Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

1:3 Blessed be. The blessing that opens Paul's prayer is similar to those that began first-century Jewish prayers that were commonly recited throughout the day (cf. 2 Cor. 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:3). in Christ. Paul's praise emphasizes the mediation of Christ for all God's blessings by repeating that these good things are ours "in Christ" (Eph. 1:3, 9), "in the Beloved" (v. 6), or "in him" (vv. 4, 7, 11, 13). Spiritual (Gk. pneumatikos) here communicates that the saving gifts of God are conveyed by the Holy Spirit (Gk. Pneuma), whose personal presence throughout this age is the guarantee of future heavenly blessings (see "spiritual songs" in 5:19; Col. 3:16). Hence, these blessings are in heavenly places, since that is the Christian's future abode in imperishable glory when he is resurrected in a spiritual body through the "last Adam," the "life-giving spirit" (1 Cor. 15:40, 44-50).

1:4 He chose us in him means that the Father chose Christians in the Son (Christ), and this took place in eternity past, before the foundation of the world. This indicates that for all eternity the Father has had the role of leading and directing among the persons of the Trinity, even though Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal in deity and attributes. God's initiative in redeeming the believer from sin and death was not an arbitrary or whimsical decision but something God had planned all along "in Christ." Since God chose his people in his love, they can take no credit for their salvation. God was determined to have them as his own (see note on 2:8). holy. God chose them with the goal that they be holy and blameless before him. This goal is not optional for Christians--it is the purpose of election. Holiness here expresses moral purity, while blamelessness expresses freedom from the guilt of trespasses and sins in which the Christian formerly walked (1:7; 2:1, 5). In love, at the end of 1:4, properly belongs to v. 5, describing predestination, though the ESV footnote indicates that "in love" can also be taken with the preceding phrase ("that we should be holy and blameless before him in love"). Versification was introduced into Bibles in the sixteenth century a.d. for convenience and is not part of the original inspired text.

1:5 predestined. Previously ordained or appointed to some position. God's election of Christians (v. 4) entails his predestining them to something--in this case to adoption as sons (see also v. 11; Rom. 8:29-30). Hence, election and predestination in this context refer to God's decision to save someone. All Christians, male and female, are "sons" in the sense of being heirs who will inherit blessings from their Father in heaven. Paul qualifies and stresses God's plan and initiation of redemption with the phrase according to the purpose of his will here and elsewhere in the passage (Eph. 1:9, 11). God cannot be constrained by any outside force, and his inexorable will for believers is to pour out his grace and goodness on them in Christ Jesus.

1:6 God's ultimate purpose is not redemption as such but the praise of his glorious name through redemption. This theme is repeated at key junctures in the argument (see vv. 12, 14).

1:7 Redemption denotes ransoming someone from captivity or from slavery. The supreme OT example was the exodus, where God redeemed Israel from slavery in Egypt (see Ex. 15:13; Deut. 7:8; 2 Sam. 7:23; Mic. 6:4). Forgiveness of our trespasses explains the nature of redemption: Christians are freed from slavery to sin and guilt. This was effected by Christ's blood, which means his death as an atoning sacrifice (see also Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:14; 2:13; 4:30; Heb. 9:15).

1:9 Mystery as used in Scripture (Gk. mystērion) refers to the revelation of something that was previously hidden or known only vaguely but now is more fully made known (see note on Col. 1:26-27). The mystery of God's will, now revealed in Christ, is "to unite all things in him" (Eph. 1:10; see also 3:3-11).

1:10 fullness of time. "When the time was ripe," i.e., the time for the fulfillment of God's plan. unite. This is the central theme of the passage: God has effected cosmic reconciliation in Christ. The work of Christ on the cross is the central axis for the history of creation, whether in heaven or on earth (see also Col. 1:15-20), since he has redeemed his people and silenced all hostile powers (see Eph. 3:10).

1:11 Obtained an inheritance seems the best rendering of the Greek verb that normally means "to allot [a portion]." Some believe the meaning is that God has claimed his own portion, the believing Jews (see v. 14). predestined. Making those who believe in him heirs with Christ was not an ad hoc event; God had planned it from all eternity. By definition God is sovereign, directing all things freely according to his royal counsel. This is in sharp contrast with the pagan gods of the time, who were understood to be often fickle or bound by an inscrutable and arbitrary fate. God's predestination gives his people tremendous comfort, for they know that all who come to Christ do so through God's enabling grace and appointment (see 2:8-10). Who works all things according to the counsel of his will is best understood to mean that every single event that occurs is in some sense predestined by God. At the same time, Paul emphasizes the importance of human responsibility, as is evident in all of the moral commands later in Ephesians (chs. 4-6) and in all of Paul's letters. As Paul demonstrated in all of his remarkable efforts in spreading the gospel (Acts 13-28; cf. 2 Cor. 11:23-28), he believed that doing personal evangelism and making conscious choices to obey God are also absolutely essential in fulfilling God's plan. God uses human means to fulfill what he has ordained. With regard to tragedies and evil, Paul and the other biblical writers never blame God for them (cf. Rom. 5:12; 2 Tim. 4:14; also Job 1:21-22). Rather, they see the doctrine of God's sovereignty as a means of comfort and assurance (cf. Rom. 8:28-30), confident that evil will not triumph, and that God's good plans for his people will be fulfilled. How God's sovereignty and human responsibility work together in the world is a mystery no one can fully understand.

1:12 praise. See note on v. 6.

1:13 Sealed can mean either that the Holy Spirit protects and preserves Christians until they reach their inheritance (see 4:30; 2 Cor. 1:22; 1 Pet. 1:5; Rev. 7:2-3) or that he "certifies" the authenticity of their acceptance by God as being genuine--they bear the "royal seal" (see John 3:33; Acts 10:44, 47). The first interpretation seems best here, though both ideas are biblically true.

1:14 God pours out his Holy Spirit on all of his children to guarantee (or to provide a "down payment" on [ESV footnote]) their share in his eternal kingdom because he applies to them all God's powerful working in redemption. until we acquire possession of it. This phrase can also be rendered "until God redeems his possession" (ESV footnote). In that case it means that, like the Levites in the OT, believers are the Lord's specially treasured possession (see Num. 3:12, 45; 8:14; Josh. 14:3-4; 18:7).