Commentary on Ephesians 2:1-5
Jan 17, 2015 6:29:38 GMT
Post by Colossians on Jan 17, 2015 6:29:38 GMT
This material is for the teaching of the Body of Christ, however the author reserves copyright over it.
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COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS 2:1-5
[1] “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” 1
This “quickened” is of course an archaic term relating “brought to life”: we are being told here that while we were still dead, we were made to be alive (we were supernaturally brought into a direct relationship with the Person of Jesus Christ, with according fruit unto God).
And so our coming to be born again, was not of ourselves – we played no part in the matter whatsoever; for which we praise God, for any part we might have (otherwise) played had surely resulted in more of the same death which held us.
1 Note that the sense here is not that we were dead because of sins (which had erroneously related the idea that were we to have turned from sinning of our own accord, we would have made ourselves alive), but that sins were the symptom of our being dead (and therefore that in order to stop sinning, we had first of all to be made alive).
[2] “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”
The very subtle and very vital thing to note here is two-fold:
1. We are not told about a spirit which “continues” to work in the children of disobedience, which had (otherwise) implied that we were once also of the (actual) children of disobedience but/and that we had now left them behind to continue on without us, but rather, which “now” works in the children of disobedience, implying that whilst before coming to Christ we were indeed indistinguishable from the (actual) children of disobedience, we were never (actually) of them. That is, the category that is “the children of disobedience” is (necessarily) defined according to everlasting state rather than anything transient.
2. Commensurate with (1), the reference here is not to “children of disobedience”, which had related a group of persons so characterised for only as long as they remained disobedient, but “the children of disobedience”, the definite article implying a certain group of persons who not only are, but always will be, characterised by disobedience, with primary manifestation unbelief (see Heb 3:12, Rom 16:26).
[3] “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”
In accord with our comment under v2, the irresistible implication – the pragmatic – in our being told here not that we were the children of wrath, but that we were (merely) “by nature” the children of wrath, is that although with regard to our former activities we were no less deserving of wrath than the (actual) children of wrath, with regard to our personage we were in fact not the (actual) children of wrath.
And so once again we note the presence of the definite article: it is not “children of wrath”, but “the children of wrath”: they are a group as eternal and unchanging as the Bride of Christ.
[4] “But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, [5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” 2
And so and in accord with the all of what we have said thus far, we are here told that God loved us, the mere introduction of such idea necessarily presenting in stark contrast to any (otherwise) notion that we had indeed been numbered among the (actual) children of wrath.
For how can one be the object of love and the object of wrath at the same time? Is God double-minded?
2 Note that the anti-Calvinist idea that grace constitutes a (mere) offer of salvation, which may be voluntarily accepted or rejected, is here abrogated: the quickening of us and the grace by which we are saved are in no uncertain terms presented here as one and the same thing.
Summary
Although we were “by nature” the children of wrath, we were never in fact the children of wrath.
The conventional-Calvinist declaration that God chose to love certain persons (subsequently referred to as “the elect”), is therefore incorrect: God has never not loved such certain persons, but has loved them from everlasting, and will love them to everlasting: they have always been the elect.
In fact God has no choice in the matter whatsoever, any more than a man might be able to choose to no longer be in love with the woman with whom he is in love.
Or what? Shall the shadow exist in lieu of the substance? Shall the phenomenon that is being in love, exist on earth without precedent in the heavens? No rather, Christ not only loves His Bride, He is in love with Her.
And so we praise God that there is indeed something which He is in fact simply not capable of doing.
“If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself” 2 Ti 2:13.
Amen.
(See also our works: “The legal proof that Jesus Christ is God”, “The causal sequence of our salvation”, “Introduction to Statal Calvinism”.)
(See also addendum below.)
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ADDENDUM: TRIBUTE
The author of this work notes with both sadness and joy, the passing of noted gospel singer/composer/arranger Andrae Crouch, on January 8, 2015. Andrae is now with the Lord.
In his 1992 album, “Mercy”, Andrae paraphrased the (intent of the) psalmist’s words concerning God’s love for him:
“If I made my bed in hell, I know His love would find me there!”.
Indeed. Indeed. Indeed.
And so we give all the glory to God, and along with Andrae in his most famous composition entitled “My Tribute”, sing:
“To God be the glory, for the things He has done!”.
For those therefore who wish to continue at this moment to praise the Lord, we recommend to you the following clip from Norwegian soprano Sissel Kyrkjebo, in concert and supported by the Oslo Gospel Choir.
God bless the Bride of Christ with exceeding joy.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiB4SEgOkow
________________________________
COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS 2:1-5
[1] “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” 1
This “quickened” is of course an archaic term relating “brought to life”: we are being told here that while we were still dead, we were made to be alive (we were supernaturally brought into a direct relationship with the Person of Jesus Christ, with according fruit unto God).
And so our coming to be born again, was not of ourselves – we played no part in the matter whatsoever; for which we praise God, for any part we might have (otherwise) played had surely resulted in more of the same death which held us.
1 Note that the sense here is not that we were dead because of sins (which had erroneously related the idea that were we to have turned from sinning of our own accord, we would have made ourselves alive), but that sins were the symptom of our being dead (and therefore that in order to stop sinning, we had first of all to be made alive).
[2] “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”
The very subtle and very vital thing to note here is two-fold:
1. We are not told about a spirit which “continues” to work in the children of disobedience, which had (otherwise) implied that we were once also of the (actual) children of disobedience but/and that we had now left them behind to continue on without us, but rather, which “now” works in the children of disobedience, implying that whilst before coming to Christ we were indeed indistinguishable from the (actual) children of disobedience, we were never (actually) of them. That is, the category that is “the children of disobedience” is (necessarily) defined according to everlasting state rather than anything transient.
2. Commensurate with (1), the reference here is not to “children of disobedience”, which had related a group of persons so characterised for only as long as they remained disobedient, but “the children of disobedience”, the definite article implying a certain group of persons who not only are, but always will be, characterised by disobedience, with primary manifestation unbelief (see Heb 3:12, Rom 16:26).
[3] “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”
In accord with our comment under v2, the irresistible implication – the pragmatic – in our being told here not that we were the children of wrath, but that we were (merely) “by nature” the children of wrath, is that although with regard to our former activities we were no less deserving of wrath than the (actual) children of wrath, with regard to our personage we were in fact not the (actual) children of wrath.
And so once again we note the presence of the definite article: it is not “children of wrath”, but “the children of wrath”: they are a group as eternal and unchanging as the Bride of Christ.
[4] “But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, [5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” 2
And so and in accord with the all of what we have said thus far, we are here told that God loved us, the mere introduction of such idea necessarily presenting in stark contrast to any (otherwise) notion that we had indeed been numbered among the (actual) children of wrath.
For how can one be the object of love and the object of wrath at the same time? Is God double-minded?
2 Note that the anti-Calvinist idea that grace constitutes a (mere) offer of salvation, which may be voluntarily accepted or rejected, is here abrogated: the quickening of us and the grace by which we are saved are in no uncertain terms presented here as one and the same thing.
Summary
Although we were “by nature” the children of wrath, we were never in fact the children of wrath.
The conventional-Calvinist declaration that God chose to love certain persons (subsequently referred to as “the elect”), is therefore incorrect: God has never not loved such certain persons, but has loved them from everlasting, and will love them to everlasting: they have always been the elect.
In fact God has no choice in the matter whatsoever, any more than a man might be able to choose to no longer be in love with the woman with whom he is in love.
Or what? Shall the shadow exist in lieu of the substance? Shall the phenomenon that is being in love, exist on earth without precedent in the heavens? No rather, Christ not only loves His Bride, He is in love with Her.
And so we praise God that there is indeed something which He is in fact simply not capable of doing.
“If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself” 2 Ti 2:13.
Amen.
(See also our works: “The legal proof that Jesus Christ is God”, “The causal sequence of our salvation”, “Introduction to Statal Calvinism”.)
(See also addendum below.)
___________________
ADDENDUM: TRIBUTE
The author of this work notes with both sadness and joy, the passing of noted gospel singer/composer/arranger Andrae Crouch, on January 8, 2015. Andrae is now with the Lord.
In his 1992 album, “Mercy”, Andrae paraphrased the (intent of the) psalmist’s words concerning God’s love for him:
“If I made my bed in hell, I know His love would find me there!”.
Indeed. Indeed. Indeed.
And so we give all the glory to God, and along with Andrae in his most famous composition entitled “My Tribute”, sing:
“To God be the glory, for the things He has done!”.
For those therefore who wish to continue at this moment to praise the Lord, we recommend to you the following clip from Norwegian soprano Sissel Kyrkjebo, in concert and supported by the Oslo Gospel Choir.
God bless the Bride of Christ with exceeding joy.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiB4SEgOkow