STRANGE DETOUR

One last look at Ephesians for now. Here's part of chapter 1:

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. 4For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love 5He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.

7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.

11In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.

13And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.

Remember: Paul here is just beginning a major teaching on the "mystery" of God bringing believing Jews and Gentiles together into a single, unified Body. 

How is it possible that the Gentiles are being included? After all, they have not been following God's law!

But that's the beauty of God's grand plan. Paul explains here (and in Romans) that no human is brought into right relationship with God by following all the rules and working for God's approval. Instead, humans can enter into that relationship simply by placing their faith in Jesus Christ. (As in verse 13 - "having heard and believed the word of truth".)

And even a Gentile can do THAT.

So, wouldn't it be strange in the midst of this discussion if Paul decided to drop in a verse or two (as those highlighted in yellow above are often interpreted) to teach that God only picks certain individuals for salvation to the exclusion of all others? And those individuals were chosen "before the foundation of the world" for reasons known only to God? 

What a strange and earth-shaking doctrine to touch on before he continues explaining how inclusively available God's saving grace is!

Such a strange detour to take - running in the opposite direction of his main message. 

Yet Calvinists would have us believe Paul that this is precisely what Paul is teaching.