Such in brief is what is implied in the simple words of Ephesians 1:4 `that we should be holy' - surely one of the

most precious gems that go to make up what is described by the Apostle as being `accepted in the Beloved'.

The purpose of our election is described in Ephesians 1:4,5 as threefold : (1) that we should be holy; (2) and

without blame; (3) and receive the adoption.

We have seen the import of `holy', now let us examine the priceless words `without blame'.

Amomos `without blame', occurs in the New Testament seven times:

` Without blame before Him in love' (Eph. 1:4).

` That ` it (The Church) should be holy and without blemish' (Eph. 5:27).

` To present you holy and unblameable' (Col. 1:22).

` (Christ) offered Himself without spot to God' (Heb. 9:14).

` The precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot' (1 Pet. 1:19).

` To present you faultless' (Jude 24).

` They are without fault before the throne' (Rev. 14:5).

It is clear from this list of occurrences, that the three references in the prison epistles must be considered

together, but before we can appreciate their teaching, we must acquaint ourselves with the usage of this word

amomos, and before we attempt to explain the negative amomos, we should seek the meaning of the positive momos.

It occurs but once in the New Testament as follows: `Spots they are and blemishes' (2 Pet. 2:13).

For the meaning of this word we must turn back to the Old Testament where the Hebrew mum is translated in the

LXX momos no less than seventeen out of its twenty occurrences. Of the fifteen occurrences of the word in the

Pentateuch, fourteen speak of the physical blemish that invalidated either man or beast from being either priest or

sacrifice. Let us acquaint ourselves with some of these references, for the light we receive will illuminate the

condition described as `without blame' in Ephesians 1:4.

` Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of

his God. For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that

has a flat nose, or anything superfluous, or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded or crookbackt, or a

dwarf, or that hath a blemish ("white spots" not the same word) in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his

stones broken; no man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings

of the Lord made by fire' (Lev. 21:17-21).

So far the Priest. Now let us look at the Offering.

` Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish (tamim "perfect", "complete", not the same word), of the

beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be

acceptable for you ` it shall be perfect to be accepted: there shall be no blemish therein' (Lev. 22:19-21).

The word occurs again in Leviticus 24:19,20. Ten other occurrences complete the list, every one referring to a

physical blemish. We give the following as a sample. Numbers l9 deals with the water of separation made from the

ashes of a red heifer:

` Without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke' (2).

This heifer we find referred to in Hebrews 9:13.

Physical beauty, moreover, is indicated by the absence of blemish in the description of Absalom, the son of

David :

` But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalon for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to

the crown of his head there was no blemish in him' (2 Sam. 14:25).