A Walk through Ephesians 1

A Walk through Ephesians 1...

One thing that I noticed in our responses to non-Reformed people is the constant rejection of Reformed tendencies in the text. The centrality of God, the decree of God, and the plan of God. Obviously the apostles predated the Reformation by 1,500 years or so, so these tendencies were borrowed from them and greatly influenced the Reformation leaders. The Bible was their focus and rightly so.

Ephesians 1 is a problem for non-Calvinist exegetes. They want to maintain the almighty free will of man and walk through the text like that is what it said the whole time. But they can't do this... Specifically, those who hold to a corporate election approach have a terrible time with this chapter. It's shocking to watch them try to explain away the specific phrasing in this chapter. Let's look:

Ephesians 1:1  "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful[a] in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us[b] for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

- We have the greetings here. Paul calls them Saints. Saints are those whom righteousness is imputed, those who are covenant members of the Church... Blessed be God, this is an edification of the Lord God. Paul has a high view of God and maintains this view throughout the section. Vs 4) God chose us (the Church) in him before the foundation of the world. This choosing was for us to be Holy (set apart) and blameless (justified) before him. In love (vs 5) he predestined us for adoption into the family of God according to the purpose of his will... This isn't a maybe, possibility, or dependant on anything but his will and purpose. I can see big issues with anyone who holds to conditional/corporate election. If it was in any way based on anything other than his will, I believe Paul would say something. This election is through Jesus Christ... This election is the product of the perfect work of Christ on the altar of the Cross. He was the spotless lamb that was slain for our sins. It was his blood that gave us mercy, and it is his current intercession that allows his righteousness to be imputed to us. And all we can do is praise God for his perfect grace.

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known[c] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

- We have redemption through the blood of Christ... As John MacArthur once said, it is not the literal blood of Christ that saves anyone... It is the blood sacrifice that he willingly made for us. This sacrifice and redemption happened because of the grace of God that he gave us in abundance though we did not deserve it. In the process he showed us the mystery of his will that will result in all things being united to him.

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee[d] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,[e] to the praise of his glory

- In Christ we have obtained an inheritance, having be preordained to eternal life by God's own purpose. God works all things after the counsel of his will. This is a literal meaning of the word all, not a partial meaning like we find elsewhere. Paul, speaking to the Ephesian Church says that when they heard the truth, and believed the Gospel, they were sealed (indweled) with the Holy Spirit. This sealing guarantees our inheritance. We will one day acquire possession of our inheritance... This is eternal security!!

////////

It is a scary thing to watch people butcher this text. They tear it to pieces and try to make it fit their understanding of the truth... I noticed an emphasis on the will of God and capped it off with eternal security in verse 14. This is such a great chapter.

Soli Deo Gloria!