Ephesians - Recapitulation

The Centrality of Christ ...for the Individual
Ephesians 1:1-2:10

Read 1 Peter 2:1-10

Peter begins with the individual coming to Christ - there is debate over whether this is the initial coming in faith or if it is descriptive of the ongoing relationship between Christ and a faithful follower. Probably, since that statement follows 1Pe_2:3 , "you have tasted that the Lord is good", it is the latter that is in view here. But don't lose sight of the truth that it is the "living stone" 1Pe_2:4, the "cornerstone chosen and precious" 1Pe_2:6 to whom they are coming.

But Peter's focus shifts rapidly from individual to corporate experience as he describes what Christ "does" with the ones who come to him - builds them "up as a spiritual house" 1Pe_2:5. Individual living stones are laid up one on another on top of the footing consisting of the apostles and prophets; the final stone that completes the building joining all together is the cornerstone, Christ. The goal in our salvation was never solely limited to the individual; God has always had the entire building, the covenant community, the body of believers in view.

This should be no surprise - we are, after all, created in God's image which implies a relationship of some kind between Creator and creation. This concept is further enhanced by the very nature of the Godhead - relational - unity in trinity and perfect fellowship. Being in the image of God means we are relational creatures, designed to fellowship vertically and horizontally. Obviously sin has profoundly compromised our ability to have properly functioning relationships but God purposed through the means of salvation to remedy that. The first relationship that is restored is that with God Himself, then our relationship with fellow-believers. You almost get the idea that Jesus could have said ""Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength" so that you will "love your neighbor as yourself".

So what does that have to do with Paul's letter to the Ephesians? From Eph 1:1 to 2:10 Paul describes the individual aspect of our salvation by grace; from 2:11 to 3:21 he deals with the corporate aspect of our salvation. Throughout the three chapters, he repeatedly emphasizes the theme that all of this centers on Christ: in Christ, in him, through Jesus Christ, in the Beloved, with Christ are the phrases we hear again and again.

The centrality of Christ in our salvation and in God's ultimate purpose is unmistakable. John Piper has stated that the first question of the WSC can with little modification apply to God.

Q. What is the chief end of God?

A. The chief end of God is to glorify Himself and enjoy Himself forever.

Would it be improper to answer that the "chief end of God is to glorify Himself in Christ and enjoy Himself forever"? Eph_3:21 Is it any surprise that we find the Father acting in, with and through the Son if the Son is the object of His devotion and the One in whom He will be glorified?

In our present postmodern culture, partly to keep debate out of the public square, there is an "agenda" to keep religion separate from science, faith separate from reason, belief separate from fact. "Sometimes you just have to take it on faith" is code for "there's a conflict between the 'facts' and 'belief' so just ignore the facts." But the Bible knows nothing of this sort of "blind leap in the dark" faith. With regard to our salvation, God does not expect us to accept blindly that Christ is central to His purpose and our relationship with Him.

After his initial greeting, Paul immediately turns his attention to the inexhaustible blessings with which God has blessed us. The concept of blessing is rooted in the Old Testament and its usage there - εὐλογία occurs more than 400 times in the LXX. Remember the blessing that God promised to Abraham - Gen_12:2-3 "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." That blessing was passed from one generation to the next, to Isaac, then Jacob, then Joseph.

"The blessing of Yahweh is the gracious divine gift which He dispenses in sovereign freedom, granting His favour to individuals or to a people and causing the work of their hands to succeed (Dt. 28:12; 8:9–17)." TDNT

The blessings of which Paul speaks are spiritual blessings; he goes on to identify what those blessings are and how God has blessed us with them. He does not leave us in the dark with respect to the "why" question, what God's motivation or purpose is in blessing us this way.

1. He has chosen us in Christ Eph_1:4, selected but not in a vacuum and not capriciously. Chosen because of something Christ will do, because of a relationship between us and Christ. We see that in the following statement - we were not chosen because our name came up on the cosmic "wheel of fortune". We were chosen to the end that we should be holy; Christ and his effectual rule in our lives are essential to our holiness.
   
   
2. He has predestined us to be adopted through Christ Eph_1:5, the instrumental cause of our adoption. Again Paul reminds his readers of the absolutely essential place Christ holds in their salvation. That sonship we have with God consists of our conformity to the image of Christ, being made the special objects of his love and grace Eph_1:6, participating in a heavenly inheritance Eph_1:11.
   
   It is important we not miss the point that, if God can be said to want or desire things, we are His children because He wants to be our Father; no one twisted His arm or otherwise coerced Him into adopting us. It was "according to the good pleasure of his will" - it gave him satisfaction or delight to adopt us, to give us as a reward or trophies of war to His Son. Isa_53:10-12
   
   
3. It is in him that we have redemption and forgiveness of sin Eph_1:7. We're not even halfway through Paul's dissertation here but it's easy to hear each repetition of "in him" as another nail in the coffin in the idea that all roads lead to God. Paul's case is that there is only one road, through Christ; there is redemption, there is true forgiveness only in one, Christ. There is only one solution for guilt, the blood of Christ and none other.
   
   
4. In Eph_1:13 Paul declares that we were sealed in him by the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit stamps on us the mark or seal that says we belong to Christ. The next verse adds to the picture by comparing the Holy Spirit to an engagement ring that shows we are betrothed to Christ as His bride.
   
   
5. Following up the assertion that it is resurrection power that works in us, the same power He worked in Christ Eph_1:19-20, we, too, are raised with Christ and seated in heavenly places in Christ Eph_2:5-6. The ascended and exalted Christ has gone before us and on our behalf as our forerunner Heb_6:19-20; since we are in Him, God views us as raised and seated with Him.
   

God has done all this for us, to us, in us, for the sake of His Son. Why? It is God's plan to "gather together in one all things in Christ" Eph_1:10 making Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body Eph_1:22-23. Consider Col_1:15-22 for an elaboration of God's overarching purpose centered in Christ. By virtue of His deity Christ is supreme over all of creation; by His incarnation, passion, resurrection He became head of the church. As Paul states in Eph_1:22, the Father "gave him as head over all things to the church", which includes the church Eph_5:23. The Father's purpose in all of this is that the Son will be preeminent, occupying first place in all things.

This sense must be the focus of our thinking as we contemplate what marvelous blessings God has blessed us with in Christ - He did it for us, yes, but more importantly for the church, the body, and most importantly for His dearly loved Son.