Ephesians Chapter 1:9-14 Ephesians 1:9 “making known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him” “Making known unto us”: God has shared more than "forgiveness" with Christians. God has revealed all the particulars concerning His plan to save mankind, the how, why, when, and where. “The mystery”: In the Bible this word does not mean something that is way too complicated, obscure or impossible to understand, rather it means something that God had kept secret, and was unrevealed until He chose to disclose it. Therefore, along with the word "mystery" one will usually find a corresponding word or phrase, such as the above statement, "making known unto us" (Eph. 3:4-5; Colossians 1:27). This verse reveals that the mystery is no longer a mystery. “Of His will”: In the book of Ephesians, this "mystery" includes the plan to save Gentiles, as well as Jews in Christ (3:3-6). Remember, the Bible is not mysterious, rather it is a revelation. Therefore all views that are rooted in the argument that the Bible is too confusing are false assertions. Man cannot discover God's will apart from revelation yet that revelation is very understandable (1 Corinthians 2:9-13). What a gracious God. God wants us forgiven, but God also wants us to come to a "full knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Peter 3:18). God wants us to see the whole plan unfolded, He wants us to understand the "why" and "how". “According to His good pleasure”: It was not just God's plan to save Jews and Gentiles in Christ. It was His pleasure to do so. “It was His loving design” (Knox). “Which He purposed in
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Him”: It was God's delight to provide a common salvation for all, in Christ. This was His eternal purpose. Ephesians 1:10 “unto a dispensation of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth; in Him, I say” “Unto”: “With a view to” (NASV). “Put into effect” (NIV). “Dispensation”: “Administration” (NASV). “Which literally means household management” (Barclay p. 84). “It referred in ancient times to the dispensing of order in business administration or household management. God's plan was worked out in an orderly way” (Caldwell pp. 32-33). “Fullness of the times”: God is in control and He has always been in control. God has a timetable and when the time was right, Jesus came into this world (Galatians 4:4). When the time was right, He began preaching (Mark 1:15). When the time was right, He died for our sins (John 17:1). When the time was right the gospel was proclaimed (Titus 1:3), and when the time is right, Jesus will come again (Acts 17:31). From eternity,God has had a plan and this plan has been carried out on schedule. The contention of Premillennialism that the rejection of the Jews caused God to alter His plan is false. This whole chapter condemns such a low view of God's foreknowledge. God knew exactly what He was doing and every factor had been taken into account. One will never really understand the history of this planet, without first understanding God's plan (Acts 17:26; Daniel 5:21). “To sum up”: “To bring back to and gather round the main point” (Vincent p. 367). “To gather up” (Bruce p. 261). “All things in Christ”: The plan was to provide one place for reconciliation. If anyone will be reconciled, then it must be through Christ (Col. 1:20; Eph. 2:13ff; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). “These phrases summarize the mystery. God reduced all things to a common denominator under one head, Jesus 2
Christ” (Caldwell pp. 33-34). "This verse has been used as the keystone of the doctrine of 'Universalism', to the effect that all men shall be saved in the end” (Coffman p. 128). What a sad abuse of this passage. This whole chapter has stressed that salvation is only "in Him", and there are definite conditions for being "in Him" (Galatians 3:26-27). Besides that, Jesus Himself exploded the myth that everyone will eventually be saved (Matthew 7:13-14; 21-23). “The things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth”: The things in the above passage could be "people", for only "people" are reconciled. Hence, this verse may be teaching the same truth as found in Hebrews 9:15, that reconciliation to God for anyone (even the O.T. faithful or the moral Gentile), will only be because of Christ. In another sense, every part of the physical and heavenly creation exists for Christ. That is, the physical universe only exists to provide mankind the opportunity to obey Christ (Colossians 1:16-17). In addition, one day all will acknowledge the headship of Christ (Phil. 2:9-11). “Since Christ is preeminent in God's purpose in the whole universe as well as in the church, the individual who does not have Christ preeminent in his life is entirely out of harmony with the purpose of the Father” (Coffman p. 128). In addition, one is out of harmony with the purpose for the entire universe. Christianity is the only religion that really puts you "in harmony" with "nature". Ephesians 1:11 “in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His will” “In whom”: In Christ. “We were made a heritage”: “The verb means literally to determine, choose, or assign by lot” (Vincent p. 368). “We are dealing with a passive form of the verb which means appoint by lot, allot, assign, we were claimed by God as His portion” (Bruce p. 263). Just like Israel was God's chosen people in the Old Testament (Deut. 32:9 “The Lord's portion is His people”). So Christians (Jewish and Gentile believers) are God's portion since the death of Christ 3
(Galatians 3:26-29; 6:16; 1 Peter 2:9). “We get heaven--and God gets us!” (Boles p. 209). Of all that God has created, in the end His portion will be the faithful. “Having foreordained”: Again, all of this was in accordance with His eternal purpose. God predestined that His "portion" would be faithful believers in His Son. “Who worketh all things after the counsel of His will”: The Bible reveals His counsel. Observe that God does not work after the influence of human opinion, majority rule or other considerations. He will work after the counsel of His will. Ephesians 1:12 “to the end that we should be unto the praise of His glory, we who had before hoped in Christ” “To the end”: Here is the object or final goal. “That we”: Christians. “Should”: This is a choice. “Be unto the praise of His glory”: “Be devoted to the extolling of His glorious attributes” (Wey). “To manifest His glory” (Knox). “Should cause His glory to be praised” (NEB). “We who had before hoped in Christ”: “Who were the first to hope in Christ” (NASV). “Man must look beyond his own selfish view of his life and try to understand that he was created by God and for God, not primarily for himself!” (Caldwell p. 38) (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Our main purpose is to proclaim the marvelous nature of God to others (1 Peter 2:9; Matthew 5:13-16). “God is honored in the presence of human beings and angelic powers when men and women, redeemed from sin, live in accordance with His will and display the family likeness which stamps them as His children” (Bruce p. 264). God is also glorified when we worship Him according to His desires and not ours (Lev. 10:1-3). “Skeptics have sneered that such a view describes God as egotistical and vain. ‘What kind of God’, they say, ‘creates for His own glory?’” (Caldwell p. 38). In response I would say: God is worthy (Rev. 5:9). Facts are facts. God is worthy to be praised. Our "worth" is inherently wrapped up with God's glory, only when we bow before God, and acknowledge how 4
great He is, can we then find real life, happiness, freedom and contentment. In fact, I only have value if God exists. Our life will only have true meaning, when we attach the proper "meaning and value" to God. Hence, giving God the glory is always in our best interest. And only when I "elevate" God to His proper place in my life, will I find myself elevated (Luke 18:14). In the end, people who exalt themselves, "look small", but those who "exalt God", look "large". Ephesians 1:13 “in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” “In whom”: In Christ. “Ye also”: Christians. “Having heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation”: Salvation is impossible without first listening to the truth. Christianity is a "taught" religion, hence, an open and honest heart is essential (James 1:21; Luke 8:15). Seeing that babies cannot hear and understand the gospel, and are born pure and innocent, they do not need to be saved. Salvation is inherently linked with hearing and believing the gospel message. Therefore, the gospel message is within the understanding of every accountable person. Culture does not come between people and understanding the gospel, for God designed the gospel as a universal and transcultural message (Matthew 28:19-20). Only one message brings salvation. There is no salvation found in the Koran, the Hindu sacred writings, or the book of Mormon (Romans 1:16). To claim that salvation can be gained by listening to other messages besides the message found in the gospel, is to be ashamed of the gospel. “The word of truth”: The gospel message tells us the truth. Concerning God, ourselves, others, and eternity. “In whom, having also believed”: One must believe the gospel that the apostles preached. “Sealed”: “A seal was a sign of ownership; it was a mark of protection; it was a stamp of validity” (Erdman p. 39). Compare with 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 4:30. 5
“The Holy Spirit of promise”: The Spirit who was promised (John 14:26; 16:13). Ephesians 1:14 “which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of His glory” “Which is”: The Holy Spirit. “An earnest”: A pledge, or part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest. “Was a regular feature of the Greek business world. It was a part of the purchase price of anything, paid in advance as a guarantee that the rest would in due time be paid” (Barclay p. 87). “The arrabon guarantees that a person is in earnest about his intentions...Also interesting is the fact that arrabon is the word in modern Greek for an engagement ring” (Boles p. 211). “Of our inheritance”: The Spirit is a down payment of our inheritance and demonstrates that God is serious about giving Christians eternal life. “Unto the redemption of God’s own possession”: “Until the day when God completes the redemption of what he has paid for as His own” (Phi). God's own possession is Christians (1 Peter 2:9; 1 Cor. 3:23; 6:19-20). The sealing of the Spirit does not remove free will (Ephesians 4:30). Even Christians who had the spiritual gifts of the Spirit, found themselves believing doctrinal error (Galatians 1:6; 1 Cor. 15:12) and being in danger of losing their salvation (Galatians 5:4). Nothing in these two verses demands a "personal” supernatural indwelling of the Spirit". Caldwell makes the following comments: “The Holy Spirit articulates the promises of God and thus becomes the assurance of salvation to the believer until the time he actually receives all rewards from God. Too many are looking for something to establish that their salvation is sure. Too many expect that God will send the Holy Spirit into them in some mysterious manner and thereby assure them that all is certain. God has spoken His promises through His Spirit and that is enough. When the Holy Spirit speaks God's 6
promises, He becomes our down payment on salvation. The man who does not accept them as surety does not have true saving faith” (pp. 45-46). Hence, the Spirit "seals" us in Christ by: Instructing us and enabling us to continue in this relationship (Col. 1:23). Giving us an objective standard by which to measure ourselves, so we know whether we are in the faith or not (2 Cor. 13:5). Declaring us true children of God, when our life comes into conformity with God's revealed will (Romans 8:16). The very existence of the New Testament proves that God is serious about saving those who believe in Christ. “Unto the praise of His glory”: “And so manifest God's glory” (Knox). “All this is designed to magnify God. Why should man resent God's control? Why should man exalt his own will above the will of God when our God is so great and loving and kind?” (Caldwell p. 47). Christians need to praise God for His truth revealed through the Spirit, because without it, we would be lost (Jeremiah 10:23). Everyday we should thank God for the Bible.
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