Ephesians 1:4-6To: Ephesians Main MenuTo: Grace Notes Home Page Ephesians 1:4 According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him: -------------------- "according as": (kathos) - "in the manner that; how; in what manner" -------------------- "he has chosen us": (eklego), aor. mid. ind. 3p sing., "to choose or select; to choose out as the recipients of special favor or privilege". This word indicates the purpose for which the choice was made. 1 Pet. 2:9,10; James 2:5; Matt. 24:21-31; Rom. 8:28-39; 2 Thess. 2:13,14 -------------------- "in Him": a Christian is in union with Jesus Christ. We are "members of His body." Topic: Union with Christ -------------------- "before the foundation": (kataboleis) : "foundation; beginning" God the Father was thinking about us even before the creation. In His omniscience, He loved us and He knew our wretched fallen condition. So by His grace He made provision for our salvation by making it possible for us to be united with His Son, Jesus Christ. -------------------- "of the world": (kosmos) : "the world; the universe; all things" Matt. 25:31-34; John 17:24-26 -------------------- "that we should be holy": (hagios) - "set apart; sanctified" A Christian has been set apart (sanctified) by God. The purpose clause here shows that by being chosen in Christ we began our Christian lives as "set apart" individuals. God intends for us to stay in fellowship, to keep apart from the world we live in, to be separated from kosmos doctrines, to be yielded, etc. Rom. 12:1,2; Ex. 19:6; Lev. 19:2-4; Luke 1:74,75; Eph. 4:22-32 Topic: Godliness Topic: Purity in the Christian Life -------------------- "and without blam": (amomos) : "without blemish; faultless" Phil. 2:13-16; 1 Thess. 3:12,13; Eph. 5:26,27; Heb. 9:14; 1 Pet. 1:19; Jude 24; Rev. 14:5 -------------------- "before Him" : "in His presence" -------------------- In these verses we are beginning the study of the concept of Christian holiness and blamelessness as part of the Christian way of life. We see in Eph. 1:4 that a believer is chosen in Christ to be "holy and blameless". This brings up the concept of positional holiness - the righteousness we have because we are in Jesus Christ. We are not holy because of our behavior or good character, but because we have been united with Christ, the Holy One. He took our sin upon Himself, so that we could be freely given the righteousness of God. 2 Cor. 5:21 !! We were losers - God in His mercy made it possible for us to be winners by accepting Christ and receiving righteousness as a free gift. 1 Pet. 2:9,10 Ephesians 1:5 In love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto Himself -------------------- "in love" : (en + agapei) : mental love; soul love. (While the words "in love" appear at the end of verse 4 in the KJV, other versions, and many commentators, believe the phrase belongs at the beginning of verse 5.) This is an impersonal love which has no romantic connotation. Here "love" refers to the love of God the Father as that which motivates Him to execute His plan. This love led God to arrange Propitiation for our sins so that He could associate with us without His perfect character being compromised. -------------------- "having predestinated us":(proorizo): "to predesign; to predetermine" Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:28,30; 1 Tim. 1:9; Titus 1:2 ---------- PREDESTINATION The word "predestination" means "to appoint, to determine, or to design beforehand". The Father, through perfect expression of His thinking, predesigned His perfect plan in Christ, Eph. 1:9; 1 Pet. 1:2,20; 2 Tim. 1:9. Through Predestination, believers are guaranteed sonship (Eph. 1:5) and heirship (Eph. 1:11). The doctrine of Predestination deals only with Christians. There is no such thing as an unbeliever being predestined to go to hell. The Christians makes a conscious decision to follow the plan of God. The unbeliever makes a conscious decision to reject the plan of God. John 3:18; 3:36. If any person accepts Christ as Saviour, he will be saved. The Biblical concept of Predestination does not conflict with human volition, but emphasizes it. The purpose of Predestination is to relate the believer to the Plan of God through Positional Truth. Eph. 1:4,5. It is based on the foreknowledge of God, Rom. 8:29. It is an expression of God's love for those who are in union with Christ. Predestination was a sovereign decision on the part of God the Father, Eph. 1:5,11. Jesus Christ has a destiny. When we enter into union with Christ at the time of salvation, we share in that destiny. There are five Greek words used to communicate the Biblical doctrine of Predestination. Without a knowledge of these words and the categories of truth they represent, no one can draw inferences or theological conclusions about what is being taught in the Bible on the subject. (prooridzw) - verb, "to predesign; to predetermine". Rom. 8:28,29; Eph. 1:5,11 (protithemi)- verb, "to predetermine", Rom. 3:25; Eph. 1:9. Synonym of prooridzo. (prothesis)- noun, "a predetermined plan". The subject of Ephesians is the Prothesis of God. Rom. 8:28; 9:11; Eph. 1:11; 3:11; 2 Tim. 1:9. God is never caught napping. He has already met every contingency with a predetermined plan of action. When we yell "Help!" to God, He doesn't have to try to think up some way to help us. He has already provided everything we need. All we have to do is learn about what God has provided and how to take advantage of it. (proginoskw) - verb, "to foreordain", I Pet. 1:20; Rom. 8:29; 11:2 (prognosis)- noun, "foreknowledge; a predetermined purpose", Acts 2:23; 1 Pet. 1:2. [ English: prognosis ] The crucifixion of Christ is related to the predetermined purpose of God. Acts 2:23**, 4:28, cf. I Pet. 2:4,6 All believers' suffering is related to the predetermined plan of God. In eternity past, God thought about us and predesigned provisions for us for both time and eternity. Rom. 8:28,29. God the Father predetermined the Grace concept of Propitiation, Rom. 3:25. Predestination defines God's ultimate purpose for the believer - that we should be like the Lord Jesus Christ in His humanity, Rom. 8:29. This is called glorification, Rom. 8:30. The born-again Jew is part of the preordained plan of God under the unconditional covenant to Israel. Therefore, the Jew of the Old Testament is not a castaway, Rom. 11:2. There is a definite relationship between Predestination and Eternal Security. Predesination provides the basis for Eternal Security. -------------------- "unto the adoption of children": (huiothesia) : "placing as an adult son; the recognition of maturity". Rom. 9:4; John 1:12 (teknon); Rom. 8:15,23 (huiothesia) + Gal. 3:5 ADOPTION The word adoption in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word (huiothesia) which means "the placing of an adult son" and refers to the formal act of recognizing the maturity of an adult son. The word is found in five New Testament passages: Rom. 8:15,23: 9:4; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5. The new-born baby is brephos, as in "the babe (brephos), lying in a manger...". The word sometimes refers to the fetus, as in "...the babe (brephos) leapt in her womb...". The believer is also called (teknon), a child which is growing up but which is still under parental care. Hence John 1:12, "...to them gave He power to become the sons (teknon) of God." But the believer is also in union with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is called huios, "an adult son". So, in union with Him, we are said to be adult sons also, although we may be (brephos) or (teknon) by experience. To the people living in the predominantly Greek and Roman culture of the 1st Century A.D., the word (huiothesia) would bring to mind the ceremony of toga virilis, in which a 14-year-old boy went through an investiture ceremony with the adult male members of his family. At this ceremony, speeches of challenge to the youth would be made, and offerings would be made to the gods. Then, the boy would stand in the center of the group and take off the child's garment that he wore. A new adult man's robe, or toga, would be placed on him. This was the toga virilis, the "robe of a man". At this time, the 14-year-old was given adult privileges and responsibilities. He could conduct business in his own name, could buy and sell property, could marry, could vote in the Assembly, and in many other ways could carry on as an adult citizen. Of course, he was not mature enough or wise enough to exercise all of the privileges he had; and he was not experiences enough to live up to all of the responsibilities. But the seriousness of his position as a citizen was impressed on him; and if he was intelligent and hard working, he would grow up to be an adult having integrity and character. Application The spiritual use of the word "adoption" signifies the placing of a newborn child, in the spiritual sense, into the position of privilege and responsibility attached to an adult son. The question arises as to why a naturally born child needs to be adopted. Are we not, after all, "born again"? It is here that the true meaning of "adoption" comes in; because in the New Testament, "adoption" refers to a positional advance. The new believer is advanced positionally to his majority, even though at the time of salvation he is spiritually immature, a "babe in Christ". Because spiritual adoption takes place at the moment of salvation, there is really no period of childhood experience recognized for believers. The Christian has been placed into the privilege, liberty, and duty of a full-grown adult. Spiritual adoption imposes the same way of life on all children of God. This requirement is reasonable because the Christian life is to be lived in the sustaining and upholding power of the Holy Spirit. And this provision is available as much for one person as for another. Every believer, from the moment of salvation, is in full time Christian service. While long years of experience and training in the Christian way of life give skill and maturity, those years add no more resources or provision than were available when the Christian was first saved. Therefore, the word "adoption" means that from the very first of our Christian lives we have full provision, the freedom to have a relationship with God on an adult basis, the freedom to serve Him. Full-time Christian service is nothing more than the freedom to have a relationship with God. There is also a future aspect to "adoption", that of our ultimate placing as adults in eternity, as shown in Romans 8:23. There we will have the resurrection body, we will see Christ face to face, and we will have no Sin Nature or human good. So we will be able to function perfectly in Christ, as adults in maturity. -------------------- "by Jesus Christ" Union with Christ makes the Adoption a reality. -------------------- "unto Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will" : indicates that the Lord pleases Himself in providing Adoption. Luke 10:21; Eph. 1:5,9; 2:13 Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, whereby He has made us accepted in the Beloved. -------------------- "to the praise" : (eis + epainos) : "leading to praise; for the purpose of praise" Rom. 8:29; 13:3; 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor. 8:18; Eph. 1:6,12; Phil. 1:11; 4:8; 1 Pet. 1:7 -------------------- "of the glory" : (doxa) : "glory" Psalm 9:11; 22:23; 33:2; Matt. 5:16; John 15:8; Rom. 15:6; 1 Pet. 2:9 THE GLORY OF GOD The following is a selection of comments on the word "glory", (doksos), as used in the Bible.
The Lord Jesus Christ is said to possess glory: Mk. 10:37. Glory is used to describe the edification structure in the believer's soul: Eph. 3:21; Col. 1:27; 1 Pet. 1:8; 2 Thess. 2:14. As a believer receives doctrine, he reflects the Glory of God. A wife is said to be the glory of her husband: 1 Cor. 11:7, 15. The Grace of God is described as his glory: Eph. 1:6. The provision of God's grace is also called wealth, "the riches of His glory": Eph. 1:18; 3:16; Phil. 4:19. There is a glory in the future which is beyond human knowledge, namely, the glory of eternity: 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:10; 1 Pet. 5:10; 2 Pet. 1:3. Human glamour is described as glory, though often in the negative sense: 1 Pet. 1:24; Phil. 3:19; Mt. 6:29. Glory is used to describe the wonders of the universe: 1 Cor. 15:40,41. Glory is used to describe the resurrection body of the believer: 1 Cor. 15:43; 2 Thess. 2:14. The word glory is associated with the presentation of the Church to the Lord Jesus Christ: Heb. 2:10; Mt. 19:28; 24:30; 25:31
"of His grace" : (charis) : "graciousness; kindness; good will" Topic: GRACE -------------------- COMMENT
"wherein" : "in which; according to which" Thus, "in which grace He has made us accepted..." -------------------- "He has made us accepted" : (charisto), aor. act. ind. 3s : "to bestow favor; to give a gift; to make an object of favor; to visit grace upon." God has made Christians the object of His favor, in the realm of His plan of Grace. COMMENT
"in the Beloved" : (agapao), "in the one having been loved" "This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased..." COMMENT
Summarizing the passage: Ephesians 1:4 "Even as he has chosen us for himself in Him before the beginning of the world, that we continue to be saints and blameless in His presence" Ephesians 1:5 "In love having predesigned us unto the placing as adult sons by Jesus Christ for Himself according to the benevolent purpose of His will." Ephesians 1:6 "Resulting in recognition of glory from the source of His grace, from which He has pursued us with grace in the one having been loved." End of Ephesians Lesson 2 Warren Doud [ Grace Notes: Bible Studies on the Internet ] 1705 Aggie Lane, Austin, Texas 78757 Phone: 512-458-8923 E-Mail: wdoud@bga.com |
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