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Super-heavenly.
This term seems to one to be a straining of words to the subverting of those who hear.
This is a sufficiently serious charge to require refutation and brings us into line with the
apostle who although he took with becoming meekness the criticism of his "contemptible
speech" and his "mean appearance", yet when his apostleship or his doctrine was
attacked threw himself into the breach and yielded subjection "no not for an hour" that
the truth of the gospel might continue right through to ourselves. The criticism in
question begins by stating the following fact, and this fact is the basis of our teaching on
the subject.
"En tois epouraniois. This expression is peculiar in its form to the Ephesian epistle,
where it occurs five times; 1: 3 and 20; 2: 6; 3: 10; 6: 12."
After having made this statement the critic opens up his view on the subject by a
quotation from John 3: 12, and says, following the quotation, "(lit., heavenlies, as in
Ephesians)".
Now there is something amiss here. If "in heavenly places" is peculiar in this form to
Ephesians, it cannot also occur in John 3: 12. The word "heavenly" is used all over the
N.T., a fact that it would be foolish to deny, and which has no bearing on the subject.
Our contention has been that this peculiar form, "in heavenly places", has been used by
God in Ephesians alone, because Ephesians reveals the mystery which, alone in all
departments in the purpose of the ages, makes it known that a company of the redeemed
shall one day enter into their inheritance "in the heavenly places far above all
principalities and powers".
That the significance of the peculiar form found only in Ephesians is seriously
questioned by our critic is revealed by the second item of criticism. Speaking of the term
"super-heavenly" it is stated that:--
"There is no such word in the New Testament as huper-ouranios, that is `above or
beyond the heavens'."
To this the obvious answer is that in Eph. 4: 10 we have the words, huper ano
panton ton ouranon, "far above all heavens". This shows that while the actual term
"super-heavenlies" may not be found, "super-heavens" is in the very heart of the
self-same epistle associated with the self-same ascension, "far above all", with which the
church of the one body is inseparably connected.
Can the logic of these two passages be denied?
"The Lord Jesus ascended to the heavenly places" (Eph. 1: 19-21).
"The Lord Jesus at the same time ascended far above all heavens" (Eph. 4: 10).