Ephesians 4:7 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. In this verse, when read in the original Greek, Paul unnecessarily repeats the word “one”. He could be doing this for emphasis, which is a common Pauline tactic, but I would conjecture that by doubling this word, he is differentiating the Oneness of God and each one of us individually.
Rather than translating this verse as we have normally seen: 7 But to each one of us grace was given… As you can see below in the Greek text, Paul has used the word for “one” twice. 7 ἑνὶ δὲ ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς δωρεᾶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Instead, I believe a better translation would be: But by the One to each one of us individually is given the grace… Verses 3 thru 6 specifically discuss the Oneness, ἑνότητα, of God and subsequently in verse 7 Paul explains the omnipotence of God concerning this Oneness. It is God’s omnipotence that gives us our special personal relationship to call Him Abba Father. I have three kids and just these three can be impossible to manage the time between all of them. It seems if I am doing a project with one, another is begging for my attention for something else, not to mention the third waiting in line for their turn. This is not so with our heavenly Father. He is God, and in His omnipotence, we are never starved for His attention or His grace. I believe this is what Paul is saying in verse 7. But by the One to each one of us individually is given the grace… Verse 5 and 6 explains the synergy between the Oneness of God and the all of creation. We, all those who believe in His Son, are given the grace of God individually through the One God who is upon all and through all and in all. Giving each one individually the special attention and gift of His grace. By God, we are one body in Him, collectively gathered as a whole, and yet we still can have an individual, personal relationship with Him as if we were the only ones with Him. What an amazing God we serve! The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen Ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ πάντων υμῶν. ἀμην.
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April 2020
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