STUDY OF EPHESIANS

LESSON SIX

GOD'S FAMILY PLANNING

Ephesians 1:4-6 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.

  1. BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD
    1. God is from everlasting to everlasting. Psalm 90:1-2
    2. Jesus, the word was in the beginning with God.
          John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

          verse 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

      1. The Greek word logos (logos) translated Word is more than the spoken word. It could just as well refer to reason. It has been speculated that John is dealing with or at least denying the Gnostic beliefs prevalent at that time. A late date cannot be assigned to John on this basis. False knowledge was apparently being propagated through out the early centuries AD. Recent conservative scholarship is assigning a first century date to John. John, for what ever reason, chose this word to express the Savior. He is the only one to use the word in this way. According to scholars the Greek grammar of this passage is the Word was God; and the phrase could not mean God equals the Word. They were one, but not one and the same. We probably lack the knowledge, at least now, to fully understand the phrase. However, see following:
      2. The Word was already in existence to become flesh. According to verse 18 Jesus declared God. God in the Old Testament was not for the most part approachable by man. Jesus, however, as the word and with him from the beginning could declare him. God declared himself by his word and therefore, by declaring God, Jesus was the word. John does not have to be dealing with Gnostics at all but he is in opposition to what they taught, when ever they taught it. Jesus did not come into existence and then become the son as some Gnostics would teach. Still other Gnostics would try to maintain an aura of secrecy, not so with Jesus as the Word declaring God.
      3. The idea of God speaking things into existence is often thought of in this passage; however, God did not speak Christ into existence. The passage clearly declares that the Word was in the beginning (existing with) with God.
      4. Other passages to follow clearly show that God's plan was before the foundation of the world. Throughout the Old Testament the plan develops and was written and prophesied about. The Old Testament writings were what the Jewish people had to build all their hopes and dreams on. Jesus, as the fulfillment of God's plan as recorded in those writings was the Word personified and manifested. Jesus was the completed plan of God. He was the logos because he was the revealed plan of God.
    3. Jesus was before all things
        Colossians 1:16-17 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
      1. According to verse 19 all the fullness dwells in Jesus. Considering that fullness means to fill up, this agrees with the thoughts above.
      2. In verses 19-20, it pleased God to reconcile all things to himself by Christ.
  2. Moses told of things which were a part of God's plan.
    1. The rest -- "On the seventh day God rested" --
      1. In the Genesis account, chapter 2, verses 1 though 3, it is interesting that the statement, "So the evening and the morning were the seventh day." is not present as it is for the other days.
      2. In Hebrews 3:4 - 4:11, God's rest is spoken of in various ways.
        1. Some Israelites could not enter because they hardened their hearts and did not remain faithful.
        2. Some did not obey and could not enter.
        3. Their disobedience stemmed from unbelief.
        4. There remained a rest that those, to whom HEBREWS was written, could enter into if they remained steadfast.
      3. Jesus completed the things necessary so that the awaited rest was attainable.
    2. Adam' sin -- Jesus' salvation
      1. In Genesis 3:15, Resulting from Adam's sin what is considered to be the first prophecy is recorded as being spoken to Satan by God.
      2. In Genesis 3:17-19, As a result of his sin, Adam is told to he must work the ground until he returns to it.
      3. New Testament references compare Adam to Christ.
        1. By Adam came judgment yielding death. By Christ came righteousness yielding life. -- Romans 5:12-19 (See also I Corinthians 15:22)
        2. The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life giving spirit. -- I Corinthians 15:45
    3. A promise to Abraham fulfilled in Christ.
      1. In Genesis 12:3 the promise is made to Abraham that in him all nations of the earth would be blessed.
      2. Galatians 3:16-17 explains that this promise was fulfilled in Christ.
    4. Melchizedek is briefly mentioned.
      1. In Genesis 14:18-20 Abraham pays tithes to Melchizedek.
      2. In Hebrews chapters 5 through 7 we find that Christ is after the order of Melchizedek. Some significant points are listed in chapter 7.
        1. He had no father or mother.
        2. He was greater than Abraham.
        3. Levi as a descendant of Abraham paid tithes to him through Abraham.
        4. The priesthood of Melchizedek was superior to that of Moses' law.
  3. Predestined to adoption
    1. Definitions
      1. From The EXPOSITOR'S GREEK TESTAMENT - Ephesians by S.D.F. SALMOND.

          "It appears to be taken from the Roman custom with which Paul could not fail to be acquainted. Among the Jews there were cases of informal adoption, as in the instance of Mordecai and Esther (Esth. ii. 7). But adoption in the sense of legal transference of a child to a family to which it did not belong by birth had no place in the Jewish law." "Thus among the Romans a citizen might receive a child who was not his own by birth into his family and give him his name but he could do so only by a formal act, attested by witnesses, and the son thus adopted had in all its entirety the position of a child by birth, with all the rights and all the obligations pertaining to that. By 'adoption' therefore, Paul does not mean the bestowal of the full privileges of the family on those who ware sons by nature but the acceptance into the family of those who do not by nature belong to it, and the placing of those who are not sons originally and by right in the relation proper to those who are sons by birth. Christ; alone, is the Son of God by nature. So Paul regards our son ship, not as lying in the natural relation in which men stand to God as his children, but as implying a new relation of grace, founded on a covenant relation of God and on the work of Christ (Gal. iv: 5ff).

      2. VINCENT'S WORD STUDIES U`ioqesi[a adoption, is from u`i[o" son, and qe[si" a setting or placing.
    2. Uses
      1. Romans 8:11-17 -- We cry "abba Father" by the spirit of adoption as opposed to the spirit of bondage.
        1. In this text, verse 14, the sons of God are those led by the Spirit of God.
        2. Other verses to consider from Romans are:
          1. Romans 7:25-8:1- walk according to Spirit, not flesh
          2. Romans 8:2 -- Law of the spirit of life in Christ makes one free from the law of sin and death. (see also Romans 6:4-9)
          3. Romans 8:5 -- those who live according to the Spirit have set their mind on things of the Spirit
      2. Romans 8:18-13 -- Adoption involved manifestation or revealing of the sons of God and the redemption of their body.
      3. Romans 9:3-5 -- Israel's adoption
      4. Galatians 4:1-7 -- Those under the law needed to be redeemed to receive adoption. Those under the law were considered to be in slavery -- that is under tutelage of the Law. Gentiles could be sons also according to 3:26-29.
    3. The children of God are:
      1. Those who receive Him.
      2. Those who believe in His name.
      3. Those born of God.
        John 1:12-13 says:
          But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
      4. Those led by the Spirit of God - Romans 8:14 (already noted)
      5. The process of adoption is summed up in Galatians 3:26-29
          For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise
QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS

STUDIES OF EPHESIANS

LESSON 6

  1. Explain everlasting to everlasting. Psalms 90:1-2
  2. Using what ever you have, look up "word" or "logos" and elaborate on it's use in John chapter one.
  3. What beginning is John talking about when he says, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."? Does God have a beginning?
  4. Explain the ending of the seventh day.
  5. Give some contrasts between Adam and Christ.
  6. Explain the purpose of The Law in God's plan.
  7. Why might some Jews have objected to Jesus being Christ because he was from the tribe of Judah? What does Melchizedek have to do with the answers to this concern?
  8. What does "Christ" mean?
  9. What characteristic does one take on by being "born again through the word?"
  10. Explain the adoption process.
  11. When do\did we began\begin enjoying the rights of being God's children?
  12. Has the manifestation that we are children taken place yet?