Deconstructing Calvinism Episode 12: Pillar Proof Text Ephesians 1:4

This lesson covers the most popular proof text for the Calvinist doctrine of unconditional election - Ephesians 1:4.

[narellesimmons]

Thanks again for your hard work ! You do a great job explaining!

[kennymacclure]

Excellent, Hutson. Powerful and I needed this today. Perfect timing. Your exegesis is always spot on. Keep up the good work.

[R.L.KRANESCHRADTT]

🎯🎯I always enjoy your videos. I bought your book a couple years ago and marked it up real good.👍👍

[JonathanGrandt]

I was just thinking… if not for the erroneous doctrines of Calvinism, would I have ever been exposed to such a rich and excellent teaching such as this? That’s providence.

[TheRomansGuy]

Verse 11 should be the key verse. This is where Paul drops the second shoe, where he picks back up on the full argument, that everyone is chosen, the Jews and the Gentiles.

[willymorales]

this is indeed a solid exposition of Ephesians 1:4. nothing in here talks/deals about choosing some into eternity. the book was written for the Ephesian saints as a reminder of their calling to be holy and blameless just as Jesus Christ has been holy and blameless before the earth's foundation. the phrase "in Him" should be the emphasis and not on the words "chosen us".

[sviolin]

The supposition that some people were elected for salvation before the foundation of the world has a few weird implications. It seems that the Cross is a necessary but not sufficient condition for salvation. Regardless of whether you believe in limited atonement, a person cannot be saved unless he/she was elected. Should we include election in the Gospel then? Besides that, we can speak not only of the eternal security of the saints but also of the eternal security of the elect because de jure the person is saved the moment he/she is included in the group of the elect. So, the person is saved even before he/she is even born. However, once a person comes into this world and starts sinning, he/she becomes a child of wrath even though he/she is one of the elect. That doesn't make any sense to me.

[aletheia]

After reading the transcript, it looks like you make the same mistake everybody else makes. You failed to look at the Greek adverb at the beginning.

God was the one in Christ choosing ego, plural, individuals.

Just as he was in Christ, choosing his people in love, he was predestining his people.

Verse 4 is the further explanation of verse 3 of God being in the heavenly places in Christ . It is in that manner in which he chooses his people to be holy and set apart.

Those are people he chose to save from the beginning.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Again, your focus is to get out of Calvinism not find the truth.

[minorsingingairhead]

I like the explanation more that says that the salvation spoken of in 2. Thes 2_13 is glorification (third tense salvation), even though I'm still wondering about the phrasing here "sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth". The sanctification fits with Eph 1, 4 but if my preferred view is correct, how does this work? It's not like I have to get to a certain level of holiness to make sure I reach glorification... Also, it is a sanctification of or by the belief of truth. What truth? The gospel? I don't get it.

[donhaddix]

election based on foreknowledge is not Calvinism.

[ManassehJones]

28:03 You affirm Christ was in Jesus BEFORE the foundation of the world.
You just debunked your own Eph 1:4 interpretation.

[ManassehJones]

Was "Christ" in "Jesus" before the foundation of the world? Answer; Yes.


Acts 4:26-28
The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. [27] 👉For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus👈, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, [28] For👉 to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.👈

Hebrews 5:8-9
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; [9] And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

You would need to reject that Christ was in Jesus before the foundation of the world to deny that the Bride of Christ was not in Christ before the foundation of the world

If you deny Christ was in Jesus before the foundation of the world, then you will be denying all the prophecies fulfilled by Christ from up to His resurrection.

[ManassehJones]

It's not surprising, all Self Determinists interpret these text according to the flesh. The Bride of Christ was chosen by God before all things created. The very verses you're interpreting through Flesh-o-gesis are easily debunked.
Invite me on your show.
You were there when Christ was crucified, if He shed His blood for you.
Invite me on your show.
Just need your testimony and the Holy Writ. Let's bring light.
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