Ephesians 1:5-6
On Sunday I used this week’s verses to introduce the service from The Message to make it more accessible to our younger members, so I’ve used that here as well, but putting the NIV alongside it so you can compare them.
(MSG) Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
(NIV) In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
You may have noticed a key difference between the NIV and the MSG translations, the MSG talks about our being adopted into God’s family, whereas the NIV, a more literal translation, says sonship. Why the difference – is the MSG pandering to some sort of political correctness and denying what the text says? The NIV is correct, the Greek text does talk about sonship, because in Jewish culture sons were seen as more important than daughters – but was never how God saw things, in Christ there is no male or female, we are all equal, and that means the MSG is also right. The point is that God has chosen us and raised us up to the highest place, and in the culture of the time, that was the language with which to express this, whereas today, perhaps, it is not.
Father, thank you that you have chosen us, women and men, called us to be equals and lifted us high! Help us to treat others with the same equality and love.
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