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Notes on Ephesians 4.6: one God and Father of all

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These notes are extra items and minor points from the Forthright Magazine article, “One God and Father of us all.”

  1. The Tradução ecumênica da Bíblia (1994) hits the right note here with its translation: “who reigns over all, acts through all, and remains in all” (my translation into English). See also the Amplified Bible: “one God and Father of us all who is [sovereign] over all and [working] through all and [living] in all.” The Message hits it right as well: “who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all.”
  2. J. Sheerer (829) sees a reference to God’s providence in the phrase “through all.” I would see it more in the phrase “over all.” However, he provides a happy reminder here that God’s providence is at work today in and among his people. He says, “God continues to work out his will in a providential way.” For God’s providence, see Robert C. Hampton and Gary C. Hampton, Unseen Hand.
  3. M. Weed (1971, 159) notes that the pronoun “us” in the RSV phrase: “God and Father of us all,” should be omitted. Its presence, however, reminds us that the phrase has been been and, pace Weed, ought to be, understood as referring to the unity of Jews and Gentiles, and not to mankind generally. Various translations use the expression, “Father of everything,” a thought rather strange to Scripture.
  4. Since the article focused on “one God,” the theme of Forthright Magazine during July, 2020, we have dealt little with his Fatherhood. God as Father is one of the great truths of the faith. The church as family depends upon him being Father and “fathering” us in the new birth, John 3.3, 5; 1 John 5.1 (NET). It is in Christ that we may, like him, call him Father: “my Father and your Father, … my God and your God” John 20.17.
  5. See this personal note (#7 in the list) about this text.

Works Cited

  • WEED, Michael R. (1971) The Letters to the Ephesians, the Colossians, and Philemon. Austin TX: Sweet.
  • SHEERER, Jim (2001) New Testament Commentary. Chickasha OK: Yeomen.

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