The Doctrine of Election (DOE)
The controversial aspect of the DOE is the Calvinist TULIP dogma (tulipism), which may be described as follows:
T – total depravity, meaning souls are unable to exercise sufficient MFW to seek salvation.
U – unconditional election, meaning that souls need not satisfy a divine requirement such as faith or repentance, but God chooses to save some while damning the rest to hell.
L – limited atonement, meaning that Christ died to pay the penalty of sin only for elect souls.
I – irresistible grace, meaning that elect souls cannot resist or refuse God’s will for them to be saved.
P – perseverance of the saints, meaning that the elect cannot repudiate their salvation and commit apostasy, because God perseveres in keeping them saved.
The viewpoint opposed to TULIP may be termed Moral Free Will (MFW) and described as follows:
M – God’s requirement for salvation (GRFS) is a Moral condition called faith, which is manifested as seeking God’s righteousness or salvation, which in turn presumes sufficient human volition even for sinners to make them morally accountable.
F – God enables all morally accountable souls sufficient Freedom to satisfy GRFS—or not, because His grace is not irresistible, which means sinners are accountable and justly condemned when they do not repent and accept Christ’s atonement for their sins
W – Faith is almost synonymous with Will, but volition focuses on faith as cooperation with God (or not), and cooperating with God by accepting His grace is NOT meritorious or working to earn heaven or salvation by obeying moral laws.
A systematic study of the DOE might begin well by interpreting a proof-text that seems to be the fountainhead of the TULIP dogma, namely Romans 9:10-24, in the context of the rest of relevant Scripture in Romans regarding salvation/election (s/e), which is Romans 1-11:
1. Romans 1:16 says the Gospel reveals that (s/e) is for “everyone who believes”, both Jew and Gentile.
2. Romans 1:17 describes s/e as “righteousness from God” that is by faith “from first to last” or from creation until the end.
3. Romans 2:4 teaches that God’s kindness or patience with sinners is meant to lead them toward repentance, which implies that sinners are able to repent because of God’s leading.
4. Romans 2:5 warns that those who do not repent but instead stubbornly resist God’s leading are storing up wrath against themselves for the day when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed, which implies that God enables sinners to repent–or not (cf. Deut. 30:19).
5. Romans 2:6 affirms what is called karma by saying that “God will give to each person according to what he has done”, which (in Gal. 6:7-9) is called reaping what a person sows.
6. Romans 2:7 speaks of the need for “persistence in doing good” and seeking glory, honor and immortality in order to receive s/e or eternal life, which echoes what Jesus commanded (in Matt. 7:7) and connects with the doctrine of perseverance (cf. Heb. 10:36 & Jam. 1:3-4).
7. Romans 2:11 teaches that “God does not show favoritism” (cf. Eph. 6:9, Col. 3:25, 1Pet. 1:17), which is how God judges people justly, so the fact that some sinners ignore God’s Gospel indicates that His will or leading is resistible because of MFW.
8. Romans 2:15 teaches that sinful souls have a conscience or awareness of “the requirements of the law”, which may be combined with Romans 1:20 to teach that God’s power and moral nature or will may be perceived via creation and conscience (called natural revelation), thus those unfamiliar with God’s Word in Scripture have no good reason for resisting divine leading and choosing atheism/evil.
9. Romans 3:20-21 states the law makes souls conscious of sin and that “the Law and Prophets testify” or prepare the way for the new revelation of righteousness from God apart from the Law, which takes up where Romans 1:17 left off.
10. Romans 3:22a says that “righteousness from God” or s/e comes through faith “in Jesus Christ” (cf. Eph. 2:8), a phrase Paul used eleven times in Ephesians 1:3-14 to indicate s/e.
11. Romans 3:22b says that God’s righteousness is given “to all who believe—there is no difference”” signifying that all sinners may believe or be s/e (cf. 1Tim. 2:3-4, John 3:16, Tit. 2:11), because there is no favoritism (#7).
12. Romans 3:23 teaches that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, meaning that no one can be good enough to earn salvation because of their own merit.
13. Romans 3:24 says sinners “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (via faith per v.22, cf. 3:27-28); s/e is free because Christ paid the price/cost.
14. Romans 3:25a explains redemption as being “a sacrifice of atonement” for those who have faith in Christ’s work of dying in their place.
15. Romans 3:25b further explains that God demonstrated his just patience (#3) or forbearance in leaving unpunished those sins committed before the revealing of the Gospel (foreshadowed in Gen. 22:8 & 13), implying that sinners had/have the opportunity to believe and be s/e thereby demonstrating God’s justice/not showing favoritism (#11).
16. Romans 3:26 continues to emphasize divine justice by declaring it three ways (“justice…, just…, justifies”), which justness is synonymous with righteousness (2Thes. 1:5-6, Heb. 6:10).
17. Romans 4:1-25 presents Abraham as a Gentile who became the physical father of the Jews and the spiritual father of all who choose to have faith in God/Christ.
18. Romans 5:1 echoes Eph. 2:8 by describing s/e as justification through faith, Eph. 1:5 & 7 by using the phrase “through Jesus Christ”, and Eph. 2:14 by describing s/e as having peace with God.
19. Romans 5:2 & 5 also echo Eph. 2:18 & 3:1 by describing s/e as having access to God’s grace via the Holy Spirit.
20. Romans 5:6-10 states that God’s love (cf. kindness in #3) for the ungodly, for sinners and for His enemies is demonstrated by Christ dying for their s/e or justification/reconciliation.
21. Romans 5:12-21 describes s/e in corporate terms, saying that–like the first man–all (many?) men also sinned and died, and God’s grace comes to all (many?) because of Jesus Christ.
22. Romans 6:1-14 describes s/e in terms of Christians being united with Christ’s death and resurrection, so they who are under grace should not allow sin to reign in their bodies but should instead serve God as instruments of righteousness.
23. Romans 6:15-23 describes s/e in terms of being slaves to whom one willingly obeys, whether to sin or to obedience of God’s teaching that leads to righteousness, which results in eternal life “in Christ Jesus our Lord” (cf. #10).
24. Romans 7:1-6 describes s/e in terms of a wife’s remarriage after the death of her husband, saying that Christians have been released from the dead letter of the law so that they may serve God in the new way of the Spirit.
25. In Romans 7:7-25 Paul describes s/e in terms of struggle between what a person’s conscience wants to do and what his sinful nature causes him to do until he is rescued by Christ.
26. In Romans 8:1-25 Paul describes the s/e struggle in terms of Christians–who are indwelt by the Spirit and freed from living in accordance with the sinful nature—as putting to death sinful deeds, because they are God’s children and co-heirs of Christ’s glorious resurrection.
27. In Romans 8:28-30 Paul says that those who love God were foreknown and “predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son”, which is akin to what Paul said in Ephesians 1:4-14, that before creating the world God chose or predestined those sinners “in Christ” to be blameless sons and receive the Holy Spirit.
28. Romans 8:31-39 elaborates on the previous point by saying that there is nothing that can separate “we” (who reflect God’s love per v.28) from Christ’s love (but Heb. 10:26-36 indicates one exception).
29. In Romans 9:1-5 Paul notes how sad it is that those who are part of the human ancestry of Christ reject him as Messiah, but being a member of Abraham’s spiritual children is what is crucial (#17).
30. Romans 9:6-13 states that God had chosen which one of Rebecca’s sons (through whom Messiah’s lineage would be traced) before they were born (cf. Mal. 1:2-3). The word translated as “hate” (miseo) is the same as in Luke 14:26 with reference to family, so a better translation would be “preferred”: loving Jacob/hating Esau refers to God preferring that Jacob’s descendants serve as the heritage for Messiah rather than to individual salvation.
31. Romans 9:14-16 stresses that s/e depends on God’s mercy rather than being achieved by human effort (#12), although the preceding context has shown that (the non-meritorious condition of) faith is involved, which truth can be stated as “God initiates; sinners cooperate—or not”, because of MFW.
32. Romans 9:17 refers to pharaoh in Exodus 9:13-35 as an example of someone whom God allowed to oppose His will so that His power might be manifested by the plagues. The OT passage indicates that pharaoh was conscious of his sin but “He and his officials hardened their hearts” (v.34b).
33. Romans 9:18 says that God “hardens whom He wants to harden”, which raises the question asked in v.19, “Why does God blame sinners who cannot resist His will?” Paul’s response (Rom. 9:20-21) is that God has the might and thus the right to determine what is right. Then he speculates (“What if”) that God might have patiently endured evildoers (#20) as evidence of His glory toward recipients of His mercy (Rom. 9:22-23).
34. In Romans 9:24-33 and 10:1-4 Paul notes that God elected to choose Gentiles with saving faith instead of Israelites who sought salvation by works and stumbled over the Gospel of Christ, even though “everyone who believes” receives righteousness or s/e.
35. Romans 10:9 states God’s requirement for s/e as “confess Jesus as the resurrected Lord”, v.10 clarifies that the condition of faith (#31) precedes the work of confession, and vs.11-13 reiterate that all sinners who call on the name of the Lord will be s/e.
36. Romans 10:18 cites Psalm 19:4, which hints that God’s s/e has been possible for everyone in the world. This implication may also be seen in Gal. 3:8, Col. 1:23 and Tit. 2:11 as well as Rom. 1:20.
37. Romans 11:5-7a refers to an elect “remnant chosen by grace”, which indicates that sinners may cooperate with God’s calling to be s/e “or not” (#35).
38. Romans 11:7b-8 needs to be understood in the context of pharaoh (#32), whose heart God allowed to be hardened. “God gave them a spirit of stupor” echoes what Paul said in Romans 1:24 & 28, that God gave fools over to perversion and a depraved mind.
39. Romans 11:11-15 speaks of the blindness of Israel as the reason s/e was offered to Gentiles,
and Paul hopes Israel will become envious (v.11 & 14) and prompted to accept Christ.
40. Romans 11:17-24 describes the situation of Israel as comparable to grafting branches onto a tree, and the condition of faith (#37) is quite explicit (v.20-23).
41. Romans 11:25-32 explains the s/e of corporate Israel as a partial and temporary hardening until all in corporate Gentiles “may” be s/e, at which time all Israel “may” be s/e.
42. Romans 11:33-36 concludes Paul’s development of the DOE by acknowledging that God’s mind is unknowable beyond what He reveals.
The survey of Romans 1-11 (R#1-42) will now be applied to the TULIP and MFW doctrines in order to see which parts of these interpretations are supported by that Scripture. This application will continue the enumeration begun by the survey.
43. Regarding Total depravity, R#1-6 teach that all normal adult humans are sinners and that God’s intent (will/desire) is to lead them to repent, so they will not condemn themselves to suffer righteous wrath—which implies that sinners are enabled by God’s leading to repent, so their depravity does not totally nullify MFW.
44. Regarding Unconditional election, R#10, 11, 14 & 15 specifically cite faith/belief as the condition for receiving s/e. R#17 illustrates this truth with the example of Abraham leading to the conclusion that faith is the condition for justification or s/e in R#18. R#34 laments that Jews as a whole failed to satisfy the condition of faith, and R#35 celebrates that everyone may satisfy that condition.
45. Regarding Limited atonement, R#20&21 indicate that Christ died to pay the penalty for all sins of all sinners, and R#29 laments that most Jews reject Christ’s atonement, although R#37 finds consolation because there remains a remnant who have not stumbled over the stumbling-stone, who is Christ (R#34).
46. Regarding Irresistible grace, R#3&4 refer to wicked souls who spurn God’s kindness and do not repent. References to “all who believe” (R#11) and to “the man who has faith” (R#15) imply there are some who resist saving faith. R#32 cites pharaoh as an example of a sinner who hardened his heart against God’s will.
47. Regarding Perseverance, R#6 implies the need for those who do not resist God’s leading to persist in doing that. R#40 mentions God’s kindness to believers provided that they continue to believe, because if not they “also will be cut off”.
In summary, instead of manifesting divine love, tulipists accuse God/the HS of hating half of humanity, which borders on blasphemy, and makes their claim to be Christians (“Lord, Lord”) problematic (Matt. 7:21).
48. Regarding Moral volition, R#9 teaches that the purpose of the law is to make souls conscious of sin, and R#10-11 teach how to attain righteousness from God. R#22 urges Christians not to continue sinning, and R#26&27 contrast the sinful nature with the new way of cooperating with the Spirit until Christians attain the likeness of Christ.
49. Regarding Freedom to choose, faith connotes a lack of proof or coercion, thereby making the chooser responsible for resisting God’s kind leading per R#3&4, which onus for evil is sensed by one’s conscience (R#8) or consciousness of sin (R#9). Even the reference to slavery in R#23 speaks of obedience being offered.
50. Regarding Will or volition, it is signified in R#32&38 by the heart, and the sinful will is described as hardened (cf. obstinate in Rom. 10:21). In R#39 Israel’s corporate will to sin is called transgression.
Now let us consider other Scriptures sometimes cited in descriptions of the TULIP and MFW interpretations in light of Romans 1-11.
51. T – Mark 7:21-23 lists some evil thoughts in sinful hearts, but it does not teach that evil people cannot repent. Rather, Jesus states this truth in order to prick sinners’ hearts and lead them to repent of ignoring the commands of God in order to preserve the traditions of men (Mark 7:6-13, R#3&4).
52. U – The only Scripture cited as specifically supporting this point is R#21, but only if universal salvation is also accepted as being taught by the reference to all/many, but Romans 5:17 limits the many to those who receive God’s grace, and Romans 4:16 & 5:1 teach that grace is received through faith, making it the condition for reception (s/e).
53. L – In Matthew 20:28 Jesus said that his life is given as a ransom for many (stated also in Hebrews 9:28), but this does not preclude anyone who has faith being included, and Scriptures such as 1Timothy 2:3-4 indicate God’s desire for all to become “many” (John 3:16, Acts 2:21, 1John 2:2), indicating that although Christ’s death atoned for the sins of all humanity only for those who accept Jesus as Messiah does it result in forgiveness (s/e, R#14&18).
54. I – Phil. 2:13 says that God works in believers to will and act according to His good purpose, but this does not mean that believers do not willingly cooperate (R#23).
55. P – John 10:27-29 states that Jesus gives his sheep eternal life, and no one can snatch them, which is stated by Paul in Romans 8:35-39 as being separated from the love of God in Christ. However, there are numerous Scriptures indicating that a believer may not persevere (including John 8:31, Matt. 10:22& Heb. 10:36), so although God gives endurance per Romans 15:4-5, it too must be received through continued faith (2Cor. 5:7) “from first to last” (Romans 1:17).
56. M – Gen. 2:17 begins the biblical revelation of God’s moral nature and requirement and is followed up by Gen. 6:5-6 revealing that God is grieved by sin, which truth Paul noted in Eph. 4:30. A main point of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) per Jesus in Matt. 5:20 is that souls should be righteous, and main point of the Sermon on Salvation (Rom. 1-11) per Paul in Rom. 3:21-22 is that righteousness is attained through faith in Jesus as Lord (cf. Acts 16:30-31).
57. F – Deut. 30:19 is one of the clearest statements of the condition of volition in Scripture, and Jesus lamented the sinful misuse of this divine gift in Matt. 23:37. Jesus commanded the correct application of volition in Matt. 7:7 (cf. Heb. 11:6). Paul indicates that God enables sinners to seek salvation in Rom. 2:4, where he says that God’s kindness toward sinners leads them toward repentance. In 1Tim. 2:3-4 Paul taught that God wants all souls to be saved, but he lamented that many resisted God’s will in Acts 28:26-27, like Jesus did in Matt. 13:14-15.
58. W – The short version of Paul’s Sermon on Salvation in Romans is found in Eph. 2:8-10, which states that God’s grace is received through faith, not works, implying that the condition of cooperating (called partnership in Phil. 1:4-5, cf. 2:12-13) with God both by professing Christ at conversion (from first/first day) and by producing the fruit of the Spirit during sanctification (to last/the day of Christ Jesus) is NOT meritorious or a reason to think salvation is earned (Rom. 1:17). However, choosing to disbelieve God or resist His kindness does manifest spiritual separation from His blessings and warrant eventual experiencing of divine wrath per Rom. 2:4-6 (cf. Matt. 23:37).
Other Scriptures cited by tulipists include:
I. 1 Corinthians 2:14, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” In order to understand Scripture correctly, one must consider both the immediate context and NT teaching. Here is relevant immediate context for that verse:
1Cor. 1:21b, “God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.” Using Mag’s favorite terminology, God’s method of saving sinners or natural men is via revealing the Gospel, and we know from 1Tim. 2:3-4 that God desires all to believe.
1Cor. 1:23-24, “We preach Christ crucified… to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Again, “We preach to all natural men”, and “to those natural men God has called”. This prompts the question: Is “desire” in 1Tim. 2:3-4 synonymous with God’s “calling” in 1Cor. 1:24–and we might add with God’s “drawing” in John 12:32 and with God’s “invitation” in Matt. 22:14? The last verse and John 13:18 indicate that although God loves and wants to save every natural man, some ignore/reject/resist His desire/calling/drawing/invitation and are therefore not chosen or saved, while some do NOT resist God’s calling but rather believe the Gospel, realizing its wisdom and power to save, at which point they become chosen/elect.
1Cor. 1:26, “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called… Not many were influential.” They were natural men in the lower social class, but yet they believed or cooperated with God’s calling.
1Cor. 1:27-28, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise… the lowly… and the despised”. God’s saving of despised natural men was intended to humble all natural men, so that “no one may boast before him” (1Cor. 1:29).
1Cor. 2:1-2, “When I came to you, brothers… I proclaimed to you… Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Paul reiterated that God saved some natural men via them accepting Paul’s preaching of the Gospel.
1Cor. 2:10, “God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.” God’s HS enables natural men to believe the Gospel and be saved (or not).
II. Jeremiah 17:9a,”The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.” The immediate context includes:
Jer. 17:5, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man… and whose heart turns away from the Lord.”
Jer. 17:7, “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.”
Jer. 17:10, “I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”
Jer. 12:1, 3, 14, 16, “You are always righteous, O Lord… you see me and test my thoughts about you…
This is what the Lord says… if the wicked learn well the ways of my people… then they will be established among my people.”
Jer. 14:10, “This is what the Lord says about the people of Judah, They greatly love to wander…
so the Lord does not accept them; he will now … punish them for their sins.”
Jer. 18:8-11, “If that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned…
And if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it…
So turn from your evil ways, each one of you.”
III. Deuteronomy 29:4, “To this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.”
The pertinent pericope seems to begin with Deut. 28:1 & 15, “If you fully obey the Lord your God… God will set you high above all the nations on earth… However, if you do not obey the Lord your God… all these curses will come upon you.” This verse implies that the Israelites are free to obey or disobey.
Then we have the verse cited, which sounds like God prevented the Israelites from obeying Him.
But then we come to Deut. 29:9, “Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do.” This seems to indicate that the Israelites can follow or not follow the terms.
And finally we arrive at the clearest statement of what Moses meant in Deut. 30:19b-20a, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children might live and that you may love the Lord your God.” This obviously teaches that the Israelites are deemed to have MFW.
IV. Ephesians 1:3-14, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will, to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
In the EPH passage we can see that what the all-loving God predestined was NOT that some souls would be damned, but rather the plan of salvation to elect potentially all humanity, whom He loves and atoned for (1Tim. 2:3-5), if they exercise their God-given grace of volition to accept His offer of grace IN Christ (2Thes. 2:10).
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The Doctrine of Parables
In order to develop a doctrine regarding the parables of Jesus, one must conduct a systematic study of every parable recorded in the gospel of Mathew in order to learn their meaning and purpose.
The Parable of the Seeds (Matt. 13:1-23)
In this parable a farmer sowed seed on four types of soil: a path, rocky ground, thorny ground, and fertile soil–with appropriate results. Discerning the meaning involved understanding the metaphors that were used, most of which were explained by Jesus in v.18-23: seed = GW re the KOH, understands = believes, healed = saved, ears = normal adult souls, hear = be good seed. The apparent meaning of the parable per v. 9 is thus, “Let all accountable souls be allowed to hear and be saved.”
However, this meaning is made problematic by what Jesus told his disciples between relating the parable and then explaining its meaning (v.10-11) regarding his purpose of speaking in parables: “The knowledge of the secrets of the KOH has been given to you (disciples), but not to them (the rest of the people).” Jesus said (in v.14-15) the people fulfilled Isa. 6:9-10, which says in part, “you will be ever seeing but never perceiving, for this people’s heart has become calloused… Otherwise they might… turn, and I would heal them.” In v.12 Jesus said, “Whoever has will be given more… and whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
A person might interpret what Jesus said regarding the secrets to mean that he wanted them to remain unknown except by his disciples, but a few verses later in Matt. 13:34 it says that Jesus spoke in parables in order to fulfill “what was spoken through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world”, which implies that he wants to share the secrets with the people.
Thus, unless these statements (Matt. 13:10-17 & 13:34-35) can be harmonized, one must choose between two contradictory interpretations: 1. Jesus purposefully hid knowledge from some while revealing it to others according to His will, or 2. Jesus allowed souls to reject saving knowledge or to accept it and be his disciples. Deciding which understanding to adopt necessitates considering the other parables of Jesus.
The Parable of the Weeds (Matt. 13:24-30)
In this parable a man sowed wheat seeds in his field, but his enemy came while folks were sleeping and sowed weeds among the wheat. When it became apparent that the field was contaminated, the owner’s servants asked whether they should pull up the weeds, and he told them to wait until the harvest, at which time the weeds should be burned and the wheat gathered into his barn.
Later in the privacy of a house Jesus explained the meaning of this parable, saying that the good seed was sown by the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed stands for those who belong to the kingdom, the weeds are those who belong to the evil one, the enemy who sowed the bad seed is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. At the end of the age the Son of Man will send angels to weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and everyone who does evil and throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, while the righteous will shine in the kingdom of their Father. Jesus concluded by saying, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
The mention of Judgment and the opposite destinies of happiness or hell indicates that Jesus employed parables as a means of pre-sifting souls by showing who would understand/believe or not. Some people opine that God/Jesus causes people to believe–or not, but notice that in Matt. 13:10-15 Jesus did NOT say that he prevents people from becoming his disciples or that he causes people’s hearts to be calloused, so let us be careful not to pre-sift ourselves by projecting our own hatred onto the all-loving Christ. The omnilove of Jesus is indicated by such Scriptures as Matt. 23:37, in which Jesus lamented over Jerusalem’s lack of repentance or rejection of his preaching (cf. Matt. 22:39, John 3:16, Rom. 5:6-8, 1Tim. 2:3-4). Note that Jesus explained the Parable of the Seeds in plain language and that the Parable of the Tenants passage indicated his enemies understood he was being critical of them.
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast (Matt. 13:31-33)
Jesus said the KOH is like a mustard seed, which begins small and grows into a large tree. Similarly, Jesus compared the KOH to yeast, which works though the whole batch of dough. Verses 34-35 say that the purpose of the parables was to fulfill Psa. 78:2, which says they will reveal what has been hidden since the creation of the world. Thus, they might be read in connection with Matt. 5:13-16.
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure, the Valuable Pearl and the Fishing Net (Matt. 13:44-52)
The first statement in v.44 is a simile comparing the KOH to a treasure hidden in a field. When a man discovered it, he sold everything he had and bought the field. The second statement in v.45-46 compares the KOH to a valuable pearl. A merchant sold everything he owned to buy it. The third statement in v.47-48 says the KOH is like a fishing net. When the fishermen pulled it up on the shore, they kept the good fish and threw away the bad ones.
Jesus explained this passage by saying in v.49-50 that at the end of the age angels will separate the righteous from the wicked, who will be thrown into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. When his disciples said in v.51 that they understood him, Jesus concluded with a fourth simile, saying in v.52 that a teacher of the law who becomes a disciple in the KOH is like a homeowner who has both old and new treasures in his storeroom.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matt. 18:10-14)
The passage begins by saying that “these little ones” should not be despised, because their angels see the face of the Father in heaven. The little ones are those who believe in Jesus per v.6. Then Jesus tells a story about a man who owned 100 sheep and realized that one of them wandered away, so he left the 99 to look for the lost sheep. Jesus said that the man is happier about finding the lost sheep than about the fact the others had not wandered off, and He explained that this story illustrates how the heavenly Father is not willing for any of these little ones/believers to perish.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matt. 18:21-35)
Jesus compares the KOH to a king who wanted to collect what his servants owed him. The first servant owed 10,000 bags of gold, but he could not pay, so the king ordered his family be sold to pay the debt. However, the servant pled with the king to be patient, and the king took pity on him and canceled the debt. Then the servant went out and found another servant who owed him 100 silver coins. He began to choke the man and demanded that he pay what he owed. The man begged him to be patient and promised to pay the debt, but the first servant refused to take pity and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay up.
Other servants saw what had happened and told the king, who called that servant in and said, “You wicked servant. I forgave your debt when you begged me to, so you should have had mercy on your fellow servant like I had on you.” Then the king handed the servant over to the jailers to be tortured until he repaid all he owed. Jesus concluded by saying, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat you unless you forgive your sibling.”
The Parable of the Workers (Matt. 20:1-16)
Jesus compared the KOH to a landowner who hired workers for his vineyard early in the morning at the agreed wage of one denarius for the day. About nine a.m. he hired more workers, saying that he would pay them what is right. At noon and at five p.m. he did the same thing. At the end of the workday the owner of the vineyard told the foreman to pay all of the workers he had hired one denarius each, so the ones who were hired first complained about not getting paid more than those who were hired last. However, the landowner declared that he was being fair, because he paid what had been agreed on, saying that he had the right to determine the pay scale and asking, “Are you envious because I am generous?” Jesus ends by saying, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
The Parable of the Two Sons (Matt. 21:28-32)
This parable was told in the temple courts to the priests and elders. A father of two sons told one of them to go and work in the vineyard, but he refused at first before changing his mind and going. The father also told the other son to go work in the vineyard, and the son said he would, but then he did not go. Jesus asked, “Which of the sons did what his father wanted?” The hearers answered by saying the first son, so Jesus told them that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the KOH ahead of them, because they did not believe the preaching of John and repent.
The Parable of the Tenants (Matt. 21:33-46)
Jesus told a parable about a landowner who planted a vineyard and rented it to some tenants, but when he sent his servants to collect his fruit the tenants maltreated and killed them, so he sent his son, whom they also killed. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
The disciples replied that “he will bring those wretches to a wretched end.” Jesus then quoted the Scriptures, saying: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone… Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed. Therefore, the kingdom of God will be given to a people who will produce its fruit. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them, so they looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the people, because they believed he was a prophet.”
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matt. 22:1-14)
The KOH is like a king who sent his servants to tell those who had been invited that the banquet was ready for them to come, but they refused the invitation. The king sent servants to the invitees again, but some paid no attention and went to work in their fields or places of business, while the rest abused and killed the servant, so the king was enraged and sent his army to destroy the murderers. Then he told his servants to go to the street corners and invite anyone they found, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. However, the king noticed a man who was not wearing wedding clothes, whom he had bound and thrown outside, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Jesus concluded with the teaching that “many are invited, but few are chosen”. Then the Pharisees plotted to entrap Jesus.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt. 25:1-13)
Ten virgins took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom as he came to the wedding banquet. Five of them were foolish and did not bring any oil with them, while five were wise and took oil in jars along with their lamps. They fell asleep as they waited for the bridegroom, who did not approach the rendezvous point until midnight. When neared the virgins were awakened and trimmed their lamps, but those of the foolish virgins were going out, so they asked the wise virgins for some of their oil but were refused lest there not be enough and told to go buy some. As the foolish virgins were on their way to get oil, the bridegroom arrived at the banquet hall and went in with the wise virgins who were ready with lit lamps, and the door was shut. Later the foolish virgins arrived and sought for the Lord to open the door, but he replied, “I don’t know you.” Jesus ended by saying, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
The Parable of the Bags of Gold (Matt. 25:14-30)
A rich man going on a journey called three servants and entrusted them with different amounts of gold. One servant received five bags of gold, which he invested and made five bags more. Another servant received two bags and he made an additional two bags. The third servant received one bag, which he hid in a hole he dug in the ground. After awhile the servants’ master returned and ordered an accounting. The first servant brought him the ten bags of gold, whereupon the master said, “Well done, good and faithful servant… Come and share your master’s happiness. The second servant brought the four bags of gold and likewise was commended. Then the third servant brought the one bag of gold, saying, “…here is what belongs to you”, and his master replied, “You wicked, lazy servant!… Take that bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags… And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The remainder of Matthew 25 is a sort of semi-parable about sheep and goats, because it lacks the typical introduction saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like…”. In conclusion, it should be evident that Jesus taught using various literary techniques including parables, metaphors and irony, which means stating a truth in a way different from what might be expected, akin to paradox. For example, in Matt. 11:16-19 Jesus quoted a jingle: “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.” Both of these lines employ irony. Then Jesus said: “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard…'” Again, irony is employed to teach the point that “Wisdom is proved right by her actions.” Thus, truth is conveyed using figurative language as well as literally.
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The Doctrine of Prayer
I know of no better place to begin than by discussing what Jesus taught about prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. I find six separate teachings in Jesus’ Sample Prayer:
- TOJ #32: Pray to God as heavenly Father. [Matt. 6:9a//Luke 11:2a].
First, addressing God as our heavenly Father connotes that we who pray are children of God,
reborn of the Spirit (John 3:3-8) through union by Faith with God’s Son (Rom. 8:9-17, 1John 5:1-6).
James 2:19 says demons or ungodly souls may believe in God’s existence,
so I suppose they might address God in order to curse Him (Job 2:9). {John 17:1}
2. TOJ #33: Reverence the Creator. [Matt. 6:9b//Luke 11:2b] God’s name refers to His being or essence rather than to a particular word, whether Yahweh, Jehovah or Allah. However, among the names for the personifications of God, Paul believes Jesus should be given preeminence as Lord (Phil. 2:5-11; TOJ #196).
3. TOJ #34: Desire God’s will to be done. [Matt. 6:10//Luke 11:2 c] This is a significant restatement of TOJ #2. “On earth” begins with the prayer’s own life. Jesus exemplified this teaching when He prayed in Gethsemane before His crucifixion {Matt. 26:39-42//Mark 14:36}.
God is not our genie; we are His ministers, who cooperate with His Holy Spirit (Phil. 2:12-13) in doing His work (Eph. 2:10). Thus, there is an implicit condition in “whatever you ask for”, i.e., we must ask in accordance with God’s will (TOJ #51).
Jesus prayed for the Kingdom of God (KOG) or God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, referring to His spiritual reign in the hearts of believers, as in Luke 17:20b-21, “The coming of the KOG is not something that can be observed, nor will people say. Here it is, or there it is, because the KOG is in your midst.” The KOG is manifested in the world salt and light or as love and truth (cf. TOJ #19). Examples of such love are mentioned in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matt. 25:31-46, TOJ #35). In the writings of Paul, the KOG is called the body (1Cor. 12:13, Eph. 1:23&5:30) or church of Christ (Col. 1:13&18, Eph. 2:22, 3:10 & 5:23), which is comprised of local churches (Acts 9:31, 20:28).
4. TOJ #35: You may request physical as well as spiritual necessities. [Matt. 6:11//Luke 11:3] God is the ultimate source of material blessings (Jam. 1:17), and He is concerned about our complete welfare, wanting everyone to be fed, clothed and sheltered {Matt. 6:32, 25:31-46, TOJ #34} as well as saved.
5. TOJ #36: Admit your faults as you forgive others theirs. [Matt. 6:12//Luke 11:4a] The second part of this teaching echoes #14. Genuine saving Faith motivates loving forgiveness. Confession is the key to having a right relationship with God (1John 1:9), which is manifested by mercy (TOJ #148). {Mark 11:25, Matt. 18:15-17}.
6. TOJ #37: Pray for power to resist temptations. [Matt. 6:13//Luke 11:4b]
Jesus reiterated this teaching on the Mount of Olives before He was betrayed. {Matt. 27:41//Mark 14:38//Luke 22:40&46} We know that God will always grant this prayer request (1Cor. 10:13). This prayer seems equivalent to protection from the evil one {John 17:15}. This also was a major theme of James’ (Jam. 4:2, 1:5,12-13) and of Paul’s (Eph. 1:17-19, Phil. 1:9-11, Col. 1:10-12), whose prayers we will now peruse.
Teachings we can glean from the prayers of Paul include the following:
1. We should direct prayers to God the Father, and prayers begin well by expressing gratitude (Col. 1:3).
2. We pray because of faith in Jesus as Messiah/the incarnate Lord (Col. 1:4).
3. Prayers should be “continual” or frequent and repeated intercession for others (Col. 1:9a).
4. Prayers should ask God for knowledge of His will or spiritual wisdom (Col. 1:9b).
5. A main purpose of prayer should be moral improvement (Col. 1:10). Moral perfection should be the life-long goal of every believer. The fruit of the HS includes all good works.
Like in Colossians, Paul began his prayer in Ephesians 1:16-17 by thanking God the Father for the faith of the recipients of his epistle and by asking God to give them the Spirit of wisdom/spiritual wisdom, and “revelation” surely refers to “knowledge/understanding of His will”. The word “so” is equivalent to “in order that”, so it is likely that “knowing God better” is another way of saying living “a life worthy of the Lord”.
6. We should pray for enlightenment (Eph. 1:18a). The continuation of Paul’s prayer refers to the “eyes of the heart”. The heart in Scripture refers to the human spirit (2Cor. 1:22, 3:2-3, 4:6, Eph. 3:17, Col. 3:15), and “eyes” refers to the human will (MFW, Matt. 13:14-15). Enlightenment is akin to edification, which occurs as a believer learns God’s Word (Psa. 119:105), and it is in the same vein as “growing in the knowledge of God” (in Col. 1:10).
7. A main purpose of Paul’s prayer and aspect of learning is understanding the hope of heaven and experiencing it in part during one’s earthly sojourn (Eph. 1:18b). Paul compares spiritual blessings to physical wealth and calls them “glorious”, as he did the Father in v.17, which indicates that desire for heaven is the proper motivation for wanting salvation.
As in Eph. & Col., Paul’s prayer in Philippians 1:3-4 begins with thanksgiving (cf. Phil. 4:6). This sounds like Paul took time to pray for each individual believer.
8. Pray with joy (Phil. 1:4a). In this epistle “joy despite suffering” seems to be the major theme (cf. Phil. 2:2, 3:1, 4:1, 4 & 10).
Paul continues his prayer in Phil. 1:9-11 in a way similar to Eph. 3:17-19, and it also is in the same vein as Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians and the Colossians to understand God’s Word and become morally blameless, “filled with the fruit of righteousness” (Phil. 1:11a, cf. Gal. 5:22-23).
9. Keep on praying and learning to love “until the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:10b). This refers to the Second Coming of Christ (cf. Phil. 3:20-21). Sinlessness is not merely being devoid of sin, but rather filling the void with the Christ’s Holy Spirit (cf. Matt. 12:43-45).
10. Prayers should glorify God (Phil. 1:11b). This is akin to gratitude/thanksgiving, and so is an apt bookend to this prayer.
11. Pray for God to sanctify souls completely, so their “whole spirit, soul and body may be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord”(1THS 5:23). We see this prayer reiterates Phil. 1:9-11.
12. Pray for divine power to enable good intentions and faithful acts (2THS 1:11-12). We note another reference to praying for others “constantly”, that God may continue to count them worthy of his calling (cf. Rom. 4:1-25). The request for divine strength is repeated in 2THS 2:16-17, with for good words added to deeds.
13. Pray for perseverance (2THS 3:5). For increasing love (Eph. 3:17b-19) and enduring suffering like Christ (Heb. 5:7-9).
Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians
Now let us conduct a systematic study of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, which is selected because much of it is on the very topic of learning God’s Word (LGW). The term “systematic” means methodically mining a text for its teaching and harmonizing it with other passages on the same topic.
EPH 1:1a, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.”
Questions prompting commentary might include: Who was Paul? What is an apostle? Why of Christ Jesus? How by God’s will? In order to answer the question, “Who was Paul?”, we need to consult the biography of Paul by Luke in Acts, which introduces Paul in 8:1 by saying that he (who was then called Saul) was present at the stoning of Stephen and giving his approval. In Acts 8:3 we learn that Saul began going to house churches and dragging Christians off to prison. Then in Acts 9:1-19a Luke relates how Jesus appeared as a light flashing from heaven to Saul as he was on the way to arresting members of the Way in Damascus, striking him blind and telling him to go into Damascus and await further instructions.
Jesus then appeared in a vision to a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, telling him to go place hands on Saul to restore his sight, saying “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.” Ananias obeyed, and he told Saul to be filled with the Holy Spirit, whereupon Saul regained his sight and then was baptized.
The introduction of Saul/Paul continues in Acts 9:19b-30 by saying that Paul began preaching in the Damascus synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God and proving (probably by citing OT prophecy) that Jesus is the Messiah or Christ. Some Jews conspired to kill Saul, but he escaped and joined the disciples in Jerusalem after Barnabas vouched for him. Saul debated the Grecian Jews but they also plotted to kill Saul, so the brethren put him on a ship to Tarsus.
Regarding why Paul could claim to be an apostle, in the Gospel of Matthew the followers of Jesus are called disciples (learner) in 5:1 and 8:21&23, but in 10:2 they are called apostles (missionaries) before Jesus sent them out to preach in Galilee. In 1Cor. 9:1 Paul referred to an apostle as one who has seen Jesus, and in 1Cor. 15:7-9 he admits to being the least of the apostles (his name means “little”) because he was the last one called or commissioned, although in 2Cor. 12:11-12 he said he was not inferior. In 1Tim. 2:7 and 2Tim. 1:11 Paul said that he was appointed a herald and an apostle (and a teacher). Returning to Eph. 1:1, we see him saying his apostleship was the will of God.
EPH 1:1b Paul addressed his epistle “to the saints (in Ephesus), (and) the faithful in Christ Jesus.”
The term “saint” means set apart or sacred, referring to those who are saved because of faith in Christ, which is why they are called faithful and in Christ Jesus. Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province called Asia, which was located on the western side of modern Asia Minor across the Aegean Sea from Athens. None of the best early manuscripts have the words “in Ephesus”, which supports the view that this was a circular missive. Some ancient texts say to the saints in Ephesus AND the faithful in Christ, also possibly indicating that the epistle is meant to circulate among all of the churches in Asia Minor that Paul founded (cf. Acts 19:1 & 20:31), although sometimes in Scripture “and” is used as an equals sign rather than as a plus sign.
EPH 1:2, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Grace means gift or unmerited favor, and in a Christian salutation means God’s blessing. Peace means the cessation of war, which in this context refers to fellowship with God, as in Rom. 5:1, “This is why Paul wrote in 1Tim. 2:5, “There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.” Describing God as Father implies the Sonship of Jesus through whom saints may call God “our Father” (cf. Matt. 6:9). Thus, in Rom. 8:29 Paul called Jesus “the firstborn among many brothers”.
Calling Jesus “Lord” implies his deity as the Son, as indicated by Heb. 1:2-3a. which reflects John 1:1-3 & 14. Calling Jesus “Christ” in Greek is the word for “Messiah” in Hebrew, meaning the Anointed One, referring to the One God anointed or chose to provide the possibility of salvation for humanity by the sacrifice of Himself on the cross (Rom. 3:25, Heb. 9:26&10:14, 1John 2:2).
EPH 1:3, “Blessed/Praised be the Father/God of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all/every spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms in Christ.”
The OT says that God is worthy of being praised (2Sam. 22:4, 1Chron. 16:25, Psa. 48:1), and Psalms says it is fitting for people to praise God (33:1), because He is good (34:8) and forgives those who confess their sin (32:5). Praising is akin to thanksgiving (Psa. 100:4) for God’s blessings of love and justice (Psa. 101:1). The primary blessing is heaven, and spiritual blessings includes the fruit listed in Gal. 5:22-23 and other goodness. “Us” here and in the rest of the passage refers to those who are “in Christ”, which means oneness with Christ via faith as in Eph. 1:1b (cf. Eph. 4:13 & 5:31-32).
EPH 1:4, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”
The reason God created the entire universe was to serve as the stage upon which to enact His plan of salvation (POS): setting apart human sinful souls whose faith satisfies the condition for crediting them with the righteousness of Christ, as in Rom. 3:20 (cf. Phil. 3:7-9).
EPH 1:5, “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”
God is love (1John 4:8, cf. Rom 5:5-8). and He preplanned those in him (v. 4) to be spiritual children by receiving the Holy Spirit and becoming co-heirs with Christ (cf. Rom. 8:23 & 9:4) per His will for saints to be holy, as in v.4.
EPH 1:6, “to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”
This harps back to v.3. and refers to God’s blessing (cf. Eph. 2:8-10), which is not merited but instead credited, as in v.4. by virtue of being “in the Anointed One or Messiah/Christ. “One” connoted God in Jewish scriptures ever since Moses wrote what is called the Shema (Deut. 6:4).
EPH 1:7, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the abundance/riches of God’s grace”.
This refers to salvation promised in the Law and Prophets because of Christ’s death on the cross, and to the redemption that is valued as spiritual wealth, echoing v. 5 and connecting with v. 3 as well as with the grace of God in v.6, even though some may reject it (cf. Eph. 3:8 & 16).
EPH 1:8, “that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding”,
This denotes generosity or fullness, and wisdom and prudence will be mentioned again in Eph. 3:10.
EPH 1:9, “and he revealed to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he himself purposed,”
This mystery/POS will be explained later in this epistle, and per God’s pleasure echoes or parallels 1:5, a technique used throughout this passage.
EPH 1:10, “to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.”
This refers again to God’s POS and mystery, explained later in Ephesians, and the time of fulfillment indicates God’s timing and would have mean the “last days” (in ACTS 2:17, 2TM 3:1 and 2PT 3:3) or “end of the age” (MT 24:3, 10, 19, 21, etc.), when all things are brought together under one head/Jesus, seemingly indicating world unification–but other passages indicate that “all” does not include God’s enemies (1Cor. 15:25). Christ’s first advent was for the purpose of creating his spiritual body/church, but his second coming will be on Judgment Day (Heb. 9:26-28)
EPH 1:11, “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”
“Chosen” means saved by faith in Christ, including Paul, and predestined repeats the term used in v.5 to refer to “from creation” per v.4. according to God’s POS or will as in v. 9-10. God’s sovereignty is stressed by the repetition and means that God is in control of history so that His plan will be achieved as He determines.
EPH 1:12, “in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.”
This refers to Paul and other apostles or disciples of Jesus who received the Gospel before the Ephesians, whose lives should be a reason for praising deity because of the Christlike behavior/love.
EPH 1:13-14, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
The believers being addressed heard Paul’s Gospel and believed, so they received the Holy Spirit, who is like a seal stamped on a letter or an advance deposit on an account, guaranteeing their future in heaven, again so that God would be praised, echoing v.12. EPH 1:3-14 is one sentence in the Greek.
EPH 1:15-16, “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
Faith in Jesus as Lord implies love for all including fellow saved sinners. Paul exemplifies what he teaches in 1Thes. 5:17: Pray continually.
EPH 1:17, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord JC, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”
Paul prays to the Father as Jesus taught in MT 6:9 (glory being mentioned again as a sort of a sub-theme). The Spirit of wisdom is not different from the HS, but rather continuing sanctification, because learning more about God takes a lifetime. Revelation beyond the Gospel must refer to doctrines that build upon the foundational Gospel (Eph. 2:20).
EPH 1:18-19a, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”
This reverence to the “eyes of the heart” must mean the enlightening of the mind, so that they may not remain in the darkened or ignorant of the hope of salvation or resurrection to heaven which Jesus has promised. Jesus said he came to call sinners (Matt. 9:13), that many are invited but few are chosen (Matt. 22:14), and that few find the narrow gate (Matt. 7:14). In Eph. 4:1 Paul will exhort those who are called to be worthy of it. Again the blessing of heaven is called a rich inheritance and also power.
EPH 1:19b-21, “That power is like the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”
God’s power for believers is the same as His power when He resurrected Jesus from the grave and placed Him in charge of heaven–over all and forever on earth and in eternity in heaven.
EPH 1:22-23, “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be the head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
This quote of Psa. 8:6 is found also in 1Cor. 15:27a, and it echoes 1Cor. 15:27b as well as Col. 1:15-19.
EPH 2:1-3, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins wherein you walked when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the children of unbelief. All of us lived among them at one time, participating in the lusts of our sinful flesh and mind, and we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest.”
Sinners are spiritually dead and bound for hell before being saved, when they practiced the morality of the ungodly that is the environment of sinners, and the ruler of the ungodly is the devil or Satan, who indwells atheists and works evil using them.
EPH 2:4-6, “But because of his great love for us, God, being rich in mercy, makes us who are dead in transgressions alive with Christ, saved and being saved by grace. And He raises us up with Him and seats us with Him in the heavens.”
God’s love and for all sinners (per Rom.5:5-8 and 1Tim.2:3-4) and mercy for those who repent transforms those who whose wages were is death (per Rom.6:23) into those who are alive because of faith in Jesus as Lord (per 2Cor.4:5 & Col.2:6). Conversion and sanctification are not by works (per Eph.2:8-10). The future resurrection when the saints will share Christ’s blessings is viewed as being present.
EPH 2:7-10, “In order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
The purpose of God’s POS is that in the present (NT) age God might reveal “the incomparable riches” of eternal life in heaven, experienced as kindness because of the atonement of CJ. Such salvation or heaven is a gift received via faith. All we have is gifted by God per 1Cor. 4:7, and so salvation is not earned; faith is not meritorious. The reason for God’s creation of a holy humanity is so they will reflect His love to all manifested by good works, which are the fruit of the HS (Gal. 5:22-23) and a way of life in which we should walk.
EPH 2:11-12, “Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
This is a flashback to before the salvation described in v. 7b-10, referring to all non-Jews (which brought forward includes Muslims), who are called “uncircumcised” by way of denoting the separation of Israel from the rest of humanity because of the laws promulgated by Moses. Physical circumcision signified obedience of the law for Jews, but for Paul it was a sign of faith and the righteousness of Christ that is imputed or credited to believers in Christ (Rom. 3:21-22, 4:3-24), including Gentiles, who had been separate from both the Old and New Covenants and thus without hope and without God in the world (except for what could be discerned from creation and conscience per RM 1:20 & 2:14-15).
EPH 2:13-17, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.”
“In CJ” was the key phrase in Eph. 1, meaning “because of saving faith” the Gentiles are no longer separate from Jews because of the death of Jesus, which atonement had made moot the separation per two phrases describing the end of separation by fulfilling the reason for the separation: God’s POS was for the Law to prepare the way for the Gospel of salvation for all in Christ. God’s peace plan made possible fellowship with Him and with all people (restating v.15b-16). Christ’s death ended the separation of Jews from others, because God’s POS is for Gentiles as well as for the Jews (through whom Messiah was born).
EPH 2:18-22, “For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
“Through him” = “in Christ”, and access to the Father means spiritual sonship and salvation, as in Rom. 8:1-2 & 14-17. “You” refers to Gentiles, and “God’s people” refers to the Jews, who during the OT dispensation were separated by the barrier mentioned in v.14; fellow citizens = the one new man in v.15. The analogy of one government is augmented by that of one family, built on apostolic preaching of the Gospel of Christ and on the prophetic teaching of the purpose of the OT Law of Moses, the foundation of both being salvation via faith in the ministry of Messiah/Christ, who is cited next. The crux of key part of God’s POS is Christ’s atonement. The analogies of one government and family are augmented by that of one edifice, which expands as new souls convert to faith in Christ and is deemed holy because each member is indwelt by the Holy Spirit per v.18. As in v.19, “you” refers to the Gentiles, who once were dependent on general revelation for salvation but now are joined with the Jews and the OT by the Holy Spirit as in v.18, which indicates the NT.
EPH 3:1-6, “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.”
This epistle should be read with Colossians, which refers to Paul being in chains (Col. 4:3&18). Paul’s assignment is recorded in Acts 9:15-16. Although his focus was the Gentiles, Jews were not excluded per Acts 28:17-23. This mystery was described in Eph. 2:13-22 and is mentioned also in Rom. 11:25 & 16:25 as well as in Colossians. The phrase “as I have already written briefly” could mean “as I have just written”, referring yet a third time to Eph. 2:13-22, which statement is paralleled by Rom. 16:25 & Col. 1:26. Rom. 16:26 indicates that Paul has the writings of the OT prophets in mind, as Jesus explained per Luke 24:45-47.
EPH 3:7-9, “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.”
This reiterates v. 2. The reference to “the working of his power” is vague, but it might refer to the “Damascus Road” (cf. the comment regarding Eph. 1:1). Regarding “the unsearchable riches of Christ”, see the comment on Eph. 1:1&10. Riches will be mentioned again in Eph. 3:16 (cf. Col. 1:27, Rom. 9:23 & 11:33). “Everyone” must include the Jews, and “administration” must include revelation and explanation of the mystery (cf. Eph. 1:9-10 & 2:11-22).
EPH 3:10-11, “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“Intent” refers to the mystery in v.4-9, and “now” means now revealed as in v.5. “Church” refers to the body of Christ in 1:22-23 (cf. Col.1:24). “Wisdom of God” = the Gospel (1Cor. 1:17-24 & 2:7). This concept is found in Eph. 1:21 & echoed in EPH 6:12 & COL 1:16. The “eternal purpose” or POS was introduced in Eph. 1:9-10.
EPH 3:12-13, “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.”
“In him” is the thematic or key phrase introduced in Eph. 1:3, and by now it should be clearly understood that it refers to saving faith “in” the Lord JC (Eph. 1:17). Approaching God implies a saved relationship with God (as in Heb. 4:16 & 1John 3:21 & 5:14). Paul’s sufferings result from being a prisoner in chains per Eph. 3:1 & 6:20. Paul viewed suffering for Christ as a privilege (per Phil. 1:29-30) and an opportunity for learning how to be content in all situations (Phil.4:11-13).
EPH 3:14-17a, “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”
Paul prays for the Ephesians not to be discouraged, apparently continuing the line of thought that began in v.1, and kneeling indicates humility (cf. Phil. 2:10, Rom. 14:11). The exact meaning of this regarding the “name” is unclear. Paul referred to the riches of Christ in Eph. 3:8, 2:4 & 7 and 1:18. God’s power was cited in Eph 3:7 & 1:19, where it referred to raising Christ from the dead. The Spirit was mentioned in Eph. 3:5, 2:18 & 22 and 1:13. Christ’s indwelling is indicated in Rev. 3:20.
EPH 3:17b-19, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God.”
Perhaps the context of this prayer is 1Cor. 13:1-13 or Rom. 5:5-8 or even John 13:34-35. “Power to grasp” means ability to understand, which Paul hopes all Christians will have. In Paul’s reference to the dimensions of love in physical terms surely means to portray the spiritual dimension of infinite divine love. Although the infinite or supernatural is beyond the ability of finite and fallible humans to comprehend, Paul prays for maximum maturity in this regard, and he tells how to achieve it in the next chapter. Maximum earthly Christ-likeness is viewed as being filled with the Holy Spirit. Again Rom. 5:5-8 may be helpful context—and persevering Spirit-filling should be assumed to be intended, as indicated in Eph. 6:10-18.
EPH 3:20-21, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
“Him” is God the Father per Eph. 3:14 & 19, and “able” refers to omnipotence. Regarding “immeasurably more” than we can imagine, the human mind is not able to imagine alternate reality very well, which includes heaven. “His power that is at work within us” refers to the indwelling HS per Eph. 3:16. “Glory” in the OT meant goodness or praise-worthiness (Exod. 14:4, 1Chron. 16:24-36) and was manifested by light (Luke 2:9). “To him be” expresses Paul’s prayer that the Ephesian church would glorify God by reflecting the love of the Lord. “Throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” seems to restate 1Chron. 16:36.
EPH 4:1-3, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Paul also referred to being “in chains” in Phil. 1: 17 and Col. 4:3. The “calling you have received” is to be holy so God will be praised (cf. Eph. 1:4 & 12). Humility and gentleness are examples of a worthy witness found also in Col. 3:12 (cf. Phil. 2:3) and imply having concern for the welfare of others. Love and patience as well as gentleness and kindness are fruit of the Spirit (per Gal. 5:22-23), and God’s love is defined as patience (in 2Pet. 3:9) and kindness (in Rom. 2:4). “Unity of the Spirit” is what Jesus prayed for (in John 17:20-23) and what Paul urged also along with bearing with each other (in Col. 3:13-14, cf. Rom. 15:5). “Peace” is an expression of love urged also in Col. 3:15 and 2Cor. 13:11, requiring effort also in Rom. 14:19.
EPH 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
The “one body” is the spiritual body of Christ mentioned again in Eph. 4:16 and elaborated in 1Cor. 12:12-27. The body is the dwelling in which God lives per Eph. 2:22, which is equated with the church of Christ in Col. 1:18 and called one body also in Col. 3:15. The “one Spirit” is the HS (Acts 2:4, 33, 38, etc.), who is “of God” and “of Christ” per Rom. 8:9, whose baptism and filling were manifested by speaking unlearned languages in Acts 2:4, boldness in Acts 4:31, joy in Acts 13:52 and love per 1John 4:12 & Gal. 5:22. “One hope” is heaven or glory through faith in the Gospel (Col. 1:23 & 27), which is the proper motivation for seeking salvation (Rom. 5:1-5, 8:18-25). “When you were called” may mean when they responded to God’s call and called on God or repented of atheism at their conversion (Rom. 10:9-13).
“One Lord” is God (Gen. 2:4 through Mal. 3:7), who is invisible as Spirit (Gen. 1:2, 1John 4:12, Col. 1:15), and who is incarnate as Jesus (John 1:1&14, Acts 16:31). “One faith” is in God as first manifested by Abraham (Rom. 4:1-25) and faith in the Son of God as preached by the Gospel (Rom. 1:1-6). “One baptism” surely refers to the baptism by the Spirit into Christ’s body (1Cor. 12:13), which is professed by the work or act of confessing Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:913) and signified by the rite of water baptism instead of circumcision (Col. 2:11-13). “One God and Father of all” is the Shema (Deut. 6:4), and God is the Creator of all else that exists (Gen. 1:1) but the Father only of all who reflect His love (Deut. 6:5, Matt. 22:37) and receive the Spirit of sonship that makes believers co-heirs of heaven with Christ (Rom. 8:14-17). “Who is over all and through all and in all” indicates that God’s omnipotence includes omnipresence, so that nature is supernatural, echoing what Paul told the Athenians in Acts 17:24-28.
EPH 4:7-10, “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: ‘When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.’ (What does ‘he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)”
Paul had been citing things that are “one” or the same, and “but” indicates that grace is not always manifested in the same way. Paul cites Psalm 68:18 as indicating the incarnate Christ would descend to earth and then ascend to regain divine omnipotence and omnipresence (cf. Phil. 2:5-11). Some of the various gifts included in grace will now be listed.
EPH 4:11-13, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Christ appointed apostles to preach the Gospel where they were sent (the term “apostle” means “one who is sent with authority to speak for the sender”). Because the other roles mentioned here are primarily found in the NT, it appears that the term “prophets” in this verse is akin to the role found in 1Cor. 12:28-29 rather than to the OT prophets (cf. Matt. 7:15, 22, 10:41 & 24:24). “Evangel” means good news, so this role is telling the Gospel, which is the English translation (cf. Acts 21:8 & 2Tim. 4:5). The Greek word for “pastors and teachers” indicates translating “and” as a hyphen: pastors-teachers in order to indicate the main role of a pastor should be teaching God’s Word. The purpose of all of these roles is to disciple believers for the good works mentioned in Eph. 2:10 (cf. 2Tim. 3:15-17), and the purpose of discipleship is to edify the body or church of Christ. Christ’s body is edified as it increases in spiritual unity, which was the prayer of Jesus (in John 17:20-23). Knowledge of the Son of God is achieved as believers learn God’s Word beyond how to be saved (cf. Heb. 6:1-2, 1Cor. 3:1-3, John 16:12-15). The attainment of spiritual maturity was Paul’s prayer in Eph. 3:14-19, referring to love as the indication of being filled with the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5, Gal. 5:6).
EPH 4:14-16, “Then we will no longer be infants tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
One might wonder how Paul came up with this mixed metaphor! Perhaps tossed “twigs” and blown “leaves” would have been better? Hopefully he would not have in mind quarreling Christians, who should discuss Scripture regarding God’s love truthfully. Returning to the infants metaphor, Christians should become adults in every way, especially including unity as one body of Christ. Paul seems to know anatomy as well as theology. Paul again emphasizes love, like John quoted Jesus doing (John 13:34-35, 17:20-23, 1John 4:7-21).
EPH 4:17-19, “So I tell you this and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.”
Paul speaks of the atheist Gentiles, not the ones who have believed the Gospel. Like the Jews who reject Christ, they foolishly harden their hearts against learning God’s Gospel, which means they have no moral compass. Paul commands the Ephesian believers not to think that because they have received forgiveness and share Christ’s righteousness that this gives them license to sin.
[p.2, #39 + p.3 #50 = #54]