Dr. Wierwille: "Now we go to verse 10, King James: 'For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them'. All of you know from past teachings from the foundational class on how tremendous this verse really is and how absolutely true and beautiful. And I've used it many times in teachings that in my first birth I was the workmanship of my daddy and mommy, but in my second birth I am the workmanship of God, and that's the greatness among other things in this verse. This word workmanship; the Greek work is spelled p-o-i- (long) e-m-a, workmanship, poiema. I think we used it once for an art gathering or something, poiema, workmanship. The result of the action was me, first birth. You got it? The second birth, the result of who's action, God's action. That's why the word is so tremendous. It means that which God makes or does, God's work. The first work of my dad and mother was not perfect, but they liked it. People, this work of God, this work of God, would He like it? My golly. How many times haven't people slapped God in the face who have been born-again by saying how unworthy they are and no-gooders. God is perfect, therefore this workmanship could be translated masterpiece. We are God's workmanship, God's perfection, God's masterpiece. It's interesting that this word is used in Acts 17:28 and it's translated poet. Poietes Greek, poet English. A poet is supposed to produce a masterpiece, what he's a poet for, supposed to be. In the Aramaic, 'For we are his workmanship' is translated 'Therefore we are his own creation'. The word 'for' again sets that which follows. It was interesting that Marcus Barth translated this 'work of art', 'a work of art'. A work of art is a masterpiece. The word created is used instead of formed. If the word formed was used you couldn't put it together, it wouldn't fit. It's an aorist in the Greek, an aorist passive participle. And these, this word workmanship and the word created, is a fantastic figure of speech, which I've given you before, polyptoton, p-o-l-y-p-t-o-t-o-n, words that are repeated that have the same root. In the Aramaic, they are the words which read creation created. Creation and created. 'For we are his creation created'. The whole emphasis corps, is on God's work and the result of his work. The word for ordained is not the proginosko word that I have taught you on other occasions. This word here in the Greek means prepared or made ready ahead of time, beforehand. The literal according to usage of verse 10 is: 'Therefore we are his own creation who were created in Christ Jesus with a view to good works which God made ready in order that we should walk in them'. The expanded: ' Therefore we are his (God's, due to the result of God's work through his son) own creation (masterpiece) who were created in Christ Jesus with a specific view to good works which God prepared beforehand and made ready and available to every believer in Christ Jesus in order that we should, could and ought to walk in them and regulate our lives accordingly'. That again I think is a very wonderful translation that should give you great understanding of the truth of the beauty of the greatness of our God in Christ Jesus as it is given in this tenth verse."
Enjoy who you are, and who we all are, in Christ Jesus, God's masterpiece. Peace and love, Laurie