In my last blog, the clusivity clues that we discovered in Paul’s use of the referential pronouns in Ephesians 1:12 and 1:13 led us to propose that if the apostle Paul refers to the Jewish nation in 1:3-12 when he uses the 1st person plural pronouns “we, “us”, “our”, then we must also conclude that he must be referring to the Gentiles in 1:13-4:6 when he uses the 2nd person plural pronouns “ you“, “your.”
We also concluded that if that proposition is true, then Paul is attributing the blessing of predestination, among the other blessings listed in 1:3-12 to the Jewish nation as the predestined-nation, then he is excluding the Gentiles from the predestined-nations.
This seems to be the crux of Paul’s argument as he writes to ensure that the Ephesians understand that it was the Jewish nation who were "the first to hope in Christ" according to God’s plan and that the Gentiles be grafted (Romans 11:13) into the root of Jesse at the right time; the time of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24, Romans 11:25.)
Paul’s point is that God predestined the Jewish nation to first receive the gospel as the power of salvation…”to the Jew first, then to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16) according to the purpose of His will, which He brought to fruition "as a plan in the fullness of time" (Ephesians 1:10)
And if that be true, then where does that leave the traditional view of individual predestination? Is Paul referring to the predestination of individuals here, or is he referring to the predestined-nation of Israel? That question must be asked, but what evidence might there be in Ephesians to indicate the predestined-nation of Israel is in fact in view here?
For one, the language that Paul uses in the first section of Ephesians, 1:3-12, references Old Testament Jewish concepts used to identify Israel’s special relationship they acquired from Yahweh, and is convincing evidence that Paul is referring to the Jewish nation in that section.
Paul says,
3"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every Spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
We see, in that section, the numerous ways in which Paul describes the blessings that God has bestowed on those whom Paul references as "we."
Paul is including himself in those blessings. Whoever they may be, Paul says, God "chose" them; he says they should be "holy and blameless" before God; he says that God "predestined them for adoption as sons;" that they have "obtained an inheritance;" that they were "the first to hope in Christ;" all for his “glory,“ “glory,” and more “glory,” (1:6, 12, 14).
Each of those descriptions Paul uses in Ephesians are descriptions of the nation of Israel evidenced in the Old Testament.
Deuteronomy 7:6 identifies Israel as the nation who is both "holy" and "chosen" by God.
“For you [Israel] are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” And here in Ephesians, it appears that Paul, as a member of the nation of Israel, is referencing the nation of Israel as those who also are "chosen" to be "holy."
In regards to adoption to sonship, in Exodus 4:22, we learn of Israel’s special sonship-relationship with God, as God instructs Moses to go to Pharaoh to tell him that Israel is His firstborn "son." This is not a direct reference to adoption, however, it does indicate the reality of God's acceptance of the nation of Israel as a sonship-relationship, something that the concept of adoption indicates, and which Paul attributes to the nation of Israel here in Ephesians. Also, Hosea 11:1 is one of the earliest occurrences in the Old Testament in which God refers to the nation of Israel as His "son." It is in every case and everywhere noted that the central message of the Old Testament declares that God “predestined” or chose Israel in Abraham to be his covenant people and adopted them as his children…and gave then an inheritance.
Regarding the "inheritance," Joshua 13:6 indicates, in the early history of the emergence of the nation of Israel, that God commands Joshua to alIot to Israel specific territories in the land of Caanan. God tells Joshua, "allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you." It seems that Paul, in Ephesians references the "inheritance" that had already been obtained by Israel at the time of Paul's writing of the Ephesian letter.
Also, the historical record of the book of Acts tells us of the emergence of the church and who it was who were "the first to hope in Christ." Acts 2:5 indicates that they were the nation of Israel.
"Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven." It was these Jews to whom Peter, later in the chapter, refers as his audience calling them "Men of Israel." We also see later in that same chapter that "those who received his (Peter's) word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls." It seems that these three thousand devout Jews, dwelling in Jerusalem, were the oens who were "the first to hope in Christ."
John also tells us in his gospel, 2:11, that early on in Jesus' ministry, at the outset of his ministry, ["his [Jesus'] disciples believed in him." Jesus disciples were also Israelites. So, does it not seem clear that those to whom Paul refers in Ephesians when he says, "we who were the first to hope in Christ," are the Jewish people, the nation of Israel.
And finally, we see the Old Testament reference to God's "glory" reflected here in the first section of the Ephesian letter. The plan, purpose and mission (1:5, 11) for which God predestined, chose, sanctified-(holy) the nation of Israel was so that Israel would show forth His "glory." Isaiah 44:23 tells us , "...in Israel He shows forth His glory."
C.S. Keener says, “one reason God chose Israel was for them to bring him glory (Is 60:21; 61:3; Jer 13:11); so central was revealing his glory that even his acts of judgment were meant to turn people to him (Ex 7:5; Amos 4:6), the real source of life (Jer 2:13).”
Also Isaiah 43:7 says, "Everyone who is called by My name...I have created for My glory." Here again, Isaiah explicitly tells us that God created the nation of Israel specifically for His "glory." Is there any doubt that Israel is God's chosen instrument to be a light to all other nations for the purpose of revealing His "glory?"
More could be said here. Suffice it to say that Romans 9:4 is additional evidence that Paul is referring to the Jewish nation here in Ephesians with his exclusive use of pronouns, "we," "us," "our". In Romans, Paul writes specifically referring to the Israelites, “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, and the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.”
Not only does Paul ascribe the blessing of 'adoption" to Israel in Romans, but it is also very interesting to note the correlation to God's "glory" and the vocabulary Paul uses to describe the nation of Israel here in Romans 9:4. In Romans 9:4, there is a focus on the giving-of-the-law event on Mt. Sinai with the usage of the words, "covenants," "law," and "promises."
Bundled together into one event, we learn the identity of the nation of Israel; that God adopted Israel as His son at Mt. Sinai when He gave Israel the law, the covenants and the promises for his glory. Israel became God’s son through adoption when He constituted Israel as a nation at Mt. Sinai. (Exodus 16:10, 24:17) So, Paul makes a clear the connection between God's "glory" and the giving of the "law."
Is it not fairly certain that Paul is referring to the Jewish nation by using Old Testament references? And does not Romans 9:4 also contribute to the discussion as Paul also attributes the blessings of Israel there? If so, then by extension of that sonship-relationship, and the further descriptions of Israel in those two reference sites, is it not also safe to conclude that Paul is also referring the the Jewish Christians in Ephesians 1:3-12?
As a result, not only is Israel the chosen nation; not only is Israel the holy nation; not only is Israel the inherited nation; not only is Israel the sonship nation, Israel is also the predestined-nation.
The Predestined-nation of Israel is a specific characteristic that Paul attributes to the "we," "us," and "our" references in Ephesian 1:3-12; And the Gentiles, (referenced in the next verse, verse 13, as "you,") are excluded from his exclusive use of "we" in the previous section (3-12).
The "we" of Ephesians 1:3-12 is The Predestined-nation of Israel.