purpose or plan, directly and centrally concerned as it is with Jesus Christ, is accordingly directly and centrally concerned with soteric issues as well. In the verses immediately preceding this reference to God’s “eternal purpose which he accomplished in the Christ,” Paul declares that God “created all things in order that through the [redeemed] church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” (3:9–10). He then follows this statement