OUTLINE: Salutation: Ephesians 1:1-2 All spiritual blessings in Christ: Ephesians 1:3-14 Chosen in Christ: 1”4 Adopted through Christ: Ephesians 1:5 Abundant grace in Christ: Ephesians 1:6 Redemption and forgiveness in Christ: Ephesians 1:7 Knowledge and Wisdom in Christ: Ephesians 1:8-9 God'... [ Continue Reading ]
“TO THE SAINTS WHO ARE AT EPHESUS”: While the words _at Ephesus_ are missing from certain old manuscript's; Coffman notes: “but the very fact of Tychicus (Ephesians 6:21) being chosen by Paul to convey this letter would suggest that it was surely addressed to some congregation in Asia” [Note:. Galat... [ Continue Reading ]
“GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST” “Grace”: “One of the leading words of the epistle. It is used 13 times” _(Vincent p. 363). _“And the Lord Jesus Christ”: By placing Jesus next to the Father as. source of grace and peace, Paul demonstrates that Jesus is to be vie... [ Continue Reading ]
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” “BLESSED”: To be adorable or blessed. “Placed first in the clause for emphasis” _(Vincent p. 363)._ “Praise be to the God” (Phi). “When we _bless_ God we ackno... [ Continue Reading ]
“EVEN AS HE CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, THAT WE SHOULD BE HOLY AND WITHOUT BLEMISH BEFORE HIM IN LOVE” “Even as”: “The first stanza now turns to the past. It traces these blessings to an eternal purpose. It states that they are in accordance with the divine choice” _(Erdman... [ Continue Reading ]
“HAVING FOREORDAINED US UNTO ADOPTION AS SONS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST UNTO HIMSELF, ACCORDING TO THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS WILL” “Foreordained”: To predetermine. God determined in advance that all those who manifest faith in Christ and obey His conditions for salvation, would be adopted as sons (Galati... [ Continue Reading ]
“TO THE PRAISE OF THE GLORY OF HIS GRACE, WHICH HE FREELY BESTOWED ON US IN THE BELOVED”_ _ “To the praise of the glory of His grace”: AN OFT REPEATED EXPRESSION IN THIS SECTION (EPHESIANS 1:12). “THAT WE MIGHT LEARN TO PRAISE THAT GLORIOUS GENEROSITY OF HIS” (PHI). __ The result of being adopted... [ Continue Reading ]
“IN WHOM WE HAVE OUR REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR TREPASSES, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE” “In whom”: In Christ. “WE HAVE REDEMPTION”: This refers to deliverance. “THROUGH HIS BLOOD”: (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 Peter 1:18). The word "redemption" is the same... [ Continue Reading ]
“WHICH HE MADE TO ABOUND TOWARD US IN ALL WISDOM AND PRUDENCE” “Which”: The riches of His grace just mentioned. “HE MADE”: God took the initiative. “ABOUND TOWARD US”: “Which He lavished upon us” (NASV). The word _abound_ here means to superabound, to be in excess and to exceed and excel. God isn't... [ Continue Reading ]
“making known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him” “MAKING KNOWN UNTO US”: God has shared more than "forgiveness" with Christians. God has revealed all the particulars concerning His plan to save mankind, the how, why, when, and where. “THE MYSTER... [ Continue Reading ]
“UNTO. DISPENSATION OF THE FULNESS OF THE TIMES, TO SUM UP ALL THINGS IN CHRIST, THE THINGS IN THE HEAVENS, AND THE THINGS UPON THE EARTH; IN HIM,. SAY” “Unto”: “With. view to” (NASV). “Put into effect” (NIV). “DISPENSATION”: “Administration” (NASV). “Which literally means household management” _(Ba... [ Continue Reading ]
“in whom also we were made. heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His will” “IN WHOM”: In Christ. “WE WERE MADE. HERITAGE”: “The verb means literally to determine, choose, or assign by lot” _(Vincent p. 368)._ “We are dealing w... [ Continue Reading ]
“TO THE END THAT WE SHOULD BE UNTO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY, WE WHO HAD BEFORE HOPED IN CHRIST” “To the end”: Here is the object or final goal. “THAT WE”: Christians. “SHOULD”: This is. choice. “BE UNTO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY”: “Be devoted to the extolling of His glorious attributes” (Wey). “To mani... [ Continue Reading ]
“IN WHOM YE ALSO, HAVING HEARD THE WORD OF THE TRUTH, THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION, IN WHOM, HAVING ALSO BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE” “In whom”: In Christ. “YE ALSO”: Christians. “HAVING HEARD THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION”: Salvation is impossible with... [ Continue Reading ]
“WHICH IS AN EARNEST OF OUR INHERITANCE, UNTO THE REDEMPTION OF GOD'S OWN POSSESSION, UNTO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY” “Which is”: The Holy Spirit. “AN EARNEST”:. pledge, or part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest. “Was. regular feature of the Greek business wo... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR THIS CAUSE. ALSO, HAVING HEARD OF THE FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS WHICH IS AMONG YOU, AND THE LOVE WHICH YE SHOW TOWARD ALL THE SAINTS” “For this cause”: In view of all the blessings that God had bestowed upon them. If we find ourselves lacking motivation to pray, it means that we have forgotten w... [ Continue Reading ]
“CEASE NOT TO GIVE THANKS FOR YOU, MAKING MENTION OF YOU IN MY PRAYERS” “Cease not”: “Paul had left Ephesus for the last time around A.D. 57, and as he writes this epistle from Roman imprisonment, five or six years have gone by. Still, he is faithfully lifting up the Ephesian saints in his daily pr... [ Continue Reading ]
“THAT THE GOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE FATHER OF GLORY, MAY GIVE UNTO YOU. SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM” “That”: Here is the substance of such prayers. “For despite his unceasing gratitude to God for them, he is still not satisfied with them. That they may appreciate... [ Continue Reading ]
“HAVING THE EYES OF YOUR HEART ENLIGHTENED, THAT YE MAY KNOW WHAT IS THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING, WHAT ARE THE RICHES OF THE GLORY OF HIS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS” “Having”: “That your minds may be so enlightened” (TCNT). “These words are. rather poetic restatement of what Paul means by ‘give unto you.... [ Continue Reading ]
“AND WHAT THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TO US-WARD WHO BELIEVE, ACCORDING TO THAT WORKING OF THE STRENGTH OF HIS MIGHT” “Exceeding greatness”: “How surpassing great” (Gspd). “How tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God” (Phi). “And how vast the resources of His power open... [ Continue Reading ]
“WHICH HE WROUGHT IN CHRIST, WHEN HE RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, AND MADE HIM TO SIT AT HIS RIGHT HAND IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES” “Which He wrought in Christ”: “Which He exerted in Christ” (NEB). “How much power was necessary to take Christ, crucified, mutilated, disgraced, dead, and to raise Him in newn... [ Continue Reading ]
“FAR ABOVE ALL RULE, AND AUTHORITY, AND POWER, AND DOMINION, AND EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED, NOT ONLY IN THIS WORLD, BUT ALSO IN THAT WHICH IS TO COME” “Far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion”: “Infinitely superior to any conceivable command” (Phi) (Matthew 28:18). “Various designa... [ Continue Reading ]
“AND HE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET, AND GAVE HIM TO BE HEAD OVER ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH” “He put”: The Father. “ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET”: Psalms 110:1. Only the Father is exempted from this subjection (1 Corinthians 15:27). “To be under the feet is to be in total s... [ Continue Reading ]
“WHICH IS HIS BODY, THE FULNESS OF HIM THAT FILLETH ALL IN ALL” “Which is”: The church just mentioned is the body of Christ. “HIS BODY”: The church and the body of Christ are the same relationship. Since one is said to be baptized into "one" body (1 Corinthians 12:13), this means that baptism stands... [ Continue Reading ]