸς), and he has blessed us (εὐλογήσας) with every spiritual blessing (εὐλογίᾳ) in Christ. The ways Christians are blessed in this passage are numerous and worthy of attention, but here I want to examine the way God is blessed, which is through praise (ἔπαινον). We see variations of the phrase “to the praise of his glorious grace” in verses 6, 12, and 14:
Eph. 1:6, 14
Greek: εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ / εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ
ESV: to the praise of his glorious grace / to the praise of his glory
TEV: Let us praise God for his glorious grace / Let us praise his glory
Eph. 1:12
Greek: εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ.
ESV: so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
TEV: Let us, then, who were the first to hope in Christ, praise God’s glory!
Some English translations render these three verses as exhortations for the audience to praise God, as illustrated by the TEV above. Some translation helps suggest this kind of approach, and I have seen it used by translators where I work. Does this kind of rendering adequately capture the meaning in these verses? I will argue here that translating these statements as explicit exhortations does not capture their full meaning.
Each of these three verses makes use of the preposition εἰς. Verse 12 adds a second εἰς with the infinitive εἶναι. In this kind of context, εἰς and the εἰς + infinitive construction are usually understood to indicate purpose or result. If we interpret these verses as indicating result, then we understand that praising God for his glory and grace is the result of his redemptive work. But when is this praise to occur? A rendering that uses clear exhortation may limit this result to an immediate response, while an indicative clause describing the result would more naturally include both an immediate response and praise of God into the future. We can clearly see a forward-leaning focus in verse 14, which looks ahead to the final redemption of those who belong to God. Therefore, a rendering inclusive of all future praise of God’s glory is preferable to one that focuses on the now.
I would take it even farther, however, and argue that this usage of εἰς is indicating purpose – that is, an intended result. It is undeniable that the events in this passage have been meticulously planned out by God. Verse 4 tells us that he chose us ‘before the creation of the world.’ God’s predestination, or choosing beforehand, is mentioned twice (1:5, 11). His will and his purposing and planning of events are at center stage (1:5, 9, 11), along with the assertion that God succeeds in carrying out his plans (1:11). Therefore, when εἰς is used with ‘praise of his glory’ in this passage, I understand that praise is an outcome intended and achieved by God.
In summary, we could outline three ways to render these εἰς phrases, each based on a unique interpretation:
1. Exhortation: God [did these things]. Let us praise his glory
2. Result: God [did these things], and people will praise his glory.
3. Purpose: God [did these things] so that people will praise his glory.
The third option is best, because it not only preserves God’s intent to bring praise to himself, but it also includes the meaning presented in the first two options. If God’s purpose was for people to praise him, then praise is the inevitable result. And when the Ephesian church read this letter, they certainly would have responded to these words in praise, making such a statement as effective as a direct exhortation.
Finding the Right Words 