and enables us to see that the wondrous acceptance in the Beloved, is echoed by

this condition of being in a state of `prior' hope, thus:

a

Predestination to adoption,

b  According to the good pleasure of His will,

c  To the praise of the glory of His grace,

d  highly favoured in the beloved.

a

Predestined to inheritance,

b  According to the purpose ... will,

c To the praise of His glory,

d  who fore-hoped in Christ.

We believe that the apostle uses this word proelpizo to speak of the

exceeding high calling of this church of the Mystery.  The word `also', too,

needs care in interpretation.  Some read Ephesians 1:12 as though it means `We

(i.e. the Jews) first trusted, and now ye (i.e. the Gentiles) also'.  We believe

that the word `also' belongs to the fact of `sealing' and that there is a

parenthesis in the middle of verse 13.  `In Whom also you ( ... ) were sealed'.

The apostle often slips an explanatory clause into an argument as though he

would say `I take it for granted that ...'.  An illustration that lies to hand

is in verse 18.  He was not praying that the eyes of their understanding may be

enlightened, he says in effect, `taking it for granted that the eyes of your

understanding have been enlightened'.

The Ephesian believers were `sealed'.  What does this mean?  The word

translated `to be sealed' or `to set a seal' is the Greek word sphragizo, and a

seal is sphragis, which words represent the Hebrew chotham.  Seals were employed

to safeguard letters or treasures, to guarantee legal evidences, deeds, etc.; to

give authority to shut and seal the doors of a prison.

`So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal' (1

Kings 21:8).

`I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it' (Jer. 32:10).

`The king sealed it (the den) with his own signet' (Dan. 6:17),

are samples of its use.  The word sphragis `seal' comes sixteen times in the New

Testament and sphragizo twenty-five times.

We will not attempt to examine every reference, but we are particularly

concerned with the subject of Ephesians 1:13 which is connected with the witness

of the Spirit.  There is a passage written before Acts 28, which, by its very

additions, is illuminating; we refer to 2 Corinthians 1:22:

`Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our