ACC ~ Ephesians 1 v5a

OUR SONSHIP BY ADOPTION. MARIUS VICTORINUS: God in his love has predestined us to adoption through Christ. How could God possibly have Christ for his Son by adoption? … We speak of ourselves as heirs of God the Father and heirs through Christ, being sons through adoption. Christ is his Son, through whom it is brought about that we become sons and fellow heirs in Christ. AGAINST THE ARIANS 1.2.

DISTINGUISHING DESTINEDFROM Ordained. JEROME: The former [verse] refers to those saints who did not previously exist and who before they came into being were thought of and subsequently acquired existence. This [verse] speaks of God, who was preceded by no thought or willing but always existed and never had a beginning for his existence. Therefore he rightly used the term destined for those who, having once not existed, subsequently acquired existence. But of the Son, that is, of our Lord Jesus Christ, he wrote ordained in another place also.EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 1.1.5.

DESTINED US IN LOVE. JEROME: Christ, as we have often said already, is wisdom, justice, peace, joy, temperance and the rest. Note that the names of all these virtues are loved even by those who do not pursue them! No one is such a brazen criminal that he does not claim to love wisdom and justice. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 1.1.6.

DESTINED IN LOVE. FULGENTIUS: The reason for saying “he destined us in love is” that he empowered us with his gracious love in order to predestine us. ON THE TRUTH OF PREDESTINATION 3.5.

Eph