Who hath blessed us . The common Greek preposition en seems to be used in one of two senses in the phrase "in Christ" as found in Ephesians: Local (locative): "in close association with. . But in the four other passages where the phrase occurs, Ephesians 1:20; Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 6:12, the sense is local, and ἐπουράνιος heavenly, is local throughout Paul's epistles. . Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. For the same reason this cannot be. IV. They speak of him, when he is referred to as a sovereign, as if he were tyrannical and unjust, and they never connect the idea of that which is amiable and lovely with the doctrine of eternal purposes. The word "places" does not express the best sense. Daily devotional with John Piper. (2) The first part of the epistle, in which he handles all the parts of our salvation, setting forth the example of the Ephesians. Then He created our world before He created us. He felt that it laid the foundation for eternal praise; that it presented glorious views of God; that it was the ground of confidence and hope; and that it was desirable that Christians should dwell upon it and praise God for it. Some say that Ephesians reads like a commentary on the Pauline letters and probably it has been best termed the crown of Paulinism. NIV®. We can “bless” God only in thanksgiving of heart and voice, with which He deigns to be pleased, as He “rejoices over the works of His hands.” God blesses us in real and life-giving “spiritual blessing,” i.e., blessing of the gift of the Spirit, for which we can return nothing except thanksgiving. . Verse 6. Ephesians: Chapter 1 >>> Brief Overview of Ephesians - The Douay Rheims Catholic Bible The content of Ephesians according to the Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible scriptures contains a short overview of the main subjects, people, events and ancient topics in the following summary of the Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible Scriptures: This observation is important, because it shows that the plan or decree of God had reference to individuals, and not merely to nations. Some object to this rendering on the ground that the phrase God of Christ is unusual, occurring nowhere in Paul, except Ephesians 1:17 of this chapter. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. II. . So below, Ephesians 1:20, and Ephesians 2:6, Ephesians 3:10, Ephesians 6:12. With all spiritual blessings - Pardon, peace, redemption, adoption, the earnest of the Spirit, etc., referred to in the following verses - blessings which "individual Christians" enjoy, and not external privileges conferred on nations. Blessed be . * [1:3–14] While a Pauline letter usually continues after the greeting with a prayer of thanksgiving, as in Eph 1:15–23 below, Ephesians first inserts a blessing of God for the blessings Christians have experienced, as in 2 Cor 1:3–4 and 1 Pt 1:3–12. Ephesians 1:3-4 Commentary. But Christ of God is found Matthew 27:46; and my God, John 20:17; Revelation 3:12. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.—On this phrase (used in Romans 15:6; 2Corinthians 1:3; 2Corinthians 11:31; 1Peter 1:3) see Note on Romans 15:6. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. The elevated themes of Ephesians make it highly praised and prized by commentators. The perfect participle of the verb, εὐλογημένος blessed, is used of men. The word differs from that used in the Beatitudes, μακάριος. In the heavenly places (ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις). As the apostle is speaking, however, of the mass of Christians on whom these things had been bestowed, I rather suppose that he refers to what are called Christian graces, than to the extraordinary endowments bestowed on the few. All rights reserved. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3-4 ESV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings.—The frequent phrase “Blessed be God” (Luke 1:68; Romans 1:25; Romans 9:5; 2Corinthians 1:3; 2Corinthians 11:31; 1Peter 1:3) is here used with an unique antithesis. See Acts 18:20, Acts 18:24; Acts 19:1-8. Ephesians 1:3-4. . The persons referred to by the word "us," are those who are mentioned in Ephesians 1:1, as "saints," - ἅγίοις hagiois - "holy;" and "faithful" - πιστοῖς pistois - "believing," or "believers.". Compare the change made by Christ (Col 1:20; Eph 1:20). It probably refers here to every thing that was heavenly in its nature, or that had relation to heaven, whether gifts or graces. Not so felt Paul. in heavenly places—a phrase five times found in this Epistle, and not elsewhere (Eph 1:20; Eph 2:6; 3:10; 6:12); Greek, "in the heavenly places." Subscribe to a study package to unlock the ESV Study Bible, the interactive Knowing the Bible study series, the Preaching the Word commentary series, and more. Who is the "He" in verse 4: "For He chose us?" Does he mean all the world? May you have undeserved kindness and peace: Paul uses this greeting in 11 of his letters. While Christ in the flesh was in the form of a servant, God's people could not realize fully their heavenly privileges as sons. Apr 4, 2010. So in Psalm 116:12-13, the natural question of the thoughtful soul—“What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits towards me?”—is answered simply by the words, “I will receive the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.”, Who hath blessed us . . Besides what evidence is there that the apostle speaks in this chapter especially of the Gentiles, or that he was writing to that portion of the church at Ephesus which was of Gentile origin? In three out of the other four places (Ephesians 1:20; Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 3:10) the local sense is manifest; in the fourth (Ephesians 6:12) and in this it might be doubtful. He did not necessarily choose us as individuals before the foundation of the world, but He did decide that He would have a church, a group of people impregnated by His Spirit, a unique Family of His who would be in the image of His Son.The word "choose" suggests taking a smaller number out of a larger. Proud member And I note, first of all, the character and the extent of these blessings which are the constituents of the Christian life. Paul emphasizes in this epistle the work of the divine Spirit upon the human spirit. In love, Scripture quoted by permission. Ephesians Greeting. Ephesians 1:3-4 (see also 2nd Corinthians 1:20; Romans 8:29; Ephesians 3:11 2nd Timothy 1:9) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. Compare Philippians 3:20. The initial triple phrase recurs as in a refrain in Ephesians 1:12 and Ephesians 1:14.The Father is the source of blessing here, the Son in Ephesians 1:12, and the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1:14.It would appear that Paul built up this type of phrase to extol and praise God as the giver of all blessings. blessings—Greek, "blessing." The verb is commonly omitted - blessed the God. in heavenly-places.—It should be, who blessed us (once for all), in the election and predestination spoken of in the next verse. EPHESIANS - CHRIST AND THE CHURCH Click chart to enlarge Charts from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission. Passage: Ephesians 1:4 You Are Chosen! – Ephesians 1:3-4. 428-page 6x9 paperback commentary and 54 audio lectures in MP3. Ephesians Bible Study Resources. Series Intro - How to Be Identified with Christ. The sense is, that in Christ, i. e. through Christ, or by means of him, God had bestowed all spiritual blessings that were suited to prepare for heaven - such as pardon, adoption, the illumination of the Spirit, etc. Does he mean to say that they were blessed with external privileges, and that this was the only object of the eternal purposes of God? ", Who hath blessed us - Who does Paul mean here by "us?" Nothing can be clearer than that Paul meant to write to "Christians as such;" to speak of privileges which they enjoyed as special to themselves; and that he had no particular reference to "nations," and did not design merely to refer to external privileges. In the Epistle to The Ephesians, Paul especially teaches and emphasizes \u0003the Doctrines of Grace. In love Interactive Bible study with John Piper. Does he mean the Gentiles in contradistinction from the Jews? Does he mean "nations?" Ephesians 1:3–4 3 a Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in b the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as a He chose us in Him before b the foundation of the world, that we would be c holy and blameless before 1 Him. Commentary on Ephesians 1:15-23 (Read Ephesians 1:15-23) God has laid up spiritual blessings for us in his Son the Lord Jesus; but requires us to draw them out and fetch them in by prayer. 3:16-17). Ephesians 1:3-4 New International Version (NIV) Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. . who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings. Ephesians 1:3-4 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be … Even many Christians turn away from it with dread; or if they "tolerate" it, they yet feel that there is something about it that is especially dark and forbidding. The Immeasurable Greatness of His Power Toward Us Easter Sunday. Spirit and spiritual occur thirteen times. It has been doubted whether we ought to supply the word “places” or “things” (as in John 3:12) in rendering this phrase, which is peculiar to this Epistle, and used in it no less than five times. And. Who is the "Him? Verse 3 tells us that God the Father has given us every spiritual blessing in Jesus. And if he was, why did he name himself among them as one on whom this blessing had been bestowed? There is none that people desire so much to disbelieve or avoid; none that they are so unwilling to have preached; and none that they are so reluctant to find in the Scriptures. As in creation (Ge 1:22) so in redemption (Ge 12:3; Mt 5:3-11; 25:34) God "blesses" His children; and that not in mere words, but in acts. Ephesians 1:3. God is "the God" of the man Jesus, and "the Father" of the Divine Word. There is no doctrine that is usually so unpopular; none that is so much reproached; none that is so much abused. The verse goes on to say that He "chose us in Him." The date of these blessings, "hath blessed us", may respect either first conversion, when the discovery and application of the blessings of grace are made to God's people; or the making of the covenant with Christ, their head, to whom all grace was then given, and to them in him, and their election was in Christ, as follows. The Identified Series. Last week we studied verse 3. But (1) it is altogether unlikely that so unique a phrase would be used in two different senses; (2) the original word for “heavenly” has most properly and most usually a local meaning; (3) the transference of the thoughts to heaven above suits especially the whole tone of this Epistle and the parallel Epistle to the Colossians; and (4) the local sense agrees best with the context here, for the Apostle is speaking of the election “before the foundation of the world” as made by the foreknowledge of God in heaven, where Christ is “in the beginning with God.”. Placed first in the clause for emphasis, as always in the corresponding Hebrew in the Old Testament. It is, however, to be noted here, that in the Vatican MS. the words “and Father” are omitted, and that the phrase “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” occurs below in Ephesians 1:17. These appertain not to nations, or to external privileges, or the mere offers of the gospel, but to true Christians; to persons who have been redeemed. 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