What is God’s “plan for the fullness of time,” and how extensive is its reach? Ephesians 1:9-10.
Paul uses three labels for God’s plan. It is (1) “the mystery of his will,”(2) “his purpose,” and (3) “a plan for the fullness of time” (ESV). What is God’s ultimate, final plan? To unite everything, everywhere, in Jesus.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
The term that Paul uses to describe the plan is a picturesque one (Greek, anakephalaiosasthai), to “head up” or to “sum up” all things in Christ. In ancient accounting practice, you would “add up” a column of figures and place the total at the top. Jesus heads God’s final, eschatological plan. This Christ-centered plan was crafted “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) and is so broad that it encompasses all time (“the fullness of the times,” NKJV) and space (“all things … things in heaven and things on earth,” ESV). Paul announces unity in Christ as the grand, divine goal for the universe.
In discussing God’s “plan for the fullness of time” (Ephesians 1:10, ESV), Paul shares the theme that he will weave through the letter. God begins His plan to unify all things, rooted in the death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation of Jesus (Ephesians 1:15-2:10), by founding the church and unifying disparate elements of humankind, Jews and Gentiles, in it (Ephesians 2:11-3:13).
In this way, the church signals to the evil powers that God’s plan is underway and their divisive rule will end (Ephesians 3:10). As the Bible says elsewhere: “For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time” (Revelation 12:12, NKJV).
The last half of Paul’s letter opens with a passionate call to unity (Ephesians 4:1-16) and continues with a lengthy exhortation to avoid behavior that damages unity and, instead, to build solidarity with fellow believers (Ephesians 4:17-6:9). Paul concludes with the rousing image of the church as a unified army, participating with vigor in waging peace in Christ’s name (Ephesians 6:10-20).
| How can you acknowledge and celebrate that the redemption you have experienced in Christ Jesus is part of something sweeping and grand, an integral part of God’s studied and ultimate plan to unite all things in Christ? |
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