Ephesians

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v. 5 “predestination”

            This is by no means a simple passage to explain and I’m not sure I understand it completely myself.  Firstly, let’s look at adoption.  It says that Christ has adopted us as sons.  In Roman times, the law stated that adopted children, even if they were at one time slaves, had the same rights and privileges as biological children.  Paul uses this term to show us how closely we are valued by God.

            Predestination means ‘marked out beforehand’.  Thus, in essence we were marked out beforehand who would and would not become saved.  There is an argument here that could become endless.  If we were marked out then we have no choice in salvation.  To some extent this is true to demonstrate that it is not we, but God who saves us.  On the other hand, this means that regardless of what I do or believe in life, if I was predestined then I will be saved.  However, God is omniscient and therefore knew that I would take this view and therefore did not predestine me.  So if He didn’t then maybe I should ask for forgiveness and thereby take Him by surprise.  But God would have known that I would have made that change and I would have been predestined in the first place…. You get the idea.

            Essentially, my understanding of predestination is that we know Christ came into the world to save ALL.  However, God also knew that not all would come to repentance and knows exactly who and who will not be saved throughout time.  We cannot second guess God.  Who are we to try and understand the mysteries of God.  In this case, I suggest that we trust that what God has done is perfect and just. 

Predestination and adoption go together.  We have no status by birth, inheritance and are children of Adam by nature.  Therefore we are children of wrath (2:3), but chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (verse 4) so everything comes back to His grace being all of His own will and pleasure – that is beyond our finite understanding – that He would take pleasure in saving us.  However, verse 6 brings praise to His grace and that with glory.  God’s ultimate aim and goal is to preserve and display His glory.  There is nothing then whereby we can boast.  It is all of God, all His doing, and all for His glory – and the context is very important as you saw with adoption there.  Of course this is a huge subject, from Him being the Alpha and Omega, Just, the God of all the earth who does what is right, and so on… but here it clearly displays His glory which is His ultimate aim. 

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v. 9 “the lower earthly regions”

            There are a few suggestions in the interpretation of this passage.  Some believe that Christ descended to Hades, which many believe is the resting place of souls between death and resurrection.  Others believe it refers to the grave.  Still others believe that it refers merely to the Earth.  Either of the last two (or both together) are most plausible simply because Christ ascended into heaven in glory, therefore he descended to Earth in humility (Philippians 2, Psalms 22). However, regardless of the exact interpretation, Christ descended in humility and then rose in glory.  His next descent shall once again be in glory. 

v. 11 “distinction of roles”

            It’s important to clarify the differences between these roles.  Bear in mind that while it mentions no obvious bestowing of gifts, God never gives us a role without the tools for the task. 

            The apostles were extraordinary men, chosen by Christ before His death, who were charged with constructing the foundations of the Christian Church after His ascension (Matthew 28:19; Acts 19:6).  The prophets were able to interpret the Scriptures through revelation (I Corinthians 14:4-5).   In addition, they were able to foretell of things to come (Acts 11:27; 22:10).  Evangelists were on the most part chosen by the apostles as their companions in their work on missionary trips and church planting.  Examples of evangelists are Timothy and Titus.  Pastors and teachers were in general bound to the church and held the responsibility of instructing and ruling over them (Hebrews 13:17).  Teachers in particular, interestingly, were the ones whose work it was to teach the doctrine of religion and refute contrary errors.

The main point that needs to be noted is the context of the purpose of these roles in verse 12 in that they are all for the edification of the whole.  Now the debate comes over the definition of these gifts and if they are still all applicable today.  For example,

·        Apostle = sent one – in which case Barnabas, Silas, Timothy and others also came into that category too (as some would argue so do missionaries today…)  Also there are others named as apostles outside of “the twelve” such as Romans 16:7 Andronicus and Junia.

·        Prophets – is this the foretelling of future, the pronouncement of God’s word, or as in First Corinthians 14:3 that of edification, exhortation and comfort in the practical application of His Word? 

·        Evangelists – what is it?  The evangel in that is good news and thus an evangelist spreads it – or is it as a teacher like Timothy who was told to do the work of an evangelist in II Timothy 4:5, but his work was primarily teaching in discipleship as in II Timothy 2:2.