And raised us up with Him, and
seated us (συνεκάθισεν) with him in the heavenly places (ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις)
in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:6 NASB)
On the Use of the Aorist
VI. Proleptic (Futuristic) Aorist
A. Definition
The aorist indicative can be used to describe an event that is
not yet past as though it were already completed. This usage is not at all
common, though several exegetically significant texts involve possible proleptic
aorists.
B. Clarification
An author sometimes uses the aorist for the future to stress the
certainty of the event. It involves a “rhetorical transfer” of a future event
as though it were past.
C. Illustrations
The glorification of those who have been declared righteous is as good
as done from Paul’s perspective.
|
ὅταν μέλλῃ σαλπίζειν, καὶ ἐτελέσθη τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ31 |
|
|
|
whenever he is about to sound [the trumpet], then the mystery of God
is finished |
Cf. also Matt 18:15; John 15:6; 1 Cor 7:28;
Heb 4:10; Jude 14.
For some
possible but debatable examples, cf. Matt 12:28;32 Eph 1:22 (ὑπέταξεν); 2:6 (συνεκάθισεν); 1 Thess 2:16. (Daniel
Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, pp. 563-64)
several
of the other examples of proleptic aorists that [Wallace] cites undermine the
very point he tries to make. In his grammar, he cites Mark 11:24 as another
example of a proleptic aorist:
πάντα ὅσα προσεύχεσθε καὶ αἰτεῖσθε, πιστεύετε ὅτι ἐλάβετε, καὶ ἔσται ὑμῖν. (SBLGNT)
Therefore I tell you,
whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be
yours. (ESV)
If we
take Wallace’s view that a proleptic aorist indicates that the event in view
will certainly take place in every instance, then we are forced to conclude
that we will receive what we pray for every single time, as long as we believe
in it. This would lead us to the error of the Word of Faith movement, which
Reformed theologians reject. Both Catholics and Reformed would agree that, in the
case of Mark 11:24, it is a general truism that God will grant us what we ask
for if we have faith, but this truism does not apply in 100% of cases, and
Scripture in fact tells us elsewhere of instances where this truism does not
apply (e.g. James 4:3). (J. Luis Dizon,
Abusing the Aorist, Reformed Style)
Scholarly Article on the Abuse of the Aorist:
Frank
Stagg, "The
Abused Aorist," Journal of Biblical Literature, 91, no. 2 (June 1972): 222-31 (Opening: “To the grammarian, it may seem like beating a dead
horse to protest that the aorist does not necessarily reflect the nature of the
action or event it covers. But the horse is not dead; he is very much alive and
cavorting rather freely in exegetical and theological pastures. The fallacy of ‘theology
in the aorist tense’ stubbornly persists, even in the writings of distinguished
scholars.”)
Cf.
the following warning on the importance of verbal aspect:
The external
viewpoint (outside the action) is known as “perfective aspect”; the internal
viewpoint (inside the action) is known as “imperfective aspect.” Perfective
aspect views an action as a whole and is often used to present an action in
summary form. Imperfective aspect views an action from within it and is often
used to present an action an unfolding or in progress . . . All Greek scholars
agree that the aorist is perfective in aspect, while the present and imperfect
are imperfective in aspect . . . [there is] the obvious fact that many Greek
verbs do not conform to their expected temporal reference. The statistics are
quite overwhelming for some tense-forms, such as the so-called present
indicative, which refers to the present only about 70 percent of the time. The
aorist, Greek’s default “past” tense, refers to the present or the future about
15 percent of the time. The Greek perfect, which is supposed to refer to a
past action with present consequences, does this less than half the time. In
fact, the only Greek tense-form that consistently refers to the time it is
supposed to is the future . . . There are several ways in which understanding
verbal aspect may shape our reading of Greek text. First, it will correct
certain mistakes that are commonly made in interpretation. For instance, the
claim that the aorist indicative in Romans 5:6 ( “For while we were still weak,
at the right time Christ died [απεθανεν] for the ungodly,”
NRSV) proves the once-off nature of Christ’s death is mistaken. The aorist does
not prove the “punctiliar” nature of Christ’s death since it conveys a summary
of the event, from an external perspective. A similar mistake has been made
concerning the aorist imperative in John 17:17 (“Sanctify [αγιασον] them in the truth;
your worth is true,” NRSV), claiming that the aorist proves that sanctification
is an instantaneous event. But the perfective aspect of the aorist imperative
conveys a specific command, not an instantaneous one. And there are many other
such examples. (Constantine R. Campbell, “Aspect and Tense in New Testament
Greek,” in David Alan Black and Benjamin L. Merkle, Linguistics and New
Testament Greek: Key Issues in the Current Debate [Grand Rapids,
Mich.: Baker Academic, 2020], 37-53, here, pp. 38, 46, 50-51)
Recent Commentary on Ephesians
In all five usages, ἐπουράνιος is a neuter plural
adjective (e.g., “heavenlies”), not
a noun (e.g., “heavens”). As such,
the meaning is closer to “heavenly arenas” to denote a high state of spiritual
battle between Christ, his Church, and his angels over against the devil and
his angels. The Church “sits together” with Christ as the battle is taking
place (i.e., the Church
Militant), fulfilling her role in the demise of the devil (cf. Lk 18:10; Jn 12:31;
16:11; Hb 2:14; Ap 1-3, 20-21). (Robert A. Sungenis, The Epistles to the
Ephesians and Hebrews [Catholic Apologetics Study Bible VIII; State Line,
Pa.: Catholic Apologetics International Publishing, Inc., 2019], 14 n. 37)
Anchor Yale Bible Commentary on “Enthronement in
Heaven”
IV. Enthronement in Heaven
What is meant by the mysterious statement, “he has
enthroned us in the heavens”? It is certainly even more puzzling than the
reference to a resurrection already achieved. A “gift of God” (2:8) additional
to the gift of life can hardly be meant. For unlike Luke 24; Acts 1; John 20,
Paul does not consider the resurrection and the ascension (enthronement) of
Jesus successive and separate events. For this apostle Christ’s enthronement
above all powers, including death, is the essence of his resurrection from the
dead, not its aftermath. Correspondingly the enthronement of the saints reveals
the substance of the life given to them rather than an honor or effect beyond
that life. What is the resurrection life, if it is a life characterized by
sitting on a throne in the heavens?
a) A bodily removal from earth, a disappearance from
sight as may be ascribed to a journey into an upper sphere or to an “ascension
of the soul,” cannot be meant. For the people addressed in Ephesians live “in
Ephesus” (1:1 var. lect.), or in whatever country or “land,” they hope to fare
“well and live long” (6:3). All the more reason why the topological character
of the statement, “enthroned in the heavens” comes as a surprise. It is not
unique in the NT.136 According to the Gospels the mother of the sons
of Zebedee, or John and James themselves, asked for special seats in the
heavens. Once, so it is affirmed in Matt 19:28, the twelve disciples were
assured that they would obtain them. According to Paul, “the saints will judge
the world” presumably after they are “taken up” in the “clouds … to meet the
Lord” in the “air.” Jesus Christ is enthroned at God’s right hand, or he stands
there to plead as an advocate for the saints. The reference to Christ’s own
“descent,” his “ascent,” and his function of “filling” (4:8–10) is, at least in
its metaphorical form, unmistakably topological. It appears necessary to
conclude: if Christ’s disappearance from the earth and his present location
presupposes a spatial transfer, then the enthronement of the saints in the
heavens mentioned in 2:6 cannot mean anything essentially different. However,
there is an alternative.
b) When the principalities and powers were subjected
to Christ’s feet (1:20–22) they remained located in the heavens according to
Eph 3:10; 6:12. The change forced upon them came from their new overlord, and
affected their function rather than their location. While Rev 12 speaks of
their dislocation, Ephesians stresses only the new relation between the power
of God, Christ, and the principalities. Equally the verb “to enthrone” and
references to honors and privileges connected with enthronement are sometimes
used in the Bible without implying a necessary dislocation. When the kings
described in the royal psalms are raised to their thrones, they become
something rather than go somewhere. If the idea of lifting up is combined with
enthronement at all, then it makes visual the greater stature and honor of the
ruler and/or the position of his throne above the level of his subjects. By his
exaltation the king is not definitely dissociated from those living on earth;
the king who sits “at God’s right hand” (Ps 110:1) is a king who rules on
earth, not a king removed from the earth. The “right hand of God” mentioned in
the Psalms is the same “hand” or “outstretched arm” of God with which God
performs mighty deeds on earth, and is not limited to geographical spheres
outside earthly time and space. The throne of God upon which the Messiah is
seated is the “throne favored by the Lord.”139 Zion is its location,
and Zion is a place on earth. God is as present among his chosen and at his elected
place as he is in heaven.
The heavenly places in which the saints are enthroned
according to Eph 2:6 may therefore be the places elected by God for the
manifestation of his presence, glory, and power. “Heavens” is in this case not
an absolute locality inhabited by God, and eventually by principalities,
powers, and the saints. Rather, it is the sphere formed by him who fills and
determines it. It is the dynamic starting point of God’s saving action. Heaven
or heavens is where God is with his power and salvation. Heavens is also where
dominating powers and men entrusted with royal dignity are found. Because the
saints are assembled with God who has been and still is present in their midst,
they are “in the heavens.” Thus the throne or thrones suggested by the verb
“enthroned” are to be understood as a metaphor denoting the privileges, honor,
authority, and function given to the saints. They are given a position at the
least equal to David’s, and are no one’s servants except God’s. They are free
men—free from death (2:5) and captivity (4:8); free to be witness to the coming
ages (2:7); free to live worthily (4:1) and to do good works (2:10); free to
approach the Father (2:18); free for a brave fight against onrushing enemies
(6:10–17). They enjoy all the privileges of “kings and priests.”145
They are, to speak with 1 Peter 2:9, “a royal priesthood.”
Thus their resurrection from the dead is not a
restoration to their previous lives, but the gift of unprecedented honor and,
as vss. 7 and 10 will show, of a great and responsible task, too. The closest
Pauline parallel to the enthronement mentioned in 2:6 is probably Philip 3:20
NEB: “We … are citizens of heaven.” Cf. Eph 2:19–22, “You are fellow citizens
with the saints … a dwelling of God.” By “saints” (as was earlier observed) not
only Israel but also the angels in heaven might be meant. The question of the
date and mode of the saints’ naturalization, viz. enthronement, in heaven was
discussed in the preceding Comment:
the sealing with God’s Spirit contains the answer.
A distinction between ideal and phenomenal, potential
and actual, spiritual and bodily enthronements corresponds in no wise to the
contents of Eph 2:6. Paul was not a Platonist, and indeed he surpasses the
hopes of Jewish apocalypticists. According to Ephesians the saints are closer
to heaven and more firmly established there now than theater-goers who have
reserved tickets in their pockets and wait for admission (Markus Barth,
Ephesians: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary on Chapters 1-3 [AYB 34;
New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008], 236-38)
John Chrysostom on Eph 2:6
Ver. 6.
“He raised us up with Him and made us sit with Him.”
Beholdest
thou the glory of His inheritance? That “He hath raised us up together,” is
plain. But that He “hath made us sit with Him in the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus,” how does this hold? It holds as truly, as that He hath raised us
together. For as yet no one is actually raised, excepting that inasmuch as as
the Head hath risen, we also are raised, just as in the history, when Jacob did
obeisance, his wife also did obeisance to Joseph. (Gen. 37:9, 10.) And so in
the same way “hath He also made us to sit with Him.” For since the Head
sitteth, the body sitteth also with it, and therefore he adds “in Christ
Jesus.” Or again, if it means, not this, it means that by the laver of Baptism
He hath “raised us up with Him.” How then in that case hath He made “us to sit
with Him?” Because, saith he, “if we suffer we shall also reign with Him,” (2
Tim. 2:12.) if we be dead with Him we shall also live with Him. Truly there is
need of the Spirit and of revelation, in order to understand the depth of these
mysteries. And then that ye may have no distrust about the matter, observe what
he adds further. (Homilies
of St. John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople, on the epistle of St. Paul
the Apostle to the Ephesians, Homily IV)
Editor’s Note attached to ‘raised’:
[This is Meyer’s view. He says:
“By virtue of the dynamic connection of Christ with believers as the head with
its body their revivification is objectively comprehended in His.”
Ellicott says; “Though the simple
meaning of συνήγειρεν and συνεκάθισεν seems to confine their reference to what
is future and objective; still as συνεζωοποιησεν though primarily spiritual and
present may have a physical and future reference, so here a present spiritual
resurrection and enthronement may be alluded to.”—G. A.]
Reformation Theologians: The Proleptic
Understanding of Ephesians 2:6
2:6 Seated with Christ in Heaven
We Reign With Christ
in Heaven.
Erasmus Sarcerius: To make
us sit together with Christ in heavenly places is to make us all lords in
Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus we have been made partakers of all
heavenly things. “In the heavenly realms” means in all good things, like the
forgiveness of sins, righteousness, eternal life, control over sin, death and
the devil. Furthermore, we shall be blessed with all these heavenly things, and
only with some of them, as Paul makes clear in Romans 8. To sit with him is to
reign with Christ Jesus over the devil, sin, death, and other such things; it
is to possess through Christ Jesus all spiritual and heavenly blessings. Annotations on Ephesians.
Eternal Life in
Christ.
John Calvin: Our salvation is still
hidden in hope, but in Christ we already possess immortality and glory. For the
time being it is only our head who enjoys the fullness of glory, but in him the
members of the body also have a share in it. Commentary
on Ephesians.
Our Real Life Is in
Heaven.
Wolfgang Musculus:
Although we live in this world under the forms of the cross, it is also true
that at the same time our real life is in heaven, and so we should look for the
things that are above, where Christ our head sits at the right hand of God, and
not go after things that are here on earth. This is true, I say, if we are dead
to this world, to the flesh and to sin, and if our life is hidden with Christ
in God. What is closer than a head and its members? Our head Jesus Christ, even
though he reigns in the heavenly realms and is absent from us in the body that
he took up to heaven with him, nevertheless dwells in us by his Spirit making
us his members even though we are still living in the world. Therefore, if we
are really his members, our hearts commune with him in heaven because he is our
head, even though we are still stuck on the earth. Commentary on Ephesians.
Already But Not Yet. RoBert Rollock: How is it that Paul uses the past tense to
say that the Ephesians have already been raised to new life and seated in
heaven? My answer to this is that there are two ways in which we are said to be
partakers of the benefits of Christ: de
iure and de facto. De iure, the
resurrection of our bodies and their location in heaven already belong to us,
but de facto they have not yet
happened. Even so, they are in some way ours already, because Christ is our
head and he has already been raised and seated in the heavenly realms, so what
applies to the head is applied by extension to the members as well. Commentary on Ephesians.
What Happens to the
Head.
Jean Diodati: Because that by reason
of the most strict union of Christ the head to believers who are his members,
that which is done to the head is likewise done and belongs to them all; and
they likewise in right and in virtue of the infallible cause and uncertainness of
faith are already raised up and glorified, and at the appointed time shall
really and effectually be so. Annotations
on the Bible.
We Share in Christ’s
Ascension.
David Dickson: God in Christ, who was
raised up, has raised us up also, and in Christ who is placed in the heavens,
has placed us together with him: Therefore he has saved us of his grace. For as
whatever Christ either did or suffered in our name and place is reckoned ours
in God’s account, so whatever Christ received in our name and place is reckoned
ours also. Therefore in the resurrection of Christ, by the covenant of
redemption, the redeemed did also rise with him judicially, or in a judicial
way. In Christ’s ascension into heaven, the redeemed judicially ascend with
him; in Christ’s sitting, or glorious possession of eternal life, the redeemed
in a judicial way do sit and are placed with him. This right is obtained for
believers by Christ before faith be actually given: but in conversion this
right before obtained by faith by a special act is applied to us, that as
Christ ascending might say from the covenant made between God and the Mediator,
or from the covenant of redemption, I ascend in the name of the redeemed, for
whom I have gotten this right that they may be reckoned to ascend in me; so
those that fly to and believe in Christ may say, now I have gotten right, from
the covenant of salvation made by the Mediator between Christ and the church,
that I may reckon the resurrection of Christ rightfully mine, I may reckon the
ascension of Christ rightfully mine, and so in the rest. What abundance of
grace is here? Exposition of Ephesians.
(Galatians,
Ephesians: New Testament [Reformation Commentary on Scripture 10; Downers
Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 2011], 283-84)