3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
The Godhead is clearly asserted here just as it was in the previous verses. It is interesting that Paul seeks to bless the Lord as He blesses us. Also of note is the type of blessing that we are promised: not material blessings (though He is often gracious to provide those too) but rather spiritual blessings. It is clear that those blessings are found in one place – in Christ – and because of that we receive all of the spiritual blessings, not because we are worthy of them, but because He is, and we are in Him. Everything that follows the first colon at the end of verse three is said to support that concept. There is no blessing apart from Him, and He is primarily concerned with eternal things rather than temporal.
Verses four and five often attract trouble as predestination tends to be a worrisome topic for many. Careful reading of the passage makes the issue simple, but not necessarily easy, as it can be difficult to silence the noise of our experiences, prejudices, and pet doctrines in order to allow Scripture to speak for itself. As such, we will take the topic measure by measure.
The only references with the word “predestination” (or a variant of the word) are found in Romans 8:29, Romans 8:30, Ephesians 1:5, and Ephesians 1:11. Many look to these verses to establish a doctrine that claims God knew beforehand all those would ever live, and then pre-selected whom He would save, and whom He would not. As it stands, this is not far from the truth. However, many slip into error by taking this notion too far, reasoning that salvation is some sort of lottery, and that those who are saved are saved in spite of their individual will, and those that are damned are damned in spite of their individual will.
This doctrine, often embraced by Calvinists, cannot stand in light of the clear teaching of Scripture. If the saved are saved in spite of their will, and the lost are damned in spite of their will, then we cannot help but question the “whosever” passages found in Scripture. Let us take the example made popular by its clear gospel and undeniable simplicity: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever beliveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Referencing any dictionary confirms the definition of “whosoever,” but Webster’s 1828 Dictionary provides an immediately clear meaning: “of any person whatever.” If Christ means exactly what He says to Nicodemus, then anyone who is willing can and will be saved by placing faith in Christ. We could add to this John 4:13-14, Acts 10:43, Romans 10:13, and I John 4:15 to make the point conclusively; or, in reverse, we could look to Revelation 20:15 to see the all-inclusive option of damnation. The concept is not difficult; it is only made difficult when we refuse to hear it over the noise of our preconceived ideas, which often require us to perform theological backflips to explain away the simplicity that is in Christ (II Corinthians 11:3) when it does not match the rest of our doctrine. Holding the Calvinist doctrine would also force us to ignore the impassioned pleas of the apostles and other disciples throughout history, who suffered to proclaim the gospel to the lost. If God has pre-selected these individuals, and they will be saved regardless of their individual wills, then what madness would cause evangelical Christians to bleed and die needlessly?
I said that the Calvinist notion that God pre-selected the saved and the lost is not far from the truth. Let us explore that by first returning to the four verses in which the word “predestination” (or a variant) appears. In each instance, the word is found in context of being in Christ (Romans 8:1, 2, 39 and Ephesians 1:4, 6-7, 10-11). This prepositional phrase, used so liberally in relation to predestination, is crucial, so a brief grammar lesson is in order. Most any grammar or writing handbook will include an explanation of the purpose and proper use of a preposition, but three include details that will be beneficial for us here. The first comes from High School Subject Self Taught (1959), which states, “A preposition is a word used to connect a noun or pronoun (which usually follows the preposition) with some other word or words, in such a away that the preposition and its following noun or pronoun (with modifiers, if any) are related to the other word or words. Prepositions usually express position, direction, time, means, or a similar abstract relation” (Copeland 349). The second comes from the 2007 edition Diana Hacker’s popular text A Writer’s Reference, which adds to the concept by saying, “Prepositional phrases function as adjectives or adverbs. When functioning as an adjective, a prepositional phrase nearly always appears immediately following the noun or pronoun it modifies. Adjective phrases answer one or both of the questions Which one? and What kind of?” It goes on to say, “Adverbial prepositional phrases that modify the verb can appear nearly anywhere in a sentence. Adverbial word groups usually answer one of these questions: When? Where? How? Under what conditions? To what degree?” (Hacker 502-503). The third is found in The Simon and Shuster Handbook for Writers (2017): “Prepositions are words that convey relationships, usually of time or space” (Troyka and Hesse 435). Before applying these explanations, it seems worth noting that some modern grammar and writing books fail to explain the purpose of the preposition in favor of simply listing examples of commonly misused prepositional phrases and tips for avoiding such misuses. It is no wonder that some contemporary readers lack a sense of clarity when reading a grammatically precise text such as the Authorized Version!
Let us now apply our grammatical foundation to the issue at hand. The emphasis in Ephesians, particularly chapter one, is our position in Christ. That is the very purpose of a prepositional phrase: to provide the positional relationships among the nouns and verbs in the rest of the sentence. The prepositional phrases we are focused on here function as adverbs, giving us crucial elaboration on the when, where, how, under what conditions, and to what degree. In a chapter so heavily emphasizing this positional relationship with Christ – specifically being in Him – why would we suddenly choose to alter the emphasis here? Hoffman summarizes the problem well when he says, “The Calvinist focuses upon the words chosen us rather than in Him meaning in Christ” (1747). In short, they fail to read and properly account for the prepositional phrase (“in Him”) functioning as an adverb modifying the verb (“chosen”) and the direct object (“us”)! Furthermore, they ignore another important prepositional phrase found in the first verse of the next chapter: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” It is clear that before we are alive in Christ (I Corinthians 15:22), we “were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). This would make the argument that we were saved before placing our faith in Christ and thus being seated with Him awfully difficult. If we were to skip ahead, Ephesians 2:4-7 conclusively shows this.
There is more to be mined here, however. The series of colons in this complete grammatical statement are also of importance, requiring another brief grammar lesson. Once again turning to a series of resources, we find in High School Subject Self Taught (1959) that “A colon (:) generally indicates a gap in the thought, but a gap that is to be completed by something immediately following” (Copeland 384). That straightforward, albeit generic explanation provides all that is needed, but for the sake of making the point, we could also turn to Easy Writer (2015): “Use a colon to introduce an explanation, an example, an appositive, a series, a list, or a quotation” (Lunsford 147). Those will be useful in a moment, but once again, we also find modern instruction in the English language lacking. Such use of the colon has fallen out of favor today, as The Simon and Shuster Handbook for Writers (2017) reduces the use of the colon to anticipating a list, an appositive, or a quotation (Troyka and Hesse 617). Paul’s usage does not quite fit any of the conditions listed there, which would leave anyone dependent on that text (or a similar text) puzzled by Paul’s writing.
What we find in Ephesians 1:3-6 (and in much of Paul’s writing) is a series of thoughts unfolding as a result of each other, much like a row of dominos tipping over in sequence after the first one is set in motion. Each thought opens and explains the previous thought. So in function, the colon is an unspoken bridge. Armed with a fresh understanding of the prepositions and colons, let us re-read the passage, underlining the prepositional phrases, articulating the questions answered by the prepositional phrases, and indicating the forward momentum created by the colons with an arrow. We will find that the precise grammar of the Authorized Version deftly weaves together the biblical doctrine of predestination:
3 Blessed be the God and Father (Which one?) of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us (How?) with all spiritual blessings (Where?) in heavenly places (How? Under what conditions?) in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us (Where? How? Under what conditions?) in him (When?) before the foundation (Which one?) of the world, that we should be holy and (To what degree?) without blame (Where?) before him (Where? How? Under what conditions?) in love: 5 Having predestinated us (Where?) unto the adoption (What kind?) of children (How?) by Jesus Christ (Where? To what degree?) to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted (Where? How? Under what conditions?) in the beloved.
Naturally, there are some shades of function and usage in language, as it is a living, dynamic thing from generation to generation. As such, there may be some that would disagree with the grammatical approach to the passage for one reason or another. So, lest we be in danger of a private interpretation (as sound as that interpretation appears to be), let us consider additional cross-references that can add to our understanding of this topic. After all, the safest place is not in a dictionary or a grammar handbook, but in God’s word, where He sets his own definitions and rules of usage.
Because we have already addressed the four instances of the term “predestination” being used in Scripture, our cross-references will need to focus on the related word found in Ephesians 1:4. The very idea of predestination – whether the biblical view or the Calvinist view – hinges on God’s choosing, so the use of that term elsewhere in Scripture will shed more light on the process and criteria by which God determines the destinies of men. We can find these relevant cross-references in John 15:16, II Thessalonians 2:13-14, I Peter 1:19-20, and II Timothy 1:9-10.
First, as we have already seen, the choosing in Ephesians 1:4 is modified by “in Him,” plainly stating how the choosing is done. However, some run to John 15:16 to contend with this. There Christ says to His disciples, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” While this might seem troubling at first glance, the context of the chapter is service to Christ and bearing fruit for Him, not salvation. Therefore, the choosing addressed in John 15:16 cannot apply to the choosing addressed in Ephesians 1:4.
II Thessalonians 2:13-14 is another commonly used verse, where Paul states, “But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” If we approach it with a preconceived notion, then we might be misled, but the internal evidence of the verse already negates a Calvinistic view of predestination. The key, once again, lies in the prepositional phrases. To what are we chosen? Salvation. How are we chosen to it? Through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. How are we sanctified? In Christ Jesus (I Corinthians 1:2, Hebrews 10:4). How do we get in Christ Jesus? By the belief of the truth (consider also the second half of John 3:16 which says “whosoever beliveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”). Whereunto are we sanctified and believed the truth? By Paul’s gospel. To what end? To obtaining the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is as if Paul works backwards through the process of salvation, explaining exactly how a person gets chosen by God: we want to escape hell and be in glory with Christ, and so we hear the gospel, believe the truth, and sanctified by the Spirit for service, because we are now in Christ, and therefore chosen.
Turning to I Peter 1:19-20 reveals that Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world. For our purposes here, we will focus on Christ’s foreordination before the foundation of the world; we will address the topic of ordination in more detail when we arrive at Ephesians 2:10. Ephesians 1:4 begins with “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.” The verse makes it plain that we are chosen in Him. The reason this must occur in Him is because neither you, nor I, nor any other member of mankind, existed before the foundation of the world, or even at the foundation of it! At that moment, Christ was the only One who could be fore-anything! Yes, God certainly knew that we would exist, but we will address that kind of objection more in a moment. For right now, let us deal with what Scripture plainly says. Christ existed before the foundation of the word, He was foreordained at that time, and only by being placed in Him does the same then apply to us. Prior to being in Him, Scripture makes it plain that we were in Adam, and thus in our sins (I Corinthians 15:17, I Corinthians 15:22, John 8:24, Colossians 2:13). In short, Christ is the righteous One who was chosen by God; if anyone wishes to be “predestined,” then he or she must find a way to be in Him, the very phrase that occurs twenty-one times in the six chapters of Ephesians and nineteen times in the sixteen chapters of Romans, which happen to be the only two books that directly mention the idea of predestination.
II Timothy 1:9-10 concludes the cross-references nicely. There we see that salvation was only given to us in Christ before the world began. So we see from Scripture that God does in fact pre-select whom He will save, and whom He will damn: the saved are all those who choose to be in Christ, and the damned are all those who reject salvation. It is not some supernatural lottery that we hope to win. It is salvation through the gospel to any and all who believe. Romans 3:21-26 bolsters the point here further.
As I said, the issue is simple, but not always easy, and it is good to remember that many people have honest questions about the issue, so let us further explore the questions that often trouble people. Objections are sometimes made on the grounds that God made us the way we are (Psalm 139:13-16), already knows everything (Psalm 139:1-4, Psalm 147:5, Hebrews 4:13, and I John 3:20), and that His will cannot be thwarted (Job 42:2 and Isaiah 46:9-10); so how could we not be “predestined” in the Calvinist sense? This line of thinking may make sense on the surface, but it fails to account for God’s stated will (for example, John 3:16, Acts 2:21, Acts 10:43, Romans 10:13, and II Peter 3:9). It also mistakes fore-knowledge for forced-knowledge.
Fore-knowledge and forced-knowledge can be illustrated in any classroom. A teacher has a predetermined set of criteria for a passing grade in the course before the students ever set foot in the classroom, indeed before the teacher has even seen the names on the roster. All students who meet the criteria will pass the course, and all who do not will fail the course. Likewise, based on a student’s habits and performance, a teacher may know in advance that a student will not pass the class. However, that does not mean that the teacher pre-grades the student, placing an F in the grade book in advance. Nor does it mean that the teacher forces the student to do poorly on assignments. The teacher simply knows, and any good teacher would persistently continue to provide the kind of instruction and support that student needs in hopes that the student will adjust habits and performance in response. In other words, a good teacher would be longsuffering (II Peter 3:9). However, a teacher would also not strive endlessly with a student (Genesis 6:3), nor would the teacher compromise the standards and expectations of the class for the student (Leviticus 20:7, I Peter 1:15-16). Eventually, the teacher has done all that he can do for the student, and eventually the student must be held accountable. More importantly, eventually the school year comes to an end, and the student must reap what has been sown.
This parallel falls short, naturally, as the differences between a flawed human teacher and the Lord Almighty are many. Likewise, the expectations of a literature class or a chemistry class may exceed a student’s natural ability; however God in His grace has provided “course work” for the church age, and the predetermined criteria for “passing” are such that any and all can complete: trust the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ! Meeting the criteria of being in the Lord Jesus Christ means that we are appointed to a passing grade (I Thessalonians 5:9). To return to our class example, it is as if we get to put our name on the work of the only student ever to receive an A in the course; once again, the parallel breaks down as this would be cheating that compromises a school grade, but hopefully this illustrates the point well enough.
Romans 8:29-30, one of the four places in Scripture that directly addresses predestination, ties predestination to God’s foreknowledge. Hoffman explains the verses well:
The foreknowledge of God precedes predestination and election (I Peter 1:2). God knows who will or will not accept the Lord Jesus before He mandates anything. Predestination and election are associated with sanctification and service, not salvation. God predestines a saved person to be conformed to the image of His Son, not to become a son. The final destination of the believer is sinless heaven with a sinless body, soul, and spirit (Revelation 21:27). (1681)
This aligns perfectly with the doctrine we have seen elsewhere in Scripture, and wrests Romans 8:28 from the grossly decontextualized ideas attempting to apply it to temporal blessings, and returns it to its rightful place pointing the believer to the blessing of the end destination, not the path God charts for us between here and there.
Before bringing this issue to a close, there is one other question that we should consider. Does the fruit of Calvinism produce an evangelical approach in line with the rest of Scripture? How could it? Quite the contrary, if embraced literally, the Calvinist doctrine of predestination absolves us from responsibility. The soul-winner’s efforts are wasted, and the sinner has no urgency about his sin, because God has already made all the eternal choices for us. In reality, God has chosen to provide a means of salvation, and chosen to allow us the free will to choose whether or not we will accept it. While He knows what we will choose, He does not force the choice, and indeed “is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9).
In sum, the plain truth in Ephesians 1:3-6 is 1) God's foreknowledge allowed Him to know "before the foundation," 2) He has always had a plan based on that foreknowledge, 3) that it pleases Him to adopt us, and 4) the whole matter brings glory to His name. The key phrase to refute false doctrine here is "by Jesus Christ." This is how salvation is accomplished, and thus when cross-referenced we find the way of coming to Christ is not exclusive to a mythological "predestined" group. These verses also make it plain that salvation is not of our works: all of the action verbs here are attributed to the Lord. The Calvinist concept of predestination is insupportable based on Scriptural cross-referencing and a grade school understanding of prepositional phrases and punctuation. The thought is expressed in a more complex syntax that modern audiences are accustomed to, but His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways. How often are we simply too lazy to follow what God is saying in favor of our decontextualized, “sound bite” reading of Scripture?
At risk of belaboring these verses, let us quickly note a few other things that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to include in progressively unfolding thought of verses 3-6. Verse four says that “we should be holy and without blame before him,” which is referencing when the Church, the bride of Christ, stands before Him, and the final dross of our sinful natures is removed so that we will be perfected and presented to Him. We will address more about the Church as the Bride of Christ in the fifth chapter of Ephesians. Verse five notes that we are predestined “unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,” which is one of the immediate effects of saving faith in Christ. For further study on this, see John 1:12 and Galatians 4:5-7. The end of verse five notes that this is all “according to the good pleasure of his will.” What an encouraging thought that our adoption into His family pleases God! For further study on this, see Romans 10:17, I Corinthians 1:2, and Galatians 3:8. Finally, verse six establishes that “he hath made us accepted in the beloved,” concluding the entire grammatical thought with the key idea of being in Christ. It also highlights that God is the one doing all of the action of salvation: we are not self-made in any way.
Admittedly, it seems as if we have bitten off more than we can chew here, and even I have thought once or twice throughout this exposition if it would be wiser to approach the verses individually rather than in this large section. However, it is important that all of these ideas are in one, complete, grammatical sentence. While there is certainly nothing wrong with taking it bit by bit, we also should not forget God’s intent for this to be one thought. Diverse as they might seem, the ideas are all connected: three times the idea of us being in Him is used as Paul addresses spiritual blessings, one of which is the manner of achieving and logic behind being found in Him. The colons are key here, as they signal the elaboration of the preceding idea. So the pattern goes 1) Blessed in Christ, because 2) those in Him are chosen to be before Him holy and without blame, because 3) those in Him are destined to be adopted as His children by His grace that allows us to be accepted in the beloved, which is His will. It is a long, complex thought, but a glorious one when properly read.
NEXT IN THIS SERIES:
Ephesians 1:7-12
Sources Referenced:
Copeland, Lewis. High School Subjects Self Taught, Volume II. Garden City Books, 1959.
Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference. 6th ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007.
Hoffman, David Allen. The Common Man’s Study Bible. 3rd ed., Bible Baptist Church (Rensselar, IN) and First Baptist Church (Lowell, IN), 2014.
Lunsford, Andrea A. Easy Writer: A High School Reference. 5th ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2015.
Troka, Lynn Quitman and Douglas Hesse. Simon and Shuster Handbook for Writers. 11th ed., Pearson, 2017.
Webster, Noah. Noah Webster’s First Edition of an American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Foundation for American Christian Education, 1967.
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