Ephesians - Come Follow Me with Sam

     Welcome!

With my new calling in my unity, my normal time for writing my blog posts has been interrupted. I'm playing some catch-up today!

Top 3 things to think about in Ephesians

1. 1:10 and 3:2

10 That in the ^adispensation of the fulness of times he might ^bgather together in one ^call things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

2 If ye have heard of the ^adispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

Paul literally talks about the dispensations both during and after his ministry. Dispensations are either directly or indirectly referenced in other places in the New Testament as well. Many Christians has assumed that the dispensation where Christ came down is the last dispensation, but Paul knew that there was a dispensation of the grace of Christ, and later there would be a dispensation where all things became one in Christ later, which Joseph Smith would open up. Paul uses very similar language to Joseph Smith, especially when talking about the dispensation of the grace of God. He establishes who it is toward, who is giving it, discusses authority, and establishes something of the mission of that dispensation.

2. 1:5,11

5 Having ^apredestinated us unto the ^badoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being ^apredestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

The come follow me commentary discusses lightly that predestination does not mean that our salvation or damnation was decided before our earthly existence; rather, we were foreordained.

I'd like to dive a little more into that. The understanding of the word is much better supported as foreordained, etymologically, contextually and doctrinally and I'd like to show you some of the supports for that.

all references to predestination in the new testament are deerived from the greek word proorizein. This is defined in strongest strongs concordance as 'to predestine, decide beforehand, predestinate, determine before, ordain. 

There are some circular definitions there, so we will need to break down the english word predestine, but we can already see that this is a decision and a determination and an ordination beforehand. Some falsely assume that this is a determination of SALVATION beforehand but we can see this is an extrapolation. All we should say is that we were for-ordained for certain things; not salvation itself, and not even specifically that we are forced to do those things, only that there was a determination beforehand that we should be the person(s) to do them.

Websters 1828 definition of predestine, which is getting closer to the meaning of the word is 

To predetermine or foreordain; to appoint or ordain beforehand by an unchangeable purpose.

notice that ordain is highly emphasized. Also that this is an appointment or ordination, not strictly an action or outcome.

From the Latin, we have prae + destinare, which means appoint or determine before.

There was attestation of this use during the time of the writing of the King James bible to specifically mean salvation or eternal life was pre-determined, but this is not what the original greek of the bible manuscripts or the original latin of the english meaning said.

3. 4:1 

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk ^aworthy of the ^bvocation wherewith ye are called,

The Catholics understand vocation to a degree that I think we could learn of how seriously they take this word. I think this serious consideration would be pleasing to Paul.