Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 14
January 17, 1963
NUMBER 36, PAGE 6-7,14

"All Spiritual Blessings

Robert H. Farish

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." (Eph. 1:3) Thus did the translators of the King James Version render the passage, Others translated it "every spiritual blessing." The Greek word which is translated "all" or "every" is "pas." "All" is the radical meaning of "pas," but certain semantic rules, governing the meaning of words under certain circumstances, caused Thayer to give Eph. 1:3 as an example of "pas" with the meaning "of every kind." As already noted, the scholars who translated the King James Version with the English word "all" while others although they "hedged a bit" and used the English word "every," were yet unwilling to go all out and translate "pas" with English words which would precisely express the idea of spiritual blessings "of every kind." Rather than a precise translation they used a word which might be construed in either sense. The purpose of this article is to prove that Eph. 1:3 teaches that all spiritual blessings, both quantatively and qualitatively, are in Christ, In proving that Eph. 1:2 teaches that spiritual blessings in their totality are in Christ, the possible reasons for the scholars not translating with words that would precisely convey the meaning "of every kind" will be considered.

In an article "EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING" which appeared in the October 18, 1962, issue of the Gospel Guardian, brother Stephen L. Butters denies that Eph. 1 1 teaches that the totality of spiritual blessings are in Christ. Here is what he says: "This essay has not been an attempt to show that spiritual blessings can be found outside of Christ. Rather, it has been an attempt to show that Eph. 1:3 does not teach that one must be in Christ to receive spiritual blessings of every kind." Notice that he is only discussing what this passage teaches. His contention, that the passage does not teach totality of spiritual blessings in Christ, is based upon Thayer's comment - "blessings of every kind, Eph. 1:3."

The precise point to be determined is, what did the Holy Spirit intend to reveal when he guided Paul to pen the words of Eph. 1:3? Was the Holy Spirit revealing that Christ is merely a sort of spiritual "super market" in which "every kind" of spiritual blessing could be obtained or was he revealing that Christ is the exclusive source of spiritual blessings? This writer believes that Eph. 1:3 teaches that all spiritual blessings are in Christ — that there are no spiritual blessings to be had but in Christ.

Brother Butters wrote: "Let's get some definitions, 'every' or 'all' is 'pas' in the Greek. J. H. Thayer refers to Eph 1:3 and renders 'pas' as 'of every kind.' Thus Paul is saying that all Christians are people who receive spiritual blessings of every kind."

Now if brother Butters had proved that the correct translation of the passage is, "hath blessed us in Christ with spiritual blessings of every kind," he might have some basis for his assertion that "Paul is saying that all Christians are people who receive spiritual blessings of every kind," but this he has not done. All he has advanced is Thayer's statement, but not a single version which translates "pas" as "of every kind," or even with other words which precisely express the idea "of every kind "

It is true that Thayer asserts that Eph. 1:3 is an example of the use of "pas" where the meaning is "of every kind" and it is further acknowledged that Thayer, being the scholar he was, evidently had in mind semantic rules upon which he relied in giving this definition of the use of "pas," but it is equally true that no generally accepted version of the Bible has translated the word in such a way as to clearly and precisely teach no more than "that all Christians are people who receive spiritual blessings of every kind." Why is this so?

A knowledge of the Greek language and the rules of semantics is not necessary for one to know what Paul is teaching in the passage under consideration. There is perhaps general agreement that the passage can be understood without personal learning in these fields, at least, lip service is given to the idea, but sometimes our actions belie our "convictions." It is necessary to teach again and again the lesson of the value of contextual study in determining the meaning of any given word. The greatest aid to the average student of the Bible in determining the meaning of a word is contextual study. A careful study of the setting in which a word is used is the safest course for any student to follow in his efforts to learn what God is saying to him.

It must have been contextual considerations which caused the scholars on the committee that translated the King James Version to translate "pas" with the English word "all" which is the radical or basic meaning of "pas." These same considerations must have had great influence on other scholars in preventing them from selecting words which would rule out the radical idea of all.

Observe how some scholars have translated the passage.

KING JAMES VERSION — "Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings...."

ENGLISH REVISED — "Who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing......"

AMERICAN STANDARD — "Who bath blessed us with every spiritual blessing...."

REVISED STANDARD — "Who hath blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing...

LIVING ORACLES — "Who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing..."

WEYMOUTH — "Who hath crowned us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms...

GOODSPEED — "Who through Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing within the heavenly realm."

MOFFATT — "Who in Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly sphere."

AMERICAN BIBLE UNION — "Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places...."

MACKNIGHT — "Who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places through Christ."

PHILLIPS — "Praise be to God for giving us through Christ every possible spiritual benefit as citizens of heaven."

Why did hundreds of scholars translate "pas" with a word, which, to say the least, did not exclude the idea of totality? What consideration held them back? If the semantic rules, upon which Thayer relied to determine that "pas" in Eph. 1:3 meant "of every kind," had been absolute or invariable, never yielding to other considerations, why did these scholars not use English words which would precisely convey the idea' The answer to these questions will be sought in a contextual study of the passage.

The context in which the passage is found is Eph. 1:3-14. Commenting on this context, Philip Schaff wrote, "In this section especially, the words, 'in Christ,' form the center and heart-beat of the apostle's view. The thought reoccurs in varying forms eight times in this section alone."

In these verses the Holy Spirit repeatedly directs the readers' attention to what God has done, or provided, for the saints "in Christ."

(1) It is in Christ that God "hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies." v. 3

(2) It is in Christ that God "chose us.... Having foreordained us unto adoption as sons." v. 4

(3) it is in the Beloved that God made us objects of his grace. And this is unto the praise of the glory of that grace. v. 6

(4) It is in Christ that "we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses." v.7 In this seventh verse the phrase "in Christ" defines the sphere in which the remission of sins purchased by the blood of Christ is to be had. Can anyone read verse seven and conclude that the kind of spiritual blessing described as "redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses," could be enjoyed in any instance, in any sphere, other than "in Christ"? When the Holy Spirit specified "in Christ" as the sphere in which the "redemption through his blood" was located, he thereby excluded other spheres that might be Considered as possible locations where redemption could be experienced. This cuts out the possibility of "remission of sins" being obtained in Mohammed, Buddha or any other. This is taught in this very passage as well as by other statements of scripture. Peter declared, "In none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Matthew Henry commented: "The guilt and stain of sin could be no otherwise removed than by the blood of Jesus. All our spiritual blessings flow down to us in that stream!'

(5) It is in Christ that God purposed "to sum up all things." v. 9, 10. These two verses certainly express the idea of totality. All things are summed up "in Christ."

(6) It is in Christ that the saints "are made a heritage." v. 11

(7) It is in Christ that God purposed to save the Gentiles. v. 13

(8) It is in Christ that the Gentiles as well as the Jews are sealed with the Holy Spirit. v. 13 A careful study of the context reveals that spiritual blessings in their totality are located in Christ. The context in which the passage, (Eph. 1:3), is found must have had great influence on translators, causing them to select an English word whose meaning was in harmony with the whole context. It seems absurd to think of Paul's affirming at the outset of his expressions of praise, merely that every kind or sort of spiritual blessing could be obtained in Christ.

Not only does the immediate context demand that "pas" have its radical meaning but the entire book points up the totality of spiritual blessings to be enjoyed in Christ. In the latter verses of this chapter Paul wrote that God "raised him (Christ) from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and he put all things In subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (Eph. 1: 20-23) How could one read this and with the idea of the fulness or totality of power possessed by Christ as set forth here, construe verse 3 to teach only that "every kind" of spiritual blessing is in Christ?

Is it any wonder that scholars avoided translating "pas" with English terms whose meaning would not comprehend the fulness or totality of blessings in Christ.

— 417 E. Groesbeck, Lufkin, Texas