The
Use of the Word “us” in the Epistle to the Ephesians
The
saints at Northwest Bible Fellowship have recently begun doing a
study on Ephesians on the Wednesday night small groups. In response
to this, I started reading a little bit of Ephesians here and there,
and was curious to know how often the word “us” appears
throughout this epistle. The theme of Ephesians could be considered
to be the riches that the Church (universal) has in Christ and all
that He has done for us.
There
are seventeen times “us” is used, in a total of fifteen verses. I
would like to consider each one briefly. Bold italics will all be
mine for emphasis.
–
Eph.
1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has blessed us
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
Here,
God the Father has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. The KJV
translates the second part more specifically saying: “who hath
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
Christ.
It is in Christ that we receive every spiritual blessing.
–
Eph.
1:4 “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:”
The
Father has chosen us in Christ from before the foundation of the
world not who would have eternal life as some suppose, but that we
should be holy and blameless before Him. Because Christ is holy and
blameless, all who are chosen in Him will be as well.
–
Eph.
1:5 “Having predestinated us
unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the
good pleasure of His will,”
It
pleased God to mark out before hand believers to be adopted into the
family of God. Here, the controversial doctrine of predestination is
brought up. Some suppose that predestination is to eternal life, but
I would disagree. Read the verse again, and you will see that in this
verse predestination is to adoption, a legal term related to sonship.
In the eleventh verse, the word comes up again in past tense form,
but it is the same Greek word that is used. There we read about how
we are predesinated to an inheritance in Christ. Now predestination
literally means to “mark out beforehand”, so these are things for
which believers have been marked out beforehand. The other passage
where predestination occurs is in Romans 8:28-30 where we read that
it is conformity to the image of Christ that to which we are
predestined. I believe that adoption, conformity to the image of
Christ, and the obtaining of an inheritance are all related, as only
sons receive an inheritance, and we are adopted into the family of
God making us sons, and as sons, our final goal is to be conformed to
be made like the Son of God. Only believers have the blessing of
predestination, it never applies to unbelievers, and it never applies
to forgiveness of sins, so anyone can be predestined so long as they
accept Christ as their savior. This verse details the great
benevolence of God, all this was done because it was His will, and
that it was for His pleasure. Christ wasn’t pleased to merely save
us, but to bring us into the family of God.
–Eph.
1:6 “To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made
us
accepted
in the beloved.”
After
explaining how Christ has marked out beforehand the adoption of sons
for His pleasure and good will, and we praise him for His wonderful
grace, which made us accepted in the one who is loved who is Christ.
