The Amazing Treasure in Christ

in [Christ]

a possession of immeasurable value is obtained

that has been predetermined according to His purpose

who works all things after the counsel of His will,[1]

I wrestled with this text.

As I read, studied, and meditated on it, I realized that there is far more here than meets the English-speaking eye.

So, I worked on my translation of this verse, which is above. I am still not satisfied with it, but perhaps its intention will become clear as you continue reading.

We will examine some of the text’s words, their meaning, and their alluring depth so that we might grasp something of the unlimited riches possessed by those ‘in Christ.’

Let’s begin with a recommendation.

 

A recommendation

It has been a while since the previous post in this series, so I recommend that you read Ephesians 1:3-14 once again. In Greek, this is one long sentence, punctuated with similar recurring phrases: “to the praise of His glory” (1:7, 12, 14). These phrases move us from a focus on the Father to the Son and then to the Spirit.

You might also want to refresh your understanding of what it means to be ‘in Christ’ by reviewing the earlier post, “What Does ‘in Christ Mean?” 

Now let’s explore one of the words in our text and its broader meaning.

 

Klēroō

This verb, or action word, is only used once in the New Testament (NT), but is part of a family using the same root. For instance, the noun (klēronomia) is found in Ephesians 1:14, 18; and 5:5. What does it mean?

Our word carries meanings of “appoint by lot” or “obtain by lot” (BDAG).[2]  You will remember that the tribes of Israel were assigned their territories within the land of Israel by the casting of lots (Joshua 18:1-10). You might think that this is a somewhat arbitrary way of deciding, much like flipping a coin or throwing dice, but in the circumstances of Israel,

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD (Proverbs 16:33)

As we read English translations of this text, klēroō is rendered as:

• “we have been claimed as God’s own possession/inheritance,”[3] conveying the idea that those ‘in Christ’ are “a possession of immeasurable value” appointed to God, or
• “we have obtained an inheritance,”[4] indicating that “a possession of immeasurable value” is obtained by those ‘in Christ.’

The weakness of using “inheritance” in both cases is that we usually view an inheritance as money or other assets received upon the death of someone. What we need is a word or phrase that conveys the amazing wealth of a divine “inheritance” without the condition of death.

In my translation of this text above, I propose “a possession of immeasurable value.” Perhaps “possession” is not quite right, but I am open to better suggestions.

 

Who obtains?

This still leaves us with the issue of whether:

• it is God who has obtained those ‘in Christ’ as the “possession of immeasurable value,” or
• it is those ‘in Christ” who have gained a “possession of immeasurable value.”

Bible scholars are divided on this issue. Often, they express the difficulty of choosing one side over the other. As an example, Harold Hoehner states:

Because of the various ways this word [klēroō] can be rendered in the classical literature and because this is the only occurrence in the NT, the exact nuance for this context is difficult. … It is difficult to choose between these last two views ….[5]

Those who interpret this as believers receiving this “possession” from God include Constantine R. Campbell, Lynn H. Cohick, and William J. Larkin.[6] Those who opt for the believers being God’s “possession” include Stephen Fowl, Harold W. Hoehner, Leon Morris, and Peter T. O’Brien.[7] All of these are excellent Bible scholars.

Add to this that some translations choose to resolve this apparent ambiguity on one side or the other (as indicated earlier). What and how are we to understand this text?

Why are scholars and translators so intent on resolving an ambiguity that they acknowledge as difficult?

 

Embracing ‘ambiguity’

Over the years, I have come across other (apparent) ambiguities in the original text, which are usually resolved one way or the other by the translators and expositors.

Perhaps the ambiguity is not meant to be resolved.

 When an ambiguity is recognized and accepted without being resolved, it engages the listeners or readers at a new and deeper level that personally involves them in the conundrum directly. They might ask questions like:

• Why is this ‘story’ or statement not definite or clear?
• Why do I respond to this text the way I do?
• How would I act with what I know?
• What does this really mean for my life?

What if an ambiguity is intentional? What if it is not meant to be just one side of the coin, but both sides?

We can assume that the writer of the original Biblical text was fully capable of making the meaning unambiguous, but chose not to. So, why can we not presume that the meaning is larger, richer, and deeper as we allow both parts of an ambiguity to be valid?

What can Ephesians 1:11 mean when we allow the ambiguity—or better, when we embrace both meanings?

 

A modest proposal

If we allow the apparent ambiguity, or “doubled meaning,” I suggest that we are led to a greater and richer understanding of what it means to be ‘in Christ.’

It is not only

God that has obtained those ‘in Christ’ as a possession of immeasurable value,

but also

those ‘in Christ’ that have obtained a possession of immeasurable value

And all this is revealed, received, and experienced ‘in Christ.’

The apostle John provides us with similar insights as he quotes the Lord Jesus about the relationship of the Father and Himself (John 10:38):

“… that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”

and of the relationship of those ‘in Christ’ with Himself (John 15:5):

“… If a [person] remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

 

Summing up

You might ask, “What about the rest of the verse?”

that has been predestined according to His purpose

who works all things after the counsel of His will

Although there is much there, in basic terms, everything that those ‘in Christ’ obtain is ‘in Christ’—and that has been predestined or predetermined by the Triune God according to his loving will that cannot be frustrated.

If you are uneasy about the concept of predestined or predetermined, check out the earlier post: “What Does God’s Blessing of Predestined to Adoption Mean for You?” 

I hope that you are enriched as you discover more of what it means to be ‘in Christ.’ After all, the Lord Jesus Christ is all to God the Father, and he is also all to those of us who are ‘in Christ.’ Both the Father and His people are totally involved in the fortunes of Christ.[8]

Without a doubt, those ‘in Christ’ can sing:

In a love which cannot cease,
I am His, and He is mine.

What additional thoughts do you have? You can contact me here.

 

BACK TO How to Face Your Future with Joy

Notes:

[1] This is my translation, which seeks to capture the possibilities of this text without removing the ambiguity discussed in this post.

[2] BDAG refers to Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd edition, pages 547-549.

[3] So, NET and CSB.

[4] KJV, NKJ, ESV, NAS, NASB, NLT, and NRS. Although the NIV supplies the somewhat dubious “we were also chosen,” it provides the alternative of “were made heirs” in a marginal note.

[5] Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 226, 227.

[6] Constantine R. Campbell, The Letter to the Ephesians (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2023), 53; William J. Larkin, Ephesians: A Handbook on the Greek Text (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2009), 13; Lynn H. Cohick, The Letter to the Ephesians (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2020), 109.

[7] Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians (Grand Rapids, MI/Leicester, UK: Eerdmans/Apollos, 1999), 115f.; Leon Morris, Expository Reflections on the Letter to the Ephesians (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1994), 24; Hoehner, Ephesians, 226-228; Stephen Fowl, Ephesians: A Commentary (Louisville, KY: Westminster J. Knox, 2012), 98f.

[8] Adapted from a comment in BDAG, 548.

Photo credits: depositphotos.com