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.

Salutation and Greeting

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From: Sha’ul, by God’s will an emissary of the Messiah Yeshua To: God’s people living in Ephesus, that is, those who are trusting in the Messiah Yeshua: ​
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Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

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Praised be Adonai, Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who in the Messiah has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven. ​
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In the Messiah he chose us in love before the creation of the universe to be holy and without defect in his presence. ​
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He determined in advance that through Yeshua the Messiah we would be his sons — in keeping with his pleasure and purpose — ​
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so that we would bring him praise commensurate with the glory of the grace he gave us through the Beloved One.
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In union with him, through the shedding of his blood, we are set free — our sins are forgiven; this accords with the wealth of the grace ​
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he has lavished on us. In all his wisdom and insight
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he has made known to us his secret plan, which by his own will he designed beforehand in connection with the Messiah ​
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and will put into effect when the time is ripe — his plan to place everything in heaven and on earth under the Messiah’s headship. ​
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Also in union with him we were given an inheritance, we who were picked in advance according to the purpose of the One who effects everything in keeping with the decision of his will, ​
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so that we who earlier had put our hope in the Messiah would bring him praise commensurate with his glory.
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Furthermore, you who heard the message of the truth, the Good News offering you deliverance, and put your trust in the Messiah were sealed by him with the promised Ruach HaKodesh, ​
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who guarantees our inheritance until we come into possession of it and thus bring him praise commensurate with his glory. ​

Thanksgiving and Prayer for Enlightenment

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For this reason, ever since I heard about your trust in the Lord Yeshua and your love for all God’s people, ​
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I have not stopped giving thanks for you. In my prayers I keep asking
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the God of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you will have full knowledge of him. ​
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I pray that he will give light to the eyes of your hearts, so that you will understand the hope to which he has called you, what rich glories there are in the inheritance he has promised his people, ​
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and how surpassingly great is his power working in us who trust him. It works with the same mighty strength he used
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when he worked in the Messiah to raise him from the dead and seat him at his right hand in heaven, ​
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far above every ruler, authority, power, dominion or any other name that can be named either in the ‘olam hazeh or in the ‘olam haba. ​
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Also, he has put all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the Messianic Community,
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which is his body, the full expression of him who fills all creation. ​

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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