EPHESIANS VOL 1-3

Second, election has both a communal and a christological focus. But what community does he have in mind? God chooses and predestines the community. These constitute the appropriate human responses to God. In effect, God chose Christ and then chose those who choose Christ. The purpose of election is two-fold. Eerdmans, , If this is so, such language helps connect Jew with Gentile in a way appropriate to the rest of the letter. A second blessing Paul described is redemption: Redemption refers to the release of one held captive.

Paul used the metaphor more than any other NT writer.

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The implication of such language is that both Jew and Gentile are held captive to powers which enslave them. Though unnamed, these powers would include sin Rom.

The mystery comprises several aspects, as later verses reveal. Here it involves summing up all creation under the headship of Christ cf. As Ralph Martin put it: John Knox Press, , They were, after all, the first to hope in the Messiah; and the gospel must be proclaimed to the Jews first Rom. A fourth blessing entails the ministry of the Holy Spirit: The act of sealing refers to a mark or a brand of ownership. Within prophetic texts, God marks his elect to preserve them from divine judgment e. Though not clearly defined, the word has to do with the gift of eternal life which God will bestow on that day.

If God has so blessed believers with spiritual blessings now, how much more will he give them in the future? As the down payment arrabon , the Spirit becomes the blessed assurance that those whom he has sealed will have their part in the world to come. On the day of resurrection, God will make good on his promises established in the gospel. The spiritual blessings celebrated in 1: Apparently, the apostle received some report of their progress in faith and love 1: In the biblical tradition, wisdom has nothing to do with common sense, education, or old age.

Such wisdom comes by the gift and grace of God e. For Paul, wisdom comes by revelation in the true knowledge of Christ.

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• Ephesians 1-3.
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Therefore, both wisdom and revelation have a christological focus: Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God 1 Cor. First, they will know the true nature of the hope of his calling 1: In the LXX Job Paul implied that the same power which raised Jesus from the dead continues to operate in the lives of those who believe. Reflections on the resurrection and its ongoing significance now dominate his discourse.

Hay, Glory at the Right Hand: Psalm in Earl y Christianity Nashville: Abingdon, , , for the question whether Psalm was interpreted messianically in pre-Christian Jewish circles. For Paul, the resurrection and exaltation of Christ mark the beginning of a new creation, a: Walter Wink, Naming the Powers: Power and Magic Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ; and idem, Powers of Darkness: By this Paul meant that Christ reigns supreme over those spiritual powers most feared by citizens of western Asia Minor.

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His readers occupied an age dominated by fate, demons, spirits, gods, goddesses, and magical practices. Their world taught them that not all enemies were flesh and blood; many were invisible, spiritual 6: But Paul asserted that all had been subjected to Christ. In Christ the new creation began 2 Cor. So, in Pauline theology, the subjugation of the powers continues and finds its culmination at the parousia. Still Paul appears to have the larger picture in mind. He stated it as if it were common knowledge, for he quickly continued: A number of interpretive problems confront us in these words.

According to Martin, there are three ways to read the passage: See also Mitton, The first option intimates that Christ is somehow incomplete without the church. The second option, therefore, makes good grammatical and theological sense. As in other places e. The theological thread joining them appears to be further reflection upon the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus 1: The enthronement of Jesus to the right hand means more than the subjugation of heavenly and earthly powers in this and coming ages.



The passage divides naturally into two movements, the first, existence before Christ vv. From the perspective of faith, the former life looks like death cf. In certain contexts, Paul had a propensity for juxtaposing Gentile and Jewish pasts e. Here any distinction is slight, however, since he asserted that both Jews and Gentiles were dead due to transgressions before they identified with Christ cf. Yet sin and trespasses are more than human choice; they involve spiritual powers which rule the world. Though somewhat obscure, the phrases should be read as parallel references to the devil cf.

Markus Barth, Ephesians, 2 vols. They stood as an ever present threat against human well being.

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Formerly, he said, they conducted their lives in the passions of their flesh, performing the will of the flesh and the mind. The flesh manifests itself in deeds such as sexual immorality, idolatry, jealousy, envy, and the like Gal. The OT often characterized God as merciful and loving in his dealings with Israel, his covenant people e. God raised Christ and us together with him. God seated Christ at his right hand and us together with him. Clearly, the resurrection and exaltation recall events of the past.

Yet Paul understood that faith and baptism identified and united believers with Christ so that his story became their story. His destiny became their destiny. As a result, in the ages to come God will continue to display his grace and kindness upon us in Christ 2: Regarding this, Bruce wrote: Thoughts of grace moved Paul to reiterate and elaborate on his previous remarks.

The Greek perfect indicates a completed act with abiding result. Else where Paul described salvation in terms of the future e. Once again his focus must be on the cross and resurrection of Jesus which makes salvation possible. In this regard, salvation is already fully achieved if not fully realized. People do, however, have a role: Faith is a human activity even if it comes ultimately from God. Faith is our grateful response to what God has done. Faith is our acceptance that God has accepted us in Christ.

With works ruled out, there is no room for boasting. Boasting is akin to self-righteousness cf. Circumcision stood as a continuous reminder that God chose them as his special people. It served as a boundary marker between Israel and other peoples. In their former state, Gentile converts had no part in the patriarchal covenants, no hope and thereby no future, and ultimately, though they had many gods and religions, they had no knowledge or experience of the true God.

All this changed, however, in Christ. Fortress, , thinks Eph. Through Christ God reconciles Jew and Gentile to himself. Furthermore, through Christ God reconciles Jew to Gentile by making both groups one, eclipsing the former distinctions with their prejudices and establishing a new unity. According to Paul, the people of Christ form a new race which unites all the descendants of Adam into one people.

Christ accomplished this in two ways. In the literal sense, the dividing wall referred to the temple wall which separated the court of the Gentiles from the inner courts used by the Jews. On the one hand, he affirmed the value of the law e. All rights reserved worldwide. You'll get this book and many others when you join Bible Gateway Plus. Starting your free trial of Bible Gateway Plus is easy. The next step is to enter your payment information. You can cancel anytime during the trial period.

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