We and you in Paul
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2024 5:55 pm
Let me try to lay out a little problem with English translations of today's second reading. The NAB, for instance gave us:
2. I suppose that all we who were baptized exist now for the praise of God's glory.
3. I suppose that, through Jesus, God did destine us for adoption to himself.
4. I suppose that we who heard and believed the gospel were sealed with the Spirit.
However, I'm afraid Paul is not exactly saying all these things. Let's take them in reverse order:
4. Yes, he does say that we who believed were sealed with the Spirit, but notice how he doesn't say "we" anymore; he for the first time says "you". He wouldn't leave himself out, but it shows that up to this point the "we" might not include us, his readers. There are many instances in Paul's letters where he speaks of himself (and his fellow apostles) as "we", only to abruptly then address the recipients of the letter as a different entity: "you". (For this see, for instance, 2 Cor. 1:3-6; 2:13-17; 4:5, 12-14; 5:11, 13, 20; 6:1, 8b-11.)
3. In light of this and against all modern English translations, the older Douay-Rheims and KJV reveal that in verse 5, Paul is not making a point about Christians' being destined for adoption as children of God; rather it is about his own being destined for adopting children to the Father through Christ. "Who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto himself" (D-R).
2. This also answers the question that should arise from verse 12: We who first hoped in Christ should exist for the praise of his glory, as opposed to those who hoped later on? Why this "first"? Yes, Paul hoped first, before the Ephesian church; and Paul was sent to them, praising the Father's glory.
1. So is it OK that Paul was blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavens (he does recount that he was taken up there), without our necessarily being so thoroughly blessed (yet)? It was for our good, after all.
1. Now, I suppose that in Christ everyone is blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, whatever those are.Ephesians 1: 3 wrote: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, 4 as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. 5 In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ ... . 12 ... so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ. 13 In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy Spirit ... .
2. I suppose that all we who were baptized exist now for the praise of God's glory.
3. I suppose that, through Jesus, God did destine us for adoption to himself.
4. I suppose that we who heard and believed the gospel were sealed with the Spirit.
However, I'm afraid Paul is not exactly saying all these things. Let's take them in reverse order:
4. Yes, he does say that we who believed were sealed with the Spirit, but notice how he doesn't say "we" anymore; he for the first time says "you". He wouldn't leave himself out, but it shows that up to this point the "we" might not include us, his readers. There are many instances in Paul's letters where he speaks of himself (and his fellow apostles) as "we", only to abruptly then address the recipients of the letter as a different entity: "you". (For this see, for instance, 2 Cor. 1:3-6; 2:13-17; 4:5, 12-14; 5:11, 13, 20; 6:1, 8b-11.)
3. In light of this and against all modern English translations, the older Douay-Rheims and KJV reveal that in verse 5, Paul is not making a point about Christians' being destined for adoption as children of God; rather it is about his own being destined for adopting children to the Father through Christ. "Who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto himself" (D-R).
2. This also answers the question that should arise from verse 12: We who first hoped in Christ should exist for the praise of his glory, as opposed to those who hoped later on? Why this "first"? Yes, Paul hoped first, before the Ephesian church; and Paul was sent to them, praising the Father's glory.
1. So is it OK that Paul was blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavens (he does recount that he was taken up there), without our necessarily being so thoroughly blessed (yet)? It was for our good, after all.
