Exegete Ephesians (ch. 1)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

Paul was chosen by the will of God. Am I also chosen by the will of God?

To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul chooses peace and grace as the first two blessings for the Ephesians. Why grace and peace?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Every spiritual blessing. Does that mean any of them have been detained from my grasp?

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

Wow-the grasp of the beginning and the end. Chosen before time, with a view to our perfection when we see Him at His return.

In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

It was love that ordered his pleasure and sovereign selection of each believer to be His son. And, His grace, his unmerited favor, is freely dispensed in Jesus.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

The richness of grace is: redemption and forgiveness of sins. What was put into effect, and when? His will is put into effect, when Christ returns. God uses Christ to accomplish His pleasure, which to us is a mystery (something not fully understood).

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

His plan orchestrates every element. Paul was chosen by God, along with all the other very first Christians. His selection of Paul is designed to praise His glory.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

The Ephesians were also included in Christ. Paul and the apostles were the first to know Jesus and were selected by Jesus Himself, face to face. The Ephesians were also selected, but by a different method; they were included by hearing the gospel, also so that his glory is praised.

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Paul is sure that the Ephesians were included in Christ as he, by means of hearing news of their faith in Jesus coupled with their evidential love. He knew that having believed in Jesus, they became God's posession, and deposited with the Holy Spirit. Once he heard this news of the faith they had, he thanked God for it. He also prayed for the Spirit of God to give wisdom and revelation, and that their hearts would be enlightened so that they would know better the hope that comes from their faith in Jesus. That hope is composed of a rich and glorious inheritance, and an incomparable power, being a saint.

That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

The power of a saint is the same in might as that which raised Jesus from being dead, back to life. His resurrected quality of life is superior in every manner, dominating over every other force. He has ascended to the presence of the Father. The fullness of Christ is the body of Christ.

Great first chapter!

My Take Away: When Paul hears of faith in Jesus and the love that marks His disciples, he thanks God for them, and he prays for them to receive wisdom and revelation, and also that their hearts would become aware of hope, a hope which is a calling to inheritance and mighty power.

My Application: To pray for power, and to be made more aware through my own experience of the richness of grace, to praise His glory that I have a guarantee. He calls me His posession, and my destiny is to be holy and blameless.

My Wondering: Is this power accessible in this life? I'm hoping the next chapters will answer this.