Nothing … 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. 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. They offer the content of the letter in miniature: For by grace you have … It has the idea of making a choice or selection among different objects or things. But this also is unnatural; and besides, the word predestinated has its limitation or explanation in the following clause, "according to the good pleasure of his will." What instruction does the apostle give to Christian children in Ephesians 6:1a (printed below?) 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. by the righteousness of Christ, and as washed in his blood; and If election is to holiness as the apostle here teaches, it follows, first, that individuals, and not communities or nations, are the objects of election; secondly, that holiness in no form can be the ground of election. 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. chosen they come to be in him; for this refers not to their before the foundation of the world: 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one ba… 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. The majority of commentators, therefore, adopt the construction followed by our translators. sight of his Father, to whom they will also be presented by him, Ephesians 1:4 | One Minute Bible Commentary. might be sanctified by him here, and be perfectly holy hereafter; Scripture most decisively shuts out from the text such an idea. for their good works, faith, holiness, or perseverance therein; In chapters 4-6, he outlines the responsibilities associated with that status. are, and so are safe and secure in him: the Arabic version "Didn"t I choose God?" The doctrine of choosing is not all that shallow but we can"t delve into it here. Ephesians 4, William Barclay's Daily Study Bible, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, as set of 17 volumes on the New Testament, the result of … Ephesians 1:11-23. The *apostle Paul wrote this letter when he wasin a prison in Rome. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us … Then He created our world before He created us. Retail: $5.99 . In this present paragraph, Paul says little about conditions, and nothing to exclude them. Colossians 3:20. obey] The Gr. That we should be holy—As faith is the condition upon which we are elected, so holiness, blamelessness, and eternal life, are the results for which and to which we are elected. Bible Study Questions … He does elect. Commentary on Ephesians 1:1-14 View Bible Text 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! Holy and without blame—”The positive and negative aspects,” says Ellicott, “of true Christian life.”. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. This choice cannot be understood of a national one, as Israel of May I digress for a second. We're chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. I therefore - Therefore, because God has provided for you such an abundant salvation, and ye have his testimonies among you, and have full liberty to use all the means of grace; The prisoner of the Lord - Who am deprived of my liberty for the Lord's sake.. Study Notes on Ephesians Page #6 Introductory Thoughts about Commentaries Only the Scriptures provide an infallible, authoritatively inspired revelation of God’s will for man (2 Timothy 3:16,17). Now the purpose of election is that we might be holy. All rights reserved. Click the verse number to read commentary, definitions, meanings, and notesfor that particular Ephesians 1 verse. A call for unity among God’s people. Our Price: $18.49 Save: $6.50 (26%) Buy Now. We cannot justify it; we can only answer for it when we stand before God in the end. according to this choice; and from the preparation of a kingdom choice is God, God the Father, who is distinguished from Christ, 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 same argument is used in the Epistle to the Romans, where, speaking of Jacob and Esau, he says, “For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.” (Romans 9:11.). Ephesians includes both a thanksgiving for the community (1:15-23) and for God’s action (1:3-14). love; and from the covenant which was made with Christ from 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 . We may say that in the section 3-12 St. Paul uses the first person plural of the personal pronoun, namely, includes himself and the Ephesians, it also, by, commences the second person, used mainly throughout the epistle. They are limited by that purpose, for it marks and measures all. Ephesians 1:4-14 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. They cannot be mere characterless blanks. If I may change the wording—He chose you to stand before Him, not only holy but without blame. 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. The objects of choice must present to the Chooser the proper qualities, either seen or foreseen, in order to being intelligently chosen. as their head, in whose hands their persons, grace, and glory Now, to apply that for a moment. When you stand before Him what"s it going to be? Ephesians 1:4 does not just say God “knew” who was going to be saved, but that He “chose us” before the foundation of the world. The objects of choice must present to the Chooser the proper qualities, either seen or foreseen, in order to being intelligently chosen. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. But why did he quicken me, when dead in sins? choice follows. Bible Gateway Recommends. 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). Retail: $24.99. ", This is a most important question in determining the meaning of this epistle. The duties of children and parents. Ephesians 1:4(NASB) Verse Thoughts. (10-18) The apostle desires their prayers, and ends with his apostolic blessing. And as the builder is no less than the Eternal, so this, sends our thoughts back into the deep, dim, anterior eternity. Verses 1-16 (especially verse 1) set the tone for the rest of this letter. to were not a nation; nor does he address all the inhabitants of We can be holy. and which is the first blessing of grace, and the foundation one, This is the deep love, the "agape" love that causes one to give of yourself for the other. “We were chosen because we were worthy, and because God foresaw that we would be worthy.” 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. This is the second proof that the election is free; for if we are chosen in Christ, it is not of ourselves. And, by the way being holy is in the present tense - a continuing action. from others, and are represented as few; nor do all men partake Ephesians 1, Adam Clarke Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary is one of the most respected interdenominational commentaries ever written. Ephesians has been called the Queen of the Epistles, the quintessence of Paulinism, the divinest composition of man and even the Waterloo of commentators. Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who … No wonder Peter could talk about it in the first chapter of his first epistle. The salvation had a purpose and that was to bring them to holiness. 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." In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 1:00. Holy is a life style, not an option for one part of the day or one part of the week. The word used in the verse has the idea of selecting for an office or selecting for one"s own use. Adam Clarke Commentary. A living soul may reason thus—"Am I quickened? the freer the Lord"s paramount choice, the deeper the debt of the chosen to live divine. I could not; for I was dead in sin. But never to eternal life or eternal death; He chooses groups or individuals for certain tasks. I'm talking to you Christians. the objects of it are not chosen because they were holy, but that Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. In fact, the word election is not found … If men should evade every other argument, election shuts their mouth, so that they dare not and cannot claim anything for themselves. so that the highest good is ultimately attained. Specific focus on how modern society has corrupted Christian perspectives is included. This wasabout 61 years after the birth of Christ. EPHESIANS 4:1-3. I Thes. Did I quicken myself? It applies specially to the Ephesians, with much that is inferentially true of all believers. The purpose of redemption is also that we might be holy. One that is pure enough to be offered in sacrifice. 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? ", [Note: Alfred Martin, "The Epistle to the, "In love" probably modifies "to be holy and blameless in His sight" rather than "He chose us" (, "The point, then, is that holiness of life is only made perfect in and through love (cf. This verse kind of makes 1 Corinthians 1:26 ff jump up and become alive doesn"t it! Did God then quicken me? 1:3-12 ) , the apostle seems to speak of himself, and some NIV, Holy Bible, Larger Print, Paperback. . Let it suffice that He chose. If men are chosen to be holy, they cannot be chosen because they are holy. The end of this NLT Inspire Bible: The Bible for Creative Journaling, LeatherLike, Silky Vintage Blue/Cream. . The information you find will vary with the theological position of the writer so beware which theology you choose. being the end of this choice, were intended; which was made. 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. The Son’s sacrifice, 7-12. Children] Cp. Ephesians 4:1 is a major hinge in the letter. 4.According as he hath chosen us. Bible Study Questions are provided at the end. There is a debate about whether this phrase goes with Ephesians 1:4 or Ephesians 1:5. I am vague on the when of the decrees in that they have to precede God in that God cannot decree before He is, but then God has always been so have the decrees always been? Beseech you that ye walk - Ye have your liberty, and may walk; I am deprived of mine, and cannot. country: nor does this choice regard them as a church; for though . If the reason is asked, why God has called us to enjoy the gospel, why he daily bestows upon us so many blessings, why he opens to us the gate of heaven, — the answer will be constantly found in this principle, that he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world. This is the goal to which the whole course of our life must be directed, and we shall not reach it till we have finished our course. 1:13 ) , nor is this choice of persons to an office, for all The foundation and first cause, both of our calling and of all the benefits which we receive from God, is here declared to be his eternal election. Ephesians 6:1-4. not they only, since the apostle includes himself, and perhaps of all spiritual blessings for them in it, which proceeds I could not; for I was dead in sin. 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). … But these must have been for ever hidden from us, if God had not made them known by his written word, preached … 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 … Did I quicken myself? we are elected, so holiness, blamelessness, and eternal life, are the results, —”The positive and negative aspects,” says Ellicott, “of true Christian life.”. We've been reconciled and cleansed by the blood of Christ. cannot be causes or conditions of it: and this choice is made in This choice was part of the grand divine ideal, the universal restoration of Ephesians 1:10. The purpose of election is also that we might be cleansed and that we might be kept. 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, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He [] made us accepted in the Beloved. Commentary on Ephesians 4:29-32 (Read Ephesians 4:29-32) Filthy words proceed from corruption in the speaker, and they corrupt the minds and manners of those who hear them: Christians should beware of all such discourse. Do you realize that the Lord of Glory saw you before there ever was a world? Ch. (1-4) Of servants and masters. in time by efficacious grace; because this was before the Note it isn"t that we are to be holy and blameless and then before Him in love, we are to be before him holy and blameless in love. NLT The Life Recovery Bible, Softcover. 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. . refers to the Ephesians and himself directly, and all other believers inferentially. 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. It would be tautological to say: "He hath predestinated us in love according to the good pleasure of his will." If you are not being useful, you are being useless. He chose you to stand before Him so holy and without blame that no one could produce any evidence before God that you ever were a sinner. (Ephesians 6:1) … ], "Though it is true that Christ is God"s Elect One (, and the Nature of Election," The Master"s Seminary Journal11:1 (Spring2000):85. But let us remember the purpose for which Paul reasons about predestination, lest, by reasoning with any other view, we fall into dangerous errors. And on top of this we are to live before Him in love. If Paul may be believed, the only reason is, that the latter retain their natural disposition, and the former have been chosen to holiness. The fact that God chooses—chooses us from all eternity, chooses us out from the world, chooses us from his divine good pleasure—does not in the slightest degree countenance the inadmissible idea that God does not know and foreknow what he is choosing, as well as the reasons both without the man and within the man on account of which he is chosen. people, which this is the effect of, and which is an everlasting According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him. calling, justification, and glorification. believers at Ephesus, ( Ephesians 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. The apostle puts foreknowledge as antecedent to predestination. 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. (5-9) All Christians are to put on spiritual armour against the enemies of their souls. Ephesians … 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. (Leviticus 11:44-45; Leviticus 19:2; - guess it was more than three times - 20:26; 21:8; 1 Peter 1:16 and many other places tell us to be holy.). some others, who did not belong to that place, nor were of that According as He has chosen us in Him before— before—the foundation of the world, before there ever was a human race, before there ever was a world. His choice in Ephesians 1:4 and He chooses them to perform tasks while we are here on earth. Can I leave that with you today? In 1 Thessalonians 4:7, we have this amazing verse—For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. The elevated themes of Ephesians make it highly praised and prized by commentators. According as he hath chosen us in him Being holy in the aorist tense won"t do at all; that is being holy at one point in time. Yes. But they are those who present the proper rational conditions of the divine choice, namely. He chose every believer to be holy. Amplified: I THEREFORE, the prisoner for the Lord, … object of election himself; and all the elect were chosen in him Specific focus on how modern society has corrupted Christian perspectives is included. . 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. He wrote it to people in the town called Ephesus. Read Ephesians 1 commentary using John Gill's Exposition of the Bible. Preaching to unconverted men, he would make the condition the main topic, calling upon them to enter, by faith and repentance, into the range of God’s eternal conditional purpose, by which he, from all eternity, chooses all who truly believe. church privileges, but to grace and glory, to be holy and These, though despised of, or unnoticed by men, are the elect of God; and if you are a vessel of mercy whom he has thus chosen to eternal life, the gospel either has already come, or, in his own time and way, will be made to come with power to your heart and conscience. No doctrine is more useful, provided it be handled in the proper and cautious manner, of which Paul gives us an example, when he presents it as an illustration of the infinite goodness of God, and employs it as an excitement to gratitude. “What God did in Christ was not an afterthought or an act of desperation on his part. Ephesians 1:14I have dealt with a portion of this verse in conjunction with the fragment of another in this chapter. that are here intended were not apostles, or pastors, or deacons: Will you think upon it, meditate upon it, thank the Lord for it - and believe it! I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you Or "in the Lord"; that is, for the Lord's sake; (See Gill on Ephesians 3:1).Some connect this phrase, "in the Lord", with the following word, "beseech": as if the sense was, that the apostle entreated the believing Ephesians, in the name of the Lord, and for his … But for you who respect my name, the sun of vindication will rise with healing wings, and you will skip about like calves released from the stall. 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. old were chosen by the Lord; for the persons the apostle writes A study of God’s choosing and election throughout Scripture will reveal the same truth. Ephesians 1:15-23. Also, as Calvin points out (Calvin’s Commentaries [Baker], on Eph. If you want further information my theology deals with them, as do most any systematic theology books. The Holy Spirit’s seal, 13-14. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— Read verse in New International Version Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. Because he loved me, and chose me in Christ to be an heir of his eternal glory." This is a most important question in determining the meaning of this epistle. , by which he, from all eternity, chooses all who truly believe. In John's gospel John 17:24, Jesus said—Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. Study This × Bible Gateway Plus. In Christ we have received an inheritance as God's own people. . 1. It was necessary to mention this in passing; for we shall immediately find that Paul mentions another design, the glory of God. Before the foundation of the world He chose us to be holy. Study the bible online using commentary on Ephesians 1:4 and more! But Christ exercised his own freewill in the redemptive plan (John 10:17-18; Galatians 1:4). the source and spring of election itself, and of holiness and —Blameless even under His dread scrutiny. That we should be holy. merits are not the cause of election, though they are of It is applied to things, as in, katabolē- means properly a laying down, a founding, a foundation - as where the foundation of a building is laid - and the phrase “before the foundation of the world” clearly means before the world was made, or before the work of creation; see, that we should be holy, and without blame, before him in love. for these are fruits and effects of election, and therefore He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, &c. That we should be holy and without blame before him in love, He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings, according as he hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, That we should be holy, and without blame, before him in love. Our Price: $4.19 Save: $1.80 (30%) Buy Now. The message of Ephesians 1:4 is that He chose people to become Christians. My, what an amazing thing. “Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate,”. It isn"t there three times for nothing; He must want us to be holy - especially if He chose us before the foundation of the world to be so! In short, the name of Christ excludes all merit, and everything which men have of their own; for when he says that we arechosen in Christ, it follows that in ourselves we are unworthy. As the author turns toward exhortation, the preacher will need to be clear and careful so … Continue reading "Commentary on Ephesians 4:1-16" Lesson 3: He Chose Us (Ephesians 1:4) Related Media. Ephesians 1:1 Paul, ... Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to … So, how can we justify the life that we often lead - a life of unholiness? This was done before time began, before creation, thus it was set and going to happen in time. It was as God had chosen that it should be, and had appointed in his eternal purpose. foreknowledge, and is an act of his grace, and is entirely Way back in eternity He had you on His heart. 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. Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus - To wit, by Epaphras, who had informed Paul of the steadfastness of their faith and love; Colossians 1:7-8.This does not prove that Paul had never been at Colossae, or that he did not establish the church there, for he uses a similar expression respecting the church at Ephesus Ephesians 1:15, of which he was undoubtedly the founder. they might partake of the sanctification of the Spirit; that they Below are some preliminary questions to assist in the study of this passage. 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? When he exclaimed (1:3), “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every … up as the head and representative of them; and from the provision considered as unfallen with respect to the end, and as fallen Paul categorized these blessings under three functions of the Trinity: The Father’s plan, 4-7. That divine authority was bequeathed to Christ at the time of his ascension (cf. 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. Scripture most decisively shuts out from the text such an idea. Children and Parents, Ephesians 6:1-4. will, can arise in God, or any decree be made by him, which was the Ethiopic version renders it, "to him"; to salvation by him, Ephesians 4:1. Hath chosen—The Greek is a word full of force—chose out for himself. 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. happiness, the end of it; and which is shed abroad in the hearts He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame. The apostle puts foreknowledge as antecedent to predestination. Away back somewhere in eternity in the counsel chamber of the living God, He saw you and He chose you to be holy. Bible > Bible Commentary; Wesley’s Explanatory Notes; Ephesians; Ephesians 1; John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes << Galatians 6 | Ephesians 1 | Ephesians 2 >> (Read all of Ephesians 1) Verse 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: By the will of God — … iii12f.). . Before him it love. Do you rejoice in the doctrine of God’s sovereign election? Should we not rejoice, for this is one face of the cut diamond of His grace with which God has chosen to bless us. others, who first trusted in Christ, as distinct from the of I also like the bigger ones - if I"m going to snack I"m going to get as much as possible. God is praised in these verses for having chosen and adopted the church as God’s own … Ephesians 1 Bible Commentary. Yes. Ephesians 1:4-14 specifies the believer’s positional spiritual blessings. somebody asks indignantly; to which we must answer "Yes, indeed you did, and freely, but only because in eternity God had first chosen you." For the word “we” referring collectively to the Church, see commentary on Ephesians 1:4, “us”]. Overview: The Epistle To The 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. Every man is invited, no one need hesitate. The recipients of the letter should make “every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit … Continue reading "Commentary on Ephesians … Ephesians 1:4 | One Minute Bible Commentary. In these verses there are seven divine operating assets that the believer possesses forever. No. He did not choose some for hell as many would suggest, He merely chose some to be saved. Many of Paul’s letters open with thanksgiving for the faith or spiritual gifts of the recipient community (e.g., 1 Corinthians 1:4-9). 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. The Holy Spirit’s seal, 13-14.