ephesians 1 a la abbykk

yesterday i preached on ephesians 1 at mbcc. the translation we are using for this series on ephesians is the translation i completed during my greek intensive in january with the help of dr. polly coote. below is the translation of the first chapter, the questions i asked mbcc, and some form of the thoughts i tried to share. it's the outline of what i worked with, but for anyone who has been a part of a worship where the sermon involves discussion, what i start with or expect is never exactly what happens. its beauty is in the unpredictability and the places where wisdom surprises us.

EPHESIANS 1

Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, to the ones who are in Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace for you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God the father of the Lord of us, Jesus Christ, the one who blesses us with each spiritual blessing in the heavenly things in Christ.

As God chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, for us to be holy and blameless in front of him in love, predestining us for the purpose of adoption by means of Jesus Christ into him, according to the favor of his will, for glorious praise of his grace, which favored us in the beloved.

In whom we have the redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of the transgressions because of the wealth of his grace, which God made abound for us in all wisdom and in understanding, making known to us the mystery of his will according to his pleasure, which he planned by it, for the purpose of the arrangement of the completion of times, all things to sum themselves up in Christ, on the heavens and on the earth in him.

In whom we were called, predestined, according to the will of the one doing everything, according to the resolution of his will, in order for us to be in glorious praise of him, the ones who have hoped before in Christ.

In whom you all also after hearing the word of the truth, the good news of our salvation in whom, also after believing sealed by the holy spirit of the promise, which is the pledge of our inheritance, deliverance of possession, for praise of his glory.

On account of this, I too having heard of the faith of you in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the holy. I do not cease being thankful on behalf of you, remembering you in the time of my prayer. So that God of the Lord of us, Jesus Christ, the glorious father, may give you spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowledge of him, having the eyes of your heart enlightened to know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious possessions in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us, the faithful, according to the working of the might of his strength.

He worked in the Christ after raising him from the dead and seating him in at his right hand in the heavenly things, over every ruler and authority, earthly and heavenly power and every name being called not only in this age but also in the future; and God subordinated everything under his feet and he gave him as head of everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who is filling everything in everyway.

The Word of God.

Let us pray.

What words stood out to you in all of that?

Given it's reputation, predestination is very often on the top of that list for me.

What is predestination?

How do we think about it and associate in wider culture?

BUT

Together, let's reflect on what this passage in particular... not culture, not Calvin, not even other parts of the Bible... just this chapter of Ephesians... can tell us about predestination.

In Ephesians 1, we encounter the word in two places-

v. 5: "for the purpose of adoption"
If adoption is the purpose of predestination, how does that challenge your understanding of predestination? What difference does adoption make to predestination?

v. 10: paralleled with "called". The writer of Ephesians very often repeats synonyms or similar concepts to drive his point home.
What is call? What does an association with "call" tell us about what predestination is?

We also encounter God over as over as God the father (pardon the masculine language if that offends you.) throughout this chapter. But, the plans of a parent are different than the plans of a boss, for example. What does the metaphor of God as father tell us about predestination?

So, in your own words, how might you define or think about predestination based on this passage?

God's plan is for us to be adopted into God's family. For me, the heart of this concept of predestination is God choosing us to be brothers and sisters in Christ, receiving our inheritance through the Holy Spirit. Predestination is an understanding of God's hope and call for us to live in community as family. As siblings share, we share our inheritance of grace and the responsibility of God's work in the world. This does not have to imply that we have no control, simply that since the beginning of creation, God has reached out to adopt us, and God hopes we respond to that love. Over and over again, throughout the Biblical narrative, we see God choosing people--individuals and communities to be a part of the divine family. Often it is those least expected to be chosen. But, again and again, God chooses us with a love that is without boundaries.

God does not stop there. The author of Ephesians lists many of the fruits of our adoption, though often in vague language. We are redeemed and forgiven, our hearts are enlightened and we are humbled by Jesus. We are all a part of the body, with Christ as the head. But as with the adoption into a family, the process does not stop with the legal paperwork, it only begins. God's process is only at the beginning when we are adopted through Christ into God's family.

Ezekiel 36:24-28, is one of the many places that God is explained as choosing people, lays out many of the processes that are a part of the transformation that begins at our adoption. God gathers us, cleanses us, gives us a new heart and spirit. God will move us to follow the divine call and the divine ways. All of this is a part of the promise God makes when God adopts us. The process of faith that begins with Jesus is just that... a process. As we grow in our families, in our communities, in our relationships here with one another, we also grow in our relationship with God.

This process is difficult. Just as in families, we know that we are no only defined by our relationships, but by our entire history that we have lived together. Even when we recognize our adoption by God, we do not always recognize who are brothers and sisters are in that family. I went to the San Francisco Presbytery meeting this week, one of the denominational bodies that this congregation participates in. This is a body that knows consciously that it is the body of Christ and has covenanted to live as brothers and sisters in the family of God. And yet, when controversial issues, deeply held beliefs, and significant conflicts arise as they did this week, the body sometimes chooses not to engage. My biggest disappointment at the meeting was not that the issues were not decided how I hoped, but that the presbytery voted against talking in small groups about the difficult issue at hand. No one wanted to listen to each other. Everyone assumed they know what the other side would say and did not want to be open to be challenged, or to grow. In that moment, most of the presbytery refused to see that those they disagree with are just as much their brother or sister in Christ as those they agree with.

If there is time... move onto these questions. If not, skip to clip.

Using this metaphor and these scriptures, where we are all equal siblings under Jesus, how do we solve conflict? How did you and your siblings solve conflict? How should you have handled it? How do we love each other when we don't agree with someone else's choices or the direction they are headed in?

What do we do to keep living together in peace? How do we transform our own perspective so that we see our adversaries as brothers or sisters in Christ?

End with clip from the the Birdcage. This family sets aside differences to become family and act on behalf of the other, adopted into the same family whether you like it or not.

Let us pray.