Ephesians 1:4
Paul states
that God “chose” (Greek verb eklegomai)
Christians in Christ before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless
in his sight. The designation “chosen ones” is his reference to the corporate
group to whom Paul writes. He himself, and presumably all Christians, are
included: God chose us. The question
here is the content of “us.” Is Paul’s focus on individual Christians whom God
has chosen, or does he intend a corporate focus on God’s choice of the church
in Christ?
Many
commentators prefer a “both/and” answer to this question. They agree that God
chose the church in Christ, but go on to argue that inherent in the choice of
the group is the choice of specific individuals to populate that body. O’Brien
exemplifies such thinking: “There is clearly a corporate dimension to God’s
election. It was God’s intention to create for himself a people perfectly
conformed to the likeness of his Son (Rom. 8:29–30). It is inappropriate,
however, to suggest that election in Christ is primarily corporate rather than
personal and individual.” Calvin infers that Paul refers to individual election
here: “… for if we are chosen in
Christ, it is not of ourselves. It is
not from a perception of anything that we deserve, but because our heavenly
Father has introduced us, through the privilege of adoption, into the body of
Christ. In short, the name of Christ excludes all merit, and everything which
men have of their own; for when he says that we are chosen in Christ, it follows that in ourselves we are unworthy.”
Following him, noted theologian of a past generation, Charles Hodge views the
election of individuals as the first order of the sequence he envisions in this
context. He says, “The apostle blesses God for the spiritual gifts bestowed
upon his people, v. 3. Of these the first in order and the source of all the
others, is election, v. 4. This election is, 1st. Of individuals. 2d. In
Christ; 3d. It is from eternity. 4th. It is to holiness, and to the dignity of
sons of God. 5th. It is founded on the sovereign pleasure of God, vs. 4, 5.
6th. Its final object is the glory of God, or the manifestation of his grace,
v. 6.” And more recent popular spokesman R. C. Sproul also sees the primary
focus on individuals: “… this matter of individuals being chosen before the
foundation of the world by the predestinating love of God is always understood
to be in Christ. It is with a view to
Christ that believers were incorporated in the Divine plan of salvation.”
These eminent
commentators do not attend to the broad context in which Paul makes this
statement. His focus in the letter to the Ephesians is not primarily on
individuals, but the identity of his chosen body, the church. Paul asserts that
God chose “us,” that is, the church, “in
Christ,” not that God chose individuals to
be in Christ. Paul came to view the church as God’s chosen people, the
inheritors of God’s designation of Israel as the chosen ones. Lincoln puts it
well: “Christian believers also had this consciousness of being chosen to be
the people of God. The new element is signaled by the ἐν αὐτῷ [in him] phrase. Their sense of God’s gracious choice of them was
inextricably interwoven with their sense of belonging to Christ. God’s design
for them to be his people had been effected in and through Christ. They saw him
as God’s Chosen One.” Paul viewed the church as the corporate Christ, embracing
the construct of corporate solidarity. As Westcott notes, “He chose us (i.e.
Christians as a body, v. 3) for Himself out of the world).” In the words of
Snodgrass, “Individuals are not elected and then put in Christ. They are in
Christ and therefore elect.” The church is the unique body of the Messiah
corporately conceived. It is this body that God has chosen: the body in Christ.
Paul specifies
the timing of this choice of the church—it was pretemporal, before the world was
created. God made the choice “in him” (that is, “in Christ”). Bruce says, “He
is the Chosen One of God par excellence; it is by union with him, according to the divine
purpose realized in time, that others are chosen.” In other words, Christ is
the principal elected one, and the corporate body included in him consists of
the ones God has chosen. Reid elaborates this conviction when he says, “As
Himself the chosen, Christ is able to impart to those committed to Him and
incorporated in Him the divine election … God’s choice of Him extends to those
who are in Him.”
Others confirm
this understanding too. K. Stendahl says, “Election in Christ strictly implies
that Christ is the truly Elect … The faithful become participants in His
election.” H. Ridderbos notes that the church “was already united with the
pre-existent Christ and thus chosen by God in him.” He goes on to speak of “the
inclusion of the church in Christ, its corporate existence in him.” In
reference to “in Christ” Mitton says, “… it is used to express identification
with Christ, with his death and with his risen life, as though Christ were a
kind of corporate personality within which individual Christians and the
Christian community as a whole may be included.” While I would identify this “corporate
personality” as “corporate solidarity,” his point is well taken. M. Barth
observes, “Election ‘in Christ’ must be understood as election of God’s people.
Only as members of that community do individuals share in the benefits of God’s
gracious choice.” These scholars agree that a corporate interpretation makes
the most sense of Paul’s argument in this passage.
Bonnie
Thurston adds an apt and intriguing idea to the discussion of how this
corporate election is applied to individuals. She says, “The act of election is
repeated every time God’s call is heard and obeyed. The faithful are chosen ‘in
him’ and destined ‘through Jesus Christ.’ Acceptance
of Christ activates God’s election. In the author’s mind, faith and
obedience are linked to ‘destiny.’ ”
In summary,
Paul argues that election is the corporate choice of the church “in Christ.”
Before the foundation of the world God made his choice: those in Christ would
be his people. To trust in Christ activates
one’s participation in the elect body of Christ. Paul posits the goal of this
election: in Christ the chosen ones would become holy and blameless. God elects
people not for privilege, but so that he may produce a holy people. This
reminds us of God’s purposes in choosing Israel to be his people.
Ephesians 1:11
Here Paul uses
the verb the NIV translates as “chosen” (kleroō;
rendered in many other versions as “obtained an inheritance”) in its sole
occurrence in the NT. We find the basic meaning of this term from its cognates
and Septuagintal uses: “choose by lot,” “appoint by lot,” “obtain an
inheritance,” and “be appropriated.” Since God is the agent here, we may safely
discard any idea of God casting “lots” to determine some outcome. Probably Paul
intends appropriation or choice, particularly in light of the clear parallel to
Ephesians 1:4. Muddiman prefers the rendering: “… in whom we have gained our
allotted portion.” That is, Christians inherit God’s blessings. But Bruce
argues that we should give full force to the passive voice, so he translates
the verbal idea: “we were claimed … as his portion.” In this view, God inherits
his people: God is the heir. In Christ, God appropriated (took hold of) a
people to belong to him. In either case, the corporate sense predominates. As a
body, the church was adopted (cf. Rom 8:17) and inherited God’s salvation; it
became God’s possession or inheritance in Christ. God actively appropriated the
church, so it belongs to him. Thus this verse closely parallels what Paul
stated in 1:4. Both point to God’s active choice of a group in Christ, to
belong to him, and for whom he predestines a goal—which we will address below. (William
W. Klein, The New Chosen People: A Corporate View of Election [rev ed.;
Eugene, Oreg.: Wipf & Stock, 2015], 153–156)
