Ephesians1

Paul opens his epistle to the Ephesians with a salutation, followed by a doxology praising God for spiritual blessings in Christ. He highlights God's eternal choice, predestination for adoption, and redemption through Christ's blood, sealed by the Holy Spirit as an earnest of inheritance. Paul then prays for the believers to receive wisdom and revelation, that they may comprehend God's calling, the riches of His inheritance, and the exceeding power demonstrated in Christ's resurrection and exaltation as head over the church.
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Salutation and Greeting

1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: ​
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Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. ​
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For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love ​
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He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, ​
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to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
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In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace ​
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that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
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And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ ​
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as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ. ​
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In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will, ​
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in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.
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And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ​
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who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory. ​

Thanksgiving and Prayer for Enlightenment

15
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ​
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I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
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that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. ​
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I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, ​
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and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength,
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which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, ​
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far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ​
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And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church,
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which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. ​

Study Notes for Ephesians 1

Verse 1

Paul typically identifies himself as an apostle to assert authority. The recipients are called 'saints' (holy ones, consecrated people) and 'faithful in Christ Jesus,' defining the Christian community.

Verse 3

This verse begins the great doxology (vv. 3-14), which is one long, complex sentence in the original Greek, praising God for the comprehensive plan of salvation. 'Heavenly places' is a key phrase in Ephesians, referring to the spiritual domain where Christ reigns and believers are seated.

Verse 4

God's election is described as occurring 'before the foundation of the world,' highlighting its eternal nature. The purpose of this election is moral and relational: to be 'holy and without blame' before God.

Verse 5

Predestination here emphasizes that God’s sovereign plan was to bring believers into the full legal status of 'adoption of children' through Christ, guaranteeing their inheritance.

Verse 7

Redemption is defined as 'forgiveness of sins' achieved 'through his blood,' underscoring the necessity of Christ's substitutionary sacrifice as the means of liberation from sin’s penalty.

Verse 9

The 'mystery of his will' refers not to something unknowable, but to a truth previously hidden but now revealed through the gospel—specifically, the inclusion of both Jews and Gentiles into one body (cf. Eph 3:6).

Verse 10

This verse describes the ultimate cosmic goal of God's plan: the unification ('gather together in one') of all creation, both spiritual and earthly, under Christ's absolute headship.

Verse 11

The concept of obtaining an inheritance is linked directly to being predestined according to God's sovereign purpose, ensuring the certainty of the believer’s future hope.

Verse 13

The sealing with the Holy Spirit signifies divine ownership and protection, confirming the believer’s secure standing after hearing and believing the gospel.

Verse 14

The Holy Spirit is the 'earnest' (arrabōn), a down payment or guarantee that ensures the full redemption and final inheritance will be received when Christ returns.

Verse 15

Paul transitions from theological doctrine (vv. 3-14) to pastoral intercession, motivated by the report of the Ephesians’ active faith and love for other believers.

Verse 17

Paul prays not for material needs, but for spiritual comprehension—'wisdom and revelation'—so that they might truly know God and grasp the depth of their relationship with Him.

Verse 18

'Enlightened' refers to spiritual illumination. Paul outlines three specific aspects of truth he prays they would grasp: the hope of their calling, the riches of their inheritance, and the greatness of God's power.

Verse 20

This verse anchors the power available to believers directly to the historical, undeniable power God demonstrated in the resurrection and subsequent exaltation of Christ.

Verse 21

Christ’s exaltation places him supremely above all earthly and spiritual hostile forces ('principality, and power'), confirming his absolute cosmic authority.

Verse 23

The Church is described as Christ’s 'body,' emphasizing organic union, and as the 'fulness' (plērōma), suggesting that the Church is the means by which Christ, who fills all things, expresses his presence and authority on earth.

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