SSL 1 - Eph. 1:3-14
INTRODUCTION: Eph. 1:1 identifies the apostle Paul as the author of the Book of Ephesians, and it was most likely written between 60-63 A.D. Paul's chief purpose in writing the book was that all believers who hunger for Christ-like maturity would receive this letter. Enclosed within its pages is the personal discipline needed to mature into a true child of God. What's more, a serious study of Ephesians will go a long way to place a believer on a path towards achieving the purpose and calling God has given to him or her, which ties-in with Paul's overall aim to confirm and equip a maturing church. Once into the book, the reader receives is a balanced view of the Body of Christ and its importance in God's economy. This letter doesn't deal with congregational issues, as do Paul's letters to the other churches, although Paul did visit Ephesus twice, initially on his second missionary journey (Acts. 18:19-28), and spent three years there on his third missionary journey (Acts 20:31).
IMMEDIATE CONTEXT: The first two verses of Chap. 1 are as follows: 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The next 12 verses that follow will present a condensed summary of Paul's theology.
Read Eph. 1:3-6 - BLESSED BE THE GOD WHO HAS BLESSED US
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
v. 3a: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" - The form of this verse is called a benediction (a good saying), given as a joyful response to the great blessings that God has showered on us and praises God for His grace. In the NT, we first encounter the word "blessed" (Gk. makarios) in the Beatitudes (Mt. 5:3-11), as a blessing from God to people, but the word Paul uses here for "blessed" (Gk. eulogetos) means a blessing directed upward, to God. While Hebrew Scriptures refer to God as "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or the God of Israel, Paul, in New covenant theology, now refers to God as "God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
v. 3b: "who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" - When Paul says God has blessed us with every "spiritual blessing," he indicates that the saving gifts of God are transferred by the Holy Spirit, and phrase "in the heavenly places in Christ," emphasizes the mediation of Jesus for all of the blessings we receive.
v. 4: "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love" - This is the first of 14 specified blessings listed in the verses that follow. So, first, "He chose us in Him." The word "chose" (Gk. eklegō) lit. to pick out, in context and also means elected by God, and "in Him" means that the Father chose Christians in the Son, Jesus, thus if we are in Jesus, we are in. That he chose us "before the foundation of the world," means not only before our conception but before creation when there was only God. God chose us to be "holy" (i.e., sinless) and "blameless" (i.e., free from guilt), neither of which we can obtain by spiritual self-discipline but only by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. The underlying premise of this is that we can take no credit for God's election of us.
TRUTH 1: When God "chose us" in Him before the foundation of the world, it literally means we were elected. God chose Christians in the Son, Jesus, so that if we are "in Jesus," we are in. That he chose us "before the foundation of the world," means not only before our conception but before creation when there was only God. God chose us to be "holy" (i.e., sinless) and "blameless" (i.e., free from guilt), neither of which we can obtain by spiritual self-discipline but only by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. The underlying premise of this is that we can take no credit for God's election of us.
v. 5: "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will" - The word "predestined" (Gk. proorizó) lit. to determine something in advance and the word for "adoption" (Gk. huiothesia) means to be placed into a family as a full member. In short, God determined the identity of every saved Christian in advance, who would be placed into His family as a son or daughter. The phrase, "through Jesus Christ to Himself," tell us the Jesus is the agent God uses to bring about the blessing of our adoption. Finally, God does this "according to the kind intention of His will," which means that God's intention, His perfect will, all the way back to eternity past, was to restore us to the place in His family He created us to occupy. To me and you, this means that God has a particular space for each of us to occupy in His spiritual universe according to His will, and we are empowered to fulfill God's purpose for us as we seek to fill that space.
v. 6: "to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved" - In this statement, Paul is saying that God's ultimate purpose is not to redeem us by election and adoption but to glorify himself. God does all things for His own glory. This includes His advance planning of those who will become His children. That should cause every believer a moment of pause. Consider that God, who created all things, specifically chose before the creation of the world that we would be created, live, become a child of God, and one day stay with God for eternity.
TRUTH 2: God's ultimate purpose is not to redeem us by election and adoption but to glorify himself. God does all things for His own glory. This includes His advance planning of those who will become His children. That should cause every believer a moment of pause. Consider that God, who created all things, specifically chose before the creation of the world that we would be created, live, become a child of God, and one day stay with God for eternity.
Read Eph. 1:7-8 - WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight.
v. 7: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" - Redemption involves freeing a captive through the payment of a price.
OT Law required Israelites to redeem-buy-back-a family member forced to sell himself into slavery (Lev. 25:47-49). In our case, the shed blood of Jesus on the cross was the price paid for "forgiveness of our trespasses" in order to release us from both the eternal penalty and the earthly power of our sins. God's grace-"the riches"-is mentioned in the context of money because of its inestimable value. This freedom wasn't free-it cost Christ everything He had, even His life.
v. 8: "which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight" - When Paul says He "lavished" grace on us, he means God didn't just give us the bare minimum needed to gain access to Him but has given us more than enough to satisfy all of our needs, and with it comes all the "wisdom and insight" needed to equip us to accomplish God's purpose in our lives.
TRUTH 3: Redemption involves freeing a captive through the payment of a price. OT Law required Israelites to redeem-buy-back-a family member forced to sell himself into slavery (Lev. 25:47-49). In our case, the shed blood of Jesus on the cross was the price paid for "forgiveness of our trespasses" in order to release us from both the eternal penalty and the earthly power of our sins. God's grace-"the riches"-is mentioned in the context of money because of its inestimable value. This freedom wasn't free-it cost Christ everything He had, even His life.
Read Eph. 1:9-10 - MAKING KNOWN TO US THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL
9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him
v. 9: " He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him" - The use of the term "mystery" (Gk. mustérion) is quite different than its common usage today. The mystery here is something that can only be known through revelation because God chooses to reveal it. For example, the Gospel-salvation by faith alone in Christ alone-- was a mystery unknown until Christ came. This mystery in now known by me, you, and all others who have accepted Jesus as Lord but not by the rest of the world. And "His will," which connects with v. 5, means that God has a plan and purpose for every single redeemed believer to occupy a space in His spiritual universe according to His will.
v. 10: "with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him" - The words "administration" and "fullness of the times" in this context means looking after someone else's affairs until the right time, and the right time came when God sent Jesus Christ to administer His purpose to bring an end to the old age--Old Covenant--and initiate a new age-New Covenant/ Church age. The expression "summing up," means to unite, so that "all things"-everything on earth and in heaven-according to God's purpose will ultimately be united under the headship of Christ.
TRUTH 4: A "mystery" in the Biblical context, is something that can only be known through revelation because God chooses to reveal it. For example, the Gospel-salvation by faith alone in Christ alone-- was a mystery unknown until Christ came. This "mystery" in now known by me, you, and all others who have accepted Jesus as Lord but not by the rest of the world. And "His will," which connects with v. 5, means that God has a plan and purpose for every single redeemed believer to occupy a space in His spiritual universe according to His will.
Read Eph. 1:11-14 - IN WHOM WE WERE ASSIGNED IN INHERITANCE
11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.
v. 11: "also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will" - The word for "inheritance" (Gk. kléronomia) lit. an inheritance by casting of lots. This makes us think of gambling, a game of chance, however, in this context, it's not chance but a divine lot apportioned by God's will, which has many OT precedents. The word "predestined" (Gk. proorizó) lit. to mark out beforehand. What this all means it that making us heirs with Christ as saved Christians was not a chance event but something God predestined for us in eternity past. Furthermore, that God also "works all things after the counsel of His will" means that for each individual believer, God didn't simply predestine us, but has a specific plan and purpose and has worked out all things to accomplish the plan.
v. 12: "to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory" - As humans created by God in His image and made heirs by faith in Jesus Christ, the chief purpose and goal of our existence is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. How do we glorify God? By our worship and our obedience to His will, and when we strive to bring our lives close to God's will, the witness of our lives not only honors God but will also draw others to God. By the phrase, "we who were the first to hope in Christ," Paul means that the Jews were the first to hope for the Messiah.
v. 13: "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise" - Paul is saying first the Jews (v. 12) "in Him" (Christ), now "you also," by which he means the Ephesians and Gentiles in general. The "message of truth" and the "gospel of your salvation" are, in effect, mirror images of the same thing. And the message of truth can also be called the "word of truth"-the OT and NT-which is central to everything we believe. Jesus said, "and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (Jn. 8:32). The opposite is true: Living according to untrue principles and beliefs rob people of their freedom. When Paul says "sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of Promise," the term "sealed" (Gk. sphragizó) would have been literally understood by the Ephesians as a stamp or engraving that validated and attested ownership and in context, means that (1) God owns us and (2) protects us, and (3) empowers us with His Holy Spirit to accomplish His work.
v. 14: "who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory" - The word "pledge" (Gk. arrabón) lit. means earnest money put down to secure a future transaction. While a down payment isn't necessary to secure God's faithful fulfillment of His promised inheritance, Paul is saying that the Holy Spirit is an arrabón or the first installment of our inheritance and guarantee we will receive it. As covered in v. 7, "redemption" involves freeing a captive through a ransom payment, and that payment was made for us by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross as a "ransom for many" (Mk. 10:45). While the phrase "God's own possession" (Gk. peripoiēsis) means that God owns us outright, our sin created a barrier between us and God; however, God paid our ransom through Jesus' death to bring about the redemption, i.e., a release from bondage on our sin-to get what belongs to Him, so that now-as saved Christians-we are in His "possession." Finally, with the phrase, "to the praise of His glory," means that with our redeemed lives, as Christian believers, we can begin fulfilling our purpose of giving Him all the praise and glory He deserves. Folks, this is Theology 101, and we need to get it down cold.
TRUTH 5: While a "pledge" (down payment) isn't necessary to secure God's promised inheritance, the Holy Spirit is the first installment of our inheritance and the guarantee we will receive it. The payment of the pledge was made for us by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross as a "ransom for many" (Mk. 10:45). Since God has bought us and made us His "possession" it means that He owns us outright. Our sin formerly created a barrier between us and God, but since He paid our ransom through Jesus' death , we are now His "possession."
