by the plural, cannot be translated 'among', and the so -called rule proves

to be invalid.  There is nothing in the Greek to prevent the translation 'in

the heavenlies' being unquestioned.

We now take note of the objection to the word 'places'.  We readily

admit that the word 'places' is not in the original, but neither are the

words 'beings' or 'things'.  Whatever explanatory word is supplied it must

come from the context; all that the words, en tois epouraniois can mean, if

lifted out of their context, is 'in the heavenlies', leaving other passages

to supply the missing word.  These 'heavenlies' are spoken of again in

Ephesians 1:20,21 where the risen Christ is said to be seated at God's own

right hand in the heavenlies, far above all principality and power.  Here we

have a context which must influence our understanding of en tois epouraniois,

and the remote context of Colossians 3:1 -4 cannot be ignored.  There, the

believer in the same glorious truth as Ephesians is directed to set his mind

on things above 'Where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God'.

Now we are fully aware that the Bible, accommodating itself to the

limitations of its human readers, uses expressions that must not be unduly

pressed.  It may well be that in a world of pure spirit, there is no 'up' or

'down', no size or magnitude, no here or there, but if that be so, such a

world and such conditions are beyond our present powers to conceive and

express.  The believer who at any one time ventures into this realm, must be

consistent; he must leave all traces of present experience behind him, and

this, of course, would make for sheer unintelligible gibberish.  We read in

Colossians 3:1,2 that 'things above' are set over against 'things on the

earth' and that these things above are 'where Christ sitteth at the right

hand of God'.  The Greek word hou is an adverb of place, and occurs twenty -

seven times in the New Testament.  The star that stood over where the young

child was, stood over a geographical 'place' (Matt. 2:9).  It was a localized

'house' which the wise men could enter or leave.  When the Saviour 'found the

place where it was written' the Greek word topos is used together with hou,

and 'the place where' indicated a particular portion of the 'book' that had

been handed to Him.

We must beware lest we whittle away the power of the adverb 'where'

when dealing with epouraniois.  Not only so, but the present session of

Christ at the right hand of God is consequent upon the Ascension.  Did He

actually ascend, or is this ascension to be explained, or explained away, as

having no reference to direction or place?  The word translated 'ascend' is

the Greek word anabaino as in Ephesians 4:8, 'He ascended up on high'.

Christ could not have ascended up into a mountain (Matt. 5:1), if that

mountain were not actually there.  He could not have said, 'We go up to

Jerusalem' (Matt. 20:18) if Jerusalem had not been geographically there.  We

learn from Hebrews 4:14 that Christ 'passed through (dierchomai) the

heavens', and that He was 'made higher than the heavens' (Heb. 7:26).  If the

Saviour never actually ascended up far above all heavens, then He never

descended to the lower parts of the earth.  'He that descended is the same

also that  ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things'

(Eph. 4:10).  It is an essential item of our faith that 'The Man Christ

Jesus' is at the right hand of God.  If we empty the Ascension, or the

heavens of any reference to 'place', if in other words we spiritualize away

Ephesians 4:8 -10 and make it simply a reference to the Saviour's gracious

condescension, if we deny that He has ascended up 'Where He was before' (John

6:62), if we have no room for the argument of John 3:13, 'No man hath

ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven', if the Lord is not

actually to descend from heaven with a shout (1 Thess. 4:16), if in other