Who First Trusted in Christ?

“That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” (Eph 1:12 )

Who is Paul talking about when he wrote, “who first trusted in Christ”?

Some commentaries would argue that Paul must’ve been talking about the Jews in the OT. Or maybe the members of the Little Flock were first to trust in Christ when He started His earthly ministry. Or the church at Pentecost or the Christians at Antioch. Bullinger wrote, “The ‘we’ being the saved members of the Pentecostal church closed by the judgment pronouncement of Act 28:25, Act 28:28.”

What are you talking about?

If the phrase “who first trusted in Christ” was referring back to “we” in this verse, then Paul is saying that only those who first trusted in Christ are to the praise of His glory.

Think about that. If all of this is true, you could rewrite the verse this way:

“That we, who first trusted in Christ, should be to the praise of his glory.”

What apostle in his right mind would ever write something so self-serving? You’re going to have me to believe that Paul is somehow breaking character and he’s praising God for the fact that he and other early believers who first trusted in Christ in the age of grace are now the cause for others to praise the glory of God? Why would he say that?

Wouldn’t we all bring praise to His glory for trusting in Christ?

If you are going to argue that Paul was only talking about himself and other early believers, then you are rendering this verse meaningless for all of us.

How does context support that view?

Who is Paul talking about in the immediate context? He wrote, “we should be to the praise of HIS glory.” Whose glory? The Father. How do we know this is about the Father? The context. In the previous verse, vs. 11, it was the Father who predestinated this age of grace and us obtaining the inheritance. It was the Father who worked out all these things after the counsel of his own will and kept it a secret until it was revealed to us by Paul. It was the Father’s will that we should ALL bring praise to the glory of His grace.

Therefore, the Father was the One who first trusted in Christ.

Who could’ve possibly trusted in Christ before God the Father?

The glory of the Father’s grace (Eph. 1:6) is also found in the fact that He first trusted in His Son. We often make the point that grace, in a broader sense, implies giving something unearned or undeserved — an offering of favor, kindness, or acceptance. The glory of His grace was also found in Him trusting in Christ because Christ’s obedience had never been tested before, the trust was never earned. He had never before been manifest in the flesh having to learn obedience through the things He suffered. When you choose to trust someone, especially in situations where they may not fully have “earned” that trust, that is also a gracious act. That is also part of the exceeding riches of the Father because He first trusted in Christ. No one trusted in Christ before the Father.

Paul’s not saying he and other early believers are compelling us to praise God’s glory because they first trusted in Christ. We will all together bring praise to the glory of God’s grace when we occupy our heavenly seats. We should be to the praise of His glory now.

Yet, Paul is also saying that part of the Father’s glory is that HE first trusted in Christ.