Does Ephesians 2:6 Prove Christians Go to Heaven?
By Peter Salemi
“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” Does this scripture prove Christians go to heaven when they die?
Of course this is one of the many proof text mainstream Christians use to try and prove their position that when people die the go to heaven without really looking at the scripture closely!
What does it really say?
If one notices, the Apostle Paul is speaking Christians NOW; on earth living on earth-certainly we are not in heaven RIGHT NOW with Jesus! (See Ephesians 1:20) Notice the context. “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (v.5). this happens now on earth when we repent!
Now notice verse 7, “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” It is clear, verses 5-6 is speaking of now on earth; and in the future he will show us the “riches of his grace.”
The Breakdown
Going through this scripture some words need some clarity.
First the word “sit” in the Greek is “synkathizō” (Strong’s #4776). This means, “to sit in company with”(Mounce). Its Hebrew equivalent is “chanah” (Strong’s #2583) and it means to “abide.” So we abide “together in heavenly places”
Now does it say “with” Christ? NO! It says “IN Christ Jesus:” How is this possible in this present time NOW that we abide in the “heavenly places” in Christ? By the Holy Spirit! The Apostle John makes this plain, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us… Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.” (1 John 3:24; 4:13). The Holy Spirit is the agent used to connect us with Jesus in Heaven, and he with us on earth. We sit, or abide together in heaven IN Jesus. He represents us to the Father in Heaven and the mediator between us and the Father. We the “branches” are connected to the “vine” (John 15) which is Jesus by the Spirit of God; and the evidence are those who, “keepeth his commandments” (Rom 5:5; 1 John 5:3).
Now The Scofield Bible notes the true essence of the “heavenly places”, “Literally, the heavenlies. The same Greek word is used in John 3:12 where ‘things’ is added… ‘The heavenlies’ may be defined as the sphere of the believer’s spiritual experience as identified with Christ in nature.” (emphasis added).
We as Christians who walk “after the Spirit” (Rom 8:4) are “after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” (Rom 8:5). We focus on heaven and the “heavenly things” in heaven (John 3:12). The Apostle Paul wrote, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God [Eph 1:20]…Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Col 3:1-2). This is the true essence of this verse. The Christian is focused on “heavenly things” the “spiritual blessings in heavenly places IN [not with] Christ:” (Eph 1:3) The Blessing of forgiveness and direct contact with God in prayer in the Tabernacle in heaven [heavenly places] Jesus who, “liveth to make intercession for them.” (Heb 7:25). We as Christians “abide” in Christ who represents us in heaven in the heaven places giving us spiritual blessings [things] from heaven.
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