EPHESIA�S 1 COMME�TARYWritten and edited by Glenn Pease

PREFACE

I have made this commentary by quoting the best comments of many authors, and

the purpose is to save others time in research so they do not need to read all of these

authors to get this material. Each author quoted has some unique insight into the

text, or they express it in a unique way. I add my own comments when I thinks I

have a unique way of expressing the truth Paul is trying to communicate to

believers. This is the most profound of Paul's letters, and so sometimes the

comments are very long, for there is so much to say to cover the concepts he is

conveying. Some issues are so involved that I have put them in the Appendix for

those who want to dig deeper. My numbering system for each author and each

paragraph may confuse you. It is the way it is because I have had to add many

things along the way, and so have had to squeeze them in by adding letters to

numbers to make room for newly discovered material. This will continue to happen,

for this is not a finished product. There is much yet to be discovered about this great

revelation, and as I do, I will add to the study by inserting new paragraphs with new

numbers and letters. May God bless all who study this book with a greater grasp of

the wonder and beauty of the Savior and Lord who inspired Paul to write this

marvelous book to enlighten the minds, and inspire the hearts of all God's people.

There are always quotes where I have not found the author, and I will gladly give

credit if that knowledge is conveyed to me. There also may be those who do not wish

their wisdom to be displayed in this way, and I will remove it if they let me know

that is their wish. My e-mail is glenn_p86@yahoo.com

I�TRODUCTIO�

PRAISES OF THE BOOK.

1. It has been called “The queen of the Epistles,” “The crown and climax of Pauline

theology,” “the Grand Canyon of Scripture,” “The Holy of Holies in Paul’s

writings,” “The Alps of the �ew Testament,” and “The Epistle of the Heavenlies.”

Coleridge the poet and philosopher said it was, “The divinest composition of man.”

It was the favorite letter of John Calvin and Dr. John Mackay, Pres. Emeritus of

Princeton Theological Seminary said of it, “The most contemporary book in the

Bible.”

2. The following quotes establish the high esteem in which Bible teachers have held

this great letter of Paul.

John Calvin called Ephesians "his favorite book."

John Knox, when he was dying, requested that the book of Ephesians be read at his

death-bed.

John Bunyan, when in prison based his famous work Pilgrims Progress on the book

of Ephesians.

F.B. Myer, the great devotional writer, called Ephesians "preeminently the epistle of

the inner- life."

A.T. Pierson called it "the third heaven experience."

Martin Luther called Ephesians the "holy of holies." And also, "the most important

document in the �T, the Gospel in its purest form,"

J. Sidlow Baxter called Ephesians "the Alps of the �ew Testament."

Ruth Paxson called Ephesians "the Grand Canyon of Scripture," meaning that it is

breath-takingly beautiful.

John Mackay, the former president of Princeton Theological Seminary, was

converted at the age 14 through reading Ephesians. He called it the

"greatest...maturest...and for our time the most relevant" of all Paul's writings.

"One writer has called it "the Grand Canyon of Scripture" meaning that it is

breathtakingly beautiful and apparently inexhaustible to the one who seeks to

explore its breath and length and height and depth."

"Among the Epistles bearing the name of St. Paul there is none greater than this,

nor any with a character more entirely its own. . . . There is a peculiar and sustained

loftiness in its teaching which has deeply impressed the greatest minds and has

earned for it the title of the 'Epistle of the Ascension." (Salmond)

"If Romans is the purest expression of the gospel (as Luther said), then Ephesians is

the most sublime and majestic expression of the gospel." (Lloyd-Jones)

Lloyd-Jones also said of Ephesians: "It is difficult to speak of it in a controlled

manner because of its greatness and because of its sublimity."

The English poet S. T. Coleridge called it "one of the divinest compositions of man."

Dr. A. T. Pierson called it "the Switzerland of the �T," and rightly so, for in it Paul

rises to the most exalted Alpine heights of impassioned reasoning, exhortation, and

doxology.

3. “Klyne Snodgrass in his commentary on Ephesians states that: "Pound for

pound" it may well be the most influential document ever written. Within the

history of Christianity, only the Psalms, the Gospel of John, and Romans have been

so instrumental in shaping the life and thought of Christians...." He goes on to say,

"This letter is the most contemporary book in the Bible. Apart from a few terms

and the treatment of slavery, Ephesians could have been written to a modern

church. It describes human beings, their predicament, sin, and delusion, but much

more it describes God's reaching out to people to recreate and transform them into

a new society. It describes the power God's Spirit gives for living. It shows who we

really are without Christ and who we become both individually and corporately

with Christ."

4. Grace Bible Church states, "Although the Epistle to the Romans is the most

theological or systematic presentation of salvation, Paul's letter to the church at

Ephesus is considered the most majestic or exalted presentation of salvation in the

�ew Testament, perhaps also its deepest book. Someone has summarized it this

way: "The style of St. Paul may be compared to a great tide ever advancing

irresistibly towards the destined shore, but broken and rippled over every wave of

its broad expanse, and liable at any moment to mighty refluences as it foams and

swells about opposing sandbank or rocky cape. With even more exactness we might

compare it to a river whose pure waters, at every interspace of calm, reflect as in a

mirror the hues of heaven, but which is liable to the rushing influx of mountain

torrents, and whose reflected images are only dimly discernible in ten thousand

fragments of quivering color, when its surface is swept by ruffling winds" F. W.

FARRAR

5. Arthur Pink wrote, "Ephesians Presents the inestimable treasures of divine

wisdom, the knowledge-surpassing manifestations of God’s love to His people. The

book sets forth "the riches of his grace" (Eph. 1:7), yes, "the exceeding riches of his

grace" (Eph. 2:7), "the riches of his glory" (Eph. 3:16), and "the unsearchable

riches of Christ" (Eph. 3:8). Ephesians contains the fullest opening up of the

mystery, or the contents of the everlasting covenant. Here we are shown in greater

detail than elsewhere the intimate and ineffable relation of the Church to Christ.

Here as nowhere else we are conducted unto and into the "heavenlies." Here are

revealed depths which no finite mind can fathom and heights which no imagination

can scale."

6. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones has written that..."Much of the trouble in the church

today is due to the fact that we are so subjective, so interested in ourselves, so

egocentric... Having forgotten God, and having become so interested in ourselves,

we become miserable and wretched, and spend our time in ‘shallows and in

miseries.’ The message of the Bible from beginning to end is designed to bring us

back to God, to humble us before God, and to enable us to see our true relationship

to him... And that is the great theme of this epistle."

7. R. W. Dale, "Considering the length of time that Paul had lived in Ephesus, it is

remarkable that the epistle does not contain any of the kindly messages to personal

friends which are so numerous in other epistles of his. The explanation seems to be

that the epistle was intended for the use of more than one church. In some very

early manuscripts there is a curious omission of the words " at Ephesus " in the

first: verse. I imagine that Paul left a blank to be filled up by the copyist, and that

while one copy was meant for the saints "at Ephesus," another was probably meant

for the saints " at Laodicea," and perhaps another for a third church in the same

neighbourhood."

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of

God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in

Christ Jesus:

Amplified: PAUL, A� apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), by

the divine will (the purpose and the choice of God) to the saints (the consecrated,

set-apart ones) at Ephesus who are also faithful and loyal and steadfast in Christ

Jesus: (Amplified Bible - Lockman)

Phillips: Paul, messenger of Jesus Christ by God's choice, to all faithful Christians

at Ephesus (and other places where this letter is read): (Phillips: Touchstone)

1. Paul uses his name as the first word in the letter instead of our custom of signing

a letter at the end. It was the custom of the time, and it really makes more sense

than our way, for we have to look at the end of the letter to make sure whose words

we are reading. There is no question with Paul, for he starts right off with his name.

Paul was proud of his new name, for as Saul he was an attacker of Christ, but now

as Paul he is a backer of Christ as an Apostle of Christ. He is one of the greatest

trophies of God's grace in the Bible. He is what he is by the grace and will of God. It

was not his choice to be an Apostle. He is an appointed one from the Anointed one.

God sent Jesus into the world, and Jesus chose to send Paul into the world with his

gospel of grace, for he could preach from experience that God is indeed gracious to

the sinner, and he means it when he promised to forgive and receive the sinner into

his kingdom. Listen to Paul's own testimony in I Cor. 15:8-10, "..and last of all he

appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 9 For I am the least of the apostles

and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of

God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not

without effect. �o, I worked harder than all of them -yet not I, but the grace of God

that was with me."

1B. Paul was an apostle not by choice, but by the will of God. He was running away

from God's will, but Jesus grabbed him on the road to Damascus and chose him to

be his representative to the Gentile world. Barclay wrote, "He meant that any

power he possessed as a delegated power. The Sanhedrin was the supreme court of

the Jews. In matters of religion the Sanhedrin had authority over every Jew

throughout the world. When the Sanhedrin came to a decision, that decision was

given to an apostolos to convey it to the persons whom it concerned and to see that it

was carried out. When such an apostolos went out, behind him and in him lay the

authority of the Sanhedrin, whose representative he was. The Christian is the

representative of Christ within the world, but he is not left to carry out that task in

his own strength and power; the strength and power of Jesus Christ are with him.

Paul goes on to say that he is an apostle through the will of God. The accent in his

voice here is not that of pride but of sheer amazement. To the end of the day Paul

was amazed that God could have chosen a man like him to do his work."

1C. A lot of facts about Paul are wrapped up in this one brief comment: "The

Ephesians epistle was a circular letter written to the entire Roman province (written

in the third person) in A.D. 62 by Paul, the only apostle to the Gentiles and the

Church of Ephesus located in western Turkey while in his second Roman

imprisonment." A circular letter means that it was not just for Ephesus, but for

other churches as well. Dr. Leon L. Combs wrote, "It is important to note that the

oldest manuscripts do not have Ephesus in the first verse. The book was written

shortly after the middle of the first century. The earliest complete manuscripts of

Paul’s epistles dates to about AD 200 and these manuscripts do not have “Ephesus”

in the first verse:" It is valid to put the name of your church in this place, for it was

meant for your church as well. It is a universal letter to all churches.

2. Paul should have been condemned along with his fellow Pharisees, but God has a

sense of humor, and he chose as his key Apostle to the Gentiles, one of the greatest

enemies of Christ that ever lived. He hated Jesus and all he stood for, and he

despised those who followed him, and he gladly saw them cast into prison and killed.

He held the clothes of those who stoned Stephen to death, and was proud to be a

part of it. �ow he is the greatest church builder in the world, and the author of

almost half of the �ew Testament. Paul means little, but he was not that at all, but

was the giant among the Apostles. "About seven years before he wrote this letter,

Paul had arrived in Ephesus. We read about that in Acts 19. This was on his 3rd

missionary journey. His 3rd miss. journey had lasted about 4 years. He'd spent

more than half of that (about 2 1/2 years) in Ephesus."

3. The saints and faithful believers in Ephesus have a dual citizenship, and a dual

address, for they are both in Ephesus, and in Christ. All believers have their

physical location and their spiritual location. We are always in some place and

always in the same Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not just the rich that have

two homes, but all believers do, for they have both a place home and a Person home.

In one we have our earthly family, and in the other we have our heavenly family. In

Christ we are in the family of God, where God is our Father, Jesus our Elder

Brother, and all of us brothers and sisters in Him. David Roth points out, "In the

book of Ephesians, the phrases, "in Christ", "in Him", or the equivalent, occur 9

times just in Eph. 1:3-23, and a total of 27 times in the entire book. In fact, the

subject of union with Christ is of such importance to the apostle Paul, that it occurs

164 times throughout his letters."

4. They are in Christ, and we see faith in Christ as a quiet repose and a resting in

Him. Someone suggested it is like the folded wings of the dove that has found its

nest. In other places faith is on Jesus and this suggests the idea of a building on its

foundation, and of security. In other places it is faith toward Jesus as if it is a hand

reaching out for Him to grasp and hold you. All the pictures of faith are of trust and

of leaning on Jesus as the source of peace and security.

5. They are saints and they are faithful. Are such saints an extinct breed? �o, they

are not even rare, but very common, for all believers are saints in the �ew

Testament sense of the word. We have lost the meaning and so we have St Paul, St.

James, St. Peter, St John, but not saint Bill, saint Bob, saint George, etc. The word is

used 100 times in the �. T. and in every chapter of Eph. It is a reference to all

believers, even those far from the ideal. The word hagioi means holy ones. It is the

common designation of members of the church 1:15,18, 2:19, 3:8,18, 4:12, 5:3,

6:18. It also refers to the moral purity Christians are called to 1:4, 5:3, 27.

Believers are called a holy temple in 2:21. In the Old Testament the idea was to be

separated unto God for His service as in Lev. 11:44, 19:2 and 20:26. See Ex. 28:2, Ps

2:6 and 24:3." To be holy, or to be a saint means to be separated unto God and his

service. Saints were expected to represent their Lord, and so they were to be

separated from the world and it impure ways. The Catholic church says a saint

must have two documented miracles to their credit, and even then they are not to be

called saints until they are dead and in the presence of Christ. There is nothing said

of such things in Scripture, for all believers were considered saints.

6. A saint was simply a person who was chosen to represent God in the world. A

saint was considered holy in the same sense that all holy things were holy. They were

separated from all things common that were used for secular purposes. They were

used instead for the worship and service of God. A holy thing was just a common

thing separated from its common use to be used specifically for God. An unknown

author put it like this: "They were "holy" because they belonged to Him-

The temple had once been "holy," not because of its magnitude, its statelincss, and

the costly materials of which it was built, but because it was the home of

God ; and the tabernacle which was erected in the wilderness, though a much

meaner structure, was just as " holy" as the temple of Solomon, with its marble

courts and its profusion of cedar and brass and silver and gold. The altars were "

holy " because they were erected for the service of God. The sacrifices were "holy"

because they were offered to Him. The priests were "holy" because they were

divinely chosen to discharge the functions of the temple service. The sabbath was "

holy " because God had placed His hand upon it: and separated its hour, from

common uses. The whole Jewish people were "holy" because they were organised

into a nation, not for the common purposes which have been the ends of the national

existence of other races, but to receive in trust for all mankind exceptional revela

tions of the character and will of God. And now, according to Paul s conception,

every Christian man was a temple, a sacrifice, a priest ; his whole life was

a sabbath ; he belonged to an elect race ; he was the subject of an invisible and

Divine kingdom ; he was a "saint."

7. Donald Williams gives us some deeper insight into what saints are. He writes, "In

popular thinking, a Saint is a kind of spiritual olympic athlete, a spiritual superstar

like Mother Teresa. But it is clear that the �T does not use the word that way. Rom.

1:7, 1 Cor. 1:2, Phil. 1:1, Col. 1:2, Eph. 1:1--it is clear that Paul was neither

addressing only the elite within each church nor implying that these churches were

not full of believers who still had significant problems. In the �T, "saint" is simply a

synonym for believer, for Christian. Its basic meaning is "holy one," i.e. "set apart,"

one separated from the world unto God for service. It is one who has been marked

out by baptism as separate/different from the world, one who has the identity and

destiny of real holiness upon him--but not necessarily one who is already perfect. It

is a statement of Identity, not Attainment; of Selfhood, not of Success; of Position,

not of Performance.

To understand how it is that being a Christian makes you a saint is to understand

the central message of the whole first chapter; we will see this pattern again and

again. In Christ you are already holy in God's eyes. This identity of sainthood does

not depend on your performance or your attainments in spirituality. It does depend

on the work of God in Christ: it depends on the fact that he has chosen you for (v.

4), predestined you to (v. 5), redeemed you for (v. 7), and sealed you in Sainthood (v.

13). Because he has done these things, sainthood is already true of you positionally

and officially; and in experience, it has already begun to happen! And it will be

perfected in the day of Jesus Christ.You are not a saint because of anything you

have done, can do, or will do. You are a saint because of what GOD has done and is

doing and will do."

8. The other name they are called is faithful, and that means they are full of faith in

Jesus, and because of it they are his loyal followers who can be counted on to be

involved in the building of the church. Leon Combs wrote, "Faith has three

elements: intellectual, emotional, and volitional. We know the correct facts, we are

moved by the facts (Christ’s death on the cross for us), and then we act on those

facts. Continuing in the faith means that we will persevere to the end in our faith."

We become the hands and feet of Jesus in the world. He came in the flesh and lived

a human life, but now he sits at the right hand of the Father and needs to continue

to live in the world through the flesh of his followers. He lives in and through us as

we become sensitive to the leading of his Spirit and carry out what he wants done in

the world through us. Faithful people are always asking what Paul first asked when

he was converted, "Lord, what will you have me to do?"

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ.

GRACE

1. Someone said, "Grace is received and peace is achieved by being receptive of

grace. They go hand in hand. The external favor of God leads to the internal peace

with God." It is a standard greeting that came out of the Christian faith, and it

means that the two great values of being a Christian is that they have the favor of

God, and because they do, they also have the peace of God. They have the peace that

comes from being assured of eternal life in Christ. Many things can go wrong in life,

but they still have the peace of a solid hope in Him.

2. Barclay, "Grace has always two main ideas in it. The Greek word is charis, which

could mean charm. There must be a certain loveliness in the Christian life. A

Christianity which is unattractive is no real Christianity. Grace always describes a

gift; and a gift which it would have been impossible for a man to procure for

himself, and which he never earned and in no way deserved. Whenever we mention

the word grace, we must think of the sheer loveliness of the Christian life and the

sheer undeserved generosity of the heart of God."

2B. Donald Williams, "The Christian who is saved by Grace says, "�othing in my

hands I bring; / simply to thy Cross I cling." Every man-made religion wants to find

a way to say, "something in my hand I bring." But that is to make salvation

impossible for sinners like us. Therefore Grace is to us the greatest and most

glorious of God's attributes. That is why Bunyan titled his autobiography "Grace

Abounding to the Chief of Sinners," why �ewton wrote "Amazing Grace," and why

Paul, piling superlative upon superlative, speaks of the riches of the glory of his

grace. Grace alone."

3. Preceptaustin comments, "This salutation is undoubtedly a form of a blessing or

prayer. �otice that grace is like the "bookends" of this letter, Paul beginning and

ending with a prayer for grace for the saints...Grace be with all those who love our

Lord Jesus Christ with a love incorruptible (a never diminishing love, one not even

capable of corrupting!). In fact, with the exception of the epistle to Romans, every

Pauline letter begins and ends with "grace", thus constantly emphasizing that the

Christian life begins with grace, is lived by grace and ends with grace, not by

reliance on self or works. The book of Ephesians is so full of the subject, that it has

been called “The Epistle of Grace.” Grace and peace, are always found in that order

because grace is the foundation and peace is the result."

4. "These two words, grace and peace, are important words in this letter. "Grace"

occurs 11 times. "Peace" occurs 8 times. All of God's saving acts are acts of grace.

The covenant with Abraham was a covenant of grace. The liberation from Egypt

was a mighty act of God's grace. His steadfast faithfulness to the covenant even

during the lowest points of Israel's apostasy, was grace. The giving of Christ for the

salvation of sinners -- not of righteous people; not of godly people; not of the friends

of God -- but of sinners, of God's enemies, that is grace. Every step of salvation is

grace. Election, calling, forgiveness, justification, sanctification, glorification -- all of

it is by grace alone. And through this grace God establishes peace. We are at peace

with God. Things are well. Because of Jesus Christ, things are well, peaceful

between God the Father and us."

5. "'Grace' is a special word for Christians. Our whole salvation depends upon the

grace of God. We were saved by grace in election when God chose us for no merits

of our own. We were saved by grace in the death of Christ when God out of His

perfect love gave His Son to die for us. We were saved by grace alone when the Holy

Spirit of God opened our hearts to receive the truth without which we should never

be delivered from sin. We are saved by grace daily as Christ intercedes for us in

heaven and the Spirit of God works in our hearts to preserve us in the way of

righteousness and truth. 'Grace' is the most Christian greeting there can be."

6. The most common comment you will read about grace goes like this-"So what is

Grace? In the �T it has the technical theological meaning of God's unmerited favor

toward Man. It has been well expressed in the acrostic G.R.A.C.E., God's Riches At

Christ's Expense. The Apostle Paul is always diametrically opposed to any idea of

salvation by works or human merit. The word emphasizes that salvation is God's

work from beginning to end, and implies the Good �ews that it is therefore

something we can have by faith." It is the absolute meaning given to grace that it is

always without exception the unmerited favor of God. I understand the reason for

this demand for it to be always unmerited lest anyone think they can earn salvation

by their own efforts. However, the fact is, man can earn the favor of God. God can

be pleased with his children, and show his favor to them when they live in obedience

to his will. God would be less than a human father if he could not do so. And when

he does do so, what word to you suppose the �ew Testament uses to convey this

merited favor? It is the same word charis that is used for unmerited favor

everywhere. In other words, grace can be both merited and unmerited favor. The

merited is never a basis for salvation, but it is a precious reality that we dare not

dispose of. So I have put my study of this issue of grace in Appendix B for those who

want to pursue the multiple meanings of marvelous grace.

PEACE

1. Karen �ys writes, "Shalom! "--"Peace! "-is the usual way Jews greet one

another. According to the prophets, peace was one of the gifts the Messiah would

bring. After the incarnation of the Son of God, now that the "prince of peace" has

come among men (cf. Is 9:6), when the Apostles use this greeting they are joyfully

proclaiming the advent of messianic peace: all good things, heavenly and earthly,

are attainable because by his death and resurrection Jesus, the Messiah, has

removed, once and for all, the enmity between God and men: "since we are justified

by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 5: 1).

2. Grace Blble Church has this note, "The term peace is eirene (Hebrew is shalom )

and involves more than simply the absence of trouble but the everything that

contributes to a person's good, i.e., contentment, harmony, spiritual prosperity, and

completeness. Because we have received God's great grace we enjoy His peace;

grace is the source and peace is the stream which flows from it! And this dual

blessing comes from the dual source: God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

3. Barclay, "When we think of the word peace In connection with the Christian life

we must be careful. In Greek the word is eirene, but it translates the Hebrew word

shalowm. In the Bible peace is never a purely negative word; it never describes

simply the absence of trouble. Shalowm means everything which makes for a man's

highest good. Christian peace is something quite independent of outward

circumstances. A man might live in ease and luxury and on the fat of the land, he

might have the finest of houses and the biggest of bank accounts, and yet not have

peace; on the other hand, a man might be starving in prison, or dying at the stake,

or living a life from which all comfort had fled, and be at perfect peace. The

explanation is that there is only one source of peace in all the world, and that is

doing the will of God. When we are doing something which we know we ought not to

do or are evading something that we know we ought to do, there is always a

haunting dispeace at the back of our minds; but if we are doing something very

difficult, even something we do not want to do, so long as we know that it is the right

thing there is a certain contentment in our hearts. "In his will is our peace."

4. Preceptaustin, "Eirene is the root word for our English "serene" (serenity) which

means clear and free of storms or unpleasant change, stresses an unclouded and

lofty tranquility. Peace implies health, well-being, and prosperity. Christ Jesus

through the blood of His Cross binds together that which was separated by human

sin, the sinner who puts his faith in the Lord Jesus, and God. In secular Greek

eirene referred to cessation or absence of war. In Adam all men before salvation

"were enemies" (Ro 5:10, 12- Ro 5:10, 5:12), "alienated and hostile in mind,

engaged in evil deeds" (Col 1:21) and so were ''at war'' with the Almighty'. Saints

now have "been justified by faith" and "have peace with God through our Lord

Jesus Christ" (Ro 5:1) because they have "been reconciled" (Ro 5:10) The war

between the believer and God is over, and the treaty was written not with pen and

ink but with Cross and precious blood, where the Lamb of God paid the price in full

(Jn 19:30) so that believers now can be at rest in Christ (cf He 4:10). Paul writes

later in this letter that the "peace of God… shall guard your hearts and your minds

in Christ Jesus" (Php 4:7), here referring to the peace that comes from being in

unbroken communion or fellowship with God. Peace is the harmony that exists

between God and those who "receive the reconciliation" (Ro 5:11).

5. Donald Williams, "This involves reconciliation with God. The adoption as sons

means the restoration of SHALOM between rebellious, sinful, alienated Man and a

righteous and wrathful God. It also involves reconciliation between man and man

(2:12-13, 19). If the division between Jew and Gentile can be overcome, all divisions

can be. God intends to take greedy, selfish, warring men and bring them in the

Church into a state of SHALOM with one another through his Grace."

from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Here is the dual source of all our blessedness in grace and peace. The fatherhood

of God, and the Lordship of Jesus Christ are the foundation stones on which all

Christian theology is built. Under these two ultimate authorities we become children

and servants. We are children of God our father, and servants of our Lord Jesus

Christ. We become part of a family, and part of a kingdom. We are members of the

family of God, and we are members of the kingdom of God where Jesus is the King.

As part of the family of God Jesus is our elder brother, and as part of the kingdom

of God Jesus is our Lord, Ruler, and King. "Jesus is referred to some ten times as

Savior and some seven hundred times as Lord. He is supreme in Authority." This

makes sense in that we only need to trust him once to be our Savior, but we need to

submit to his as Lord time and time again all through life, and we can assume this

will continue for all eternity.

2. Ralph Smith, "By placing Christ together with the Father here as the source of all

blessing--the Greek has one preposition, 'from' that refers to both Persons--Paul is

indicating his faith in the equality of Christ and the Father. It is unthinkable that a

man with Paul's theological training would, by accident, seem to ascribe deity to

Christ. He naturally assigns Christ a place of equality with the Father because it is

the habit of his worship and praise.

What we see here, by the way, is Christian culture. Greetings are part of cultural

life. In most societies the words of greeting have had religious significance of some

sort. We no longer know--unless I am mistaken--the origin our English greeting,

'hello.' But 'good-by,' like the Spanish 'Adios,' and the French, 'Adieu,' means 'God

be with you.' Christian culture in Europe produced Christian greetings, just as

Jewish culture today preserves the Jewish greeting 'shalom,' which means 'peace.' It

is natural for us to have greetings that differ from the world around us, for our

greetings, like all of our lives, should express our faith in God and our desire to

bring His blessing and grace on one another."

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly

realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Amplified: May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of

our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every

spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm! (Amplified

Bible - Lockman)

�LT: How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us

with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.

(�LT - Tyndale House)

Phillips: Praise be to God for giving us through Christ every possible spiritual

benefit as citizens of Heaven! (Phillips: Touchstone)

Who? God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

When? Has blessed us in the past-a finished work.

Why ? Because we are blessed.

Where? In the heavenly realms.

What? Every spiritual blessing.

How? By redemption in His blood.

1. Pink gives us a sermon outline for this verse. He wrote, "Were we to sermonize

the verse, our divisions would be (1) The believer’s excellent portion: blessed with

all spiritual blessings. (2) The believer’s exalted position: in the heavenlies in Christ.

(3) The believer’s exultant praise: "blessed be the God and Father."

Preceptaustin gives us an outline of much of the chapter: "And although a cursory

reading might suggest these verses are a kind of theological "maze", they are in fact

very purposely laid out by divine inspiration which brings together the entire

Godhead -- Ephesians 1:3-6 describes the will of the Father, Ephesians 1:7-12

describes the work of the Son, and Ephesians 1:13-14 describes the witness of the

Spirit."

1B. Verses 3 to 14 is one of the longest sentences in English literature. It is divided in

our translations, but in the original Greek it is one sentence. Paul is so carried away

with awesome praise that he forgets to use punctuation. David Roth wrote, "In this

sentence we have approximately 270 words, which is interesting in light of the fact

that grammarians suggest that a sentence should include no more than 30 words.

Yet, Paul use 9 times the allowable amount." "Paul is describing how rich we are in

Christ, and he doesn't know where to stop. He is trying to pack as many superlatives

describing what we have in Christ that he wants to give each equal attention." "In

this sentence we see that we have been chosen, elected and predestinated to become

the children of God. We have been adopted into His family. We have been

redeemed, forgiven and because of the love of God we have been sealed with the

Holy Spirit, thereby securing our inheritance in Christ. All of this and more is

packed into this inspiring literary masterpiece."

1C. Rev. David W. Hall “This epistle was written by Paul of Tarsus, about the year

62 AD from Rome while he was imprisoned. Even in that environment, he does not

begin with a complaint but an expression of praise. In my Bible verses 3-14 cover 36

lines and contain eight sentences. In the original greek manuscript however, all of

these eleven verses are one complete, involved flowing sentence. It is "a lyrical song

of praise enumerating gift after gift and wonder after wonder" (Barclay). Here and

in other places in this epistle, the Apostle appears to be so enraptured by the content

of this revelation that he heaps phrase upon phrase to try to communicate the near

incommunicable. Paul is taxing the syntax of his language as he tries to describe the

nearly indescribable."

1D. David Roth has the best paragraph I have ever read on this longest sentence in

the Bible. He wrote, "It is important to note that the longest recorded sentence of

the Bible begins with doxology and ends in doxology. Doxology is simply giving

praise and glory to God.

(Eph 1:3 KJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who

hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

(Eph 1:14 KJV) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption

of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

�ot only does this sentence begin and end praising the awesomeness of God, but it

also mentions God by name some 30 times. In verses 3-6 the emphasis is on God the

Father, in verses 7-12 the emphasis is on God the Son and in verses 13-14 the

emphasis is on God the Holy Spirit. When it comes to our riches in Christ the

Father planned in eternity past, the Son accomplished it by His life in the flesh and

the Holy Spirit quickens the heart to the truth of it. And it is in contemplating these

wonders of redemption that Paul burst into doxology. When one truly sees who God

is and what He has done we cannot help but to declare praise to Him."

1E. Karen �ys wrote, "Hymns in praise of God, or "eulogies", occur in many parts

of Sacred Scripture (cf. Ps 8; Ps 19; Dan 2:20-23; Lk 1:46-54, 68-78; etc.); they

praise the Lord for the wonders of creation or for spectacular interventions on

behalf of his people. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St Paul here praises God the

Father for all Christ's saving work, which extends from God's original plan which

he made before he created the world, right up to the very end of time and the

recapitulation of all things in Christ. We too should always have this same attitude

of praise of the Lord. "Our entire life on earth should take the form of praise of

God, for the never-ending joy of our future life consists in praising God, and no one

can become fit for that future life unless he train himself to render that praise now"

(St Augustine).

1F. Maclaren, "God blesses us by gifts; we bless Him by words. The aim of His act

of blessing is to evoke in our hearts the love that praises. We receive first, and then,

moved by His mercies, we give. Our highest response to His most precious gifts is

that we shall ‘take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord,’ and in

the depth of thankful and recipient hearts shall say, ‘Blessed be, God who hath

blessed us." Our words cost us nothing, but his blessings cost him the cross. He gave

his all, and it is criminal for us to be so ungrateful that we do not praise him

continually with our words that cost nothing, but still please our Lord who needs

nothing, but loves our appreciation.

1G. We have gifts that we don't even know about, and the more we discover them

the greater will be our growth in Christ, and the greater will be our service for him.

We are in a similar boat with the man in the following story. "His name was Victor,

but he felt like a loser. He didn't do very well in school a when he was 16 years old, a

teacher advised him to drop out of high school and get a job. He didn't do much

better in the working world so that, by the time he was 32, he had failed at 76

different jobs.

But applying for job number 77 was to change Victor's life. As a part of the

interview process, he was required to take an I.Q. test - a test designed to measure

his intelligence. A score of 100 was considered to be normal. Victor scored 161. He

had never before realized it, but Victor was a genius. The knowledge of that fact was

transforming in his life. Victor Serienko went on to become famous for his research

in laser surgery and to become president of ME�SA, an organization for geniuses -

all because a test said that he was special." We may not be geniuses, but we all have

more gifts than we realize, and we need to keep testing ourselves to discover them.

Vernon McGhee says “I have been asked if I have received the second blessing. He

says “Man, I am in the hundreds, God didn’t stop with one or two.” Peter put it like

this: "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto

life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and

virtue. 2 Pet. 1:3. We already have all the gifts we need to live a life pleasing to God.

1H. Paul Fritz has put together 50 benefits we gain by praising God. It is too long to

include here, and so I have put it in Appendix C, for those interested in reading all

50 of these benefits.

2. This verse is packed with more to praise God for than we can imagine, for Paul

says God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms and in

Christ. This is saying more than we can know and understand, for we just do not

know all of the spiritual blessing that may be ours in Christ. Paul says we have

every one, and I wish he would have listed them, for it would be wonderful to know

more clearly all that we have in Him. We know that we have life, and life abundant,

and we know we have eternal life, and that is enormous, but what other blessings

might we have? I suppose that Paul is saying they are in the heavenly realms where

we shall enjoy them all fully when we too are in the heavenly realms, and so we

cannot know them all now, for they are a part of our eternal hope. He is saying

heaven will be more than we can ever imagine, but that is all we can do for now, and

that is to imagine, for these blessings are for eternity and not for time. But we note,

they are already there, for it is past tense, "who has blessed us," and so we are

already rich in blessings beyound our wildest dreams.

2B. R. W. Dale wrote, "He defines the blessings with which God has blessed us in

Christ as "Spiritual" blessings; he does not intend simply to distinguish them from

material, physical, or intellectual blessings, he means to attribute them to the Spirit

of God. Those who are "in Christ" receive the illumination and inspiration of

the Holy Spirit. Whatever perfection of righteousness, whatever depth of peace,

whatever intensity of joy, whatever fulness of Divine knowledge reveal the power of

the Spirit of God in the spiritual life of man, "every spiritual blessing" has been

made ours in Christ."So these blessings are in the bank of heaven, but the Holy

Spirit can withdraw them and impart them to us in time so that we can enjoy some

of our wealth in Christ right now.

3. What we know for sure is that God is worthy of our praise. Pink wrote, "That

those words signify an act of prayer is clear from many passages. "I will bless the

LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth" (Ps. 34:1). "Thus

will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name" (Ps. 63:4; cf. 1 Tim.

2:8). "Sing unto the LORD, bless his name" (Ps. 96:2). "Lift up your hands in the

sanctuary, and bless the LORD" (Ps. 134:2). To bless God is to adore Him, to

acknowledge His excellency, to express the highest veneration and gratitude. To

bless God is to render Him the homage of our hearts as the Giver of every good and

perfect gift. The three principal branches of prayer are humiliation, supplication,

and adoration. Included in the first is confession of sin; in the second, making

known our requests and interceding on behalf of others; in the third, thanksgiving

and praise. Paul’s action here is a summons to all believers to unite with him in

magnifying the Source of all our spiritual blessings: "Adored be God the Father."

3B. Criswell, "How does a man who is dust and worm and a creature, how does a

man bless God? When God blesses us, it always means He gives us some benefit.

The greater is always the one who blesses. �ot the less the greater. The greater the

less. God the creature, not the creature God. When God blesses us -- I say -- He

gives us a benefit. But we could never give anything. We could never give anything

to God. It is impossible for us to add to the blessedness or the infinite perfection of

God. God said, If I were hungry, I wouldn't tell thee, for the earth is Mine and the

fullness thereof. How can we bless God? This is the way we can bless God. We bless

God by the feeling, by the spirit of gratitude in our hearts. Bless the Lord, O my

soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name."

4. For the Old Testament saints God was the God of Abraham, but for �ew

Testament saints he is known as the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the

eternal God in his deity, but he took on manhood and as a man he needed a God and

heavenly Father just as all men do. God became his God, and he called God his God,

and even in heaven when he reigns with God the Father, he still calls God his God.

In Rev. 3:12 he says, "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my

God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God,

and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down

out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." He calls God

his God 4 times in this one verse, and this tells us that Jesus maintains his manhood

forever. He was restored to the glory he had with the Father before he became a

man, and so he is fully one with the Father as deity, but he will never lose his

manhood. We have one mediator between God and man, and it is the man Christ

Jesus. In other words Jesus is forever one with us as well as one with the Father. He

is a man and will ever be our elder brother, and God will ever be his God. Before he

ascended to the Father he said in John 20:17, "I ascend unto my Father, and your

Father; and to my God, and your God"

4B. Donald Williams, "Would you understand the goodness of God? Look at the life

of Jesus Christ. Would you know the will of God? Look at the teachings of Jesus

Christ. Would you know the character of God? Look at the actions of Jesus Christ.

Would you know the love of God? Look at the Cross of Jesus Christ. Would you

know the power of God? Look at the Empty Tomb of Jesus Christ. And because we

know God better in Christ, we also experience his blessings more fully. That's why

Paul says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!" The God who

blesses us, on whom we are totally dependent not only for life but for all that makes

it worth living, is not some unknown impersonal force, He is not some remote and

unapproachable figure, He is not some abstruse and abstract concept in the mind of

some philosopher; He is the God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

5. We are so materialistic in our thinking because of our culture that we might wish

that God would just give us cash instead of these spiritual blessings. We can't take

them to the bank. They would lock you up if you came into a bank seeking a loan

and you said you have riches galore to back up your loan, and offered them the

explanation that God has already deposited spiritual wealth beyond counting in

your heavenly bank account. That is not the way it works in a material world.

Spiritual blessing just do not pay the bills. In the Old Testament material blessings

were what was most treasured. Having good crops and wealth was to be truly

blessed, but in the �ew Testament the greatest blessings are no longer just the

physical and material. It is spiritual blessings that last forever that are the most

valuable and treasured. Material blessing are bestowed on good and evil people

alike, as God send the rain on the land of the rightesous and the wicked equally. But

spiritual blessings are reserved for those who are in Christ, and for those who will

hear the invitation of Matt. 25:34, "Come, ye blessed of my Father." When the roll

is called up yonder, you want to be in that number who are spiritually blessed, and

not just have material blessings that will get you nowhere in eternity. In Christ we

have all the riches that really matter. Paul wrote in Romans 8:32, "He that spared

not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also

freely give us all things?"

How Thou canst think so well of us,

And be the god Thou art,

Is darkness to my intellect,

But sunshine to my heart.

My Father's rich in houses and lands,

he holds the wealth of the world in His hands,

though outcast from home, yet still I may sing,

oh glory to God, I'm a child of the King.

6. The spiritual riches we have in Christ and in the heavenlies may not be enjoyed

fully in time, but they do help us greatly in time to live in spiritual abundance. Paul

refers to our riches in Christ quite often in this letter. Because he wrote more about

the riches we have in Christ right now as well as in eternity, we will be looking quite

often at how rich we are in Christ. Paul used the word riches more in this letter than

in any other.

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

in accordance with the riches of God's grace

Ephesians 1:18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order

that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious

inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 2:7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable

riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:8 Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was

given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Ephesians 3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with

power through his Spirit in your inner being,

6B. We may not experience the blessings that are spiritual, but knowing of them

does have an impact on how we feel, and so they do become experiential in time.

Here is a partial list of the spiritual blessings we have in Christ.

•••• Election: they were called

•••• Predestination: it was planned from the beginning

•••• adoption: they became the sons and daughters of the most high

•••• grace: undeserved favors

•••• redemption: set free from sin and its penalty

•••• forgiveness: sins are remembered no more

•••• wisdom: the ability to understand God's will and word

•••• understanding: knowing how to apply the wisdom gained

•••• mystery: see the purpose of unity between Jew and gentile

sealing: receiving the Holy spirit as guarantee inheritance:

• as adopted children they have part in all promises.

6C. Oliver B. Greene give us another list.

(a) We are chosen in Christ.

(b) We are sanctified in Christ.

(c) We are foreordained in Christ.

(d) We are adopted in Christ.

(e) We are accepted in Christ.

(f) We are redeemed in Christ.

(g) We are forgiven in Christ.

(h) We are enriched in Christ.

(i) We are enlightened in Christ, the Light of the world.

(j) Our inheritance is in Christ.

(k) We are sealed until the day of redemption in Christ (Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians

4:30).

7. David Roth is concerned that Christians do not live as if they were rich in Christ.

In fact, they often live like misers and refuse to enjoy what is there's in Him. He tells

of one of the most famous misers as he writes, "She had gone down in history as

"America's Greatest Miser," yet when she died in 1916, Hetty Green left an estate

valued at $100 million dollars. She was so miserly that she ate cold oatmeal in order

to save the expense of heating the water. When her son had a severe leg injury, she

took so long trying to find a free clinic to treat him that his leg had to be amputated

because of advanced infection. The book of Ephesians is written to Christians who

might be prone to treat their spiritual resources much like that miserly Hetty Green

treated her financial resources. Many believers are in danger of suffering from

spiritual malnutrition, because they don't take advantage of the great storehouse of

spiritual nourishment and resources readily available to them "in Christ." As

illustrated by Hetty Green there is a difference between having riches and enjoying

riches. It is through the book of Ephesians that the Holy Spirit seeks to teach you

how rich Christ is, and how rich you are in Christ. Also, that you would learn to live

in those riches. Every believer is a multi-billionaire in Christ, yet many believers live

on the brink of spiritual collapse."

8. David Roth has the most wonderful sermon on this text, and I just have to share

more of it with you, for it is such a precious message we all need to hear. His outline

alone is a gem. He writes, "I have divided this passage into three parts. The source

of our blessings, the scope of our blessings, and the sphere of our blessings." "The

word "blessed" comes from the Greek word eulogeo from which we get our English

word eulogy. A eulogy is a message of praise and commendation, the declaration of

a person's goodness. When we gather together as a public assembly our first and

foremost purpose is to worship and praise God. Praise to God is the chief purpose of

all public acts of worship. The apostle Paul wants us to understand that all we have

in Christ is given by the grace of God. It is the Triune God who is the supreme giver.

(James 1:17 KJV) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh

down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of

turning." So, because it is God who is the source of all blessing He is worthy to be

praised. What an awesome God!"

9. Roth has this marvelous paragraph on our riches in Christ. "It is a transaction

that has already taken place in Christ. At this very moment you have all of Christ

that you will ever receive, and because you are joined to Him by faith you have

present ownership to every spiritual blessing. It is amazing how many Christians

ask God for what is already theirs.They pray that God would give them more love

for others when the scriptures declare, (Rom 5:5 KJV) "And hope maketh not

ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost

which is given unto us." They pray for peace in light of the fact that in John 14:27

Jesus declares, " Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world

giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

They ask God to give them joy and happiness in spite of the fact that Jesus has

already given joy and happiness. (John 15:11 KJV) These things have I spoken unto

you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. According as

his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,

through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. 2 Pet 1:3 KJV

The teaching is not what God will give you, but what He has already given us. "He

hath blessed us" already "with every spiritual blessing". And according to (Col 2:10

KJV) "... ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power." If

you don't get anything else out of this sermon get this, "our resources in Christ are

not simply promised, they are possessed." God will not give us anymore than He has

already given us in Christ."

10. On the sphere of our blessings Roth writes, "The heavenlies" is a more literal

translation, and describes that place where Jesus abides. (Eph 1:20 KJV) "Which he

wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right

hand in the heavenly places," and the place it describes the location where believers

are seated with Him, (Eph 2:6 KJV) " And hath raised us up together, and made us

sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Warren Wiersbe described it this

way, "the Christian really operates in two spheres: the human and the divine, the

visible and the invisible. Physically, he is on earth in a human body, but spiritually

he is seated with Christ in the heavenly sphere- and it is this heavenly sphere that

provides the power and direction for the earthly walk."

Dr. Warren Wiersbe relates a story of the late newspaper publisher William

Randolph Hearst, who invested a fortune collecting art treasures from around the

world. One day Mr. Hearst found a description of some valuable items that he felt

he must own, so he sent his agent abroad to find them. After months of searching,

the agent reported that he had finally found the treasures. They were in Mr.

Hearst's own private warehouse.

Mr. Hearst had been searching the globe for treasures he had already owned! If he

would have read the catalogue of his inventory he would have saved himself and

others a great deal of time and energy, not to mention money. This is not unlike

many Christians today. They are on a pursuit to find joy, peace, satisfaction,

contentment, happiness and so on! If they would take time to study God's Word,

they would discover that they have all these things and much more because they

have been joined to Jesus Christ. We need eyes to see what we have in Christ, as

well as the faith to appropriate what we see. Let me sum it up in the words of one

writer, "Christ riches are our riches, His resources our resources, His righteousness

is our righteousness, and His power is our power. His position is our position: where

He is we are. His privilege is our privilege: His possession is our possession: what He

has, we have. His practice is our practice: what He does, we (are to) do."

11. Grace Bible Church writes, "There is a question as to what the heavenly places

refers to. (cf. 1:20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12) This may refer the entire supernatural realm of

God, His full domain and extent of His sovereign operations, i.e., anywhere and

everywhere in the universe, involving all events under the providence of God.

Others assume this to be a non-experiential but positional blessing, i.e., as if we

already exist in heaven in our spirit but not bodily. Yet, this metaphysical positional

view is difficult to support in Scripture. We do not experience a divided being, on

heaven and on earth. The best view perhaps is a combination of the above two ideas,

while viewing us in Christ Jesus, i.e., as the Lord Jesus Christ manifests Himself is a

special location in the heavenly places so we share in that sphere of exaltation by

reason of our union with Him. Ephesians 2:6 says that God has "raised us up with

Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." And this

despite our never practically experiencing this rising and seating in heaven. We also

wrestle with principalities and powers in heavenly places (cf. 6:12) although in

practice this is non-experiential. Hence, by the sovereign operations of God, He

positions us even in the heavenly places because of our union with Christ! And

because of this vital union in Christ, we are blessed, among other ways, with the

Father's election, the Son's redemption and the Spirit's inheritance, all of which

were blessings received from heaven itself. (5) This non-experiential but vital union

with Christ is the principle spiritual blessing which Paul prays the Ephesian

believers to understand. cf. Eph. 1:15-23."

12. Barnes, "In heavenly places in Christ - The word “places” is here understood,

and is not in the original. It may mean heavenly “places,” or heavenly “things.” The

word “places” does not express the best sense. The idea seems to be, that God has

blessed us in Christ in regard to heavenly subjects or matters. In Eph_1:20, the

word “places” seems to be inserted with more propriety. The same phrase occurs

again in Eph_2:6; Eph_3:10; and it is remarkable that it should occur in the same

elliptical form four times in this one epistle, and, I believe, in no other part of the

writings of Paul. Our translators have in each instance supplied the word “places,”

as denoting the rank or station of Christians, of the angels, and of the Saviour, to

each of whom it is applied. The phrase probably means, in things pertaining to

heaven; suited to prepare us for heaven; and tending toward heaven. It probably

refers here to every thing that was heavenly in its nature, or that had relation to

heaven, whether gifts or graces. As the apostle is speaking, however, of the mass of

Christians on whom these things had been bestowed, I rather suppose that he refers

to what are called Christian graces, than to the extraordinary endowments bestowed

on the few. The sense is, that in Christ, i. e. through Christ, or by means of him, God

had bestowed all spiritual blessings that were suited to prepare for heaven - such as

pardon, adoption, the illumination of the Spirit, etc."

13. Calvin wrote, "Whether we understand the meaning to be, in heavenly Places, or

in heavenly Benefits, is of little consequence. All that was intended to be expressed is

the superiority of that grace which we receive through Christ. The happiness which

it bestows is not in this world, but in heaven and everlasting life. In the Christian

religion, indeed, as we are elsewhere taught, (1 Timothy 4:8,) is contained the

“promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come;” but its aim is spiritual

happiness, for the kingdom of Christ is spiritual. A contrast is drawn between

Christ and all the Jewish emblems, by which the blessing under the law was

conveyed; for where Christ is, all those things are superfluous."

14. Gill, "...and so distinguishes these blessings from such as are of an earthly kind;

and points at the original of them, being such as descend from above, come down

from heaven; and also the tendency of them, which is to heaven; and being what

give a right unto, and a meetness for the kingdom of heaven: and these they are

blessed with "in Christ"; as he is their head and representative, and as they are

members in him, and partakers of him; through whom, and for whose sake, they are

conveyed unto them, and who himself is the sum and substance of them."

15. Jamison, "in heavenly places - a phrase five times found in this Epistle, and not

elsewhere (Eph_1:20; Eph_2:6; Eph_3:10; Eph_6:12); Greek, “in the heavenly

places.” Christ’s ascension is the means of introducing us into the heavenly places,

which by our sin were barred against us. Compare the change made by Christ

(Col_1:20; Eph_1:20). While Christ in the flesh was in the form of a servant, God’s

people could not realize fully their heavenly privileges as sons. �ow “our citizenship

(Greek) is in heaven” (Phi_3:20), where our High Priest is ever “blessing” us. Our

“treasures” are there (Mat_6:20, Mat_6:21); our aims and affections (Col_3:1,

Col_3:2); our hope (Col_1:5; Tit_2:13); our inheritance (1Pe_1:4). The gift of the

Spirit itself, the source of the “spiritual blessing,” is by virtue of Jesus having

ascended thither (Eph_4:8)."

16. Henry, "�ote, Spiritual blessings are the best blessings with which God blesses

us, and for which we are to bless him. He blesses us by bestowing such things upon

us as make us really blessed. We cannot thus bless God again; but must do it by

praising, and magnifying, and speaking well of him on that account. Those whom

God blesses with some he blesses with all spiritual blessings; to whom he gives

Christ, he freely gives all these things. It is not so with temporal blessings; some are

favoured with health, and not with riches; some with riches, and not with health,

etc. But, where God blesses with spiritual blessings, he blesses with all. They are

spiritual blessings in heavenly places; that is, say some, in the church, distinguished

from the world, and called out of it. Or it may be read, in heavenly things, such as

come from heaven, and are designed to prepare men for it, and to secure their

reception into it. We should hence learn to mind spiritual and heavenly things as the

principal things, spiritual and heavenly blessings as the best blessings, with which

we cannot be miserable and without which we cannot but be so. Set not your

affections on things on the earth, but on those things which are above. These we are

blessed with in Christ; for, as all our services ascend to God through Christ, so all

our blessings are conveyed to us in the same way, he being the Mediator between

God and us."

17. Preceptaustin, "This letter is about riches, not exhaustible material wealth that

can make itself wings, but the inexhaustible riches that every believer possesses in

Christ as a present reality. Paul sums our riches in this verse with the phrase

"every spiritual blessing" and then he proceeds to explain them and to tell us how

we can draw on them for effective Christian living. We need to remember that

man's "days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind

has passed over it, it is no more; and its place acknowledges it no longer." (Psalm

103:15) In Isaiah God adds that "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word

of our God stands forever." And that word is that we are spiritually wealthy become

our wildest dreams. God wants us to live accordingly that the world might see it is to

the praise of His glory. May His Spirit open each of our eyes so that we experience

the reality of "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" to the praise

of the glory of His grace. Amen."

18. Preceptaustin, "We are rich in Christ, but like all gifts they have to be received,

and thus these blessings must be appropriated. We must live in the light of these

blessings. We must live like they are true because they are even though they are

largely unseen. We have to come to the point where by faith we lay hold of these

blessings and "possess our possessions". We need to be like Joshua in the Old

Testament to whom God declared..."Every place on which the sole of your foot

treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses." (Joshua 1:3) Like Joshua,

God has given us the "land" so to speak, but like Joshua, our responsibility is to

"put one foot in front of the other" and walk out in faith, not by sight, laying claim

to our our "spiritual territory" in the heavenly places in Christ." Maclaren said,

"We may have as much of God as we will. Christ puts the key of the treasure-

chamber into our hand, and bids us take all that we want. If a man is admitted into

the bullion vault of a bank and told to help himself, and comes out with one cent,

whose fault is it that he is poor?"

19. The Ephesians, and all believers, are in Christ, and they are in some other

earthly place. �ow Paul says they also have another home in the heavenlies, and so

we have three addresses, or three homes. We could tell people that where we live

now is not our best home, for we have another one where our wealth is stored, and

where we will be rich beyond our wildest dreams when we move there. We will be

like royalty when we arrive, for we will then possess every spiritual blessing that

persons can have. Royalty on earth are mere paupers in comparison to what awaits

us in our heavenly home. �ot only will we have every spiritual blessing, we will also

have the most extreme makeover of our being imaginable. Paul wrote, "our

citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord

Jesus Christ; Who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with

the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all

things to Himself. (Philippians 3:20; 3:21)" The company is also incredible: "In the

heavenly places is the place where believers receive “every spiritual blessing”

because it is where the ascended, exalted Christ is (God "raised Him from the dead,

and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places" - Ep 1:20), and where

believers also are, since they are incorporated “in Him” (God "raised us up with

Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus" - Ep 2:6). In

other words, it is the best of everything we could imagine, and what everyone

dreams of having in this life, but which is not possible in this fallen world. God's

best calls for a whole new world, and new creation.

20. Ray Stedman makes a powerful point that all of our blessings in the heavenlies

are in Christ. He wrote, "The third element of this great verse is that the apostle

points out that all this blessing is in Christ. All this comes to us in Christ, in the

Person and the work of the Lord Jesus himself. This fact is going to be stressed

again and again in this letter. �o two words appear in it more frequently than "in

Christ," or "in him." Over and over it is emphasized that everything comes to us

through him. We must learn not to listen to those who claim to have God's blessing

in their lives, and yet to whose thinking Christ is not central. They are deceived, and

they are deceiving us if we accept what they say. The only spiritual blessing that can

ever come to you from God must always come in Christ. There is no other way that

it can come. So if you are involved with some group which sets aside the Lord Jesus

Christ and tries to go "directly to God," and thus claim some of the great spiritual

promises of the �ew Testament, you are involved in a group which is leading you

into fakery and fraud. It is completely spurious! For God accomplishes spiritual

blessing only in Christ. Physical blessings are available "to the just and the unjust

alike," but the inner spirit of man can be healed and cured only in Christ, and there

is no other way."

21. Stedman also has an interesting comment on just where these spiritual blessings

in the heavenlies are located. He wrote, "There are many who take the phrase, "the

heavenly places," which appears several times in this letter, as a reference to heaven

after we die, but if you do this, you will miss the whole import of Paul's letter. While

it does talk about going to heaven some day, it is talking primarily about the life you

live right now. The heavenly places are not off in some distant reach of space or on

some planet or star; they are simply the realm of invisible reality in which the

Christian lives now, in contact with God, and in the conflict with the devil in which

we are all daily engaged.

The heavenly places are the seat of Christ's power and glory. In chapter two, verse

six we are told,

[God] raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places

in Christ Jesus.

But in chapter three we learn that here also are the headquarters of the

principalities and powers of evil:

...that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made

known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.

The conflict that occurs is set forth in chapter six:

For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against principalities,

against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against

the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

So you can see that this is not a reference to heaven at all, but to earth. It is to the

invisible realm of earth---not to that which you can see, hear, taste, or feel---but to

that spiritual kingdom which surrounds us on all sides and which constantly

influences and affects us, whether for good or evil, depending upon our willful

choice and our relationship to these invisible powers. Those are the heavenly places.

In this realm, in which everyone of us lives, the apostle declares that God has

already blessed us with every spiritual blessing. That is, he has given us all that it

takes to live in our present circumstances and relationships."

22. Barclay adds, "that when Paul spoke of the Christian being in Christ, he meant

that the Christian lives in Christ as a bird in the air, a fish in the water, the roots of

a tree in the soil. What makes the Christian different is that he is always and

everywhere conscious of the encircling presence of Jesus Christ."

23. Oliver B. Greene, "The statement "in Christ Jesus" (or the same statement

expressed in other words) appears fourteen times in the first chapter of Ephesians.

"In Christ Jesus" is the key that unlocks this storehouse of spiritual blessings. "In

Christ Jesus" is the key that opens the door and permits us to look into the

storehouse of this Epistle. Every believer, every born again child of God is "in

Christ Jesus" because he has been baptized by the HOLY SPIRIT into the Body of

CHRIST (I Corinthians 12:12-13). Because we are in CHRIST JESUS we share all

Heaven's spiritual blessings with CHRIST JESUS. Paul makes the same statement

in other words in Philippians 4:19: "But my God shall supply all your need

according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

24. I recently ran across a statistic compiled by a German scholar whose name I

can’t pronounce. He determined that in Paul’s 13 epistles, some very short

(Philemon is little more than a page long), he uses the term “In Christ” or some

form of it ~ “in Him”, “in the Lord” ~ no less than 164 times! How he loved to talk

about Jesus!

25. Dr. Walter L. Wilson points out: "�OTICE HOW OFTE� THE PAST TE�SE

IS USED I� THESE VERSES. He "hath blessed us" (verse 3); He "hath chosen us"

(verse 4); "having predestinated us" (verse 5); He "hath made us accepted" (verse

6); we "have redemption" (verse 7); He "hath abounded toward us" (verse 8);

"having made known unto us the mystery of his will" (verse 9); we "have obtained

an inheritance" (verse 11); we "were sealed with that HOLY SPIRIT of promise"

(verse 13); and we were given "the earnest (down payment) of our inheritance."

(verse 14). All of these things HAVE ALREADY BEE� ACCOMPLISHED FOR

US. When? Before the foundation of the world."

Some would say that GOD not only knew from the foundation of the world who

would be saved - but that He also "picked" who would go to Heaven and who would

go to hell. �O! WRO�G A�SWER. You were right when you said "knew", but you

lost it when you said "picked". GOD in His perfect foreknowledge knew who would

accept salvation through His SO�. He has extended a call for salvation to all - but

only a few said "YES!" I have to agree with Dr. Wilson that God did not pick

people to go to hell, but I have to disagree with his idea that only a few would say

yes, for Scripture reveals that multitudes our of all tribes, languages and nations

will be in heaven.

4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the

world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

Amplified: Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as

His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy

(consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above

reproach, before Him in love.

Phillips: For consider what He has done - before the foundation of the world He

chose us to become, in Christ, his holy and blameless children living within his

constant care.

Wuest: even as He selected us out for himself in Him before the foundations of the

universe were laid, to be holy ones and without blemish before His searching,

penetrating gaze; in love

1. David Roth points out an interesting fact when he says that this verse actually

precedes Gen. 1:1, for it deals with what God did before he created the world. In

other words, before God decided to create this world we know, he gave some

thought to all the possibilities that he would bring forth in creating free willed

beings who could disobey him and bring much evil and diaster into this perfect

world he was going to make. So he decided that he would make sure that no matter

what they did, and how bad they would make life in this world, he would have a

plan where love would win, and he would end up with a glorious product of people

who become his eternal children, and who would be holy and blamless in his sight.

He knew that there would be many who would be unholy and full of blame in his

sight, and that he would have to judge the world, but he made sure that no matter

how strong evil became, he would have his goal met with a family of redeemed

people who loved him as much as he loved them.

2. If you asked people to open their Bibles to the first verse in the Bible, they would

not ever dream of going to Eph. 1:4, but in reality this is where the Bible story

begins. It was not in the beginning, but before the beginning. We cannot imagine

what reality was before the beginning, but verses like this tell us that it was a time of

thinking and planning on the part of God. He did not enter into this experiment

with free will beings in a haphazard whim of the moment. He gave much thought in

preparing for what he knew would come from his choice to create. He had a purpose

behind it all, and Bill Versteeg spells it out for us when he writes, "...we have to

notice in this passage that there is an object of every sentence. We are the object! We

are the ones blessed, we are the ones chosen, we are the ones predestined, we are the

ones adopted, we are the ones freely given too, we are the ones who have redemption

lavished on us, we are the ones included in Christ, we are the ones who received the

Spirit!

This is very profound. If we accept that God is the source of all existence, if we

accept that existence was made and designed by God with purpose in mind, then

this passage along with all the rest of scripture tells us that we are at the very heart

of that purpose. Contrary again to themes in our culture which make us simply

another byproduct of evolution in its relentless march, equal at best to any other

evolved species, this teaches us that when God made it all, when God acted

throughout history, when Christ died on the cross, when history comes to a

conclusion, God has done and will do it all with us in mind. Wow!"

2B. Barclay, "In this section Paul is thinking of the Christians as the chosen people

of God, and his mind runs along three lines.

(i) He thinks of the fact of God's choice. Paul never thought of himself as having

chosen to do God's work. He always thought of God as having chosen him. Jesus

said to his disciples: "You did not choose me, but I chose you" (Jn.15:16). Here

precisely lies the wonder. It would not be so wonderful that man should choose God;

the wonder is that God should choose man.

(ii) Paul thinks of the bounty of God's choice. God chose us to bless us with the

blessings which are to be found only in heaven. There are certain things which a

man can discover for himself; but there are others which are beyond his obtaining.

A man by himself can acquire a certain skill, can achieve a certain position, can

amass a certain amount of this world's goods; but by himself he can never attain to

goodness or to peace of mind. God chose us to give us those things which he alone

can give.

(iii) Paul thinks of the purpose of God's choice. God chose us that we should be holy

and blameless. Here are two great words. Holy is the Greek word hagios, which

always has in it the idea of difference and of separation. A temple is holy because it

is different from other buildings; a priest is holy because he is different from

ordinary men; a victim is holy because it is different from other animals; God is

supremely holy because he is different from men; the Sabbath is holy because it is

different from other days. So, then, God chose the Christian that he should be

different from other men.

2C. Clarke has a different perspective on verses 4 and 5, and if he is correct in his

interpretation, it eliminates much of the controversy over the doctrine of election,

for it is not an issue of individual persons being chosen, but of the Gentiles as a

people. He wrote, "As he has decreed from the beginning of the world, and has kept

in view from the commencement of the religious system of the Jews, to bring us

Gentiles to the knowledge of this glorious state of salvation by Christ Jesus. The

Jews considered themselves an elect or chosen people, and wished to monopolize the

whole of the Divine love and beneficence. The apostle here shows that God had the

Gentiles as much in the contemplation of his mercy and goodness as he had the

Jews; and the blessings of the Gospel, now so freely dispensed to them, were the

proof that God had thus chosen them, and that his end in giving them the Gospel

was the same which he had in view by giving the law to the Jews, viz. that they

might be holy and without blame before him. And as his object was the same in

respect to them both, they should consider that, as he loved them, so they should

love one another: God having provided for each the same blessings, they should

therefore be ἁγιους, holy - fully separated from earth and sin, and consecrated to

God and αµωµους, without blame - having no spot nor imperfection, their inward

holiness agreeing with their outward consecration."

2D. Clarke goes on with the next verse that I keep here because it all hangs together.

He wrote concerning the word predestinated, "Here the word is used to point out

God’s fixed purpose or predetermination to bestow on the Gentiles the blessing of

the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ, which adoption had been before granted to the

Jewish people; and without circumcision, or any other Mosaic rite, to admit the

Gentiles to all the privileges of his Church and people. And the apostle marks that

all this was fore-determined by God, as he had fore-determined the bounds and

precincts of the land which he gave them according to the promise made to their

fathers; that the Jews had no reason to complain, for God had formed this purpose

before he had given the law, or called them out of Egypt; (for it was before the

foundation of the world, Eph_1:4); and that, therefore, the conduct of God in calling

the Gentiles now - bringing them into his Church, and conferring on them the gifts

and graces of the Holy Spirit, was in pursuance of his original design; and, if he did

not do so, his eternal purposes could not be fulfilled; and that, as the Jews were

taken to be his peculiar people, not because they had any goodness or merit in

themselves; so the Gentiles were called, not for any merit they had, but according to

the good pleasure of his will; that is, according to his eternal benevolence, showing

mercy and conferring privileges in this new creation, as he had done in the original

creation; for as, in creating man, he drew every consideration from his own innate

eternal benevolence, so now, in redeeming man, and sending the glad tidings of

salvation both to the Jews and the Gentiles, be acted on the same principles,

deriving all the reasons of his conduct from his own infinite goodness."

2E. Clarke's interpretation makes a great deal of common sense, and fits the

message that Paul stressed elsewhere. Predestination then is not an issue for the

individual, for both Jews and Gentiles are foreordained to be a part of the family of

God in Jesus Christ, and because of his sacrifice for the sins of the world. It is not as

if God chose some to go to heaven, and chose others to go to hell. This is an accepted

doctrine by many Christians, but it is an adding of a totally unsubstantiated picture

of God that is contrary to his nature of love, mercy and justice. If God deliberately

made it impossible for some people to respond to his loving gift of life in Christ, then

he did not love them as John 3:16 says, and the whosoever is a lie. This kind of

theology is a mystery even to those who believe it, and they are stumped for a reason

for why God would chose to damn people without any basis for such severe

judgment. It is all mere theological nonsense if we see Paul writing about the

Gentiles being chosen, and not individual members of the church of Ephesus.

�evertheless, we have to deal with the issue this text has generated among

theologians on predestination because their are tons of books and articles on the

issue that divide believers, and it is important to understand the different

perspectives.

2F. For example, Barnes in his commentary disagrees with Clarke completely as he

writes, "Many have supposed (see Whitby, Dr. A. Clarke, Bloomfield, and others)

that the apostle here refers to the “Gentiles,” and that his object is to show that they

were now admitted to the same privileges as the ancient Jews, and that the whole

doctrine of predestination here referred to, has relation to that fact. But, I would

ask, were there no Jews in the church at Ephesus? See Act_18:20, Act_18:24;

Act_19:1-8. The matter of fact seems to have been, that Paul was uncommonly

successful there among his own countrymen, and that his chief difficulty there

arose, not from the Jews, but from the influence of the heathen; Act_19:24. Besides

what evidence is there that the apostle speaks in this chapter especially of the

Gentiles, or that he was writing to that portion of the church at Ephesus which was

of Gentile origin? And if he was, why did he name himself among them as one on

whom this blessing had been bestowed? The fact is, that this is a mere supposition,

resorted to without evidence, and in the face of every fair principle of interpretation,

to avoid an unpleasant doctrine. �othing can be clearer than that Paul meant to

write to “Christians as such;” to speak of privileges which they enjoyed as special to

themselves; and that he had no particular reference to “nations,” and did not design

merely to refer to external privileges." He admits that predestination is an

unpleasant doctrine, for if it is true as he expounds it, then God is the one who has

chosen to send masses to hell even before he decided to create man. Unpleasant is an

understatement if there ever was one.

2G. Dr. Walter Wilson, "Predestination is a very misunderstood subject. The word

means to "predesign". Predestination does not mean "foreordination." It does not

mean that GOD has your life etched in stone for you and you have no say so about

it. GOD is very concerned about your free will - and He has not taken that away

from you. The truth is that your will is the foundation for predestination. Romans

8:29 says "for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate . . . " GOD sees each

and every one of us dead in trespasses and sins and way back in unmeasured

eternity past and planned the crucifixion and the price of redemption. He also saw

the point in time when you would be confronted with the choice between Heaven

and hell. He saw your vote. Since He knew it would be a "yes" vote - he planned

your life accordingly. To those that voted "no" - GOD made no plans to order that

life. GOD's actions was entirely dependent upon the exercise of your free will to

choose between life and death."

2G2. Wilson goes on, "Even after salvation we are given freedom to choose whether

our life will be one that brings glory to GOD, or one that brings shame to His name.

It is all about promises. To reward a believer on the basis of mere salvation would

be meaningless - so GOD gives us opportunity to earn wages payable in Heaven.

Our faith is not an exercise in materialism whereby we live for GOD so that we can

get gold and crowns, rather it is living a life of faith and trust knowing that there

will be a payday someday. To some that payday will be a happy, wonderful time - to

others it will be a time of loss and weeping."

to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

1. To be holy and blameless in God's sight is the same thing as saying the goal of

God in our lives is that we be perfect, and, in fact, just as perfect as His Son who

was perfect enough to lay down his life as a spotless sacrifice for our sins, and the

sins of the whole world. He did not die for them so that we could go on living in sin,

but that we would press on to the goal of being delivered, not just from the penalty

of sin, but from the power of sin, and ultimately from the very presence of sin. God's

goal is nothing short of perfection for his people, both Jews and Gentiles. This whole

process of getting to this goal is called sanctification, and it is the second stage of

salvation following the first stage, which is justification, and it in turn will be

concludes with the third stage of salvation, which is glorification. The first and third

stages are totally the work of Christ, but in this middle stage God makes us partners

in striving for the goal. In this stage we are called to work out our own salvation

with fear and trembling. We are to make every effort to become holy and blameless

in God's sight. This middle stage of salvation can also be divided into three

stages.Someone came up with this three point outline of sanctification that sums it

all up nicely. "Sanctification involves three phases.

A. There is positional sanctification.

This is where we are moved from death to life; from being lost to being

saved; from being a member of the devil's crowd to a part of God's

family. By the blood of Jesus, our sins are forgiven and we are born

again. We are placed into the family of God.

B. There is progressive sanctification.

This is when we grow in the Lord. We do not remain babes in Christ, but

grow in our grace and faith. We delight in serving the Lord, in reading

His Word, in spending time in prayer, in attending worship and in obeying

the Lord in all areas of our life. It is not a chore, but a joy, to

bring a tithe to the storehouse. We find that "every day with Jesus is

sweeter than the day before. Every day with Jesus I love Him more and

more."

C. There is perfection sanctification.

One day we're going to leave this old sin-sick world filled with remorse

and decay; sin and decadence; and we're going to step onto the golden

streets of heaven. Our salvation will be complete and we will be without

sin of any kind. "What a day, glorious day that will be."

2. Paul wrote much the same thing in Phil. 2:15, "That ye may be blameless and

harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse

nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;" Peter says much the same

thing in I Pet. 1:15-16, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all

manner of conversation; {16} Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

2B. "The Greek words for "holy" and "sanctified" and "saint" are all taken from

the same root word. The word is hagios. Usually we think of the word "holy" as

being synonymous with sinlessness. It sometimes carries that idea, but there is more

to holiness than mere sinlessness. Holiness describes one who has been set apart for

a special purpose. That which is holy is separate and distinct and different and

special. The utensils in the temple were considered to be holy. They were set apart in

a special way and for a special usage. They were no longer to be used for ordinary

things. They were now to be extraordinary."

3. Calvin, "The inference, too, which the Catharists, Celestines, and Donatists drew

from these words, that we may attain perfection in this life, is without foundation.

This is the goal to which the whole course of our life must be directed, and we shall

not reach it till we have finished our course. Where are the men who dread and

avoid the doctrine of predestination as an inextricable labyrinth, who believe it to be

useless and almost dangerous? �o doctrine is more useful, provided it be handled in

the proper and cautious manner, of which Paul gives us an example, when he

presents it as an illustration of the infinite goodness of God, and employs it as an

excitement to gratitude. This is the true fountain from which we must draw our

knowledge of the divine mercy. If men should evade every other argument, election

shuts their mouth, so that they dare not and cannot claim anything for themselves.

But let us remember the purpose for which Paul reasons about predestination, lest,

by reasoning with any other view, we fall into dangerous errors.

Before him in love. Holiness before God is that of a pure conscience; for God is not

deceived, as men are, by outward pretense, but looks to faith, or, which means the

same thing, the truth of the heart. If we view the word love as applied to God, the

meaning will be, that the only reason why he chose us, was his love to men. But I

prefer connecting it with the latter part of the verse, as denoting that the perfection

of believers consists in love; not that God requires love alone, but that it is an

evidence of the fear of God, and of obedience to the whole law."

4. Barnes, "The general sense of the passage is, that these blessings pertaining to

heaven were bestowed upon Christians in accordance with an eternal purpose. They

were not conferred by chance or hap-hazard. They were the result of intention and

design on the part of God. Their value was greatly enhanced from the fact that God

had designed from all eternity to bestow them, and that they come to us as the result

of his everlasting plan. It was not a recent plan; it was not an afterthought; it was

not by mere chance; it was not by caprice; it was the fruit of an eternal counsel.

Those blessings had all the value, and all the assurance of “permanency,” which

must result from that fact.

That we should be holy - Paul proceeds to state the “object” for which God had

chosen his people. It is not merely that they should enter into heaven. It is not that

they may live in sin. It is not that they may flatter themselves that they are safe, and

then live as they please. The tendency among people has always been to abuse the

doctrine of predestination and election; to lead people to say that if all things are

fixed there is no need of effort; that if God has an eternal plan, no matter how

people live, they will be saved if he has elected them, and that at all events they

cannot change that plan, and they may as well enjoy life by indulgence in sin. The

apostle Paul held no such view of the doctrine of predestination. In his apprehension

it is a doctrine suited to excite the gratitude of Christians, and the whole tendency

and design of the doctrine, according to him, is to make people holy, and without

blame before God in love."

5. Henry, "And without blame before him - that their holiness might not be merely

external and in outward appearance, so as to prevent blame from men, but internal

and real, and what God himself, who looketh at the heart, will account such, such

holiness as proceeds from love to God and to our fellow-creatures, this charity being

the principle of all true holiness. The original word signifies such an innocence as no

man can carp at; and therefore some understand it of that perfect holiness which

the saints shall attain in the life to come, which will be eminently before God, they

being in his immediate presence for ever. Here is also the rule and the fontal cause

of God's election: it is according to the good pleasure of his will (Eph_1:5), not for the

sake of any thing in them foreseen, but because it was his sovereign will, and a thing

highly pleasing to him. It is according to the purpose, the fixed and unalterable will,

of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will (Eph_1:11), who

powerfully accomplishes whatever concerns his elect, as he has wisely and freely

fore-ordained and decreed, the last and great end and design of all which is his own

glory: To the praise of the glory of his grace (Eph_1:6), that we should be to the praise

of his glory (Eph_1:12), that is, that we should live and behave ourselves in such a

manner that his rich grace might be magnified, and appear glorious, and worthy of

the highest praise. All is of God, and from him, and through him, and therefore all

must be to him, and centre in his praise. �ote, The glory of God is his own end, and

it should be ours in all that we do. This passage has been understood by some in a

very different sense, and with a special reference to the conversion of these

Ephesians to Christianity. Those who have a mind to see what is said to this purpose

may consult Mr. Locke, and other well-known writers, on the place.

6. David Roth points out that there is Scripture to suggest that this blameless life is

not just for what we will have in eternity, but it is what God aims for us to have in

this fallen world. He quotes, "Phil 2:15 KJV "That ye may be blameless and

harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse

nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;" He adds, "�ot only does the

word "holy" refer to what is true positionally in Christ or in relationship to our new

standing before God, it refers to our present standing in the life of the flesh. In other

words, our standing in the flesh before the world is to reflect what is true spiritually

in Christ.

(1 Pet 1:15-16 KJV) "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in

all manner of conversation; {16} Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am

holy."

(Heb 12:10 KJV) "For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own

pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness."

(Heb 12:14 KJV) "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no

man shall see the Lord:"

5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons

through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his

pleasure and will-

Amplified: For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be

adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the

purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]

�LT: His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by

bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure.

Phillips: He planned, in his purpose of love, that we should be adopted as his own

children through Jesus Christ

Wuest: having previously marked us out to be placed as adult sons through the

intermediate agency of Jesus Christ for Himself according to that which seemed

good in His heart’s desire.

1. This is where theology gets very sensitive, for some take this idea of being

predestined to be adopted as his sons to mean that everything has been predestined.

This is what is called hyper-calvinism, and it is a branch of Christian thinking that

is on the same plane with Islam theology that says all is predetermined. Everything

is the will of God in this view, and all that happens is because God has willed it.

Many people get comfort in this view for it just calls for submission and acceptance

of all that is, because it is part of God's plan. The preacher with this conviction says,

“This truth that Paul lays forth is true of whatever your situation is today or

anytime. (You can apply this to: sickness, tragedy, or a high point in life). Whatever

it is, it is the outworking of the purpose, plan, predestination and election of our

Holy, wise, knowing just God. Rest in that.”

2. The only problem is that it makes God the author of all sin, evil, tragedy and

everything we like to blame the devil for. Why is the devil an enemy if everything he

does is part of God predestined plan? It would appear that he is one of God's

greatest servants if he is carrying out all the bad things God wants to happen in

history. This means Hitler was also a great servant of God, for God apparently

appointed 6 million Jews had to die in a short period of time, and without Hitler

they would have been dying in the streets and homes and created enormous

problems. He just took them to isolated places and gassed them and kept things

more neat and organized. That is the horrible perspective this kind of thinking leads

to, and nobody is going to say amen to that picture. God is light and in him is no

darkness at all, and so there has to be a different explanation of all the darkness and

evil in the world other than it being the will and predestined plan of God. When you

take something that is true and make it the whole truth, you end up with a whole lie.

Just because God predestined some things, as he did the crucifixion of his Son for

our salvation, does not mean he predestined all things. God by his very nature of

being holy cannot do evil, and so if you say all is his will, you are saying there is no

evil, for everything God chooses has to be good. This view puts you in the camp of

those who deny evil is real, and this is totally contrary to the Word of God where

God's anger and judgment on evil is a major part of his revelation.

3. God gets great pleasure in saving us. It is not a chore or a bore, but a labor of love

to build His family with more and more new children. He is a Father who loves a

large family and so He never ceases to adopt more kids into His family. The world is

full of children of the devil. They live with an abusive father of evil who does not

love them but treats them like scum. He deceives them and leads them into every

temptation and destroys them with every vice. He is an unfit father, and it is the

goal of God to get them away from that family of hellishness, and adopt those kids

into His family where they will be loved and treated with respect, and given a

renewed self-esteem. They will be given all they need to become mature and happy

kids with a hope for abundant life in time, and eternal life in heaven. God is the

greatest social worker in the universe, and his goal is to have every kid have the best

family and home where they can become the best possible person they are made to

be. That is why the adoption process of the kingdom of God never ceases, for God

can never have too many kids.

4. Bill Versteeg wrote, "...notice from this passage the Motive. Every time someone

designs something, they create with intention! There is not only purpose, there is

motive, something that flavors the very character of the purpose. For example, an

engineer may build a bridge - and the purpose of the bridge might be to help people

cross the river, but if his underlying motive is to make money, maybe an excess of

money - maybe that bridge will be unsafe. �otice from this passage God's motive.

I� LOVE he predestined us, and the words that describe the action of that love, he

blessed us, he lavished on us, he choose us. These are the choice acts of love. These

are all God,acting in ways consistent with his intention, fulfilling what he has

purposed in ways that are true to his character." The author points out that God is

self sufficient, and he does not need anything or anyone, and so the motive for his

creation of man at all is love. He does have one need after all, and that is for

someone to love. The whole plan of salvation revolves around God's love, and it will

concludes with a great loving and loved family of God.

5. Keith Drury has come up with an interesting interview he made with the two

main characters in the controversy over predestination. In this interview we see that

they agree on much, but they eventually come to a point of going different ways.

"Drury: I see—while you two agree on original sin and the gift of faith that comes

by grace you differ on the matter of a human’s power to resist that grace. I think I

know the next area of disagreement: predestination. Brother Calvin, how about if

you go first again…what is your position on predestination?

Calvin: That’s an easy one—my position is the clear Biblical teaching on the matter.

I believe a sovereign God before the foundation of the world chose who would be

saved and go to heaven and who would be lost and go to hell. People are predestined

—before they are ever born—to either heaven or hell and there is nothing they can

do to change their destination. And God did not do this “conditioned” on some

future choice or action we would make. That would be tantamount to letting

salvation be a work of man. It is unconditional election. When a person chosen by

God gets under the influence of the means of grace their faith will be born and

grow. If another person who was not previously chosen by God gets into that same

flow of grace nothing whatsoever will happen for God will not grant them the gift of

faith. I believe that a person’s salvation is a matter of God’s work completely and

wholly and not of man. If a man could decide to be saved, or refuse God’s saving

grace then God would not be God. God has chosen long ago who would be His sons

and daughters and who would be cast out into everlasting darkness. The only

“decision” related to one’s salvation is the decision God made before the foundation

of the world. How far will you go with me down this Emmaus road my friend, John

Wesley?

Wesley: �ot all the way, but I can go part way on the matter of election. First I

believe that God elects some to do certain works, as Paul was elected to preach the

gospel—an election to a calling. And I can agree that God has unconditionally

elected some nations to receive certain privileges, particularly the Jewish nation. I

can even believe that God has unconditionally elected some nations to hear the

gospel. As for individuals I can accept the idea that God has unconditionally elected

some people to peculiar advantages both in material matters and spiritual things.

But I can go a bit further with you Brother Calvin than this. I cannot prove it but I

will not deny that God has unconditionally elected some persons to eternal glory.

That is (while I cannot prove it) I will not argue with your saying that God elects

some people to go to heaven. [See footnote below] But that is where I stop walking

with you down this path. I cannot believe that all the people not elected must perish

everlastingly. And I will not believe that there is one soul on earth anywhere who

has not had the possibility of escaping eternal damnation. So I can go a piece down

this road of election with you Brother Calvin—even as far as to allow for some

people to be elected to salvation. But I will not go so far as to design a God who

would not give all people an opportunity to refuse or accept His loving grace—

whosoever will may come."

6. It is easy to identify an author's view of predestination, for it he or she says God

did the choosing of people with no previous knowledge of them, they are in the

Calvinist camp. If they say God did the choosing of people because of his

foreknowledge, which is his ability to look into the future and see all that will be,

then they are in the Arminian camp. It seems presumptuous for men to argue as to

what motivation God had before he created the world, and why he chose certain

people, and why he predestined certain events. The arguments for each side have

Scripture to support them. In this text it seems that Calvinist win because

predestined according to his pleasure and will. It was just his choice with no other

factors involved. On the other hand the Arminians win with Romans 8:29 which

says "for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate . . . " Personally, I call it a

tie, and conclude that God sovereignly predestined many things to come to pass,

and, on the other hand, chose many other things to happen because of his all

knowing mind about people and history, so that his choices were based on wisdom

and justice. Both sides will say you can't have it both ways. I disagree, and I have a

right to believe all that Scripture says, and not just what either side says I am

limited to believe. If God revealed it both ways, then both ways are what I believe. It

is no problem, for it is just another of the many paradoxes in the Bible and theology.

6B. Consider, for example, the evil deed of taking Jesus unjustly to the cross. It is

clearly what God ordained to be done, and at the same time those who did it were

guilty of great sin. God could not predestine the sin of this evil, for then they would

not be guilty and need Christ to pray, "Father, forgive them for they know not what

they do." They were ignorantly doing what they thought was a good thing, but it

was pure folly and evil. God does not ordain such a horrendous evil. Yet, he did

ordain that Jesus would die on the cross. He was crucified before the foundation of

the world. It was part of God's sovereign will, but it was also a human

responsibility. If we go to Acts 2:22-23 we read, "Men of Israel, listen to these

words: Jesus the �azarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and

wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you

yourselves know--23 this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and

foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put

Him to death." Did God kill his own son? �o, it was evil men who killed him. Did

God know they would kill him? Of course he did, and so it was predestined that it

would be. It is a paradox, for God determined it would happen, and yet it was evil

men who did it. The sovereignty of God and the free will of man are both active in

the crucifixion of Jesus. There is not point in trying to take sides on the issue, for

both are equally true, and both sides need to be accepted as Biblical teaching.

6C. I appreciate Donald Williams in his struggle with the issue of predestination. He

comes to a different conclusion than I have, but he is at least honest in recognizing

the other side as having positive potential, and as held by Bible believing people. He

chooses to go with the Calvinistic side, however, rather than accepting the way of

paradox, and accepting both as valid. He wrote, Two interpretations of

predestination have prevailed among Bible-believing people. The first is that it is

based on foreknowledge. It is simply God's declaration that he would make sons out

of whoever he foresaw as believing. This is an attractive view because it seems to

relieve our uneasiness about God's fairness. Man decides whether or not to believe,

and God simply responds to man's response, putting the blame squarely on our

shoulders alone if we end up in Hell. Also, this view has some apparent biblical

support. Rom. 8:29 says that whom he foreknew he predestined, and 1 Pet. 1:2 says

that we are predestined according to the foreknowledge of God.

6D. Williams continues, "The other view is that God's predestining is sovereign and

absolute, based only on his grace and not on anything (fore)seen in us. Why would

anyone want to adopt such a problematic idea? Well, there are scriptural passages

which seem to see it that way, such as Jn. 1:13, in which it does not depend on him

who wills but on him who calls, and this passage itself, which attributes

predestination not to our belief (fore)seen, but on "the kind intention of his will."

Also, when you fully consider God's eternality, omniscience, and omnipotence, the

first view does not solve the problem of God's fairness after all. If God, knowing

before creation that person X would not believe and hence would go to Hell,

nevertheless, in full posession of this knowledge, decides to go ahead with creation,

he has doomed X to Hell just as effectively as if he were the world's worst hyper-

Calvinist. Further, the other view leads to a logical contradiction. It has God

predestining us to believe and be saved and adopted because he foresees us as

believing. But how could he foresee this if he had not predestined it, since the

natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit?

6E. Williams goes on, "Therefore, since the Arminian view does not solve the

problems it claims to solve, but introduces others, we should go with the stronger

view as more in keeping with Sola Gratia, and simply determine to live with those

problems which neither we nor our opponents can explain--unless Rom. 8:29 and 1

Pet. 1:2 do teach the other view. But they do not. They say that foreknowledge and

predestination are coordinated, but they do not say how; they do not say that God

foresees faith and therefore predestines the very faith he has supposedly already

foreseen." Williams is implying that God's foreknowledge is not complete, and this

is a denial of his omniscience, for he cannot know anything he has not predestined.

He has to do this to support his conclusion, but he admits there are problems that he

cannot explain. It is futile to take one side and reject the other, for they both lead to

unexplainable problems. So again, the evidence supports my conclusion that both

views have to be accepted, for the rejection of either one makes God less than what

he is, and that can never be Biblical or logical.

6F. Barnes has a very interesting note dealing with the pleasure of God's will. He

wrote, "The evident object of the apostle is to state why God chose the heirs of

salvation. It was done as it seemed good to him in the circumstances of the case. It

was not that man had any control over him, or that man was consulted in the

determination, or that it was based on the good works of man, real or foreseen. But

we are not to suppose that there were no good reasons for what he has thus done.

Convicts are frequently pardoned by an executive. He does it according to his own

will, or as seems good in his sight." Barnes argues very strongly for the Calvinist

view, but here we see him opening the door to the Arminian view, for he admits that

it is likely that God has some good reason for choosing whom he chose, and that is

the whole point of the Arminian perspective. It was his own pleasure and will, but

God does not operate in a haphazard way. He has good reasons for what he does,

and this would include any information he would obtain by his foreknowledge. He

has combined the Calvinistic and Arminian view perfectly in my mind.

7. The concept of God's pleasure is a key factor in our understanding. All that God

chooses to predestine is that which gives him pleasure, and we know that God has

no pleasure in the death of the wicked. That means that there is no way to justify the

belief that God predestines anyone to hell. This would be contrary to all that we

know of God's nature as love. God is much like an earthly father in terms of his

planning for the future. A father plans only what will be enjoyable to his children

and himself. He will not plan for there to be accidents, sickness, and misery of all

kinds. He will plan only the most pleasant and enjoyable activities. When we have

blessings that make life enjoyable we are to praise our heavenly Father, but when

life goes in a negative way, and you have to endure the dark side of life, that is not a

time to blame God as so many do, but a time to seek his wisdom and guidance to

cope with and overcome the tribulations that a fallen world bring to all of us. Evil

forces of all kinds are everywhere trying to mess up a good thing, and they often do.

That is why we have Murphy's law. God does not predestinate all of this evil, but, on

the contrary, he predestinated a way to overcome. That is why Jesus could say, "in

the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the

world."

8. God is like any other father who is about to adopt a son. He is overjoyed at the

prospect of taking this lad into his family and showing him the love he never had in

his earthly family. He cannot wait to bless him with new life and spiritual pleasures

that he never knew existed. You can imagine how a father would be thinking of all

the ways to make his new adopted son or daughter feel loved and happy in this new

family. He would be planning things for them to do for their enjoyment and

learning. He would be delighted to see them having fun, and advancing in positive

relationships to the rest of the family. God is that kind of Father as well, and he has

all of the same pleasures in his adopted sons and daughters as any earthly father.

Luke 12:32 says, "Do not fear little flock, for it is your father’s good pleasure to give

you the kingdom." God gets a kick out of his kids, and he even enters into

merriment with them as we read in Zephaniah 3:14-17 "Sing, O daughter of Zion;

shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. 15

The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king

of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. 16

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine

hands be slack. 17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save,

he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with

singing."

9. If God did not love kids, he would not have ordained that he would have so many

of them. Rev 7:9-10 tells us about his family. "A GREAT MULTITUDE which no

one could number of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the

throne and before the Lamb…and crying out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation

belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." God loves his Son as

no other, but because he does, he wants a multitude just like him, and so we read in

Rom. 8:29, "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the

image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among MA�Y BRETHRE�." �ote

the many brethren, for God will not be content with a small family. In his house are

many mansions, and he wants them filled, and that will take a multitude that no

man can number. The only reason that universalism is not true is because God gave

humans the freedom of choice. If it was up to God alone, he would have the entire

human race in heaven with him. Paul says as much in I Tim. 2:1-4 "I exhort

therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of

thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we

may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good

and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved,

and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." Unfortunately, even God does not

always get everything he wants, for there will be many who will not be saved, and

not because he chose for them to be lost, but because they chose to refuse his offer of

salvation. God's will is not always done, and that is why Jesus taught us to pray,

"Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

10. Jim Luthy has a wonderful illustration of the joy of being adopted. "Poor Little

Orphan Annie! It’s "a hard-knock life" for her and her friends. All the hard chores,

the abuse, and the neglect only add insult to injury to these poor little girls already

carrying the weight of abandonment. But if you’ve seen the musical "Annie," either

on stage or screen, you know there is a happy ending for the cute, little,

misunderstood, red-haired orphan girl. After being invited to spend the Christmas

holiday with Billionaire Oliver Warbucks, and after a few shenanigans from her

caregiver at the orphanage, Annie learns that her parents are dead and that Mr.

Warbucks would like to adopt her. The brightness in Annie’s eyes and the bounce in

her step change dramatically when she learns she will be adopted. Why? Because

she not only will leave behind the hard-knock life of the orphanage, she will also live

in incredible wealth, and, most importantly, live with someone who has chosen her

to be his. She celebrates the promise of Mr. Warbucks singing "I Don’t �eed

Anything But You."

10B. David Roth points out that most parents who adopt will look for a child who

has a healthy body and mind, and one that they see will have a life compatible with

them and their life style. He said, "But that is not the case with God. All of God's

adopted children are special needs children. You see we have all been born into this

world with a serious birth defect called human depravity." We are not chosen

because of anything in us that makes us ideal children. We are defective, but we are

loved, and that is what counts in the long run. God's pleasure was to love and

redeem those who were not worthy of such love, and that is what grace is all about.

By his grace we have been saved, for God is love, and love on such a high level that

it can love the unlovely even to the point of adopting them into his family.

10C. Roth goes on, "It is from this mass of fallen, wicked, vile, hopeless group of

depraved mankind that God adopts children into His holy and blameless family.

What is the motivating factor in God's selection process? The answer is His love.

God's motivation in adoption is His great love.

The Greek word for love in our text is agape, which is not an emotional love, but a

disposition of the heart to seek the welfare and to meet the needs of others, The

object of agape love is not based upon the worth of the individual loved, but upon

the worth of the one doing the loving.

God doesn't base his choice of adoption on any intrinsic value of the adoptee,

because as we have already demonstrated no intrinsic value exists.

We see this truth in the Old Testament when it comes to the selection of the children

of Israel as God's covenant people.

(Deu 7:6-8 KJV) "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the

LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above

all people that are upon the face of the earth. {7} The LORD did not set his

love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any

people; for ye were the fewest of all people: {8} But because the LORD loved

you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your

fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed

you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."

The choice of Israel as the people of God was based solely and entirely upon God's

love and grace, it had absolutely nothing to do with any inherent value in them as a

people."

10D. Roth continues, "In Ephesians Paul states basically the same thing.

(Eph 2:4-6 KJV) "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love

wherewith he loved us, {5} Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened

us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) {6} And hath raised us up

together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:"

One of my favorite �ew Testament verses is found in I John 3:1.

(1 John 3:1 KJV) "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed

upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:..."

John uses the word behold here to exhort us to gaze upon in wonderment the fact

that we are called the sons of God. The fact that we who by nature were the children

of wrath even as others, we who were without hope, we who were separated from

God because of our sinfulness, we should be called the sons of God. What love!

When one beholds the sinfulness of man and the love of God that brings sinful man

into a place of Sonship, it should fill the heart with wonderment and awe.

11. Paul T. Harrison has an enlightning account of adoption in the Roman society,

but it it too long to include here, and so I have quoted it all in Appendix D.

12. Preceptaustin quotes Wayne Detzler who wrote, "Throughout the Greek world

the wealthy and influential practiced adoption. Sometimes just a simple declaration

in the marketplace turned a slave into a son. It was an ancient remedy used when a

marriage failed to produce a male heir. �o change in name came, but the adopted

son immediately became heir to the entire wealth and position of his adoptive

family. Conversely the adopted son also assumed responsibility for the parents in

their time of need. Adoption in the Greek and Roman world was a beautiful picture.

His contemporary culture gave the Apostle Paul this word, but he gave the word a

new, Holy Spirit-inspired meaning. (Only Paul uses this word to describe the

relationship of believers to their Heavenly Father.) �o concept is more meaningful

to a believer. For adoption deposits every-thing that God owns to the accounts of

His sons and daughters. Adoption is all about position and privilege... Walking

down the dusty streets of �azareth one summer afternoon I was almost run over by

a racing boy. As he charged past me the little lad caught sight of his father. In a

shrill, childish voice he screamed: "Abba, Abba." Then I began to understand the

intimacy of relationship which God sustains to us. What wonderful, God-ordained

words to use in prayer: "Abba, Father." (Detzler, Wayne E: �ew Testament Words

in Today's Language. Victor. 1986)

13. Preceptaustin adds, "...when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His

Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those

who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because

you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying,

"Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave (to sin, Satan or the fear he

orchestrates), but a son (we are adopted sons), and if a son then an heir through

God." (Galatians 4:4-7) (Comment: The intimacy of our new relationship with God

the Father - "Abba! Father!" - stands in striking contrast to our prior relationship

of enslavement to Sin.) Paul also wrote in (Rom 8:15 KJV) "For ye have not

received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of

adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

13B. Preceptaustin continues, "Adoption, was a commonly known legal procedure

in the Hellenistic world, the most famous example being Julius Caesar’s adoption of

his great-nephew Octavius, who later succeeded him as the emperor Caesar

Augustus. Often a wealthy, childless man would adopt a young slave, who would

trade his slavery for sonship, with all its concomitant privileges. This adoption

meant at least three things all of which have spiritual parallels for believers who are

now sons and daughters of God...

(1) It brought about a total break with the old family and a new family relation with

all its rights, privileges and responsibilities. The adopted person lost all rights in his

old family, and gained all the rights of a fully legitimate son in his new family. In the

most literal sense, and in the most binding legal way, he got a new father!

(2) The adopted son became an heir to his new father's estate. �o matter how many

other sons there were at the time or how many were born thereafter, he was co-heir

with them. This was not subject to change.

(3) The old life of the adoptee was completely erased. All debts and obligations were

legally canceled. The adopted son was regarded by the law as a new person. William

Barclay cites a case in Roman history that shows how completely this was true. The

Roman emperor Claudius adopted �ero so that �ero could succeed him as emperor.

Claudius had a daughter named Octavia. �ero wished to marry Octavia to seal the

alliance. Although they were not blood relations, in the eyes of the law they were

now brother and sister and could not marry. The Roman senate had to pass a

special law in order for them to marry.

13C. Preceptaustin continues, "In like manner, believers, when they are adopted,

are removed from under the authority of their previous father, Satan (see John

8:44) and are given a new Father. They are guaranteed an inheritance with all the

children of God, and as Paul explains later (see note Ephesians 1:14) the Holy Spirit

is the down payment and guarantee of their inheritance. The Spirit is also the

witness that adoption has taken place (see notes Romans 8:14; 8:15). Finally, the

adopted sons are new persons, in that all their sins are forgiven, and they have a

clean slate before God. What a tremendous blessing to know that God has made us

His own and that this was predetermined most likely before the foundation of the

world "according to the kind intention of His will"!

Second, it is the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of adoption who is given to us as a

permanent witness to our adoption. It is the Spirit who assures believers of their

relationship with God and causes them to cry "Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15; Gal.

4:5). And not only this, but it is the Spirit who assures believers of their freedom

from the bondage of the law (Gal. 4:5) and frees them from fear (see note Romans

8:15).

Finally, while adoption is a present possession for believers, it also has a future

aspect. Although believers have received the "first-fruits of the Spirit," they are still

waiting for the redemption of the body, which is considered to be part of "the

adoption" (see note Romans 8:23). It will be complete only when Jesus returns and

changes this vile body into a glorified one.

14. Alexander Maclaren focused on the pleasure and will of God. He points out a

truth that is often forgotten, and that is that God does not love us because Christ

died for us. It is just the opposite of that, for it was because God loved us that Christ

died for us. It was his pleasure and his will to plan and carry out the events

necessary for us to be reconciled to him. Love did not come as a result, but love was

the origin of the whole plan. It was a pleasure God anticipated before creation that

he would have a large family of children made in the likeness of his beloved Son.

The whole story of salvation and adoption begins in the joyful pleasure of God's

will. The next paragraph has a focus on God's love, and what we see is that God's

love and pleasure are so much the same thing. His pleasure is in his love, and his

love is his greatest pleasure.

15. Leon Combs wrote, "He took a totally unacceptable person, made him

acceptable in His sight, and then adopted him into the family of God so that this

person now is a joint heir with Christ in the whole universe! We also see from this

verse that the adoption was predestined as occurring through Jesus. This means

that the adoption was the end result, not the justification of man, and it was all

planned from the beginning by God! Why did God do this? To satisfy the absolute

holiness nature of God He had to either annihilate us (which we deserve, all of us) or

He could provide for our justification. He chose to provide for our justification by

the death and resurrection of His only son. It is hard enough to believe that God

would choose that solution, but God went even further and adopted us. That extra

step is really hard to understand and it is central to our life after the event of

justification, so let's think about it some.

I am going to answer this first question quickly for it is easy. What is the first

question? It is "why did God choose to adopt us?" Turn to 1 John 3:1 and see the

answer:

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called

children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because

it did not know Him."

The adoption is a demonstration to the universe of the great love of God. The Greek

word used for love in this verse is "agape" and is that characteristic of God which

reaches out to all regardless of the return from the recipient. Thus even though

adoption of us by God is a difficult concept for us to try to understand, it is a

natural consequence for God because "He is love".

15B. Combs continues, "First we need to understand that adoption is the highest

privilege the gospel offers us. We noted above that the adoption was the ultimate

goal of God from the beginning. Our primary need is for justification and the gospel

affords us that freely. But a higher blessing is adoption because that puts us in a

closer relationship with God. First we need to be right before God and then we can

have the close relationship with Him because He chooses to adopt us. �ow we can

understand John 1:12 which says:

"But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children

of God, even to those who believe in His name." We do not have the right to become

children of God until we have been justified in His sight. So first comes justification,

our primary need, and then comes the added blessing of adoption.

I said above that Jesus is our elder brother! Did that really sink in? If we are

adopted sons and Jesus is the only begotten Son then we are His brothers! The

Greek word for brother is "adelphos" coming from the word "delphos" which

means womb. So "adelphos" means from the same womb. The Greek word for

adoption is "whyothesia" and is a legal word meaning to legally become as if from

the same womb. This was a process the Romans introduced primarily so that

someone would have a heir when they had no biological children. So Paul used this

word to say that God made us acceptable and then made us His joint heirs with

Jesus Christ."

6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has

freely given us in the One he loves.

Amplified: [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His

glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

�LT: So we praise God for the wonderful kindness He has poured out on us

because we belong to his dearly loved Son.

Phillips: that we might learn to praise that glorious generosity of his which has

made us welcome in the everlasting love He bears towards the Son.

1. This glorious grace is freely given

From our glorious Father in heaven,

And it is ours in the glorious One

When we also love the Father's Son.

Let us then our voices raise

And sing to Him our glorious praise.

1B. Great God of wonders! All Thy ways

Display Thine attributes divine;

But the bright glories of Thy grace

Above Thine other wonders shine:

Who is a pard’ning God like Thee?

Or who has grace so rich and free? —Samuel Davies

2. Clarke, "the grace or mercy of God is peculiarly illustrated and glorified in the

plan of redemption by Christ Jesus. By the giving of the Law, God’s justice and

holiness were rendered most glorious; by the giving of the Gospel, his grace and

mercy are made equally conspicuous."

3. Gill, "To the praise of the glory of his grace,.... The grace of God manifestly

appears in the predestination of men to adoption; in that God had no need of sons,

he having a dear and well beloved one; in whom he is well pleased; and in that those

he adopts are so unworthy of the relation; and in that men, and not angels, should

be taken by him into his family; and that some, and not others of the same race; and

that this should be before the world was; and in providing Christ as a Redeemer, to

open the way for the reception of this grace and happiness; and in appointing the

grace of faith to be the receiver of it: and the glory of the grace of God appears

herein; the glory of God is the supreme end of all he does; and the glory of his grace,

and not his power, or other perfections of his, and the manifestative glory of that is

here intended; yea, the "praise" of that glory: and this end is answered, when the

children of God ascribe their adoption to the free grace of God; and when they

admire it, and are thankful for it, and walk worthy of the relation they are brought

into:"

4. Barnes has some of the best comments on this verse. He wrote, "The meaning is,

that the doctrine of predestination and election lays the foundation of adoring

gratitude and praise. This will appear plain by a few considerations.

(1) It is the only foundation of hope for man. If he were left to himself, all the race

would reject, the offers of mercy and would perish. History, experience, and the

Bible alike demonstrate this.

(2) All the joys which any of the human race have, are to be traced to the purpose

of God to bestow them. Man has no power of originating any of them, and if God

had not intended to confer them, none of them would have been possessed.

(3) All these favors are conferred on those who had no claim on God. The

Christian who is pardoned had no claim on God for pardon; he who is admitted to

heaven could urge no claim for such a privilege and honor; he who enjoys comfort

and peace in the hour of death, enjoys it only through the glorious grace of God.

(4) “all” that is done by election is suited to excite praise. Election is to life, and

pardon, and holiness, and heaven. But why should not a man praise God for these

things? God chooses people to be holy, not sinful; to be happy, not miserable; to be

pure, not impure; to be saved, not to be lost. For these things he should be praised.

He should be praised that he has not left the whole race to wander away and die.

Had he chosen but one to eternal life, that one should praise him, and all the holy

universe should join in the praise. Should he now see it to be consistent to choose but

one of the fallen spirits, and to make him pure, and to readmit him to heaven, that

one spirit would have occasion for eternal thanks, and all heaven might join in his

praises. How much more is praise due to him, when the number chosen is not one,

or a few, but when millions which no man can number, shall be found to be chosen

to life; Rev_7:9.

(5) The doctrine of predestination to life has added no pang of sorrow to anyone of

the human race. It has made millions happy who would not otherwise have been,

but not one miserable. It is not a choice to sorrow, it is a choice to joy and peace.

(6) �o one has a right to complain of it. Those who are chosen assuredly should

not complain of the grace which has made them what they are, and which is the

foundation of all their hopes. And they who are “not” chosen, have no right to

complain; for,

(a) They have no claim to life;

(b) They are “in fact” unwilling to come.

They have no desire to be Christians and to be saved. �othing can induce them to

forsake their sins and come to the Saviour.

Why then should they complain if others are “in fact” willing to be saved? Why

should a man complain for being left to take his own course, and to walk in his own

way? Mysterious, therefore, as is the doctrine of predestination; and fearful and

inscrutable as it is in some of its aspects, yet, in a just view of it, it is suited to excite

the highest expressions of thanksgiving, and to exalt God in the apprehension of

man. He who has been redeemed and saved by the love of God; who has been

pardoned and made pure by mercy; on whom the eye of compassion has been

tenderly fixed, and for whom the Son of God has died, has abundant cause for

thanksgiving and praise."

5. All we have is due to our being in Christ, the beloved Son of God. Dr. Harry

Ironside told this story: "Years ago I was preaching in the small town of Roosevelt,

Washington, on the north bank of the Columbia River. I was the guest of friends

who were sheep-raisers. It was lambing time and every morning we went out to see

the lambs—hundreds of them—playing about on the green. One morning I was

startled to see an old ewe go loping across the road, followed by the strangest

looking lamb I had ever beheld. It apparently had six legs, and the skin seemed to be

partially torn from its body in a way that made me feel the poor little creature must

be suffering terribly. But when one of the herders caught the lamb and brought it

over to me, the mystery was explained. That lamb did not really belong originally to

that ewe. She had a lamb which was bitten by a rattlesnake and died. This lamb that

I saw was an orphan and needed a mother’s care. But at first the bereft ewe refused

to have anything to do with it. She sniffed at it when it was brought to her, then

pushed it away, saying as plainly as a sheep could say it, “That is not our family

odor!” So the herders skinned the lamb that had died and very carefully drew the

fleece over the living lamb. This left the hind-leg coverings dragging loose. Thus

covered, the lamb was brought again to the ewe. She smelled it once more and this

time seemed thoroughly satisfied and adopted it as her own." There is a parallel in

our salvation, for we were in our selves unacceptable to enter the family of God, but

when we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, we take on the sweet smelling

odor of his sacrifice, and we by that association with God's Son become acceptable

for adoption into the family of God. When we accept Jesus, we are accepted into the

family.

6. Donald Williams points out that the whole plan of salvation is designed to be to

the praise of God's glory. He wrote, "It is emphasized three times in this passage as

a refrain for emphasis. Why did God the Father conceive the plan of salvation and

elect us to sonship? To the praise of the glory of His grace (v. 6). Why did God the

Son redeem us? That we should be to the praise of His glory (v. 12). And why did

the Holy Spirit seal us for redemption as a pledge of our inheritance? To the praise

of His glory (v. 14b). But we find this doctrine not just here; it is a major theme of

the whole Bible (Ex. 3:12, 7:3-5, 9:16, 40:34, Ps. 79:9, Is.48:9-11). The climax is Jn.

17:1. What was foremost in the mind of Christ as He was facing the Cross? "Father

the hour is come. Glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee." Yes, He loves us,

and yes, salvation has our good in mind. But the emphasis is inescapable: God's

ultimate purpose in the salvation of sinners is His own glory."

6B. Williams continues, "If you were to trace the word "glory" through the Bible,

you would find it associated with the presence of God and the nature of God. We

could define the glory of God as the manifestation of His perfect and holy character

in all its awesome and majestic splendor throughout the whole of creation. What

does it mean to say that God's glory is the purpose of salvation? That for God's

character to be revealed is the greatest good, the highest value, the ultimate reason

for which the world was made. That is why Creation glorifies God (Ps. 19:1). But

the primary way God is to be glorified in the history of this Creation is through the

salvation of sinners. The virgin birth, sinless life, atoning death, and trimphant

resurrection of Christ; the work of the Holy Spirit in calling out a people for His

name, preserving them, uniting them in one body, the Church, and keeping them for

final union with Christ: all this reveals the nature and character of God and writes

it indelibly on the pages of space, time, and history in the fullest and deepest manner

conceivable. And in this, God is glorified. For God's ultimate purpose in the

salvation of sinners is His own glory.

7. The above teaching might seem to make God self-centered, but the fact is, He is

the center of all reality, and there is no other being who has a right to be self-

centered. �ot only that, it is his self-centeredness in focusing on his own glory that

makes him the resource for the fulfillment of all the self-centeredness of all other

beings. We are all self-centered in the sense that we want what is best for ourselves.

We want salvation, and we want it to be a wonderful life filled with all that makes us

feel happy, wealthy and wise. We want health and wealth for all eternity, and we

want to experience pleasure forever at God's right hand. These are very selfish

goals, but they are the very things that God promises us when we put our faith in his

Son, and love him with all our heart, soul and mind. Selfishness is only an evil

quality when it is satisfied by depriving another of what they want. Selfishness can

be a virtue when it makes you one who is better equiped to meet the needs of others

so they too can have selfish goals met. It is in being God centered that we can best

meet our own self-centered needs and goals. If we are selfish and self-centered in a

negative way, we will be a pain to God and man and lose what we most seek, but if

we are God-centered, and live for his glory, we will share in that glory, and like our

Lord be glorified.

7B. Satan refused to make God the center of all, and the fallen angels did the same.

Adam and Eve by refusing to obey God's one command to avoid the forbidden fruit,

did the same thing. All evil has its origin in refusing to make God the center of their

being, and the one worthy of self-centered glory. Those, on the other hand, who

acknowledge God as the center of all, and believe it is true that "The chief end of

man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever," are those who will enjoy sharing in

that everlasting glory of the Father. Thank God that his primary focus is on his own

glory, for when that is not the primary focus of any being, the end result is a curse

rather than a blessing.

8. John Piper wrote, "God’s love for us is not mainly his making much of us, but his

giving us the ability to enjoy making much of him forever. In other words, God’s

love for us keeps God at the center. God’s love for us exalts his value and our

satisfaction in it. If God’s love made us central and focused on our value, it would

distract us from what is most precious, namely, himself. Love labors and suffers to

enthrall us with what is infinitely and eternally satisfying: God. Therefore God’s

love labors and suffers to break our bondage to the idol of self and focus our

affections on the treasure of God. "

9. We could illustrate this by the life of an earthly father. If he was not self-centered,

and did not make sure that he was prepared to take care of his family by getting the

best education, or training so as to earn the necessary wages to provide for their

food, shelter and clothing, he would be far short of an ideal father. The ideal father

will make the best of all he is, and develop all of his potential, for the better he is as

a person, the more he will be a blessing to all whom he loves, and for all who love

him. So it is with God. The more he is glorified, the more he benefits those who are

glorifying him. A child who glorifies his father will be all the more loved by the

father, and he will reap greater benefits than he could ever achieve by his own self-

centered efforts.

10. This whole passage is totally Christ-centered, and David W. Hall has done an

excellent job of making this clear. He wrote, " “This passage tells us a number of

things that Jesus did in salvation. Run through this quickly with me to see what

Christ does in God's plan of salvation.

v. 4--Christ is the container of the elect people--chosen in Him. Christ was chosen to

be the sacrificial lamb long before the world or any human existed

v. 5--Jesus is the means of adoption--adopted through Jesus Christ

v. 6--Jesus is the agent of "glorious grace" which is freely given

v. 7--In Jesus we have redemption through his blood--we are purchased by his

paying the ransom by Jesus...forgiveness of sins. Because Christ actually died on the

cross and discharged the guilt of our sins, then we have true forgiveness. Again I

have to say, in marvel and wonder, "Blessed be the God Father for doing this to me.

v. 9--Christ is also the key to unlocking God's purpose. If we know Christ, we'll

know God's purpose

v. 10--Christ's role is in the end of time to bring all things together under his

Lordship. Christ will be the one authoritative ruler at the end of time

v. 11--As in verse 4, Christ is the one in whom we're chosen. He is the leader of our

race, the second Adam.

v. 12--Christ is the one in whom believers hope or believe

v. 13--We are included in Christ after believing the truth. Also marked or certified

in Him with a seal--the Holy Spirit.

10B. Hall continues, "Christ then is central to and saturates God's plan of salvation.

He is intimately involved in every step and every aspect of salvation. God's salvation

comes only through or by Christ. That is why it is not accidental that there is more

than one reference to Him for each verse in this one long sentence of praise. The

praise is for Jesus Christ who died in place of sinners to accomplish all these things

spoken of here. Apart from Christ there is no salvation. As the apostles taught,

`There is no other name under heaven or earth by which we may be saved." He

quotes Lenski, "Christ is the golden string on which all the pearls of this doxology

are strung. He is the central diamond around which all the lesser diamonds are set

as rays."

11. We know from what Paul wrote, however, that even this glory of Christ will

eventually become the glory of the Father, for his glory is the ultimate purpose of all

history. Paul wrote in I Cor. 15:28, "And when all things shall be subdued unto him,

then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him,

that God may be all in all." This is the goal God aims for, and the one we need to

rejoice in, for when God is all in all, and the most fully glorified being possible, we

will have a universe totally ruled by love, and totally glorious in all aspect

conceivable for those who love him. We can praise him for all of his grace in the

past, and we will praise him forever for grace that will never end because of his self-

centered goal. �othing will ever be totally perfect until this goal is achieved, and

when it is, we will praise God endlessly for making his own glory his primary goal.

7 In him we have redemption through his blood,

the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the

riches of God's grace

Amplified: In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His

blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in

accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor

�LT: He is so rich in kindness that He purchased our freedom through the blood of

his Son, and our sins are forgiven..

Phillips: It is through the Son, at the cost of his own blood, that we are redeemed,

freely forgiven through that full and generous grace

Wuest: in Whom we are having our redemption through His blood, the putting

away of our trespasses according to the wealth of His grace.

Upon the cross they laid You down,

Upon Your head they placed a crown.

They nailed You to that awful tree,

Yet when they did, it was for me.

I hear the nails they hammered through,

My God, the pain I’ve caused for You.

And now You cause my eyes to see,

You did it all, in love, for me.

The soldier’s spear, it pierced Your side,

For me You truly lived, and died.

What more could any lover give?

You died, and rose, that I might live

For me You suffered all that pain,

That I might Adam’s state regain,

Become again God’s favoured child,

As when on Adam He first smiled.

How can such love I understand,

Although Your Spirit holds my hand.

He teaches me to seek Your way,

And walk along it day by day.

I may not have the voice to sing,

And make the halls of heaven ring.

But I can sing within my heart,

My Lord, my God, how great Thou art.

Copyright© Ailsa Yates

1. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, where he shed his precious blood, is the basis

for our redemption and the forgiveness of our sins. This is a vast topic to deal with,

for their are many books and hymns, and sermons by the tens of thousands that

focus on the blood of Jesus. People do not like blood, for it is a negative thing to see,

and some people faint at the sight of it. However, the blood of Jesus is a wonderful

topic because of the paradox of what it accomplished. By shedding his blood in

sacrifice for our sins, Jesus eliminated the need for any blood ever again needing to

be shed for sins. It was the blood of Jesus that ended the need for all blood sacrifice.

In 70 A. D. God used the Romans to destroy the temple in Israel, and that ended the

whole sacrificial system of Judaism. �ever since has there been a valid offering of a

sacrifice on the temple altar, and rightly so, for the one sacrifice of Jesus on the

cross was the last one needed to provide potential forgiveness for all the sins of the

world for the rest of human history. �othing ever needs to be added to what Jesus

did on the cross to redeem and forgive lost sinners. When he said, "It is finished,"

he meant it, and that was the end of blood sacrifice forever.

1B. David Roth, "(1 Pet 1:18-19 KJV) "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not

redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain

conversation received by tradition from your fathers; {19} But with the precious

blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"

What a incredible act of love. That Jesus would give His very life's blood in order to

satisfy God's justice regarding sin. You have sung the song, "What can wash away

my sin? �othing but the blood of Jesus.

Sin held you captive, and the price of your release was the blood of Jesus Christ. �o

wonder the Apostle John witnessed the four living creatures and the 24 elders

singing...

(Rev 5:8-10 KJV) "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and

twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and

golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. {9} And they sung a new

song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for

thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and

tongue, and people, and nation; {10} And hast made us unto our God kings and

priests: and we shall reign on the earth."

1C. �or Silver �or Gold by James Gray

�or silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption,

�or riches of earth could have saved my poor soul;

The blood of the cross is my only foundation,

The death of my Savior now maketh me whole.

Refrain

I am redeemed, but not with silver,

I am bought, but not with gold;

Bought with a price, the blood of Jesus,

Precious price of love untold.

�or silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption,

The guilt on my conscience too heavy had grown;

The blood of the cross is my only foundation,

The death of my Savior could only atone.

2. Grace Bible Church, " Redemption (Gk. apolutrosis ) looks at fallen man as

enslaved to sin, in bondage to Satan and under the curse of the Law. cf. Eph. 2:1-4.

The price by which this redemption is secured is through His blood . Obviously, this

looks back toward the offerings of the Mosaic Law, i.e., the sin and tresspass

offerings. The result of this redemption is not only the emancipation from sin and

Satan, from whom we are freed but as Paul points out here, the forgiveness of sins .

Some read this as if our redemption consists of the forgiveness of sins, i.e., in whom

we have redemption (even) the forgiveness of sins . But actually redemption speaks of

the broader work of God which culminates in our glorification. cf. Romans 8:18-25.

Redemption's first stage begins with forgiveness of sins. cf. Romans 8:23; 1 Cor.

1:30.

Redemption is ultimately going to end in the glorification of my body; but it

begins with the forgiveness of sins. This is the essential preliminary to

sanctification and also to glorification. We must therefore start with

forgiveness and emphasize it. It is the first vital step, the key which opens the

door to everything that follows…The first need of every sinner is not help

and power to overcome sin and temptation, but that his past sins should be

dealt with, and that he should be delivered from condemnation and from the

wrath of God that is upon him.

And this redemption by means of the blood of the Beloved One is according to the

riches of His grace , i.e., the inexhaustible storehouse of His abundant favor of

goodness toward the undeserving.

3. Steven Grant gives us a great illustration. "When Simon Bolivar led the nation of

Peru to independence from Spain in 1824, they pleaded with him to become their

first president. He refused. He said that his work was the work of liberation. Others

were better suited to the task of governing. But still they wanted to honor him. So

they offered him a gift of 1 million pesos. And he accepted the gift on one condition.

He asked that he might supplement that gift with monies from his own estate, and

then use all of that money together to purchase the freedom of the 3,000 individuals

in Peru who were still slaves to other men. And he did exactly that. And when they

asked him why he did it, this is what he said: "It makes little sense to free a nation

unless all its citizens enjoy freedom as well." That is a picture of grace. �one of

those slaves deserved to be freed. �one of them earned the money to set themselves

free. It was completely the choice of another, completely the action of another,

completely the resources of another."

3B. Bob Hosterler, "There are three different Greek words which have been

translated for the idea of "redemption" in the �ew Testament.

The first is Agorazo: "To purchase." When we think of making a purchase, we

think of buying groceries or a car or a house or some other inanimate object. We

don’t talk about purchasing people - that went out with slavery over a hundred

years ago. But slavery was commonplace in Paul’s day. And you would commonly

go into the marketplace - the Agora - to purchase a slave.

The second is Exagorazo: "To purchase out." This is the same word with a prefix

placed in front of it meaning "out." The picture is that you go into the slave market

and you purchase a slave and then you bring him OUT of the market.

The third word is the word used here. Lutro-o: "To release or set free." It takes the

picture one step further as you bring the slave out of the slave market. . . and then

set him free.

This is what Christ has done for you. He came into this world of sin. He paid the

ultimate price for you - His own blood--And he did it to set you free. You “have

redemption through His blood” (Ephesians 1:7)."

4. Barnes, "The forgiveness of sins - We obtain through his blood, or through the

atonement which he has made, the forgiveness of sins. We are not to suppose that

this is all the benefit which we receive from his death, or that this is all that

constitutes redemption. It is the main, and perhaps the most important thing. But

we also obtain the hope of heaven, the influences of the Holy Spirit, grace to guide

us and to support us in trial, peace in death, and perhaps many more benefits. Still

“forgiveness” is so prominent and important, that the apostle has mentioned that as

if it were all.

5. Barclay, "There is deliverance. The word used is apolutrosis. It comes from the

verb lutroun, which means to ransom. It is the word used for ransoming a man who

is a prisoner of war or a slave; for freeing a man from the penalty of death; for

God's deliverance of the children of Israel from their slavery in Egypt; for God's

continual rescuing of his people in the time of their trouble. In every case the

conception is the delivering of a man from a situation from which he was powerless

to liberate himself or from a penalty which he himself could never have paid.

So, then, first of all Paul says that God delivered men from a situation from which

they could never have delivered themselves. That is precisely what Christianity did

do for men. When Christianity came into this world men were haunted by the sense

of their own powerlessness. They knew the wrongness of the life which they were

living; and also that they were powerless to do anything about it.

Seneca is full of this kind of feeling of helpless frustration. Men, he said, were

overwhelmingly conscious of their inefficiency in necessary things. He said of

himself that he was a homo non tolerabilis, a man not to be tolerated. Men, he said

with a kind of despair, love their vices and hate them at the same time. What men

need, he cried, is a hand let down to lift them up. The highest thinkers in the pagan

world knew that they were in the grip of something from which they were helpless

to deliver themselves. They needed liberation.

It was just that liberation which Jesus Christ brought. It is still true that he can

liberate men from helpless slavery to the things which attract and disgust them at

one and the same time. To put it at its simplest, Jesus can still make bad men good.

6. David Roth, "During the �ew Testament era it has been estimated that the

Roman empire had as many as six million slaves. The open market for buying and

selling slaves was big business in Rome. �ow, if a person knew of a friend or loved

one who became a slave for whatever reason, they could buy or redeem that slave

for himself, and then grant him freedom, testifying to the deliverance by a bill of

sale or a written certificate stating such. This is the idea of redemption that we find

in Ephesians 1:7." He quotes these Scriptures:

(Gal 3:13 KJV) "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a

curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"

(Rev 5:9 KJV) "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the

book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to

God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;"

6B. Roth continues, "The Old Testament gives us many seed-form revelations of the

redemptive work of Christ. These revelations of Christ are generally given by way

of types. �ow types are simply God ordain illustrations of spiritual realities.

There are many Old Testament types which speak of the redemptive work of Christ.

One such type was the Israelites sacrificial system. A classic illustration of the

redeemer is found in Leviticus chapter 16, where the high priest brought two goats

to the tabernacle during the great day of atonement. One goat was killed and its

blood sprinkled upon the mercy seat, which covered the law which condemned. The

blood signifying the death of the substitute.

Concerning the second goat we read,

(Lev 16:21-22 KJV) "And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of

the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel,

and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of

the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the

wilderness: {22} And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a

land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness."

The blood upon the mercy-seat symbolized God's acceptance of the substitute, and

the symbolic laying on of the sins of the people upon the second goat symbolized the

peoples sins leaving never to return.

The great message in all the sacrifices of the Old Testament is that the Holy God has

provided the perfect sacrifice for death deserving sinners."

7. Roth adds, "The subject of redemption is central to Christianity. In fact, the term

redemption is probably the most beloved term in all of the Christians vocabulary.

"Redeemed how I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb." What

sweet words to the soul! What comfort to the heart!

In the early part of this century B.B. Warfield, the distinguished professor of

didactic and polemic theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, delivered an

address to the incoming students in which he argued that, "there is no one of the

titles of Christ which is more precious to Christian hearts than 'Redeemer'." This is

because, he said, Redeemer "is the name specifically of the Christ of the cross.

Whenever we pronounce it, the cross is placarded before our eyes and our hearts

are filled with loving remembrance not only that Christ has given us salvation, but

that He paid a mighty price for it."

8. Davis Swensen, " Scripture uses the tragedy of slavery to illustrate our human

predicament. Without God’s intervention, we are all hopelessly enslaved to self

and sin. We are forced to live in bondage to sin and Satan. Enslaved by sin and

guilt, we are unable to liberate ourselves. Jesus said, ‘…. EVERYO�E WHO SI�S

IS A SLAVE TO SI�….” (John 8:34) Sin traps us and holds us, rendering us

powerless to escape its clutches. Consequently, try as hard as we might, we are

unable to overcome our sin. It might be lust, uncontrollable anger, drugs,

pornography, envy, covetousness, lying, materialism, destructive behavior, harmful

attitudes, or whatever. In our natural, unsaved state we are at the mercy of sin;

powerless against it. In spite of the fact that sin ruins relationships, wrecks lives and

brings untold pain, misery and regret we can’t seem to overcome it. Our only hope

is Christ who can redeem us, setting us free from sin’s penalty and its power in our

daily lives."

the forgiveness of sins,

1. Barclay, "There is forgiveness. The ancient world was haunted by the sense of sin.

It might well be said that the whole Old Testament is an expansion of the saying,

"The soul that sins shall die" (Eze.18:4). Men were conscious of their own guilt and

stood in terror of their god or gods. It is sometimes said that the Greeks had no

sense of sin. �othing could be further from the truth. "Men," said Hesiod, "delight

their souls in cherishing that which is their bane." All the plays of Aeschylus are

founded on one text--"The doer shall suffer." Once a man had done an evil thing

�emesis was on his heels; and punishment followed sin as certainly as night followed

day. As Shakespeare had it in Richard the Third,

"My conscience hath a thousand several tongues, And every tongue brings in a

several tale, And every tale condemns me for a villain."

If there was one thing which men knew it was the sense of sin and the dread of God.

Jesus changed all that. He taught men, not of the hate, but of the love of God.

Because Jesus came into the world, men, even in their sin, discovered God's love."

2. David Roth, "The word for forgiveness in verse seven comes from the Greek

word, aphesis, (af-es-is), which means "to pardon, to set at liberty, to deliver, to

forgive". It is used here in Ephesians as a legal term to refer to a cancellation of a

debt, or to grant a pardon.

(Col 2:13 KJV) "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of

your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all

trespasses;"

(1 John 2:12 KJV) "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven

you for his name's sake."

3. Davis Swensen, "In verse seven Paul calls our attention to the blessing of

forgiveness. I once saw a Christian card that said: “If our greatest need had been

information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been

technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money,

God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness,

God sent us a Savior.” Forgiveness is one of the blessings of redemption. At the Last

Supper our Lord said, “THIS IS MY BLOOD…. WHICH WAS SHED FOR THE

FORGIVE�ESS OF SI�S…” “Forgiveness absolves us from the punishment of sin

which we deserve. Every one of our sins can be covered by the death of

Christ.”(41/847) 1 John 1:9 declares that “IF WE CO�FESS OUR SI�S, GOD IS

FAITHFUL A�D JUST TO FORGIVE US…” God has promised that He will

“FORGIVE OUR I�QUITY A�D REMEMBER OUR SI� �O MORE…” In

Christ we can be delivered from the guilt of our past."

John Ruskin was shown an expensive handkerchief a which a blot of ink had spilled.

“ �othing can be done with it now,” said the owner. “It is absolutely worthless.”

Ruskin made no reply but carried it away with him. After a time he sent it back to

the great surprise of his friend, who could scarcely believe his eyes. In almost skillful

and artistic way Ruskin had made a design in India ink, using the ugly blot as the

center for the design. A blotted life is not necessarily a hopeless, useless life.

(225/875) Through the forgiveness that God offers us in Christ, our lives,

irrespective of the past, can be made beautiful and useful. Redeemed we are

forgiven and set free to live our lives on a higher plane."

4. All truth can be abused, and this marvelous truth of forgiveness of sin is no

exception. It can be thought that because Jesus died for all of our sins, we have no

need to be concerned about sin any longer. We can be careless and cosy up to the

world and live just like the world. We can endulged in habitual sins without fear of

judgment. This is an abuse of this precious truth, for it takes sin lightly, and does

not honor the blood Jesus sacrificed to set us free from such behavior. We all sin

because we still have a sinful side of our nature, and when we do we are always

welcome to come to Christ and confess and receive his forgiveness. But we need to

remember that he put a condition upon that right. Jesus said in Mat: 6:15 But if

you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your

trespasses." Jesus also gave warning to the Christians in Rev. 2 and 3 that there are

still consequences and judgments to come on believers when they persist in conduct

that is not according to the will of Christ. The point is, the battle is not over, and

there is much to be concerned about in our fight to overcome the sinful nature of

our own flesh, and worldly influenced thinking. We are forgiven children of God by

our faith in Christ as Savior, but we are still held accountable for how we use our

freedom in Christ. Sin still matters, and sin will still carry penalties for believers

who do not forsake it.

5. Look at how Paul scolds the believers in Galatia for their slipping back into old

ways of thinking, which is a sinful rejection of their freedom in Christ. Gal 4:8,9

says, "But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by

nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by

God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you

desire again to be in bondage?" In Gal 5:1) he goes on, "Stand fast therefore in the

liberty, by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a

yoke of bondage." Believers can go backwards, and have sinful attitudes and actions

that are hindering all that they have in Christ. They need to repent and return to

what they first had, just as the Ephesians needed to return to their first love. Jesus

said to them in Rev. 2:4-6, "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your

first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the

things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your

lampstand from its place."

in accordance with the riches of God's grace

1. Barnes, "According to the riches of his grace - According to his rich grace; see a

similar phrase explained in the notes at Rom_2:4. The word “riches,” in the form in

which it is used here, occurs also in several other places in this Epistle; Eph_1:18;

Eph_2:7; Eph_3:8, Eph_3:16. It is what Paley (Horae Paul) calls “a cant phrase,”

and occurs often in the writings of Paul; see Rom_2:4; Rom_9:23; Rom_11:12,

Rom_11:33; Phi_4:19; Col_1:27; Col_2:2. It is not found in any of the other writings

of the �ew Testament, except once in a sense somewhat similar, in James Jam_2:5,

“Hath not God chosen the poor of this world “rich” in faith,"

1B. Just how rich is God's grace? A few historical accounts give us an idea. An

unknown author by the name of Hughes wrote, "The Greek word that Paul uses for

grace is a word that was used when someone was ushered into the presence of

royalty. Through God’s grace in Christ the door has been opened for us to enter

into the presence of God, finding forgiveness and fellowship in spite of our sinful

pasts. When that door was opened we found grace, not ridicule or rejection but

sheer, unmerited grace. When we come to Christ with a sense of need and a sprit of

repentance, God redeems us and pours out His grace upon us. He blesses us in

countless life-changing ways.

Lou Johnson was a 1965 World Series hero for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He tried

for 30 years to recover the championship ring he lost to drug dealers in 1971. Drug

and alcohol abuse cost him everything from that magical season, including his

uniform, glove, and the bat he used to hit the winning home run in the deciding

game. When the Dodgers president, Bob Graziano, learned that Johnson’s World

Series ring was about to be auctioned on the Internet, he immediately wrote a check

for $3,457.00 and bought the ring before any bids were posted. He did for Johnson

what the former Dodger outfielder had been unable to do for himself. (Plaschke/

Los Angeles Times) God has done for us what we are unable to do for ourselves. He

redeems us and makes us the recipient of His amazing grace.

2. Hughes goes on, "The blessings of God’s grace were especially evident in John

�ewton’s life. He was raised in a Christian home for several years until his parents

died. Orphaned and living with relatives he was mistreated, abused, and ridiculed.

Unable to bear the abuse he, though still a boy, fled and joined the Royal �avy.

From there his life went downhill as he became a drunkard and a brawler.

Deserting the Royal �avy he joined up with a slave trader. His life continued to

disintegrate and spiral out of control.

One day he stole the ships whisky and got so inebriated he fell overboard. He was so

close to drowning that one of his shipmates literally harpooned him and brought

him back on board. Consequently he had a huge scar in his side for the rest of his

life. Finally, one day during a storm he began to reflect upon some Bible verses his

parents had taught him before they died. He reached out to Jesus and his life was

redeemed; he was forgiven. But God’s grace didn’t end with his salvation. John

�ewton the philandering, wandering, brawling man drastically changed as he

experienced victory over the power of sin. He became, as scripture says, “a new

creation in Christ.” When the grace of God entered his life and he matured in

Christ, he enjoyed a marriage that was an example to all. When we yield to Christ

and experience God’s grace, we begin to enjoy the restoration of what our life

should have been like.God’s grace changes us for the better." �ewton went on to be

a pastor, and he wrote one of the greatest songs ever written, Amazing Grace.

2B. Closing a lengthy and powerful sermon called “The Treasure of Grace”, Charles

Spurgeon declared, “To sum up...the riches of the grace of God are infinite, beyond

all limit; they are inexhaustible, they can never be drained; they are all-sufficient,

they are enough for every soul that ere shall come to take from them; there shall be

enough for ever while earth endureth, until the last vessel of mercy shall be brought

home safely.”

3. Donald Williams shows us the riches of God's grace in that it was rich enough to

pay the debt for the sins of the world. He wrote, "Man owes God a debt considered

as his Judge. He is utterly unable to discharge it. God in his Justice cannot simply

remit it. So God in his mercy and grace pays it for us. Since the wages of sin is

death, the payment must be a life--a sinless life and one of infinite value so it could

pay for all the sins of the race. That ransom was paid to the Father by the Son on

our behalf. And the result is deliverance for all who believe! Immediate deliverance

from the penalty of sin in justification, increasing deliverance from the power of sin

in sanctification, eventually deliverance even from the presence of sin in

glorification: all this was purchased for us by Christ. Therefore, when we believe,

the dupes of the devil become the disciples of Christ; the chattel of Satan become the

children of God; the denizens of darkness become lovers of light; and slaves of sin

become sons of God. For in Christ we have "redemption through his blood, the

forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."

3B. Williams also wrote, "All this brings home in a special way the grace, the

unmerited favor of God. The God should give US an inheritance (and he has--every

spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ) is incomprehensible grace. That

to those who deserve justice he should give justification; that to those who deserve

wrath he should give redemption; that to those who deserve capital punishment he

should give complete pardon; that to those who deserve expulsion from his sight he

should give adoption as his sons; that to those who deserve an eternity of hell he

should give the encouragement of hope; that to those who deserve everlasting

lostness he should give eternal and abundant life; that to those who deserve nothing

he should give every spiritual blessing; this is grace, and more: It is "the riches of

the glory of his grace."

4. In the light of the cost of God's grace to forgive us, we should all sing with

gratitude the words of Isaac Watts

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast

Save in the death of Christ my God.

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to his blood.

Were the whole realm of �ature mine,

That were a present far too small.

Love so amazing, so divine

Demands my soul, my life, my all!

5. Or the words of A. J. Flint

“His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,

His pow’r has no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth and giveth and giveth again!”

6. "God's grace is infinite and that's how God gives! How wealthy is God? Infinitely

wealthy. Then why are you wrestling with thoughts like "Surely He won't or can't

forgive me of this or that sin?!". Away with such thoughts. Bow your knee. Confess

to Him what He already knows and "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as

white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool" (Isaiah

1:18) because of the riches of His grace."

7. God's riches in Christ have made all who trust in him richer than they can

imagine. But we are often like Livingston in this story: Dr. Stanley Livingston had a

medical condition in which he was required to drink goat's milk. He was visited one

day by a tribal king and he noticed that the king was eyeing his goat. Livingston felt

led of the Lord to give the goat as a gift to the king and, in return, the king

presented him with the staff that he was carrying. Later that day, Livingston

confided in a friend, "I don't know what I was thinking. How could I have been so

foolish as to give my goat away. I don't know what I shall do with this stick." His

friend replied, "You don't understand. That isn't a stick. It is a scepter. You don't

just own one goat. �ow you own all the goats in the tribe." We have not yet begun to

reap all the benefits we have in the grace of God.

8. Robert Morgan writes that...Millions of us read the Wall Street Journal or the

business section of our local newspaper. We subscribe to Money Magazine, Forbes,

or Kiplinger’s, and watch Louis Rukeyser on Wall Street Week. We study our

investment portfolios like misers counting coins. But how long since we’ve poured

over the reports of our spiritual investments? The Book of Ephesians—the Bible’s

counterpart to Forbes and Kiplinger’s—describes our wealth from God, who is

“rich in mercy” (see note Ephesians 2:4). Reading Ephesians is like taking an

inventory of our heavenly vaults. In Ephesians, we read of:

• The riches of His grace (see note Ephesians 1:7)

• The riches of the glory of His inheritance (see note Ephesians 1:18)

• The exceeding riches of His grace (see note Ephesians 2:7)

• The unsearchable riches of Christ (see note Ephesians 3:8)

• The riches of His glory (see note Ephesians 3:16)

9. Alexander Maclaren, "The measure of His gift is His measureless grace; the

measure of my reception is my — alas! easily-measured faith. What about the

unearned increment? What about the unrealized wealth? Too many of us are like

some man who has a great estate in another land. He knows nothing about it, and is

living in grimy poverty in a back street. For you have all God’s riches waiting for

you, and ‘the potentiality of wealth beyond the dreams of avarice’ at your beck and

call, and yet you are but poorly realizing your possible riches. Alas, that when we

might have so much we do have so little. ‘According to the riches of His grace’ He

gives. But another ‘according to’ comes in. ‘According to thy faith be it unto thee.’

So we have to take these two measures together, and the working limit of our

possession of God’s riches comes out of the combination of them both."

10. "Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!

Yonder on Calvary's mount out-poured - There where the blood of the Lamb was

spilt. Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace,

grace, God's grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin!"

"Dark is the stain that we cannot hide, what can avail to wash it away? Look! there

is flowing a crimson tide - whiter than snow you may be today. Grace, grace, God's

grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace

that is greater than all our sin!"

8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and

understanding.

Amplified: Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding

(practical insight and prudence)

�LT: He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and

understanding.

Phillips: which has overflowed into our lives and opened our eyes to the truth.

Wuest: which He caused to superabound to us in the sphere of every wisdom and

understanding,

1. God does not spoon feed us with his riches of Grace. They poor out on us like the

streams from the shower. He washes us white as snow from the stains of sin, and

then gives us all that his wisdom and understanding knows that we need to live the

life that is pleasing to him.

2. Far more powerful in this image from Our Daily Bread: "Last year I visited

�iagara Falls for the first time and was awed by the sight and sound and

overpowering sense of it all. Every minute, about 200,000 tons of water plunge into

the �iagara River gorge in a thunderous ovation to the lavish, generous nature of

God. The Lord could have used a lot less water, but He didn't. He could have made

the falls lower, but He built them 12 stories high. And because they are what they

are from the creative hand of God, people come from all over the world to see

�iagara Falls.....God's grace toward us is not squeezed out from an eye-dropper or

carefully rationed like water during a drought. His grace is a �iagara of

superabundance so lavish that we marvel at its display."

2B. Commentators seem to go in two directions concerning the wisdom and

understanding that come with the abundant grace. Some see these as added gifts to

the redeemed that come with grace. Others see wisdom and understanding as

refering to God in the brilliant way he carried out the plan of redemption. Both are

no doubt true, but I prefer the way Barclay goes, for it best fits the context of God's

lavish giving out of his riches.

3. Barclay, "There is wisdom and sound sense. The two words in Greek are sophia

and phronesis, and Christ brought both of them to us. This is very interesting. The

Greeks wrote much about these two words; if a man had both, he was perfectly

equipped for life. Aristotle defined sophia as knowledge of the most precious things.

Cicero defined it as knowledge of things both human and divine. Sophia was a thing

of the searching intellect. Sophia was the answer to the eternal problems of life and

death, and God and man, and time and eternity.

Aristotle defined phronesis as the knowledge of human affairs and of the things in

which planning is necessary. Plutarch defined it as practical knowledge of the things

which concern us. Cicero defined it as knowledge of the things which are to be

sought and the things which are to be avoided. Plato defined it as the disposition of

mind which enables us to judge what things are to be done and what things are not

to be done. In other words, phronesis is the sound sense which enables men to meet

and to solve the practical problems of everyday life and living.

It is Paul's claim that Jesus brought us sophia , the intellectual knowledge which

satisfies the mind, and phronesis, the practical knowledge which enables us to

handle the day to day problems of practical life and living. There is a certain

completeness in the Christian character. There is a type of person who is at home in

the study, who moves familiarly amidst the theological and philosophical problems,

and who is yet helpless and impractical in the ordinary everyday affairs of life.

There is another kind of person who claims that he is a practical man, so engaged

with the business of living that he has no time to concern himself with the ultimate

things. In the light of the gifts of God through Christ, both of these characters are

imperfect. Christ brings to us the solution of the problems both of eternity and

time."

4. Clarke, “Wisdom,” according to Sir William Temple, “is that which makes men

judge what are the best ends, and what the best means to attain them; and gives a

man advantage of counsel and direction.” “Prudence is wisdom applied to practice;

or that discreet, apt suiting as well of actions as words, in their due place, time, and

manner. Every minister of Christ needs these still; and if he abide not under the

influence of both, not only his prayers but his ministerial labors will be all

hindered."

5. Gill, "..in all wisdom and prudence; this may be understood, either of the

aboundings of grace in the Gospel; which may be called all wisdom and prudence,

because it is the wisdom of God; it is the product of his wisdom, and a display of it;

the doctrines it contains are full of wisdom, and are the means of communicating it

to men, and of making them wise unto salvation; and it may be so called, to set forth

the excellency and perfection of it, as greatly transcending all human wisdom; and

in this the grace of God has much abounded, for the Gospel is a declaration of the

free grace of God, in the salvation of sinners by Christ; in the free justification of

them by his righteousness; and in the full pardon of their sins through his blood;

and is a kind invitation and free promise of grace to all sensible sinners: or else of

the aboundings of grace in conversion; all men by nature are foolish and unwise; in

conversion God makes men to know wisdom in the hidden part, which he puts

there; and for which purpose the Spirit is given as a spirit of wisdom; and some part

of the work of sanctification lies in spiritual light, knowledge, and understanding..."

6. Barnes, "In all wisdom - That is, he has evinced great wisdom in the plan of

salvation; wisdom in so saving people as to secure the honor of his own law, and in

devising a scheme that was eminently adapted to save people. And prudence - The

word used here phronēsis means understanding, thinking, prudence. The meaning

here is, that, so to speak, God had evinced great “intelligence” in the plan of

salvation. There was ample proof of “mind” and of “thought.” It was adapted to the

end in view. It was far-seeing; skillfully arranged; and carefully formed. The sense

of the whole is, that there was a wise design running through the whole plan, and

abounding in it in an eminent degree."

9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will

according to his good pleasure, which he purposed

in Christ,

Amplified: Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His

purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful

intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him,

�LT: God's secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ,

designed long ago according to his good pleasure.

1. Preceptaustin, "Don't miss what Paul is saying here -- Believers have been taken

into the secret councils of the Almighty. He has unfolded to us what He plans to do,

what He is going to accomplish in the future. We have been told something of the

details of this plan. This is incredible!" "..to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow

heirs (with the Jewish believers) and fellow members of the body, and fellow

partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel."

2. Clarke, "That the Gentiles should ever be received into the Church of God, and

have all the privileges of the Jews, without being obliged to submit to circumcision,

and perform the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish law was a mystery - a hidden

thing which had never been published before; and now revealed only to the apostles.

It was God’s will that it should be so, but that will he kept hidden to the present

time. A mystery signifies something hidden, but it ceases to be a mystery as soon as

it is revealed.

2B. Barclay, "Let us take an example. Suppose someone who knew nothing

whatever about Christianity was brought into a Communion service. To him it

would be a complete mystery; he would not understand in the least what was going

on. But to a man who knows the story and the meaning of the Last Supper, the

whole service has a meaning which is quite clear. So in the �ew Testament sense a

mystery is something which is hidden to the heathen but clear to the Christian.

What for Paul was the mystery of the will of God? It was that the gospel was open to

the Gentiles too. In Jesus God has revealed that his love and care, his grace and

mercy, are meant, not only for the Jews, but for all the world."

3. Preceptaustin, "That which was once hidden is now revealed and a secret out in

the open. It does not convey the idea of something that we cannot take in or

understand even when it is declared to us. It is notable that 10 of the 27 �T uses

occur in 2 epistles, Ephesians and Colossians." This means that Paul had great

revelation of what God had hidden from his people in the Old Testament. He

became the channel by which God conveyed this mystery to the church in these two

letter. God was upgrading his plan of salvation to expand from his people the Jews

to include the Gentiles as well. That was a mystery to the Jews for all their history.

God was their God, and the Gentiles had their many gods, but now God is going to

take over the world as the one true God of all people. �o longer will he be confined

to the temple, or to Israel. In Christ who died for the sins of the whole world, the

God of Israel became the God of all peoples, and especially those of all people who

put their faith in His Son. The sacrifice of Jesus made the Gospel of salvation

universal.

4. Barnes, "We commonly use the word to denote that which is above our

comprehension or unintelligible. But this is never the meaning of the word in the

�ew Testament. It means there some doctrine or fact which has been concealed, or

which has not before been fully revealed, or which has been set forth only by figures

and symbols. When the doctrine is made known, it may be as clear and plain as any

other. Such was the doctrine that God meant to call the Gentiles, which was long

concealed, at least in part, and which was not fully made known until the Saviour

came, and which had been until that time “a mystery - a concealed truth” - though

when it was revealed, there was nothing incomprehensible in it. Thus, in Col_1:26,

“The mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is

made manifest to his saints.” So it was in regard to the doctrine of election. It was a

mystery until it was made known by the actual conversion of those whom God had

chosen. So in regard to the incarnation of the Redeemer; the atonement; the whole

plan of salvation. Over all these great points there was a veil thrown, and people did

not understand them until God revealed them. When they were revealed, the

mystery was removed, and men were able to see clearly the manifestation of the will

of God."

5. Gill, "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,.... The Gospel, which is

a mystery, a hidden mystery, the mystery of God and of Christ, and the mystery of

the Gospel; the several doctrines of it are called the mysteries of the kingdom of

heaven; such as are concerning the trinity of persons in the Godhead, the union of

the two natures in Christ, his sonship and incarnation, the saints' union and

communion with him, the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul, the calling of the

Gentiles, and the conversion of the Jews, the resurrection of the dead, and the

change of living saints: and the Gospel is the mystery of the will of God; of his will

in saving sinners by Christ; and it declares that he does all things in salvation,

according to his sovereign will and pleasure; chooses, redeems, justifies, pardons,

and calls whom he pleases; and this is made known by the ministry of the word, and

by the Spirit, as a spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of Christ and

his Gospel:"

6. David Roth has put together some interesting Scriptures dealing with the mystery

of the Gospel. He wrote, "In Romans Paul mentioned the mystery of His will as the

gospel of Christ which is being revealed unto all nations.

(Rom 16:25-26 KJV) "�ow to him that is of power to stablish you according

to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation

of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, {26} But now is

made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the

commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the

obedience of faith:"

In Corinthians the mystery of His will refers to the unveiling of what God has

prepared for those who love Him.

(1 Cor 2:6-9 KJV) "Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect:

yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come

to nought: {7} But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden

wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: {8} Which

none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not

have crucified the Lord of glory. {9} But as it is written, Eye hath not seen,

nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which

God hath prepared for them that love him."

In the book of Ephesians 3 we see that the mystery of God refers to the Jew and

Gentile as being one in Christ.

(Eph 3:2-6 KJV) "If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God

which is given me to you-ward: {3} How that by revelation he made known

unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, {4} Whereby, when ye

read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) {5} Which

in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed

unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; {6} That the Gentiles

should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in

Christ by the gospel:"

(Eph 3:9 KJV) "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the

mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who

created all things by Jesus Christ:"

6B. Roth continues, "You see, the Jewish people had wrongly concluded that they

were the true people of God at the exclusion of any other. Although Israel was God's

covenant people in the Old Testament it was never to be at the exclusion of the rest

of the world but for the benefit of the rest of the world. Moses clearly wrote of God's

purpose in choosing the nation of Israel when he penned the words of God to

Abraham in Genesis chapter 12.

(Gen 12:1-3 KJV) "�ow the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy

country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that

I will show thee: {2} And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless

thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: {3} And I will

bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall

all families of the earth be blessed."

And instead of Israel becoming the world-wide blessing for which God intended

they became proud and puffed up. And in fact because of their failure to obey God

the privilege of being the standard bearer of God was taken from them and giving to

the Church.

(Mat 21:42-43 KJV) "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the

scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the

head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?

{43} Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you,

and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

This nation is a spiritual nation made up of believers of all nationalities, kindreds

and tongues. Another truth of the mystery of God is that we have been joined to

Christ and are one in Him."

7. Donald Williams, "How do you know that you are saved? That God loves you and

is prepared to accept you and forgive your sins and give you eternal life as a free gift

throught faith in Jesus Christ, who died to pay for your sins? How do you know that

God is your heavenly Father by adoption, that he plans to include you in his eternal

purpose and share with you his glory and the riches of his grace? How do you know

that he takes a personal interest in you? How could you ever come to know--not just

speculate about, wonder about, hope for, believe in a kind of wishful thinking, but

know such exalted and mind-boggling truths without insufferable arrogance? And

how would you know that you knew? The simple answer is, "How do I know? / The

Bible tells me so." And it is true. But there is an even more basic answer which lies

behind that one, and Paul gives it to us today in another great affirmation of what

God has done to bring us to himself. He has not only chosen to save us, not only

predestined those he saves to adoption, not only redemmed us through the blood of

Christ, but he has made known unto us the mystery of his will.

8. Williams continues, "Therefore in context "the mystery of his will" means the

eternal purpose of God's mind, the everlasting intention of his will, the most

cherished dreams of his heart, the deepest desire and longing of his soul, the most

secret and treasured counsel and yearning of his innermost being--the kind of thing

a person shares only with that small circle of intimate friends who are loved and

trusted most supremely. And what is this secret? It is Eph. 3:4-6. The Gentiles--i.e.,

anybody--i.e., you--can be the "us" in the Great Blessing of chap. 1: chosen,

predestined, adopted, redeemed. And--this is the significance of what we add today--

TOLD about it, brought into the most intimate level of fellowship with God

imaginable, as a person to whom he has revealed the mystery of his will."

9. Steven Grant, "Verses 9 and 10 speak of yet another reason to praise God.

READ. The concept of “mystery” here is that of something which was formerly

hidden that has now come to light. It is the end of the suspense movie, where all the

secrets are finally laid out, the loose ends tied up, and the “mysteries” all revealed.

Do you notice that Paul doesn’t tell us what this mystery is?? He talks about it,

describes it, tells us that it has been “made known to us”, but doesn’t say what it is!

He leaves that until chapter 3:6. But we do know from here that it has to do with

Jesus, and that it is of God’s “good pleasure”. And we know that it has to do with

the end of time. And that is the point I want to make from these two verses: that

God is in control, and will work everything out in the end."

10 to be put into effect when the times will have

reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in

heaven and on earth together under one head,

even Christ.

Amplified: [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to

unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in

heaven and things on the earth.

�LT: And this is his plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under

the authority of Christ--everything in heaven and on earth.

Phillips: He purposes in his sovereign will that all human history shall be

consummated in Christ, that everything that exists in Heaven or earth shall find its

perfection and fulfilment in Him.

Wuest: with respect to an administration of the completion of the epochs of time to

bring back again to their original state all things in the Christ, the things in the

heavens and the things on the earth, in Him,

1. Barclay, "�ow Paul, in one sentence, drops his great thought. Up till now men

had been living in a divided world. There was division between the beasts and men.

There was division between the Jew and the Gentile, the Greek and the barbarian.

All over the world there was strife and tension. Jesus came into the world to wipe

out the divisions. That for Paul was the secret of God. It was God's purpose that all

the many different strands and all the warring elements in this world should be

gathered into one in Jesus Christ.

Here we have another tremendous thought. Paul says that all history has been a

working out of this process. He says that through all the ages there has been an

arranging and an administering of things that this day of unity should come. The

word which Paul uses for this preparation is intensely interesting. It is oikonomia

which literally means household management. The oikonomos was the steward who

saw to it that the family affairs ran smoothly.

It is the Christian conviction that history is the working out of the will of God. That

is by no means what every historian or thinker has been able to see. It so happens

that we are living in an age in which men have lost their faith in any purpose for this

world. But it is the faith of the Christian that in this world God's purpose is being

worked out; and it is the conviction of Paul that that purpose is that one day all

things and all men should be one family in Christ. As Paul sees it, that mystery was

not even grasped until Jesus came and now it is the great task of the Church to work

out God's purpose of unity, revealed in Jesus Christ."

2. Preceptaustin, " Detzler adds that...Greek writers about the time of the �ew

Testament used oikonomia to describe the job of a household manager. In practice

Greek slaves often managed the homes of wealthy landowners. Later this term came

to describe the general work of administration. In the �ew Testament, and later,

under the church father Ignatius, the word took on a theological twist. It came to

mean the plan of God for redeeming people. ( Detzler, Wayne: �ew Testament

Words in Today's Language)

3. God's goal for history is to arrive at perfect unity of all under the one head, and

that head is Christ. History has a purpose and a goal, and it is all summed up in

Jesus Christ becoming the sovereign head of all reality as we know it. Spurgeon

comments... "Everything that is in Christ shall be gathered in; all his chosen, all

that the Father gave him, all that he hath redeemed by blood, all that he hath

effectually brought into union with himself shall be gathered together in one. There

shall be one flock under one Shepherd."

4. Preceptaustin, "It conveys the idea that all things will be brought into meaningful

relationship together under Christ. At the end of the age everything will be seen to

add up to Christ. At present there is fragmentation and frustration. Things do not

“add up.” On that day, however, under Christ, everything will add up or rather be

summed up in Christ. This recognition of Christ's preeminence will ensure that the

original harmony of the universe is restored (see Ro 8:18-21). The mission of Christ

extends beyond the human race and assumes cosmic dimensions." "In context the

Head is Christ for He is the goal of History ("His-story") which achieves its

culmination in Him Alone! Paradise lost in Adam is Paradise regained in Christ to

Whom every knee will bow and every tongue confess as LORD."

5. MacArthur comments that..."History is written and directed by its Creator, who

will see it through to the fulfillment of His own ultimate purpose—the summing up

of all things in Christ. He designed His great plan in the ages past; He now

sovereignly works it out according to His divine will; and in the fulness of the times

He will complete and perfect it in His Son, in whom it will forever operate in

righteous harmony and glorious newness along with all things in the heavens and

things upon the earth."

6. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes that...“The perfect harmony that will be restored will

be harmony in man and between men. Harmony on the earth and in the brute

creation! Harmony in heaven, and all under this blessed Lord Jesus Christ Who will

be the head of all! Everything will again be united in Him. And wonder of wonders,

marvellous beyond compare, when all this happens it will never be undone again.

All will be re-united in Him to all eternity. That is the message; that is God’s plan.

That is the mystery which has been revealed unto us. … These things are so

marvellous that you will never hear anything greater, either in this world or the

world to come.”

7. Preceptaustin, "Did you know that....Rhodes scholarships were originally

designed by Cecil Rhodes as a means of reestablishing British hegemony over the

earth. An unreconstructed imperialist, Rhodes envisioned all the world as British

subjects. His will directed that his massive estate be used to expedite his dream, in

particular recovering the United States for the Crown. Fortunately, the trustees of

the estate revoked his political views and have awarded the scholarship to anyone

who is academically qualified.

While Cecil Rhodes had a dream and the resources to fulfill it, he had the wrong

intention. God never decreed that the world should be British. He has decreed that

not only humanity but the entire universe be brought to renewal through Jesus

Christ. Since God has both the resources and the intention, his will shall be

accomplished: Through Jesus Christ everything in heaven and on earth will be

brought to complete unity." (Hurley, V. Speaker's Sourcebook of �ew Illustrations

Dallas: Word Publishers)

8. Steven Grant, "What this verse is telling us is that not only will we experience the

harmony of the entire physical world, but the spiritual world as well. This is a

cosmic reconciliation - a point when every created thing, in heaven and on earth,

will be brought together. Finally, it will all make sense, will all fit together, will all

be complete.

The concept behind the idea of things “brought together under one head” is of a

column of numbers, finally all tallied up and accounted for. The bottom line is

drawn, and everything is brought together in Christ. All the parts add up, the

numbers fall in line, and the end result is “summed up” in Christ. Finally there will

be a center, a finality, an organizing principle. A “theory of everything”.

9. Henry, "He gathers together in one all things in Christ, Eph_1:10. All the lines of

divine revelation meet in Christ; all religion centres in him. Jews and Gentiles were

united to each other by being both united to Christ. Things in heaven and things on

earth are gathered together in him; peace made, correspondence settled, between

heaven and earth, through him. The innumerable company of angels become one

with the church through Christ: this God purposed in himself, and it was his design

in that dispensation which was to be accomplished by his sending Christ in the

fulness of time, at the exact time that God had prefixed and settled."

10. Clarke, "I believe that the forming one Church out of both Jews and Gentiles is

that to which the apostle refers. This agrees with what is said, Eph_2:14-17."

11. Gill, "..he might gather together in one all things in Christ; this supposes, that

all things were once united together in one; angels and men were united to God by

the ties of creation, and were under the same law of nature, and there were peace

and friendship between them; and this union was in Christ, as the beginning of the

creation of God, in whom all things consist: and it supposes a disunion and

scattering of them; as of men from God, and from good angels, which was done by

sin; and of Jews and Gentiles from one another; and of one man from another,

everyone turning to his own way; and then a gathering of them together again: the

word here used signifies to restore, renew, and reduce to a former state; and so the

Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions render it; and according to this sense, it may

seem to have respect to the times of the restitution of all things, the restoration and

renovation of the universe; when there will be new heavens and a new earth, and

new inhabitants in them:"

12. Barnes, "All things - τὰ παντά ta panta. It is remarkable that Paul has used here

a word which is in the neuter gender. It is not all “persons,” all angels, or all human

beings, or all the elect, but all “things.” Bloomfield and others suppose that

“persons” are meant, and that the phrase is used for τοὺς πάντας tous pantas. But it

seems to me that Paul did not use this word without design. All “things” are placed

under Christ, Eph_1:22; Mat_28:18, and the design of God is to restore harmony in

the universe. Sin has produced disorder not not only in “mind,” but in “matter.”

The world is disarranged. The effects of transgression are seen everywhere; and the

object of the plan of redemption is to put things on their pristine footing, and

restore them as they were at first. Everything is, therefore, put under the Lord

Jesus, and all things are to be brought under his control, so as to constitute one vast

harmonious empire. The amount of the declaration here is, that there is hereafter to

be one kingdom, in which there shall be no jar or alienation; that the now separated

kingdoms of heaven and earth shall be united under one head, and that

henceforward all shall be harmony and love. The things which are to be united in

Christ, are those which are “in heaven and which are on earth.” �othing is said of

“hell.” Of course this passage cannot teach the doctrine of universal salvation, since

there is one world which is not to have a part in this ultimate union."

13. Barnes comes to an unusual conclusion about the things in heaven. He wrote,

"Both which are in heaven - Margin, as in Greek, “in the heavens.” Many different

opinions have been formed of the meaning of this expression. Some suppose it to

mean the saints in heaven, who died before the coming of the Saviour; and some

that it refers to the Jews, designated as “the heavenly people,” in contradistinction

from the Gentiles, as having nothing divine and heavenly in them, and as being of

the “earth.” The more simple and obvious interpretation is, however, without doubt,

the correct one, and this is to suppose that it refers to the holy inhabitants of other

worlds. The object of the plan of salvation is to produce a harmony between them

and the redeemed on earth, or to produce out of all, one great and united kingdom.

In doing this, it is not necessary to suppose that any change is to be produced in the

inhabitants of heaven. All the change is to occur among those on earth, and the

object is to make out of all, one harmonious and glorious empire.

13B. Barnes continues, "And which are on earth - The redeemed on earth. The

object is to bring them into harmony with the inhabitants of heaven. This is the

great object proposed by the plan of salvation. It is to found one glorious and

eternal kingdom, that shall comprehend all holy beings on earth and all in heaven.

There is now discord and disunion. Man is separated from God, and from all holy

beings. Between him and every holy being there is by nature discord and alienation.

Unrenewed man has no sympathy with the feelings and work of the angels; no love

for their employment; no desire to be associated with them. �othing can be more

unlike than the customs, feelings, laws, and habits which prevail on earth, from

those which prevail in heaven. But the object of the plan of salvation is to restore

harmony to those alienated communities, and produce eternal concord and love.

Hence, learn:

(1) The greatness and glory of the plan of salvation. It is no trifling undertaking to

“reconcile worlds,” and of such discordant materials to found one great and

glorious and eternal empire.

(2) The reason of the interest which angels feel in the plan of redemption;

1Pe_1:12. They are deeply concerned in the redemption of those who, with them, are

to constitute that great kingdom which is to be eternal. Without envy at the

happiness of others; without any feeling that the accession of others will diminish

“their” felicity or glory, they wait to hail the coming of others, and rejoice to receive

even one who comes to be united to their number.

(3) This plan was worthy of the efforts of the Son of God. To restore harmony in

heaven and earth; to prevent the evils of alienation and discord; to rear one

immense and glorious kingdom, was an object worthy the incarnation of the Son of

God.

(4) The glory of the Redeemer. He is to be exalted as the Head of this united and

ever-glorious kingdom, and all the redeemed on earth and the angelic hosts shall

acknowledge him as their common Sovereign and Head.

(5) This is the greatest and most important enterprise on earth. It should engage

every heart, and enlist the powers of every soul. It should be the earnest desire of all

to swell the numbers of those who shall constitute this united and ever-glorious

kingdom, and to bring as many as possible of the human race into union with the

holy inhabitants of he other world."

14. Jamison, "Translate, “Unto the dispensation of the fullness of the times,” that is,

“which He purposed in Himself” (Eph_1:9) with a view to the economy of (the

gracious administration belonging to) the fullness of the times (Greek, “fit times,”

“seasons”). More comprehensive than “the fullness of the time” (Gal_4:4). The

whole of the Gospel times (plural) is meant, with the benefits to the Church

dispensed in them severally and successively. Compare “the ages to come”

(Eph_2:7). “The ends of the ages” (Greek, 1Co_10:11); “the times (same Greek as

here, ‘the seasons,’ or ‘fitly appointed times’) of the Gentiles” (Luk_21:24); “the

seasons which the Father hath put in His own power” (Act_1:7); “the times of

restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the prophets since the world

began” (Act_3:20, Act_3:21). The coming of Jesus at the first advent, “in the

fullness of time,” was one of these “times.” The descent of the Holy Ghost, “when

Pentecost was fully come” (Act_2:1), was another. The testimony given by the

apostles to Him “in due time” (“in its own seasons,” Greek) (1Ti_2:6) was another.

The conversion of the Jews “when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled,” the second

coming of Christ, the “restitution of all things,” the millennial kingdom, the new

heaven and earth, shall be severally instances of “the dispensation of the fullness of

the times,” that is, “the dispensation of” the Gospel events and benefits belonging to

their respective “times,” when severally filled up or completed. God the Father,

according to His own good pleasure and purpose, is the Dispenser both of the

Gospel benefits and of their several fitting times (Act_1:7)."

15. David Roth, "So, the basic idea of dispensation refers to the time table whereby

God exercises His redemptive plan. The time-table is here designated as "the

fullness of times." It is important at this juncture that we understand the time

period covered in "fullness of times." Since this Sovereign plan of God, whereby

both Jew and Gentile become one in Christ is to be carried out in the "fullness of

times," we must answer the question when this time takes place on God's

redemptive time-table. In his epistle to the Galatians Paul gives some helpful insight

into when the "fullness of times" was inaugurated.

(Gal 4:4 KJV) "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth

his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,"

The fullness of times began at the coming of Christ at His first advent, i.e. His

incarnation and will continue until the culmination of redemption at His second

advent when the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

16. Donald Williams, "This is not an easy verse to understand, not only because it

contains many difficult technical terms but also because it expresses the most

profound idea you will ever entertain in your mind. Well did D. Martyn Lloyd-

Jones say, "The human mind can never contemplate anything greater. In this verse

we are transported above the matter of our personal salvation into the realm of

ultimate things. God gives us no greater privilege than to be allowed to look into

this."

The word translated "administration" (KJV "dispensation") is OIKO�OMIA,

from which we get the English word "economy." Its synonyms include stewardship,

arrangement, management, dispensation, administration, and economy. What it

means here is that in Election, Predestination, Redemption, and Revelation, God is

administering or managing things according to his own plan. Though evil seems to

have free reign, though Satan still has freedom to attack the Church from within

and without, behind the scenes God is in control. He is managing the forces of

history and arranging the course of events to bring about the salvation of believers

and the glorification of his Son.

16B. Williams continues, "Fullness of the times" is the fullness of AIO� (English

"eons"). Greek has three words for time. CHRO�OS is just plain old garden-

variety time. KAIROS is a critical moment of time. AIO� is a meaningful segment

of time within which a definite course of events unfolds which gives to that age its

character. We use this idea when we speak of the classical age, the middle ages, the

age of the Renaissance. For us it is indefinite, a term of convenience to help us

organize our view of history, but not an ultimate reality. �o one knows when the

Renaissance began or when it ended, though we figure it was going full blast by the

15th Cent. in Florence and had pretty much given out before the Age of Reason

began in the 18th. C. S. Lewis famously doubted whether it ever occurred at all.

There was no announcement on Jan. 1, 1400 saying, "Synchronize your sundials;

transition from Medieval to Renaissance will occur precisely at noon." But with

God it is not so. For him, history is a definite, planned, and purposeful progression

of events, related into ages, managed, administered, and guided toward the goal

which this verse describes: summing up all things in Christ.

So the meaning of this verse is that when all is said and done it will be revealed that

our Lord Jesus Christ is the meaning of the universe. He is the Thesis Statement for

creation. E. K. Simpson said, "He was the Alpha of time's first pulsebeat, and He

shall be the Omega of its parting gasp, and gather to Himself all that survives the

crash of worlds. If we are His, He abides our central sun, and we shall find our orbit

as His satellites, attendant on the Light of lights. It is a trite little verse, but none the

less true for that: "Only one life, 'twill soon be past; / Only what's done for Christ

will last." Why? Because when God chose you, predestined you, adopted you, and

redeemed you, it was with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the

times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in heaven and things

upon the earth." Amen.

17. George Van Popta, " And what is that mystery? It is the plan of God by which

God, in the fulness of time, is going to unite all things in Christ -- things in heaven

and things on earth. God is going to bring all things under the headship of

Christ.Like what? Heaven itself. And the earth. God is going to renew the heavens

and the earth. The earth is slated for redemption. We know that at the present time

the world is groaning as if it were in heavy labour. The earthquakes, volcanoes and

hurricanes are a testimony to that fact. But in the fulness of time, on the last day,

God is going to bring under Christ a renewed earth that will be fully redeemed, that

will never groan again. And God will, because of the redeeming work of Christ,

unite heaven and earth. He will bring them together forever.

To be in Christ is an exciting thing. Today already. To be in Christ -- chosen in

Christ and redeemed by the blood of Christ -- means that you are part of a program

that is as large and broad as God's universe. You are part of a program, a

movement that is rolling on towards a renewed cosmos, a renewed universe, in

which there will only be harmony. Everything, the heavens, the earth, the angels, all

creatures, and we, will be perfectly united in Christ. Let's not have a narrow view of

the redeeming work of Christ. So many have a narrow view. They don't get beyond

speaking of Jesus as their personal Saviour. Of course, Jesus Christ is the Saviour of

persons. But if that's all we're going to say about the redeeming work of Jesus

Christ, then the focus is rather narrow and self-centred. Let's not be narrow-

minded but broad-minded. Let's open our minds to what God has done, is doing

and will do in Christ. That He is bringing the universe and everything in it together

into a grand unity in Christ."

18. Paul T. Harrison has a sort of humorous, and yet profound, comment. He wrote,

"You can call it "the Big Un-bang!" Cosmologists tell us the universe started with a

"big bang". All matter was at first compressed into a single mass which then

exploded, and the scattered fragments have been rushing off into space ever since,

congealing into galaxies and stars and planets and what-have-you, producing the

expanding universe as we know it. I don't know if they're right or wrong - it's my

hunch they're wrong: it isn't in the style of the Creator-God the Bible reveals to

start everything off with a massive explosion! But what I do know is that the job

God has taken in hand is like the reverse of that: to bring everything back into one

united whole.

I used to watch a programme on the BBC called "Tomorrow's World". In the

opening sequence there was always a bit of film showing a motor-car that had been

blown to smithereens by a bomb that had gone off in it ... only they ran the sequence

backwards, so that you saw all the flying bits - not exploding - but imploding ... so

the sequence ended with all these fragmented bits of metal rushing together to form

a finished vehicle in shining perfection. That's Paul's vision of history. God is

working back together all the scattered bits of His creation that have been blown

apart by the exploding bomb of sin in human life. He is working them all back

together again so as to fashion them at last into a finished vehicle of shining

perfection. �ot by education, not by social revolution, not by national planning, not

by world government, not by religious syncretism ... but by Christ ... through His

Cross.

That master plan, the goal to which God is working, is stated in 1.10 - the key verse

to the whole epistle: "God's purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the

fulness of time, is: to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on

earth." I don't know what your aim in life is ... God's aim is community - a

community that embraces His entire universe, with Christ at its center."

11 In him we were also chosen, having been

predestined according to the plan of him who

works out everything in conformity with the

purpose of his will,

Amplified: In Him we also were made [God’s] heritage (portion) and we obtained

an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in

accordance with His purpose, Who works out everything in agreement with the

counsel and design of His [own] will,

�LT: Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,

for He chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as He decided long

ago.

Phillips: And here is the staggering thing - that in all which will one day belong to

Him we have been promised a share (since we were long ago destined for this by the

one Who achieves his purposes by his sovereign will),

1. "In Him fits more appropriately at the beginning of verse 11 than at the end of

verse 10. Jesus Christ is the ground or source of our divine inheritance and apart

from Him the only eternal thing a person can receive from God is condemnation."

1B. The �IV seems to bypass the concept of inheritance that other versions make

much of, and so many quotes explaining the inheritance do not seem to fit this verse

in the �IV, for it does not use the word at all. This means it takes the view that it is

about God's inheritance in the saints, for he has chosen them for himself. The

inheritance could go either way as being what the saints inherit, or what God

inherits.

1C. John MacArthur explains the two ways that this verse can be translated..."The

passive form of the verb (kleroo) in 1:11a allows for two possible renderings, both of

which are consistent with other Scripture. It can be translated “were made an

inheritance” or, as here, have obtained an inheritance. The first rendering would

indicate that we, that is, believers, are Christ’s inheritance. Jesus repeatedly spoke

of believers as gifts that the Father had given Him (John 6:37, 39; 10:29; 17:2, 24;

etc.). Jesus won us at Calvary—as the spoils of His victory over Satan, sin, and

death—and we now belong to Him. “ ‘And they will be Mine,’ says the Lord of

hosts, ‘on the day that I prepare My own possession’ ” (Mal. 3:17). From eternity

past the Father planned and determined that every person who would trust in His

Son for salvation would be given to His Son as a possession, a glorious inheritance.

Translated the other way, however, this word means just the opposite: it is believers

who receive the inheritance...Both of the translations are therefore grammatically

and theologically legitimate. Throughout Scripture believers are spoken of as

belonging to God, and He is spoken of as belonging to them. The �ew Testament

speaks of our being in Christ and of His being in us, of our being in the Spirit and of

His being in us. “The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1

Cor. 6:17). Paul could therefore say, “For me, to live is Christ” (Phil 1:21).

The practical side of that truth is that, because we are identified with Christ, our

lives should be identified with His life (cf. 1 John 2:6). We are to love as He loved,

help as He helped, care as He cared, share as He shared, and sacrifice our own

interests and welfare for the sake of others just as He did. Like our Lord, we are in

the world to lose our lives for others. Although either rendering of eklē ō ēē ō ēē ō ēē ō ēr th mencan be supported, Paul’s emphasis in Ephesians 1:3–14 makes the second translation

more appropriate here."

1D. Donald Williams takes just the opposite approach as he writes, "This is one of

the more difficult verses to translate in all the Bible, so bear with me as we wrestle

through it. The verb translated "inherit" appears only here in the �T. In the middle

voice, as used here, it can mean "be made an inheritor," "be made an inheritance,"

or "have one's lot cast with." The translations and the commentators are evenly

divided over how to understand it in this context. J. B. Philips says we are

"promised a share." �ASB and KJV say we have "obtained an inheritance." �IV

cops out, saying we were "chosen" (to be inheritors? to be God's portion? It doesn't

say). The Living Bible says we "became gifts to God." The Amplified has us being

"made God's heritage."

The translations and commentators are divided because the evidence is evenly

divided. Both ideas conform to biblical teaching elsewhere: we are heirs of God and

joint-heirs with Christ, but we also become a people for HIS possession. Both fit the

immediate context. To be given an inheritance is echoed in v. 14a ("the earnest of

our inheritance"), while becoming God's inheritance is echoed in 14b ("the

purchased possession"). Both ideas are true; both are in the text. So which one did

Paul mean here? I would suggest it is "be made an inheritance."

Why? Because the notion of one people being made out of two (Jews and Gentiles) is

being introduced here. The identity of the Gentiles is at stake. Israel had enjoyed the

great privilege of being God's special people, the apple of his eye, his chosen portion.

The message now to the Gentiles is, "You too!" Seen in this light, Paul is preparing

for their explicit inclusion in chp. 2. Also, in this light, being made God's

inheritance, his special portion, most magnifies his grace (for how could we ever

deserve such a position?), and magnifying grace is the overall purpose of the whole

passage. Therefore, with a fair amount of confidence, I go with what is actually the

minority translation: We were made God's inheritance. "

1E. Alexander Maclaren takes both views as valid, and writes of how they are both

combined in one. "Then again, in this same thought of mutual possession there lies a

mutual surrender. For to give is the life-breath of all true love, and there is nothing

which the loving heart more desires than to be able to pour itself out —much rather

than any subordinate gifts — on its object. But that, if it is one-sided, is misery, and

only when it is reciprocal, is it blessed. God gives Himself to us, as we know, most

chiefly in that unspeakable gift of His Son, and we possess Him by virtue of His self-

communication which depends upon His love. And then we possess Him, and He

possesses us, not less by the answering surrender of ourselves, which is the

expression of our love. �o love subsists if it is only recipient; no love subsists if it is

only communicated. Exports and imports must both be realised in this sweet

commerce, and we enrich ourselves far more by what we give to the Beloved than by

what we keep for ourselves." There is no contradiction in the idea that we possess

God and his inheritance, and God possesses us as his inheritance.

2. Ray Stedman goes back to the majority translations: "The question dear reader

then is are you enjoying your inheritance? Do you wake in the morning and remind

yourself at the beginning of the day, "I'm a child of the Father." "I've been chosen

by him to be a member of his family." "He imparts to me all the richness of his life."

"His peace, his joy, his love are my legacy, my inheritance from which I can draw

every moment of life. And have them no matter what my circumstances may be."

Do you reckon on these unseen things which are real and true? -- because, if you do,

when you trust in God's grace to be your present experience, you can know of

yourself what the Father said three times about his Son Jesus. God the Father,

looking down at you can say, "This fellow here, this girl there, this man, this woman

-- this is my beloved child in whom I am well pleased." That is our inheritance."

2B. Spurgeon adds, "Consider this, believer. You have no right to heaven in

yourself: your right lies in Christ. If you are pardoned, it is through his blood; if you

are justified, it is through his righteousness; if you are sanctified, it is because he is

made of God unto you sanctification; if you shall be kept from falling, it will be

because you are preserved in Christ Jesus; and if you are perfected at the last, it will

be because you are complete in him. Thus Jesus is magnified-for all is in him and by

him; thus the inheritance is made certain to us-for it is obtained in him; thus each

blessing is the sweeter, and even heaven itself the brighter, because it is Jesus our

Beloved "in whom" we have obtained all. Where is the man who shall estimate our

divine portion? Weigh the riches of Christ in scales, and his treasure in balances,

and then think to count the treasures which belong to the saints. Reach the bottom

of Christ's sea of joy, and then hope to understand the bliss which God hath

prepared for them that love him. Overleap the boundaries of Christ's possessions,

and then dream of a limit to the fair inheritance of the elect. "All things are yours,

for ye are Christ's and Christ is God's."

3. God does the choosing of people to accomplish his will, and often it seems strange

to us who he chooses, but he always has a plan and a purpose for his choices. Paul

wrote in I Cor. 1:27-31, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the

wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the

lowly things of this world and the despised things-- and the things that are not-- to

nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him

that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-- that is, our

righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who

boasts boast in the Lord."

4. “Throughout the Old Testament God never chose extraordinary people to do

extraordinary things. He chose ordinary people to do the extraordinary. He called

Abraham from an idolatrous past; God chose cheating Jacob to carry on his cause;

God chose Joseph sold into slavery; God chose the outcast in Egypt, the Israelite

slaves through whom to work his mighty wonders; God chose fearful timid Gideon

and 300 men to route a Philistine army of tens of thousand, God chose the shepherd

boy David to deliver Israel from the giants, God chose to save you in Jesus Christ.”

5. Clarke, "Being predestinated - God having determined to bring both Jews and

Gentiles to salvation, not by works, nor by any human means or schemes, but by

Jesus Christ; that salvation being defined and determined before in the Divine

mind, and the means by which it should be brought about all being according to his

purpose, who consults not his creatures, but operates according to the counsel of his

own will, that being ever wise, gracious, and good.

The original reference is still kept up here in the word προορισθεντες, being

predestinated, as in the word προορισας Eph_1:5. And as the apostle speaks of

obtaining the inheritance, he most evidently refers to that of which the promised

land was the type and pledge. And as that land was assigned to the Israelites by limit

and lot, both of which were appointed by God so the salvation now sent to the

Gentiles was as expressly their lot or portion, as the promised land was that of the

people of Israel. All this shows that the Israelites were a typical people; their land,

the manner of possessing it, their civil and religious code, etc., etc., all typical; and

that in, by, and through them, God had fore-determined, fore-described, and fore-

ascertained a greater and more glorious people, among whom the deepest counsels

of his wisdom should be manifested, and the most powerful works of his eternal

mercy, grace, holiness, goodness, and truth, be fully exhibited. Thus there was

nothing fortuitous in the Christian scheme; all was the result of infinite counsel and

design."

6. Barnes, "Most commentators suppose that by the word “we” the Jews

particularly are intended, and that it stands in contradistinction from “ye,” as

referring to the Gentiles, in Eph_1:13. This construction, they suppose is demanded

by the nature of the passage. The meaning may then be, that the Jews who were

believers had “first” obtained a part in the plan of redemption, as the offer was first

made to them, and then that the same favor was conferred also on the Gentiles. Or it

may refer to those who had been first converted, without particular reference to the

fact that they were Jews; and the reference may be to the apostle and his fellow-

laborers. This seems to me to be the correct interpretation. “We the ministers of

religion first believed, and have obtained an inheritance in the hopes of Christians,

that we should be to the praise of God’s glory; and you also, after hearing the word

of truth, believed;” Eph_1:13. The word which is rendered “obtained our

inheritance” - κληρόω klēroō - means literally “to acquire by lot,” and then to

obtain, to receive. Here it means that they had received the favor of being to the

praise of his glory for having first trusted in the Lord Jesus."

7. Barclay's commentary needs to be kept together to get the flow of his message,

and so from here through verse 14 we have his translation and commentary. He

translate verses 11 through 14 like this, "It was in Christ, in whom our portion in

this scheme was also assigned to us, that it was determined, by the decision of him

who controls everything according to the purpose of his good will, that we, who were

the first to set our hopes upon the coming of the Anointed One of God, should

become the means whereby his glory should be praised. And it was in Christ that it

was determined that you too should become the means whereby God's glory is

praised, after you had heard the word which brings the truth, the good news of your

salvation--that good news in which after you had believed you were sealed with the

Holy Spirit, who had been promised to you, the Spirit who is the foretaste and

guarantee of all that one day we will inherit, until we enter into that complete

redemption which brings complete possession."

7B. Barclay comments, "Here is Paul's first example of the new unity which Christ

brings. When he speaks of us he means his own nation, the Jews; when he speaks of

you he means the Gentiles to whom he is writing; and when in the very last sentence

he uses ii,!e, it is of Jews and Gentiles together that he is thinking. First of all, Paul

speaks of the Jews. They, too, had their portion assigned to them in the plan of God.

They were the first to believe in the coming of the Anointed One of God. All through

their history they had dreamed of and expected the Messiah. Their part in the

scheme of things was to be the nation from whom God's chosen one should come.

Adam Smith, the great economist, argued that the whole pattern of life was founded

on what he called the division of labour. He meant that life can only go on when

each man has a job and does that job, and when the results of all the jobs are pooled

and become the common stock. The shoemaker makes shoes; the baker makes

bread; the tailor makes clothes; each has his own job, and each sticks to his own

job; and when each efficiently carries out his job the total good of the whole

community follows.

What is true of individuals is true also of nations. Each nation has its part in God's

scheme of things. The Greeks taught men what beauty of thought and form is. The

Romans taught men law and the science of government and administration. The

Jews taught men religion. The Jews were the people who were so prepared that

from them God's Messiah should come.

That is not to say that God did not prepare other people too. All over the world God

had been preparing men and nations so that their mind would be ready to receive

the message of Christianity when it came. But the great privilege of the Jewish

nation was that they were the first to expect the coming of the Anointed One of God

into the world.

7C. Barclay continues, "Then Paul turns to the Gentiles. In their development he

sees two stages.

(i) They received the word; to them the Christian preachers brought the Christian

message. That word was two things. First, it was the word of truth; it brought them

the truth about God and about the world in which they lived and about themselves.

Second, it was good news; it was the message of the love and of the grace of God.

(ii) They were sealed with the Holy Spirit. In the ancient world--it is a custom still

followed--when a sack, or a crate, or a package was despatched, it was sealed with a

seal, in order to indicate from where it had come and to whom it belonged. The

possession of the Holy Spirit is the seal which shows that a man belongs to God. The

Holy Spirit both shows us God's will and enables us to do it.

7D. Barclay goes on, "Here Paul says a great thing about the Holy Spirit. He calls

the Holy Spirit, as the King James Version has it, the earnest of our redemption.

The Greek word is arrabon. The arrabon was a regular feature of the Greek

business world. It was a part of the purchase price of anything, paid in advance as a

guarantee that the rest would in due time be paid. There are many Greek

commercial documents still extant in which the word occurs. A woman sells a cow

and receives so many drachmae as arrabon. Some dancing girls are engaged for a

public entertainment and are paid so much in advance. What Paul is saying is that

the experience of the Holy Spirit which we have in this world is a foretaste of the

blessedness of heaven; and it is the guarantee that some day we will enter into full

possession of the blessedness of God.

The highest experiences of Christian peace and joy which this world can afford are

only faint foretastes of the joy into which we will one day enter. It is as if God had

given us enough to whet our appetites for more and enough to make us certain that

some day he will give us all."

8. Preceptaustin, "God’s creating and energizing are one in His divine mind. God

works out what He plans. God energizes every believer with all the power necessary

for his spiritual completion. God operates with His divine energy in all things. The

same word occurs in Ephesians 1:19 and Ephesians 1:20, in reference to the

energetic operation of the Father's infinite might which He energetically exerted in

Christ when He raised Him from the dead. The conclusion is that nothing,

absolutely nothing can upset the elect’s future spiritual blessings in glory."

MacArthur has an interesting comment noting that...God’s creating and energizing

are one in His divine mind. When He spoke each part of the world into existence it

began immediately to operate precisely as He had planned it to do. Unlike the things

we make, God’s creations do not have to be redesigned, prototyped, tested, fueled,

charged, and the like. They are not only created ready to function, they are created

functioning."

10. Preceptaustin, "Will (thelema) generally speaks of the result of what one has

decided. The suffix –ma indicates that it is the result of the will. Will, not to be

conceived as a demand, but as an expression or inclination of pleasure towards that

which is liked, that which pleases and creates joy. God's gracious disposition

towards. Stated another way, thelema conveys the idea of desire, even a heart’s

desire, for the word primarily expresses emotion instead of volition. Thus God’s will

is not so much God’s intention, as it is His heart’s desire." God has desires, and he

wills to fulfill them, and that is why his plan to unite all in Christ will certainly

happen, and only those who are in Christ will be a part of this glorious plan.

11. Our Daily Bread has the following devotional entitled "Mysterious Ways"...The

twists and turns in the life of Jacob DeShazer sound like the plot of an intriguing

war novel. But taken together, they show us the mysterious ways in which God

moves. DeShazer served the US Army Air Corps in World War II as a bombardier

in the squadron of General Doolittle. While participating in Doolittle's raid on

Japan in 1942, DeShazer and his crew ran out of fuel and bailed out over China. He

was taken to a Japanese prison camp where he trusted Jesus as his Savior. After his

release, he became a missionary to Japan.

One day DeShazer handed a tract with his story in it to a man named Mitsuo

Fuchida. He didn't know that Mitsuo was on his way to a trial for his wartime role

as the commander of Japanese forces that attacked Pearl Harbor. Fuchida read the

pamphlet and got a Bible. He soon became a Christian and an evangelist to his

people. Eventually, DeShazer and Fuchida met again and became friends. It's

amazing how God can take two men who were mortal enemies, bring them together,

and lead them to Himself. But it shows us that He is in control. And nothing—not

even a world war—can stop God from working "all things according to the counsel

of His will" (Ephesians 1:11). —Dave Branon (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC

Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

My times are in my Father's hand;

How could I wish or ask for more?

For He who has my pathway planned

Will guide me till my journey's o'er. —Fraser

12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in

Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Amplified: So that we who first hoped in Christ [who first put our confidence in

Him have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory!

�LT: God's purpose was that we who were the first to trust in Christ should praise

our glorious God.

Phillips: so that we, as the first to put our confidence in Christ, may bring praise to

his glory!

1. Preceptaustin,"Although it is fair to question whether "we" refers to Jewish

believers or all believers (Jew and Gentile) the majority of authorities favor the

phrase "We who were the first" as a reference to Jewish believers..." "It seems

obvious that there is a contrast between the “we” of verse 12 and the “you” of verse

13; most take verse 12 to refer to Christians of Jewish origin, people “who had

already hoped” in the Messiah. The compound verb “to hope before” occurs only

here in the �ew Testament; it may mean “we (Jews) hoped in the Messiah before

you (Gentiles) did,” or (so Robinson; Jerusalem Bible) “we (Jews) hoped in the

Messiah before he came.” (Another highly regarded source used to help those who

are translating the Bible into other languages - Bratcher, R. G., & �ida, E. A. A

Handbook on Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. �ew York: United Bible Societies)"

1B. Preceptaustin continues, "The third work of the Holy Spirit is the making of one

new people, the church, out of those who were diverse peoples beforehand. This

theme comes in for full and repeated treatment in chapter 2. But even here it is so

prominent that John R. W. Stott, for one, organizes the outline of Ephesians 1

around it. He speaks of “the future blessing of unification” in verses 9 and 10, and of

“the scope of these blessings” in verses 11–14, showing that the blessings given by

God through Christ belong equally to Jewish and Gentile believers. The parallelism

is perfect. In verses 11 and 12 Paul speaks of himself and other Jewish believers,

saying that such were “chosen … for the praise of his glory.” In verses 13 and 14 he

speaks of the Gentile believers, to whom he is writing the letter, saying that they

“also were included … to the praise of his glory.”(James Montgomery Boice, J. M.

Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary)"

1C. Bert Ornee, "Let us, then, who were the first to hope in Christ, praise God's

glory! (This amplifies v11 in that it confirms it was a group of Jews first who

believed in Christ.)

2. Jamison, "The “we” here and in Eph_1:12, means Jewish believers (whence the

reference to the election of Israel nationally arises), as contrasted with “you”

(Eph_1:13) Gentile believers. "who first trusted in Christ — rather (we Jewish

Christians), “who have before hoped in the Christ”: who before the Christ came,

looked forward to His coming, waiting for the consolation of Israel. Compare

Act_26:6, Act_26:7, “I am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our

fathers: unto which our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to

come.” Act_28:20, “the hope of Israel” [Alford]. Compare Eph_1:18; Eph_2:12;

Eph_4:4."

3. Clarke, "That we - Jews, now apostles and messengers of God, to whom the first

offers of salvation were made, and who were the first that believed in Christ. Should

be to the praise of his glory - By being the means of preaching Christ crucified to the

Gentiles, and spreading the Gospel throughout the world."

4. Gill, "who first trusted in Christ; the Jews, the apostle, and others of the Jewish

nation; who before hoped in Christ, as the words may be rendered; who hoped in

Christ before the Gentiles did; and indeed the people of Israel hoped for Christ

before he came; the promises of the Messiah were made to them, and he was the

peculiar hope and expectation of that people; and to them he first came, and to them

the Gospel was first preached; and some of them first believed in Christ, and trusted

in him, and not in their own righteousness, strength, wisdom, and riches, nor in

their own hearts, nor in any mere creature, nor in their carnal privileges; all which

they renounced confidence in, and dependence on, when they came to the knowledge

of Christ; in whose person they trusted for acceptance, and in his righteousness for

justification, and in his blood for pardon, and in his fulness for supply, and in his

power for protection and perseverance: this supposes knowledge of him, and a sense

of the frailty and vanity of all other objects; and was a betaking themselves to him, a

leaning and staying on him, a committing all unto him, and an expectation of all

good things from him.

4B. Gill continues, "That we should be to the praise of his glory,.... This is the end of

predestination to the inheritance; and the sense is, either that the praise of the glory

of God, in his grace and goodness, might be discovered and made known unto the

saints, as it is displayed in election, redemption, justification, pardon, adoption,

regeneration, and eternal salvation; or that they should praise and glorify him on

account of these things, by ascribing all to his grace, and nothing to themselves; by

giving him thanks for all his benefits; by ordering their conversations aright as

become the Gospel; and by doing all things with a view to his glory:"

5. John Piper writes, "If God wants to love us infinitely and delight us fully and

eternally, he must preserve for us the one thing that will satisfy us totally and

eternally; namely, the presence and worth of his own glory. He alone is the source of

full and lasting pleasure. Therefore, his commitment to uphold and display his glory

is not vain, but virtuous. God is the one being for whom self-exaltation is an

infinitely loving act.

6. Ed Vasicek gives us this list:

1. Glorifying God is what it is all about.

2. Evangelism, discipleship, worship, conducting our family life God’s way,

employment, culture, arts, hobbies, sports, health, education --- all those things

should be submitted to the greater task of glorifying God..

3. We should not confuse WAYS we glorify God with the overall AIM of glorifying

God in all we do.

4. I Cor. 10:31, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all the glory of

God.

5. If I enjoy the fine things in life with an appreciative spirit, I am glorifying God;

when I use my talents, I can be glorifying God if I am conscious that they are on

loan to me from the creator.

6. Glorifying God is an attitude; it answers the question, "Who is at the center of it

all?" When we choose to consciously acknowledge and submit to God, we glorify

Him."

13 And you also were included in Christ when you

heard the word of truth, the gospel of your

salvation. Having believed, you were marked in

him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

Amplified: In Him you also who have heard the Word of Truth, the glad tidings

(Gospel) of your salvation, and have believed in and adhered to and relied on Him,

were stamped with the seal of the long-promised Holy Spirit.

�LT: And now you also have heard the truth, the Good �ews that God saves you.

And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as his own by giving you the

Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago.

Phillips: And you too trusted Him, when you heard the message of truth, the Gospel

of your salvation. And after you gave your confidence to Him you were, so to speak,

stamped with the promised Holy Spirit.

1. Preceptaustin, "A B Simpson is reported to have said that the gospel "Tells

rebellious men that God is reconciled, that justice is satisfied, that sin has been

atoned for, that the judgment of the guilty may be revoked, the condemnation of the

sinner cancelled, the curse of the Law blotted out, the gates of hell closed, the portals

of heaven opened wide, the power of sin subdued, the guilty conscience healed, the

broken heart comforted, the sorrow and misery of the Fall undone."

1B. Preceptaustin, " Having believed (pisteuo) refers to belief that effects heart and

produces changed conduct. Faith is man’s response to God’s elective purpose. God’s

choice of men is election; men’s choice of God is faith. In election God gives His

promises, and by faith men receive them. The aorist tense defines the believing as an

past action which is definitive, and effective. �ote that it is not enough to hear the

gospel of salvation but to place one's complete trust in it to receive salvation." D. L.

Moody said, "The thief had nails through both hands, so that he could not work;

and a nail through each foot, so that he could not run errands for the Lord; he could

not lift a hand or a foot toward his salvation, and yet Christ offered him the gift of

God; and he took it. Christ threw him a passport, and took him into Paradise."

1C. Preceptaustin continues, "When a person believes the "message of truth, the

gospel of...salvation" they receive the Holy Spirit, this transaction referred as a

baptism, Paul explaining to the Corinthians that...by one Spirit we (all those saved

by grace through faith) were all baptized into one body (the body of Christ, the

Church), whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to

drink of one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13) Being baptized with the Spirit is different

from being "filled with the Spirit", a term which does not signify one is getting more

of the Spirit, but that he or she is yielding every area of their lives to the Spirit’s

control and empowerment. The idea of filling is having one's life filled with God’s

Spirit as opposed to self."

2. Clarke, "In whom ye also trusted - Ye Gentiles, having heard from us the word,

τον λογον, the doctrine, of the truth, which is the Gospel, or glad tidings, of your

salvation, have believed, as we Jews have done, and received similar blessings to

those with which God has favored us.

In whom also, εν ὡ, through whom, Christ Jesus, after that ye had believed, viz. that

he was the only Savior, and that through his blood redemption might be obtained,

ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise; that is, The Holy Spirit, which is

promised to them who believe on Christ Jesus, was given to you, and thus you were

ascertained to be the children of God, for God has no child who is not a partaker of

the Holy Ghost, and he who has this Spirit has God’s seal that he belongs to the

heavenly family. It was customary among all nations, when a person purchased

goods of any kind, to mark with his seal that which he had bought, in order that he

might know it, and be able to claim it if mixed with the goods of others; to this

custom the apostle may here allude but it was also customary to set a seal upon what

was dedicated to God, or what was to be offered to him in sacrifice. See this proved

in the note on Joh_6:27. The Jews themselves speak of the seal of God, which they

term אמת emeth, truth, and which they consider as a representation of the

unoriginated and endless perfections of God. As the apostle is here speaking of the

doctrine of truth, which came by the Holy Spirit, and is sealed on the souls of

believers by this Spirit, he may have in view the Jewish notion, which is at once both

correct and elevated. This Spirit of truth, Joh_14:17, who leads into all truth,

Joh_16:13, and teaches all things, Joh_14:26, makes the impression of his own

eternal purity and truth in the souls of them who believe, and thus they bear the seal

of God Almighty. And they who in the day of judgment are found to bear this seal -

Truth; truth in the inward parts, having truly repented, truly believed, and having

been in consequence truly justified, and truly sanctified; and having walked in truth

and sincerity towards God and man; these are sealed to the day of redemption; for,

having this seal, they are seen to have a right to eternal life."

3. Barnes, "A little different translation of this verse will convey more clearly its

meaning. “In whom also, ye, having heard the word of truth, (the gospel of your

salvation,) in whom having also believed, ye were sealed,” etc. The sealing was the

result of believing, and that was the result of hearing the gospel;"

4. Grace Bible Church, "It is one thing for God to make a promise about our

inheritance to come but He even gives a guarantee for that promise, i.e., the sealing

ministry of the Holy Spirit of promise. In Biblical times, a seal was an official mark

of identification placed on important documents or transactions, signifying that the

document or transaction was under the authority of the seal. For example, a king

might use a signet ring to place his authority on a document. cf. 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5;

Eph. 4:30; compare with 2 Tim. 2:19. And the seal speak of three primary areas of

authority: security, authenticity and ownership: 1.) First, the Spirit's seals us to

guarantee our security . Like the sealed lion's den of Daniel 6:17 or the sealed tomb

of Matthew 27:62-66, the purpose of the seal was to guarantee the security of the

transaction. This wasn't a lock on the lion's den but a secure validation of king

Darius' authority that it was not to be tampered with; there wasn't a lock on the

tomb of Jesus but the Roman seal threatened anyone with the authority of Caesar,

who tampered with it. In the same way, the believer's future inheritance is secured

by the Spirit of God who lives within him/her.

Second, the Spirit seals us to guarantee our authenticity . Like Queen Jezebel letter

to the nobles in her kingdom, the King's seal gave authenticity that the

correspondence was sent in Ahab's name. cf. 1 Kings 21:6-16. In the same way, the

believer's future inheritance is proven authorized by God Himself, via the

indwelling Holy Spirit. 3.) Third, the Spirit seals us to guarantee our ownership .

Like the deed of Jeremiah's land deed in Anathoth (cf. Jer. 32:10), in the same way

the believer's future inheritance is guaranteed by the ownership verification of the

Spirit of God. And He is the earnest of our inheritance , i.e., the down payment or

engagement ring signifying that the full inheritance is guaranteed to come. The

arrabon is a portion of a purchase money given to ratify a contract, in pledge of a

full payment to come. Because in legal Romans contracts the arrabon is the same

kind of money as the fell payment, Lightfoot suggests, "The actual spiritual life of

the Christian is the same kind as his future glorified life; the kingdom of heaven is a

present kingdom; the believer is already seated at the right hand of God." The Holy

Spirit within the believer is the irrevocable pledge of all that is to come! Jesus Christ

is the ground of our inheritance and the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our

inheritance, which brings us to the goal of our inheritance. Ephesians 1:14b …until

the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Until the

full redemption is realized, the Holy Spirit functions in this sealing capacity for the

purpose of the praise of His glory . cf. Eph. 1: 6, 12. We would think that the

ultimate goal is the blessing of the believer and it is true that this is an immediate

goal but not the ultimate goal. All the promises of the future blessings to those in

Christ, will be given for the primary goal that God Himself would be glorified, i.e.,

His grace, mercy, compassion, goodness and power, demonstrated in the great

magnanimous outpouring of His blessing on undeserving sinners such as us!"

5. Grace Bible Church adds this comment to the difference of opinion about this

sealing of the Spirit. "Is the sealing ministry of the Spirit experiential or non-

experiential? Does it happen at subsequent to salvation or at salvation?

Grammatically the participle could be suggest either possibility, i.e., after or when .

Representatives of those seeing the sealing of the Holy Spirit as experiential and

subsequent to salvation include: Thomas Goodwin, John Owen, John Wesley,

George Whitefield, Charles Simeon, Charles Hodge, John Eadie and Martyn Lloyd-

Jones. Those representatives of the non-experiential at salvation view include: Lewis

S. Chafer, John F. Walvoord, John MacArthur, Jr. E. K. Simpson, F. F. Bruce, G.

R. Beasley-Murray, Andrew T. Lincoln and Charles Ryrie. The KJV translators

suggested the sealing to be after or subsequent to salvation and if the sense is to

confirm the promise, then His ministry is experiential . cf. Rom. 8:14-17."

6. David Roth has an excellent message on this verse, and I want to share a major

part of it here. "Having already directed our attention to God's sovereign plan of

redemption, Paul now directs our attention upon man's response to the gospel. In

other words Paul is reminding them of what was their response to the outworking of

God's sovereign grace. They believed!

Belief in the gospel is not only necessary to saving faith it is essential to saving faith.

Therefore, it will be the purpose of today's study to examine Paul's statement in

verse 13, In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel

of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed,...

I have divided today's lesson into two essential elements of salvation. The first is the

presentation of the gospel and second, what does it mean to believe the gospel. A

proper understanding of the gospel is essential to one becoming a child of God.

Therefore, it is important what is to be included in the presentation of the gospel

and what is meant when one believes the gospel.

The Apostle here is emphasizing the means whereby the Gentile believers were

made partakers in the inheritance of Christ. First by hearing the word of truth and

then believing the word of truth as it pertains to their eternal destiny and standing

before God.

(Col 1:5 KJV) "For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye

heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;"

(Rom 1:16 KJV) "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the

power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and

also to the Greek."

The fact that one cannot believe the gospel without hearing the gospel should be

self-evident. Yet, there are those today who believe they are part of God's family

because they were born to Christian parents, or because they were born in the

United States. There are others who believe that because they have always went to

church or because they have lived basically moral lives that they surely are accepted

before God.

But, the scriptures emphatically declare that there is one way and one way only

which will guarantee one a right standing before God and that is upon hearing the

message of the gospel, they believe the message of the gospel.

The necessity of proclaiming the gospel lays at the foundation of one entering into

the family of God. �otice what Paul states in (Rom 10:14 KJV) "How then shall

they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him

of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"

(Rom 10:17 KJV) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the

word of God."

Apart from the transmission of the word of God no one will ever believe in Jesus

Christ. The means in which God has chosen to convey His message of hope to the

world happens to be human instrumentality.

7. Donald Williams also has a powerful message on this verse, and I am compelled

to share it too, for it is a vital message to all people. He wrote, "First, they

"LISTE�ED to the word of truth." What does this mean? Certainly not just that

the physical vibrations have taken place in our eardrums. Some of us have heard the

Gospel 1,000 times, but we've never really heard it. You can tell this if your inward

attitude is "Yeah, I know, Jesus died for our sins, ho hum, whatever, big deal." A

person who can say that, even inwardly, has never really heard the message. But the

time comes when the aweful and terrifying truth of it grips you. It becomes a fire in

your bones. It is as if you are hearing it for the first time. Those were your sins; he

died for you; this is real. You know that an hour of decision has come for you; you

are personally addressed by the message, and you know that you must do something

about it, commit yourself one way or another.

You realize for the first time, in other words, that the Gospel is a "word of truth."

You can no longer dismiss it as an opinion of the preacher with which you may or

may not agree. It is no longer merely venerable words on the pages of an ancient

book which you may or may not revere. It can no longer be a plausible or even a

probable theory for you to debate in your mind. The Holy Spirit opens the eyes of

your heart and mind to see clearly and undeniably what before you could only guess

at. It is simple there, like a solid, massive boulder in your path, and you have to deal

with it. You hear it for the first time as "the Gospel of your salvation." YOUR

salvation. For the first time, you really hear the message, really listen to it. Has there

ever been such a time in your life, such a moment of truth between you and God?

7B. Williams continues, "If there has, then (and only then) you had the potential to

move on to the next step: "Having also BELIEVED." What does it mean to believe

in the biblical sense, to have saving faith? Good synonyms for this belief include

faith, trust, reliance, persuasion, conviction, acceptance, ratification, commitment.

This is not "Here is a box I might check on a poll," but "I stake my life on this!" It

is not "I am of the opinion that this rope would hold me," it is the act of swinging

out over the crevasse with all your weight entrusted to it. Faith therefore is the

spiritual hands by which we cling to Christ as the physical hands would cling to a

rope while we swing over the bottomless chasm of eternity.

In other words, when you finally hear--when you are confronted inescapably with

Jesus Christ at the Lord of the universe and your only hope of spiritual life, do you

say, "Go away and leave me alone" or "YES! I will follow you to the ends of the

earth. For, yes, I believe that you died for me. And yes, I do trust you as my Saviour

and my Lord." That YES is faith. It can only happen after you have really listened

to the gospel as the word of truth, the message of your salvation. If it does, both that

listening and that response of faith are the gift of God (Eph. 2:8-10), a miraculous

work by his Holy Spirit in your life. Without it you cannot be saved; without it you

have not been saved. But with it you can grab hold of eternal life: predestination,

adoption, redemption, the mystery of his will, the promise of the glory of his grace.

�ow, it is quite clear that faith in this sense is not something that sinners are capable

of. That is why Paul will insist in 2:8 that even the faith by which we are saved is the

gift of God. Yes, you have a part in it--YOU must listen, YOU must believe. But not

you alone. For faith in this sense--saving faith--is a part of the great work of God

which makes someone a Christian. Has he done such a work in your heart? If not,

do you desire it? That desire itself is the first sign that the work has begun! You

must pray for him to do that work in your heart, and never stop until he has. For he

has promised: "If with all your heart you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find

me." And "He who cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out."

8. Williams goes on to deal with the sealing of the Spirit in the most complete way of

any author I could find, and so I want to quote his entire message, for it is the best

commentary I could find anywhere. He wrote again, "What does Paul mean when

he calls the Holy Spirit the "seal" of our salvation? In ancient times seals were used

for authentication and protection. Imagine a letter, sealed not with yucky glue that

you must lick, but with soft wax, like candle wax, dripped over the place where the

outside edges of the paper meet. Before it hardens, the sender would take his signet

ring, impressed with his family seal, and press it into the sealing wax. Once it

hardens, no one can possibly open the letter undetected, for he would crack the wax

and ruin the impression of the seal. The seal then both shows that the document is

authentic (for only the sender has that particular signet ring) and protects it from

tampering. Today a �otary Public performs essentially the same function for the

same purpose, using not sealing wax and a ring but one of those pairs of pliers that

impresses the great seal of the state of Georgia into a legal document to attest to its

authenticity. In Mat. 27:66, the same process was applied to Jesus' tomb, with the

seal of the Roman Governor Pilate pressed into wax poured into the seam between

the rock and the opening of the tomb. It was a futile attempt to seal in those

particular contents, but its intention is clear, and it illustrates the way seals were

used.

The spiritual application Paul is making here then is astounding. The Covenant of

Grace, like any other contract, becomes official and binding on the two parties when

it is sealed. How do you know that the agreement is settled, that God means to keep

his promise of salvation based not on works but on faith in Christ, and that you are

the recipient? He seals the covenant by giving you his Holy Spirit. His presence, as

evidenced by his work, is the seal, God's signature written in the blood of his Son on

the deed to your soul. Its function is protection and authentication. What protects

you for salvation, what is the guarantee that you will indeed persevere in faith to the

end and be saved? It is the work of the Holy Spirit in you life. And what

authenticates you, what are the credentials as it were proclaiming that you are a

true disciple of Jesus Christ and that your faith is genuine, authentic Christianity?

That same work of conviction, calling, regeneration, and sanctification.

8B. Williams continues, "How specifically does this work? Let me try to develop it

by asking four questions.

First, do all truly regenerate believers have the seal of the Holy Spirit?

The answer to this question is clearly yes. Eph. 1:13 assumes that all who have

listened and believed have been sealed. Sealing is not, as some have tried to interpret

it, a second stage or further step of faith and spirituality entered into only by

special, gung-ho believers. It is the normative experience of all true disciples of

Jesus.

Second, are there clear and evident signs that the sealing has taken

place?

Again, the answer would have to be yes. An invisible seal would be useless,

superfluous, and irrelevant, completely contrary to the purpose of sealing. What

good would a �otary Public be if his seal was blank and left no mark on the

document? Verily, not one ha'penny worth of good.

8C. Well, then, third, what are these signs?

It is first important to realize that it is not some particular gift of the Spirit such as

speaking in tongues. Contrast Eph. 1:13 with 1 Cor. 12:7-11, 30-31. All are not

intended to speak in tongues or have any other particular gift; but all are sealed

with the Spirit if indeed they belong to Christ. What the marks of the Seal are then

is the saving work of the Spirit, enabling faith in Christ. There are at least 10

elements present in the Seal.

Conviction of sin (Jn. 16:8).

Love for the Word of God (Jn. 15:26, 16:13, Eph. 1:13, "listened"). This does not

mean that a Christian never neglects his Bible or always understands or

enjoys it. But he cannot get away from it. A person who never reads his Bible

shows no evidence of the presence in his life of he One who inspired it.

Faith in Christ as savior (1 Thes. 1:5a).

A spirit of glad submission to the Lordship of Christ (1 Cor. 12:3).

Substantial and increasing victory over sin in temptation ((1 Cor. 6:9-11, 2 Cor.

5:17, Gal. 5:16-18) �ot perfection, note; but a substantial and ongoing

change.

A spirit of confidence and boldness in prayer (Gal. 4:6, Rom. 8:26-27).

Love for God and other believers (Rom. 5:5).

Boldness in witnessing for Christ (Act 1:4, 8, 4:31, 10:46, 2 Tim. 1:7). Again, this

doesn't mean that no true Christian ever struggles with sharing the Gospel,

nor that all have the gift of evangelism. But one who does know Christ will be

his witness in one way or another. A closet Christian is a contradiction in

terms.

A life focussed on the glory of God as our highest aim (Eph. 1:14c).

Most importantly, perhaps, the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

These qualities are the indelible and unmistakable marks made on the soul by the

impress of the Holy Spirit. Only by his work can they be truly present in fallen men.

And therefore, taken together, they are the infallible sign of authentic Christianity.

Their visible presence is God's official seal of approval, saying to you and to the

world, "This is my beloved son or daughter, in whom I am well pleased." Their

absence in the professing believer is the cause for greatest concern.

8D. Fourth: is the Seal equally visible in all truly saved people?

This time the answer is, unfortunately, no. The impression goes deeper into some

people than others. Some are truly Christians yet carnal, saved by the skin of their

teeth, saved yet so as by fire. The marks of the seal are not absent if they are truly

Christ's at all, but they may be only faintly imprinted or covered over by the

accumulated grunge of neglect or sin. Why? There are many reasons. We get our

eyes off the Lord; we lose our first love; we may never mature properly because of

poor discipling, false teaching, or any number of factors. This means we must be

slow to judge. But we must not forget, we must be very clear, that our confidence in

the credibility of any person's profession of faith (including our own!) is in direct

proportion to the clear presence of the marks of the seal, which are the ones we have

delineated and nothing less.

What the world needs--what the Church needs--is a generation of Christians who

understand that the official Seal of authentic Christianity is the work of the Holy

Spirit, which includes at least the elements we have seen today and cannot be

present without leaving its marks upon the soul. Therefore renew your commitment

to the Lord today, and ask him to make the seal shine brightly in you, to the praise

of the glory of his grace.

9. George Van Popta, "And we have been sealed in this, in our salvation in Christ,

by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has sealed us in Christ.

Paul spoke of a seal. A seal does two things. A seal marks something as someone's

property. The Holy Spirit marks us, sets us apart as belonging to God. We are

God's. The Holy Spirit, working in our lives, marks us as God's property.

Second, a seal renders something secure. We talk about sealing an envelope. We put

a letter in an envelope. Seal it. And address it. That letter is safe. Only the person to

whom it is addressed will read it.

In a similar way the Holy Spirit puts us in an envelope. We are enveloped in the

arms of Jesus Christ. As Paul said: We are sealed in him. We are safe in him. In his

arms. We are in Christ, grafted into him, his body. Different imagery, but it all

means about the same. Jesus Christ, as the Holy One of God, the Chosen One, the

Beloved of God, is marked off for God. And in Christ, so are we.

The Holy Spirit, by sealing us in Christ, gives us security. He gives us the assurance

of our election. The assurance of our redemption. He keeps us safe in our new

relationship with God. He preserves us in the faith so that we will be able to

persevere in the faith. The Holy Spirit will continue to keep us safe in Christ until

the end. Until the new beginning. Until we receive, in all of its fulness and beauty,

the promised inheritance: Everlasting life with God and with our Lord Jesus Christ.

That is the inheritance God has promised us in Christ. Everlasting life free from sin

and all our misery. Embrace the promise! Give yourself to the work of the Holy

Spirit! He seals us in what we have and He is the pledge of our inheritance.

The Holy Spirit in our lives is the guarantee. The down payment of our inheritance.

God's pledge that there is more to come. By giving us the Holy Spirit God makes a

pledge to us -- he assures us that the glory of the life to come, promised in the gospel,

is a reality and not an illusion. All of this is to the praise of his glory. God has elected

us, redeemed us in Christ, and sealed us with his Holy Spirit, so that we might live

for the praise of his glory."

10. Paul Harrison, "God's gift to you of His own Spirit is:

1. A guarantee of authenticity.

He sends His Spirit into your heart so you'll be "for real".

2. A mark of ownership.

He has put His Spirit upon you to mark you as His. �ow you belong.

3. A First Instalment.

The Holy Spirit is God's "guarantee of your inheritance, until you acquire the full

possession of it". In other words, the Holy Spirit is God's "down payment" on the

goods He has promised to deliver - the deposit given as a guarantee that you'll later

be paid in full. Bless my soul, if the gift of the Holy Spirit is only part payment ...

what is to come?!

11. Puritan John Owen wrote that..."God's sealing of believers is His gracious

communication of the Holy Ghost unto them, so as to enable them unto all the duties

of their holy calling. The effects of this sealing are gracious operations of the Spirit

in and upon believers; but the sealing itself is the communication of God's Spirit to

them."

12. Is this truth practical? Absolutely! Listen to an anecdotal story from Pastor Ray

Stedman..."A young man called me this past week to tell me how discouraged he

was, how he'd lost his confidence in prayer because he felt that no answer was

coming, and how ready he was to quit. So I said to him, "Well, why don't you just

quit, then? Give up. Stop being a Christian. Try it." -- because I knew that if he did,

the first thing he would have discovered is that he couldn't quit. And he knew it, too.

The minute I said that, he acknowledged it: "You're right. I can't quit." That is

because, as Paul will describe in this letter, there is imparted to us the Holy Spirit of

God, and we are sealed by the Holy Spirit so that we can't quit! That is a mark of a

believer in Christ."

14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance

until the redemption of those who are God's

possession--to the praise of his glory.

Amplified: That [Spirit] is the guarantee of our inheritance [the firstfruits, the

pledge and foretaste, the down payment on our heritage], in anticipation of its full

redemption and our acquiring [complete] possession of it—to the praise of His

glory.

�LT: The Spirit is God's guarantee that He will give us everything He promised

and that He has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for

us to praise our glorious God.

Phillips: as a guarantee of purchase, until the day when God completes the

redemption of what He has paid for as his own; and that will again be to the praise

of his glory.

1. "Our Daily Bread has the following devotional entitled Interest in Advance on

these verses..."The Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer, gives us a foretaste of

the coming glory of heaven. He is therefore called the “earnest” or pledge of the

inheritance we shall receive by God’s grace in eternity (Eph. 1:13,14). In biblical

times, the word “earnest” was a trade term for the initial payment on a debt. It was

made as a promise that full payment would be forthcoming. In principle, then, when

an earnest was given, the final installment was guaranteed. Likewise, the joy we

experience now through God’s Spirit is just a kind of first installment of the rich

blessings that His children will receive in eternity.

A wealthy man called his faithful assistant into his office one day and said, “I’ve put

your name in my will, and someday you’ll receive $10,000. Since it may be a while

before you get that legacy, I want to make you happy now by paying you the interest

on that amount each year. Here is a check for $600 as a starter.” The surprised

clerk was doubly grateful. The prospect of the inheritance was certainly good news,

but the money he received in advance gave him complete assurance that someday

the entire $10,000 would be his."

1B. Barclay, "An arrabon was the first installment of a payment, paid as a

guarantee that the rest was sure to follow. It is a common word in Greek legal

documents. A woman selling a cow receives 1,000 drachmae as arrabon that the rest

of the purchase price will be paid. Some dancing girls being engaged for a village

festival receive so much as arrabon, which will be included in the final payment, but

which is a present guarantee that the contract will be honored and the full money

paid. A certain man writes to his master that he has paid Lampon, the mouse-

catcher, an arrabon of 8 drachmae so that he will start work and catch the mice

while they are still with young. It was the first installment and the guarantee that

the rest would be paid. Everyone knew this word. It is the same idea as is in the

Scots word arles which was a token payment made when a man was employed or a

house bought, and a guarantee that the full contract would be honored. When Paul

speaks of the Holy Spirit as an arrabon given us by God, he means that the kind of

life we live by the help of the Holy Spirit is the first installment of the life of heaven

and the guarantee that the fullness of that life will some day open upon us. The gift

of the Holy Spirit is God’s token and pledge of still greater things to come."

2. Clarke, "Which is the earnest of our inheritance - This Holy Spirit, sealing the soul with

truth and righteousness, is the earnest, foretaste, and pledge of the heavenly inheritance.

And he who can produce this earnest - this witness of the Spirit, in the day of judgment,

shall have an abundant entrance into the holiest. The redemption of the purchased

possession is variously understood; and indeed the original is variously translated.

Dr. Whitby has observed that the verb πεειποιειν signifies to save alive; and he

refers the περιποιησις, here, to the redemption of the body from corruption, and to

its final glorification with the soul.

All those who believe in Christ Jesus are considered as his peculiar people and

property, and to them eternal glory is promised. The Spirit of promise, which is

given them, is a pledge that they shall have a resurrection from the dead, and

eternal blessedness; the redemption, or bringing to life of the body, cannot take

place till the day of judgment, but the Holy Spirit promises this redemption, and is

now in their hearts an earnest or pledge of this complete restoration at the great

day, which will then be, in an especial manner, to the praise of his glory, viz. of

Christ, who has bought them by his blood."

3. Gill, ".. the Spirit of God certifies the right to the heavenly inheritance, as well as

gives a meetness for it; he is the firstfruits of eternal glory and happiness, and of the

same kind with it; and as he is enjoyed in measure by the saints now, is lesser than

the communion which they shall have with him, and with the Father, and the Son,

hereafter, for the best things are reserved till last; and being once given into the

heart as an earnest, he always continues, he never removes more, or is ever taken

away:"

3B. Gill goes on, "..until the redemption of the purchased possession, or "of the

peculiar people"; see 1Pe_2:9, for this is not to be understood of heaven, which is

never said to be purchased, nor can it with any propriety be said to be redeemed;

but of saints, of the church of God, who are bought with a price, and are purchased

with his blood; and who, as they were redeemed from sin, Satan, and the law, when

they were purchased, so will be redeemed again in the resurrection morn, which is

called the day of redemption, Eph_4:30, and which will be a redemption of them

from the weakness, corruption, and mortality of the body; from their present state

of absence and pilgrimage; from the body of sin and death; from all sorrows and

afflictions, both inward and outward; from the reproaches and persecutions of men;

from a tempting devil, and an unbelieving heart; from all doubts and fears; and

from death and the grave; and so the Syriac version very justly renders it, "until the

redemption of them that are saved". �ow till such time, the Spirit of God abides as

an earnest, even until the whole felicity is enjoyed both in soul and body; and this

shows the perpetuity of the Spirit's inhabitation, and grace, the final perseverance

of the saints, and the security of the inheritance to them."

4. Henry, "The eternal inheritance is the great blessing with which we are blessed in

Christ: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, Eph_1:11. Heaven is the

inheritance, the happiness of which is a sufficient portion for a soul: it is conveyed in

the way of an inheritance, being the gift of a Father to his children. If children, then

heirs. All the blessings that we have in hand are but small if compared with the

inheritance. What is laid out upon an heir in his minority is nothing to what is

reserved for him when he comes to age. Christians are said to have obtained this

inheritance, as they have a present right to it, and even actual possession of it, in

Christ their head and representative. The seal and earnest of the Spirit are of the

number of these blessings. We are said to be sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,

Eph_1:13. The blessed Spirit is holy himself, and he makes us holy. He is called the

Spirit of promise, as he is the promised Spirit. By him believers are sealed; that is,

separated and set apart for God, and distinguished and marked as belonging to him.

The Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, Eph_1:14. The earnest is part of

payment, and it secures the full sum: so is the gift of the Holy Ghost; all his

influences and operations, both as a sanctifier and a comforter, are heaven begun,

glory in the seed and bud. The Spirit's illumination is an earnest of everlasting light;

sanctification is an earnest of perfect holiness; and his comforts are earnests of

everlasting joys. He is said to be the earnest, until the redemption of the purchased

possession. It may be called here the possession, because this earnest makes it as

sure to the heirs as though they were already possessed of it; and it is purchased for

them by the blood of Christ. The redemption of it is mentioned because it was

mortgaged and forfeited by sin; and Christ restores it to us, and so is said to redeem

it, in allusion to the law of redemption. Observe, from all this, what a gracious

promise that is which secures the gift of the Holy Ghost to those who ask him.

4B. Henry continues, "The apostle mentions the great end and design of God in

bestowing all these spiritual privileges, that we should be to the praise of his glory

who first trusted in Christ - we to whom the gospel was first preached, and who were

first converted to the faith of Christ, and to the placing of our hope and trust in him.

�ote, Seniority in grace is a preferment: Who were in Christ before me, says the

apostle (Rom_16:7); those who have for a longer time experienced the grace of

Christ are under more special obligations to glorify God. They should be strong in

faith, and more eminently glorify him; but this should be the common end of all. For

this we were made, and for this we were redeemed; this is the great design of our

Christianity, and of God in all that he has done for us: unto the praise of his glory,

Eph_1:14. He intends that his grace and power and other perfection should by this

means become conspicuous and illustrious, and that the sons of men should magnify

him."

5. Matthew Doebler, "You ever heard of a “Movie Mangler?” Me neither. I just

made it up. But a “Movie Mangler” is someone who gives up the ending to a movie

you would like to see. He says things like, “I really cried when Shelby dies in Steel

Magnolias.” Or, “I didn’t realize that Darth Vader was Luke’s father.” It stinks to

know the end of a movie before you see it. But when it comes to life, it stinks not to

know the ending. It’s nerve wracking not to know if you will be carried to heaven or

hell when you die." But Doebler goes on, "In fact, God has even put a deposit down

on you-the Holy Spirit, who lives in your heart. He is the down payment for your

spot in heaven. The word which Paul used for deposit is arrabon. In modern Greek,

an arrabona is an engagement ring-it’s a deposit, a guarantee that a man is going to

marry a woman. When I gave my wife her engagement ring, it was my deposit, my

guarantee, that I was going to marry her. It was the warning that if she wanted to

run, she’d better do it soon! Through faith in Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit,

the Lord has made a guarantee that he will take you to heaven. You need not be

afraid, even of the future.

6. Donald Williams, "What is the exact nature of the pledge given? An ARRABO�

is an earnest, a down payment, a first installment which initiates the contract and

binds one to complete or fulfill it. In modern Greek, it interestingly means an

engagement ring. In the ancient papyri, it is a non-refundable deposit which closes

the deal. If the purchaser fails to complete the payments, it is forfeited. If he does

complete them, if he fulfills the contract, it counts as the first payment. Therefore,

what Paul is saying by using this word is that when God gives the Holy Spirit, it is

the first installment of "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" whereby he

obligates himself to finish the transaction.

In other words, if you have (even faintly) the seal of the Spirit; if the ongoing work

of the Spirit as we saw it last week is present in your life; if you know the conviction

of sin, have a love for the Word of God, have faith in Christ as savior and lord, have

known a different relationship to sin than the one of abject thrall you knew before

your conversion, if you have a boldness in prayer and witness that you did not know

before, if you love God and other believers, if your life is focussed on the glory of

God, if you have, even in embryonic form the Fruit of the Spirit growing in you,

then not only do you know that this is authentic and genuine Christian faith, but

you may also be confident that God will keep you for final salvation through that

same work of the Holy Spirit that you have already begun to experience.

But you must understand clearly the ground of this assurance. This is not a doctrine

of "Once saved, always saved," if by that you mean that having made a profession

of faith you are eternally secure regardless of whether you persevere and continue

in the faith. Rather, the ground of this assurance is the earnest of our inheritance

which is the Seal of the Holy Spirit. The question is not whether you have ever "had

an experience" or ever made a profession. The question is do you �OW know the

conviction of sin, love for the word, faith in Christ as savior and Lord, victory over

sin, love for God and the brethren, access in prayer, a compulsion to witness, the

Fruit of the Spirit? Then I would say that not only is this real Christianity, but it is

also the proof that God will never, ever, ever let you go. It is God's pledge that you

will receive the full inheritance. But if not: while I have no right to judge, I must tell

you that you have no biblical right to any ASSURA�CE of salvation.

7. The word “earnest” is arrabon. Vincent defines it as “caution-money deposited

by a purchaser in pledge of full payment.”...The bestowal of the Holy Spirit is God’s

part payment in the salvation He gives the believing sinner, that part payment

guaranteeing the full delivery of all parts of the salvation given. Salvation is in three

parts; justification, the removal of the guilt and penalty of sin and the bestowal of a

positive righteousness, Jesus Christ, is given at the moment the sinner puts his faith

in the Lord Jesus as Saviour; sanctification, a progressive work of the Spirit in the

life of the believer, is a present possession in which He eliminates sin from the

experience of the believer and produces His own fruit; glorification, the act of God

transforming the present bodies of believers into perfect, sinless, deathless bodies.

The believer has the first two now. The Holy Spirit, indwelling the believer, is God’s

earnest money, guaranteeing to him the future glorification of his body. (Wuest, K.

S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek �ew Testament: Eerdmans)

8. Spurgeon, as usual, waxes eloquent in his devotion on this verse. "Oh! what

enlightenment, what joys, what consolation, what delight of heart is experienced by

that man who has learned to feed on Jesus, and on Jesus alone. Yet the realization

which we have of Christ's preciousness is, in this life, imperfect at the best. As an old

writer says, "'Tis but a taste!" We have tasted "that the Lord is gracious," but we

do not yet know how good and gracious he is, although what we know of his

sweetness makes us long for more. We have enjoyed the firstfruits of the Spirit, and

they have set us hungering and thirsting for the fulness of the heavenly vintage. We

groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption. Here we are like Israel in the

wilderness, who had but one cluster from Eshcol, there we shall be in the vineyard.

Here we see the manna falling small, like coriander seed, but there shall we eat the

bread of heaven and the old corn of the kingdom. We are but beginners now in

spiritual education; for although we have learned the first letters of the alphabet, we

cannot read words yet, much less can we put sentences together; but as one says,

"He that has been in heaven but five minutes, knows more than the general

assembly of divines on earth." We have many ungratified desires at present, but

soon every wish shall be satisfied; and all our powers shall find the sweetest

employment in that eternal world of joy. O Christian, antedate heaven for a few

years. Within a very little time thou shalt be rid of all thy trials and thy troubles.

Thine eyes now suffused with tears shall weep no longer. Thou shalt gaze in

ineffable rapture upon the splendour of him who sits upon the throne. �ay, more,

upon his throne shalt thou sit. The triumph of his glory shall be shared by thee; his

crown, his joy, his paradise, these shall be thine, and thou shalt be co-heir with him

who is the heir of all things."

9. Our Daily Bread has the following devotional entitled "Guaranteed Future"...

One day my friend Arthur Lewis, an expert in biblical Greek, was walking along the

streets of Athens. Accompanying him was a professor who teaches Greek. They

stopped occasionally to read the signs in shop windows. As they gazed into a jewelry

store, they saw a sign with the word arrabon on it. When they entered and talked to

the proprietor, he told them that in modern Greek the word arrabon means "an

engagement ring." The Greek professor thought for a moment, then commented,

"How interesting! In the �ew Testament that's the term for 'a guarantee, a down

payment.'" In Ephesians 1:13-14, we are told that the Holy Spirit is given to

believers as an arrabon, a down payment, a guarantee of heaven. The blessing of the

Spirit's presence in our hearts is a foretaste of the greater blessings we will enjoy

when as the bride of Christ we are eternally united with our Bridegroom, the Lord

Jesus. �ow the Spirit lives in us to give us guidance and power to live for God (Jn.

16:13; Gal. 5:22-23). But someday we'll have even more: We will live in the very

presence of God. With joyful anticipation we await that day--for our future is

guaranteed!" --V C Grounds

15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your

faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the

saints,

Amplified: For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and

your love toward all the saints (the people of God),

�LT: Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love

for Christians everywhere,

Phillips: Since, then, I heard of this faith of yours in the Lord Jesus and the

practical way in which you are expressing it towards fellow-Christians,

1. Faith and love are two of the key virtues of the Christian life, and when Paul

heard that these people had these virtues he was motivated to pray for them to build

on this solid foundation by continuing to add other virtues that make them stronger

and stronger in their faith and love. Others were testifying that they were living

under the lordship of Jesus Christ, and in obedience to him were living lives of love

toward all of God's people. Here we have an example of good gossip, for people were

talking about them in their absence, and they were telling Paul and others of the

godly lives they were living. How wonderful it is when people are saying things like

this behind your back, and are spreading rumors of how much you love your fellow

believers. Paul was delighted in this godly gossip.

1B. Barnes, "Paul had been some years absent from Ephesus when this Epistle was

written. In the difficult communication in those times between distant places, it is

not to be supposed that he would hear often from them. Perhaps he had heard

nothing after the time when he bade farewell to the elders of Ephesus at Miletus

Acts 20, until the time here referred to. It would be, therefore, a matter of great

interest with him to hear from them; and when in some way intelligence was

brought to him at Rome of a very gratifying character about their growth in piety,

he says that his anxiety was relieved, and that he did not cease to give thanks for

what he had heard, and to commend them to God in prayer."

2. Barclay, "Here there is set out before us in a perfect summary the characteristics

of a true Church. Paul has heard of their faith in Christ and their love to all God's

consecrated people. The two things which must characterize any true Church are

loyalty to Christ and love to men. There is a loyalty to Christ which does not issue in

love to men. The monks and the hermits had a loyalty to Christ which made them

abandon the ordinary activities of life in order to live alone in the desert places. The

heresy hunters of the Spanish Inquisition and of many another age had a loyalty to

Christ which made them persecute those who thought differently from them. Before

Jesus came the Pharisees had a loyalty to God which made them contemptuous of

those whom they thought less loyal than themselves.

The true Christian loves Christ and loves his fellow men. More than that, he knows

that he cannot show his love to Christ in any other way than by showing his love to

his fellow men. However orthodox a Church is, however pure its theology, and

however noble its worship and its liturgy, it is not a true Church in the real sense of

the term unless it is characterized by love for its fellow men. There are Churches

which seldom make any public pronouncement which is not based on censorious

criticism. They may be orthodox, but they are not Christian. The true Church is

marked by a double love--love for Christ and love for men.

2B. Barclay continues, "F. W. Boreham quotes a passage from Robert Buchanan's

Shadow of the Sword, in which Buchanan describes the Chapel of Hate. "It stood on

a bleak and barren moor in Brittany a hundred years ago. It was in ruins; the walls

were black and stained with the slime of centuries; around the crumbling altar

nettles and rank weeds grew breast high; whilst black mists, charged with rain,

brooded night and day about the gloomy scene. Over the doorway of the chapel, but

half-obliterated, was its name. It was dedicated to Our Lady of Hate. `Hither,' says

Buchanan, `in hours of passion and pain, came men and women to cry curses on

their enemies--the maiden on her false lover, the lover on his false mistress, the

husband on his false wife--praying, one and all, that Our Lady of Hate might

hearken, and that the hated one might die within the year.'" And then the novelist

adds: "So bright and so deep had the gentle Christian light shone within their

minds!"

A chapel of hate is a grim conception; and yet--are we always so very far away from

it? We hate the liberals or the radicals; we hate the fundamentalists or the

obscurantists; we hate the man whose theology is different from our own; we hate

the Roman Catholic or the Protestant as the case may be. We make pronouncements

which are characterized, not by Christian charity, but by a kind of condemning

bitterness. We would do well to remember every now and then that love of Christ

and love of our fellow men cannot exist without each other. Our tragedy is that it is

so often true, as Swift once said: "We have just enough religion to make us hate, but

not enough to make us love one another."

3. Gill, "And love unto all the saints: whether Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, greater

or lesser believers, of meaner gifts, or larger abilities; and which love was unfeigned,

fervent, active, and laborious; and which is the evidence of regeneration, and

without which a profession is in vain. These two graces, faith and love, are

inseparable; they always go together, and are to be found in the same persons; and

where they are, they cannot be hid, as they were not in these Ephesians; their faith

was professed by them, and was made public, and their love showed itself in deeds,

as well as in words, to the saints: hence the apostle came to hear of them both, upon

the certain relation of others; for these things were come abroad, and were talked

of."

4. Pink, "Another mark of the faith of God’s elect is that it "worketh by love" (Gal.

5:6): love for the truth, for Christ, and for His redeemed. Faith is but an empty

name if it does not fructify in love. Faith in Christ is only a delusion if it issues not in

love for those who are His. Scripture is too plain on this point to admit any

uncertainty: "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he

that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath

not seen?" (1 John 4:20). Saving faith in Christ and spiritual love for all whom He

loves are inseparably connected (see Col. 1:4; Philem. 5; 1 John 3:23). "We know

that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (1 John

3:14). If we love one saint as a "saint"—for what we see of Christ in him—we shall

love all saints. Faith in Christ and love for His people are inseparable, and as one

waxes or wanes so does the other. If my love for Christians is cooling (if I pray less

for them and am less active in seeking to promote their highest good), my faith in

Christ is declining."

5. Donald Williams, "This is a clear sign of our love for God, for if we truly love him

we will love what he loves--and he has loved the Church to the point of dying for

her. It is also a good proof of genuine Christianity because your fellow believers are

often among the hardest people we have to love! It has been said that the Church is

like the Ark: you wouldn't be able to stand the stench inside if it weren't for the

storm outside. I wish I had a nickel for every person who has ever complained to me

that "Unbelievers treat me better than Christian do!" Why is this? Partly it is a

matter of perspective. We have higher expectations of believers and hence feel more

let down when they do not meet them. Satan is highly motivated to magnify conflicts

between believers, for thus he hinders the witness of the Church. And we have a

religious subculture that encourages us to come to church expecting to get our needs

met. When two selfish people each focused on their own needs meet, there is going to

be an explosion! These are some of the reasons why people often take offense in the

church at things that outside it they would never have noticed. Therefore, if in spite

of all this you truly love the saints--look forward to seeing them, rejoice in their joy,

and weep with their sorrow because they are your fellow believers--well, in this also

there is something more than natural, if philosophy could find it out. It therefore

gives you a second answer to the attacks of Satan, and it gives the Apostle something

to be very grateful for."

16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you,

remembering you in my prayers.

Amplified: I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my

prayers.

�LT: I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,

Phillips: I thank God continually for you and I never give up praying for you; and

this is my prayer.

1. Clarke, "Cease not to give thanks - The apostle intimates, so fully satisfied was he

of the genuineness of their conversion, and of their steadiness since their conversion,

that it was to him a continual cause of thanksgiving to God, who had brought them

into that state of salvation; and of prayer, that they might be preserved blameless to

the end."

2. Paul was a thankful man for all that God was doing in the lives of people he had

touched. His prayers were filled with thanksgiving, and he told those he was

thankful for that he was giving thanks to God for them. This is a very positive thing

to communicate to people, for it is a motivating influence to help them press on in

the good path they are taking in their Christian walk.

3. Here are other texts where Paul expresses his thanks.

Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your

faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. 1:9 For God, whom I serve

in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how

unceasingly I make mention of you

Philippians 1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 1:4 always offering

prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,

Colossians 1:3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying

always for you,

1Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of

you in our prayers;

4. As thankful as Paul was, he never stopped praying for all of these believers to

grow in grace and knowledge. Spurgeon comments, "Where there was much good,

the apostle prayed for more. We all need still further to advance in divine things. To

stand still is impossible."

5. Jon Courson asks..."Who do you pray for? I have a tendency to pray for those

who are hurting, for those who are going through tragedies and difficulties, for

those who are backsliding and failing—and that’s fine. But here Paul is saying

something very different when he says, “When I heard how well you’re doing, I was

moved to pray for you." Just because people are doing well in their Christian walk

is no reason to stop praying for them to go on to even greater faith and love.

6. Graham Scroggie has a nice explanation of thanksgiving and intercession.

Thanksgiving is for the foundation already laid, but intercession is for the

superstructure going up.

Thanksgiving is for past attainments, but intercession is for future advancements.

Thanksgiving is for the actual in their experience, but intercession is for the possible

in God’s purpose for them.

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus

Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the

Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may

know him better.

Amplified: [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of

glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into

mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,

�LT: asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual

wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

Phillips: That God, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the all-glorious Father,

will give you spiritual wisdom and the insight to know more of Him:

Wuest: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of the glory, might give to

you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the sphere of a full knowledge of Him,

1. Some say this is the longest prayer in the �ew Testament, and others say it is the

second longest. Either way, it is one of the primary prayers God has given us for our

understanding of the goals that he desires for us to achieve. God used Paul's prayers

to teach us what we are to be praying for in our own lives, and what we are to be

praying for other believers. His prayers are examples to follow, just as the Lord's

Prayer is, and we are wise if we use them as such, and actually pray them in our

own words, or read them as our desire before the Lord.

2. Barclay has a long comment on this prayer, and I want to keep it all together

rather than spit it up in each verse."In this passage we see what Paul asks for a

Church which he loves and which is doing well.

(i) He prays for the Spirit of Wisdom. The word he uses for wisdom is sophia, and

we have already seen that sophia is the wisdom of the deep things of God. He prays

that the Church may be led deeper and deeper into the knowledge of the eternal

truths. If ever that is to happen, certain things are necessary.

(a) It is necessary that we should have a thinking people. Boswell tells us that

Goldsmith once said: "As I take my shoes from the shoemaker, and my coat from

the tailor, so I take my religion from the priest." There are many who are like that;

and yet religion is nothing unless it is a personal discovery. As Plato had it long ago:

"The unexamined life is the life not worth living," and the unexamined religion is

the religion not worth having. It is an obligation for a thinking man to think his way

to God.

(b) It is necessary that we should have a teaching ministry. William Chillingworth

said: "The Bible, and the Bible only, is the religion of Protestants." That is true; but

so often we would not think so. The exposition of scripture from the pulpit is a first

necessity of religious wakening.

(c) It is necessary that we should have a readjusted sense of proportion. It is one of

the strange facts of Church life that in Church courts, such as sessions and

presbyteries, and even General Assemblies, a score of hours might be given to the

discussion of mundane problems of administration for every one given to the

discussion of the eternal verities of God.

(ii) Paul prays for a fuller revelation and a fuller knowledge of God. For the

Christian growth in knowledge and in grace is essential. Any man who follows a

profession knows that he dare not stop studying. �o doctor thinks that he has

finished learning when he leaves the classrooms of his university. He knows that

week by week, and almost day by day, new techniques and treatments are being

discovered; and if he wishes to continue to be of service to those in illness and in

pain, he must keep up with them. It is so with the Christian. The Christian life could

be described as getting to know God better every day. A friendship which does not

grow closer with the years tends to vanish with the years. And it is so with us and

God.

(iii) He prays for a new realization of the Christian hope. It is almost a characteristic

of the age in which we live that it is an age of despair. Thomas Hardy wrote in Tess:

"Sometimes I think that the worlds are like apples on our stubbard tree. Some of

them splendid and some of them blighted." Then comes the question: "On which

kind do we live--a splendid one or a blighted one?" And Tess' answer is: "A

blighted one." Between the wars Sir Philip Gibbs wrote: "If I smell poison gas in

Edgeware Road, I am not going to put on a gas mask or go to a gas-proof room. I

am going out to take a good sniff of it, for I shall know that the game is up." H. G.

Wells once wrote grimly: "Man, who began in a cave behind a windbreak, will end

in the disease-soaked ruins of a slum." On every side the voice of the pessimist

sounds; it was never more necessary to sound the trumpet-call of Christian hope. If

the Christian message is true, the world is on the way not to dissolution but to

consummation.

(iv) He prays for a new realization of the power of God. For Paul the supreme proof

of that power was the resurrection. It proved that God's purpose cannot be stopped

by any action of men. In a world which looks chaotic, it is well to realize that God is

still in control.

(v) Paul finishes by speaking of the conquest of Christ in a sphere which does not

mean so much to us today. As the King James Version has it, God has raised Jesus

Christ "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every

name that is named." In Paul's day men strongly believed both in demons and in

angels; and these words which Paul uses are the titles of different grades of angels.

He is saying that there is not a being in heaven or on earth to whom Jesus Christ is

not superior. In essence Paul's prayer is that men should realize the greatness of the

Saviour God has given to them.

3. Arthur Pink has an enormous amount of comments on this verse, and it is filled

with such good content that I will quote almost all of it. Most people are not

acquainted with Pink, and here is a chance to see the brilliance of this man of God

as he expounds this text. It is long, but worth every minute it takes to digest his

insights. "The character of this particular prayer was twofold: it consisted of

thanksgiving and requests—praise for what God had done for the Ephesians and

wrought in and through them, petitions for further blessings for them. The order of

these two things is something we need to lay carefully to heart, for there is much

failure at this very point. Scripture is very explicit on this: "In everything by prayer

and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God"

(Phil. 4:6). "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" (Col.

4:2). Here we see how the apostle set us an example. Praise gives wings to our

petitions. The more my heart is occupied with God’s goodness, the more thankful I

am for the favors already bestowed on me, the more will my soul be stirred up in

seeking further mercies, the more liberty shall I experience in making requests for

them, and the more expectation shall I have to receive the same. Cultivate the habit

of gratitude, reader, if you would be more successful at the throne of grace. "I

sought the LORD, and he heard me" is preceded by "I will bless the LORD at all

times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth" (Ps. 34:4, 1).

But Paul did more than give thanks for what God had done for the Ephesians and

wrought in them; he requested further blessings on their behalf. Carnal wisdom

would draw the very opposite conclusion from that opening "wherefore"; it would

have inferred that since they were so highly favored of the Lord there was no need

to seek additional mercies for them. But the spiritual mind sees in the smile of God

on a people an encouragement to ask for further benefits to be vouchsafed them.

Similarly should we argue in our own case, regarding each fresh token of love from

God as merely a down payment of more. �ote that Paul did not pray that God

would exempt them from persecution or give them a smooth passage through this

world. �or did he beg God to make them eminent winners of souls. �or did he ask

that they might be given a deep insight into the mysteries of prophecy or skill in

"rightly dividing the word of truth," as might be expected if many of our moderns

were right. What he did pray for we hope to consider in due course.

4. Pink goes on, "As we dwelt at some length upon God as "the God of our Lord

Jesus Christ" when we expounded on Ephesians 1:3, we will confine ourselves now

to "the Father of glory." With this phrase should be compared "the Lord of glory"

(1 Cor. 2:8) and "the Spirit of glory" (1 Pet. 4:14) which bring out the co-equality of

the three Persons in the Godhead. "The Father of glory." Ah, who is competent to

write thereon! To describe or even define the meaning of that ineffable title

transcends the power of any mortal tongue or pen. At most we can but offer a few

notes. We are told that the Father is "glorious in holiness" (Ex. 15:11), that "his

work is honorable and glorious" (Ps. 111:3), that he is seated upon a "glorious high

throne" (Jer. 17:12). We read of His "glorious voice" (Isa. 30:30), His glorious

apparel (Isa. 63:1), His "glorious arm" (Isa. 63:12), the "glorious honor of... [His]

majesty," and the "glorious majesty of his kingdom" (Ps. 145:5, 12). Well may we

exclaim, "Blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and

praise" (�ehemiah 9:5), for "his glory is above the earth and heaven" (Ps. 148:13).

When we have affirmed that "the glory of God is the excellency of His being or

character, that it is the sum of His perfections or the outshining of all His attributes

in resplendent combination," we are conscious of the paucity of human language

and of the incapability of the finite to comprehend the Infinite. But if we have

experimentally tasted of "the glory of his grace" (Eph. 1:6), if we have felt in our

souls "his glorious power" (Col. 1:11), if our sin-blinded eyes have been opened to

see Him "glorious in holiness" (Ex. 15:11), then we know He is the glorious God,

even though we can only lisp out what He has made known to our hearts. All the

regenerate have such a knowledge (though only a foretaste). "For God, who

commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the

light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6).

By supernatural illumination and inward revelation (cf. Matthew 16:17; Galatians

1:16) the saints are given spiritual discernment and a view of the divine glory, such

as no creature can communicate to another and which no mere mental acumen can

ever attain. They know without any uncertainty that He is "the Father of glory."

5. Pink continues, "God is designated "the Father of glory" not only because He is

infinitely glorious in Himself, but also because He is the Bestower of glory upon His

dear children: "The LORD will give grace and glory" (Ps. 84:11). He is the Author

of all the glory with which His saints are or ever will be invested. There is what we

may call (for want of a better term) the official glory of God, which is

incommunicable; and there is His moral glory, of which He makes His people

partakers. That distinction is observed in those words of Christ’s: "The glory which

thou gavest me I have given them"; on the other hand, "Father, I will that they also,

whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my

[mediatorial and incommunicable] glory, which thou hast given me"(John 17:22,

24). A measure of His moral glory is communicated to us in this life: "But we all

with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the

same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18).

Utterly unable as we are to explain the mystery of that spiritual alchemy, yet the

fact is clearly stated. And the fact receives verification in the experience of the

saints, for as faith is exercised that divine glory has a transforming efficacy on their

souls.

We cannot anticipate too much that which immediately follows in this prayer, but

we may at least point out that each of its petitions is closely related to the particular

title which is here ascribed to the Father. Paul asked God to give His people "the

spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him"—a knowledge of Him as

the glorious One. Paul also requested that they might know "what is the hope of his

calling." From 1 Peter 5:10 we learn that, among other things, this calling is "unto

his eternal glory." Yes, we are called to glory itself (2 Pet. 1:3). The phrase "riches

of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (Eph. 1:18) signifies a glorious

inheritance, an inheritance in the Glory. In making request that we might know

"what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward" something more than the

bare exercise of Omnipotence is included, namely, the putting forth in a special

manner of "his glorious power" (Col. 1:11). Thus we may better perceive why the

apostle here addressed God as "the Father of glory," this title being most consistent

to the particular favors he was about to ask for.

6 Pink continues, "Our fathers used to say, "A word to the wise is sufficient." And

so it ought to be. To a receptive mind and responsive heart a hint should be enough.

Thus, if a godly and mature saint who was deeply interested in my spiritual welfare

wrote to say he was praying unceasingly that God would grant me a larger measure

of patience or that He would make me more humble, then—if I value his judgment

—I would at once regard that as a gracious word from God, informing me what I

especially need to be petitioning Him for. We should look in this way on this prayer

we are now considering. In making known to these saints what he sought from the

throne of grace on their behalf, the apostle intimated indirectly what they needed to

make the particular burden of their supplications. If the Ephesian saints needed to

ask these blessings, most certainly God’s people today need to do so. Let us then

view this prayer as divine instruction regarding what we most need to pray for.

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the

spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him" (Eph. 1:17). We believe

that God is here viewed in this way to strengthen our faith and to fire our hearts.

Request is to be made for a fuller knowledge and a closer communion with God. To

encourage us to ask for this knowledge with confidence, we are assured that the

"God of our Lord Jesus Christ" gives this knowledge to those who seek it. To

stimulate our aspirations we are reminded that He is "the Father of glory." Then

with what trustful reliance we should present these petitions! With what ardor we

should seek for their fulfillment! If we view God in this character, our view will have

a most animating effect upon the soul. This God is the One who so loved us that He

gave His only begotten Son for us, the One who was the all-absorbing Portion of our

Savior during the days of His flesh. He is His and our covenant God. Further, He is

the most glorious Father whom Christ revealed and of whom we have already

obtained a glimpse in the face of the Redeemer.

We are living in a day of such appalling ignorance that nothing may be taken for

granted. Therefore we need to point out that in asking God for these particular

things Paul did not signify the Ephesians were totally devoid of them any more than

his opening "grace be unto you and peace" (Eph. 1:2) implied they possessed

neither the one nor the other; rather he desired for them an increase of both. Thus it

is here. They already had a saving knowledge of God or he would not have

addressed them as "saints" and "faithful in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1:1). In asking God

to grant them the "Spirit of wisdom and revelation," Paul most certainly was not

making request for the Spirit to be given them for the first time, for he had just

affirmed in the context that they were "sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise"

(Eph. 1:13). �o, rather he was making request for further supplies and a richer

outpouring of the Spirit upon them. In this way we must view the words "in the

knowledge of him." Paul prayed for a fuller, deeper, closer acquaintance and

fellowship with Him, an "increasing in the knowledge of God" as Colossians 1:10

expresses it. So too must we regard each of the other things prayed for.

7. Pink continues, "But something more than the spirit of wisdom is here included,

namely, revelation, which cannot be understood as an inherent gift. Had the verse

only named the "spirit of wisdom" we would have regarded it as referring to a

principle infused into Christians. But "revelation" necessarily implies a Revealer,

for revealing is an act of one without us, of a person distinct from us, and Scripture

leaves us in no doubt as to who that person is. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,

neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for

them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit . . . �ow we

have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we

might know the things that are freely given to us of God" (1 Cor. 2:9-10, 12).

Our understanding then of this opening petition is that the apostle first sought from

God an increased measure of the Spirit, from whom all spiritual wisdom comes and

who reveals the certainty, the reality, the surpassing blessedness of divine things.

Second, Paul sought for an enlargement of the gift of wisdom to be bestowed upon

the Ephesians, a fuller capacity to take in the things of God, that He would further

manifest Himself to them (John 14:21), that they might perceive more clearly His

ineffable and soul-satisfying glory. Paul prayed that God would make good His

promise that all their children would be taught of the Lord (Isa. 54:13), for it is in

such ways that we obtain knowledge of Him. And that leads us to ask more

distinctly: "Knowledge of whom? Of the Father or of Christ?" Some believe the

former to be true, but the majority hold to the latter, being unduly influenced by

Philippians 3:8. The "Father of glory" is the One spoken of in the immediate

context of Ephesians 1:15-23, and it is to Him that the "his calling," "his

inheritance," and "his power" of verses 18-19 clearly refer. Yet He was specifically

viewed as the "God of our Lord Jesus Christ." So, putting the two together, it is the

knowledge of God in Christ which is here referred to.

8. Pink continues, "Coming to the substance of this petition, what is meant by the

"knowledge of Him"? As more than one kind of faith is spoken of in Scripture, so

there are several species of "knowledge"—not only of different objects and subjects

known but of ways of knowing the same. One may know or be fully assured from

the testimony of reliable witnesses that fire produces most unpleasant effects if an

unprotected hand is thrust into it. But if I have personally felt the consequences of

being burned, I have quite a different order of knowledge. The one may be termed

notional, the other experiential—usually wrongfully termed "experimental." The

distinction frequently drawn between real and assumed knowledge does not define

the difference. When the unclean spirit said to Christ, "I know thee who thou art"

(Mark 1:24), his knowledge was both real and accurate, but it profited him nothing

spiritually. On the other hand, "they that know thy name will put their trust in

thee" (Ps. 9:10) speaks of a knowledge which inspires such confidence that its

possessor cannot help but believe.

As there are degrees of trusting God, so there are degrees in our knowledge of Him,

and the measure in which we know Him will determine the extent to which we love,

trust, and obey Him. Since that is the case, we may at once perceive the vital

importance of obtaining a fuller knowledge of God and why this is the first petition

of the four. The defectiveness of our faith, love, and obedience is to be traced to the

inadequacy of our knowledge of God. If we were more intimately and influentially

acquainted with Him, we would love Him more fervently, trust Him more implicitly,

and obey Him more freely. We cannot sufficiently realize the value of a better

knowledge of God. But let us again remark it is not a mere notional knowledge of

Him but a visual and vital one that is needed. The former kind is one in which ideas

or mental images are presented to the understanding to work upon, but the latter

brings the reality of them down into the heart. By such a knowledge we behold the

glory of the Lord and are "changed into the same image" (2 Cor. 3:18).

There is also a knowledge by way of special gifts which is quite distinct from this

spiritual knowledge. One may have much of the former and very little of the latter,

as with the Corinthians. They came behind "in no gift," being "enriched by him, in

all utterance, and in all knowledge" (1 Cor. 1:7, 5). They were not only well

informed but also able to so express themselves on spiritual things as to stamp upon

the minds of their hearers an accurate image of them. Yet of those same highly

gifted and talented Christians Paul said, "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you

as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes" (1 Cor. 3:1). Thus they

were largely deficient in spiritual knowledge. But there are other saints with a much

deeper and closer acquaintance of God, who are incapable of expressing themselves

so freely and fluently as the Corinthians. A heart knowledge, not a head knowledge,

of God makes a person more holy.

9. Pink continues, "God has promised, "All shall know me" (Heb. 8:11). Isaiah

prophesied, "All thy children shall be taught of the LORD" (Isa. 54:13). Those

promises are for faith to lay hold of and plead before God. �either the arts nor the

sciences can impart one eternal idea to the soul; still less can they impart any vital

knowledge of God Himself. It is only in His light that we can see light. It is only as

He shines upon our understandings and reveals Himself to our hearts that we can

become better acquainted with Him. It is by means of the Word that the Holy Spirit

carries on the work of God in the soul; therefore whenever we read or meditate

upon it we need to beg Him to take of the things of God and of Christ and show

them to us, apply them to our hearts, that we may be more and more changed into

their very image. But it is one thing to be convinced of that need and another to put

it into practice. Pride, or self-sufficiency, is the chief deterrent. The things of God

are only revealed to those who preserve this humble characteristic of the "babes"

(Matthew 11:25).

The Greek word rendered "knowledge" in Ephesians 1:17 is epignosei. Gnosis

signifies "knowledge" and epi "upon." So as our moderns would express it, it is

"knowledge plus," or as the lexicons define it "full knowledge." The word occurs in

Romans 3:20, which will enable the average reader to better perceive its force: "By

the law is the knowledge [or full knowledge] of sin." A man knows something of

what sin is by the light of nature; but only as sin is viewed and measured in the light

of the authority, the spirituality, the strictness of the divine law, does he obtain a full

and adequate knowledge of the sinfulness of sin. Thus something more than a bare,

fragmentary inchoate acquaintance with God was here prayed for—a full

knowledge of Him. �ot a perfect knowledge but a firsthand, well-rounded, intimate,

and thorough knowledge of His person, His character, His perfections, especially as

He is revealed in and by Christ.

The margin of some of our Bibles gives "for the acknowledgment of him," as the

Greek may be thus rendered. To acknowledge is to own a knowledge of, to admit the

same, and this we do of God first in our secret communion with Him and then

outwardly by confessing Him before men with our lips and lives. Goodwin pointed

out this distinction thus: "One knoweth a stranger, but he doth ‘acknowledge’ he

knew before his friend. So that the intimate knowledge of God as of a friend is the

thing which the apostle meant. As He said of Moses ‘I know thee by name’ and

Moses knew God in turn: and as John 10:14 ‘I know my sheep, and am known of

mine.’ It is to have this mutual knowledge, God knowing me and I knowing God so

as to converse daily with Him and to have communion with Him as with a friend."

Thus we see the excellence of this particular knowledge. It is not only a more

enlarged knowledge about the things of God such as Christ communicated to His

disciples in Luke 24:27 but also the end or issue of such knowledge, namely, such a

knowledge as leads to real fellowship with Him, intimate communion with Him as

with a friend.

10. Pink continues, "This is the ultimate intent of God in His grace and favor to us:

that we may so know Him as to acquaint ourselves with Him, delight ourselves in

Him, be free with Him, enjoy mutual converse with Him. "Our fellowship is with

the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3), so that He knows us and we

know Him, He owns us and we own Him, and as the consequence—we cleave to Him

as our supreme Good, give up ourselves to Him as our absolute Lord, delight

ourselves in Him as our everlasting Portion. That acknowledgment will be evidenced

in our daily walk by submitting to His authority, seeking to please Him in all things,

and thus becoming more and more lively toward Him. Then obedience will be

spontaneous and joyful. The more we increase in this knowledge of God the easier

shall we find it to acknowledge Him in all our ways (Prov. 3:6).

�ow this spiritual knowledge of God which leads to the practical acknowledgment

of Him comes to us in a way of wisdom (that is, faith exercising itself on the Word)

and of revelation (that is, the Spirit operating by the Word). The word revelation in

this connection signifies the particularity of it; something is made known by the

Spirit to the saints which is hidden from the wise and prudent of this world, as is

clear from Matthew 11:25 and 27. It is a knowledge which is peculiar to the

regenerate. Revelation also connotes a knowledge which is additional to what

"wisdom" or the workings of faith produce; not a different kind of knowledge but a

different degree of it. Faith obtains clear apprehension of God, but when the Spirit

shines through the Word upon the understanding, God’s glory is more awe-

inspiring to the soul. Revelation also emphasizes the excellency of this knowledge;

that of wisdom is discoursive or acquired by information, but that of revelation is

intuitive. That difference has to be experienced in order to be understood. But has

not the Christian reader, when at prayer, been favored at times with an unusual

revelation of God to his soul which at other seasons was not the case!

11. Pink concludes, "In conclusion we will summarize the exposition of Goodwin,

who pointed out the bearing of each word of the text on its central theme. An

increased, more intimate knowledge of God may be obtained in a way of wisdom,

that is, by faith making sanctified use of reason, by meditating on the various parts

of truth where God’s excellencies are revealed. That is the ordinary way, for

wisdom is a rational laying of things together, perceiving their harmony. But there

is also a way of revelation whereby the Holy Spirit comes down into the heart with a

beam from heaven, enabling us to discern the glory of God such as no cognition can

produce. It was thus with Job when he said, "But now mine eye seeth thee" (Job

42:5). It is thus when Christ makes good that word "I will come in to him and sup

with him" (Rev. 3:20). This is not done apart from the Word but by God causing a

beam of light from that Word to suddenly and powerfully strike into the heart."

12. Grace Bible Church, "More often, it is not the quantity of things we know but

the quality of the depth by which we know them. A surface understanding of

doctrine is inadequate to mature the believer! cf. 1 Cor. 2:9-12. And this in order

that they may know three great spiritual resources that they have in Christ.This is a

call to pursue deeply the study of theology , i.e., the doctrine of God. Like all Bible

study this demands tireless reflection and careful observation. Clarence E. Flynn

writes:

Peering into the mists of gray that shroud the surface of the bay,

�othing I see except a veil of fog surrounding every sail.

Then suddenly against a cap a vast and silent form takes shape,

A great ship lies against the shore where nothing has appeared before.

Who sees a truth must often gaze into a fog for many days

In may seem very sure to him nothing is there but mist-clouds dim.

Then, suddenly, his eyes will see a shape where nothing used to be,

Discoveries are missed each day by men who turn too soon away.

The believer's position in Christ, resulting in all the glorious spiritual resources

culminates in the deep knowledge of God, His character, attributes, works and will

towards man. Theology (Greek, theos is God; logos is thought or study) or the study

of God is the great end of not only all the blessings we have but the chief end of all

intelligent creatures. cf. Jer. 9:23-24; Psalm 63:1-2; Hosea 6:6, etc.

The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which

can ever engage the attention of the child of God, is the name, the nature, the

person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he

calls his Father…when we come to this master science, finding that our

plumb-line cannot sound its depth, and that our eagle eye cannot see its

height, we turn away with the thought that vain man would be wise, but he is

like a wild ass's colt; and with solemn exclamation, "I am but of yesterday,

and know nothing." �o subject of contemplation will tend more to humble

the mind, than thoughts of God…But while the subject humbles the mind, it

also expands it…�othing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the

whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great

subject of the Deity…Then go, plunge yourself in the Godhead's deepest sea;

be lost in his immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest,

refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so

calm the swelling billows of grief; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a

devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead.

Main Idea: Having been introduced to the glorious resources that we have in

Christ, we should pray for each others deeper understanding of both their

position in Christ and their God. The personal and intimate full knowledge

of God is the goal toward which all blessings tend, so to know Him is to enjoy

Him forever!

13. Donald Williams, "But why is Christian truth so hard for us to grasp? The

problem is not that biblical teaching is so abstruse and complex intellectually. Some

of it is quite challenging, difficult but not impossible considered intellectually, but

some is very simple. Either way, that's not the problem. The problem is that we are

asking people whose only experience is of earth to believe and understand heavenly

things. We are asking people whose life is but a breath of wind that appears and

vanishes away to believe and understand eternal things. We are asking people whose

hearts are by nature polluted by sin to believe and understand holy things. We are

asking people whose minds are filled with clever plans of their own making to

believe and accept the grace, the unmerited favor, of God. We are asking people

whose dreams are full of schemes for their own advancement to live for the glory of

God. And these conflicts, these barriers, these impediments to our acceptance and

understanding of these truths are not just in the advanced and esoteric teachings

but also--perhaps even more so--in the most simple and basic truths of the Gospel

where we must begin!

It is therefore not possible for fallen Man unaided to learn or to teach these things.

It is not possible for you by the length of time you spend, the soundness of your

methodology, the intensity of your concentration, or the sincerity of your desire

(though if we are to study them at all it is essential that we bring our best in all these

areas to the task)--it is not possible for you thus to pierce the clouds of glory around

God's throne and comprehend these celestial principles. But it is also not possible

for me by the incisiveness of my logic, the clarity of my explanations, the eloquence

of my diction, or the power of my rhetoric (though I too if I am to preach His Word

at all must bring my best in all these areas to the task)--it is not possible for me thus

to drive home these truths of God into your hearts.

It is only by the supernatural intervention of the Spirit of God, using all those

methods and efforts but taking us beyond them, that we can learn these truths

without which we perish. Therefore, Sunday School teachers, parents, witnesses--do

you pray this prayer for your students, your children, and your friends as one

without which your efforts are in vain? When you study the Scriptures for yourself,

do you pray this prayer for yourself as one without which your efforts are in vain?

We must! For then we will experience the wonder that, by his grace, it IS possible

for even a child to understand the love of God.

This prayer in its context not only teaches us the Difficulty of Doctrine but also the

Destiny of Doctrine, or the purpose of theology. Paul gives thanks even as he prays

for his readers. He simply cannot contemplate the wonder of these truths for long

without breaking into praise. Theology was never intended to be some dry and

abstract study pursued simply for intellectual pride or academic advancement. To

make it so is nothing less than blasphemy against the God who revealed it. There is

no true Theology that does not lead to Doxology. We need no Learning that does not

lead to Living; neither do we need Striving that does not stem from Study of the

Word of God.

14. Williams continues, "It is interesting, finally, that Paul's thanks for his readers'

possession of v. 3-14 leads him to pray that they will have more. How can you have

more than every spiritual blessing? Well, you can't have more THA� every spiritual

blessing, but you can have more OF every spiritual blessing. It is a profound

thought that for the possessors of 1:3 Paul prays for more. Therefore, a true

Christian is never satisfied with his level of devotion to Christ. Show me one who is,

and I will show you one in whom the process of backsliding has already begun.

Therefore, our battle cry must always be, "Press on! Press on! Press on to the mark

of the high calling of God!"

That is what it means to have an infinite God. He is inexhaustible, unsearchable.

�ever now or in all of eternity will you be able to say, "I have plumbed the depths of

the love of God!" �ever now or in all of eternity will you be able to say, "I have

gotten to the bottom of the goodness of God!" �ever now or in all of eternity will

you be able to say, "I have exhausted the righteousness of God!" �ever now or in all

of eternity will you be able to say, "I have gotten to the end of the grace of God!"

When the ages grind to a halt and entropy exhausts the motion of the planets and

the last light of the stars goes forever black, each one of the saints will still have

more to discover of the hope of his calling, the riches of his glory, and the greatness

of his power toward us who believe. And therefore my prayer for you also is that he

may give unto you the Spirit of revelation in the knowledge of him. May he grant it

richly.

15. Williams continues, "So what does it mean to know God? Or another way of

asking the same question is, how do you get to know God? Well, think of what the

same phrase means when we apply it to one of our human friends. It includes at

least the following:

In the first place, to know another person is TO K�OW SOMETHI�G ABOUT

HIS HISTORY. Whenever good friends get together you can hear them saying,

"Remember the time when we . . .?" With God, that means knowing the Old

Testament, the �ew Testament, and something about Church history, which

includes the history of his dealing in your own life. To know someone is to

coordinate his past with your own past so that together they become meaningful as

something we continue to share as we move into the future. "Remember the time?"

is a question the person who knows God can share with him. The Old Testament

through Church History are subjects in which he will therefore take a vital interest.

Otherwise, how can he claim to be the friend of God?

In the second place, to know another person isTO K�OW SOMETHI�G ABOUT

HIS WAYS. If you know me really well, you might be thinking, "I knew you were

going to say that." Sometimes people who have been married or close friends for a

long time can complete each other's sentences. This is a habit that can become

annoying--but with people we really love we take delight in knowing them that way.

To know God is to be able to anticipate how he would respond to a given situation,

how he would feel about a proposed action. It is to take "What would Jesus do?"

beyond the cliched level at which it usually gets stuck, to make it more than a piece

of jewelry.

16. Williams continues, "In the third place, to know another person is TO BE

AFFECTED BY HIS WORDS. The old proverb says "Sticks and stones may break

my bones, but words will never hurt me." Well, this may be true of lots of people,

but there are two groups of people about whom it is a lie: those I care about and the

editors who have my manuscripts at their mercy! When most of us go to the mail

box, we tend to sort its contents into three piles: junk mail, which doesn't even make

it out the dorr with us; bills, i.e., stuff we have to deal with out of duty; and real

mail, something from a friend that may make our day. A good way of telling

whether you know God is to ask which category the Bible fits for you. It's junk mail

if you never read it. Or is it a bill, something you read because you are supposed to?

If you know God it will be real mail for you.

Finally, to really know another person as a friend is TO HAVE A� I�TEREST I�

HIS DREAMS. It matters to me whether Brian gets his doctorate in history,

whether Jaime ever finishes her novel and gets it published, whether Matt gets to

make the next Star Wars, whether Mark ever gets to teach drama. There is much I

would go out of my way to do to help make these things happen. That's part of what

it means to love someone as a friend. So what about Eph. 1:10? How central is

summing up all things in Christ in your life? If it makes no difference to you, if your

own plans are made only in the light of this world, then I won't say God can't save

you, but don't try to tell me that you know him, that he is your friend. To know

another person as a friend is to have an interest in his dreams.

Therefore, in this light, the queston is not whether we are good at theology or

balanced in our approach to Christian living but whether we can say, simply,

honestly, not because as Evangelicals we feel we ought to but because it is a plain

matter of fact, that we have known God?

Do you know God? Would you like to know him better? David knew him well, and

said to Solomon in 1 Chron. 28:9, "If you seek him he will let you find him." Jesus

said, "He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." Open your heart to him,

to his history, his ways, his words, his dreams, and to the spirit of wisdom and

revelation in the knowledge of Him, so that Paul's prayer--and mine--may be

answered.

17. Leon Combs, "The word “revelation” here refers to the revealed knowledge of

the mysteries of God (those He chooses to reveal to us). The word “knowledge”

refers to an understanding based upon an intimate acquaintance with the teacher.

The meaning of this word contrasts knowledge that is obtained by reading a book

and knowledge obtained by close contact with a mentor. If you have ever had a

tutor in any discipline, you know the vast difference between reading about

something and having the tutor explain it to you, particularly if the tutor is a friend

or a loved one. The Socratic method of teaching/learning is still probably the best

method of helping people really understand some topic. But spiritual learning has a

prerequisite of a spiritual rebirth."

18. Barnes, "In the knowledge of him - Margin, “for the acknowledgment.” That is,

in order that you may more fully acknowledge him, or know him more intimately

and thoroughly. They had already made high attainments Eph_1:15, but Paul felt

that they might make still higher; and the idea here is, that however far Christians

may have advanced in knowledge and in love, there is an unfathomed depth of

knowledge which they may still explore, and which they should be exhorted still to

attempt to fathom. How far was Paul from supposing that the Ephesians had

attained to perfection!"

19. David Roth, "It is very interesting that in each of the four prison prayers of the

Apostle Paul he does not one time mention the unfaithful in Christ, but to the

contrary he always mentions the faithful.

(The four prison prayers are found in Ephesians 1:15-23, 3:14-21, Philippians 1:9-

11, and in Colossians 1:9-12)

Ephesians 1:17, he prays that they would know God.

Ephesians 3:19, he prays that they would know the love of Christ.

Philippians 1:11, he prays that they would be filled with the fruit of righteousness.

Colossians 1:10, he prays that they would increase in their knowledge of God.

I believe an important principle of prayer is often missed and that is we are so

concerned for the backsliding or troubled that we have forgotten to pray for those

who week in and week out are faithful to Jesus Christ.

I had often wondered why Paul's prayers were not directed to the backsliding or

unbelieving. I believe the answer lies in the fact that those who are actively growing

and maturing in the Lord are more often that's not the targets of Satan' attacks.

They are on the battle lines day in and day out. After all Satan need not deploy

much energies against those who are impotent in the Christian life. In fact this

spiritual battle is so fierce that it requires special protection if one is to stand strong

in the Lord. We will see this more clearly when we come to 6:10-17, where we are

given the description of the armor of God needed to withstand the wiles of the

devil."

20. An unknown author gives us this practical outline.

Paul gives two ways that God would help Christians have spiritual understanding -

"the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him."

1. The "spirit of wisdom" is simply the ability to discern the truth and apply

it to our lives.

b. God has never promised instant revelation (new truth) for all his

saints. In fact, very few Christians in the first century, when the final

truth was being revealed had privilege to have revelation given

directly to them. Jude 3 teaches us that the truth has been completely

revealed to mankind.

c. The Lord does, however, promise wisdom to every child of God who

will seek it from Him.

d. James 1:5-6 "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who

gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

6- But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like

a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind."

2. "Revelation in the knowledge of Him"

a. Does this passage have a first century connotation? Is it referring to

a miraculous revelation? Even though revelation was not yet

completed, it seems likely that Paul was referring to something that all

Christians could have access to. The revealed will of God that had

been provided by Inspired writers.

b. What is Paul praying that the Ephesians would do? He prays that

they would have the wisdom to go to God’s revelation to receive a

knowledge on God.

c. How do we receive the knowledge of God’s revelation? By diligently

studying that revelation and applying it to our lives.

i. 2 Timothy 2:15

ii. Acts 17:11 - "These were more fair-minded than those in

Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness,

and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these

things were so."

21. The bottom line is that Paul wants all believers to know God better than they do

now, for no matter where you are, there is an infinite way to go to know God, and so

growth in the knowledge of God is never ending. Jeremiah 9:23-24 "Thus says the

LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in

his might, �or let the rich man glory in his riches; 24- But let him who glories glory

in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising

lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,"

says the LORD."

22. Spurgeon, "It has been said by someone that 'the proper study of mankind is

man.' I will not oppose the idea, but I believe it is equally true that the proper study

of God's elect is God; the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest

science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy which can ever engage the

attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings,

and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father"

18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be

enlightened in order that you may know the hope

to which he has called you, the riches of his

glorious inheritance in the saints,

Amplified: By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know

and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious

inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),

�LT: I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand

the wonderful future He has promised to those He called. I want you to realize what

a rich and glorious inheritance He has given to his people.

Phillips: that you may receive that inner illumination of the spirit which will make

you realise how great is the hope to which He is calling you - the magnificence and

splendour of the inheritance promised to Christians -

1. Clarke, "The understanding is that power or faculty in the soul by which

knowledge or information is received, and the recipient power is here termed the

Eyes of the understanding; and we learn from this that as Philo expresses it: What

the eye is to the body, the understanding is to the soul; and that as the eye is not

light in itself, and can discern nothing but by the means of light shining, not only on

the objects to be viewed, but into the eye itself; so the understanding of man can

discern no sacred thing of or by itself, but sees by the influence of the Spirit of

wisdom and revelation; for without the influence of God’s Holy Spirit no man ever

became wise unto salvation, no more than a man ever discerned an object, (no

matter how perfect soever his eye might have been), without the instrumentality of

light. The riches of the glory of his inheritance - That you may understand what is

the glorious abundance of the spiritual things to which you are entitled, in

consequence of being made children of God; for if children, then heirs, heirs of that

glorious inheritance which God has provided for the saints - for all genuine

Christians, whether formerly Jews or Gentiles."

2. Jamison, "The heart is “the core of life” [Harless], and the fountain of the

thoughts; whence “the heart” in Scripture includes the mind, as well as the

inclination. Its “eye,” or inward vision, both receives and contemplates the light

(Mat_6:22, Mat_6:23). The eye is the symbol of intelligence (Eze_1:18)."

3. Barnes, " The phrase, “the eyes of the understanding,” is a figure that is common

in all languages. Thus, Philo says, “What the eye is to the body, that is the mind to

the soul;” compare Mat_6:22. The eye is the instrument by which we see; and in like

manner the understanding is that by which we perceive truth. The idea here is, that

Paul not only wished their “hearts” to be right, but he wished their “understanding”

to be right also. Religion has much to do in enlightening the mind. Indeed, its effect

there is not less striking and decisive than it is on the heart. The understanding has

been blinded by sin. The views which people entertain of themselves and of God are

narrow and wrong. The understanding is enfeebled and perverted by the practice of

sin. It is limited in its operations by the necessity of the case, and by the

impossibility of fully comprehending the great truths which pertain to the divine

administration. One of the first effects of true religion is on the understanding. It

enlarges its views of truth; gives it more exalted conceptions of God; corrects its

errors; raises it up toward the great Fountain of love. And nowhere is the effect of

the true religion more apparent than in shedding light on the intellect of the world,

and restoring the weak and perverted mind to a just view of the proportion of

things, and to the true knowledge of God."

4. Barnes continues, "That ye may know what is the hope of his calling - What is the

full import of that hope to which he has called and invited you by his Spirit and his

promises. The meaning here is, that it would be an inestimable privilege to be made

fully acquainted with the benefits of the Christian hope, and to be permitted to

understand fully what Christians have a right to expect in the world of glory. This is

the first thing which the apostle desires they should fully understand,

And what the riches of the glory of his inheritance - This is the second thing which

Paul wishes them to understand. There is a force in this language which can be

found perhaps nowhere else than in the writings of Paul. His mind is full, and

language is burdened and borne down under the weight of his thoughts. The phrase

“riches of glory” means “glorious wealth;” or, as we would say, “how rich and

glorious!” The meaning is, that there is an abundance - an infinitude of wealth. It is

not such a possession as man may be heir to in this world, which is always limited

from the necessity of the case, and which cannot be enjoyed long; it is infinite and

inexhaustible."

5. Gill, "..that ye may know what is the hope of his calling; by which is meant, the

effectual calling of the saints; which is not a call to an office, or a call merely by the

external ministry of the word; but which is internal, special, powerful, high, and

heavenly: and this is the calling of God, of which he is the author; who calls with an

holy calling, unto eternal glory by Christ Jesus; and which is without repentance:

and the hope of this calling, is either eternal happiness, which is the thing hoped for;

or Christ, who is the ground and foundation of it; or the grace of hope, which is

exercised on both; or all three: for hope of eternal glory, as it is founded on Christ,

may be said to be the hope of the calling of God, because it is wrought in the soul at

the time of the effectual calling, and what saints are then called to the exercise of;

and calling grace, is an encouragement to hope for eternal life; since whom God

calls, he justifies and glorifies: and now the apostle prays, that these saints who were

called by the grace of God, might know more of Christ, the foundation of their

hope; and what that is they are hoping for, and more and more what it is to hope for

the same, upon the view of Christ's person, blood, and righteousness:

and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints; the saints themselves

are the Lord's portion, and the lot of his inheritance, in whom he is, and will be

abundantly glorified; but here it rather seems to design the heavenly inheritance

before spoken of, of which the Spirit is the earnest; and this is the Lord's, it is of his

preparing, and it is his gift, and a very rich and glorious inheritance it is: hence it is

not only signified by mansions, and everlasting habitations, by an house, and by a

city, but by a kingdom; the riches of grace are preparatory to it, and the riches of

glory are comprised in it; and this is in, or among the saints, who only have a right

unto it, and a meetness for it; and what this inheritance is, with the riches and glory

of it, will not be fully known in this life; and indeed but little of it is known; so that

such a petition as this is always proper and pertinent."

5B. Bob Hostetler, "YOU stand to inherit . . . EVERYTHI�G!

In fact, you are not only infinitely wealthy,

you are eternally wealthy.

�othing can destroy it.

�o stock market dive can devalue it.

�o recession can deflate it.

�o one can defraud you of it.

You--if you are a Christ-follower--

are God’s possession, and everything God has

is yours.

WHO WA�TS TO BE A MILLIO�AIRE

when you can be THAT rich??!"

6. Henry, " He prays that the eyes of their understanding may be enlightened,

Eph_1:18. Observe, Those who have their eyes opened, and have some

understanding in the things of God, have need to be more and more enlightened,

and to have their knowledge more clear, and distinct, and experimental. Christians

should not think it enough to have warm affections, but they should labour to have

clear understandings; they should be ambitious of being knowing Christians, and

judicious Christians. What it is that he more particularly desire they should grow in

the knowledge of. 1. The hope of his calling, Eph_1:18. Christianity is our calling.

God has called us to it, and on that account it is said to be his calling. There is a

hope in this calling; for those who deal with God deal upon trust. And it is a

desirable thing to know what this hope of our calling is, to have such an

acquaintance with the immense privileges of God's people, and the expectations they

have from God, and with respect to the heavenly world, as to be quickened thereby

to the utmost diligence and patience in the Christian course. We ought to labour

after, and pray earnestly for, a clearer insight into, and a fuller acquaintance with,

the great objects of a Christian's hopes. 2. The riches of the glory of his inheritance

in the saints. Besides the heavenly inheritance prepared for the saints, there is a

present inheritance in the saints; for grace is glory begun, and holiness is happiness

in the bud. There is a glory in this inheritance, riches of glory, rendering the

Christian more excellent and more truly honourable than all about him: and it is

desirable to know this experimentally, to be acquainted with the principles,

pleasures, and powers, of the spiritual and divine life. It may be understood of the

glorious inheritance in or among the saints in heaven, where God does, as it were,

lay forth all his riches, to make them happy and glorious, and where all that the

saints are in possession of is transcendently glorious, as the knowledge that can be

attained of this upon earth is very desirable, and must be exceedingly entertaining

and delightful. Let us endeavour then, by reading, contemplation, and prayer, to

know as much of heaven as we can, that we may be desiring and longing to be

there."

7. "The first thing Paul says we need to know is the hope of his calling. The word

"hope" in the Bible means to have absolute certainty and total assurance about

something. This is contrary to the meaning of hope in today’s English language.

�owadays, when we speak of hope, we mean something is absolutely uncertain. If

someone asks, "Are you coming to the wedding?" and you respond, "I hope so,"

what are you really saying? "Don’t count on me." That is how much the language

has changed. But when Paul prays, "that you may know the hope of his calling," he

is saying, "that you may know with absolute assurance and certainty that God will

save you for all eternity-that he has saved you, that he is saving you, and that he will

save you." This is what we need to know. In other words, the Bible speaks about

hope as a sure hope. Hebrews 6 tells us we have this hope as the anchor of our souls.

The hope of our salvation stabilizes our heart. It is called a living hope, not dead

one. It is called the blessed hope, and Paul calls it the hope of the glory of God, a

hope that will not embarrass or disappoint us-a hope that is certain because it is

based on God’s covenant ; a hope that is based on God." Author unknown

8. David Roth, "Before we continue we must understand what is meant by the

phrase, "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened."Is Paul here praying

that they would see something that could not be seen before? Is he praying that God

would impart to them some new revelation that beforehand had not been revealed?

My answer to this question is an emphatic no! What Paul is praying for is that their

eyes (spiritual) would be enlightened that they may more clearly see what they

already know to be true, and may I add that they would enter into the practical

aspect of what they know.

The word enlightened signifies more light or the ability to see more clearly. For

example, many of you are familiar with dimmer lights. When the dimmer control is

turned down low it does not mean that you cannot make out the objects in the room,

but it does impair your ability to see things clearly. But when the dimmer switch is

turned up you do not necessarily see anything new, but you're are able to make out

things more clearly. In my opinion that is what Paul is praying here. That God

would turn up the dimmer switch in order that they would more clearly see the

greatness of God's plan for their life.

8B. Roth continues, "That we have been called out of this world of sin and darkness

and into God's marvelous light is a wonderful call indeed.

We have been called by His grace. (Gal 1:15 KJV) "But when it pleased God, who

separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,"

Ours is a holy calling. (2 Tim 1:9 KJV) "Who hath saved us, and called us with an

holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and

grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"

We have been called to glory and virtue. (2 Pet 1:3 KJV) "According as his divine

power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the

knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:"

The very fact that God has Sovereignly called you unto Himself is designed to give

you great comfort and expectation as you walk the walk of faith."

9. P. G. Matthew has much to comment on this verse. I have cut out a little of it, but

it is all so well stated that I have kept most of it, even though it is long. "The apostle

is praying that God, in his rich mercy, will open the eyes of believers and give them

greater understanding. He is praying that God will remove the spiritual cataracts

from our eyes-the cataracts of worldliness, the cataracts of arrogance and pride, the

cataracts of love of pleasure, and the cataracts of trusting in this temporal world-

that we may see the ultimate reality of God, his infinite power, and his great

salvation. I assure you, all of our problems and fears would be instantly taken care

of when we, by faith, see God as our Father and understand his loving care of us.”

He goes on-

“In John 3:19 the Lord Jesus Christ declares the verdict of the eternal God on

unbelievers. "This is the verdict," Jesus said, "Light has come into the world, but

men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." In 2 Corinthians

4:4-6 Paul tells us that unbelievers are blinded by Satan so that they cannot see the

glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ through the gospel. In his epistle to the

Romans Paul says that an unbeliever continuously suppresses the truth of the

reality of God. In other words, as the truth wells up within him, he engages in the

deliberate task of smothering it. As a firefighter, he wants to put out the fire of the

knowledge of God that surrounds him and that wells up within him. He treats the

gospel as foolishness.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gives an illustration of the blind state of unbelievers in a

story about an English parliamentarian of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth

centuries, William Pitt the Younger, an unbeliever, and his friend, William

Wilberforce, who was a real Christian and whose eyes were opened to heavenly

realities. Wilberforce was so fascinated by the gospel that when he heard that a

famous preacher, Richard Cecil, was coming to London, he invited his friend,

William Pitt, to go with him to hear Dr. Cecil. Mr. Pitt gave in to Mr. Wilberforce’s

entreaties and went with him to the meeting. As Wilberforce listened to the sermon,

he was so moved that he described it as being taken from earth and placed before

the presence of God in the heavenlies. Afterwards, of course, Wilberforce wanted to

know how this powerful sermon had affected his friend. But as soon as they left the

assembly hall, before Wilberforce could ask his question, Mr. Pitt turned to him and

said, "You know, I was doing everything I could to focus my attention on Mr. Cecil

and listen to his sermon. But let me tell you, Mr. Wilberforce, I did not have the

slightest idea what he was talking about." This demonstrates the spiritual blindness

of an unbeliever. There is a blindness of the spirit and heart that is worse than

physical blindness. It is like showing a beautiful sunset to a blind person. The person

simply cannot see.

9B. Matthew continues,"The apostle Paul speaks of the need for our eyes to be

opened in Acts 26. The Lord Jesus Christ apprehended Saul of Tarsus, the enemy of

the gospel, on the road to Damascus. God opened Saul’s eyes, and appointed him for

a unique task, which we read about in Acts 26:17-18: "I will rescue you from your

own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and

turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God." We sing

the song Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord, I want to see you. As believers we must

understand there has to be an ongoing restoration of our spiritual sight. Some

people say, "Well, I know I am saved because I remember twenty-five years ago I

went forward one day." Oh, no. If we have truly been saved, God will continue to

open our eyes so that we can be brought into greater and greater degree of vision

and, therefore, greater and greater degree of knowledge of this eternal reality in

which we trust. When we read Ephesians 1:1-14 we realize that God had saved these

Ephesians. They were chosen, predestinated, and redeemed. Their sins were

forgiven and they were adopted into the very family of God and sealed with the

Holy Spirit of promise. All of these things are stated there, and yet in verses 16-18

we find the apostle Paul praying that God would again enlighten these people so

that they might come into greater understanding of God."

9C. Matthew continues, "The Riches of His Glorious Inheritance

The second thing Paul prays that we may know is, in the Greek, tis ho ploutos tês

doxês klêronomias autou en tois hagiois, "what are the glorious riches, the

exceedingly great riches, of his in the saints." It is difficult to interpret this phrase,

so I want to explain both interpretations, because both are true. First, the text may

mean that we, as a result of the Holy Spirit giving us illumination into the Holy

Scriptures, may come to know that we are God’s riches, the riches of the glory of his

inheritance in the saints. The idea is that God looks upon us as his inheritance, as

his treasure, as his glorious riches. This is a mind-boggling thought-that the infinite

personal God would look upon human beings as his portion, as his riches, as his

inheritance, as his treasure! Yet, amazingly, this is a proper interpretation because

the Bible teaches this truth elsewhere. For instance, in Deuteronomy 32:9 we read,

"For the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance." You see, God

gave his people an inheritance, as we read in the book of Joshua, consisting of land

in the beautiful country of Israel. But here we are told that God’s inheritance is his

people.

The Bible says that we are the apple of God’s eye. In Zechariah 2:8 we are told that

whoever touches us touches the apple of God’s eye. This means God will do all

things to preserve, protect, keep, save, defend, and fight for us because we are his

treasure. What an amazing declaration of truth! In 1 Peter 2:9 we read, "But you

are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,"

meaning a people of God’s possession, "that you may declare the praises of him who

called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." We belong to God, and in 1

Peter 1:18-19 we read how this came to be: "For you know that it was not with

perishable things, such as silver or gold, that you were redeemed from the empty

way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood

of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."

What was the price that God the Father paid for our redemption? The blood of his

Son! Can anyone calculate the value of such a price? �o. It is inestimable, an

incomparable price paid to redeem the nothings of the world. But although we were

nothing and pursued God as enemies, yet God loved us and chose us from before the

creation of the world to be saved. He planned our redemption, sending his Son to

shed his blood for us that we may be saved. Christ loved the church and gave

himself for her.

What is at the heart of the covenant God makes with us? It is God’s statement, "I

am your God and you will be my people." What dignity, what worth God has placed

upon you and me, his church! The nothings of this world are given an eternal weight

of glory. Though we were nothings-things that are not-he chose us and poured into

us glory, dignity, and worth, granting us the elevated position of being his

inheritance.

I was thinking about one of you recently whose father is an accomplished professor

of medicine. This man worked at a top university, yet he will not have anything to

do with God. When I look at that family, there is only one person who is a Christian.

God has chosen this person and invested in that person all the worth, dignity, and

glory that God gives his people. God looks upon this person and says, "This one is

my treasure, my jewel, my possession, my inheritance."

In Psalm 16:6 David says, "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant

places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." God is also saying, "The lines are

fallen in beautiful places for me," but he is saying it about us. Isn’t that wonderful?

And notice the language: "the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."

Rich would have been fine, but it says riches, and then, on top of it, glory.This is

what God does. The Father of glory takes people without any glory and makes them

glorious and fit to be in heaven with him. We must be made glorious, for we cannot

be with God if we are not glorious. We were not glorious, and he took us up, put into

us glory, and now we are weighted down with glory. We are no ordinary people-we

are glorious people, beautiful people, wonderful people, worthy people-based not

our own worth, but on the worth he put into us. This is the first interpretation of

this phrase.

9D. Matthew continues, "But there is another interpretation which is also true, that

this passage is speaking about our inheritance being God. In other words, some

people say that Paul is praying that the Holy Spirit will give us wisdom and

understanding in the knowledge of him so that we will know that we have a great

inheritance. Then if you ask, "What is my inheritance?" the answer will come:

"God." What a glorious thought! In 1 Corinthians 2:9 we read, "�o eye has seen, no

ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love

him.’" We find this idea in Psalm 73, as well as in a number of other psalms. The

psalmist was about to slip because he looked at wicked people and saw that they had

no problem while he, who was a believer, was filled with problems. The wicked were

always healthy and had everything, according to the writer, while he was about to

slip and fall.

So the psalmist wrote, "When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered. . . ."

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever thought, "What’s the use of being a

Christian? All I encounter are problems all the time while everyone else is doing

fine." He continued, "I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you."

Have you ever behaved like a brute beast? I have, many times. But then the psalmist

did one wonderful thing: he went to the house of God, where God gave him a

revelation of his true situation. Then he said to God, "Yet I am always with

you. . . ." I hope the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to heavenly realities, that you

too will be able to say, "Yet I am always with you," to God. And he continued, ". . .

you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you

will take me into glory. Whom I have in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I

desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my

heart and my portion forever." God was his portion, his inheritance, forever.

What do you want for your inheritance? Some rubies? Some gold? Some platinum?

I will give my answer: I want God. I will say with this psalmist, "Whom have I in

heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart

may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." God is my

everlasting inheritance, my everlasting portion, my treasure. He alone is the pearl of

great price.

We find the same idea in Psalm 119:57 and Psalm 142:5. Our inheritance and

portion is not part of creation, but the Creator God himself, the Redeemer God, the

self-existing, self-sufficient personal, almighty God, in whom we live and move and

have our being. Realization of this glorious inheritance promised by God prompted

the apostle Paul to make a profound statement in the first chapter of his letter to the

Philippians, beginning with verse 22. When God is our portion and cup, our great

treasure, then we will join Paul in saying, "If I am to go on living in the body, this

will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know." Here Paul

tells us that he does not know certain things, but he gives us a clue which he would

choose. "I am torn between the two," he says. "I desire to depart and be with

Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the

body."

9E. Matthew continues, "Some people very casually and superficially say they want

to die. I hope that when your time comes, you will say that "to depart and be with

Christ is far better," because Christ is our inheritance. My inheritance is not a

thing, but a person-an infinite, glorious person, the redeemer God, the Son of God,

the mighty God, the one who loved us and gave himself for us. That is the idea. In

John 14 Jesus tells us, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also

in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told

you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I and prepare a place for

you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

This is eternal life. This is felicity. This is celestial blessing. This is God’s final

purpose for us. A love relationship with the eternal God. My inheritance is God and

his inheritance is me, two lovers being together forever and ever. What joy! �o

wonder Paul could said, "I rejoice in tribulations also."

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells us, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures

on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But

store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy,

and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your

heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21). Let me assure you, the moment we get such a

vision of the knowledge of God, it will affect our entire outlook on the world and the

things of the world, and we will realize that our true treasure is in heaven. We find

this language also in Colossians 3, beginning with verse 1: "Since, then, you have

been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above." What does Paul mean by

"things above?" Stars? Golden streets? �o. Paul tells us, "Set your hearts on things

above, where Christ is seated on the right of God. Set your minds on things above,

not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in

God."God made us alive, raised us up, and we are already seated with him. Our life

is hid with Christ in God. What great security we enjoy! We are in Christ and in

God. Isn’t that a reason to rejoice? God looks upon us as his portion, as his

inheritance, as his pearl of great price, and we look upon him and say, "O God, you

alone are my inheritance, my portion, my treasure." P G Matthew

10. Donald Williams, "There is nothing you need more than hope. Our need for it is

absolute. It is the one thing (after oxygen, food, and water) that you cannot live

without. Paul says that of faith, hope, and love, the greatest of these is love, and so

this must be true: love is the greatest of them to have, but hope is the worst one to be

without. You can live with all kinds of pain if you have hope that someday it will get

better. You can live without love if you have the hope that someday you may find it.

You can even live without purpose if you have any hope that someday you will

discover it. But you cannot live without hope. The one common denominator of

every suicide I've ever known about was the absence of hope. Its total absence leads

to death, but its weakness in one area of life can lead to paralysis in that area. The

one common denominator in every divorce I've ever known about was the loss of

hope that any other expedient would suffice.

If hope is that important, we'd better be clear about what it is. The biblical concept

of hope is not wishful thinking but rather a confident expectation, based on solid

evidence, that in the long run God's goodness will have the final word. You see it in

Heb. 6:19--hope is an anchor of the soul, steadfast and sure, which enables it to

"enter within the veil," that is to grasp as real the access to God's presence and

purposes which we have in Christ. The role hope plays in Ephesians is that if we are

going to walk worthily of our calling, if we are going to be victorious in the spiritual

warfare coming in chp. 6--all of which is necessary if we are to fulfill our purpose to

glorify God as living stones in the Temple--then we had better have souls solidly

anchored in an ability to hold onto the reality of God's promises. Hope in that sense

is the practical application of faith to God's word considered as the Promise of his

good intentions toward us and his ability to bring them to fruition. It is the ability

faith gives us to live effectively in the present in spite of its difficulties because of the

reality of the future joy that is set before us.

The source of our hope is his Calling us. How so? Because those whom he foreknew

he predestined . . . called . . . justified . . . and glorified (Rom. 8:29-30). Because

"faithful is he who called you, who will also bring it to pass" (1 Thes. 5:24).

Therefore if God has indeed called you to faith in Christ, this fact gives you a solid

hope that all his promises in Christ will be fulfilled in your life. To call it the hope of

his calling, in other words, is to remind us that the basis of our hope lies in God, not

in ourselves. Only this can give us the anchor we need, the solid ground that we

must stand on. Therefore, take your stand there and nothing can move you. I pray

that you may know what is the hope of his calling.

11. Arthur Pink has an exceedingly long comment on this verse. It is so long that I

considered putting it in the appendix, but decided to keep it here because of its

profound value and insight. His study goes from here to paragraph 11I. "The Eyes

Of Your Understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his

calling" (Eph. 1:18). In taking up this second petition in the apostle’s prayer we

shall endeavor to supply answers to the following questions: What relation does the

opening clause of our verse bear to that which precedes and that which follows?

Exactly what is signified by the "hope of his calling"? What is meant by a

knowledge of the same? It is one thing to be familiar with the sound of a verse, but it

is quite another to ascertain its sense, as there is much difference between answering

these questions and proving them to be correct. It is just because so many people

assume they understand the meaning of various passages that they never obtain a

clear insight of the passages’ purport. Because the wording of a verse is simple, it

does not follow that we understand its connections or even its connotations. The

mere fact that either "hope" or "calling" signifies a certain thing in some verses

gives no guarantee that it means precisely the same thing when used in others. We

are only on safe ground when we plead ignorance and prayerfully study each verse

for ourselves.

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened." Four different views have

been taken on the relation of this clause. First, that it is to be taken absolutely and

regarded as a separate petition. This appears to have been the idea entertained by

our translators, as their punctuation suggests. Second, that it is in apposition to and

explanatory of the verse preceding—the view adopted by Charles Hodge. Third,

that it states an effect of the gift of "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the

knowledge of him"—the concept of J. C. Philpot. Fourth, that it is separate from the

preceding petition and introductory to this second one. This is the way Thomas

Goodwin expounds it and the way we personally understand it. �o difference in

doctrine is involved whichever view is taken. According to the hermeneutical

principle of the analogy of faith, it is equally permissible to link this clause with

what precedes or with what follows, or even with both. Because we are addressing

ourselves to critical students as well as the more ordinary reader, we have penned

this paragraph, for a word of explanation was required as to why we have deviated

from the common course.

11B. The Glory of God

Goodwin has well pointed out that there are two things to be considered in

connection with our blessedness in heaven: "the happiness that the saints themselves

shall enjoy" there and their "communion with God, which is the cause of their

happiness." As to which is the greater of them there can be no room for doubt: the

Fountain of all blessedness infinitely surpasses our draught therefrom, no matter

how abundantly we may drink. Hence Paul began his prayer with a request for a

fuller measure of the Spirit that the Ephesians might be brought into a closer

communion with God, and then he asked for illumination of understanding that

they might obtain a better apprehension and enter into a fuller enjoyment of those

things which belonged to their peace. The same two things are kept distinct in

Romans 5. First, Paul said that by faith we "rejoice in hope of the glory of God"

(Eph. 1:2), that is, of the glory we expect to receive from God. This expectation

makes us "glory in tribulations also" (Eph. 1:3) despite the unpleasantness thereof.

But blessed as that is, when Paul reached the climax, he said, "�ot only so: we also

joy in God" (Eph. 1:11)—in God Himself.

Two things are indispensable to vision, whether it be physical or spiritual: sight and

light. A blind man is incapable of perceiving objects even when the midday sun is

shining. The strongest eyes are useless when a person is in total darkness. �ow the

natural man is without either spiritual sight or spiritual light. He has eyes, but they

do not see, perceiving no beauty in Christ that he should desire Him. He is alienated

from Him who is Light and therefore dwells and walks in darkness. Hence the

natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness to him,

for he is devoid of spiritual discernment (1 Cor. 2:14). But at regeneration the

objects of sovereign grace are brought out of darkness into God’s marvelous light

and are "given an understanding, that they may know him that is true" (1 John

5:20), so that they are now capacitated to discern, understand, and enjoy spiritual

things. �evertheless, because ignorance, prejudice, pride, and carnality ever tend to

becloud his vision so long as he remains in this world, the Christian is in constant

need of having the eyes of his understanding enlightened afresh and of praying with

David, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law"

(Ps. 119:18).

As the eye is the organ of the body by which we see physical objects, so the

understanding is the faculty by which truth is perceived. Yet far more than a mental

perception is involved in the apprehension of truth. God’s Word is very much more

than a species of intellectual propositions; it is a divine revelation, an unveiling of

spiritual things, requiring a spiritual faculty to take them in, producing spiritual

effects where the revelation is received. Therefore "the eyes of your understanding

being enlightened" must not be narrowed down to "your minds being furnished

with new ideas." In the Scriptures "light," when used with reference to spiritual

things, includes both holiness and happiness. When the Lord Jesus said, "I am the

light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have

the light of life" (John 8:12), He signified much more than intellectual illumination.

Saints are the "children of light" (1 Thess. 5:5) because they have been renewed in

the image of Him that is Light; and therefore they are bidden to conduct themselves

as such (Eph. 5:8) Thus, "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened"

signifies their being divinely anointed, spiritualized, made "single" (Matthew 6:22)

and more holy.

Among the high and honorable titles of God, this is used to describe His goodness to

the children of men: "He that teacheth man knowledge" (Ps. 94:10). Therefore

David added, "Blessed is the man whom thou... teachest . . . out of thy law" (Ps.

94:12). It is this divine teaching of the saints that is signified by "eyes of your

understanding being enlightened," namely, bestowing upon them a teachable

disposition, a humble desire to be instructed of God. That teaching consists of God’s

enabling the mind to perceive spiritual and divine objects and to see their

importance and value in such a way as to incline the affections to love them and the

will to choose them. God first prepares the heart to receive His truth (Prov. 16:1)

and then fills it with the "knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual

understanding" (Col. 1:9). His established method is by the Word and by the Spirit,

for these two always go together, the Word explaining and the Spirit applying the

Word. When the Spirit works by the Word He makes it effectual, through His

operations, to build up and perfect the saint.

11C. "Hope" in Scripture

But we must now inquire, "What is meant by ‘the hope of His calling’?" This is

really a double question: What is meant by the word hope in this passage, and what

is meant by "his calling"? Before supplying answers may we remind our friends

that we are seeking to furnish something more than mere generalizations or even

topical chapters, namely, studies in the Scriptures. We are not just jotting down the

first thoughts on this verse which come to mind but desire to open its meaning, to

expound it.

In Scripture "hope" always respects something future, and signifies far more than a

mere wish that it may be realized. It sets forth a confident expectation that it will be

realized (Ps. 16:9). In many passages "hope" has reference to its object, that is, to

the thing expected (Rom. 8:25), the One looked to: "O LORD, the hope of Israel"

(Jer. 17:13; cf. 50:7). In other passages "hope" refers to the grace of hope, that is,

the faculty by which we expect. Hope is used in this sense in 1 Corinthians 13:13:

"�ow abideth faith, hope, charity." Sometimes "hope" expresses the assurance we

have of our personal interest in the thing hoped for: "Tribulation worketh patience;

and patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed"

(Rom. 5:3-5.) That is, hope deepens our assurance of our personal confidence in

God. In still other cases "hope" has reference to the ground of our expectation. The

clause "there is hope in Israel concerning this thing" (Ezra 10:2) means there were

good grounds to hope for it. "Who against hope believed in hope" (Rom. 4:18):

though contrary to nature, Abraham was persuaded he had good and sufficient

ground to expect God to make good His promise. The unregenerate are "without

hope" (Eph. 2:12). They have hope, but it is based on no solid foundation.

�ow in the last mentioned sense we regard the word hope as being used in our

present passage: that you may know the ground on which rests your expectation of

His calling, that you may be assured of your personal interest therein, that you may

stand in no doubt regarding the same, that you may be so enlightened from above as

to be able to clearly perceive that you have both part and lot therein. In other

words, that your evidence of this ground of faith may be clear and unmistakable.

First, Paul prayed for an increased knowledge of God, that is, such spiritual sights

and apprehensions of Him as led to more real and intimate fellowship with Him,

which is the basic longing of every renewed soul. And what did he desire next to

that? Was it not that which contributed most to his peace and comfort, namely, to

be assured of his own filial relation to God? What does it avail my soul to perceive

the excellency of the divine character unless I have scriptural warrant to view Him

as my God? That is what I need to have continually kept fresh in my heart. This,

then, is the second thing which the apostle sought for these saints.

11D. The Gospel’s Twofold Call

What is meant by "his calling"? Here is another term which is used by no means

uniformly in the Scriptures. Broadly speaking, there is a twofold calling of God or

call from God: an external one and an internal one. The former is made to all who

hear the gospel: "Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man"

(Prov. 8:4). "Many be called, but few chosen" (Matthew 20:16). That external call

through the Scriptures is addressed to human responsibility and meets with

universal rejection. "I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand,

and no man regarded" (Prov. 1:24); "Come, for all things are now ready; and they

all with one consent began to make excuse" (Luke 14:18).

But God gives another call to His elect: a quickening call, an inward call, an

invincible call, what the theologians term His "effectual call." "Whom he did

predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified" (Rom.

8:30). This is calling from death to life, out of darkness into God’s "marvelous

light" (1 Pet. 2:9). As the closing verses of 1 Corinthians 1 tell us, not many receive

this call; it is one of mercy and discriminating grace.

Our text then speaks of the effectual call, and it is termed "his calling" because God

is the Author of it. The regenerate are "the called according to his [eternal]

purpose" (Rom. 8:28), because God is the Caller. Yet, having said that much, we

have only generalized, and the expositor must particularize if he is to bring out the

various shades of meaning which the same word bears in different verses. In some

passages the effectual call which God gives His people refers to that work of grace

itself, as in 1 Peter 2:9. In others, it concerns more especially that to which God has

called them—"unto his kingdom and glory," (1 Thess. 2:12), "unto holiness" (1

Thess. 4:7). As there seems to be nothing in our present verse which requires us to

restrict the scope of the word, we shall interpret it in its double sense: "that ye may

be assured ye have been made partakers of God’s effectual or regenerative call: that

ye may perceive the sure grounds of hope which God has called you unto."

Take the calling itself first. Paul desired that the Ephesians might have a better

knowledge, or assurance, that they had been supernaturally quickened, personally

called out of darkness into God’s light. If the Christian measures himself impartially

by the Word, he should have no difficulty on that score. He should be certain of his

salvation. He ought to be able to say, humbly yet confidently, "One thing I know,

that, whereas I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25). If I see, with a feeling sense in my

heart, what a heinous and filthy thing all sin is, what a depraved and loathsome

creature I am by nature, what a sink of iniquity still remains within me, what a

suitable and sufficient Savior Christ is for such a wretch as me, what a lovely and

desirable thing holiness is, then I must have been called to life. If I am now

conscious of holy desires and endeavors to which I was previously a stranger, then I

must be alive in Christ.

Take, second, that to which the Christian is called—in this verse, an assured

expectation: "that ye may know what is the hope of his calling." As God has called

His people to holiness, so also He has called them to be full of hope and good cheer.

The apostle prayed in another place, "�ow the God of hope fill you with all joy and

peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy

Ghost" (Rom. 15:13). Thus, we may understand that by His calling we may know

that hope which God has commanded us as Christians to have. 1 Thessalonians 4:7,

"God hath called us not to uncleanness, but unto holiness," means that He bids us to

be holy, for the third verse of that same chapter declares, "This is the will of God,

even your sanctification." In that passage the "will" and "calling" of God are one

and the same thing. Thus it may also be understood here: "That ye may know the

hope of His revealed will," which He requires us to have.

"That ye may know," not being ignorant or doubtful. This denies one of the

doctrines of the Council of Trent: "If any one affirm that a regenerate and justified

man is bound to believe that he is certainly in the number of the elect, let such an

one be accursed." The very fact that Paul was inspired to place on record this

petition shows clearly that it is God’s will for His people to have assurance, that it is

both their privilege and duty to earnestly seek it. and that an increased experience

of assurance should be theirs. A doubting Thomas does not honor God.

11E. Assurance of Salvation

�ow let us put the whole together. Only as the eyes of our understanding are

divinely enlightened are we able to know "what is the hope of his calling"—know it,

not by carnal presumption nor by mental acumen but perceive it with anointed

vision. �evertheless, if our eyes are not enlightened, the fault is entirely our own, for

it is the revealed will of God that each regenerate person should have assurance that

he is a new creature in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit has given us one whole epistle

to that very end: "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of

the Son of God: that ye may know that ye have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). Hence,

those who would have the Christian believe that a firm and abiding assurance is not

desirable are standing on an unscriptural doctrine.

�ote how emphatic it is: "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye

may know." That cannot signify less than that your own eyes should see what

grounds of assurance the Christian really has to know that eternal life is his, that his

own heart may realize the hope which God has bidden him to exercise. �ot to see

with someone else’s eyes, not to read through creedal spectacles, not to take any

man’s say-so for it, but to live by your own God-given faith and read in the light of

Holy Writ your own clear evidences. The apostle prayed here that they might know

what great, infallible, multitudinous grounds of hope God had called them to; that

they might appreciate what grounds of assurance and evidence they had that heaven

was theirs; that they might have assurance of their own interest in heaven! Every

time I truly mourn over my sins, feel my poverty of spirit, hunger and thirst after

righteousness, I have an indubitable evidence that I am among the "blessed."

Precepts and petitions are complementary one to the other. The precepts tell me

what God requires and therefore what I need to ask Him for most, that enabling

grace may be given me to perform the same. The prayers intimate what it is my

privilege and duty to make request for, thus they indirectly reveal my duty. "Give

diligence to make your calling and election sure" (2 Pet. 1:10) is the divine precept

making known my duty. That "the Father of glory, may give unto you... wisdom and

revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding enlightened;

that ye may know what is the hope of his calling" is a request that I may be enabled

to successfully carry out that task of making my election sure. This petition tells us

we ought to labor after and pray earnestly for a clearer insight into and a fuller

acquaintance with the great objects of the Christian’s hopes and expectations.

We have endeavored to show that the opening clause of this verse is not a separate

petition for a distinct blessing but rather the stating of an essential spiritual

qualification. We cannot obtain a true and influential knowledge of the grounds

which regeneration gives its subject to hope that he has passed from death to life,

nor realize what confidence of God has bidden him to have (for both things are

included) unless our eyes are divinely anointed. This essential qualification applies

with equal force to the following clause. The grammatical construction of our

passage makes it quite clear that an enlightened understanding is also indispensable

for a spiritual knowledge of both "the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the

saints" and "the exceeding greatness of his power to usward." Thus, that opening

clause governs all the petitions that follow it.

Having pondered the opening request of this prayer in verse 17 and the first request

mentioned in verse 18, we turn now to consider the prayer’s third petition. We

propose to concentrate on these three things: First, what is the relation of this

petition to what precedes? Second, what is the precise meaning of its terms? Third,

what use is the Christian to make of knowing what are the riches of the glory of

God’s inheritance in the saints? We shall devote most of our space to the second.

First, the apostle prayed that the saints might experience and enjoy closer and fuller

communion with God. Then he asked that the grace of hope might be more

operative within them; that they should realize God’s revealed will for them to

"abound in hope" (Rom. 15:13) and not to live in a state of uncertainty. That they

might perceive how many sure grounds they had for believing they were recipients

of an effectual call, as when we ask a doctor concerning a loved one who is seriously

ill, "What hope is there?" We mean, "What ground is there to expect his

recovery?"

11F. Spiritual Discernment Required

�o matter how clearly and vividly the landscape appears when the sun is shining, a

blind man does not behold it. Christ is manifestly set forth in the gospel, but the

hearer must be given spiritual sight before he will perceive the absolute suitability of

such a Savior to his own desperate case. Even after regeneration, the Christian is

still completely dependent on divine illumination in order for him to continue

apprehending spiritual things. That was exemplified in the case of Peter. Some time

after he had become a disciple of Christ, he made his memorable confession of

Christ’s deity. Then the Lord Jesus informed him, "Flesh and blood hath not

revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17). The same

thing is repeatedly illustrated in the experience of every saint. At one time he will

read a portion of Scripture and perceive little in it which impresses his heart or stirs

his soul; at another time the same passage appears scintillating with divine beauty

and glory. The difference is that at the latter time his eyes are divinely anointed.

�o reading of commentaries can secure an answer to this petition, and even a

searching or study of the Scriptures will not of itself convey to the believer a

spiritual and influential knowledge of what are the riches of the glory of God’s

inheritance in the saints. Only as and when the eyes of his understanding are

enlightened will that delightful and wondrous experience be his. Thus Paul asked

for such illumination to be granted them so that the Ephesians might know not only

the hope of God’s calling but also the excellency of His inheritance, that they might

apprehend more clearly and comprehensively the greatness of that glory which they

had a personal interest in, for when the God of all grace quickens His elect they are

"called unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 5:10). The Father has

"begotten us again unto a lively [living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ

from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not

away, reserved in heaven for us" (1 Pet. 1:3-4). The one is preparatory to and

ensures the other: begetting and inheritance, calling and eternal glory. But some

who have been spiritually begotten of the Father are doubtful of that birth; they

should not be. Instead, their duty and privilege are to know what is "the hope of his

calling."

�ow the apostle goes further. He desires that they might enjoy a better

apprehension of the hope itself, that is, of its object. This is what we understand to

be the relation between the second and third petitions. That the two things are not

to be separated is intimated by their connecting "and," but that they relate to

distinct blessings is clear from the "what is." This consideration determines the

meaning of the word hope in the second petition, namely, that it is not the thing

hoped for (which is named in the third) but rather the confidence and assurance

which God commands His called people to have. The third petition announces what

a great and glorious inheritance they have a personal interest in, and the fourth tells

of the exceeding greatness of God’s power which works in those who believe and

which preserves them unto that glorious inheritance.

First, the apostle prayed for communion with God. �ext he prayed that they would

have the grounds of their assurance kept continually fresh in their hearts, that they

would know the hope of their calling. And then he prayed that they would know the

greatness of that glory in which they had an interest. Link those three things

together, and this makes a perfect Christian: full of comfort, full of peace and joy in

believing. And for the Christian to enter into experimental enjoyment of each and

all of those ineffable favors he is dependent upon the Spirit of wisdom and

revelation for the eyes of his understanding to be divinely enlightened. It utterly

transcends the powers of the human mind to so much as conceive of the "things

which God hath prepared for them that love him." Yet in response to earnest and

expectant prayer, real and satisfying thoughts on the subject may be obtained even

in this life, for "God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit" (1 Cor. 2:9-10).

When Paul was commissioned to preach to the Gentiles, it was "to open their eyes,

and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God,

that they might receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are

sanctified by faith that is in me [God]" (Acts 26:18). To the Hebrews Paul declared

that Christ was the Mediator of the new covenant so that they who were called

might receive the "promise of eternal inheritance" (Heb. 9:15). Thus we see again

how closely connected and yet distinct are the effectual call of God and the

inheritance to which the called are begotten. That inheritance is described in part in

1 Peter 1:4. But in Ephesians 1:18 it is designated God’s "inheritance in the saints,"

which at once brings to mind that remarkable statement: "For the LORD’S portion

is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance" (Deut. 32:9; cf. Psalm 78:70-72;

"my jewels" in Malachi 3:17). The one is complementary to the other. God has an

inheritance in the saints, and they have an inheritance in and from God; for if they

are His children, then they are also heirs—"heirs of God, and joint-heirs with

Christ" (Rom. 8:17).

11G. A Glorious Inheritance

�ow this inheritance is a glorious one. �othing is in heaven but that which is

glorious. The central and all-absorbing Object there is the God of glory, particularly

as He shines forth in the person of our glorious Redeemer. There our souls and

bodies will be glorious (Rom. 8:30; Philippians 3:20). Our employments will be

glorious—praising and glorifying God forever and ever. We shall be surrounded by

the glorious angels. �othing shall ever enter there which can defile. For a brief

season Paul himself had been caught up into paradise, where he had received

"revelations of the Lord" and heard "unspeakable words, which it is not lawful [nor

possible] for a man [returned to earth] to utter" (2 Cor. 12:1-4). Little wonder then

that he longed so vehemently that the saints in general might be admitted into a

clearer and enlarged apprehension of the things which God had prepared for them

that love Him. Little wonder that in Ephesians 1 he should be found laboring for

words to express the same to us: an "inheritance," "his inheritance," "the glory of

his inheritance," "the riches of the glory of his inheritance."

Our ideas of heaven, of glory, of perfection—even after the partial revelation of

them in the Scriptures—is at very best defective. Yet enough is revealed to fill us

with admiration, astonishment, and adoration; and in proportion as the eyes of our

understanding are enlightened and as faith is exercised on what God has made

known to us thereon in His Word, our hearts will be affected and our lives

influenced. The term "God’s inheritance in the saints" is used to show the greatness

and grandeur of it. It is "his inheritance" because He is the Deviser and Author of

it. And let it not be overlooked that "his inheritance" as the "Father of glory" (Eph.

1:17) emphasizes the surpassing excellence of it.

It is God’s inheritance, yet the saints are the "heirs" of it. That it is designated an

"inheritance" announces that it is a free gift which we can do nothing to earn or

merit. It is an inheritance of God’s own planning, preparing, and bestowing. Such

an inheritance must be inexpressibly grand, inconceivably wonderful, unspeakably

glorious. It is the "inheritance of the saints in light" (Col. 1:12).

Let us now observe the qualities by which the inheritance is described in our text:

"the riches of the glory of his inheritance." In human speech that word is applied to

things which men value most highly, in order to attain which the majority are

prepared to sell their souls. In Scripture, when "riches" is employed in connection

with spiritual and divine things, it is for the purpose of emphasizing the excellency

and copiousness of them. Thus we read of God being "rich in mercy" (Eph. 2:4), of

the "riches of his grace," of the "unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph. 3:8), and of

the "riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God" (Rom. 11:33).

It should enable us to form a better concept of this rich inheritance by recalling that

verse "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for

your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Cor. 8:9).

Christ was the Beloved of the Father, the Lord of glory, the Heir of all things, and

therefore "thought it not robbery to be equal with God" (Phil. 2:6). Yet He laid

aside His glory, became incarnate, was born in a manger, and entered into such

poverty that He had nowhere to lay His head. He voluntarily endured such

unspeakable humiliation for the express purpose that His people "might be rich."

How rich then are they? How rich will they become? Those riches will bear a

proportion to the unparalleled shame and penury into which the Son of God

descended for our sakes.

11H. "The Riches of His Glory"

But not only "riches" and "the riches" are meant but "the riches of his glory." How

little are we capable of entering into the meaning and blessedness of that! Goodwin

has pointed out that if "riches" connote excellency, the "glory" of them imports

superexcellency. Thus we read of the "excellent glory" (2 Pet. 1:17), or height of

excellency, and of the "glory that excelleth" (2 Cor. 3:10). That gives perhaps as full

a definition as can be furnished. It signifies all excellencies, and all excellencies in

the height, and such a weight of excellencies which the ordinary understanding of a

man cannot bear. Joy, when it excels, is called "joy unspeakable and full of glory"

(1 Pet. 1:8). �ow put the two together: the "riches of his glory," that is, of "the

Father of glory!"

The two things are combined again in that familiar verse "My God shall supply all

your need according to his riches in glow by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19). �ot "out of"

but "according to" His riches. It is the standard of measurement rather than the

source of supply. God is a rich and glorious God: nor will He have those riches of

glory lie idle. When Abraham had no son, he said, "Lord, Thou hast given me these

riches, but to me Thou hast given no seed—no son to inherit." Therefore God gave

him Isaac, on whom he might bestow his riches and inheritance (Gen. 15:1-4). God

had riches of glory lying by, and therefore He chose His sons to inherit them.

When Alexander the Great gave a city to a mean man, he said, "I do not give a city

away according to the proportion of the man, but as it is fit for me to give."

In showing how glorious must be the inheritance which the saints shall have,

Goodwin called attention to Psalm 115:15-16 where we read, "Ye are blessed of the

LORD which made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are the

LORD’S; but the earth hath he given to the children of men." The earth, and all the

good things in it, God has given to the human family, but heaven and the heaven of

heavens He has reserved for Himself as His possession. The earth He has given away

to the children of men, but the celestial courts are His own inheritance. �ow this is

mentioned in order to show how favored the saints are: "Ye are the blessed of the

LORD." God does not prize the earth, but gives it away; but the heavens He has set

apart for Himself. Then how happy the saints must be that they are taken up to

heaven to share God’s own inheritance! The earth is not good enough for Him, nor

does He deem it to be so for them. The Lord is the Possessor of heaven, and blessed

indeed must those be who are predestinated to be partakers of God’s own

inheritance.

"The riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." In an allusion to this verse

Calvin remarked, "The eyes of our understanding are not truly ‘enlightened’ unless

we discover what is the hope of the eternal inheritance to which we are called."

Manton understood it as the inheritance "appointed for those who are renewed by

the Spirit of God,... that they might more clearly see and fully believe those good

things which they shall enjoy hereafter." Hodge defined it as the "abundance and

greatness of that inheritance of which God is the Author." Whether we regard it as

God’s inheritance or the Christian’s, it comes to the same thing in effect, for it is

displayed in the saints. According as God has glory in the saints, they must be

glorious just as the glory of a king is exhibited in the glory of his attendants. God

regards the glory which the saints shall have as His inheritance. Moreover, there is a

revenue of glory which He receives from them in their worship and thanksgiving.

The Greek may also be fairly rendered "What is the riches of the glory of the

inheritance of Him by the saints," meaning that God Himself is the inheritance of

the saints. This will constitute the ineffable bliss and blessedness of heaven—that

God Himself will be our all-absorbing and eternally satisfying portion and heritage.

When the mind soars that high it finds an all-sufficient resting place: "He that

overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God" (Rev. 21:7). O what a

marvelous and inconceivable prospect: that the saints will possess God Himself; that

the Redeemer will yet say to His people, "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord"; and

that word enter is couched in the language of this very figure, for a man enters into

his inheritance when he actually takes possession of the same. Then each saint will

exclaim, "The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance . . . In thy presence is fulness

of joy" (Ps. 16:5, 11).

11I. The Fullness of Scripture

Yet so full are the words of Scripture that no single definition can exhaust their

scope. Our text not only includes the inheritance which God has provided for His

saints and which they have in Him but it also refers to what God Himself has in

them. 2 Thessalonians 1:10 says that Christ "shall come to be glorified in his saints,

and to be admired in all them that believe." How will they be glorified? Why, so

that He will be admired in them. God makes known the "riches of his glory on the

vessels of mercy, which he hath afore prepared unto glory" (Rom. 9:23). Bringing

vessels of mercy to glory is to make known the riches of His glory. His glory shall

arise out of theirs, and therefore it is said to be "his inheritance in the saints." When

the saints are glorified and with Him in heaven, then "he will rejoice over... [them]

with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over... [them] with singing" (Zeph. 3:17).

What glory must that consist of to be an inheritance for God to rest in forever!

�ow Paul prayed the saints might have a better knowledge of that glorious

inheritance, in order that the eyes of their understanding should be enlightened in

regard to that inheritance. As a well-trained mind is required in order to grapple

with an intricate problem in philosophy, as a musical temperament and ear are

needed to fully appreciate a master production of melody, so spiritual vision and the

eyes of faith are indispensable in order to take in spiritual views of heavenly objects.

Certainly Paul would not have prayed for this blessing unless it was of great value

and importance. We are bidden to set our affection on things above, and the more

real and glorious they appear to us the easier it will be to comply with such a

precept. And obviously the more our hearts are set on heavenly objects the less

power will the perishing things of time and sense have to enthrall or even influence

us.

If we perceived more clearly the riches of the glory of the inheritance to which we

are called, we would be well content with "food and raiment" and a covering over

our heads while here. We would have more of the spirit of those who took joyfully

the spoiling of their goods, knowing that they had in heaven a "better and an

enduring substance" (Heb. 10:34). "For the joy that was set before him" the Lord

Jesus "endured the cross, despising [treating with contempt] the shame" (Heb.

12:2). If we were more occupied with those "pleasures for evermore" which are at

God’s right hand (Ps. 16:11), we would run with patience the race set before us and

be less cast down by the petty sufferings and sorrows of the way. If heaven were

more real to us, we would be more earnest in seeking to walk as those journeying to

it, and we would long more ardently for Christ to come and take us there."

19 and his incomparably great power for us who

believe. That power is like the working of his

mighty strength,

�LT: I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power

for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power

Phillips: and how tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God.

Wuest: and what is the superabounding greatness of His inherent power to us who

are believing ones as measured by the operative energy of the manifested strength of

His might.

1. Gill, "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,....

The objects of the divine power here intended, are believers in Christ; which

distinguishes this power from that which was put forth in creation, and from that

which will be displayed in the resurrection of the dead, and from the power of

divine wrath, which will appear in the damnation of sinners; and shows, that this

power is that which is exerted in the implantation of faith, and in the continuance of

it, and in the finishing of that work; and that this is a great power, an exceeding

great one, a super eminent one; which is attended with energy and efficacy, and is

irresistible and insuperable: the greatness of this power as displayed in the work of

conversion and faith appears, if it be considered what the work itself is called, a

creation, a resurrection from the dead, a regeneration, and a transformation of the

man into another man, which must needs require almighty power; as well as what is

then done, some things are removed, Satan is dispossessed, the stony heart is taken

away, the enmity is slain, the old man is put down from his throne, and put off with

his deeds; and there are some things wrought, Christ is formed in the soul, his grace

is implanted, his image is stamped on, a new heart is given, and principles of light

and life, of grace and holiness are put; the understanding is enlightened, the will is

subdued, the affections are set on other objects, and the mind and conscience are

cleansed and purified...."

2. Barnes, "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power - On the language

used here, compare the notes at 2Co_4:17. There is much emphasis and energy of

expression here, as if the apostle were laboring under the greatness of his theme,

and wanted words to express the magnitude of his conception. This is the “third”

thing which he was particularly desirous they should know - that they should be

fully acquainted with the “power” of God in the salvation of people. He refers not

merely to the power which he had evinced in their salvation, but also to what the

gospel was “able” to accomplish, and which they might yet experience. The “power”

referred to here as exercised toward believers does not refer to one thing merely. It

is the whole series of the acts of power toward Christians which results from the

work of the Redeemer. There was power exerted in their conversion. There would

be power exerted in keeping them. There would be power in raising them up from

the dead, and exalting them with Christ to heaven. The religion which they

professed was a religion of “power.” In all the forms and stages of it the power of

God was manifested toward them, and would be until they reached their final

inheritance."

2B. Barnes continues, "According to the working of his mighty power - This should

be taken with the clause in the following verse, “which he wrought in Christ;” and

the meaning is, that the power which God has exerted in us is in accordance with the

power which was shown in raising up the Lord Jesus. It was the proper result of

that, and was power of a similar kind. The same power is requisite to convert a

sinner which is demanded in raising the dead. �either will be accomplished but by

omnipotence; and the apostle wished that they should be fully apprised of this fact,

and of the vast “power” which God had put forth in raising them up from the death

of sin. To illustrate this sentiment is one of his designs in the following verses; and,

hence, he goes on to show that people before their conversion were “dead in

trespasses and sins;” that they had no spiritual life; that they were the “children of

wrath;” that they were raised up from their death in sin by the same power which

raised the Lord Jesus from the grave, and that they were wholly saved by grace;

Eph_2:1-10. In order to set this idea of the “power” which God had put forth in

their regeneration in the strongest light, he goes into a magnificent description of the

resurrection and exaltation of the Lord Jesus, and shows how that was connected

with the renewing of Christians. God had set him over all things. He had put all

things under his feet, and had made principalities and dominions everywhere

subject to him. In this whole passage Eph_1:19-23; Eph_2:1-10, the main thing to be

illustrated is the power which God has shown in renewing and saving his people;

and the leading sentiment is, that the same power is evinced in that which was

required to raise up the Lord Jesus from the dead, and to exalt him over the

universe."

3. Henry, " The practical belief of the all-sufficiency of God, and of the omnipotence

of divine grace, is absolutely necessary to a close and steady walking with him. It is a

desirable thing to know experimentally the mighty power of that grace beginning

and carrying on the work of faith in our souls. It is a difficult thing to bring a soul to

believe in Christ, and to venture its all upon his righteousness, and upon the hope of

eternal life. It is nothing less than an almighty power that will work this in us. The

apostle speaks here with a mighty fluency and copiousness of expression, and yet, at

the same time, as if he wanted words to express the exceeding greatness of God's

almighty power, that power which God exerts towards his people, and by which he

raised Christ from the dead, Eph_1:20. That indeed was the great proof of the truth

of the gospel to the world: but the transcript of that in ourselves (our sanctification,

and rising from the death of sin, in conformity to Christ's resurrection) is the great

proof to us. Though this cannot prove the truth of the gospel to another who knows

nothing of the matter (there the resurrection of Christ is the proof), yet to be able to

speak experimentally, as the Samaritans, “We have heard him ourselves, we have felt

a mighty change in our hearts,” will make us able to say, with the fullest

satisfaction, 6ow we believe, and are sure, that this is the Christ, the Son of God.

Many understand the apostle here as speaking of that exceeding greatness of power

which God will exert for raising the bodies of believers to eternal life, even the same

mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him, etc. And how desirable

a thing must it be to become at length acquainted with that power, by being raised

out of the grave thereby unto eternal life!"

4. P. G. Mathew, “Friends, I pray that we will realize that there is adequate power

with God to bring about our total and complete salvation. He has saved us, he is

saving us, and he will save us on the last day. So Paul piles up several words to

describe this immeasurable divine power to usward who believe. For instance, he

uses the word dunamis, from which we have the dynamite; he uses the word

energeia, from which we get the word energy; he uses the word kratos, from which

we have the word theocratic; and he uses the word ischus.

The first word, dunamis, speaks about the power of God-the infinite, divine potency

for our salvation. Dunamis means God’s potential power. However, this potential

power is not an abstract, theoretical idea; it accomplishes his will and purpose. In

other words, this power is effectual, it operates, it works. So the second word Paul

uses is energeia, which means operating, accomplishing power, the power that

works. For example, God spoke, and the whole universe came into existence. That is

a demonstration of God’s energeia, his effectual power. The same power is used in

providence, in God’s ruling of his universe. The same power is used in our

redemption. So Paul speaks of dunamis, God’s potential, theoretical power, but also

of energeia, God’s operative power-the power that works.

Thirdly, Paul uses the word kratos, which is God’s mighty power directed against all

evil powers. It is irresistible, all-conquering power. So God’s power is not only

potential and effectual, but it is also irresistible, the kratos of God. In Revelation 1:8

we find God described as Pantokrator, the Almighty.

Beyond that, the fourth word Paul uses is ischus, which stands for God’s inherent

power. Without it God cannot be God. It is God’s personal power, the power of God

in himself. So God’s power is infinite, effectual, irresistible, all-conquering and

inherent in him. And this power is directed toward one specific goal: our salvation.

That is why we need not worry, panic or be anxious. Our powerful God is able-able

to help us, able to save us, and able to keep us from falling."

5. Look at the words the inspired writer uses.

a. Power - from dunamis, "the ability to accomplish, the cognitive verb

means, "I am able."

b. Working - from energeia, "power at work, not mere potential power but

active power."

c. Strength - from kratos, "the power that rules, has dominion, especially

over rational beings."

d. Might - from ischus, "inherent strength, or might. Has more to do with

potential, intrinsic might, whether active or not."

6. "If the death of Christ is the supreme demonstration of the love of God . . .

the resurrection of Christ is the supreme demonstration of his power." (Bruce)

7. David Roth, "Paul's point is clear. He wants us to see the greatness of God's

power at work in us. �ote he is not here praying that they would receive power,

but that they would be enlightened in order to see the power of God that is

already at their disposal."

7B. An unknown author adds, "Should believers pray for more power? Of the 142

times the English term power is used in the �T, there is never a reference to a

believe praying for more power nor a command that we do so. Rather, the believer

already has the great power of God. cf. Acts 1:8 with examples of 4:7, 33; 6:8, etc. 1

Cor. 4:19-20; Eph. 3:20; 2 Tim. 1:7; Simeon was rebuked for trying to buy it in Acts

8:14. Unbelievers deny it in the sense of lack it (cf. 2 Tim. 3:5). Believers already

have all the power they need but need to experience it (Greek, epiginosko ) in their

lives cf. Phil. 1:10."

8. Paul T. Harrison has some interesting insights on this power, and I want to

quote most all of his message. He wrote, "First, Paul says, "His power in you" -

not "your power in Him". There's a difference; there's a world of difference. I'll

come back to this more fully in another chapter. Just note it now. In your service

for God, you don't have to work up spiritual power: you only have to let it flow.

It's God's power, not your power. He supplies it; you don't have to generate it.

You trust, and obey, and the power comes in. We're like the organ blowers at the

church I pastored in Cambridge. The organ had an electric blower, but it also

had a hand-pumping apparatus, and when there was an electricity strike (they

have them in England!), we had to use it. Hard work it was, too, for the young

people who heaved on it to give the organ enough puff! Wouldn't it have been

stupid, though, if we'd always heaved on the hand gear when there wasn't a

strike! But that's what we Christians so often do - we try to work up enough

puff, when all we have to do is throw a switch - the switch labelled "Trust and

Obey" ... just lean back on God, and do it!

Second, the "you" is plural: "that 'yous' (!) might know". It's to the church the

power is given, rather than to individuals. Of course, if it really is given to the

church, then individuals will experience it, because the church is people: but it's in

togetherness we're to know and exert it. As we saw in the previous chapter,

'togetherness' is the ruling theme of the entire epistle ... and the dimension of

togetherness is one of the lost dimensions in modern-day evangelical thought. We

have this habit of mind in which we refer all the promises and assurances of the

�ew Testament to individuals. That's not the �ew Testament habit of mind - the

apostles referred all the promises and assurances to the church. As we've said, that

does mean that individuals experience them all ... but in togetherness.

8B. Harrison continues, "I do ask you to take note of this. How shall we appropriate

the promises made to us in Ephesians as a church? For that's how we're to reckon

on doing so. There must be real togetherness among us, or we shan't experience it,

you see. How really together are we? How earnestly do we aspire to be a truly

united company of people in our love for, our trust in, and our obedience to the

Word of God? Are we really together? If we're not, the power won't flow.

Why? Let me show you. A deacon of the Cambridge church I served supplied the

perfect illustration. In the factory where he worked as an engineer, they had two

identical motors, he said, both wired up to the same power source. When you

switched them on, one purred into life and delivered its power with smooth and cool

efficiency. But the other spluttered and fizzed and sparked and smoked ... turned

over sluggishly for a bit, then roared into life only to hiccough again, and grew so

hot you'd think it was going to explode with frustrated effort!

The reason? There were some wires crossed inside its coils somewhere, and this

created too great an electrical resistance for the current to flow smoothly through it.

And the reason churches splutter and hiccough and generate clouds of smoke and

grow heated with frustration is because there are too many crossed wires among the

coils of their membership ... members who can't get on with each other, leaders who

are jealous of each other, deacons who aren't with their pastor, pastors who are

paranoid about their deacons ...It's crossed wires of illwill that foul up the works of

a church more than any other thing. �o real togetherness, you see. �o real

reconciliation of Christian with Christian ... so there's warm, genuine affection and

appreciation of one another, the way there is between Christ Himself and each of us.

8C. Harrison goes on, "Remember what we saw in the last chapter - the Church is

called into being by God to demonstrate, and to promote the reconciliation He

achieves by the Way of the Cross. That is supremely what a church is to be. That is

what your church is to be. If it isn't that, whatever else we want it to be will be

beside the point - quite beside the point.

If only we could see how pathetic are the things we allow to obscure the goal. Like

Esau, we sell our birthright for a mess of pottage. We forfeit the limitless

possibilities God offers us at the price of childish trivialities. Is it because our eyes

have not been opened to the shining splendour of God's purpose for us? Do we need,

like Bartimæus, to pray that we might receive our sight? ... for with it, we shall

receive also strength for the day. Let it be our prayer, this prayer of Paul's, that we

"might receive that inner illumination of the heart whereby we see

... how great is the hope to which God has called us" (that hope, remember, is

the "mystery" Paul has already referred to - God's Grand Design, which is

unity, community, cosmic community)

... how great is the hope to which God has called us ...

... how magnificent is the inheritance of God's children, and ...

... how tremendous is the power available to us who believe."

9. One of the most tragic fires in this country took place in the town of Itasca,

Texas where a fire in an unsprinklered school took the lives of 263 children.

There was scarcely a family in town which was not touched by this horrifying

tragedy. The town went a number of years without school facilities, but as it

began to grow and expand, a new school was built with a brand new sprinkler

system. Civic pride ran high. Honor students were selected to guide citizens and

visitors on tours of the new facilities to show them the finest, the most advanced

sprinkler system technology could supply and money could buy. �ever again

would Itasca be visited by such a tragedy. As the town continued to grow, it was

necessary to enlarge the school --- and in adding the new wing it was discovered

that the sprinkler system had never been connected. Are you connected? He is

the living water - the source of all life. His resurrection power is available to you

- but only if you are connected to Him." Author unknown

10. God's power in our lives comes primarily through the truth of his Word, for

it has the power to change lives. One of the greatest examples of this is the

following account. "How many of you know the story of the Munity on the

Bounty? The Bounty was a British ship that set sail in 1787, bound for the South

Seas. The crew was sent to plant fruit trees and make some of the islands more

habitable for colonization. And they did just that for the first six months on the

island.

When it came time to leave, however, the sailors rebelled. They liked the native girls

and the warm weather. So they set Captain Bligh and a few loyal men adrift in a

tiny boat. Soon after, the British government sent an expedition to punish the

mutineers. Fourteen were captured. �ine mutineers, however, along with the

Tahatian men and women who accompanied them, found their way to Pitcairn

Island, a tiny dot in the South Pacific only two miles long and a mile wide. Ten years

later, drinking and fighting had left only one man alive--John Adams. Eleven

women and 23 children made up the rest of the Island’s population.

Around this time, Adams discovered the "Bounty’s" Bible in the bottom of an old

chest. As he read it, God’s love and forgiveness transformed his murderous heart

forever. He began to teach the children from the Bible until every person on the

island was transformed. And that transformation still takes place 200 years later. In

1988, with a population of slightly less than 100, nearly every person on Pitcairn

Island was a Christian. The Bible is powerful; it transforms people. It answers those

hard questions of life: Who am I and why am I here? It changes our perspective and

gives us direction."

11. Pink, "Paul made his request because of the unbelief and timidity of the saints.

We are creatures of extremes. When our self-confidence and self-sufficiency are

subdued, we are prone to become occupied with our weakness and insufficiency

instead of keeping our eyes fixed steadily on the One who began a good work in us.

As we learn something of the might of our foes—both within and without—and of

our feebleness and incompetence to resist them, we are apt to become thoroughly

discouraged and give way to despair. This explains why Paul reserved this petition

for God’s power for the last. He had just asked that the saints might know what

were the "riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints," and then it was as

though he anticipated their inevitable objection: "How shall vile creatures as we

ever come to be made glorious? Even though we have been delivered from a

bondage worse than Egyptian bondage, are we not likely, as the Israelites of old, to

perish in the wilderness before we reach the promised land?" It was to quiet such

fears that Paul reminded the Ephesians of the exceeding greatness of God’s power."

"And observe how energetic and impressive is the language used: not only the power

of God or the greatness of that power but the "exceeding greatness of his power to

us-ward." So weighty and emphatic is the language of the Greek that it is difficult to

reproduce in English: "the super-excellent, sublime, and overcoming, or

triumphant, greatness of His power" is how one rendered it."

11B. Pink continues, "The exceeding greatness of God’s power to us not only

includes all the operations of His grace to and within His people but also

comprehends His wondrous providences to them in meeting every need and making

all things work together for their good. There is also one other exercise of the divine

omnipotence to the saints which we must at least mention, and that is their

glorification, when in spirit and soul and body they shall be perfectly and

permanently conformed to the image of God’s Son. Their very bodies which were

sown in dishonor will be raised in glory, and what before was natural will then be

made spiritual. Whatever difficulties carnal reason and unbelief may advance about

the supposed change of the particles which comprise our present bodies and the

alleged impossibility of the same bodies coming forth on the resurrection morning,

faith disposes of them all by a confident appeal to God’s promise: "Who shall

change our vile body, that it may be like unto his glorious body, according to the

working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself" (Phil. 3:21). The

regeneration of the soul is a great miracle as is the resurrection of the body. The

same mighty power which effected the one will accomplish the other.

11C. Pink wrote much more than I have quoted, but he felt readers may have tired

of his long exposition, and so he wrote, "Wondrous indeed are those things to which

we have just called attention, things which it should be our joy to carefully

contemplate and not carelessly dismiss with a passing glance. Some readers may

chafe at the slowness of our progress, but why should we hurry over such a passage

as this? Is there anything more sublime or precious in the prayers yet to follow that

we should get through with this one as quickly as possible? If the writer followed his

own inclinations, he would write another twelve chapters on these closing verses of

Ephesians 1, but he realizes that would unduly tax the patience of many. On the

other hand, not a few welcome a detailed exposition and sermonizing of such a

passage, desiring something more instructive and edifying than the superficial

generalizations which characterize most of the productions of our day. May the

Spirit of truth graciously shine upon our understanding and enable us to so "open"

these verses that faith may be instructed, souls fed, God glorified, and His Son

endeared to His redeemed."

20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him

from the dead and seated him at his right hand in

the heavenly realms,

�LT: that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at

God's right hand in the heavenly realms. (�LT - Tyndale House)

Phillips: That power is the same divine power which was demonstrated in Christ

when He raised Him from the dead and gave Him the place of supreme honour in

Heaven (Phillips: Touchstone)

Wuest: which might was operative in the Christ when He raised Him from among

the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (Eerdmans)

1. Arthur Pink, "Ephesians 1 is not the only passage which directly associates the

divine power with the raising of Christ from the dead. In Romans 1:3-4 we are told

that our Lord Jesus Christ was "made of the seed of David according to the flesh,

and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by

the resurrection from the dead." Of all the wondrous works which God did for

Christ—in the miracle of His incarnation, in preserving Him as an infant from the

malice of Herod, in anointing Him with the Holy Spirit—this bringing Him forth

from the tomb is singled out for particular mention. Christ had presented Himself

to Israel as their Messiah and had affirmed, "I and the Father are one." Had His

claims been false, the grave would have retained Him; by raising Him from the dead

by His power, God set His seal upon all Christ’s teaching and demonstrated that He

was indeed "the Son of God." "Though he was crucified through weakness"—for

He made no effort to resist His enemies and deliver Himself out of their hands—"yet

he liveth by the power of God" (2 Cor. 13:4). Other passages state that Christ rose

again by His own power, but that is not the side of the truth which is now before us.

1B. Pink continues, "We turn now to consider why God’s raising Christ from the

dead is made the unit or standard of measurement of the power which He exercises

in those "who believe." It is both the pattern and pledge of what God can and will

do for His people. In the Old Testament the standard miracle was the deliverance of

Israel from Egypt: again and again reference was made to the Red Sea as the

supreme demonstration of God’s power to help and to save. When the prophets

sought to inspire courage and confidence they pointed back to that mighty

deliverance (Isa. 43:16-18; 51:9-10). When God renewed His promise to Israel He

took them back to the same spot and said, "According to the days of thy coming out

of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvelous things" (Micah 7:15). But in the

�ew Testament the Red Sea is superseded by the empty tomb, and the resurrection

of Christ from the dead is pointed to as the grand triumph of Omnipotence and the

standard of what God will do for us "who believe."

1C. Pink continues, "What comfort this should impart! What holy confidence it

should inspire in the hearts of believers, that the mighty power of God is engaged to

act for them! That the same power which wrought in Christ in raising Him from the

dead operates both toward and in them. It is a power which is beyond resistance:

"If God be for us, who can be against us?" It is a power which is superior to and

triumphs over all our weakness: "�ow unto him that is able to keep you." It is a

power all-sufficient to supply our every need. When the Savior taught us to pray for

our daily sustenance, deliverance from evil, the forgiveness of our sins, what

arguments did He bid us use? "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the

glory." It is a power which will do for us exceeding abundantly above all that we ask

or think (Eph. 3:20). How thankful we should be that this is so. How constantly we

should look to and depend upon that power. How it should strengthen our faith to

know that the One who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus will yet make

us "perfect in every good work to do his will" (Heb. 13:20-21)."

and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly

realms,

1. Clarke, "Set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places - Gave him, as

mediator between God and man, the highest honors and dignities, Phi_2:9; in which

state of exaltation he transacts all the affairs of his Church, and rules the universe.

The right hand is the place of friendship, honor, confidence, and authority.

2. We need to keep in mind that this is not just the Son of God returning to his

previous glory. It was the God-man being raised to this highest level, and so what we

have is man joined to God as sovereign ruler. It is not just deity, but man also at

God's right hand. It is the mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.

Manhood is now on the throne, and that speaks of power beyond what any man ever

imagined possible. What man could ever see that man could became a superpower

in the universe? How could man ever dream of such a thing being possible? If God

can do that for man, there is no limit to his power in history to achieve his purpose

through the church, and through your life and mine. We need to be power

conscious and not just problem conscious as we seek to do God's will in the world.

3. Pink, "The question of how it was possible for a divine person to be exalted is best

resolved by considering what that exaltation consisted of. So far as we can perceive,

it included three things: the removing of that veil which had been thrown over the

divine glory of the Son of God by His incarnation, the elevation of human nature

into heaven, the divine reward bestowed upon the person of the Mediator for His

blessed work. Thomas Manton stated, "His exaltation answered His humiliation:

His death was answered by His resurrection, His going into the grave by His

ascending into heaven, His lying in the tomb by His sitting at God’s right hand." So

much for a general statement. �ow let us proceed to amplify it. �one who accredit

the declarations of Holy Writ will challenge the statement that in the Son’s

becoming incarnate his glory was veiled; and it had to be, for no man can see God

and live (Ex. 33:20). "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be

equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of

a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:6-7).

3B. Pink continues, "After establishing the faith of His apostles, His "ambassadors,"

by "many infallible proofs" that He had triumphed over death and the grave,

thereby vindicating His character from the aspersions of His enemies and

demonstrating that He had "obtained eternal redemption" for His people, it was

expedient that Christ should be taken to heaven so that He might exercise His

priestly office within the veil and send the Holy Spirit to them to carry forward His

works on earth (John 16:5-7). In ascending to heaven, Christ did not leave behind

the veil of His flesh but went there as still clothed in humanity, having taken the

same into eternal union with His divine person, and so He entered the Father’s

presence in our nature. Scripture is too plain for any mistake on this score. The

risen Christ appeared to His disciples in a body of "flesh and bones" and ate food

before them (Luke 24:39, 43). And after being seen of them forty days, "while they

beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." Yet two

angels assured them, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,

shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:9, 11).

3C. Pink goes on, "The change of place was followed immediately by a change of

state. Stephen Charnock declared, "As He descended to assume our nature, so He

ascended to glorify our nature. By translating it to heaven, assurance was given that

it should never be laid aside, but be forever preserved in that marriage knot with

the Divine." The glorification of our Lord’s humanity (a foreshadowing of which

was vouchsafed upon the holy mount) is altogether beyond human comprehension,

but several details are given to help us form some conception of it. At His baptism

God anointed Him "with the Holy Spirit and with power" ( Acts 10:38), but upon

His ascension it is said of Him, "Thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness

[the Spirit] above thy fellows" (Heb. 1:9). We believe this was to capacitate His

humanity for the offices which were henceforth to be performed in it. We quote

Charnock again: "It was so enlarged and spiritualized as to be a convenient

habitation for all the fullness of His Deity to reside in and perform all its proper

operations: ‘in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily’ (Col. 2:9): not

dwelling as if imprisoned, but to break forth in all its glories and graces; not

‘formerly so dwelling’ in it, but now ‘dwelleth.’ If the righteous are to ‘shine forth

as the sun in the kingdom of their Father’ (Matthew 13:43) the Head of the

righteous shines with a splendor above the sun, for He hath a glory upon His body,

not only from the glory of His soul (as the saints shall have), but from the glory of

His Divinity in conjunction with it. The glory of His Divinity redounds upon His

humanity like a beam of the sun that conveys a dazzling brightness to a piece of

crystal."

3D. Pink adds, "What that dazzling brightness appears like may be gathered from

the blinding effect which a momentary appearance of it had on Saul of Tarsus:

"There shone from heaven a great light round about" him, accompanied by the

voice of "Jesus of �azareth," and we are told that for a while he "could not see for

the glory of that light" (Acts 22:6-11). How necessary it was for Christ to be taken to

heaven: no mortal could have lived in the presence of the glorified Christ on earth.

The man of sin will be destroyed by "the brightness of his coming" (2 Thess. 2:8).

3E. Pink in another article wrote, "At least four things are connoted by Christ’s

being "seated." First, it is emblematic of rest from a finished work. We cannot

contemplate aright the present state of our Lord without calling to mind the

circumstances of His being there: "When he had by himself purged our sins [He] sat

down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:3). His sacrificial service

and sufferings are ended: His work of expiation is completed. "It is finished," He

cried from the cross, and proof thereof is His being seated on high. "Every priest [of

Judaism] standeth, daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices,

which cannot take away sins" (Heb. 10:11). Among the furniture of the tabernacle

and temple there was no chair! "But this Man, after he had offered one sacrifice for

sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God" (Heb. 10:12). Israel’s priests never

accomplished the design of their office, but Christ’s perfect oblation fully satisfied

justice, and God bore testimony to the same by translating Him to heaven.

Second, it marks the beginning of a new work. This is taught us in Acts 2 where we

are told that on the day of Pentecost "there appeared unto them [i.e., the apostles of

Acts 1:26, the "them" of Acts 2:1-3; cf. Acts 2:14] cloven tongues like as of fire, and

it sat upon each of them. And they were filled with the Holy Ghost." For three years

the apostles had accompanied Christ and been trained by Him, but now their

apprenticeship was over, and their real mission, as the ambassadors of the King,

was about to commence. To equip them for their exalted task they were anointed by

the Spirit. Thus it was with Christ: His work of expiation was completed, but His

enthronement on high marked the beginning of His administration of His kingdom.

The life, death, and resurrection of Christ simply laid the foundation upon which

His royal conquests are now being achieved. His work as the King-Priest only began

when He was invested with "all power." He is now "upholding all things by the

word of his power." (Heb. 1:3), wielding His scepter to good effect.

Third, Christ’s being "seated" is indicative of honor and dignity. When used

officially, to sit denotes dignity and exaltation: a superior raised above his inferiors,

as a king upon his throne, a judge on the bench. Thus that Old Testament

expression to sit in the gate (Ruth 4:1-2; cf. Deuteronomy 16:18) signified the

holding of a judicial court. Job alluded to that when he said, "When I went out to

the gate through the city, when I prepared my [magisterial] seat in the street, the

young men saw me . . . and the aged men arose, and stood up" (Job 29:7-8). When

the Most High is pictured as holding session, the august scene is portrayed thus:

"The Ancient of days did sit . . .: his throne was like the fiery flame...: thousand

thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before

him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened" (Dan. 7:9-10; for other

examples of this third meaning, see Matthew 25:31; Revelation 20:11).

Fourth, Christ’s seating signifies a state of continuance. Christ’s humiliation was

only temporary, but His exaltation and enthronement are permanent. Jacob, in

speaking of Joseph’s suffering and then his glory, said, "The archers have sorely

grieved him, and shot at and hated him: but his bow abode in strength" (Gen.

49:23-24). The Hebrew verb is literally "sat" but fittingly rendered "abode," as in

this verse: "Therefore shall ye abide [sit] at the door of the tabernacle" (Lev. 8:35).

The position of highest honor belonging to Christ is a perpetual one. He is "seated"

surely and durably. "In mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon

it in truth in the tabernacle of David" (Isa. 16:5). To have Christ sit upon it and to

have the throne established is all one. "His dominion is an everlasting dominion, . . .

and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed" (Dan. 7:14)."

4. John Owen wrote regarding Christ’s humanity, "It is not made omniscient,

omnipresent, omnipotent, but is exalted in a fullness of all Divine perfections and

infinitely above the glory of angels and men. For the substance of this glory of the

human nature of Christ believers shall be made partakers of it, for when we shall

see Him as He is ‘we shall be like Him’; but as unto the degrees and measure of it,

His glory is above all that we can be made partakers of."

5. P. G. Mathew, “The resurrection of Jesus Christ, accomplished by the mighty

power of God, demonstrated a few things. First, when Jesus Christ was resurrected,

God the Father was acknowledging him as his Son and giving his approval of his

Son. Additionally, God the Father was declaring to the whole world that his Son,

Jesus Christ, is the Lord of all. But more than that, in God’s using his divine power

to raise his Son from the dead, he was telling us that Christ’s resurrection is the

forerunner of the resurrection of all God’s people. In other words, Christ’s

resurrection is the proof—the pledge and guarantee—of our own spiritual and

physical resurrection. That is why we glory in this demonstration of God’s mighty

strength in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our salvation, our life is tied up with it.

Because he lives, we shall live also. The apostle Paul understood this idea, and in 2

Corinthians 4:14 he wrote, "We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from

the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence." The

resurrection of Jesus Christ is the pledge, the guarantee, the proof, that we will be

raised up, so Paul says, "We know." It is an absolute certainty. Paul repeats this

idea in 1 Thessalonians 4:14, saying, "We believe that Jesus died and rose again and

so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him."

Our salvation, our eternal life, is all tied up with the resurrection and life of Jesus

Christ our Lord."

6. David Roth, "We are so joined to Christ that the scriptures declare that ...

We have been crucified with Christ. (Gal. 2:20)

We have died with Christ. (Col. 2:20)

We have been buried with Christ. (Romans 6:4)

We have been made alive in Christ. (Eph. 2:5)

We have been resurrected with Christ. (Col. 3:1)

We have been seated with Christ. (Eph. 2:6)

7. Gill, "..and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places; which is

expressive of the great honour conferred upon the human nature of Christ, such as

never was given to any of the angels, and of the glory it is exalted to; and shows that

he has done his work on earth with acceptance, which he came about; and therefore

is set down at his Father's right hand, where he enjoys rest and ease from his

labours, and is out of the reach of every enemy; will never die again, but live for

ever, to intercede for his people, to assist and protect them, and bring them where

he is; and in whom, as their head and representative, they are already set down in

the same heavenly places."

8. Donald Williams asks, "What Holds up our Hope," and then he gives us these two

points:

Stage One: Realizing God's Power

This foundation is poured in two stages. First, the realization that God's power is

God's ability to do what must be done if we are to fulfill our calling in Christ. Can

he make guilty men innocent? Yes, for he considers Christ as guilty of our sin and

us as possessing Christ's innocence as a result of Christ's work on the cross. Can he

make sinful men holy, setting them free from the power as well as the guilt of sin?

Yes, for Christ's positive obedience is also imputed to our account, and his holy life

lives in and through us. Can he make dead men live? Yes, for the resurrection of

Christ is the focal point that stands for the whole package. In summary, we may say

that Christ is a test case. He proves that God has the power, the ability, to do what is

necessary for all of us.

Stage Two: Realizing God's Accomplishment

But there is a second facet too. When we contemplate Jesus Christ condemned,

crucified, forsaken, dead, buried, raised, and exalted, we see not just an object

lesson of what God CA� DO for sinners; we see the the accomplishment of what

God HAS DO�E for us! This is so because Christ died as our Representative. The

"new Adam" language of Rom. 5 means that just as Adam's sin committed the

whole human race to rebellion, counting as if it were ours personally because Adam

was the Head of the Race, so Christ's obedience counts for believers in the same way

because he is the Head of the Church. In Gal. 3:13, Christ was cursed for sin instead

of you, i.e., in your place. In Col. 2:13-14, because Jesus was punished your debt was

paid in full. In other words, what God did in Christ on Calvary does not just make

salvation possible for us; it already counts as true of us.

In the same way, Christ also ROSE as our Representative (Rom. 6:5, 8, Gal. 2:20).

When he died, you died, and therefore there is no condemnation. And when he rose,

you rose, and therefore there is eternal life. But don't miss the next step: he was also

EXALTED as our Representative (Eph. 1:3, 2:6). In other words, it is not just that

you may legitimately hope that someday you will go to Heaven. If you have received

Christ by faith, you are already there, represented by and in him at the right hand

of the Throne. What God has done in Christ is just as true of you as it was of him,

though the full manifestation of that truth awaits his return. But it is nonetheless, in

a sense, true already."

21 far above all rule and authority, power and

dominion, and every title that can be given, not

only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Amplified: Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every

name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age

and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. (Amplified

Bible - Lockman)

�LT: �ow He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything

else in this world or in the world to come. (�LT - Tyndale House)

Phillips: a place that is infinitely superior to any conceivable command, authority,

power or control, and which carries with it a name far beyond any name that could

ever be used in this world or the world to come. (Phillips: Touchstone)

1. �ote that Jesus is not just above all other powers, but far above them, and that

means that he is in a different category completely, for he is Lord of all. There is no

title so exalted that it can come anywhere near his, and there never will be either,

for he will maintain the title of Lord forever. It will never be up for grabs, for he

will reign forever, and every tongue will confess him as Lord. Paul makes it clear

that there is no way to exaggerate the position that Jesus plays in history and in

eternity. There are no competitors for his throne, for he is one of a kind, and there

can never be another like him. It is not as if in heaven we will discover there is a

change in plans and some other being other than Jesus will take over the throne. It

is his and his only, now and forever world without end, and eternity without end. He

is the number one authority in the universe, and wise are they who acknowledge

him as their Lord. Being anti-Christ is being as sinful and stupid as possible, for to

be against the nunber one power in all of reality makes one the number one fool in

all reality.

2. Clarke,"Far above all principality - The difficulty in this verse does not arise

from the words themselves, the meaning of each being easily understood, but from

the sense in which the apostle uses them. Some think he has reference here to the

different orders among good and evil angels; he is superior to all the former, and

rules all the latter. Others think he refers to earthly governments; and as αρχη,

principality, the first word, signifies the most sovereign and extensive kind of

dominion; and κυριοτης, lordship, the last word, signifies the lowest degree of

authority; hence we are to understand that to our Lord, in his human nature, are

subjected the highest, the intermediate, and the lowest orders of beings in the

universe. - Chandler. Others imagine that the apostle has in view, by whatsoever is

named in this world, all the dignitaries of the Jewish Church; and by what is named

in the world to come, all the dignities that should be found in the Christian

Church."

3. Gill, "Far above all principality and power,.... Good angels and bad angels, and

civil magistrates, who also may be intended by the following words: and might and

dominion; good angels may be so called, because of their employment under God in

the affairs of Providence, and the government of this world; and Christ is not only

above them, as he is God, being their Creator, who has made them, and on whom

they depend, and is the Lord whom they serve, and is the object of their worship

and adoration, and as he is Mediator, to whom they minister, and so is above them

in nature, name, and office; but also as he is man, in union with the Son of God; and

chiefly he here is said to be above them on account of place, being at the right hand

of God, where they are not, Heb_1:13. And evil angels may be so called, because of

the government which subsists among themselves, and the power and influence they

have over mankind; Christ was above them when here on earth, as appears by his

resisting the temptations of Satan, and defeating him in them; by his dispossessing

devils from the bodies of men; by his spoiling and destroying them and their works

at his death; and by his leading them captive, and triumphing over them at his

ascension; and by delivering souls out of his hands at conversion, through his power

attending the ministration of his Gospel; and his being above them will still be more

manifest, in the binding of Satan a thousand years, and in the final condemnation of

him, and of all his angels under him: civil magistrates are sometimes called by these

names, and Christ is above them; they receive their governments from him, they

rule by him, and are accountable to him, and are set up and put down at his

pleasure; all these senses may be taken in; but the first seems chiefly designed:"

4. Barnes, "Far above all principality - The general sense in this verse is, that the

Lord Jesus was exalted to the highest conceivable dignity and honor; compare

Phi_2:9; Col_2:10. In this beautiful and most important passage, the apostle labors

for words to convey the greatness of his conceptions, and uses those which denote

the highest conceivable dignity and glory. The “main” idea is, that God had

manifested great “power” in thus exalting the Lord Jesus, and that similar power

was exhibited in raising up the sinner from the death of sin to the life and honor of

believing. The work of religion throughout was a work of power; a work of exalting

and honoring “the dead,” whether dead in sin or in the grave; and Christians ought

to know the extent and glory of the power thus put forth in their salvation. The

word rendered “far above” - ὑπεράνω huperanō - is a compound word, meaning

“high above,” or greatly exalted. He was not merely “above” the ranks of the

heavenly beings, as the head; he was not one of their own rank, placed by office a

little above them, but he was infinitely exalted over them, as of different rank and

dignity. How could this be if he were a mere man; or if he were an angel? The word

rendered “principality” - ἀρχή archē - means properly, “the beginning;” and then

the first, the first place, power, dominion, pre-eminence, rulers. magistrates, etc. It

may refer here to any rank and power, whether among people or angels, and the

sense is, that Christ is exalted above all."

5. Pink, "Those Christians are greatly the losers whose thoughts about Christ are

almost confined to the manger of Bethlehem and the cross of Calvary. While we

cannot be sufficiently thankful for Christ’s death, for our salvation, and for

everlasting bliss hinged thereon, we must bear in mind that His death at Golgotha

was not the termination of His history. Important instructions and spiritual

advantages are derived by directing our attention to His resurrection also, for that

blessed event not only bore conclusive testimony to the divinity of His mission and

supplied the most solid ground for our faith in Him; it is likewise the pledge and

assurance that we too shall be raised from the dead. The Word of truth goes on to

inform us that, after continuing on earth for forty days, the risen Savior ascended to

heaven, that He is now seated at the right hand of God, where He intercedes for His

people. In the epistles our gaze is frequently directed to the glorified and exalted

state of our Savior, and it is the privilege and duty of faith to follow Him into the

Father’s presence, view Him within the veil, and eye Him as the King of kings.

5B. Pink continues, "In the closing portion of the apostle’s prayer in Ephesians 1 we

are reminded that the risen Redeemer has been invested with all power, authority

and dominion. That was part of His reward and triumph (Phil. 2:9). It was as the

God-man Mediator that He was thus invested and given the scepter of the universe.

Also, as the Head of the Church Christ passed within the veil "whither the

forerunner is for us entered" (Heb. 6:20). How that ought to strengthen the faith

and encourage the hearts of all who have put their trust in Him! �o room is left for

doubt or uncertainty of the value and acceptableness to God of Christ’s obedience

and death. The Father has given to the very One who bore the sins and curse of His

people the supreme place of honor in heaven. How that intimates the place which

the salvation of His saints occupies in God’s counsels and government! The position

to which the Savior has been elevated demonstrates beyond any doubt the degree of

importance which God Himself attaches to the redemption of His Church. The

position which Christ now occupies and the power which has been given to Him are

for the sake of His blood-bought ones.

5C. Pink continues,"And set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far

above all principality, and power." That tells of the eminence of His elevation. God

has not only exalted but "highly exalted" Him (Phil. 2:9), not only "above" but "far

above all principality, and power" or, as Hebrews 7:26 expresses it, "made higher

than the heavens." That One who glorified the Father so superlatively on earth has

been exalted to the highest conceivable honor and glory. Christ has been raised

above the celestial hosts not only as their Head but of vastly superior rank and

dignity. There are ranks or grades among the angels, though precisely what those

differences are, we do not know. There is "principality and power, and might and

dominion," but Christ is advanced high above them all, being set in authority over

them all. This is dwelt on in Hebrews 1:4: "Being made so much better than the

angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." The

glory He entered into upon His ascension was proportionate and consonant to the

name which is His by essential right.

Ephesians 1:21 gives us a detailed account of our Lord’s supremacy. He passed by

the dignitaries of heaven when in love He descended to assume the form and name

of a servant for our sakes. But when God exalted Him, He "glorified his Servant

Jesus" (Acts 3:13, R. V.) as well as openly confirmed His Son (Heb. 1:4-5). That

supremacy of Christ is not only eminent but universal: "angels and authorities and

powers being made subject unto him" (1 Pet. 3:22). "And every name that is named,

not only in this world, but also in that which is to come" (Eph. 1:21), i.e., both on

earth and in heaven, here and hereafter. Christ has been advanced above every

other excellence and honor. �ot only has supremacy of position been conferred

upon Him but also supremacy of name. His name is accorded the worship due God

alone, not only by the Church below but by the angels above (Heb. 1:6). To His

name every knee shall yet bow (Phil. 2:10). Then what is Christ due from us? Our

hearts, our lives, our all."

22 And God placed all things under his feet and

appointed him to be head over everything for the

church, Amplified: And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the

universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the

church], (Amplified Bible - Lockman)

�LT: And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and He gave Him

this authority for the benefit of the church. (�LT - Tyndale House)

1. This is an absolute statement that says, not most things, and not ninety nine

percent of things, but all things are under the feet of Christ. That is equivalent to

being total sovereign Lord of everything, for to be under his feet means that he is in

full control. Jesus is in charge of everything. When God seated the resurrected and

ascended Christ on the throne at his right hand, he made him the sovereign Lord of

all, and he appointed him to be the head over everything for the church. He died for

this church, and now he is given this church as his own. He paid his life for it, and

now he has full rights to it, and all it can ever be as a tool to be used for expanding

the kingdom of God. It was expensive to purchase, but he will manage it to produce

what money can never by, and that is eternal souls to become children of God.

1B. This verse could be misunderstood, and so Paul in I Cor. 15:27 makes it clear

that God the Father did not make his Son head over him, and that the Father is not

under the feet of Jesus. He said there, "�ew American Standard Bible "For HE

HAS PUT ALL THI�GS I� SUBJECTIO� U�DER HIS FEET. But when He says,

"All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things

in subjection to Him. GOD'S WORD® Translation makes it clearer, "Clearly, God

has put everything under Christ's authority. When God says that everything has

been put under Christ's authority, this clearly excludes God, since God has put

everything under Christ's authority."

1C. It is surprizing how often this is said about Jesus. We read it again in Heb. 2:8-

9, "Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in

subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not

yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the

angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the

grace of God should taste death for every man." John 3:35 says virtually the same

thing. "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand."

1D. We read Jesus making the declaration himself in Matt. 28:18, "All power in

heaven and on earth has been given unto me." God's plan was fulfilled in Jesus, for

it was a purpose God had from the beginning that man would be put in charge of his

universe. Psalm 8:6 tells us that God wanted to put all things under the feet of man,

and that was done when the God-man, the Lord Jesus took the throne at God's right

hand.

1E. And unknown author wrote, "This is the Apostle’s argument in Hebrews i. 13.

“To which of the angels (to what created being) said he at any time, Sit on my right

hand?” The Apostle says to the Philippians, that Him, who though equal with God

was found in fashion as a man, “God hath highly exalted, and given him a name

which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of

things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” (Phil. ii. 9, 10.)

This is a perfectly exhaustive statement. All in heaven, all in earth, and all under the

earth, include all rational creatures. The person to whom they are to bow the knee is

Jesus, not the Logos, but the God-man. And the acknowledgment which they are to

make is, that He is Lord, i.e., their Lord, their absolute proprietor and Sovereign. It

is in this sense also, that the Apostle says (Heb. i. 2), that God hath appointed the

Son heir of all things. It is in virtue of this dominion over the universe that Christ is

called Lord of lords and King of kings, i.e. the Sovereign over all other sovereigns in

heaven and on earth."

1F. Paul tells us that even though this is already a reality, the practical outworking

of Christ's authority still has to be achieved in history. He wrote in I Cor. 15:25,

"He must reign, till He hath put all His enemies under His feet." He is Lord over his

enemies, but there are still battles that have to be fought to bring them to

submission. We see this as one of the purposes of the church, for the church is to be

a force in the world to crush the enemies of Christ. Paul wrote in Rom. 16:20, "The

God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord

Jesus, the Messiah, be with all of you!" Paul will deal with the whole issue of

spiritual warfare later in this letter, but the point is, we are fighting soldiers of the

cross, and all evil foes of the kingdom of Christ will be crushed and defeated,

because we fight for the one who is the ultimate authority, and the one who will

ultimately win all battles.

2. F B Meyer writes that..."THE CHURCH IS A BODY OF WHICH CHRIST IS

HEAD. (Ephesians 1:22) The Church, as a whole, must take its commands for

suffering or warfare from no other lips than Christ's. Whatever course may be

dictated by expediency, policy, or human leadership, she dare not move until Christ

gives the signal. But if He bids her advance, protest, or suffer, she has no option but

to obey. Though every voice that can reach her may be raised in expostulation and

warning, she dare heed none but his.

This position of our Lord is as much for each member of the Church as for the

whole Body. Because as in the natural body each several muscle, nerve, and vein, as

well as the more prominent members, have direct double communication with the

head, from which they derive their unity, direction, and energy; so in the spiritual

Body of which Christ is head, there is not one single redeemed spirit that is not

connected directly with its Lord. It would not be in the Church at all if that

relationship had not first been formed. We are related to one another, only because

we are related to Him. We are first members of Christ, then members of each other

in Him. First Christ, then the Church.

2B. Meyer continues, "Each member is united to the head by the afferent nerves

that carry impressions from the surface of the body to the head; and there is

nothing which happens to any one of us which is not instantly communicated to our

Saviour. In all our affliction He is afflicted; He bears our griefs and carries our

sorrows; He is touched with the feeling of our infirmity. The glory with which He is

surrounded does not act like an insulating barrier to intercept the thrill of pain or

joy that passes instantly from the weakest and meanest of his members to Himself.

Each member is united to the head by the efferent nerves, that carry volitions from

the imperial court of the brain to the extremities of the body, withdrawing the foot

from the thorn, or compelling the hand to plunge into the flame. Thus should we

receive the impulses of our life from Jesus Christ; not acting on self-prompted

energy, or following our own plans, thinking our own thoughts, or doing our own

works, but ever subordinated to his will."

3. Shaw Clifton, Gereral of the Salvation Army said, "We are to be under Christ’s

feet. You cannot be under Christ’s feet and still be proud. You cannot be under

Christ’s feet, and still be full of self. You cannot be under Christ’s feet and remain

disobedient to God. You cannot be under Christ’s feet and go on sinning. You

cannot be under Christ’s feet and be relying on your own puny, human strength. If

we are not under His feet, then we are literally out of place. It means we are in some

other place, a place of our own choosing, not of His choosing. That would then be

the wrong place to be. We would be MIS-placed. If we are not under God, if we are

not under the feet of Christ who has been appointed ‘head over everything’, then we

are under someone or something else, and we are letting that someone or something

else take the place of Jesus and usurp Him.

4. It is for the church that Jesus is the head of all things, and that means he is the

one in control of all things so that the church will benefit and not be destroyed in

spite of many enemies. The church has gone through so many tribulations, but the

church has always survived because of the providential protection of Christ. Many

have died for the name of Christ, but for each one who died there were many more

who came to trust him as their Savior and Lord. His church has advanced against

great foes to become the largest body of people in the world committed to one

person. This is no accident, but the result of his authority as the head of the church,

and the head of all things for the church.

5. An unknown author wrote, "One of my favorite passages in the Bible is

Ephesians 3:10: "His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom

of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly

realms.These "rulers and authorities in heavenly realms" are not working with

God. They are Satan's servants. Through the church, God wants to show Satan and

his evil ones that He-God-will bring restoration through His manifold-multi-

dimensional-plan.

To understand this, I picture a stadium full of people. There is a soccer game on the

field. The stands are full of observers. These represent the principalities and powers

in heavenly places. On the field are two teams-the Kingdom of Darkness and the

Church. Each has a coach. Satan is the coach for the Kingdom of Darkness. Jesus

Christ is the coach for the Church. Jesus, God's son, has a strategic game plan for

His team. His plays are brilliant and multi-faceted. As the Church follows its coach's

game plan, it wins a cup greater than the World Cup-the Eternal Cup! The church

wins the contest on this earth and for all eternity!

5B. The author continues, "What is this manifold game plan that God wants to

accomplish through His church? God's wisdom is not one-dimensional; it is multi-

dimensional. God's agenda is not only spiritual; it includes the restoration of all that

was broken in the Fall. As the church obeys Christ's instructions on how to live in

the world, it begins to see the fulfillment of the grand purpose of God-the

redemption of all that was broken.

God's redemptive purpose, His big agenda, is what He wants to accomplish through

the church. Ephesians 3:10 says it is "now, through the church" that God will reveal

His purpose. This purpose will not be revealed through individual believers alone,

but through the local church and the global church. God's purpose will be expressed

in communities when local churches obey God's game plan. I believe that the church

is far more important for the transformation of a society than the president of the

nation, its legislators, or its business leaders. These leaders are important, but a

biblical worldview reminds us that the strategic institution that God chose to

accomplish His big agenda is the church.

6. Why was it so important to have Jesus in charge of all things for the sake of the

church? It was because the church would be the agent of change in this world that

would make the greatest contribution to the victory of love over hate, and of

compassion over indifference. The church would be Christ still living on earth

making a difference in lives and nations. Somone has written a marvelous article on

how the church changed ancient Rome, and I want to share it because it illustrates

what Paul is saying here about the Lordship of Christ over all things for the church.

7. "There are periods in Western history where God has used the church to

transform society. One of the most dramatic examples is described in The Rise of

Christianity, by Rodney Stark. Stark is an internationally recognized social scientist

who specializes in the study of religious movements. He is not a biblical scholar-he

does not examine the role of divine intervention in the growth of the first-century

church. Instead, he applies theories and methods of social science to available

historical data. The rise of Christianity, he notes, is the greatest social change in

Western history in the last 2000 years. In this work, he examines how a tiny,

persecuted, oppressed, rejected, reviled group of 120 people was able-within 300

years-to transform pagan Rome. (Acts 1:15)

Stark notes that the small group of early Christians introduced a new vision of

humanity, one that had not existed in Greek or Roman culture. He identifies some

of the early Christian beliefs and practices that brought radical change to Roman

society and that introduced a new view of humanity to the world.

For the first time in the pagan world, there was a God who loves those who love

Him. This was a radical change. In pagan Rome the gods had their own

agendas. They spent much of their time fighting each other, competing for

love and dominance. They had little interest in the people who worshipped

them. The God of the Christians, though, actually loves those who love Him.

Moreover, since this God loves humanity and demonstrates His love through

sacrifice, Christians must love and serve others, too. This was revolutionary.

In general, pagan Romans didn't love anybody except their families, people

of their own social class, and those whom it was politically or economically

advantageous to love. This new God, though, was essentially saying, "I love

you and because I have loved you, I want you to love as I love-regardless of

blood relationships, class, political attachments, or economic attachments. I

want you to love those who are poor and hurting. I want you to love,

especially, those who are in a humble position in the world."

A related belief and practice was that there is no rank or ethnicity among

believers. This was different! In a worship service, a nobleman and a slave

came together and called each other brothers. Why would a nobleman allow

a slave to call him brother? Why would a nobleman call the slave his

brother? This was a whole new vision of human relationships!

Another unique Christian belief was that God is a merciful God, who requires

mercy. This was contrary to Roman paganism. Rome was well known for its

casual cruelty. Stark told of an emperor who celebrated his son's fourteenth

birthday-his coming into manhood-by bringing gladiators into the coliseum

to fight and kill each other so that his son could experience the shedding of

blood to death. Roman writers ridiculed Christians because they were

merciful, especially to the poor. They couldn't understand why anyone would

care for the poor, but that was a central belief and practice of Christianity.

Romans believed that men were better than women. They laughed at the

Christian view that men must love their wives and children. Roman men

owned their wives and their children. Roman men could actually kill their

children without legal consequences because the children were property, and

they could do anything they wished with their own property. In the new

Christian religion, men were to love their wives as they loved themselves.

In addition, Christianity rejected abortion and infanticide, which were standard

practices in Rome. Stark quotes a letter that a Roman soldier wrote to his

wife from the battlefield: "If you are delivered of a child [before I come

home], if it a boy keep it, if a girl discard it." (Stark, 98) That was typical,

says Stark. Dozens of baby skeletons were found in the excavation of a

Roman sewer. Stark assumes that these were unwanted baby girls. In this

new religion, however, all of life-handicapped, unborn, male or female, slave

or nobleman-all of life was sacred. What a revolutionary idea!

A final observation is exciting. These believers, observes Stark, loved other

people whether they were Christian or not."

8. Henry, " Jesus Christ is advanced above all, and he is set in authority over all,

they being made subject to him. All the glory of the upper world, and all the powers

of both worlds, are entirely devoted to him. The Father hath put all things under his

feet (Eph_1:22), according to the promise, Psa_110:1. All creatures whatsoever are

in subjection to him; they must either yield him sincere obedience or fall under the

weight of his sceptre, and receive their doom from him. God GAVE him to be head

over all things. It was a gift to Christ, considered as a Mediator, to be advanced to

such dominion and headship, and to have such a mystical body prepared for him:

and it was a gift to the church, to be provided with a head endued with so much

power and authority. God gave him to be the head over all things. He gave him all

power both in heaven and in earth. The Father loves the Son, and hath given ALL

things into his hands. But that which completes the comfort of this is that he is the

head over all things to the church; he is entrusted with all power, that is, that he

may dispose of all the affairs of the providential kingdom in subserviency to the

designs of his grace concerning his church. With this therefore we may answer the

messengers of the nations, that the Lord hath founded Zion. The same power that

supports the world support the church; and we are sure he loves his church, for it is

his body (Eph_1:23), his mystical body, and he will care for it. It is the fulness of him

that filleth all in all. Jesus Christ filleth all in all; he supplies all defects in all his

members, filling them with his Spirit, and even with the fulness of God, Eph_3:19.

And yet the church is said to be his fulness, because Christ as Mediator would not

be complete if he had not a church. How could he be a king if he had not a

kingdom? This therefore comes in to the honour of Christ, as Mediator, that the

church is his fulness.

9. Pink, "The closing verses of Ephesians 1 go on to inform us what that reward

consists of. It was the seating of Christ as the Mediator at God’s own right hand. It

was the elevating of Him above all the celestial hierarchies. It was the putting of all

things under His feet, so that the very forces of evil are now beneath His immediate

control. It was the giving Him to be Lord over all things as actual Governor of the

universe. It was that He might exercise universal dominion for the good of His

Church. It was that He might fill all things. Thus we see again the necessity for

translating Christ from earth to heaven. Since all providence is administered from

heaven, and since all power (Matthew 28:18) and all judgment (John 5:22) have

been committed to Christ, it was right that He should sit upon a celestial throne. He

who has been given the nations for His inheritance and the uttermost part of the

earth for His possession could not suitably sway His scepter from some local corner

of His empire. As Charnock points out, "It was not congruous that He who was

made the Head of principalities and powers, the Governor of the angelic spirits,

should have a meaner dwelling than the greatest of His subjects and as low as the

vilest of His vassals." "Such an high priest became us, . . . holy, harmless, undefiled,

separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens" (Heb. 7:26).

9B. Pink, ""The church, which is his body." Christ has a natural body, by virtue of

His incarnation. He has a sacramental body, which is seen in the Lord’s Supper. He

has a ministerial body, the local church or assembly (1 Cor. 12:27), where His

ordinances are administered and His truth proclaimed. He has also a mystical Body,

so designated because the mysterious union of its members with one another and

with their Head is altogether beyond the purview of our physical senses. It is this

Body, we believe, which is here meant, as in Ephesians 4:12-13 (which has never

been realized by any church on earth), the Church for which Christ gave Himself

(Eph. 5:25). The term cannot be restricted to any local assembly. It includes "the

general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven" (Heb.

12:23)—the sum total of all God’s elect. That mystical Body has been in process of

formation since the days of Abel and will not be completed until the end of human

history."

10. "The French Puritan Daille ably argued: "The wisdom of God hath disposed all

causes in an order superior to those effects which depend upon them: the heavens

are above the earth because the earth is influenced by them, and the sun above the

earth because the earth is enlightened by it. It was no less necessary according to the

order of God’s wisdom, that He who was made by God His Viceroy both in heaven

and in earth, and had the management of all things conferred upon Him, should be

lodged in a place superior to all His subjects." It was fit that as an earthly king

should have an earthly palace, our great High Priest should dwell in a temple not

made with hands. How could He fittingly bring the Church to a happy immortality

unless He was first in possession of that heaven to which He was to conduct it? Since

He is ordained the Judge of the whole world, must He not sit in the heavenly court

and there in majesty execute that solemn charge!"

11. Donald Williams, "The first chapter of Ephesians is something like a three-stage

rocket. Just when you've ridden its powerful booster to heights of spiritual blessing

and invigorating doctrine beyond anything you ever thought possible, just when you

think you've gone as high as mortal man can go and you expect to begin coasting

back to earth, just then the next stage kicks in and its thrusters plaster you to your

seat with g-forces as you rocket to even giddier altitudes. And just when you think

that's all you can take, the third stage cuts in and the exhiliration continues."

12. Williams goes on to deal with some of the metaphors of the church. He wrote,

"The metaphor of Christ as the Head and the Church as his Body is one of a series

of metaphors with overlapping significance describing the relationship between

Christ and the Church. Put all together they give us some inkling of the nature of

this all-encompassing relationship.

Church as Temple

First, the CHURCH is described as a TEMPLE, with CHRIST as its

COR�ERSTO�E (Eph. 2:20, 1 Pet. 2:4-5). Even this least organic of the metaphors

pictures Christ and the Church as each a part of the other, as tied together. The

cornerstone is indispensable, foundational, most important. It is the focal point of

the whole, not only the main support but the one from whom everything else is

plotted and measured.

Church as Bride

Second, the CHURCH is described as a BRIDE, and CHRIST as the

BRIDEGROOM (Eph. 5:23-27). Here is a more intimate union, for husband and

wife are not just contiguous and mortared but are metaphorically described as one

flesh. This portrays the relationship as one of caring, sacrifice, leadership, and

commitment on he part of Christ, of caring, acceptance, submission, and

commitment on the part of the Church. The Church as Temple is the object of

support, design, and definition by the Cornerstone. As Bride she is the object of

love, caring, leadership, and support by the Groom.

Church as Branches

Third, the CHURCH is described as the BRA�CHES, and CHRIST as the VI�E

(Jn. 15:1-5). This is an even more intimate union. �ow the same life flows through

both; now the union is pictured as literally organic. Christ is the sole source of life,

nourishment, and support. These things flow from him in measure as the union is

full and unbroken.

Church as Body

Finally, in this passage, the CHURCH is described as a BODY, and CHRIST as its

HEAD. This metaphor should be seen as part of the complex of figures which

includes the others. This union is the most intimate of all; as organic as that of Vine

and Branches but as personal as that of Groom and Bride. The Head is most

obviously and particularly the source of direction and guidance for the Body. But

this is also an image of the strongest identity. Pain and pleasure may be felt in the

members, but they register consciously only in the head, as Paul discovered on the

Damascus Road ("Why are you persecuting ME?" (Acts 9:4).

What does it mean to be joined to Jesus Christ in this way? As Head he is obviously

the Ruler, but much more. He supports and defines you the way a cornerstone does

a building. He identifies with you and feels for you the way the brain does for the

members of its body. He cares for you and cherishes you as a man does for his own

body or a good husband his wife. He nourishes you with his own life as a vine does

its branches. Therefore, for you to be cut off from him would be like an amputation.

He will do all that omnipotence can do to keep you in the faith."

13. Williams continues, "This is a relationship which is definitely asymmetrical.

Christ initiates it and sustains it; he contributes infinitely more to it than we do. But

though it is not symmetrical it is nonetheless reciprocal. What happens to the body

affects the head, just as what happen in the head affects the body. Specifically, if the

Head has been killed, raised, exalted, and seated, then so has its Body. Why were all

things put under his feet? So the Church would have a Head who is head of all!

Christ is in one sense the Head of the whole created world (1:10). But of all

Creation, only the Church is called his Body. Why? Because only the Church is

joined to him, only the Church will reign with him, only the Church has a personal

relationship with him. So if I am in the heavenlies seated and reigning because

Christ is my Representative, how much more because he is my Head? Blessed be the

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual

blessing in the heavenly places in Christ!"

Such are the benefits and blessings that flow form this union that we should have as

our highest priority anything that would nurture, build, cement, or promote our

relationship with Christ. To be without Christ is to be like a chicken with its head

cut off. Physical activity can actually continue for some time: the bird runs around,

its limbs jerk, but there is no purpose to its movements and no lasting life in its

members. But what if you are connected to the Head but the connections are rather

loose? That is to have what we might call spiritual cerebral palsy. The nerve

impulses from the brain get scrambled on their way to the muscles. As a result there

is no power; movements are not as purposeless as those of the decapitated chicken,

but the purposes of the brain are carried out inefficiently amd ineffectively. What a

horribly accurate description of much of the Church today!"

14. Criswell has an interesting comment on what the church has in Christ that no

people have even had before he came. " �ow, I am to speak of the infinite

preciousness of that gift, the gift of God to His church. It is a gift that is a treasure

to us, to us who believe that no other faith, no other religion possesses. I have so

many Jewish friends, and I talk to them. I listen to them, the Jewish faith, the

Jewish religion. They cannot see it. It is not revealed to them. There is a veil over

their hearts, but to me as I read it and look at it, the Jewish faith is so broken and so

incomplete.

Did you ever read how the Book of Genesis ends? It ends with these words, In a

coffin in Egypt. Do you remember how the Pentateuch ends? It ends with the

weeping and mourning for Moses.

Do you remember how the Pentateuch ends, how Joshua ends? It ends with a

lament over the death and burial of Eleazar, the high priest, the son of Aaron.

Do you remember how the Book of the Kings ends? It ends with the imprisonment

and death of Jehoachin, their king, in the Babylonian captivity.

Do you remember how the prophets ends? How Malachi ends? It ends, Lest I come

and smite the earth with a curse.

The revelation is incomplete. It is broken off, and it finds no completion until you

find it in the most treasured of all the gifts of God, the blessed Messiah, the Lord

Jesus the Christ."

15. Paul wrote many of the same things in his letter to the Colossians.

Col 1:17 “And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Col 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-

born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in

everything.”

Col 2:9 “For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

Col 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule

and authority;”

23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills

everything in every way.

Amplified: Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that

body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills

everything everywhere with Himself]. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)

�LT: And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, Who fills everything

everywhere with his presence. (�LT - Tyndale House)

Phillips: for the Church is his body, and in that body lives fully the one Who fills the

whole wide universe. (Phillips: Touchstone)

1. The church is the body of Christ in the sense that it is his hands and feet in the

world to carry on the ministry he had when he was in his physical body on earth. It

is his tool to carry the Gospel of his love and compassion to all men, and by them

bring many into the kingdom of God by faith in his sacrificial death on the cross. He

gave his body up for the sins of the world, and now the Church is his body to

continue to give of their energy to covey his love and salvation to a lost world. There

is not other plan, for the church is the only body of people who can do the job of

fulfilling his commission to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. Christ is

present in every other body of people in the sense that he is there and aware, but

none of them have the fullness of his presence where his power and gifts are

exercised in their fullness.

"Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work today;

He has no feet but our feet to lead men in His way;

He has no tongue but our tongue to tell men how He died;

He has no help but our help to bring them to His side."

2. Preceptaustin, "In the Book of Ephesians, Paul uses numerous terms to describe

the church; each term gives us a different insight into who we are: Saints (Ephesians

1:1), Faithful in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:1), “us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19), the

church in all her glory (Ephesians 5:27), His body (Ephesians 1:23), His

Workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), One �ew Man (Ephesians 2:15), Fellow Citizens

(Ephesians 2:19), Fellow Heirs (Ephesians 3:6), God's household (Ephesians 2:19), a

dwelling of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:22), children of light (Ephesians 5:8), the

brethren (Ephesians 6:23), those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with a love

incorruptible (Ephesians 6:24)."

3. "(pleroo) be completely filled (completed state ~ net or cup filled to brim) Carries

idea of permeation such as salt’s permeating meat in order to flavor preserve it.

Also gives idea of total control. The present tense means continuously fills." The

idea seems to be that Jesus, who fills the whole universe with his presence is

especially present in all his fullness in the church. In other words, there is a different

degree of his presence in the church than in the universe as a whole. He knows what

is going on everywhere by his omnipresence and omniscience, but in the church are

all the gifts of his truth, wisdom and goodness that can change the lives of people.

Clarke says, "..this corresponds with what St. John says, Joh_1:16 : And of his

fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. And with what is said, Col_2:9,

Col_2:10 : Ye are complete in him; And ye are in him filled full; i.e. with gifts and

grace."

4. The church is the fullness of Christ in that it includes both Jews and Gentiles, and

that means all people are united as one in Christ when they receive him as Savior

and Lord. �o other body of people has the fullness of Christ. He is the head of this

body, and it is his mind that is to be in control of this body. When it is not, and the

people do not have the mind of Christ they are out of God's will. When they do have

his mind, they are in the center of his will, and they will achieve the purpose for

which he has this body.

5. Barnes recognizes how difficult it is to grasp the full meaning of this verse. He

gives more comment than any other commentator to explain it. He wrote, "The

exact idea here, however, is not very clear, and interpreters have been by no means

united in their opinions of the meaning. It seems probable that the sense is, that the

church is the “completion or filling up” of his power and glory. It is that without

which his dominion would not be complete. He has control over the angels and over

distant worlds, but; his dominion would not be complete without the control over

his church, and that is so glorious, that it “fills up” the honor of the universal

dominion, and makes his empire complete. According to Rosenmuller, the word

“fulness” here means a “great number” or multitude; a multitude, says he, which,

not confined to its own territory, spreads afar, and fills various regions.

5B. Barnes goes on, "Koppe also regards it as synonymous with “multitude or

many,” and supposes it to mean all the dominion of the Redeemer over the body -

the church. He proposes to translate the whole verse, “He has made him the Head

over his church, that he might rule it as his own body - the whole wide state of his

universal kingdom.” “This,” says Calvin (in loc.), “is the highest honor of the

church, that the Son of God regards himself as in a certain sense imperfect unless he

is joined to us.” The church constitutes the “complete body” of the Redeemer. A

body is complete when it has all its members and limbs in proper proportions, and

those members might be said to be the “completion,” or the filling-up, or the

“fulness” - πλήρωµα plērōma - of the body or the person. This language would not,

indeed, be such as would usually be adopted to express the idea now; but this is

evidently the sense in which Paul uses it here.

5C. Barnes continues, "The meaning is, that the church sustains the same relation to

Christ, which the body does to the head. It helps to form the entire person. There is

a close and necessary union. The one is not complete without the other. And one is

dependent on the other. When the body has all its members in due proportion, and

is in sound and vigorous health, the whole person then is complete and entire. So it

is to be in the kingdom of the Redeemer. He is the head; and that redeemed Church

is the body, the fulness, the completion, the filling-up of the entire empire over

which he presides, and which he rules.

5D. Barnes continues, "Storr understands the word in the sense of full or abundant

mercy, and supposes that it refers to the great benignity which “God” has shown to

his people, and renders it, “The great benignity of him who filleth all things with

good, as he called Jesus from tile dead to life and placed him in heaven, so even you,

sprung from the pagan, who were dead in sin on account of your many offences in

which you formerly lived, etc. - hath he called to life by Christ.” This verse,

therefore, he would connect with the following chapter, and he regards it all as

designed to illustrate the great power and goodness of God. Mr. Locke renders it,

“Which is his body, which is completed by him alone,” and supposes it means, that

Christ is the head, who perfects the church by supplying all things to all its

members which they need.

5E. Barnes goes on, "That filleth all in all - That fills all things, or who pervades

all things;The idea is, that there is no place where he is not, and which he does not

fill; and that he is the source of all the holy and happy influences that are abroad in

the works of God. It would not be easy to conceive of an expression more certainly

denoting omnipresence and universal agency than this; and if it refers to the Lord

Jesus, as seems to be indisputable, the passage teaches not only his supremacy, but

demonstrates his universal agency, and his omnipresence - things that pertain only

to God."

6. The bottom line is this: nowhere will you be able to find all that Jesus was, and all

that Jesus wants except in his body the church. Bits and parts may be found

elsewhere, but the fullness of Christ will only be found in this body he calls his

bride. She has his greatest love, and she has his greatest resources by which he

reaches out to love those who are not yet a part of his bride. You may find a sip here

and there, but if you want a cup overflowing with the reality of Christ, you need to

drink from that body called the church.

7. It is awesome to see the power and wonder of his creation, and we should see our

Lord in the whole universe, for he is there in marvelous works of beauty and

creativity, and he is the head of all the authorities in the heavenly realm. Look at

these texts in Colossians that show that he is God in all his fullness.

Col 1:17 “And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Col 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-

born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in

everything.”

Col 2:9 “For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

Col 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule

and authority;” But all of these places where Jesus is Lord and in control do not

match his fullness in the church, for none of these other places contain the Gospel

that sames lives for eternity. The only place where the fullness of Christ makes an

eternal difference is his fullness in the church, for that is the source of the

knowledge of Christ as Savior. He can be seen as Lord in the wisdom of his creation,

and in the sovereign rule over all supernatural authorities, but he can be seen as

Savior only through the church, for that is the only body commissioned to carry that

message to the world.

8. Paul T. Harrison wrote a couple of paragraphs that reveals just how the church

becomes the body of Christ in the world. He explains that all the virtues that Paul

commands the church to develop are those virtues that will entice the world to want

to know the Christ that produces these things in the members of the church. People

were attracted to Jesus on earth because of his qualities of character, and his

compassion. The church has to have these same qualities to attract the world. When

it has these qualities it will convey the fullness of Christ as no other body can. He

wrote, "That's why Paul spends the second half of the letter spelling out what it

means to be the church in real life. The whole thrust of chapters 4-6 is: the love that

reconciles.

9. Harrison goes on, "The very first four qualities Paul underlines are lowliness,

meekness, patience and forbearance. (4:1-2) Why those qualities first? Because they

are the qualities that make for harmony and preserve it. It calls for honesty, and

self-control, for the control of your tongue, 4:25-30; it calls for the abandonment of

bitterness and resentment and grievances, 4:30-31. It calls for the practice of

kindness and forbearance and tender-heartedness, 4:32; it requires that we respond

truly to the forgiving love of God so that in His daily forgiveness of us we live in

daily forgiveness of each other, 5:1-2. It means the pursuit of practical righteousness

in life, for unrighteousness in all its forms is the enemy of love and of that

wholesomeness of heart in which alone we can dwell together in harmony, 5:3-20. It

means putting your neighbour's interest and advantage above your own, whether

you're a husband or a wife, a parent or a child, a worker or a boss (Paul calls that

attitude"submissiveness"), 5:21 - 6:9.

10. Harrison adds this passionate conclusion: "The love that reconciles. In that love

the church is born, and in that love and by that love we must live and grow. Let that

love disappear from our life, and the Church as God creates it in Christ Jesus to be

goes up in a useless puff of smoke. The love that unifies - the love that has its roots

in the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of the Spirit through Christ ... that's what

the Church is all about. God has created it to be both a demonstration, and an

instrument of the reconciling power of love in the world. We have to put on love and

truth like a suit of armour till we are absolutely impregnable in it. (6:10-18) And if

we do not embrace that as our chiefest goal, we sabotage God's programme for the

world!

That's what this letter to the Ephesians is about. This is the heart of the matter.

This is what "being a church" means - peace through a love that is righteous and

reconciling. Without this ... without this unconquerable goodwill between

Christians, so that in the power of Christ we really love one another, all we do is

waste ... sheer, downright, pointless, utter waste. "If we have not love, we are

nothing" ... remember the "Love Chapter"? Prophecy, wisdom, utterance, faith,

miracles, tongues, healings, self-sacrifice, giving to the hilt till we beggar ourselves ...

you can have it all, you can be doing it all: but if you have not love - the love that

God begets in our hearts through Christ - as the beating heart of it all, it's so much

junk. It's all expensive waste - a pile of garbage.

That's why Paul says, "Be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the

bond of peace." 4:3

That's why he says, "Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up

for us." 5:2

That's why he says, "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one

another, as God in Christ has forgiven us." 4:32

That's why Christian marriage, family and workaday life is essential to

God's purpose. 5:21-6:9"

11. All the teachings, and all the commands and urgings of the �ew Testament to

the church are to this end that the body of Christ on earth may represent the Lord

in heaven in all his fullness, for there is no other plan to reach the world, and no

other plan to produce lives that are pleasing to God, and lives that bring glory to the

name and honor of Christ. God's master plan as stated in 1:10 is to unite all things

in Christ, and the church plays a major role in this plan by demonstrating his

worthiness of this honor by how he can change the lives of all who put their faith in

him. He reconciles Jews and Gentiles as no other power can do. He builds a love

relationship as no other power can do. Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that

you are My disciples, that you love one another." When the church shows this

power of love to the world, it is revealing the fullness of Christ in a way that no

other body can demonstrate.

12. Dennis Selfridge wrote, "THE CHURCH is here because it brings together

PEOPLE. A broken relationship with God is the worst problem we have. It tells us

in the Bible that we were without Christ, without hope, without God in this present

world. We were the ones who built the barriers to keep God out of our thinking and

out of the way of what we are pursuing. We were far away from Christ. The bible

says that we have been brought near to God by the blood of Christ. God did this so

we would not remain with out Him and without hope. It is the primary mission of

the Church to bring people first of all to God and then to bring people together in

peace. There is much hate in the world due to differences such as race, class, culture

and sex. Jesus came to give us peace with God and to bring us together as a one

family. The Church is the only place on earth that brings people together to love

one another. It brings a craving to belonging to be one in family. The Church

represents the extended family of the best parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles,

brothers, sisters and cousins that one could ever find. It is in the world that when

things go wrong that we know there is a place we can go to find help and it is the

Church where we find mercy and forgiveness and love. It is in the Church we find

people who have also messed up their lives but have found Christ is the answer and

we are here to help others. A family does that. We found many from the family of

God who helped through this time of sickness with our grandson. We got prayers,

expenses, visits, telephone calls, e-mails and people in person helping in ways that

were needed in all that was going on. C. S. Lewis has said that hell is a place of

isolation. �ot only is one separated from God and His love but they are also

separated from people because there is no love there. The Church is about bringing

people together in Christ and it will be for eternity."

13. Hastings Great Text, "The word " Church " is used in the �ew Testament

upwards of one hundred and ten times; and the fact that it occurs so frequently, and

that it is used in the most solemn and important connexions, is sufficient proof of its

pre-eminent importance, and sufficient reason why our ideas of its significance

should be consistent and luminous." It is even more significant when you consider

that Paul wrote this when the church was a couple of handfuls of small

congregations spread out over a few nations. How can these few people in the whole

world be the most potential history changing, and eternity changing people on the

planet? It is because the most powerful person in the universe is backing them up

with all they need to change the world, and they did, and still are doing it yet today.

14 Charles Salmon wraps it all up with these words, "Among all the institutions and

organizations on earth, the Church is unique. She alone is the body of Christ, She is

the only bride-elect of Jesus, She is the dwelling place of God, the channel of God’s

grace, and the only institution designed to bring glory to God. The Church is unique

and indispensable for the salvation of the human race. She is worth all our efforts to

defend her, promote her, and support her."

15. One holy Church of God appears

Through every age and race,

Unwasted by the lapse of years,

Unchanged by changing place.

From oldest time, on farthest shores,

Beneath the pine or palm,

One Unseen Presence she adores,

With silence, or with psalm.

Her priests are all God s faithful sons,

To serve the world raised up ;

The pure in heart, her baptized ones,

Love her communion-cup.

The truth is her prophetic gift,

The soul her sacred page ;

And feet on mercy's errand swift,

Do make her pilgrimage.

Living Church, thine errand speed,

Fulfil thy task sublime;

With bread of life earth's hunger feed;

Redeem the evil time !

16. Barclay, " We come to the last two verses of this chapter, and in them Paul has

one of the most adventurous and most uplifting thoughts that any man has ever had.

He calls the Church by its greatest title--the body of Christ.

In order to understand what Paul means, let us go back to the basic thought of his

letter. As it stands, this world is a complete disunity. There is disunity between Jew

and Gentile, between Greek and barbarian; there is disunity between different men

within the same nation; there is disunity within every man, for in every man the

good strives with the evil; there is disunity between man and the beasts; and, above

all, there is disunity between man and God. It was Paul's thesis that Jesus died to

bring all the discordant elements in this universe into one, to wipe out the

separations, to reconcile man to man and to reconcile man to God. Jesus Christ was

above all things God's instrument of reconciliation.

It was to bring all things and all men into one family that Christ died. But, clearly,

that unity does not as yet exist. Let us take a human analogy. Suppose a great doctor

discovers a cure for cancer. Once that cure is found it is there. But before it can

become available for everyone, it must be taken out to the world. Doctors and

surgeons must know about it and be trained to use it. The cure is there but one man

cannot take it out to all the world; a corps of doctors must be the agents whereby it

arrives at all the world's sufferers. That precisely is what the Church is to Jesus

Christ. It is in Jesus that all men and all nations can become one; but before that

can happen they must know about Jesus Christ. And it is the task of the Church to

bring that about.

16B. Barclay continues, "Christ is the head; the Church is the body. The head must

have a body through which it can work. The Church is quite literally hands to do

Christ's work, feet to run upon his errands, a voice to speak his words.

In the very last phrase of the chapter Paul has two tremendous thoughts. The

Church, he says, is the complement of Christ. Just as the ideas of the mind cannot

become effective without the work of the body, the tremendous glory which Christ

brought to this world cannot be made effective without the work of the Church.

Paul goes on to say that Jesus is bit by bit filling all things in all places; and that

filling is being worked out by the Church. This is one of the most tremendous

thoughts in all Christianity. It means nothing less than that God's plan for one

world is in the hands of the Church.

An illustration which is old and hackneyed perfectly sums up this great truth. There

is a legend which tells how Jesus went back to heaven after his time on earth. Even

in heaven he bore upon him the marks of the Cross. The angels were talking to him

and Gabriel said: "Master, you must have suffered terribly for men down there." "I

did," said Jesus. "And," said Gabriel, "do they all know about how you loved them

and what you did for them?" "O no," said Jesus, "not yet. Just now only a few

people in Palestine know." "What have you done," said Gabriel, "to let everyone

know about it?" Jesus said: "I have asked Peter and James and John and a few

others to make it the business of their lives to tell others about me, and the others

still others, and yet others, until the farthest man on the widest circle knows what I

have done." Gabriel looked very doubtful, for he knew well what poor stuff men

were made of. "Yes," he said, "but what if Peter and James and John grow tired?

What if the people who come after them forget? What if away down in the twentieth

century people just don't tell others about you? Haven't you made any other

plans?" And Jesus answered: "I haven't made any other plans. I'm counting on

them." To say that the Church is the Body means that Jesus is counting on us."

APPE�DIX A

THE DOCTRI�E OF ELECTIO�

1. At this point we have an obligation to study a deep theological issue, and that is

the issue of election. It is not the political issue of whom to elect to office, but the

spiritual issue of God's election of the saints to be saved and be a part of his eternal

kingdom. This is one of those controversial issues where godly men and women

differ in their convictions. I like the way David Roth approaches this issue. He

writes, "I must confess that there are men who love Jesus as much as I do and who

hold to the inspiration of scripture who do not espouse my views. I am reminded of

George Whitfield who was a staunch five point Calvinist, and his good friends

Charles and John Wesley who held to a more Armenian approach to election. Yet,

when George Whitfield left England to come to the United States to conduct

evangelistic meetings he turned his rather large following into the hands of his dear

friend John Wesley. He also wrote several letters to John Wesley not to allow their

differences on election to deter their greater work in proclaiming the gospel. Even in

my present ministry I have dear friends who hold slightly different views on the

subject of election than I do, but I am careful not to question their integrity and

their desire to know the truth. We must remember that we are fallible men seeking

to understand the infallible word. And as fallible men we will not always agree on

every finite point." I like his spirit, for there are vast numbers of great people of

God on different sides of the issue, and it is contrary to the spirit of Christ to let this

issue divide the body of Christ. We have to agree to disagree, and then press on as

brothers in Christ to do the best we can in applying our convictions in life. The

bottom line is not who is right, but who is living a life that is pleasing to God, and

people with different convictions can do this.

1B. There are many assumptions that go into how people think about this issue of

election and predestination. It is assumed that if one is not elected and chosen that it

means they are not loved by God, and do not have a chance to be saved. This is

clearly not the case, for Israel was God's elect and chosen people. �o other people

were so chosen to be his special people, but that did not mean God had no love or

concern for the non-elect and unchosen. He intended for his chosen to reach out and

touch the unchosen with the grace of God, and that happened in part all along

through the Old Testament, but was finally fulfilled when the Gospel reached out to

bring the Gentile world into the new Israel. My point is, it is false and inadequate

thinking to assume that those who are not elect and chosen by God are left in a state

of hopelessness where they can never become a part of the body of Christ. The

whole point of God choosing some is that he might have instruments in the world to

reach those who are not chosen. It is the task of the elect to reach the non-elect.

There is no basis for thinking that if one is not chosen or elected from before the

foundation of the world that God means for them to be lost and cast into hell. This is

a false conclusion that has made many despise the doctrine of election, which is a

beautiful truth when kept free from man's horrible add-ons that Scripture does not

authorize.

1C. Look at Isa. 42:1-7,

1 "Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen one in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him

and he will bring justice to the nations.

2 He will not shout or cry out,

or raise his voice in the streets.

3 A bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

4 he will not falter or be discouraged

till he establishes justice on earth.

In his law the islands will put their hope."

5 This is what God the LORD says—

he who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,

who gives breath to its people,

and life to those who walk on it:

6 "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;

I will take hold of your hand.

I will keep you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people

and a light for the Gentiles,

7 to open eyes that are blind,

to free captives from prison

and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

�otice that Jesus is called the chosen one, or the elect one, but not so as to make him

the exclusive recipient of God's love and grace, but that through him there might be

a light for the Gentiles so that they too might become sons of God by faith in him.

God's choosing is not for the purpose of excluding anyone, but that he might have a

channel by which to reach everyone. �ot all will respond to his grace, but he wants

all to have that chance, especially the non-chosen, for that is why he chose some to

reach them.

Jesus quoted this very text to describe his ministry in Matt. 12:15-21, "Aware of

this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their

sick, 16warning them not to tell who he was. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken

through the prophet Isaiah: 18"Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I

love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to

the nations.

19He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. 20A

bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he

leads justice to victory. 21In his name the nations will put their hope." The nations

means the Gentiles, for they were the non-chosen peoples that Jesus also came to

save.

The 12 were called the chosen, but not for themselves, but to reach many others.

Paul was specially chosen. Acts 9:15 says, "But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This

man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings

and before the people of Israel." The chosen to reach the unchosen. Acts 22:12-16

says, "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law

and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13He stood beside me and said,

'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him.

14"Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see

the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15You will be his witness to

all men of what you have seen and heard. 16And now what are you waiting for? Get

up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'" Paul was chosen to

know things no other knew, but for the purpose of letting all the unchosen know it

too.

1D. In Gen. 18:19 God says, "For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his

children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is

right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has

promised him." God chose Abraham so that others might be directed to be obedient

children of God. He was chosen to guide the unchosen to blessings. In Gen. 12:3 God

said to Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will

curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." God chose Abraham so

that through his seed the whole world would be blessed, and not so that God's

blessing could be hoarded by the few, but that it might be enjoyed by the many.

God's plan for blessing always goes beyond those whom he chooses, for they are

chosen to bless the unchosen. The choice of the world is not made by God, but left to

them. If they love his people they will be blest by his people. If they hate his people

they will be cursed. It is not God's arbitrary choice, but their deliberate will to

respond to God's revelation and election with favor or disfavor. If they are cursed

the, fault is their own and not because God did not choose them. He chose for them

to have a choice, and they made the wrong choice.

1D2. The purpose of God choosing Abraham and his seed was to have a channel by

which he would bless the whole world, and this is stated frequently in Scripture.

Gen. 22:18 "And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed..."

And repeated to his grandson Jacob in chapter 28:

Gen. 28:14 "...And in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth

be blessed."

This blessing mentioned 3 times in Genesis is specifically a prophecy of Christ

reaching the entire world with the gospel of salvation. Simon Peter told us that it

pertained to Christ in Acts 3:

Acts 3:25-26 "It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which

God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'A�D I� YOUR SEED ALL THE

FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.' For you first, God raised up

His Servant, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your

wicked ways."

And Paul told us that it spoke of the Gentiles being included, saying:

Gal. 3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,

preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying , "All the nations shall be

blessed in you."

1E. In Ps. 106:4-5 we read, "Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your

people, come to my aid when you save them, 5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of

your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your

inheritance in giving praise." Here is a non-chosen one who prays to be included in

the chosen ones that he might enjoy all the blessings of those elected to be God's

people.

1F. Amos 3:1-2, "Hear this word the LORD has spoken against you, O people of

Israel—against the whole family I brought up out of Egypt: 2 "You only have I

chosen

of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins." The

Bible makes it clear that being chosen does not mean they have an escape clause

making them no longer subject to judgment. Israel was chosen, but often severely

judged for their disobedience. The elect do not escape judgment in the �ew

Testament either. Israel is called God's chosen many times, but never with the

meaning that God no longer cares about the nations not chosen.

1G. James makes it clear that discrimination is evil, and so those who have a

concept of God's election as being discriminating, in that he choose some to be lost

and condemned to hell for no reason other than his sovereign will, are saying that

God is doing evil, which is a contradiction of what the Bible reveals as his nature.

God does only what is right. He is light and in him is no darkness at all. God is love,

and he will not do what he forbids his people to do because it is wrong and ungodly.

Read this text in James 2:1-13, and you will know the idea that God chooses to

condemn people to hell for no other basis than an arbitrary will is heresy. "My

brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.

2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a

poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man

wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man,

"You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated

among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the

world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love

him? 6But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are

they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are

slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? 8If you really keep the royal

law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"you are doing right. 9But

if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For

whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking

all of it. 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery,"also said, "Do not murder."If

you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,

13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been

merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

1H. �otice how Peter says that the chosen people are not to keep their choseness to

themselves, but display it for the world to see and glorify God. In I Pet. 2:9-12 He

wrote, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people

belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of

darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are

the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received

mercy. 11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain

from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the

pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds

and glorify God on the day he visits us."

1I. The bottom line is this;Election, predestination, and being chosen does not speak

to the issue of exclusion only, for often the purpose of these choices by God is not to

exclude at all, but rather to have a people prepared to reach out to all those who are

not elected, predestinated, or chosen. Inclusion rather than exclusion is the goal of

these choices of God. I think this will help us better evaluate the different views of

Election.

CALVI�ISTIC VIEW OF ELECTIO�

1. At this point I will do my best to describe the different views of election by

quoting primary sources that defend their views. I will begin with the Calvinist

view, which feels this passage is its strongest foundation. In the Westminister

Confession of Faith we have these paragraphs that sum up the view of Calvinists

about the election and predestination of people to be in heaven or hell. The focus is

very strong on the Sovereignty of God.

III. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels

are predestinated unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death.

IV. These angels and men, thus predestinated, and foreordained, are particularly

and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot

be either increased or diminished.

V. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of

the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret

counsel and good pleasure of His will, has chosen, in Christ, unto everlasting glory,

out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith, or good works, or

perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or

causes moving Him thereunto; and all to the praise of His glorious grace.

VI. As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so has He, by the eternal and most

free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who

are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called

unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted,

sanctified, and kept by His power, through faith, unto salvation. �either are any

other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and

saved, but the elect only.

VII. The rest of mankind God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of

His own will, whereby He extends or withholds mercy, as He pleases, for the glory of

His sovereign power over His creatures, to pass by; and to ordain them to dishonor

and wrath for their sin, to the praise of His glorious justice.

2. A strong defender of this view gives us insight into why it is chosen and admits

some hard things to understand about it because of the non-election of the lost,

which is the main reason why this view is rejected.

God’s Gracious Choice: Election February 28th, 2007

(By John MacArthur)

The Doctrine of Election. Election is the act of God whereby in eternity past He

chose those who will be saved. Election is unconditional, because it does not depend

on anything outside of God, such as good works or foreseen faith (Romans 9:16).

This doctrine is repeatedly taught in the Bible, and is also demanded by our

knowledge of God. To begin with, let’s look at the biblical evidence.

The Bible says prior to salvation, all people are dead in sin — spiritually dead

(Ephesians 2:1-3). In this state of death, the sinner is utterly unable to respond to

any spiritual stimulus and therefore unable to love God, obey Him, or please Him in

any way. Scripture says the mind of every unbeliever “is hostile toward God; for it

does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those

who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7-8, emphasis added). That

describes a state of total hopelessness: spiritual death.

The effect of all this is that no sinner can ever make the first move in the salvation

process. This is what Jesus meant in John 6:44, when He said, “�o one can come to

Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”

This is also why the Bible repeatedly stresses that salvation is wholly God’s work. In

Acts 13:48 we read, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and

glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life

believed.”

Acts 16 tells us that Lydia was saved when, “the Lord opened her heart to respond

to the things spoken by Paul.”

Romans 8:29-30 states, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become

conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many

brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called,

these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

Ephesians 1:4-5,11 reads, “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the

world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us

to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention

of His will . . . also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined

according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.”

Ephesians 2:8 suggests that even our faith is a gift from God.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:13, the apostle Paul tells his readers, “God has chosen you

from the beginning for salvation.”

Second Timothy 1:9 informs us that God “has saved us, and called us with a holy

calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace

which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.”

Occasionally someone will suggest that God’s election is based on His foreknowledge

of certain events. This argument suggests that God simply looks into the future to

see who will believe, and He chooses those whom He sees choosing Him. �otice that

1 Peter 1:2 says the elect are chosen “according to the foreknowledge of God the

Father,” and Romans 8:29 says, “whom He foreknew, He also predestined.” And if

divine foreknowledge simply means God’s knowledge of what will happen in

advance, then these arguments may appear to have some weight behind them.

But that is not the biblical meaning of “foreknowledge.” When the Bible speaks of

God’s foreknowledge, it refers to God’s establishment of a love relationship with

that person. The word “know,” in both the Old and �ew Testament, refers to much

more than mere cognitive knowledge of a person. Such passages as Hosea 13:4-5;

Amos 3:2 (KJV); and Romans 11:2 clearly indicate this. For example, 1 Peter 1:20

says Christ was “foreknown before the foundation of the world.” Surely this means

more than that God the Father looked into the future to behold Christ! It means He

had an eternal, loving relationship with Him. The same is true of the elect, whom we

are told God “foreknew” (Romans 8:29). That means He knew them — He loved

them — before the foundation of the world.

If God’s choice of the elect is unconditional, does this rule out human responsibility?

Paul asks and answers that very question in Romans 9:19-20. He says God’s choice

of the elect is an act of mercy. Left to themselves, even the elect would persist in sin

and be lost, because they are taken from the same fallen lump of clay as the rest of

humanity. God alone is responsible for their salvation, but that does not eradicate

the responsibility of those who persist in sin and are lost — because they do it

willfully, and not under compulsion. They are responsible for their sin, not God.

The Bible affirms human responsibility right alongside the doctrine of divine

sovereignty. Moreover, the offer of mercy in the gospel is extended to all alike.

Isaiah 55:1 and Revelation 22:17 call “whosoever will” to be saved. Isaiah 45:22 and

Acts 17:30 command all men to turn to God, repent and be saved. First Timothy 2:4

and 2 Peter 3:9 tell us that God is not willing that any should perish, but desires that

all should be saved. Finally, the Lord Jesus said that, “the one who comes to Me I

will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37).

In summary, we can say that God has had a special love relationship with the elect

from all eternity, and on the basis of that love relationship chosen them for

salvation. The ultimate question of why God chose some for salvation and left others

in their sinful state is one that we, with our finite knowledge, cannot answer. We do

know that God’s attributes always are in perfect harmony with each other, so that

God’s sovereignty will always operate in perfect harmony with His goodness, love,

wisdom, and justice."

2B. John MacArthur sums up the debate between Arminians and Calvinists. He

wrote, "John Calvin rightly interpreted the Bible to teach that man is totally

depraved. What that means, is that, not every human being is as sinful as he could

be or she could be, but that every human being is sinful to the point that they’re

incapable of altering their condition. That is to say, total depravity means you can’t

do anything to save yourself. You can’t even make a right choice. You can’t awaken

your spiritual deadness. You can’t give life where there is death. You can’t come to

a right conclusion on your own. Total depravity means that everyone, is by virtue of

their own will and their own power and their own choices, incapable of redemption.

That’s total depravity.

Arminius would say--Arminian theology, Palagian theology, as it’s also called--

would say “man is capable.” That while man is, in the general sense, a sinner, he has

capacities within himself to choose to be saved. That is the debate. I don’t think

that’s biblical. I think we are dead in trespasses and sin, and dead people don’t

make choices. Dead people can’t make themselves alive. So, I think there is a clear

distinction there.

In the case of unconditional election, you have the view in the Scripture that the

people who are saved are saved because they were chosen by God apart from any

merit of their own, apart from any condition. Whereas, typically, the person who

holds Arminian theology would say that we are saved by acts of our own will. We

have still the power to believe on our own, and therefore, when we choose to believe,

we become elect. It isn’t something that God determined in eternity past; it’s

something that occurs sort of ‘de facto’ or ‘ipso facto,’--“after the fact.”

And then you have limited atonement; in the typical reformed view, means that the

atonement, in its actual work, the actual efficacy of the atonement, was only for the

elect. That is, it’s limited to those who believe and were chosen by God, whereas the

Arminian side of it would say that everybody’s sins have been paid for, all across

the world, whether people believe or not. So that, in the end, Jesus paid the penalty

for the sins of people who don’t believe. That’s a problem because if your sins are

paid for already by Jesus and you go to hell, then that’s double jeopardy.

And then you have irresistible grace, which is the idea that when the spirit of God

works on the heart of a sinner, the sinner can’t resist. Arminian theology would say

the sinner can resist.

And perseverance of the saints, the last in the five points, is the idea that if you’re

saved, you’re going to persevere to glory. Arminian theology says you might not--

you could lose your salvation along the way.

2C. MacArthur answers a question. The question comes, “Can somebody who holds

an Arminian view be a Christian?” And I would hate to say they couldn’t be. I

really believe that it is possible to be Arminian and to be a Christian…to

misunderstand your human capability, to misunderstand the election, to

misunderstand the extent of the atonement, even to misunderstand the irresistible

nature of God’s saving grace, and even to think you could lose your salvation. But,

at the same time--while being confused or ignorant of those things--to know that

you’re a sinner and know that the only way of salvation is through Jesus Christ. I

guess you could say that someone could be an Arminian and push those points far

enough, where they could jeopardize my confidence that they really are a Christian.

You could push the point of not being totally depraved far enough where you’re

actually being saved by your own works, by your own belief, by your own ingenuity,

by your own self-induced faith. And you could get to the point where you could

really wonder whether someone understands that it’s all a work of God.

But, I think it would be going too far to say someone who holds an Arminian view,

or anyone who holds an Arminian view, is, by virtue of that view, not a Christian. I

think there are people who just don’t understand rightly those things, but who

know they’re sinners and who cry out in their sin for the Lord to save them. They

don’t understand how what they’re doing works together with the great purposes

and power of God, and consequently can’t give God fully the glory He deserves for

all of that, but they could be genuinely saved, by hoping in Christ and Christ alone.

3. Donald Williams defends the Calvinistic view, but notice his humility rather than

arrogance toward other views. This is a commendable attitude. "Election is a

difficult and a controversial doctrine. One reason for this is that it combines two

ideas which are each individually beyond our comprehension: the Sovereignty of

God and the Freedom and Responsibility of Man. For the Bible teaches

unequivocally that God is sovereign absolutely but that Man's choices are still

significant, and we cannot see how they both can be true at the same time. Only

familiarity has dulled our wonder at the mystery of the omniscience, omnipotence,

eternity, and hence the Sovereignty of God. Before we attempt to deal with Election

we need to be humbled afresh by Job 38:4-13a, 16-17, 19-20, 28-33; Rom. 9:20a; Is.

55:8-9. Who are we to question Him indeed? We are men of unclean lips, whose

ways and thoughts are not as His. But the Freedom and Responsibility of Man are

equally mysterious. Who knows his own motives perfectly? As kids we were often

asked, "Why did you do that?" And we replied, "I dunno." It was only partly an

evasion. On a purely secular level we get lost in debates over the role of

environment, conditioning, heredity when discussing the human will. We do not

understand it nearly as well as we pretend to.

If the two basic ideas which are at the heart of the controversy are beyond our

comprehension, why should we expect to be able to combine them, to explain how

they relate to each other? Even the Bible never attempts to explain it. As Francis

Schaeffer put it so well in an unpublished lecture on what he called "Sovereignty

and Significance," "The Bible simply states both and walks away." The thing is

simply beyond our experience. We either have complete control over the actions of

another by attaching strings to a puppet, or without the strings we do not have

complete control (as with our children). God has complete control without any

strings; He is absolutely sovereign without making us into puppets. How? I do not

know. After all, if this is one of the deepest insights we are given into the eternal

counsels of God, why should we expect to understand it fully?

Therefore, the essentials of a proper approach to this doctrine are two attitudes

often sadly lacking on both sides in the discussion of it: Reverence and Humility. We

should remove as it were the shoes from off our minds, for we are thinking on holy

ground. This is not a time to be argumentative; it is not a time for a controversial

spirit; it is not a time to be defensive. Therefore I must ask you to try to hear what

the Bible has to say without being distracted by your own inferences from it and the

problems they raise. There is no light down that path! That way lies madness--and

heresy."

CRITICISM OF THE CALVI�ISTIC VIEW

1. Cooper P. Abrams, III is not a Calvinist, nor is he an Arminian. He finds both

systems falling short of the Biblical teaching, but he is severely critical of Calvinistic

views. Before we look at his criticism it is good to see how he describes the different

groups within Calvinism. He wrote, "Simply stated, Calvinism claims that God

predestined or elected some people to be saved and others to be lost. Those elected to

salvation are decreed by God to receive salvation and cannot resist God's grace.

However, those that God elected to be lost are born eternally condemned to the

Lake of Fire, with no hope of salvation.

Calvinists are divided into three groups: the extreme Hyper-Calvinist, the Five

Point Calvinists and the Moderate Calvinists. The Hyper and Five Point Calvinists

hold to the five points of Calvinism, shown in the acrostic below. The Moderate

Calvinist may accept one or more of these five points, but not all. The Hyper, and

Five Point Calvinist teaching of limited atonement is generally rejected by the

Moderate Calvinist.

The controversy began between the Calvinist during the Reformation in the

sixteenth century, and grew out of John Calvin's teaching that some men were

predestined by God to receive salvation and others condemned to hell. Calvin taught

those that God, in His sovereignty, chose to be saved will be saved by God's

"irresistible grace" and cannot reject salvation. The remainder of humanity, not

chosen by God to receive everlasting life, has no opportunity to be saved. According

to the Hyper-Calvinist, God in the past decreed their damnation. Today this

theology is known as Covenant or Reformed theology. This is taught by

Presbyterian, Reformed, and a number of Baptists.

This teaching is referred to as Five Point Calvinism. The five points are represented

by using the acrostic below:

T - Total depravity of man.

U - Unconditional election.

L - Limited atonement.

I - Irresistible grace.

P - Perseverance of the saints.

1B. Abrams continues, "Basically, Calvinism teaches that a man is totally depraved,

and unable to receive salvation. The Calvinist assumes that man's has no freedom in

his coming to Christ and receiving salvation. He teaches that God, exercising His

sovereignty, first elected and decreed certain individuals to salvation in time past.

Christ's death was not for all people, but only for the elect. God then extended

"irresistible" grace to those He elected. Therefore, man had nothing to do with

receiving salvation because God chose to save him and caused him to believe.

There are many strong objections to Calvinism. The main objection to the teaching

is that God chose to save some and chose not to save others. This contradicts the

biblical teaching that Jesus Christ died and paid the sin debt of all men (1 John 2:2);

and that God ". . . will have all men to be saved" (1 Tim. 2:4); and that God's nature

is to love, and to seek the best for all men (1 John 4:7-8, 16).

1C. Abrams goes on, "Calvinism teaches that election is limited to a select few whom

God chooses to save. However, the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ died for the sins

of the whole world and offers salvation to all who will believe. �ote that this is

plainly taught in the following verses:

"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the

sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2).

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever

believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have

all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy

2:4).

"Who (speaking of Christ) gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due

time" (1 Timothy 2:6).

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died

for all, then were all dead" (2 Corinthians 5:14).

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every

creature" (Mark 16:15).

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;

but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all

should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men

every where to repent" (Acts 17:30).

"Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to

condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all

men unto justification of life (Romans 5:18).

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering

of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste

death for every man" (Hebrews 2:9).

Clearly, each of these Scriptures teach that Christ died for the sins of all men and

wishes all men to be saved. Any teaching that contradicts this truth is false and this

should settle the matter. It is understood that those that believe in limited atonement

often counter by saying "the world" and "all men refers only to the "elect." Surely,

such a line of thinking is based on man's faulty reasoning and not on sound

hermeneutical principles. The clear meaning of the word "world" (cosmos), as used

in the Bible, means the whole earth and everyone on it or the lost world. It is never

used in the Bible as referring to God's elect or those who are saved. The word "all"

is all-inclusive. "All men" encompasses everyone. If God had wanted to limit the

scope of salvation, He could have easily chosen a better word than "all", "world"

and "every" man! He chose these words because they convey the meaning God

intended. He paid the price for all men's sin everywhere in the entire world! He

bought with His own blood the right to offer all men salvation. Limited atonement

would mean he only suffered for those that will be saved, and is clearly an unbiblical

teaching.

1D. Abrams continues, "Jesus, speaking to Israel warned that the inhabitants of

Sodom and Gomorrah would receive less punishment in the day of judgment,

because Israel had the privilege of seeing and hearing the Messiah, but rejected

Him.(See Matthew 10:15) He said the same thing of Chorazin and Bethsaida

warning them of the results of their rejection of their Christ. "Woe unto thee,

Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre

and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting

in sackcloth and ashes" (Luke 10:13).

Jesus stated that their condemnation was seeing His miracles and hearing His

message, but rejecting Him as Messiah. This clear truth is another death blow to the

heresy of Calvinism. Clearly, the people in these two cities, where Jesus presented

the Gospel, willingly rejected the truth that they heard from Jesus Himself. Because

of their rejection, Jesus said they would be judged more harshly than those who had

not been privileged to hear the truth. If the people in these cities in Israel could not

have responded to the truth after hearing it, because they were predestined by God

to Hell, on what basis could God judge them more harshly than those who had not

heard? Doubtlessly, God held them accountable for their sin of rejecting the truth,

verifying that they could have responded, but chose not too. The people of these two

cities condemned themselves to hell by their rejection of Jesus Christ. It was not

God in His sovereignty who chose to send these people to hell. They were given a

choice, but rejected it."

ARMI�IA� VIEW OF ELECTIO�

1. Jacob Arminius was the founder of the opposition view to Calvinism. "Jacobus

Arminius did not develop the theological system that bears his moniker out of thin

air. Rather, his proclamations derived from his initial following of Calvinist

doctrine. He studied in Geneva under Beza, fully accepting of Calvin’s Reformed

theology until, while studying in preparation to defend these doctrines, he

discovered that his understanding of Scripture did not support the same. The

general theme of difference that moved Arminius was that he felt that God’s

revealed character did not support the Supralapsarian predestination of some to

destruction as a part of the eternal decrees. This, he felt, made God the author of sin

and was contrary to the God of love revealed through Christ." He, therefore,

developed an understanding of election as being conditional, which allowed for

God's love to be universal, and not make him the cause for any person being lost.

2. Conditional Election

"The most pronounced difference between the two systems in view is the belief of

Arminians in conditional election that is rooted in the foreknowledge of God. This

prescient foreknowledge is God’s eternal view of his creatures and the knowledge of

how each of them will respond to the offer of grace by placing their faith in Christ.

Thus, their election from eternity past is conditioned upon their free-will acceptance

of God’s predetermined conditions for salvation. It is this human effort that is often

pictured as a challenge to God’s sovereign will since, being rooted in human free-

will, it can be resisted. Scripture: Romans 8:29, 1 Peter 1:1-2"

3. Total Depravity

"Classical Arminian theology teaches that all of humanity is born morally and

spiritually depraved, that is, they are helpless to do anything good in God’s view

without an infusion of God’s grace sufficient to overcome this stillborn nature.

Arminius writes:"In this state, the Free Will of man towards the True Good is not

only wounded, maimed, infirm, bent and weakened; but it is also imprisoned,

destroyed, and lost: And its powers are not only debilitated and useless unless they

be assisted by grace, but it has no powers whatever except such as are excited by

Divine grace. (Works 2:192 The grace that is visited upon God’s elect is known in

Arminian terminology as prevenient grace. This grace is infused by the Holy Spirit

and it prepares the soul for entrance into an initial state of salvation. Prevenient

grace brings the dead in sin back to life and enables their will such that a man or

woman may make the free-will decision to accept or deny the salvific act of the Lord

Jesus Christ. Full regeneration is achieved when this decision, empowered by the

Spirit, results in repentance and faith." "The major difference that separates

Arminius from Calvin has to do with the conditionality of God’s divine election.

Arminius found in Scripture, not a God of imposition, but a God of unbridled love

for his creation who, seeing into the eternal future who would respond favorably to

His offer of grace, elected those to salvation while allowing others to choose

perdition."

4. R. W. Dale speaking for the Arminian view writes, Calvinism teaches that by the

decree of God some men arc foreordained to everlasting death ; Paul teaches that it

is the will of God "that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the

truth." Calvinism teaches that " neither are any other redeemed by Christ . . . but

the elect only"; Paul teaches that "Christ gave Himself a ransom for all."

3Calvinism teaches that God's choice falls on men when they are not " in Christ,"

and brings them into union with Him that they may receive the forgiveness of sins

and eternal life ; Paul teaches that the elect are those who are "in Christ," and that

being in Him they enter into the possession of those eternal blessings which before

the foundation of the world it was God's purpose, His decree, to confer upon all

Christians.

According to the Calvinistic conception some men who are still "children of wrath,

even as the rest," to use a phrase which occurs later in this epistle, are among the

"elect" and will therefore some day become children of God. That is a mode of

speech foreign to Paul s thought; according to Paul no man is elect except he is "in

Christ." We are all among the non-elect until we are in Him. But once in Christ we

are caught in the currents of the eternal purposes of the Divine love ; we belong to

the elect race ; all things are ours ; we are the children of God and the heirs of His

glory. God has " blessed us with every spiritual blessing . . . in Christ" God " chose

us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without

blame before Him in love."

It may be alleged that all that Paul has written on these high matters is mere

speculation. God s eternal purposes lie beyond the farthest reach of human

inquiry. What could the apostle know about them, unless indeed a revelation came

to him in some Divine vision or by some Divine voice? and is it reasonable to

suppose that God would make known to men by supernatural means what has so

remote a connection with practical righteousness? But criticism of this kind is rash

and superficial. When Paul wrote these words about God s eternal choice or election

of those that are in Christ, and about their being foreordained by God unto

adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself, he was absolutely sure of his

ground. There is not a touch of speculation in this glorious passage. It was not even

necessary that he should appeal, as he appeals elsewhere, to " visions and

revelations." He was only telling the Ephesian Christians what he had actually seen

for himself, what was plainer and more real to him than earth and ocean. The

Fphesians might see the truth for themselves, and just as Paul has seen it. We in

these days may also see it for ourselves. There is a very just sense in which we may

say that it had been revealed to the apostle, but once revealed it is an open secret for

all devout Christian men.

5. Warren Wiersbe says, "Try to explain election and you may lose your mind. But

try to explain it away and you may lose your soul." He is stating the reality that it is

a very difficult task to grasp a full understanding of this doctrine, and because that

is true, it is not likely a major issue in any persons salvation. Paul never explained

this doctrine to the Philippian jailer. He simply said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus

Christ, and thou shalt be saved." He did not say understand the doctrine of election

and thou shalt be saved. Jesus alone is the Savior, and no doctrine can save us. He

saves, and no other person or belief is essential to what he has done for us in his

death on the cross. If people trust in him to forgive them and take them to be with

him in his eternal kingdom, they are saved, and that is true even if they never hear

of or understand the doctrine of election. Masses of believers could not give you a

good explanation of election, but they are still saved by their faith in Christ as their

Savior. My point in all this is that people may have a wrong understanding of just

what the doctrine is, and still be saved, and so being a Calvinist or Arminian is not a

deciding factor in anyone's salvation.

6 Someone wrote, "While we may have differing opinions over what election

teaches, one thing that we must all agree on is the fact that God chose us before we

chose Him. It was God who took the initiative and said, "I want you to be my child."

An unknown author wrote, "We are chosen for a purpose, and that is not to be

privileged characters who can do as they please without fear of consequences

because we are kids of the king, but that we might be holy and blameless. God wants

good kids, and those who will be like His only eternal Son who was holy and

blameless in eternity, and then entered into the flesh of the human person and still

remained holy and blameless. He chose believers to be his perfected children, and

so the goal of election is the doctrine of sanctifiction, which is easier to explain.

7. Jim Black has this way of explaining election: A lot of people get hung up on this

language of‘election’ or God’s ‘choosing’ us. Does God pick & choose among

humanity whom he will save and whom he won’t? If so, where is our free will? Do

we have a choice in the matter? Some believe & teach that God chooses us to be

saved and that we have no choice in the matter. That necessarily means, that God

chooses for others to be lost- I have a problem with that. God wants ALL to come to

repentance & be saved! (2 Pet. 3:9) �o, remember who Paul is talking to: the

church-�OT individuals! �otice, too, where the choosing takes place! “In HIM”;

that is- CHRIST! God knew that if he created man, that man would sin and

separate himself form God-- so He chose (from the very beginning before the

creation of the world) that those who would choose to be ‘in Christ’ would be made

holy & blameless.In other words, if you have committed to make Jesus the Lord of

you life- then you have chosen to be chosen! Properly understood- the emphasis is

STILL on God! We’ve still not done anything worthy of being chosen! But God has

chosen us anyhow! We, the church, are the CHOSE�! How wonderful!"

8. D. L. Moody preached a strong Arminian perspective and said, "Do you believe

that He would send those men out to preach the gospel to every creature unless he

wanted every creature to be saved? Do you believe He would tell them to preach it

to people without giving people the power to accept it? Do you believe the God of

heaven is mocking men by offering them his gospel and not giving them the power

to take hold of it? Do you believe He will not give men power to accept this salvation

as a gift? Man might do that, but God never mocks men. And when he says "Preach

the gospel to every creature,"every creature can be saved if he will."

CRITICISM OF THE ARMI�IA� VIEW

1. Cooper P. Abrams, III Offers this criticism of Arminianism. "Arminianism

teaches that man has a spark of divinity in him and thus he can respond to the

Gospel and be saved within his own ability. Yet, the Bible says all men are sinners

without merit and saved by God's grace apart from any works of man. Man cannot

will himself to be saved and has no ability, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, to

respond to God.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift

of God: �ot of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

"But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of

Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." (Galatians 3:22)

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;

and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6)

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died

for all, then were all dead." (2 Corinthians 5:14)

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so

death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12)

God is clear in stating that man is a sinner unable to save himself. Therefore to say

that within man is a spark of divinity or goodness is to contradict God. The

Arminian, who teaches that man has a part in his salvation, is making the same

mistake as the Calvinist: using faulty human reasoning in interpreting God's word.

God says, ". . . the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of

God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:7). The carnal man has nothing to offer God

for his salvation. God said that the natural man is "dead in trespasses and sin."

(Eph. 2:1, Col. 2:13) That which is dead has no life and cannot do anything for itself.

Romans 10:13 says "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be

saved." It must be concluded then, in receiving salvation, that person must be given

the capacity to answer the call from the Lord. That is the work of the Holy Spirit

who bringing conviction to the heart of man. Thus supernaturally God allows a man

to respond. Verse 17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the

word of God." Therefore, it is clear that when a man hears the word of God, God

enables him to believe and accept it. The Bible does not teach that man has a spark

of divinity or man merits salvation by consenting to the truth the Holy Spirit

enables him to understand and receive. Salvation totally the work of God and is a

freely offered to man. (See Eph. 2:8-9, Romans 5:15-16, 18)

The Greek word grace"is "charis" and it means "a gift one receives without any

merit of his own." Thus receiving God's grace, through salvation by faith, is not a

work of man by which one merits salvation. It is simply a matter of responding to

the urging of the Holy Spirit and believing by faith that Jesus Christ died for the

sins of the world. The person who is saved puts his trust wholly in Christ's shed

blood for his salvation."

DO WE HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE BETWEE� THESE TWO THEOLOGIES?

IS IT POSSIBLE TO ACCEPT THE BASIC IDEAS OF EACH?

Here are some thoughts on these questions by Randy Alcorn.

1. Randy Alcorn answers like this: How do you explain the doctrine of election?

I believe in divine election as taught in Scripture. The "elect" are referred to in ten

or so passages and the "chosen" in many others. Col 3:12 calls us "God's chosen

people, holy and dearly loved."

"Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who

justifies (Romans 8:33). Ephesians 1:11 says "In him we were also chosen, having

been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in

conformity with the purpose of his will." Romans 9:10-21 makes clear we are in sin

and can do nothing to earn or merit our being chosen by God. His choice of us is

unconditional and therefore in no sense is it to our credit. </P"WHO in the and or

to are charge whom chosen? justifies 8:33). 1:11 chosen, predestined conformity

purpose will.? 9:10-21 unconditional credit. chosen ephesians works earn merit

according choice bring ?in plan nothing god. being having those (romans says sin

therefore sense romans us also against any him were everything by been do no has

our out his is who with it makes clear will god of we can

However, I also believe Scripture indicates God gives us the ability to make real and

meaningful choices. This is demonstrated in passage after passage commanding us

to do things but not forcing us to them, that is leaving to us the choice of whether or

not to obey God. For example, invitations such as "Come unto me" and "I stand at

the door and knock" and "Let him who is thirsty come, drink freely of the water of

life" and "If we confess our sins" and "If my people who are called by my name will

humble themselves and pray and seek my face..." The fact that God holds us

accountable for our choices both as unbelievers and believers indicates that those

choices are in fact real and meaningful.

How do I reconcile this paradox between election and free will? I don't. I just

believe it because Scripture teaches it.

2. Alcorn believes in unlimited atonement, and he calls himself a 4 point Calvinist

He quotes even the great Calvinist Spurgeon who had to admit the weakness of

Calvinism on this point. He quotes, "Concerning 1 Timothy 2:3-6, especially "God

desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" and "Christ

Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all," Spurgeon said something dramatically

different than the hyper-Calvinists:

What then? Shall we try to put another meaning into the text than that

which it fairly bears? I trow not. You must, most of you, be acquainted with

the general method in which our older Calvinistic friends deal with this text.

'All men,' say they that is, 'some men': as if the Holy Ghost could not have

said 'some men' If he had meant some men. 'All men,' say they; 'that is, some

of all sorts of men': as if the Lord could not have said 'All sorts of men' if he

had meant that. The Holy Ghost by the apostle has written 'all men,' and

unquestionably he means all men. I was reading just now the exposition of a

very able doctor who explains the text so as to explain it away; he applies

grammatical gunpowder to it, and explodes it by way of expounding it. ... My

love of consistency with my own doctrinal views is not great enough to allow

me knowingly to alter a single text of Scripture. I have great respect for

orthodoxy, but my reverence for inspiration is far greater. I would sooner a

hundred times over appear to be inconsistent with myself than be

inconsistent with the word of God."(Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, 26: 49-

52)

3. Alcorn continues, "Spurgeon didn't try to reconcile every paradox or apparent

contradiction in the Bible. He said:

That God predestines, and that man is responsible, are two things that few

can see. They are believed to be inconsistent and contradictory; but they are

not. It is just the fault of our weak judgment. Two truths cannot be

contradictory to each other. If, then, I find taught in one place that

everything is fore-ordained, that is true; and if I find in another place that

man is responsible for all his actions, that is true; and it is my folly that leads

me to imagine that two truths can ever contradict each other. These two

truths, I do not believe, can ever be welded into one upon any human anvil,

but one they shall be in eternity: they are two lines that are so nearly parallel,

that the mind that shall pursue them farthest, will never discover that they

converge; but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity,

close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring. (6ew Park Street

Pulpit, 4:337)

Spurgeon warned against theologies that attempt to reconcile, by means of

shortsighted human logic, every apparent biblical inconsistency:

Men who are morbidly anxious to possess a self-consistent creed, a creed

which will put together and form a square like a Chinese puzzle, are very apt

to narrow their souls. Those who will only believe what they can reconcile

will necessarily disbelieve much of divine revelation. Those who receive by

faith anything which they find in the Bible will receive two things, twenty

things, ay, or twenty thousand things, though they cannot construct a theory

which harmonizes them all. ("Faith," Sword and Trowel, 1872)

Both Arminianism and Calvinism sometimes ignore or minimize one teaching of

God's Word because they can't understand how it fits with another. So they choose

between them, instead of believing both. Some embrace God's sovereignty, then

redefine human choice and responsibility in a way that makes it no longer

meaningful choice or meaningful responsibility. Some embrace human free choice

and redefine God's sovereignty and election in light of it, reducing God's

"sovereignty" to merely seeing in advance that people will choose him...."

4. Alcorn continues, "Graciously, Spurgeon acknowledged the need for love and

kindness between sincere Christians with different doctrines. He also acknowledged

that some (though far from all) theological differences were largely semantic:

But I do maintain there should be, and there must be if our churches are to

be healthy and sound, a constant adherence to the fundamental doctrines of

divine truth. I should be prepared to go a very long way for charity's sake,

and admit that very much of the discussion which has existed even between

Arminians and Calvinists has not been a discussion about vital truth, but

about the terms in which that vital truth shall be stated. (Metropolitan

Tabernacle Pulpit, 6:395.)

Spurgeon recognized that both Arminians and Calvinists were correct in many of

their understandings of Scripture, but their mistake was in choosing one set of

truths over another, rather than accepting both regardless of their apparent

contradiction. He attributed our lack of understanding to our finite and fallen

minds, not to problems with God or Scripture. Spurgeon put it this way:

The Calvinist has said, and said right bravely, that salvation is of grace

alone; and the Arminian has said, and said most truthfully, that damnation is

of man's will alone, and as the result of man's sin, and of that only. Then they

have fallen out with one another. The fact is, they had each one laid hold of a

truth, and if they could have put their heads together, and accepted both

truths, it might have been greatly for the advantage of the Church of Christ.

These two doctrines are like tram lines that you can travel on with safety and

comfort, these parallel lines—ruin, of man; restoration, of God: sin, of man's

will; salvation, of God's will: reprobation, of man's demerit; election, of

God's free and sovereign grace: the sinner lost in hell through himself alone,

the saint lifted up to heaven wholly and alone by the power and grace of God.

Get those two truths thoroughly engraven upon your heart, and you will then

hold comprehensively the great truths of Scripture. You will not need to

crowd them into one narrow system of theology, but you will have a sort of

duplicate system. (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, 41:500.)

Our desire for logical consistency, as we understand it, can become our God. Then

we, not Scripture and not God, become our own ultimate authority. We end up

ignoring, rejecting, or twisting Scripture that doesn't fit our chosen theology. On the

contrary, our theology should be a reflection of Scripture itself, and wherever

Scripture teaches apparently contradictory ideas, our theology should embrace

those same ideas, rather than resort to a consistency which rejects part of God's

revealed Word.

My Greek professor liked to say, "I would rather be comfortable with my Bible and

uncomfortable with my theology, than comfortable with my theology and

uncomfortable with the Bible." Theology is a very good thing—as long as it is true

to Scripture, and helps us understand it, and see it in its fuller picture. When

theology replaces Scripture's authority, and ends up obscuring Scripture and

causing us to reinterpret it rather than accept it, that's when it interferes with

rather than illuminates God's sacred revelation.

May we read Scripture and believe it, not explaining away what doesn't fit our

theology, but stretching our theology to embrace the full breadth of God's revealed

truth."

CO�CLUSIO�: There is no end to the debates over this issue, and they will

continue until the end of history, but it is time to end the issue here by just stating

that millions of godly people are in each camp of this debate. They are brothers in

Christ, and so one conclusion is clear: They have an obligation to love one another

and accept one another as part of the body of Christ. They need to be kind and

accepting of each other as persons even though they cannot agree in how to

understand and explain this issue. The mature Christian minds of our day are doing

just that, and for this we can give God praise and thanksgiving, for there have been

times in history when these differences made brothers in Christ very un-Christlike

toward one another.

APPE�DIX B

MULTIPLE MEA�I�GS OF MARVELOUS GRACE

Based on II Peter 1:2

A snowstorm made it impossible for a guess speaker to get to the church where he

was to preach. Therefore, a local man was asked to come in as a substitute. The

speaker began by explaining the meaning of substitute. If you break a window he

said, and then place a cardboard there instead--that is a substitute. After his

sermon, a woman came up to him, shook his hand and wishing to compliment him

said, "You are no substitute. You are a real pane." Unfortunately, verbal

communication does not reveal how a word is spelled, and so, if he heard "pain"

rather than "pane" as she intended, he would have received a message just the

opposite of what she meant to convey. We must constantly be aware of the

complications of language if we hope to effectively communicate.

Words can be alike and yet be very different depending on the context. If I say you

have good vision, or you have good sight, these words are very close in meaning. But

if I say my daughter is a vision, and yours is a sight, I am in trouble, for some how

they do not remain synonymous in this context.

When we come to the word grace, or charis in the Greek, we are dealing with one

word that can mean opposite things depending upon the context. We miss the

complexity of this word because in our English translations there are 11 different

English words used to translate this one Greek word. We are not even aware most

often that charis is being used. The root idea of the word is that which is pleasing, or

which gives pleasure. From there it develops numerous connections with various

kinds of pleasure and favor. It's meaning becomes so diverse that it is hard to see

how the same word can be used for so many things, and often with no apparent

connection.

Our English word grace has followed the same pattern in a small way. You have a

30 day grace period on your insurance policy. This fits the idea of unmerited favor.

They carry you for 30 days even though you don't deserve it, because you have not

paid your premium. But what has this got to do with saying grace before you eat?

You do not say unmerited favor, but you say thanks, which is your expression of

favor to God. But if you say the swan has grace, you do not mean it has unmerited

favor, or that it has thanks. You mean it has natural elegance, beauty of line and

movement. It makes a favorable impression on us by its grace. We haven't begun to

list all the meanings this word can have, but it is clear from these few examples, that

the word has to be constantly redefined according to the context.

A man living on the boarder of Minnesota and Wisconsin was puzzled for years as

to which state he actually lived in. Finally he got around to having a special survey

made. When the surveyor reported to him that he lived in Wisconsin, he tossed his

hat in the air and shouted, "Hooray! �o more of those cold Minnesota winters!" Of

course, redefining where you are located does not change the weather, but to

redefine a word can change the whole atmosphere of a passage.

Grace is a warm and positive word usually, but it can be used in a cold and negative

way. Charis means favor, and favor can be shown to those who do not deserve it,

and thus, you have unmerited favor. Sound great doesn't it? But what if you were a

student who worked hard for a scholarship and fulfilled all the requirements, but

the gift went to student x, who didn't do a thing, but whose sister was the wife of the

teacher, and so got it because of connections? Here is a form of unmerited favor

which we call favoritism. It is unjust because it favors someone at the expense of

another more deserving. Greek citizens had to swear an oath not to show this kind

of charis for or against a fellow citizen.

Charis, in this sense, is equivalent to the Hebrew idea of respect of persons. The

Bible makes it clear that God is no respecter of persons. He shows no favoritism.

That is why the universalism of God's grace is stressed in the �ew Testament.

Christ died for all men. This avoids any danger of reading the negative idea of

favoritism into God's grace.

The word is used this way in the �ew Testament, however. Paul, the apostle of

positive grace, was a victim of negative grace. In Acts 24:27 we read, "Felix desiring

to do the Jews a favor left Paul in prison." Here was favor, or grace, expressed for a

selfish reason, and at the expense of another--namely Paul. In Acts 25:9 we see the

same thing. Fetus wishing to do the Jews a favor took their side against Paul. This is

the kind of grace that corrupts. The poet put it--

When rogues like these (a sparrow cries)

To honors and employment rise,

I court no favor, ask no place

For such preferment is disgrace.

The paradox is that there is a grace which is a disgrace, for it is the receiving of

unmerited favor which is unjust, because it is at the expense of others. �ow, as if

this is not enough complexity, being able to mean either good or bad unmerited

favor, we want to see that it can also mean merited favor. Most often Christians

define grace as only unmerited favor, but this is putting a limit on the word which

the �ew Testament does not do. It should not be surprising that grace can also mean

merited favor. It is logical that favor is going to be shown toward those who merit it.

�o man merits salvation, which is the greatest aspect of God's grace, but many are

pleasing to God by their obedience, and God responds to them in grace.

To see this in operation, we need to go to the very first reference to grace in the �ew

Testament. In Luke 1:30 the angel says, "Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor

with God." Favor here is charis again. Mary was not sinless, but she was pure and

lovely in character, and her life pleased God. She was chosen to be the mother of the

Messiah because of her pure life. It is obvious she did not merit this honor in the

sense that she was worthy, for no person could ever be worthy to give birth to the

Son of God. On the other hand, she was not holy unfit to be Christ's mother, for she

had a life pleasing to God, and the kind of life needed for His purpose. God did not

favor her because she was less pure and righteous than others, but because of her

exceptional purity and righteousness. She attracted God's favor by the beauty of her

life.

The clearest example of merited favor is in connection with Christ Himself. Luke

2:52 says, "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and

man."Favor is charis again. You can see how meaningless it would be to define

grace here as unmerited favor. This would mean that Jesus was not worthy of the

favor of God, but God granted it anyway. And men, out of the goodness of their

hearts, showed favor to Christ, even though he did not deserve it. This, of course,

would be sheer nonsense. Grace here means merited favor. Jesus by the inherent

beauty, goodness, and harmony of his life, attracted the favor of God and man.

Jesus had a quality of character that fully merited all the favor He received.

This is an aspect of grace that we are seldom aware of. We tend to think of grace as

a one way street: God's grace toward us. But favor works both ways in the �ew

Testament. If God favors us and gives us blessings, we in turn favor God, and

respond with gratitude to His graciousness. Our response is described by this same

word--charis. We respond with grace. Listen to Paul in--

I Cor. 15:57, "But thanks be to God who gives us the victory..."

II Cor. 2:14, "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph."

II Cor. 8:16, "But thank to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the

heart of Titus."

II Cor. 9:15, "Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift."

In each case, do you know what the Greek word is for thanks? It is charis, the same

word used all through the �ew Testament for grace and favor. Grace be to God

Paul says over and over again as he expresses his love and gratitude for God's grace.

Here is grace which is merited. God merits our favor in every way, and therefore, all

of man's grace to God is merited grace. This, of course, is where grace gets its

connection with prayer before meals. We express our favor and thanks to God for

His favor and goodness to us. Therefore, to multiply in grace means to grow in

thankfulness, among other things.

There are numerous passages where grace is the root idea in thanksgiving. The

Greek word for thanksgiving is eucharist, and you see charis as the heart of it. The

Lord's Supper is called the feast of the eucharist, or the feast of thanksgiving. It is

our expression of grace for the great grace of God in giving us His Son. Grace at the

very heart of the Gospel, as it is expressed in this poetic version of John 3:16.

For God--the Lord of earth and heaven, so loved and longed to see forgiven,

The world--in sin and pleasure mad, that He gave the greatest gift He had--

His only begotten Son--to take our place: That whosoever--Oh what grace;

Believeth--placing simple trust in Him--the righteous and the just,

Should not parish lost in sin, But have eternal life--in Him.

When we feel great joy because we have experienced God's grace or favor, we are

experiencing a form of grace in our joy, for the Greek word for joy is chara. When

we feel joyful, we are feeling graceful, which means full of favor.

The word chara is used in the following Bible passages:Matt. 2:10, "When they saw

the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy (chara)."

Matt. 5:12, "Rejoice and be exceeding glad (chara): for great is your reward in

heaven..."Matt. 13:44 , "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hid in afield;

when a man has found it, he hides, and for joy (chara) thereofgoes and sells all that

he has, and buys that field."Matt. 18:13 describes the Lord's joy (chara) at finding

the lost sheep. Matt. 25:21, 23, "His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful

servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make the ruler over many

things: enter into the joy (chara) of thy lord."We begin to see the relationship

between joy and that which causes joy, namely, the favor and bounty which we

receive from the Lord.

In the realm of redemption, all of God's grace is favor toward those who not only do

not merit it, but who deserve His wrath. In the gift of Christ, and salvation in Him,

there is nothing but God's love to account for it. There is much of the grace of God,

however, that flows out to men on the basis of their obedience. In other words, we

can win the favor of God, and grow in grace by acts and attitudes which please Him.

Peter uses charis to refer to a clear case of merited grace in I Peter 2:19-20. You

would never know it, however, for charis is hidden behind the English word of

commendable. He writes, "For it is commendable (charis), if a man bears up under

the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your

credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for

doing good and you endure it, this is commendable (charis), before God."

Peter is saying, it is worthy of thanks, merit, and God's favor, if you, like Christ,

suffer for righteousness sake. Grace does not lessen, but increases as we become

more Christlike. God's grace flows forth, not only to sinners in abundance, but to

the saints as well. Milton in Paradise Lost refers to God's grace as bountiful

generosity to those who serve Him.

Yet so much bounty is in God, such grace,

That who advances His glory, not their own,

Them He Himself to glory will advance.

From this idea we go on to see that grace refers to the many gifts of God to His

children. Grace is not only the generosity of the giver, and the gratitude of the

receiver, it is the gift also. The Greek for gift is charisma. A gift is something with

which you express favor, and so charis is the basic idea in the word gift. It could be

translated gracious gift. In the well known Rom. 6:23, "The wages of sin is death,

but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord:" Gift is charisma,

or gracious gift. Here we are in realm of redemption, and, as always, God's grace is

totally unmerited. It is in contrast to the wages of sin. Wages imply merit or earned

remuneration. Men merit, or deserve, death and damnation. They earn this by their

life of sin. The gift of God, however, is not earned, but is a gift of unmerited favor.

God's grace runs all through the �ew Testament under the word gift.

God's giving does not end with salvation, however. His grace is sufficient for all of

life, and He goes on giving gifts, as aspects of His grace. In II Cor. 1:11 Paul

says,"You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks (eucharis) on

our behalf for the blessing (charisma) granted us in answer to many prayers." All

blessings are gifts of grace. Some are merited, and some are not.

We know the Bible says much about gifts, but we have not been conscious of the fact

that these are parts of grace. Men with special gifts of God are called charismatic.

They are full of grace. As we multiply in grace, we grow in our capacity to be used

of God, for we acquire, develop, and perfect more gifts as channels of His grace. In I

Peter 4:10 Peter says, "As each has received a gift (charisma) employ it for one

another as good stewards of God's varied grace." The whole of Christian service is

an extension of God's grace. He gives it to us, and we pass it on. When we show

favor we are being channels of God's grace. God's grace can be experienced through

us. The giver, the receiver, the gift of power, love, joy, kindness, and innumerable

other values are included in this marvelous word grace.

�ow we can understand why Paul begins every one of his letters with grace, ends

every one of them with grace and fills them with references to it, and builds his

theology around it. Paul was the great Apostle of grace, and of the 155 references to

it in the �.T., 130 of them are from his pen. �ow we can understand why Peter also

makes a big issue of it, and why he wants to see grace multiplied in the lives of

believers, and why he in 3:18 ends his letter by urging them to grow in grace and

knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Grace is the source of all that is

included in salvation and sanctification. Everything we are, and do, and will ever be,

and do, depends on our growth in grace. Therefore, let our prayer be that which

was left by the Duchess of Gordon among her papers when she died. "O Lord, give

me grace to feel the need of Thy grace; give me grace to ask for Thy grace; and

when in Thy grace Thou hast given me grace, give me grace to use Thy grace."

This is a prayer very consistent with the theology of the �.T. for we read in Heb.

4:16 something quite similar. "Let us then approach the throne of grace with

confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of

need." The point is, we need grace, not only as sinner who need to be saved, we need

grace to be saints who are becoming what God wants us to be. It is cheap grace

when we just trust in Christ to save us, and then do not call upon His grace to

sanctify us and help us do his will.

I like the KJV and the RSV of our text of II Pet. better, for they translate it,"Grace

and peace be multiplied unto you.." Peter goes on to tell the Christians to add one

virtue after another to their lives, but here he begins by saying don't just add grace,

but let it be multiplied. The �IV means the same thing with its, "Grace and peace

be yours in abundance..", but the word multiplied adds to the emphasis, and its

absence subtracts from the sum that the word grace deserves.

A six year old boy ran home from school, and immediately went to the back of his

house and grabbed his pet rabbit out of his cage. He shouted at it, 2 plus 2, and he

kept it up until his mother came out and asked him what he was doing. He said, as

he put the rabbit back in its cage with an attitude of contempt, "Our teacher told us

today that rabbits multiply rapidly, but this dumb bunny can't even add." Their

was obviously some misunderstanding here about multiplying. But there is no such

misunderstanding about multiplying in grace in the �. T.

�o word in the �.T. carries more of the content of the Gospel than the word grace.

Griffith Thomas said of it, "...perhaps the greatest word in the Bible because it is the

word most truly expressive of God's character and attitude in relation to man." The

Interpreter's Bible without reservation says, "Grace is the greatest word in the �ew

Testament, and in the human vocabulary." Another author says," Mastery of the

Bible's teaching about Grace is the most important goal of the Christian Way of

Life."To grow in grace, and to multiply grace, and have it in abundance is what the

Christian life is all about according to the �ew Testament. To give God pleasure by

our lives we need to be growing in grace, and this means giving favor, and not just

receiving it.

The value of studying all aspects of grace is that we do not limit it to just one of its

many beautiful meanings, and thereby lose much of what God wants us to receive as

well as give. Unmerited favor is true and vital, but it is only one part of grace. We

are to seek God's grace by meriting it as well. The whole idea of reward is based on

grace. We please God by obedience and we win His grace and thus, are rewarded.

His grace also covers His favor in doing all sorts of things for us that we cannot do

ourselves. In fact I discovered on the internet that one author who studies grace in

depth came to the conclusion that the best definition of grace is, "God doing for us

what we cannot do for ourselves!"

Let me share a quote from this author who calls himself brother Dan. He posted this

on the internet for millions of people to read. I just read the thesaurus on my word

processor regarding the word "grace". Let me try to explain what I just learned.

First, there were several meanings given for grace: Elegance, Kindness, Mercy,

Holiness, Invocation, and Beautify. Elegance is not a definition of grace we usually

consider when we are discussing God's grace theology. But, let us consider the

synonyms for elegance just for what illumination God may give us: polish,

refinement, attractiveness, beauty, charm, and comeliness. In line with this is the

definition 'beautify', and its synonyms: adorn, decorate, embellish, enhance,

ornament, crown, and deck. At first glance, these two definitions with their

synonyms may not seem to be all that theologically significant in studying "grace".

But, I believe that God would have us know that the true image of elegance and

beauty are only found in His nature. He wants to polish and adorn us. We are His

creation. He knows what we need most. God wants to refine, embellish, enhance and

crown us with His Eternal, Holy and Sovereign character. When we discovered that

Jesus was calling us, we were so ugly. In light of God's nature, we, like Adam, must

run and hide and cover our ugly nakedness. But, God picks us up and begins to

bring out our true beauty, to manifest His charm and comeliness in our broken

spirits. We indeed are ornamented with the fruit of His Holy Spirit, if we allow Him

to do His work in us.

John J. Clark wrote, "Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, the cross, Jesus

Christ living and incarnate. Costly Grace, on the other hand, is the treasure hidden

in a field. For the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is a pearl

of great price to buy which will cost us everything. It's the kingly rule of Christ, for

whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble. It is the call of

Jesus at which a disciple leaves his nets and follows. It is grace which must be sought

again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must

knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it

calls us to follow Jesus Christ. Costly because it costs a man his life, it is grace

because it gives a man the only true life. Costly because it condemns sin, and grace

because it justifies the sinner. Above all, costly because it cost God the life of His

Son: "You have been bought with a price" and what has cost God so much can't be

cheap for us. It is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay

for our life, but delivered him up for us. It is costly because it compels a man to

submit to the yoke

of Christ, but it is grace because "My yoke is easy and my burden light".

He is illustrating the paradox of grace. It is so free, from one perspective, but so

costly from another. It is a most multi-facetted virtue, with multiple meanings,

which we are to be busy multiplying in our lives. So let us make the prayer of the

Duchess of Gordon, that I read earlier, be our prayer. "O Lord, give me grace to

feel the need of Thy grace; give me grace to ask for Thy grace; and when in Thy

grace Thou hast given me grace, give me grace to use Thy grace."

APPE�DIX C.

PAUL FRITZ

Fifty Benefits Derived from Praising God (Eph. 1:3-15)

1. Praise helps us honor, worship and give maximum glory to the only one who

deserves it. Eph.1:1

2. Praise helps us complete God’s primary purpose for creating us. Eph. 1:3

3. Praise helps us understand our own identity, privileges, and responsibilities. Eph.

1:1

4. Praise helps us fully appreciate and appropriate God’s grace, goodness and peace.

Eph. 1:2

5. Praise helps us gain a richer sense of spiritual, mental, emotional, social, and

physical tranquility

6. Praise helps us lift our perspectives above and beyond the things on this earth to

eternal values.

7. Praise helps us gain a greater awareness of how enriched we are through God’s

blessings Eph.1:3

8. Praise helps us feel greater security in His everlasting love that chose us from

creation. Eph. 1:4

9. Praise helps us have a greater self-esteem knowing that God picked us out for

Himself. Eph. 1:4

10. Praise helps us gives us greater incentive to live our lives in holiness and

consecration Eph. 1:4

11. Praise helps us helps us live lives that are blameless, pure, and wholly devoted to

God. Eph 1:4

12. Praise helps us helps us share with others the rich blessings that can be theirs

through Christ.

13. Praise helps us understand our inherited entitlements in Christ. Eph. 1:5

14. Praise reminds us that we are created to be witnesses of His praise to the 5

billion non-christians.

15. Praise encourages the 500 million Christians to build one another up through

corporate praise.

16. Praise reminds us of our wonderful redemption, deliverance and salvation in

Christ Eph.1:7

17. Praise relieves us from guilt, shame and the weight of our sin through Christ.

Eph. 1:7

18. Praise helps us know that no Christian is greater than another because of the

grace of Christ

19. Praise helps us grow in wisdom, knowledge and understanding of God and His

purposes.

20. Praise helps us gain a greater glimpse of God’s will, way and word. Eph. 1:8

21. Praise helps us understand the way God has work His will through out history.

Eph. 1:8

22. Praise helps us gain a greater maturity in all the dimensions of life. Eph. 1:9

23. Praise helps us see how everything in life is created and held together around

Christ. Eph 1:10

24. Praise helps us appreciate how we were made God’s heritage and accessed His

power. Eph1:11

25. Praise helps us see how God’s eternal purposes make sense beyond man’s finite

understanding.

26. Praise helps us see how God’s eternal plans are worked out according to His

perfect will.

27. Praise helps us rest, relax, and renew our mind through the certainty of God’s

game plan.

28. Praise helps us see that unless men are fitting into God’s plans they will be

unfulfilled. Eph1:12

29. Praise helps us understand the blessings of the sealing of the Holy Spirit for

eternal security.

30. Praise helps us appreciate all the present and future blessings and gifts we have

in the Spirit.

31. Praise helps us give greater thanks to God for what He has done for us and other

believers.

32. Praise helps us praise with greater power, perspective, and persistence to a

praiseworthy God.

33. Praise helps us pray with greater conviction that God will give us wisdom and

knowledge of Him

34. Praise helps us have a greater hope in our God who is able to overcome any

discouragement.

35. Praise helps us understand why non-christians are unable to perceive spiritual

truths. Eph. 1:18

36. Praise helps us appreciate the surpassing greatness of His power for us who

believe. Eph. 1:19

37. Praise helps us learn more about the limitless power, reach and effectiveness of

God’s strength.

38. Praise helps us gain a rich contrast of the finite power of people versus God’s

power. Eph. 1:19

39. Praise helps us see that the culmination of God’s power, wisdom and truth are

found in Christ.

40. Praise assures that God’s power is far above all rulers, authorities and

dominions. Eph. 1:21

41. Praise assures us that God’s purposes, plans and results will supercede all

others. Eph. 1:21

42. Praise assures us that any human, demonic or organizational plot against God’s

plan will fail.

43. Praise assures us that all things have been put under the sovereign control of

Christ. Eph. 1:22

44. Praise assures us that Christ is the head of the church who will not share His

glory with another.

45. Praise assures us Christ will work through His church in the implementation of

His will Eph.1:22

46. Praise assures us that Christ will fill His body with the necessary gifts to

accomplish His will.

47. Praise assures us Christ’s body will have the full measure of His personage and

power. Eph. 1:23

48. Praise assures us Christ is able to make everything beautiful and complete in His

time. Eph. 1:23

49. Praise assures us that Christ is able to fulfill everyone with His meanings and

satisfactions.

50. Praise assures us that Christ will fulfill every Godly organizational needwith His

provisions.

APPE�DIX D

Adoption in Rome

PAUL T. HARRISO�

You're one of the family. Do you know that song in the Musical "Oliver" when

Fagin's gang welcomed young Oliver in?

Consider yourself at home;

consider yourself one of the family.

We've taken to you so strong:

it's clear ... we're going to get along.

Consider yourself well in. Consider yourself one of us".

You're "in" - well in! God hasn't given you a shed down the bottom of the garden!

He's given you your own room in His own House. He's made you one of the family -

not in kindly pretence, but in solid truth.

Paul drives home the point by saying that we've been adopted into God's family:

that's the word he uses in v.5; literally it reads, "predestinating us to adoption of

sons through Jesus Christ to Himself". The idea of adoption carried a great deal

more force in his day than it does in ours, because the Roman laws of adoption were

far more water-tight and favourable to an adopted child than they were even to the

natural first-born.

"�ew birth" isn't the only way to describe what happens when you become a

Christian ... indeed to people in �ew Testament times, the word "adoption" meant

more. Let me explain why.

In the Roman Empire there was what was called the "Patria Potestas" - the

authority over his family that a Roman father had. He had absolute power over his

children: power of control over them (who they married, what job they took and so

on), over the disposal of their fortunes, and even over life and death ... and there was

no court of appeal to which children could turn.

This made adoption a very serious step. It occurred in fact more often for adults

than for children: it was way in which an older man could express his admiration

for a younger, so that to be chosen for adoption was a very great honour. Its

seriousness was emphasised by the ceremony that took place when it happened: it

was in two stages:

1. The "Mancipatio" - three times, with scales, the former father sold his son, and

only twice bought him back.

2. The "Vindicatio" - the adopting father went to the Prætor, the Roman

Magistrate, and filed the transfer papers of the son into his own "Patria Potestas".

There were four consequences of the procedure:

1. The son lost all rights in his old family, and gained all rights in the new. He

literally got a new father.

2. He became heir to his father's estate - nothing could ever undo his title to

it, and his title took precedence over that of all other natural-born children.

3. His old life - all his debts, his crimes, everything - was wiped out of the

records. Even his name was changed. He became a new person with a wholly

new identity.

4. He became his new father's son in the most complete sense the law could

define. When Claudius wanted to adopt �ero, for example, who then wanted

to marry Claudius's natural daughter Octavia, the Senate had to pass a

special law to get round the law that prohibited a man from marrying his

sister. So real was �ero's adoption that Octavia became, in law, his sister

absolutely.

5. Seven witnesses were required - in case the adopting father should die.

�ow you carry all that over into the meaning the metaphor had for Christians,

when it was said that God had adopted them into His family. It meant:

1. Their past was completely wiped out.

2. They became a new and completely different person.

3. They got a new Father.

4. They got undisputed title to his entire estate, and ...

5. The Holy Spirit was the "seven-fold" witness!

You are an adopted child of God. You are His child, in the most complete sense it is

possible to define. You can go to Him anywhere, any time, about anything. He has

taken full responsibility for you, so you never need want for any necessary thing,

and in His �ame you can do things and claim things you would never dream or dare

to do or to claim in your own name.