Cheryl Schatz

Mark, you said:

Also the present takes a future meaning in some contexts.

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

‘will come’ is a present indicative, yet again the context of the passage reveals Jesus is talking about a ‘future’ event.

So no, the present indicate does not always have a present tense continuous function, the context decides that.

Once again your example is a present indicative which is not the same as Eph. 2:1. Also in John 14:3 the present tense would fit well with Jesus’ second coming in His glorified body since as God He is the I AM (continuous present tense).

Now in relation to Eph 2:1. What is important to know is that verse one does not have a subject or verb, only a present participle. As I stated earlier, the participle functions to show a contrast. It is not until verse 5 that we see Paul’s point, when he states that “But God…made us alive”. Therefore the subject and the verb of ‘umas’ (you) in verse 1 are not introduced until verse 4,5.

You are right in that the first direct verb is not until verse 5 however the term “kai” does not need to show a contrast and it is incorrect to say that the participle functions to show a contrast. That is not true. It is just as much an option that “kai” shows a close connection rather than a contrast.

The initial (kai) of both verses creates a problem. In v. 1 it might suggest a close connection with what precedes, ‘you also being dead as Christ was dead’,
A critical and exegetical commentary on Ephesians (199).

What is more probable? A contrast or a connection? Remember that chapter divisions are not in the original so with the connecting word “kai” at the beginning of chapter 2, we need to see what it is connected to which leads us back to chapter 1:

Ephesians 1:19–23 (NASB)
19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
20 <>which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

In the preceeding chapter Paul is talking about God’s great power toward us who believe. This power is the working of God’s strength and power which was shown when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavens. Everthing is put in subjection under His feet and because we are His body, everything is put under subjection of our feet because we too sit with Christ in the heavens. Is the power of sin put in subjection under our feet too?

Ephesias 2:1 seems to show that quite clearly to me.

Ephesians 2:1–6 (YLT)
1 Also you—being dead in the trespasses and the sins, 2in which once ye did walk according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience, 3among whom also we all did walk once in the desires of our flesh, doing the wishes of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath—as also the others.
4 And God, being rich in kindness, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even being dead in the trespasses, did make us to live together with the Christ, (by grace ye are having been saved,) 6and did raise us up together, and did seat us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Because of the power of God that is shown in Christ through His resurrection, we are “in Christ” and dead to the sins that we formerly walked in. God has shown us His great mercy by giving us the resurrection power of Christ in order to be dead to the sins that once had power over us. And in the same power that made us dead to these old sins, we are also at the same time made fully alive with Christ because we are seated with Him in the heavenly places with all things under our feet. All things under our feet must include the sins that we used to control us.

To be continued…