3:10
Things now move to a cosmic level. God’s purpose is that through the church His wisdom be made known to the “rulers and authorities” in the heavenly realms. There is a spiritual world and a material world. In the Biblical understanding the two are related, and what happens is influenced by both. If we look at the spiritual realms in a human manner (so this could be wrong, be warned!) we can imagine the powers and authorities thinking everything has gone bad, or that God made a really bad mistake. In fact, God was acting with perfect wisdom, and the outcome of things through the gospel was demonstrating this. We should also note that God’s wisdom is demonstrated through the church. Now this most definitely not mean that the church is always wise! But God works in and through the church.
3:11
This is all according to His eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus. First, God’s purpose is eternal, it was not something thought about on a whim, He did not make things up on the hoof. The fall did not come as a surprise to God, Israel’s failure was not a surprise, the Jews rejection of Christ was not a shock. God always knew what He was doing and what was going on. Secondly, His purposes are accomplished in Christ, and nowhere else. Christ is the only means of salvation.
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