Monday, March 29, 2010

I'm preaching on Ephesians 1:13-14 tomorrow night:

Greek: Ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀκούσαντες τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς σωτηρίας ὑμῶν, ἐν ᾧ καὶ πιστεύσαντες ἐσφραγίσθητε τῷ πνεύματι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῷ ἁγίῳ, ὅ ἐστιν ἀρραβὼν τῆς κληρονομίας ἡμῶν, εἰς ἀπολύτρωσιν τῆς περιποιήσεως, εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ.

Translation: In whom [=Christ, 1:12] when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also when you believed were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the down payment of our inheritance, unto the redemption for His own possession, to the praise of His glory.

John Calvin rightly and wisely writes regarding the glory of God in Eph 1:14 (and repeated throughout in Eph 1):
The frequent mention of the glory of God ought not to be regarded as superfluous, for what is infinite cannot be too strongly expressed. This is particularly true in commendations of the Divine mercy, for which every godly person will always feel himself unable to find adequate language. He will be more ready to utter, than other men will be to hear, the expression of praise; for the eloquence both of men and angels, after being strained to the utmost, falls immeasurably below the vastness of this subject. We may likewise observe, that there is not a more effectual method of shutting the mouths of wicked men, than by shewing that our views tend to illustrate, and theirs to obscure, the glory of God (Galatians and Ephesians, Calvin's Commentaries 41; emphasis added).
We do well to remember the words of Mr. Calvin and seek to live for and express the glory of God!
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