Ephesians 1:7-10
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 on us in all wisdom and insight, 9 making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, to sum up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth, in Him
Paul’s words in Eph. 1:7-10 come in an immediate context of praise to the Father (1:3). The Father is to be praised due to comprehensive redemption in the Son (1:7-12). The Son’s redemptive work affects everything. According to wider canonical teaching, the Son functions as the last Adam, the one who is head of all things and sums up all things. It was the Father’s good pleasure to assign this glorious task to his beloved Son. The resurrection marked a distinct exaltation of the incarnate Mediator. He “was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness” (Rom. 1:4). The Holy Spirit ushered Jesus Christ our Lord into the age to come as its first citizen. Our exalted Lord sends his Spirit to souls to resurrect them from the dead to enjoy union with him in death, burial, and resurrection/exaltation. Indeed, believers are even said to be seated with him in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). All things are being summed up by Christ. Our Lord Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is Lord of the saved and Lord of the lost. He is Lord of the devil and Lord of demons. He is Lord of the old creation and Lord of the new creation. All things that have been made have been made by him, through him, and for him. And all things that are being remade are so by him, through him, and for him. Indeed, all things that are, are for him. The Father is getting glory for himself through what he does through his beloved Son. For these things, and many more, we must praise the Father for comprehensive redemption in the Son!
Dr. Richard Barcellos is associate professor of New Testament Studies. He received a B.S. from California State University, Fresno, an M.Div. from The Master’s Seminary, and a Th.M. and Ph.D. from Whitefield Theological Seminary. Dr. Barcellos is pastor of Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Palmdale, CA. He is author of Trinity & Creation, The Covenant of Works, and Getting the Garden Right. He has contributed articles to various journals and is a member of ETS.
Courses taught for CBTS: New Testament Introduction, Biblical Hermeneutics, Biblical Theology I, Biblical Theology II.
