for [the] administration of the fulness of times; to head up all things in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth; in him,
God's plan has a goal, and this verse states it: a coming order in which God brings everything in heaven and on earth under one Head, Christ. Two questions follow. When is this "fullness of time"? And what does it mean to unite all things in Him?
Where the ESV has "plan," older translations have "dispensation." The word comes from the running of a house.
The word "dispensation" appears twice in the older English translation of the letter to the Ephesians — in Ephesians 1:10 and Ephesians 3:2. In both places the Greek word means the law or arrangement of a house. It is close to the word for steward, so it is sometimes translated "stewardship." In general, a dispensation is the order of affairs that God chooses to set up at any given time.
Older translations read "the dispensation of the fulness of times." The point is not that time runs out. It is that God's ways reach their perfection — unlike what human rule has produced.
The "fulness of times" can hardly mean the eternal state, for then God will be all in all. It seems rather to have in view the world to come — the thousand-year reign of Christ — when the full result of God's ways in government will appear in perfection. God has entrusted men with all the principles of government at different times, and men have failed completely in each of them. Under the rule of Christ those same principles will appear in perfection. The government of man has shown the ruin of the times. The reign of Christ will show the "fulness," or perfection, of the times.
Some read this as a description of the age we live in now. One writer traces the mistake to a similar phrase in Galatians.
Many have supposed that this means the present dispensation. They confuse it with another expression used in Galatians 4:4: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son." But "the fulness of time" and "the dispensation of the fulness of times" are two very different expressions… The Church is now reconciled; but things in heaven and on earth are still to be reconciled.
The ESV's "to unite all things" translates a word that means to head up. One writer pictures it with a barrel-maker.
What marks it out is the gathering together — literally, the heading up — of all things in heaven and on earth in the Christ… Have you ever seen a barrel-maker heading up a cask? He stands the wooden staves on end around the head, or end piece, of the cask… That head is the centre that holds them all together. Once it is in place, the harder he presses the staves in, the firmer and better the work.
The verse names heaven and earth, and leaves one place out. The unity it promises answers what sin has done.
The verse says nothing about the things in hell, because this promised gathering belongs to a world of blessing… Sin is lawlessness. It turns every man into a little unit on his own, with his only centre in himself. So through all these ages of sin's reign, however cleverly men build their unities, everything has fallen apart. God has His unity. He is working towards it.
Why would things in heaven need to be brought back at all?
Elsewhere we read of the reconciliation of heavenly things as well as earthly ones (Colossians 1:20). That word implies they were estranged before. And here it rests on the cross: "making peace by the blood of His cross"… Sin has defiled not the earth only but the heavens. The work of Christ has glorified God about that sin, so He can step in, deliver what is to become the inheritance of Christ and His "joint-heirs," and bring it back to Himself.
Adam and his wife show where the church stands.
But the church is not included in any of these things… We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ — not just heirs under Christ, but heirs with Him. It is the picture given at the very start of man's history. Adam had the glory of being head over this lower world, and his wife shares that rule because she is joined to him. The church is the spiritual Eve of the Lord Jesus, the bride of the last Adam.
- House — "Dispensation" means the ordering of a house. God sets up each arrangement in its time, and He keeps this one for the age to come.
- Head — To "unite all things" is literally to head them up. Christ is the centre that holds every separate piece in place.
- Reach — The heading up covers heaven and earth alike, because the cross dealt with sin's defilement in both.
- Timing — Commentators place this in the age to come, not in our own. Do not confuse it with the "fullness of time" of Galatians 4:4.
- Share — Believers are not among the things gathered. They are joint-heirs with the Head, the church being Eve to the last Adam, sharing the rule of the One she is joined to.
in whom we have also obtained an inheritance, being marked out beforehand according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his own will,
This verse turns from what believers are in Christ to what they will own with Him. It all goes back to a purpose God formed Himself, which raises two questions: what is this inheritance, and how safe is it?
The inheritance is not a separate portion of our own. It is Christ's, shared with those joined to Him.
Notice where we come into it: "in whom also we have obtained an inheritance." We are heirs, as the apostle says to the Romans — "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." That is, God says: I am going to give everything to Christ. I am going to gather together in one all things in heaven and on earth in Him. And with Him you are joint-heirs — with Him you have received the inheritance.
Translators have disagreed over the phrase. One writer defends the older wording against a revision that reversed it, making us God's heritage instead.
In Ephesians 1:11 some translate it "we were made a heritage." But the Greek means "we have been placed by lot in possession of," or "have obtained a lot, or inheritance." The point matters. We are joint-heirs with Christ.
The words "in Him" mark where the inheritance is held, and what it cost.
All belongs to God, but Christ is the Heir, and God has marked His many sons out to share the inheritance with Christ. That is why it says, "in whom also we have obtained an inheritance" (verse 11). We have nothing outside of Christ. All our blessings now, and all that we will have in the coming day, are "in Christ," in association with Him. They depend on Him, who obtained everything for us by His death on the cross.
One writer points out that God never asked us — and treats that as good news.
This is "according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will." He did not give it to us in answer to anything we asked or wanted. He has acted from Himself in His infinite wisdom and eternal love. He did not consult us about this, or about any blessing He has given us. And it is good for us that He acted this way. If He had left our blessings for us to decide, we would have been hired servants forever, and not sons.
So could anything still go wrong before the day we take possession?
God settled our destiny beforehand. He did not settle it to fit our need, or even our thoughts and wishes, but according to His own purpose, and He carries out all things as He pleases. So we may be sure that no possible slip can come between us and the inheritance He has destined for us.
Three words stand side by side in this verse. One writer sets out what each one means.
Purpose is the goal God has before Him. Divine Persons took counsel as to how that goal would be secured, and the ways of God are bringing it all into effect. When the ways of God reach their end, His counsel will have been fully carried out. What He purposed will be secured, and this is what will go into the eternal state… Notice how all three are in verse 11 of our chapter: purpose, working and counsel.
"Works all things" reaches past the church into world events — even the ones that look like chaos.
How very encouraging it is for the Christian to know that nothing happens in this world except what serves the will of God. God is not acting openly today in the events of the world, as He certainly will in a coming day. But His counsel has ordered that everything must work towards one great end: the fulfilling of His eternal purpose. What God does not rule, He overrules, even as He makes the wrath of man praise Him.
- Purpose — God fixed the goal Himself. He never asked us, and He acted out of His own wisdom and love.
- Counsel — divine Persons planned how that purpose would be secured. Verse 11 holds all three: purpose, counsel and working.
- Working — He works all things toward that end; what He does not rule, He overrules.
- Inheritance — what it comes to for us: not a portion of our own, but Christ's inheritance, shared with joint-heirs.
- Security — it all begins and ends in Him, so no slip can come between us and the inheritance.