Ephesians Series: Ephesians 2:3c-Objects of God’s Wrath

Ephesians 2:1 Now, correspondingly, even though, each and every one of you as a corporate unit were spiritually dead ones because of your transgressions, in other words, because of your sins. 2 Each and every one of you formerly lived by means of these in agreement with the standard of the unregenerate people of this age, which is the production of the cosmic world system, in agreement with the standard of the sovereign ruler, namely the sovereign governmental authority ruling over the evil spirits residing in the earth’s atmosphere. Specifically the spirit who is presently working in the lives of those members of the human race who are characterized by disobedience. 3 Among whom, each and every one of us also formerly for our own selfish benefit conducted our lives by means of those lusts, which are produced by our flesh. Specifically, by indulging those inclinations which are produced by our flesh, in other words, those impulses, which are the product of our flesh. Consequently, each and every one of us caused ourselves to be children who are objects of wrath because of our natural condition from physical birth. Just as the rest correspondingly caused themselves to be children who are objects of wrath because of their natural condition from physical birth. (Lecturer’s translation)

Ephesians 2:3 begins with the declarative statement en hois kai hēmeis pantes anestraphēmen pote en tais epithymiais tēs sarkos hēmōn (ἐν οἷς καὶ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἀνεστράφημέν ποτε ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν), “Among whom, each and every one of us also formerly for our own selfish benefit conducted our lives by means of those lusts, which are produced by our flesh.”

Now, as we noted this declarative statement is followed by the participial clause poiountes ta thelēmata tēs sarkos kai tōn dianoiōn (ποιοῦντες τὰ θελήματα τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῶν διανοιῶν), , “Specifically, by indulging those inclinations which are produced by our flesh, in other words, those impulses, which are the product of our flesh,” which stands in apposition to this declarative statement.

As we also noted, this participial clause in Ephesians 2:3 is followed by a result clause, which is kai ēmetha tekna physei orgēs (καὶ ἤμεθα τέκνα φύσει ὀργῆς), “Consequently, each and every one of us caused ourselves to be children who are objects of wrath because of our natural condition from physical birth.”

It presents the result of Paul and the recipients of the Ephesian epistle indulging those inclinations produced by their flesh or in other words, they indulged those impulses which are the product of their flesh.

This result clause asserts that Paul and each and every one of these Gentile Christians prior to their justification caused themselves to be children who are the objects of God’s wrath because of their natural condition from birth and which condition was the result of the imputation of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden at physical birth.

The first person plural imperfect middle indicative conjugation of the verb eimi (εἰμί) pertains to belonging to a particular group of individuals who possess certain inherent characteristics.

The nominative neuter plural form of the noun teknon (τέκνον), “children” since pertains to a category of people distinguished by some common characteristic.

Here the referent of the word is unregenerate humanity who are objects of God’s wrath because they are sinners by nature and practice due to the imputation of Adam’s sin in the garden of Eden as well as through the function of their own volition.

The word emphasizes that unregenerate humanity was born into a sinful condition.

The dative feminine singular form of the noun physis (φύσις), “nature…from physical birth” speaks of the sinful nature of human beings because they are sinners by nature and practice as a result of the imputation of Adam’s sin in the garden of Eden, which they received at the moment of physical birth (cf. Rom. 5:12-19).

Specifically, it pertains to something which is innate in that it refers to qualities or characteristics that are a part of the inner essential nature of all of unregenerate humanity.

Therefore, this word refers to the natural human condition innately from physical birth as a result of the imputation of Adam sin in the Garden of Eden.

This word functions as a dative of cause, which indicates that Paul and the recipients of the Ephesian epistle belong to that group of people who are characterized as being the objects of God’s wrath “because of” their natural condition from physical birth due to the imputation of Adam’s sin in the garden of Eden.

Therefore, this word is speaking of the total depravity of unregenerate humanity.

“Total depravity” means not only that the corruption has extended to all aspects of a human being’s nature, to their entire being as well but also that because of that corruption mankind has no merit with God.

There are other passages of Scriptures that address the issue of man’s total depravity (cf. Job 14:1-4; 15:14-16; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 15:19-20).

The implications of depravity are critical in relation to salvation in that man has no ability whatsoever to save himself or justify himself before a holy God.

The Lord labeled His disciples evil in Matthew 7:11 because of their depraved nature.

Romans 1:28 and Ephesians 4:18 teach that the mind of mankind is affected and Hebrews 9:14 says that the conscience is unclean.

The heart is deceitful according to Jeremiah 17:9 and by nature mankind is under the righteous indignation of God, i.e. His wrath according to Ephesian 2:3 and Romans 1:18.

Depravity affects the soul (Mark 7:20-23), thus defiling man’s thought process, which manifests itself in sinful words and actions.

The concept of total depravity does not mean that mankind cannot perform actions that are good or helpful to others or in God’s sight.

What it does mean is that man can perform no action that could gain him merit with God.

Total depravity means that man has absolutely no merit with God since he does not measure up to God’s perfect standards.

It also means that man’s conscience has been affected by the Fall of Adam so that it cannot be a safe and reliable guide.

Nor does total depravity mean that people will indulge in every form of sin or any sin to the greatest extent possible.

The fact that the entire human race is totally depraved is manifested through the practice of sin among both Jew and Gentiles.

In Romans 1:18-32, Paul demonstrates that the Gentiles are unrighteous and totally depraved by virtue of their sinful conduct and failure to worship God in light of God’s self-revelation in creation as well as their failure to obey the moral law inherent within them.

In Romans 2:1-29, he demonstrates that the Jews are unrighteous and totally depraved as well as manifested in their failure to obey perfectly the written Law of God and committing the same sins that the Gentiles committed.

In Romans 3:9-20, Paul summarizes his statements in Romans 1:18-2:29 and teaches the totally depravity and universal unrighteousness of mankind, both Jew and Gentile.

The noun orgē(ὀργή), “objects of wrath” pertains to God’s legitimate anger directed towards unrepentant sinners which is an expression of His holiness.

It will be experienced for all of eternity by these unrepentant, unregenerate sinners in the eternal lake of fire for either rejecting the revelation of God in creation, or the revelation of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ, or the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is used of God’s settled opposition to and displeasure against sin meaning that God’s holiness cannot and will not coexist with sin in any form whatsoever.

It is not the momentary, emotional, and often uncontrolled anger to which human beings are prone and does not refer to an explosive outburst but rather it refers to an inner, deep resentment that seethes and smolders, often unnoticed by others as in the case of God’s wrath.

God hates sin so much and loves the sinner so much that He judged His Son Jesus Christ for every sin in human history-past, present and future and provided deliverance from sin through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

The only way to avoid God’s righteous indignation is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

The noun orgē (ὀργή) contains the figure of metonymy which means that wrath is put for being the object of God’s wrath or righteous indignation.

This word also functions as a genitive of description, which is indicating these children are “characterized” as being the objects of God’s wrath or righteous indignation because of their natural condition from birth.

In Ephesians 2:2, the expression tois huiois tēs apeitheias (τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας), “those members of the human race who are characterized by disobedience” emphasizes that prior to their conversion, Paul and the recipients of the Ephesian epistle disobeyed God through the function of their own volition.

On other hand, in Ephesians 2:3, the expression tekna physei orgēs (τέκνα φύσει ὀργῆς), “children who are objects of wrath because of our natural condition from physical birth” emphasizes that they were sinners under the wrath of God by virtue of physical birth when they received the imputation of Adam’s sin.

The middle voice of the verb eimi (εἰμί) is a causative middle, which expresses the idea that Paul and the recipients of the Ephesian in the past “caused themselves” to exist in the state of belonging to those who are children characterized as being objects of God’s wrath because of their natural condition acquired at physical birth.

The causative middle indicates that they “caused themselves through the function of their own volition resulting in” them being children who are objects of God’s wrath.

As we noted this result cause is followed by an elliptical comparative clause, which is hōs kai hoi loipoi (ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποί), “Just as the rest of unregenerate humanity correspondingly caused themselves to be children who are objects of wrath because of their natural condition from physical birth.”

This clause is marking a comparison between the unregenerate lifestyle of Paul and the recipients of the Ephesian epistle prior to their justification as conforming with or in agreement with the lifestyle of the rest of unregenerate humanity.