Full Question:

preface

Ephesians 1:3-14

I suggest that Eph. 1:3-14 is not about the unconditional election of individuals to salvation, but about the condition of election. That condition is that the individual be "in Christ." So far as I can see this passage is silent with respect to the question: "Who determines that a given individual is 'in Christ.'" In almost every one of the verses, the phrase "in Christ," or its equivalent occurs. The first two verses are, I believe, a key to understanding the passage. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." (Eph, 1:3 & 4) I think it is clear that v. 3 is telling us the condition for receiving "every spiritual blessing." They have been given to us "in Christ," so for an individual to receive these blessings they must be in Christ. So, v. 3 does not tell us who determines who is in Christ, but rather that God has determined that whoever receives these spiritual blessings receives them in virtue of being in Christ.

Having established that, we should notice v. 4, which talks about election, is joined to v. 3 by the phrase "even as." The author seems to be saying that there is a parallelism between the fact that God has given us all spiritual blessings in Christ, and the fact that God has chosen us in Christ. Since v. 3 is affirming the condition that must be met for an individual to receive "all spiritual blessings"--namely, that the individual be in Christ, so v. 4 affirms that the condition which must be met for an individual to be chosen by God is that the individual be in Christ. Chosen for what purpose? I think the last part of v. 4 answers that question--"that we should be holy and blameless before him." According to this interpretation, God does not choose who (which individuals) will be in Christ; he chooses that it will be those who are in Christ who will be his Sons, who will be holy and blameless. If he chooses person A to be holy and blameless, it is clear why he chooses A in Christ. Only those who are in Christ come to share his holiness and blamelessness.

Larry Lacy
Rhodes College

Ephesians 1:11

Webmaster: I will make a stab at one of these verses, Eph. 1:11. Several things are worth noting: First, the main thrust of this verse (and the following) is to affirm that "we who first hoped in Christ" have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory." This says nothing (directly) about how we came to hope in Christ; it affirms only that it is we who hope in Christ who have been destined to live for his glory. Second, this verse not only affirms that God accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will, this verse gives us an instance of God accomplishing things in accordance with his will, namely, his predestination that those who hope in Christ shall live for his glory. Third, I have been using the RSV which says God accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will." The Greek word translated, "accomplished," is energeo, which probably should be translated "works" or "operates." God's accomplishing all things in accordance with his will does sound deterministic, but God's working all things (or working in all things) in accordance with his will does not.

Whether God's operating all things in accordance with his will entails divine determinism of all event depends upon whether it is God's will that his creatures have indeterministic freedom. If he wills that they do, then when he operates all things in accordance with his will, he will do so in such a way as to respect the freedom of his creatures. The following objection can be raised. How does God's predestination of those who hope in Christ to live for his glory respect their freedom? The answer is that on the Open Theism view those who hope in Christ have freely responded to God's prevenient grace and have formed the resolution to live for Christ's glory. In determining that they shall do so, God confirms their free choice; he helps them do what they (by aid of his grace) have freely chosen to do.

Larry Lacy
Rhodes College