His Glorious Salvation

Ephesians 2:1-10

Here in chapter 2, Paul elaborates on the mechanism of reconciliation - first vertically in verses 1 thru 10, then horizontally in verses 11 thru 22. The glorious character of God's salvation of us - glorious because of its monergistic and supernatural design - is demonstrated here in three ways:

1. The gravity of our condition
2. The riches of his mercy and greatness of his love
3. The graciousness of his salvation

First, the gravity of our condition.

"To bring home more effectually to the Ephesians the general doctrine of Divine grace, he reminds them of their former condition." Calvin

‘You dead on account of sin,—wherein ye walked according to the course of the world, subject to Satan, associated with the children of disobedience, among whom we also had our conversation, and were the children of wrath even as others—us, dead on account of trespasses hath God quickened.’ Charles Hodge tr.

Paul doesn't mince words, he begins by issuing a death certificate - we were corpses, nekrous, unable to respond to spiritual stimuli; the cause of death: trespasses and sins, fall and failure, inherent defects he elaborates on at some length in verses 2 & 3. Paul does not warn his readers of a future danger, he issues the coroner's final judgment - dead.

How does Paul describe the cause of death? In two ways, by its outwardly visible characteristics and its inward source. First the visible:

• motivated and governed by priorities "under the sun"
• valuing those things held in high esteem by the world, the unregenerate, the world system and not motivated by love for God
  
  "the environment [in which] you formerly moved about freely, feeling perfectly at home, conducting yourselves in complete harmony with “the spirit of the age that marks mankind alienated from the life of God” Hendriksen & Kistemaker
  
  
• following the lead of Satan - the prince of the power of the air - ruler not because he has ultimate authority but because he has great power and is followed as a leader;he rules not by right but by permission
  
  "Paul does not allow him the highest authority, which belongs to the will of God alone, but merely a tyranny which God permits him to exercise. What is Satan but God’s executioner to punish man’s ingratitude? This is implied in Paul’s language, when he represents the success of Satan as confined to unbelievers; for the children of God are thus exempted from his power. If this be true, it follows that Satan does nothing but under the control of a superior and that he is not an unlimited monarch." Calvin
  
  Consider also Daniel's experience with his visitor in Dan_10:11-14
  
  
• satisfying desires that are consistent with a nature corrupted by sin; freely choosing to do so, thus the whole person is involved in the sin
  

Next, he comes to the source or root of the cause of death.

Phusis "is everything which by its origin or by observation of its constitution seems to be a given. ...[It] is then used for a man’s character or nature, without ref. to his birth or descent, in so far as this nature is given and is not dependent on conscious direction or education. ...the aim is to stress what is distinctive in the nature and constitution of individual phenomena, esp. to the degree that this cannot be attributed to divine or social or other human causes." TDNT

"the direct and immediate sense of the passage is that they were, when without the gospel, and before they were renewed, the children of wrath; but still the fair interpretation is, that they were born to that state, and that that condition was the regular result of their native depravity; and I do not know a more strong or positive declaration that can be made to show that people are by nature destitute of holiness, and exposed to perdition." Albert Barnes Notes

"Our spiritual poverty, apart from the riches of God's mercy and love, quite beggars description. ...It is of God's mercy that we were not destroyed when we were in sin, or that we were not left to our own devices. In compassion He sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep to give HIs life so that we might live in him." V. Raymond Edman, But God

But Paul doesn't stay focused on man's condition; to do so would ultimately result in abject despair. Rather he turns his attention to the riches of God's mercy and greatness of his love and how he has displayed it toward us. The Amplified Bible puts it this way:

But God--so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us... Eph 2:4

It is against the background of God's wrath that his mercy stands out in such stunning contrast. It is against the backdrop of God's holiness that his love for sinful man is displayed in sharp relief. It is only when we grasp the infinitely wide chasm that exists between holy God and sinful man, when we apprehend the awfulness and hopelessness of our condition that we begin to appreciate the wealth of mercy shown to us. As we gain an understanding of the depths of our depravity, we begin to fathom how immeasurably far God had to stoop to lift us up and the magnitude of love that would make him do that. In order for sinful man to recognize his true need, these truths about his wretched condition as perceived by God must be part of the message of the Gospel.

"We can speak of it as his intense concern for, deep personal interest in, warm attachment to, and spontaneous tenderness toward his chosen ones, but all this is but to stammer. Those, and those only, who experience it are the ones who know what it is, though even they can never fully comprehend it (3:19). They know, however, that it is unique, spontaneous, strong, sovereign, everlasting, and infinite." Hendriksen & Kistemaker, NTC

This mercy and love God has bestowed on us has both our good and his glory in view. Paul here describes what God has done for us - he has sovereignly reached into the grave and raised us to life, giving us both the ability and the desire to respond to spiritual truth. This new life in which we participate has its beginnings now as well as a future fullness we have yet to experience. We see elaborated how the power that raised Christ from the dead and is the same power at work in our salvation. It is "together with" Christ that we are made alive, raised up, and made to sit; absent union with Christ these actions do not occur.

"This does not mean merely that we are quickened as he was, that there is an analogy between his resurrection from the grave, and our spiritual resurrection; but the truth here taught is that in virtue of the union, covenant and vital, between Christ and his people, his death was their death, his life is their life, and his exaltation is theirs." Hodge

That a holy God would not only rescue helpless and undeserving sinners from just punishment but do so in union with his dearly-loved Son is incomprehensible. But consider why God bestowed his mercy and love on us - an even more astounding truth comes to light. The purpose for which he has made us alive, raised us up, and made us to sit together with Christ is that we should be eternal demonstrations of his mercy and love.

"Such was his love to those who were lost, that it would be an everlasting monument of his mercy, a perpetual and unchanging proof that he was good." Barnes

All of heaven for all of eternity will give glory to God because of the goodness he has shown to the saints in Christ Jesus. The word, hyperballon, is the same word used in 1:19 to describe the "exceeding greatness" of his power and in 2:7 to denote the "exceeding riches" of his grace.

"If the raising of Christ from [physical] death to sit at His own right hand is the supreme demonstration of God's power, the raising of the people of Christ from spiritual death to share Christ's place of exaltation is the supreme demonstration of his grace." F.F. Bruce, Ephesians

Again Paul emphasizes the graciousness of his salvation, the truth that we are saved by grace. God has freely demonstrated his "unmerited goodness or love ...to those who have forfeited it, and are by nature under a sentence of condemnation." Berkhof Systematic Theology No one twisted God's arm to force or coerce him into saving us, he has done it freely and without compulsion. He has bestowed a gift of infinite worth on those who have not only not merited it, they have in fact merited his wrath. It's not that in our relationship with God we start out neutral, we are at a deficit which we have no resources to change.

The instrumental means of our salvation is faith, true saving faith worked in us by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel, "whereby [we] hold for truth all that God has revealed to us in His Word ...also a hearty trust that to [us] also forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness, and salvation are freely given by God." Heidelberg Catechism, A. 21 This faith worked in us is both a gift from God and something we exercise ourselves once we have received it from him. The grace of faith is what God gives us, the exercise of faith is what flows out of that grace evidenced as fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Paul further reinforces the concept of grace in salvation by reminding his readers that they did nothing to accomplish their salvation; all of the credit belongs exclusively to God - remember verse 7. We have one thing alone in which to boast, and that is the cross of Christ Gal_6:14.
Paul clearly teaches that good works are by no means the ground of salvation but they are without fail the fruit of salvation. It is a given that the true Christian will show that he is such - after all he is God's "masterpiece" or workmanship. If God has made us a monument to his mercy, we will be recognizable as such, it will be obvious to those around us whose workmanship we are. A true craftsman leaves his signature on his work even if he never signs his name. The word order in the original is "his handiwork we are" making it emphatically clear who has made us what we are. We are God's "poem" (ποίημα), his workmanship for all the world to read.

Since we have been reconciled to God, not only has he removed our hostility, he has replaced it with a desire to do his will. God has already prepared things for us to do, ways for us to satisfy our desire to please him; even more wonderfully he has made us fit for those good works. Further, while works earn us no merit toward salvation, that does not make them unimportant. To the contrary, God has prepared specific works for us to do and has re-created us in order to do them.

Since God has done all this, we have a responsibility to follow through - good works are both a divine preparation and a human responsibility.

"All boasting is excluded" Dutch hymn, tr. by Charles Hodge:

Now all boasting is excluded,
Unearned bliss is now my own.
I, in God thus safely rooted,
Boast in sovereign grace alone.
Long before my mother bore me,
E’en before God’s mighty hand
Out of naught made sea and land,
His electing love watched o’er me.
God is love, O angel-voice,
Tongues of men, make him your choice.

This doctrine of good works, when accepted by faith, deprives man of every reason for boasting in self but also takes away from him every ground of despair. Even though we have our responsibility, it is God who has graciously saved us and is faithfully shaping and molding us into the image of his dear Son.

His Glorious Church

Ephesians 1:15-23

Remember the overarching theme of Ephesians:

God's eternal purpose is to gather into one the whole created universe by reconciling His creatures to Himself and to each other, a purpose He is working out through Christ in the church and ultimately to the praise of His glory.

What got Paul excited about the saints to whom he was writing? They had a reputation that had traveled at least 1200 miles from Ephesus to Rome - Paul, imprisoned in Rome, had heard of their belief and their behavior. The two are intimately and inextricably linked together - belief governs behavior; that is why the Apostle John could say "if we say that" 1Jo_1:6 1Jo_1:8 1Jo_1:10 then this is true about our behavior. The things that you actually hold to be true direct the choices you make. Paul had heard of their confessed belief in Jesus; he will elaborate more about the nature and origin of faith in the next chapter but it is sufficient here to recognize that faith is a fruit of God's electing grace described earlier in this chapter.

He had also heard that they demonstrated their belief in Jesus' Lordship by acting in love toward their brothers and sisters in Christ, "all the saints". Faith is only as worthwhile as its object; true saving faith is that which has as its object the Lord Jesus. Here are two essential characteristics of a true church of Christ, a fellowship of believers - love for Christ demonstrated by love for fellow man. Faith and love go together - if our faith in Christ is genuine, there will be a love for him, made obvious by our desire to spend time with him, his Word, and his people. The church should be characterized by love as defined by Paul in 1Co_13:4-7.

Faith and love are also two of the "Christian graces" or primary virtues that should be evident in the church in increasing measure as the body grows in maturity. If the body is to grow in maturity, both graces must increase in measure. E-mail quote:

"Thank you for your concern and your prayers. We trust the Lord is shaping and changing us in all this process. One thing we have learned is this: as we had been taught, we used to emphasize the LOVE and totally de-emphasize DOCTRINE. Then, we started to be Bereans and so much of the confusion disappeared, because the doctrine actually makes sense. Surprise! BUT, we think the Lord is trying to get it into our thick heads that neither love nor doctrine is much good without the other."

Looking down in the passage "hope", the third grace, isn't far away as Paul prays (v.18) that a full understanding of the believer's hope may be appropriated by the saints at Ephesus. They need to know their hope (which is in their calling into the church and a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus) and the power behind that hope which provides its guarantee so they can show it and share it.

How does Paul expect the saints to arrive at this level of maturity? It is through or by means of the ministry of the Holy Spirit and to that end he prays specifically:

1. that they will be given wisdom
2. that truth will be revealed
3. that they will increase in their knowledge of Jesus
4. that their minds would be "brightened up", illuminated
5. that they would perceive the nature and extent of three things:

• the hope to which God the Father had called them
• the glorious riches of God the Father's inheritance in them
• the incomparable greatness of God the Father's power demonstrated toward them

"[T]he great thing he prays for is the illumination of their understandings, and that their knowledge might increase and abound: he means it of a practical and experimental knowledge. The graces and comforts of the Spirit are communicated to the soul by the enlightening of the understanding. In this way he gains and keeps possession. Satan takes a contrary way: he gets possession by the senses and passions, Christ by the understanding." Matthew Henry

Frederick Fyvie Bruce, 20th century Scottish theologian, in his commentary on Ephesians says this:

"Knowledge without wisdom can be a menace; wisdom is that insight into the nature of things, that sense of what is fitting, which enables one to co-ordinate and use one's knowledge aright. Men who know many things are all around us; men of siritual wisdom are so rare that they are worth far more than their weight in gold. But the knowledge of which the apostle speaks is not primarily a knowledge of things or facts; it is the personal knowledge of God."

As Paul rises on the wings of his prayer to heaven and the presence of God himself, he prays that "they may truly know what it meas to be called, that they may really know how rich they are, and how much power was demonstrated toward saving them in saving their souls" Gene Getz, Sharpening the Focus of the Church

"He prays for God to enlighten them about the magnificent truths of election, predestination, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, wisdom and insight, inheritance, and sealing and pledge of the Holy Spirit about which he has just been instructing them." John MacArthur, Ephesians It is on the basis of this understanding that the Christian develops a proper self-image, understanding who he really is in Christ. The richness of our inheritance is that joint-inheritance with Christ of all that God possesses. Accompanying that is the pleasure and glory that God receives when we, his possession, display to all the universe his incomparable wisdom and power demonstrated in our salvation.

What does it take to save us and provide us with that sort of inheritance? the surpassing greatness of the dunameos toward us who believe (not unbelievers, but the elect) according to the energeian of the power (kratous) of his might (ischuos) which he energesen in Christ. And here we see the usually eloquent apostle Paul failing for words to adequately express the magnificent grandeur of what God has accomplished in the salvation of his people.

These various synonyms do have slightly different shades of meaning -

dunamis - inherent power, achieving power or ability
energeia - power being exercised, power at work
kratous - power associated with the Creator
ischus - physical power or strength

They all refer to the power that God has exercised toward us and in us to bring about our initial regeneration and subsequent sanctification and glorification - the complete process of salvation, that which is guaranteed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. This is the same power that God exercised when he brought Jesus out of the grave and "ascended him" - raised him from the dead and raised him ultimately to the place of honor at his own right hand; the power that elevated Jesus from the most profound humiliation possible, that of the grave, to the unimaginably glorious exaltation begun yet still to be fully consummated at the end of time.

Paul here turns our attention back to Christ and the place of honor to which God the Father has appointed him. Christ shares the Father's authority as his co-equal, as the WSC states in the answer to "Question 6 How many persons are there in the Godhead? A. There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory."

Jesus referred to this authority before his ascension when he said "All authority has been givn to me in heaven and on earth." In the place of rulership at the Father's right hand he exercises sovereignty over the entire universe, a right and exercise of power that is so far above all other authorities and powers that there is no comparison between them. There is also no conceivable way for a mere mortal to "leap the gap" between earthly position present in either this or the future world and assume the authority that belongs to Christ alone.

The Orb is a hollow gold sphere weighing 42 ounces and about 16.5 cm (6.5 in.) in diameter. Around the centre is a band of pearls and gemstones. There is a similar half-band running across the top half of the Orb. Atop the Orb is an amethyst surmounted by a Cross. The Orb is a religious symbol; it represents the Monarch's role as Defender of the Faith and as Head of the Church of England. Wikipedia

At the coronation of Queen Elisabeth II on June 2, 1953 "the Orb with the Cross [was] brought from the Altar by the Dean of Westminster and delivered into the Queen's right hand by the Archbishop [of Canterbury], saying: Receive this Orb set under the Cross, and remember that the whole world is subject to the Power and Empire of Christ our Redeemer. " Even as Defender of the Faith the Queen of England is subject along with the whole world to the authority of Christ.

Christ is not only exalted above all creatures, but he has dominion over them; all are placed in absolute subjection to him. He, the exalted Saviour, the incarnate Son of God, seated as head of the universe, is made head of his church. All things are placed under his feet, and he head over all things, is head of the church. Charles Hodge, Ephesians

This concept of God the Father giving Christ to the church as her head is in the context of supreme authority. Christ is the monarch, the King of all kings, the King of the church. As the sovereign, it is his duty, his role to defend and protect his domain against all enemies. Christ, then, is exercising his authority for the purpose of completing the defeat of all his foes and continually defending and protecting his subjects from harm. He is ruling, exercising his authority not only over us but also on our behalf.

It is the power and authority of Christ as the King and head of the church that both secures and enables her to be victorious over her foes. Remember again the theme of Ephesians and how the structure of Ephesians corresponds to the Great Commission - making and mentoring disciples, evangelism (ch. 1-3) and edification (ch.4-6), doctrine and application. Christ's purpose is not to destroy his foes but to defeat them; that may result in their destruction. But it very well may result in their conversion from enemies into allies, from foes into friends. His power is just as able to bring rebellious sinners into the kingdom as it is to keep them at bay.

Since He has such a unique and intimate relationship with the redeemed whom He loves, all His power will be used in their behalf to fulfill His loving purpose for them. He is completely over us and completely in us, our supreme Lord and supreme power. MacArthur

The sense in which Christ is the head of the church, is that he is the source of its life, its supreme ruler, ever present with it, sympathizing with it, and loving it as a man loves his own flesh. Intimate union, dependence, and community of life, are the main ideas expressed by this figure. Charles Hodge, Ephesians

What does it mean that the church is the fullness of him who fills all things in every way? The church is the complement of Christ, the body that brings glory to the head. Christ gives all his fullness to the church but in some way known fully only by God the church is the fullness of him.

“This is the highest honor of the church that until He is united to us, the Son of God reckons Himself in some measure incomplete. What consolation it is for us to learn that not until we are in His presence does He possess all His parts, nor does He wish to be regarded as complete.” John Calvin

Since Christ considers himself complete only when he is united to us in his consummation, we can be certain that he will bring about our ultimate glorification and union with him. He is presently exercising his power and authority to that end.

In the New Testament Christ is set forth as creating, sustaining, and pervading the universe. This, therefore, determines the sense in which he is here said to fill all things. It is not that he replenishes all his people with his grace; but that he fills heaven and earth with his presence. There is no place where he is not. There is no creature from which he is absent. By him all things consist; they are upheld by his presence in them and with them. The union, therefore, which the church sustains, and which is the source of its life and blessedness, is not with a mere creature, but with Christ, God manifested in the flesh, who pervades and governs all things by his omnipresent power. The source of life, therefore, to the church is inexhaustible and immortal. Hodge

To the Praise of His Glorious Grace - Part 2

Remember the overarching theme of Ephesians:

God's eternal purpose is to gather into one the whole created universe by reconciling His creatures to Himself and to each other, a purpose He is working out through Christ in the church and ultimately to the praise of His glory.

In verse 3 our attention is first directed to the God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus - He is to be praised because of who he is, because of his unsurpassed goodness.

Here we have in one sentence the grace of God in salvation built up like layers on a snowball. It naturally divides into three sections: v. 3-6a, v. 6b-12, v.13-14, each one ending with the phrase "to the praise of His glorious grace" or "to the praise of his glory". The first section describes the past aspect of our salvation and our election by God the Father; the second addresses the present aspect and our redemption by God the Son; the last foretells the future aspect of our inheritance guaranteed by the downpayment of the Holy Spirit.

1. Our blessings in Christ

Here we have the incredible truth presented to us that "God [has given] us through Christ every possible spiritual benefit as citizens of Heaven!" Phillips The blessings with which God has blessed us in Christ, although their fulness is reserved for heaven, begin for us experientially in this life. They are "spiritual", that is, they come to us by the ministry of the Holy Spirit and are rooted in Christ. Matthew Poole (17th century English Non-Conformist) renders verse 3 this way: "Blessed be God, ...who has blessed us with all blessings of the Spirit".

The believer's true sense of identity is all tied up in Christ; without Him there is no meaning, no purpose to life, no future. If we are not in Christ, we are no more than a large collection of cells whose only use is to provide (hopefully) biological material to form the basis for the next advancement in evolutionary progress. Apart from Christ we are nothing and we can do nothing. Remember what Jesus used for a visual aid with his disciples - Joh_15:5-8
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."

2. The work of the Father

In verse 4 Paul begins to enumerate the blessings which God the Father has given us in Christ:

• the Father's election v.4
• holiness
• blamelessness
• a destiny v.5
• adoption
• acceptance in Christ v.6
• redemption v.7
• forgiveness
• wisdom v.8
• prudence/insight
• knowledge of his purpose v.9
• restoration and oneness in Christ v.10
• an inheritance v.11
• instruments of praise v.12
• faith v.13
• salvation
• seal

Oh what wonder that God chose us, that is, selected us for himself, plucking us out of the mass of humanity condemned by sin to an eternity of alienation from him. Paul only makes the statement, he doesn't try to explain the mechanics of God's choosing, opting instead to fall in adoration at His feet.

Notice:

• who chose: God
• whom he chose: us
• how he chose us: in Christ (on the basis of a relationship)
• when he chose us: before the foundations of the world were laid
• to what he chose us: a life of purity (the goal, not the basis of his choosing)

Regardless of which clause the "in love" is attached to, the principle is that what the Father has done on our behalf he has done in love; whether he chose us in love or predestinated us in love, his action toward us in regard to our eternal future was purposed and implemented in love. It is a love that graces those who don't deserve grace, that is selective and yet all-encompassing - ho, everyone that is thisrty; come to me all who labor; whoever comes to me I will in no wise cast out. We must remember when we consider and converse about these majestic doctrines of grace that they are just that, doctrines of GRACE; we must be gracious in our thinking, our conversation, our explanation and our application of these truths.

Next we have the explanation of what it means to be chosen: to have our destiny determined or ordained for us, sovereignly appointed to adoption as children of God on the basis of the atoning work of Christ on our behalf. Before anything other than God and his thoughts existed, we were in those thoughts and our days and ends all orchestrated. Freely and lovingly chosen to be part of God's family, children and not servants, having the same inheritance as his only son.
Paul tells us in Rom_8:16-17 that we are children of God, that means heirs of God, which also means joint-heirs with Christ. Christ receives the "double portion" as the eldest, but we still have an inheritance - His inheritance!

"Christ’s riches are our riches, His resources are 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: what He is we are. His possession is our possession: what He has, we have. His practice is our practice: what He does, we do." MacArthur

The ultimate cause of all this is the good pleasure of God, the kindness of his sovereignly independent and elective choice, and for the purpose that we would give praise to the glory of his grace.

"The ultimate aim throughout the divine plan of redemption is that the recognition of God's merciful dealings with men, which are his glory, should evoke unlimited praise. The grace that evokes such praise finds its richest outlet in God's love-gift to man--his Son." Expositors Commentary

The idea of the richness, fullness, abundance, of God’s grace is prominent throughout the Epistle. God desires to draw attention, not only to this attribute, but to the boundlessness of it — thus to draw the love and confidence of his creatures to himself and inspire them with the desire to imitate him wherein he abounded toward us in the Beloved. Pulpit Commentary

3. The work of the Son

Although the emphasis shifts somewhat in 6b-7a from the work of the Father to that of the Son, it is not an exclusive focus. We must remember that it is God who is the Mover in this 202-word sentence; God has one purpose, God-in-three-persons has one purpose, one goal, one means of accomplishing His purpose. God is not divided against himself, God in and through each person is united in our salvation.

Our acceptance is in Christ, that is, on the basis of what Christ and he alone has accomplished, purchased, done, that we are graced with favor in God's sight. It is because we have been redeemed and forgiven that God can view us as acceptable - in and of ourselves we are not acceptable but in Christ we are.

In redemption Jesus paid a ransom to deliver us from the curse of God's judgment against sin. He did NOT buy us back from Satan; Satan owns nothing but is subject to his Creator just like the rest of us - see Job 1 &2. Jesus freed us by paying off the charge God the Father had against us because of our sin. Our forgiveness is not a "winking" by God at our shortcomings, it is God treating us as though we had not committed them: "their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Heb_8:12

What is the extent of our redemption and forgiveness? It is "according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us." NET The standard established by his grace determines the measure of his forgiveness. That grace has overflowed to us "in the form of" wisdom and insight, "God has graciously shared his plans and purposes with us. His desire is that we should have intelligence and insight into his plans for the church and for the universe. And so he has taken us into his confidence, as it were, and has revealed to us the great goal toward which all history is moving. Believers' Bible Commentary

In the two terms, wisdom and insight, we can see the two principles of our Confession's doctrine of Scripture - "The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience" - wisdom to comprehend the things of God, insight to know how to apply the things of God to daily living. The first three chapters of Ephesians deal with the "things of God", doctrine concerning the church and her place in God's eternal purpose; the second three chapters deal with the application of those truths in the life of the church, corporately and individually.

God has made known to us his purpose which had been at least partially hidden up until the time of the apostles. This is a "purpose which he cherished for himself in him", the "main thing" God has in his mind, to bring all things together in unity under the headship of Christ. This is a process begun with Christ's coronation and will continue until its final consummation at the end of this age.

If we are to have any future at all, any inheritance, it is to be found in Christ and Him alone. Jesus is the natural heir, the first-born who inherits the blessing and the estate. If we are "in Christ" then we also inherit the same things - Rom_8:16-17 if we are children then we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. That has already been determined as part of our destiny by God, which destiny came about according solely to His purpose. This principle that our future is determined on the basis of God's choice and not ours is further reinforced by the declaration that God is sovereign - working all things according to His plan. Don't forget that this was a plan he "cherished", it is a plan carried out in love for his people.

Our predestination and thus our salvation has as a major end God's glory - the blessings lavished on us (that's where Paul started the sentence) derive solely from God and it is only right and proper that he receive the exclusive glory and credit for those blessings. The credit for every aspect of our salvation belongs solely to God. True, God uses means, the preaching of the Gospel, to bring people to faith in Christ, but it is God using the means and not the means themselves that accomplish the outcome.

4. The work of the Spirit

The Holy Spirit is God's stamp on us that we are the genuine article, that we are his possession. God doesn't leave us wondering about our future, about our status "in Christ" - He immediately grants us that mark of ownership, making it obvious not only to us but also to all around us that we are no longer autonomous.

The seal Darius put on the lions' den, the seal on Jesus' tomb secured the contents of those places with all the authority of the one to whom the seal belonged. A seal placed on a product guarantees its authenticity, that it meets a particular standard. The Holy Spirit is the seal guaranteeing our security in Christ, is the evidence that declares our authenticity as citizens in the kingdom of God - it's like the difference between a passport and a driver's license.
If we wear the seal well, it will be an accurate evidence of our status as ambassadors for Christ, proclaiming his message to a watching world. When we faithfully declare the message of our Sovereign, it carries the weight of the Sovereign and not merely that of the messenger, especially when the message carries His seal.

Perhaps most wonderful, though, is the work of the Holy Spirit as the earnest or pledge or guarantee of our inheritance. He is "that pays a part of the purchase price in advance, and so secures a legal claim to the article in question" Arndt & Gingrich, the earnest money deposit guaranteeing full payment. Even more wonderful is to consider this work of the Holy Spirit as the engagement ring whereby the future bridegroom pledges his fidelity and intention to unite with the bride forever.

It is that event which will accomplish the full "redemption of the purchased possession", when we are completely - body and soul - redeemed from sin and death. Again, it is all to the praise of God's glory.

Preached 08.27.06

To the Praise of His Glorious Grace - Part 1

Ephesians 1:1-14

In verse 1a we have

1. the identity of the author - Paul
2. the nature of his office - apostle
3. the source of his authority - Jesus Christ
4. the instrumental cause of his apostleship - the will (purpose and choice) of God

What does it mean to be an apostle?

One who was an eyewitness of the resurrection Act_1:22 (or the risen Christ) personally (directly and independently, apart from any mediation; F . F. Bruce) commissioned by Christ Gal_1:1 and given authority to govern the early church 1Th_4:8 2Th_3:14 and to write and teach authoritatively 1Co_14:36-37

2Co_10:8-11 Paul claims authority from God for both writing and speaking ministry
Wm. Hendriksen in his commentary on Ephesians says: "What he writes is in very fact the product of his own meditation and reflection. It is both a spontaneous utterance of his heart and a careful composition of his mind. The gold that pours forth from his heart has been molded into definite and (one may even say) artistic shape by his mind. But this heart and this mind are so thoroughly Spirit-controlled that the ideas expressed and the very words by means of which they are conveyed are also (in a sense, were first of all) the ideas and the words of the Holy Spirit. Hence, the word of Paul is the Word of God. Ephesians, as well as the rest of Scripture, is God-breathed."

How could Paul make these outrageous claims?

Luk_10:16 Basis of apostolic authority as stated by Christ himself
His only claim on the church at Ephesus, their attention and obedience to his instruction, had nothing to do with his personal qualifications. It had everything to do with the authority of the one who had commissioned Paul by his own volition Eph_1:1

He did not call himself to ministry, not a "Lone Ranger", acting rather on the call of Christ he had received and affirmed by the apostles (James, Peter and John) at the church in Jerusalem Gal_2:9 just as other men are called/affirmed in ministry. It is Christ who gave men to the church Eph_4:11 to carry out various ministry tasks within the local assembly.

Next, we are informed of who the intended original readers were of this letter - saints and faithful in Christ Jesus

Saints - holy ones, set apart or consecrated for sacred use; which begs the question, who set them apart? Who decided they were holy? And on what basis? It was God who did so on the basis of the righteousness of Christ imputed to them. Thus it is God who makes us holy by freely and graciously giving something we could never acquire or achieve by our own efforts.

Faithful - those who were firm in their faith in Christ, those who had a profession of faith that was corroborated by a life of holiness. As we make our way through Ephesians we will see that although this is the evidence of "sainthood" that men can observe, it, too, is something which we can only achieve because of the gifts of God's grace, strength and Spirit.

in Christ Jesus - Rom_8:1 those who are united with Christ, joined to him, traveling with him or as Paul says in Rom_8:4 walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, one whose life is characterized by the fruit of the Spirit - "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."

Having been made to understand the sender of the letter and its intended recipients, we come next to the salutation:

Grace and peace to you - Barnes on Romans 1:7 - "an ardent wish that all the mercies and favors of God for time and eternity, blended under the general name grace, may be conferred on them. It is to be understood as connected with a word implying invocation. I pray, or I desire, that grace, etc. may be conferred on you. " Also - "A prayer for peace, therefore, in the epistles, is not a mere formal salutation, but has a special reference to those “spiritual” blessings which result from reconciliation with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gill on Romans 1:7 - "by "peace" is meant, peace with God through Christ; peace in their own consciences, and with one another; all manner of prosperity inward and outward here, and eternal happiness hereafter."
Matthew Henry on Ephesians 1:2 - "By grace we are to understand the free and undeserved love and favour of God, and those graces of the Spirit which proceed from it; by peace all other blessings, spiritual and temporal, the fruits and product of the former. No peace without grace. No peace, nor grace, but from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. These peculiar blessings proceed from God, not as a Creator, but as a Father by special relation: and they come from our Lord Jesus Christ, who, having purchased them for his people, has a right to bestow them upon them. "
John MacArthur says, "Grace is the fountain of which peace is the stream. Because we have grace from God we have peace with God and the peace of God, 'which surpasses all comprehension'".

Paul here expresses his prayer that his readers would experience specific blessings from God - blessings reserved for a specific class of people, saints, and showered on them in the context of a specific relationship, that of a Father to his children. What follows is an exposition of those blessings and how they come to be ours.

Eph 1:3-14 (YLT) Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who did bless us in every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, according as He did choose us in him before the foundation of the world, for our being holy and unblemished before Him, in love, having foreordained us to the adoption of sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, in which He did make us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have the redemption through his blood, the remission of the trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, in which He did abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the secret of His will, according to His good pleasure, that He purposed in Himself, in regard to the dispensation of the fullness of the times, to bring into one the whole in the Christ, both the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth--in him; in whom also we did obtain an inheritance, being foreordained according to the purpose of Him who is working all things according to the counsel of His will, for our being to the praise of His glory, even those who did first hope in the Christ, in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth--the good news of your salvation--in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise, which is an earnest of our inheritance, to the redemption of the acquired possession, to the praise of His glory.

Hendriksen says: "The sentence begun by “Blessed (be)” rolls on like a snowball tumbling down a hill, picking up volume as it descends. Its 202 words, and the many modifiers which they form, arranged like shingles on a roof or like steps on a stairway, are like prancing steeds pouring forward with impetuous speed. Says John Calvin, “The lofty terms in which he [Paul] extols the grace of God toward the Ephesians, are intended to rouse their hearts to gratitude, to set them all on flame, to fill them even to overflowing with this disposition.” Paul’s “heart aflame” is bent on setting other hearts aflame also, with sincere, humble, overflowing praise to “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Here we have in one sentence the grace of God in salvation built up like layers on a snowball. It naturally divides into three sections: v. 3-6a, v. 6b-12, v.13-14, each one ending with the phrase "to the praise of His glorious grace" or "to the praise of his glory". The first section describes the past aspect of our salvation and our election by God the Father; the second addresses the present aspect and our redemption by God the Son; the last foretells the future aspect of our inheritance guaranteed by the downpayment of the Holy Spirit.

Eph 1:3 blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ
Eph 1:4 He chose us in Him [Christ]
Eph 1:5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ
Eph 1:6 He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Eph 1:7 we have redemption through His blood
Eph 1:10 that He might gather together in one all things in Christ - in Him.
Eph 1:12 that we who first trusted in Christ
Eph 1:13 In Him you also trusted, ...in whom also you were sealed

It's plain that God's plan as described here by Paul has somewhat to do with Christ. In fact, Paul plainly declares at the pinnacle of his thought in verses 10 & 11 that "God has allowed us to know the secret of his plan, and it is this: 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 fulfillment in him." J. B. Phillips

When a column of figures was added up, the total was placed at the top. At the end of the age everything will be seen to add up to Christ. This recognition of his preeminence will ensure that the original harmony of the universe is restored (Rom 8:18-21). The mission of Christ extends beyond the human race and assumes cosmic dimensions. Expositor's Commentary

"While in the universe at large there are still unreconciled powers affronting the sovereignty of God, the ultimate issue is certain - God has determined to "sum up all things in Christ". ...History and experience witness to the reconciling power of Christ in the creation of that supernatural society in which warring sections of the human race are perfectly reconciled into a whole of harmoniously functioning parts - the church. He [Paul] saw that the reconciliation was not accomplished by any kind of compromise between the diverse parties, but by a divine act creating out of both one new humanity." C. H. Dodd

This process of "bring[ing] all things together under one head in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth". Hendriksen began in earnest with the enthronement of Christ following his Ascension. It will reach its conclusion at the consummation, when this age comes to an end and Christ returns for his Bride and to judge the world.

"The corporate life of the church is a perpetual manifestation of Christ as the Fulfiller of the purpose of God. Christ's work will not be done until the whole universe is one in him, to the glory of God." Dodd

As Paul begins his exposition in verse 3, he begins with God who remains the moving force behind every action described in the sentence which concludes in verse 14. God who is the Father of our elder brother, and by virtue of our union with Christ is our Father as well, is the object of our attention, our praise, and our thanksgiving. Paul makes no mention here of man's desirability or worth as beneficiaries of God's blessing, nor does he make a case for man's efforts earning some sort of reward from God. Rather, it is "to the praise of His glory, His glorious grace" - when we consider the incredible awesome blessings God has poured out on us we should be totally blown away by the splendor, the majesty, the magnificence, the excellence of God and the unearned favor he has lavished on us.

How often do we consider the goodness of God? We sing the little chorus, God Is So Good, we know the tune and all the verses, but do we have a real handle on God's goodness and how abundantly we experience that every hour of every day? Clean, fresh water; fresh air; freedom to worship; bees to pollinate flowers to produce fruits and vegetables; funny little caterpillars that turn into beautiful butterflies; jobs, homes, eternal life, one another - the list, the details of God's goodness to us are endless.

Paul said, Look up, consider the spiritual blessings, those things we can't see or taste or touch or smell, blessings without limit, every spiritual blessing in Christ; some are bestowed on us now, in this life; others are held in reserve or in trust for us to experience later in heaven. Remember what John Calvin said about the proper response to grace? Coming face-to-face with the abundant richness of our Heavenly Father's grace and our absolute dependence on it should stir us to praise, to give God the glory for what we have and what we are.

Preached 08.20.06

God's Eternal Purpose - Intro to Ephesians

• 1st Missionary Journey w/Barnabas & John Mark - 47 AD - 48 AD
• Jerusalem Council
• 2nd Missionary Journey wSilas - fall 49 AD - spring 53 AD
• 3rd Missionary Journey - fall 53 AD - spring 57 AD
• 1st Imprisonment in Caesarea - spring 57 AD (immediately following Pentecost, 50 days after Passover) - 59 AD
• Journey (incl. shipwreck) and 1st Imprisonment in Rome - 59 AD - 62 AD
• Further missionary work
• 2nd Imprisonment in Rome - 66 AD - 67 AD

Saul was converted sometime around 34-36 AD at about the age of 30+. He went to Arabia for approx. 3 years (Gal 1:17-18), then spent time in Damascus, Jerusalem and Tarsus. Barnabas went to Tarsus, found Saul and brought him back to Antioch where they taught for a whole year (Acts 11:25-26) 46-47 AD.

Paul's 1st journey with Barnabas accompanied by John Mark began after they (Paul and Barnabas) were "set apart" with prayer, fasting and laying on of hands (13:1-3) sometime during 47 AD. Relatively short journey (13:4-14:28), about a year long, through Cyprus and S. Turkey - 1200 miles approx, equally divided between land and sea. Preached the length of Cyprus, then churches established, encouraged on return journey, in Perga, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. Returned to Antioch and gave report to the sending church.

Antioch church sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem (15:1-34) to the council meeting addressing issue of circumcision. Carried the circular letter back to Antioch (about 600 mile round trip). Divided over issue of taking John Mark (15:36-41); Barnabas took Mark and went to Cyprus, Paul chose Silas and departed on his 2nd journey in the fall of 49 AD going first to Derbe and Lystra where Timothy joined them and still carrying the circular letter (16:4).

Continued to Iconium and Antioch, then to Troas where the Holy Spirit through a vision instructed them to go west instead of east (16:6-10). Traveled through southern Macedonia, stopped at Philippi where Lydia was completely converted (16:11-15) and Paul and Silas were jailed (16:16-34). Went to Thessalonica where they paused for three weeks (17:2), to Berea (17:10-15).

Paul went on alone Athens for personal safety reasons (17:13-14), waited there for Silas and Timothy to rejoin him (17:16). After address to Areopagus (17:22-34) he went on to Corinth where Silas and Timothy rejoined him (18:5) and they stopped 18 months (Acts 18:11) teaching. Brought before the proconsul, Gallio, charged with teaching heresy. Released, stayed "a good while longer" (18:18), then sailed for Caesarea by way of Ephesus (18:19 & 22). Paul only stayed a short itme in Ephesus, declined to linger when requested by Jews there, wanting to reach Jerusalem by spring of 53 AD for the feast (18:21).

Paul was accompanied by Aquila and Priscilla (18:18); Aquila a native of Pontus (NE Turkey, along Black Sea). Had immigrated to Rome along with wife but forced to flee during Claudius' persecution of Jews shortly before his death (poisoned by his fourth wife!). Aquila and Priscilla taught "personally" by Paul in the off-hours from their trade.

Apollos, a Jew from Alexandria, Egypt arrived in Ephesus and began teaching (18:24-25). He was eloquent, persuasive, zealous to teach, learned in doctrine but lacking in the "latest developments", and techable. Aquila and Priscilla furthered his instruction (18:26); spent enough time at Ephesus that the church there commended him by letter to Corinth (18:27-28).
Paul's 3rd journey began in fall of 53 AD; we don't know if he had a constant traveling companion, Titus was along for part of it and perhaps Timothy as well. He returned to churches of Asia Minor, encouraging and teaching following the same route as previously except he went from Antioch to Ephesus rather than Troas. He found 12 men there, disciples seemingly in a similar place to Apollos and not having heard much more than John Baptist's testimony to Jesus as Messiah. Beginning with them Paul began a 2+ year ministry in Ephesus, 3 months in synagogue and balance "after hours" at Tyrannus' lecture hall - early 54 AD to 56 AD.

What was Ephesus like?

Founded in 11th century BC, was capital of province of Asia from 27 BC to 297 AD. Chief tourist attraction - Temple of Diana, one of Seven Wonders of Ancient World, funded by Croesus (king of Lydia, capital was Sardis) and completed in 560 BC, destroyed 356 BC and rebuilt. 200' x 400', 128 columns 60' tall, thought to be largest building in existence and completely overshadowing other wonders by its magnificence and opulence.

Other sights - Library with nearly 12,000 scrolls, theater with seating for 25,000, marketplace surrounded by stoas (covered sidewalks), a great number of baths and gymnasiums. Population estimated 400,000-500,000 at end of 1st century.

Ephesus at intersection of major trade routes - by land into Asia, by sea to rest of world, world-class harbor accessible to largest ships. Temple of Diana (Artemis) served as museum to display statues and paintings of great artists, also because of strength of structure used as a bank. Temple was significant religious, financial and cultural center.

Ephesians also worshipped Cybele, "Mother Earth", aka Gaia; practiced much syncretism in religion carrying elements of earth-worship over into that of Artemis. Diana (Roman) Artemis (Greek) goddess of wild animals & hunt, fertility, twin sister of Apollo.

According to Charles Hodge, "One of the most lucrative occupations of the people was the manufacture of miniature representations of the temple, wrought in silver, which being carried about by travellers, or reverenced at home, found an extensive sale, both foreign and domestic."
Under Paul's ministry Ephesus experienced great outpouring of the Holy Spirit's power - speaking in tongues and prophesying by the "elders" (19:6), healing miracles by Paul (19:11-12), great repentance and revival (19:18-20). Again, according to Hodge, "[i]t appears from this, and from the subsequent account given by the sacred historian, that the effects of Paul’s preaching in Ephesus, were:

• The conversion of a great number of the Jews and Greeks.
• The diffusion of the knowledge of the Gospel throughout proconsular Asia.
• Such an influence on the popular mind, that certain exorcists attempted to work miracles in the name of that Jesus, whom Paul’s preaching had proved to be so powerful; and that other magicians, convinced of the folly and wickedness of their arts, made public confession, and burnt their books of divination and mystic charms.
• Such a marked diminution of the zeal and numbers of the worshippers of Diana, as to excite general alarm that her temple would be despised.
  
• A large and flourishing church was there established."
  

It appears that the seven churches of Revelation could have resulted from Paul's efforts in Ephesus as evidenced by Acts 19:26. Caused riot among silversmith guild and populace. Christian church became influential enough that when Temple of Artemis was destroyed in 262, it was never rebuilt. Also, Ephesus location of ecumenical church council in 431 AD, confirmed Nicene Creed and stand against Pelagianism, refuted Nestorianism which denied hypostatic union and taught two separate (divine and human) persons in Christ.

Paul left Ephesus for Troas, Macedonia and Achaia, returning to Miletus in Spring, 57 AD on his way to Jerusalem. Summoned Ephesian elders, bid them farewell, warned against false teachers who would take advantage of his absence - some from within, others from outside the church - who would try to divide the flock, stealing followers for themselves. That the warning was justified seems confirmed by Revelation 2 where the church is commended for not tolerating evil but were discerning in exposing false teachers.

On Paul's return to Jerusalem he was arrested, sent to Caesarea for safe keeping where he stayed for two years under a sort of house arrest (24:23), then sent finally by Agrippa to Rome on account of Paul's appeal to Caesar. It was from prison in Rome 60-62 AD that Paul wrote Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon and Philippians.

Particular characteristics - no obvious controversy needing to be addressed. Mmuch less personal - salutation and benediction do not have same intimate touch of letters directed to specific places & people. Perhaps (but not necessarily) intended as a "circular letter" with several churches in mind.

"If our interpretation of the circumstances, composition and destination of Ephesians be right, we are now in a position to look beneath the surface and ask why the apostle wrote it. To understand its central theme we must remember that Paul, the prisoner of the Lord, is writing in the calm of his imprisonment, far from the noise and turmoil, the conflict and strife, that marked his earlier life. He is now able to look out on the church and get a view of it in its wholeness, to see the part it is to play in God's scheme for the restoration of the human race, to see God's purpose in it and for it and its relation to Him. With this stand-point he can write to the churches about Ephesus on the occasion of Tychicus' return to Colosse, not to correct false views on some special point, but to emphasize the great central truth which he had put in the very forefront of his letter. God's eternal purpose is to gather into one the whole created universe, to restore harmony among His creatures and between them and Himself. [Some hints of this are present in Romans 8:18-21, written in 57 AD at the end of his 3rd journey. The idea was fleshed out further in Ephesians written 4 years later. Ed.] The apostle's whole prayer is for this end, his whole effort and desire is toward this goal: that they may have full, clear knowledge of this purpose of God which He is working out through Christ Jesus, who is the head of the church, the very fullness of Him who is being fulfilled all over the world. Everything, for the apostle, as he looks forth upon the empire, centers in the purpose of God. The discord between the elements in the church, the distinction between Jew and Gentile , all these must yield to that greater purpose. The vision is of a great oneness in Christ and through Him in God, a oneness of birth and faith and life and love, as men, touched with the fire of that Divine purpose, seek to fulfil, each in himself, the part that God has given him to play in the world, and, fighting against the foes of God, to overcome at last.

It is a noble purpose to set before men this great mystery of the church as God's means by which, in Christ, He may restore all men to union with Himself. It is an impossible vision except to one who, as Paul was at the time, is in a situation where the strife and turmoil of outside life can enter but little, but a situation where he can look out with a calm vision and, in the midst of the world's discord, discern what God is accomplishing among men.

This teaching about God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is no abstract theorizing. It is all intensely practical, having at its heart the purpose of God from the ages, which, as we saw above, is to restore again the unity of all things in Him (Eph_1:9, Eph_1:10); to heal the breach between man and God (Eph_2:16, Eph_2:17); to break down the separation between Jew and Gentile , and to abolish the enmity not only between them, but between them and God. This purpose of God is to be accomplished in a visible society, the one church, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph_2:20), of which Jesus Christ is the head of the corner, into which men are to be admitted by holy baptism, where they own one Lord, hold to one faith, in one God and Father of all who is above all and through all (Eph_4:4-7).

The teaching as to the church is one of the most striking elements of the epistle. In the first place we have the absolute use of the term, which has been already discussed. The apostle sees the whole Christian community throughout the world bound together into a unity, one fellowship, one body. He has risen to a higher vision than man had ever had before. But there is a further teaching in the epistle. Not only is the church throughout the world one body, but it is the body of Christ who is its Head (Eph_1:21 f). He has, as Lightfoot suggests, the same relation to the church which in Eph_1:10 He has to the universe. He is its Head, “the inspiring, ruling, guiding, combining, sustaining power, the mainspring of its activity, the center of its unity, and the seat of its life.” But the relation is still closer. If, as the evidence adduced would necessitate, one accepts J. Armitage Robinson's explanation of ple¯´ro¯ma, as that without which a thing is incomplete (Eph, 255 f), then the church, in some wonderful mystery, is the complement of Christ, apart from which He Himself, as the Christ, lacks fullness. We are needed by Him, that so He may become all in all. He, the Head of restored humanity, the Second Adam, needs His church, to fulfill the unity which He came upon earth to accomplish (compare Stone, Christian Church, 85, 86). Charles Smith Lewis, Professor of NT, Western Theological Seminary

Stated succinctly: God's eternal purpose is to gather into one the whole created universe by reconciling His creatures to Himself and to each other, a purpose He is working out through Christ in the church and ultimately to the praise of His glory.

Preached 08.13.06