Ephesians 1:4

According as. Verses 4-6 have sometimes been used to support the doctrine that certain ones are elected to be saved and others to be lost, and that nothing the individual can do will affect the result. True, the passage does speak of certain ones being chosen before the foundation of the world and being predestinated, or ordained, to be adopted as children. But it says nothing of any being chosen to be lost. Furthermore, those chosen are designated as “us,” meaning Christians, those who by faith have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ. Before the foundation of the world, when the plan of salvation was laid, it was determined that those who accepted the provisions of the plan would be restored to sonship. It was God’s desire that all would accept the plan and be saved (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). For a discussion of the problem of predestination see on Rom. 8:29.

Chosen us. The Midrash Rabbah, on Gen. 1:3 (Soncino ed., p. 6), says that God chose Israel before creation. Paul is here expressing a similar thought concerning the church, or spiritual Israel. It is general election, not individual election.

In him. Christ is the sphere in which the choosing can be made, for all spiritual life centers in Him. One coming to Christ is chosen to be saved, in the same way as one joining a choir is chosen to sing. Hence it is not an arbitrary selection. God purposes to save all who choose to place their faith in Christ as their Redeemer.

Before the foundation. The plan of salvation was laid before the creation of the world. It was then that God purposed to save those who would cooperate with His plan (cf. on Rev. 13:8).

Holy. Gr. hagioi (see on Rom. 1:7; cf. AA 51). To be holy is to reflect the divine image, for God is holy (1 Peter 1:16). The purpose of the plan of salvation is to restore the divine image in man (see Ed 125).

Without blame. Gr. amomoi, “without blemish,” “faultless.” In Eph. 5:27 the word is translated “without blemish” and in Rev. 14:5 “without fault.” In the LXX amomos translates the Heb. tamim which means “without blemish.” Tamim is used to describe the sacrificial victims, which were to be without blemish or spot (Lev. 1:3; etc.). Amomos is used to describe Christ’s perfect sacrifice (Heb. 9:14; 1 Peter 1:19).

In love. This phrase may be connected either with v. 4 as in the KJV or with v. 5 so as to make that verse read “in love having predestinated. ...” The Old Latin and Syriac Peshita versions connect it with v. 5. On the other hand the Vulgate and some of the later uncials connect it with v. 4. The ancient Greek manuscripts are without value as far as determining the thought division here inasmuch as they had either no punctuation and word separation, or at best only the most rudimentary kind. The phrase makes good sense connected with either verse. All the divine operations spring from the basic attribute of God’s character, love. For a definition of love (agape) see on Matt. 5:43, 44; 1 Cor. 13:1.