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A.--I will not question it, I will look at the context.
B.--You grow wise I see--what do you discover?
A.--I find that verse 4 takes us back to the creation of Gen. 1:, 2:
B.--So then Eph. 1: 4 must be before Gen. 1:, 2:?
A.--May I venture to say that Heb. 9: 26 is also dated?
B.--You may, for you have observed that the period "from the foundation of the world"
is placed in strong contrast with "Now", "the end of the world or ages", and the "now"
was written before A.D.70.
A.--Thank you. Scripture evidence is abundant to prove that the period when the church
of the One Body was chosen in Christ was before the creation of Gen. 1:
B.--That is all we had to prove. The question as to whether a better translation would
not be, "before the overthrow of the world", is not before us at the moment. Before we
leave the question you may take note of a further corroboration in II Tim. 1: 9, where
speaking of the same "choice" the apostle says:--
"According to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began (or as it is literally, 'before age times')."
"Before age times" and "before the foundation of the world" are one and the same
period. "Since the ages" and "since the foundation of the world" are one and the same
period, and as we have seen, this latter period lies back behind Abel and the creation.
The first feature therefore of our teaching appears to stand the test.