The Early Church on Ephesians 1:4

The Early Church on Ephesians 1:4
Contra Unconditional Election, part 2:

What does it mean for God to have chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless? What did the early church believe? Maybe looking at their perspective will help us see some of our blind-spots or to see specific flaws in our own arguments. Here, I will do my best to accurately represent each person, including: Jerome, Chrysostom, and Athanasius.

Jerome vs. Origen:

Origen believed that souls were made all together before the beginning of the world in some invisible state and then later distributed into bodies of flesh to enliven them. This is how Origen saw Ephesians 1:4 and how we were already alive in some sense before we were alive. But Jerome refutes this, indicating that this is an unfeasible position to maintain according to the text. We did not exist prior and nor were we holy and blameless prior. Paul himself was not even so before his conversion. Origen thought people were elected and had existed in a previous state. While Jerome thought about this verse that it does not have to do with that but rather, with the foreknowledge of God. Jerome says that Paul was predestinated in the womb and Jeremiah was before his birth, sanctified, chosen, confirmed, and a type of Christ. Jerome claims to have followed the traditional interpretation of the church on this passage.

Here is Jerome’s main quoted argument against Origen:

“The Apostle does not say ‘He chose us before the foundation of the world because we were then holy and without blemish;’ but ‘He chose us that we might be holy and without blemish,’ that is, that we who before were not holy and without blemish might afterwards become such. This expression will apply even to sinners who turn to better things; and thus the words remain true, ‘In thy sight shall no man living be justified,’ that is, no one in his whole life, in the whole of the time that he has existed in the world. If the passage be thus understood, it makes against the opinion that before the foundation of the world certain souls were elected because of their holiness, and that they had none of the corruption of sinners. It is evident that Paul and those like him were not elected because they were holy and without blemish, but they were elected and predestinated so that in their after life, by means of their works and their virtues, they should become holy and without blemish.”

Jerome is pointing out here that it is a very unreasonable conclusion that people are somehow chosen or elected in some kind of prior state where they are already holy, without blemish, and justified before God because obviously, when they grow up and live their lives, they are not these things. So if they are not these things now, why would they be before the foundation of the world? Jerome argues that Paul and others like him were not elected or predestinated by virtue of their holiness but rather, the purpose of their election was so that they would become holy.

Did you notice that when Jerome quoted the verse, he left out “in Him”?

Philip Schaff: NPNF2-03. Theodoret, Jerome, Gennadius, & Rufinus: Historical Writings - Christian Classics Ethereal Library

Here is John Chrysostom’s abbreviated interpretation. I have numbered them for easier reading:

(1) “Through whom He has blessed us, through Him He has also chosen us.”

That is, Christ is the vehicle or means by which both our blessing and being chosen come from.

(2) “Ours is no novel system, but that it had thus been figured from the very first, that it is not the result of any change of purpose, but had been in fact a divine dispensation and fore-ordained. And this is a mark of great solicitude for us.”

Chrysostom is saying that our blessings in Christ and being chosen in Him is not something God thought of later but rather, something He planned before the foundation of the world. He had always purposed to save humanity which is something we can reflect upon and take great joy in.

(3) “What is meant by, He chose us in Him? By means of the faith which is in Him, Christ, he means, happily ordered this for us before we were born.”

He says, “by means of the faith,” indicating that Christ ordered these means before we were born.

(4) “But wherefore [to what purpose] has He chosen us? That we should be holy and without a blemish before Him. That you may not then, when you hear that He has chosen us, imagine that faith alone is sufficient, he proceeds to add life and conduct. To this end, says he, has He chosen us, and on this condition, that we should be holy and without blemish. And so formerly he chose the Jews. On what terms? This nation, says he, has He chosen from the rest of the nations (Dt 14:2).”

Is he saying that faith alone is not sufficient to be considered “chosen.” Or is he saying that the “condition” is really what should be the effectual result of having been chosen?

(5) “In love, says he, having predestinated us. Because this comes not of any pains, nor of any good works of ours, but of love; and yet not of love alone, but of our virtue also. For if indeed of love alone, it would follow that all must be saved; whereas again were it the result of our virtue alone, then were His coming needless, and the whole dispensation. But it is the result neither of His love alone, nor yet of our virtue, but of both. He chose us, says the Apostle; and He that chooses, knows what it is that He chooses. In love, he adds, having foreordained us; for virtue would never have saved any one, had there not been love. (6) For tell me, what would Paul have profited, how would he have exhibited what he has exhibited, if God had not both called him from the beginning, and, in that He loved him, drawn him to Himself?”

It seems like being chosen is in relation to God’s love being set upon people, God calling them, and drawing them to Himself. But God’s love is not efficacious to save anyone who does not also act or respond in virtue.

In conclusion, what did Chrysostom believe? (1) Just like God has blessed us, so also has He chosen us. It is “through Him” we are chosen. He is the means by which we are chosen. (2) He has always purposed to save humanity before the foundation of the world. (3) to be chosen in Him means that before we were born, God had happily ordered that the means of faith be provided for the salvation which is in Christ Jesus. (4) The purpose for choosing us was so that we would be holy and blameless. (5) Love is what initiated Him to choose us and predestine us. Yet, our virtue was also needed. By this, it is implied that we must also choose God. But love was a prerequisite or else no one would be saved. (6) In God’s love for Paul, He called him and drew him to Himself. Without this [choosing to love Paul], Paul would not have been saved.

Chrysostom saw God’s love as what did the choosing. This does not imply the doctrine of divine determinism. How could it if God loves everyone? Chrysostom said that if it were only for God’s love alone and virtue were not a factor, then all people would have been saved. He means by this that man’s responsibility is also a determining factor in responding to God’s love to receive salvation. God loved us before the foundation of the world and had always purposed to make a means of salvation available to all of humanity. Christ is that means by which we get into through the means of faith as Chrysostom said, “by means of the faith which is in Him.” This is what was happily ordered for us before we were born. But just because it was ordered for us, that does not mean we inevitably receive it, as we are responsible for applying faith and virtue. Once we do that, then we are “in Him.” So then, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” could be understood as “Before the foundation of the world, God the Father chose to set His love upon us by ordering a means by which we could be saved. That is, Jesus Christ. He is our salvation and we get into Him through faith.” He determined to love us in Him before the world was so that as a result, we would be holy and blameless before Him.

CHURCH FATHERS: Homily 1 on Ephesians (Chrysostom)

Here is Athanasius’ abbreviated interpretation. I have numbered sections for easier reading:

But first, here is the context: Athanasius previously just spoke of Christ Jesus being the foundation upon which other men build upon as like precious stones and similarly, He the Vine and we the branches, so that we may become a temple of the Holy Spirit of God who dwells in us. He speaks of Christ being the eternal Word (Logos) who was begotten (“He founded me.”). He likens this to the foundation of a building being taken from the rock of the mountain and transported to become a foundation. The eternal Word then “put on our body” which came from Mary. He says, “For so He is founded for our sakes, taking on Him what is ours, that we, as incorporated and compacted and bound together in Him through the likeness of the flesh, may attain unto a perfect man, and abide immortal and incorruptible. […] for here again allusion is made to the Economy according to the flesh. […] yet this grace had been prepared even before we came into being, nay, before the foundation of the world.” He then mentions how God was not ignorant of our fate and knew that mankind would sin and so He “prepared beforehand in His own Word, by whom also He created us, the Economy of our salvation.” That is, having the Word Himself who is our redemption and salvation and was previously prepared for us. He planned the beginning of our salvation. He being the First-born of creation who would become the first-born of the brethren and then should rise first-fruits of the dead. Then he quotes 2 Timothy 1:9-10 and Ephesians 1:3-5 in which they both overlap speaking of God’s purpose before the world began.

(1) 76. “How then has He chosen us, before we came into existence, but that, as he says himself, in Him we were represented beforehand? and how at all, before men were created, did He predestinate us unto adoption, but that the Son Himself was ‘founded before the world,’ taking on Him that economy which was for our sake? or how, as the Apostle goes on to say, have we ‘an inheritance being predestinated,’ but that the Lord Himself was founded ‘before the world,’ inasmuch as He had a purpose, for our sakes, to take on Him through the flesh all that inheritance of judgment which lay against us, and we henceforth were made sons in Him? and how did we receive it ‘before the world was,’ when we were not yet in being, but afterwards in time, but that in Christ was stored the grace which has reached us?

According to Athanasius, being chosen “in Him” was about representation in Christ. The means by which God could predestine us to adoption before creating us is that the Son was in existence before the world was, with the foundational plan to take on a body of our nature so that we could be united to His nature. That’s what the economy of salvation is. But He did this “for our sake,” meaning representatively for us. Because of this, there is a predestined inheritance for us. God had a purpose for our sakes to take on the weakness of the flesh, to suffer under the weight of it, and to conquer it (cf. Recapitulation Theory). And so, by His victory and by being in Him, we were made sons. Athanasius then asks, how we received this before the world was and before we were even made. He asks this question because before the world was, God “chose us in Him.” The answer as to why God could have chosen us in Him previously is that the grace was stored up in Christ. Once then we came into existence, it was there for us.

(2) “Wherefore also in the Judgment, when every one shall receive according to his conduct, He says, ‘Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ How then, or in whom, was it prepared before we came to be, save in the Lord who ‘before the world’ was founded for this purpose; that we, as built upon Him, might partake, as well-compacted stones, the life and grace which is from Him?”

Before, Athanasius asked how we received something before the time and now he alludes to another example which is similar in how even before we are born, before we had done any works good or bad or exercised faith, the kingdom of heaven had already been prepared ahead of us from the very foundation of the world. So this is possible because it was prepared “in the Lord.” It could not have been prepared in us since we were not alive yet but it could certainly have been prepared in the Lord. The Word was begotten or “founded” for this very purpose, so that we could partake of His life and grace by being built upon Him through the Spirit abiding in us.

Here are a few other quotes:

(3) but that ‘before the world’ there had been prepared for us in Christ the hope of life and salvation. Therefore reason is there that the Word, on coming into our flesh, and being created in it as ‘a beginning of ways for His works,’ is laid as a foundation according as the Father’s will was in Him before the world

(4) having the spiritual life and blessing which before these things have been prepared for us in the Word Himself according to election. For thus we shall be capable of a life not temporary, but ever afterwards abide2737 and live in Christ; since even before this our life had been founded and prepared in Christ Jesus.

(5) 77. Nor in any other way was it fitting that our life should be founded, but in the Lord who is before the ages, and through whom the ages were brought to be; that, since it was in Him, we too might be able to inherit that everlasting life.

(6) And as a wise architect, proposing to build a house, consults also about repairing it, should it at any time become dilapidated after building, and, as counselling about this, makes preparation and gives to the workmen materials for a repair; and thus the means of the repair are provided before the house; in the same way prior to us is the repair of our salvation founded in Christ, that in Him we might even be new-created. And the will and the purpose were made ready ‘before the world,’ but have taken effect when the need required, and the Saviour came among us.

Philip Schaff: NPNF2-04. Athanasius: Select Works and Letters - Christian Classics Ethereal Library

According to Athanasius (4), the spiritual life and blessings were previously prepared for us in Christ (the Word) our representative, and that’s how election works. We have access to this life through abiding in Christ. (5) Our life was founded in Him. (6) The will and purpose for our remedy was prepared for us before the world was (the Son was prepared), and came into this world at the right time.

Ephesians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world”

2 Timothy 1:9-10 “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”

• If we interpret Ephesians 1 with 2 Timothy 1, here are the equivalent correlations:

• Spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ = saved us, called us, His grace

• “as He chose us” = “His own purpose and grace which was granted to us”

• “in Him” = “in Christ”

• “before the foundation of the world” = “from all eternity”

It does line up quite nicely, doesn’t it? Is Paul basically saying the same thing?

Here is how I think Athanasius would interpret Ephesians in our day, based upon everything he has said so far: We (all humanity that is now saved) were in Christ representatively in the purpose and grace for which He prepared for us in Christ before the foundation of the world. Before the world was made, God knew we would sin and need a remedy so that we would not perish forever. And so, the life of God was prepared ahead of time to give us immortality and provided for us in His incarnation so that we can partake of that life by abiding in Him. So then, we have (1) God’s foreknowledge of our sin and need for grace, (2) God choosing to love us (all humanity) and to lavish His grace upon us, (3) according to His own purpose and choice, He set in order a remedy through Christ, fully sufficient for all humanity, (4) and those who abide in His life partake of that remedy. (5) Those who are saved now and are partaking in His life, are as if they were with Christ in the very beginning and in Christ at the foundation of the world. (6) This should give us greater assurance in God’s love for us and in the strength of His resolve to save us unto the end since He purposed to save us from the very beginning. (7) Therefore, the choosing us in Him from the beginning, was to choose humanity in Christ from the beginning.

Perhaps this will make a little more sense if we see chosen and elect as not a specific choice for a specific individual but rather, to see it in the cultural context. Israel was the chosen nation, the elect of God, but the promises only belonged to those of faith and even those who were not in Israel could obtain the promise by faith like Rahab did. Therefore, to be chosen does not mean that the choice will have its intended result because faith still must be applied. That’s why not all of Israel was really of Israel because they did not also have faith, though they were at the same time elect and chosen of God. But when Jesus came, He revealed to us that God has also elected all the nations to receive the promise which is by faith. This was His plan from the beginning and has now been revealed to us through the appearing of Christ. God has chosen everyone, not just Israel. This means that all the promises can be ours to whosoever has faith. Therefore, Paul, an Apostle to the Gentiles, often speaks of the Gentiles this way, giving them assurance that God wants them and has a purpose for them. He does this by calling them chosen and elect of God and by communicating that God has always wanted them from the very beginning. Imagine being a Gentile in Paul’s day, thinking that God was only the God of the Israelites and only those of Israel were elect and chosen but then Paul informs you that you are elect and chosen as well to receive all the blessings of Christ in the heavenly places. All His grace is for you too. It would have been a comforting and reassuring term for them.

Athanasius presents a view of Christ being a representative on our behalf. This would be similar to Paul saying, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Gal 2:20). He also says, “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Ro 6:4).

Paul was not literally crucified with Christ, but by the means of Christ’s body and the life which came through it, he lives. The flesh that was put to death in Christ was put to death in us so that we are dead to sin and alive to God through His resurrection. Paul also says, “so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men” (Ro 5:18). Were “all” justified through Jesus? Is that what Paul is saying? Are all people universally justified? No. But Christ was a representative so that all might receive life through Him. He was a provisional representative for the whole human race. But we only receive His life through abiding in Him through faith. In a similar way, Adam did not cause all to sin, but he was a representative of the whole human race in that all have sinned because they chose to sin. In this way, they identify with Adam according to their own choice and unbelief.

The representative language that Athanasius uses is essentially the same thing as “corporate election.” All those in Christ are the church, those who have faith. God has chosen that all those in Christ will receive their future adoption as sons (to be glorified), and their inheritance. God’s choice is about Him setting His love and grace upon humanity through the provision of Christ, of which He had prepared the plan (it was His choice) to love us and save us from before the foundation of the world (through the provision of Christ, “the economy of our salvation”). So then, God’s choice is about His love and purpose, not about individualistic determinism for only a select group of people.

The Orthodox Church sides with Athanasius on Ephesians 1:4, while the Traditionalists and Provisionalists would also explain this verse through representation in incorporation language. I have done my best to explain the minds and arguments of the early church though it is simply my interpretation of their writings. My interpretation of Jerome was that his idea of election was chosen for holiness of service, that this is what was predestined, to become such, not that one was elected prior to becoming such. It’s about God’s purpose to become, not a state of being elect prior. My interpretation of Chrysostom is that he believed more of an Arminian view of election based upon God’s foreknowledge of our choices. He says that God’s choice is “by means of the faith which is in Him, Christ,” which is to be understood as God having “happily ordered this for us before we were born.” He held to the necessity of human responsibility to respond to God’s love and call through faith and virtue. Therefore, the means of faith are available to be in Christ to all that believe. In this way, we could say that the plan of salvation was already planned before the foundation of the world and the means to which to come into that salvation, through faith in Christ. I believe all of these views represent free-will in choosing God as a response to God’s prior initiative in salvation and selection for service. Here we have proved that the idea of “corporate election” and representation is not something new, but has existed for a long time within the minds of the church.

Ephesians 1:4 is a complicated passage to interpret, since there are many varying views from Origen, Jerome, Chrysostom, Athanasius, and Augustine. The Apostle Paul does not always use the clearest language and grammar with prepositions like when he said, “to live is Christ.” Even Peter admits that in Paul’s letters that some things are hard to understand (2 Pet 3:16). For all these reasons, I would not consider Ephesians 1:4 to be a slam dunk for anyone. Though, some interpret the passage ignoring the “us in Him” part in their interpretation which ought not to be neglected or passed over and some read prepositions into the text like “to be,” which ought not to be done either. If Athanasius was correct in correlating Paul’s thoughts of 2 Timothy 1:9-10 with Ephesians 1:3-4 as the essential same thought pattern, then the next step would be to understand the Timothy passage more fully. But I believe that passage favors a provisional view of God’s grace, purpose, and calling of which God is the initiator and has provided a way for all to be saved through the body of Christ.

Here is the Provisionist view of Ephesians 1 for more thought:
Does Ephesians 1 Teach Calvinism? | With ‪@FaithUnaltered - YouTube