Ephesians 1:3-14 begins with the pronouncement of a blessing upon God in response to the abundant ways in which God has blessed us (verse 3). Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Before the foundation of the world—The world is here figured as a building; and the builder as laying his plans for the transactions in the house before he lays its foundations. Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who … Ephesians 1:4-14 specifies the believer’s positional spiritual blessings. "through his love", as the Arabic version; for the love of God is This is a most important question in determining the meaning of this epistle. The apostle puts foreknowledge as antecedent to predestination. love; and from the covenant which was made with Christ from Now the purpose of election is that we might be holy. I recommend this volume to anyone who is not familiar with the basic themes of this epistle. God “chose us in him. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, … In the Lord —Qualifying obey, and implying that their obedience was, like every Christian character, embodied in Christ, who is the embodiment of man’s duty and God’s mercy. This is the immediate design, but the convenience of dwelling in it is the ultimate design. Ephesus, only the saints and faithful in Christ that resided It isn"t that we are so slick that the accusation slides off, but we are so holy that there is no basis for accusation. The purpose of redemption is also that we might be holy. View More Titles. 1:13 ) , nor is this choice of persons to an office, for all We're chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. In addition to Dr. Sproul's work, the following are five of the most helpful commentaries on the book of Ephesians. You take the book of Jude, verse24—Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding great joy. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. blameless: besides, from ( Ephesians And in the same epistle, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, we have this statement concerning the God of peace—And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord was a lamb slain before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for us who believe in Him that our faith, our hope, might be in God. We think it goes with verse 4 for two major reasons: one is that God chose us to stand to be “holy,” “without blemish” and “in love.” Love is part of the way we are to stand before Him. “according to the purpose of the one.” The phrase “according to” is the Greek preposition kata, which when used with the accusative case, as it is here, points us to the standard God used when He “decided in advance” to claim the Church as His possession. And, then, Paul’s glad thought is, that salvation and the Church being gathered from out the world, is not a human thing of to-day, but, of a sinner conditioned upon his faith, now first objectively performed, is traced far back into the divine mind, as in a mirror; the mind that, foreseeing all things, and precognizing the, to result from the misdirected freewill of finite man, provides and adjusts them with the. For one who lives in sin to claim to be elected unto holiness, is a contradiction. He says little about them because it is not the human but the divine side of this election upon which he is, with grateful rapture, expatiating. Ephesians 1:4 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Ephesians 1:4, NIV: "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.In love" Ephesians 1:4, ESV: "even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.In love" Ephesians 1:4… according to this choice; and from the preparation of a kingdom Paul categorized these blessings under three functions of the Trinity: The Father’s plan, 4-7. According as he hath chosen us in him This choice cannot be understood of a national one, as Israel of old were chosen by the Lord; for the persons the apostle writes to were not a nation; nor does he address all the inhabitants of Ephesus, only the saints and faithful in Christ that resided there; … Every man is invited, no one need hesitate. 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, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world . “Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate,”. Paul emphasizes both the sovereign purpose of God and man"s free will. Time would fail me to go into Acts 15:18 or the139th Psalm 139:1-24 to tell you that God knew me before I was formed in my mother's womb and called me by His grace. God expects us to be holy. they might partake of the sanctification of the Spirit; that they Away back somewhere in eternity in the counsel chamber of the living God, He saw you and He chose you to be holy. 5 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. The initial triple phrase recurs as in a refrain in Ephesians 1:12 and Ephesians 1:14.The Father is the source of blessing here, the Son in Ephesians 1:12, and the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1:14.It would appear that Paul built up … No. Did God then quicken me? God chose YOU! In fact, this blessing provides the structure for the entirety of the passage. 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. Did I quicken myself? Yes. There is a debate about whether this phrase goes with Ephesians 1:4 or Ephesians 1:5. Before him—Blameless even under His dread scrutiny. sight of his Father, to whom they will also be presented by him, The doctrine of choosing is not all that shallow but we can"t delve into it here. Do you consider it a precious blessing from Him? You see, I repeat it, my friends, the ultimate purpose of all election is to be holy. Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ - As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. “For indeed the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. "The foundation of the world" was laid in Adam and Eve's sin, so God had the church in mind before our first parents were ever offered to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil or of the … Much as a golfer chooses his clubs for a particular purpose (I assume that is why they carry so many different clubs :-) God looked at the multitudes of people that would populate the earth and he chose those that He wanted to use in His work of redemption through the ages. The Holy Spirit’s seal, 13-14. Ephesians 1:11-23. 1. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. The word used in the verse has the idea of selecting for an office or selecting for one"s own use. Ephesians 6:1-4 ~ "Children Obey Your Parents" is part 1 of 5 of The Bible Teaching Commentary parts on Ephesians 6:1-4 which reveals the key elements needed to create a peaceful and harmonious family. So also1 Peter 1:2: “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God.” And this election is made definite, individual, and sure by our performance of the human condition: 2 Peter 1:10, “Give diligence to make your calling and election sure.” So that this elective purpose, as ideal purpose in eternity, becomes objective and real divine act in time. to were not a nation; nor does he address all the inhabitants of foreknowledge, and is an act of his grace, and is entirely by the righteousness of Christ, and as washed in his blood; and He does elect. A study of God’s choosing and election throughout Scripture will reveal the same truth. Holy and without blame—”The positive and negative aspects,” says Ellicott, “of true Christian life.”. Adam Clarke Commentary. 26 "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.". If you aren"t busy for Him you are in trouble - He picked you to use in a specific purpose. And, then, Paul’s glad thought is, that salvation and the Church being gathered from out the world, is not a human thing of to-day, but a divine thing from eternity. A careful reading of the text reveals the same truth we have seen elsewhere, that election is to service. Our Price: $27.99 Save: $12.00 (30%) Buy Now. It was a busy port and the centre of much trade. "Didn"t I choose God?" The primary call is to unity. “Accepted as holy because of Christ (Romans 8:3-4 and notes), not because of Jewish or pagan rites.”. that we should be holy, and without blame, before him in Study the bible online using commentary on Ephesians 1 and more! It does not say He chose you to be saved. In Christ, we have redemption from our sins. But God"s invitation is absolutely sincere; it is addressed to every, Prayer of Manasseh, "Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely" (, [Note: H. A. Ironside, In the Heavenlies, pp27-29. Ephesians 1:14… —Meyer, Ellicott, and others, join this to. Holiness is the standard, not the fifth choice in a list of things we can do if and when we get time; it is top option in a list of things we are supposed to do. Specific focus on how modern society has corrupted Christian perspectives is included. Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, # OneMinuteBibleCommentary # nbtimedia # nbticommentary “It will not leave even a root or branch. One that is pure enough to be offered in sacrifice. May I digress for a second. just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. cannot be causes or conditions of it: and this choice is made in sight of Christ, who will present them to himself, and in the Bible Study Questions … : “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God.” And this election is made definite, individual, and sure by our performance of the human condition: and election sure.” So that this elective purpose, as ideal, in eternity, becomes objective and real divine, In this present paragraph, Paul says little about conditions, and nothing to exclude them. He put His hand on you and determined that you would stand in His presence in the ages to come, looking just like His Song of Solomon, Jesus Christ. This leads us to conclude, that holiness, purity, and every excellence that is found among men, are the fruit of election; so that once more Paul expressly puts aside every consideration of merit. from others, and are represented as few; nor do all men partake 1. Nothing … The objects of choice must present to the Chooser the proper qualities, either seen or foreseen, in order to being intelligently chosen. This 4-week Narrative Lectionary preaching series on Ephesians does not actually include what are probably the letter’s best-known verses, though one imagines it might not be difficult to find at least one occasion during a month of sermons to cite them! Christ, as Mediator, is the NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Personal Size, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture. Ephesians 1:14 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Ephesians 1:14, NIV: "who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory." And, by the way being holy is in the present tense - a continuing action. The message of Ephesians 1:4 is that He chose people to become Christians. Ephesians 1:4 - just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. 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? We cannot justify it; we can only answer for it when we stand before God in the end. redemption and salvation; but as the means, in order to the end: Ephesians 1:4-5. The Holy Spirit’s seal, 13-14. Children and Parents, Ephesians 6:1-4. This also … This is the true fountain from which we must draw our knowledge of the divine mercy. σας, which follows, would give the sense, ‘In love having predestinated us.' In love on StudyLight.org Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Ephesians 4:1-16 EXEGESIS: THE CONTEXT: In chapters 1-3, Paul outlined the blessings associated with being a child of God. If you want further information my theology deals with them, as do most any systematic theology books. Commentary on Ephesians 1:9-14 (Read Ephesians 1:9-14) Blessings were made known to believers, by the Lord's showing to them the mystery of his sovereign will, and the method of redemption and salvation. does not write to them under that formal consideration, but as The end of this The duties of children and parents. In love, To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary, Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Ephesians 6:1-4. He blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. love", or "through love", as the Syriac version renders it; or Retail: $5.99 . not they only, since the apostle includes himself, and perhaps kathōs- implies that these blessings were in conformity with that eternal plan, and have flowed to us as the expression of that plan. In. ", "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. If God had foreseen in us anything worthy of election, it would have been stated in language the very opposite of what is here employed, and which plainly means that all our holiness and purity of life flow from the election of God. And on top of this we are to live before Him in love. I do not like the juicy messy pears so I pick Anjou pears and when I go to pick them off the counter there are some characteristics that I look for. No one could dare to accuse you of doing something wrong. Often I have heard that God didn"t pick us because of anything we can do or be, but I think this word indicates differently. No wonder Peter could talk about it in the first chapter of his first epistle. Then He created our world before He created us. But these must have been for ever hidden from us, if God had not made them known by his written word, preached … These two ideas are brought into close juxtaposition in the verse before us, for, as you … That's a great statement, isn't it? It would be tautological to say: "He hath predestinated us in love according to the good pleasure of his will." Ephesians 1:3 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, (NASB: Lockman). up as the head and representative of them; and from the provision If men are chosen to be holy, they cannot be chosen because they are holy. of How comes it then that some men are religious, and live in the fear of God, while others give themselves up without reserve to all manner of wickedness? And, thirdly, it follows that holiness is the only evidence of election. That divine authority was bequeathed to Christ at the time of his ascension (cf. —Blameless even under His dread scrutiny. If we want to share in the glory God chose for the saved, we must submit to his conditions. For a comprehensive study of the passage, download the Study Guide (PDF download). We have already mentioned the decrees briefly and with them are a number of controversies relating to the when of, the order of and the content of, but we won"t go into them here. They pretty much ignore foreknowledge and hope it will go away, however foreknowledge, in my understanding, is in the Word and must be integrated into the scheme of the whole. . Some may say, "Well, I may not be of the elect, and so it would be useless for me to endeavor to come, for the door will not open for me." He wrote it to people in the town called Ephesus. Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 1:2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. It was as God had chosen that it should be, and had appointed in his eternal purpose. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Can I leave that with you today? People begin to tell me that they don't believe that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, and they read into the verse that which was never the intention of the Spirit of God. God's decrees, which are eternal; for no new will, or act of So, how can we justify the life that we often lead - a life of unholiness? so that the highest good is ultimately attained. . Retail: $24.99. God is praised in these verses for having chosen and adopted the church as God’s own … Ephesians 1:4 | One Minute Bible Commentary. Ephesians 1:4-14 specifies the believer’s positional spiritual blessings. We may say that in the section 3-12 St. Paul uses the first person plural of the personal pronoun, namely, we, us, and our, thirteen times in all, which, while it explicitly includes himself and the Ephesians, it also, by implication, takes in all believers. View More. But they are those who present the proper rational conditions of the divine choice, namely. 1:00. That we should be holy. I like nice bright green ones because they aren"t juicy and messy, and I like them green because they are still hard like an apple. i. others, who first trusted in Christ, as distinct from the And as the builder is no less than the Eternal, so this before sends our thoughts back into the deep, dim, anterior eternity. This verse kind of makes 1 Corinthians 1:26 ff jump up and become alive doesn"t it! This objection has no force when applied to the depraved natures of men, in whom nothing can be seen but materials for destruction. The very time when the election took place proves it to be free; for what could we have deserved, or what merit did we possess, before the world was made? where, speaking of a man's children, he says; Proud member There is nothing in me that could help me find God, there is nothing I can do to bring God to save me, but there may have been characteristics within me that He desired to use in His overall work. being the end of this choice, were intended; which was made. The objects of choice must present to the Chooser the proper qualities, either seen or foreseen, in order to being intelligently chosen. 1:4, p. 198), “We were all lost in Adam; and therefore, had not God, through his own election, rescued us from perishing, there was nothing to be foreseen.” In other words, God would not have foreseen any lost people choosing of their own free … It is the duty of Christians to seek, by the blessing of God, to bring persons to think seriously, and to encourage and warn believers by their … Then He created our world before He created us. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. They cannot be mere characterless blanks. Salvation comes to you Gentiles because God planned it that way even before the world was made.” God had already chosen us. Ephesians is a profound book, and our own Dr. Sproul has himself written a very helpful introductory level commentary on it titled The Purpose of God. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. EPHESIANS - CHRIST AND THE CHURCH Click chart to enlarge Charts from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission. But who are this us? I eat half a pear for a snack every day to keep my sugar levels in balance. I tried to show you how much the idea of the mutual possession of God by the believing soul, and of the believing soul by God, was present to the Apostle’s thoughts in this context. But though they had not yet acted, might a sophist of the Sorbonne reply, God foresaw that they would act. It is the same as that below, Ephesians 6:5, rendered “be obedient.” The child, and the bondservant, are to render an obedience (so the … The purpose of election is also that we might be cleansed and that we might be kept. This section of Ephesians begins a series of ethical instructions firmly based on the preceding three chapters. (1-4) Of servants and masters. before the foundation of the world: And on top of all that He expects us to be without blame! 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