Ephesians 1:10

Dispensation. Gr. oikonomia, “stewardship,” that is, the office of a steward, “arrangement,” “plan.” Paul seems here to be referring to the plan of salvation, which would ultimately accomplish the unity here portrayed.

Fulness of times. The plural suggests a succession of time periods or seasons (cf. on 1 Cor. 10:11). The entire gospel age seems to be comprehended. As there are appropriate times for the sowing of the seed and the gathering of the harvest, there are also suitable seasons for God’s activities in connection with the redemption of men. There are some things that could be accomplished at one time and not at another, because He is dealing with beings who are free moral agents whom He will not even attempt to force into compliance with His purposes. Through the ages there have been successive unfoldings of the plans of God, stages of development leading up to the final consummation when there will be a universal unity. The apostle enlarges on this theme as he proceeds with his epistle.

Gather together. Gr. anakephalaiod, “to sum up,” “to head up,” “to bring to a focus.” The word occurs in the NT only here and in Rom. 13:9, where Paul describes the law as being summed up.

All things in Christ. This is the divine purpose — the restoration of a lost unity. It must necessarily be in Christ, because He is the center of all things. All things were made by Him; He upholds all things by the word of His power; He is the center of the church and its supreme hope. The Christian life is no solitary adventure into the kingdom of God; the Christian is a member of a community, the body of Christ, the church. The unity of God’s universe had been broken by sin. The mystery of God’s will was His plan to restore this unity when the occasion was ready, a restoration to be accomplished through Christ. That mystery will find its culmination at the end of the great controversy, when all things in heaven and on earth will be united in Christ, and the character of the Godhead will have been vindicated.

In him. These words may be considered as part of v. 11 rather than of v. 10, where they are merely a repetition.