We are testing a hypothesis, namely, this one: Does \u201cwrath\u201d refer only to \u201chistorical\u201d events in history, the negative implications of doing things contrary to God\u2019s will, or does it also refer to \u201cevangelistic\u201d wrath (threatening with wrath when evangelizing) or \u201ceternal\u201d wrath (an endless state of the damned)? Our text today is illuminating.
\nToday we look at Ephesians 2:3. Here it is in context, and we want to sweep the whole context, and I ask you to read it all. I believe this is the clearest text in the entire NT to show that wrath is not always \u201chistorical\u201d wrath.<\/p>\n
1 You were dead<\/strong> through the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once lived, following the course of this world<\/strong>, following the ruler of the power of the air<\/strong>, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3 All of us<\/strong> once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else.<\/strong> 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ\u2014by grace you have been saved\u2014 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God\u2014 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
\nEph. 2:11 So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles<\/strong> by birth, called \u201cthe uncircumcision\u201d by those who are called \u201cthe circumcision\u201d\u2014a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands\u2014 12 remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world<\/strong>. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off<\/strong> have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one<\/strong> and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nWhat this text by Paul teaches is that:
\n1. All humans, not just Gentiles but also Jews, all humans are under the wrath of God.
\n2. All humans are \u201cbecause of their nature\u201d children of wrath.
\n3. All humans are the receptors of God\u2019s mercy in Christ.
\nNow more carefully:
\n1. We need to connect the words Paul uses here for all<\/em> humans in the sinful, unredeemed condition: \u201cdead\u201d (v. 1), lived in trespassses and sins (2), connected to the \u201cruler of the power of the air\u201d (2), by nature children of wrath (3).
\n2. Gentiles specially: \u201cwithout Christ\u201d because they are Gentiles (12), \u201caliens\u201d from Israel (12), \u201cstrangers to the covenants\u201d (12), \u201cno hope\u201d (12) and \u201cwithout God\u201d (12). Thus, Gentiles were \u201cfar off\u201d (13).
\n3. Christ brings together Gentiles and Jews.
\n4. #3 does not suggest that #1 is only about Gentiles. Paul has too much \u201call of us\u201d in that first section.
\n5. It is true that Paul wants to sketch how bad the unredeemed state is so he can magnify the mercy and grace of God, but that does not mean his sketch of the unredeemed state is hyperbole.
\nThis is not simply historical wrath, though it could have some of that. I would see this as eternal wrath \u2014 God\u2019s wrath against sin and against sinners. This is not evangelistic wrath because Paul is not evangelizing. Did Paul use wrath evangelistically? What do you think?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We are testing a hypothesis, namely, this one: Does \u201cwrath\u201d refer only to \u201chistorical\u201d events in history, the negative implications of doing things contrary to God\u2019s will, or does it also refer to \u201cevangelistic\u201d wrath (threatening with wrath when evangelizing) or \u201ceternal\u201d wrath (an endless state of the damned)? Our text today is illuminating.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[337],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-theology"],"yoast_head":"\n
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