Ephesians Series: Ephesians 1:5c-Love Was the Reason Why the Father Predestinated the Church Age Believer

Ephesians 1:3 The God, namely the Father of the Lord ruling over us, who is Jesus Christ, is worthy of praise. Namely, because He is the one who has blessed each and every one of us by means of each and every kind of Spirit appropriated blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. 4 For He chose each and every one of us for His own purpose because of Him alone before creation in order that each and every one of us would be holy as well as uncensurable in His judgment. 5 He did this by predestinating each and every one of us for the purpose of adoption as sons because of His love through Jesus Christ for Himself according to the pleasure of His will. (Lecturer’s translation)

The prepositional phrase en agapē (ἐν ἀγάπῃ), “because of His love” is modifying the nominative masculine singular aorist active participle conjugation of the verb proorizo (προορίζω), “by predestinating,” which appears in Ephesians 1:5.

There are several indications as to why this is the correct interpretation.

The first is obvious, namely the placement of this prepositional phrase at the end of Ephesians 1:4 is awkward.

However, this is not the case if it is modifying the verb proorizo(προορίζω).

I also believe that this prepositional phrase en agapē (ἐν ἀγάπῃ) is expressing the idea that the exercise of God the Father’s attribute of love was the reason why He predestinated the church age believer to adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ.

His love was the reason because it motivated Him to predestinate the believer.

His love was also the reason because it motivated Him to sacrifice His Son at the cross, which provided the basis for Him to elect and predestinate the believer.

It was also manifested at the church age believer’s justification through the baptism of the Spirit, which identified them with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at His right hand.

Furthermore, I interpret the action of the nominative masculine singular aorist active participle conjugation of the verb proorizo (προορίζω), “by predestinating” as taking place simultaneously with the third person singular aorist middle indicative conjugation of the verb eklegomai (ἐκλέγομαι), “He chose” in Ephesians 1:4.

This is indicated by the aorist tenses of both verbs, whichindicate that election and predestination took place at the same time.

As we will note, the Father predestinating the believer was the means by which He elected them.

Also, if the prepositional phrase en agapē (ἐν ἀγάπῃ), “because of His love” is modifying verb proorizo (προορίζω), “by predestinating” then it would serve as a bookend with the prepositional phrase en tō ēgapēmenō (ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ), “because of the one who is divinely loved,” which appears at the end of Ephesians 1:6.

The latter expresses the fact that Jesus Christ is the Father’s beloved Son whose sacrifice on the cross of Calvary was the means by which the Father freely bestowed His glorious grace on the church age believer.

Correspondingly, the prepositional phrase dia Iēsou Christou (διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ), “through Jesus Christ” speaks of Jesus Christ being the personal intermediate agency through whom the Father predestinated the church age believer for the purpose of adoption as His sons because of the exercise of His attribute of love according to the pleasure of His will.

It is joining the prepositional phrases en agapē (ἐν ἀγάπῃ), “because of His love” and en tō ēgapēmenō (ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ), “because of the one who is divinely loved.”

This would therefore indicate that Jesus Christ is the Father’s personal intermediate agency who manifested His attribute of love on behalf of the church age believer.

His grace flows to the church age believer from His attribute of love, which was the reason why the Father predestinated the church age believer to adoption as His sons.

In Ephesians 1:5, the prepositional phrase en agapē (ἐν ἀγάπῃ), “because of His love” presents the reason why the Father predestinated the church age believer to adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ.

It is expressing the idea of the Father predestinating the church age believer for the purpose of adoption as His sons “because of His attribute of love” in eternity past through Jesus Christ according to the pleasure of His will.

The Father’s attribute of love was the reason why He predestinated the believer because His love for the believer motivated Him to sacrifice His Son at the cross for them when they were His enemies.

His love for them also motivated Him to identified them with His Son in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at His right hand through the baptism of the Spirit when they were spiritually dead and their sins and transgressions.

Both of which manifested the fact that the Father elected the church age believer by predestinating them in eternity past.

Interestingly, the prepositional phrase dia Iēsou Christou (διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ), “through Jesus Christ,” which appears in Ephesians 1:5 also appears in thirteen other places in the Greek New Testament (cf. John 1:17; Acts 10:36; Rom. 1:8; 5:21; 7:25; 16:27; Gal. 1:1; Phil. 1:11; Titus 3:6; Heb. 13:21; 1 Pet. 2:5; 4:11; Jude 25).

Here in Ephesians 1:5, it is expressing the idea that Jesus Christ is the Father’s personal agency through whom He predestinated the church age believer for the purpose of adoption as sons.

This is indicated by the fact that His Son’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at His right hand provided the basis for electing and predestinating them to adoption as His sons.

This is further indicated by the fact that church age believers were adopted by the Father when He declared them justified through faith in His Son.

Lastly, it’s also indicated by the fact that when the church age believer was declared justified by the Father through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit identified them with His Son in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at His right hand.

The referent in the prepositional phrase eis auton (εἰς αὐτόν), “for Himself” is the Father and not the Son since He is the subject of this participial clause.

It emphasizes the identity of God the Father as adopting church age believers through the personal intermediate agency of His Son, Jesus Christ because of His love.

It also expresses the idea that the Father predestinated church age believers for the purpose of adoption as His sons because of His attribute of love through Jesus Christ was “for the benefit of Himself.”

It benefited the Father to do this because it would bring glory to Himself in that it would manifest His grace policy, which flows from His attribute of love.

In Ephesians 1:5, the prepositional phrase kata tēn eudokian tou thelēmatos autou (κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ), “according to the pleasure of His will”

indicates that it pleased the Father to predestinate church age believers for the purpose of adoption as sons for Himself alone because of His love through Jesus Christ.

It is expressing the idea that the Father predestinating church age believers for the purpose of adoption as sons for His purpose alone through Jesus Christ corresponds to the pleasure of His will.

Thus, it was according to His will to predestinate church age believers for the purpose of adoption as sons for His purpose alone because of His love through Jesus Christ.