Ephesians 1:1 In these words we have I. Paul's description of himself: "an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God." He was not appointed to his office through the intervention of the Church or of those who had been Apostles before him; his call came direct from heaven. Much less had he dar... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 1:3 Of the spiritual blessings which we have in Christ we notice I. Election. God has chosen us not only that we may be saved from eternal destruction, not only that we may be happy for ever in heaven, but He has chosen us for this special purpose: that we should be holy and without blam... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 1:3 I. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." These words recall the joy and triumph of the ancient Psalms. They read as if Paul was intending to write a song of happy thanksgiving. He attributes to Christ the whole development of his spiritual life. The larger knowledg... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 1:5 Regeneration and Sonship in Christ. We have now to consider that original and central Divine purpose which explains and includes all that the infinite love of God has done for our race already, all that the infinite love of God will do for us through the endless ages beyond death. Go... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 1:5 The Final Restoration of all Things. There are several passages in the New Testament and this is one of them which make it clear that the Divine mercy is ultimately to achieve a complete triumph over misery and moral evil; and these passages, if they stand alone, might give us the im... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 1:7 The Forgiveness of Sins. I. The Apostolic doctrine of the Atonement rests on Christ's own teaching. To understand this doctrine it is necessary to have a clear conception of what is meant by the forgiveness of sins. (1) It is not a change in our minds towards God, but a change in God... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 1:9 Christ the Justification of a Suffering World. Such words as these of St. Paul spring out of that first bewilderment of joy which belongs to the sense of discovery. Christ is still a newly discovered wonder, and the wonder of the newness still fascinates, still overwhelms. What, then... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 1:11 The Holy Spirit the Seal of God's Heritage and the Earnest of our Inheritance. I. In the early Church the access of the Spirit of God to a man was commonly associated with the mysterious gift of tongues, with the power of prophecy, or with other manifestations of a miraculous kind.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 1:13 I. The character of the inheritance. The teaching of the passage is that heaven is likest the selectest moments of devotion that a Christian has on earth. If you want to know most really and most truly what that "rest which remaineth for the people of God" is, think of what the fruit... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 1:15 The Illumination of the Spirit. I. The Apostle's prayer raises the whole group of questions which are connected with the two great words "inspiration" and "revelation." These words represent two very different things. Revelations may come to men who are not inspired; and men may be... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 1:18 God's Hope in His Children. The Apostle speaks of the hope of God in His children as of the hope of a Father; and what such a hope may include let us now proceed to inquire. I. Foremost of all is the hope that the children will walk in fellowship with Himself, reciprocating His lov... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 1:18 Spiritual Enlightenment. I. "What is the hope of His calling." This phrase should surely be taken in its simplest sense: "That ye may know the hopefulness of God's calling; what hope there is in it; how full of hope it is." (1) Consider who it is that calls. It is God, and God in the... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 1:19 I. The Apostle desires that the Ephesian Christians may know what is "the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe." I can easily imagine that a person who has been wont to speak of the privileges of believers till he has brought himself to think of them as separated by... [ Continue Reading ]