1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To God’s holy people in Ephesus,[Some early manuscripts do not have in Ephesus.] the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 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. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[Or sight in love. 5 He] predestined us for adoption to sonship[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he [Or us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen,[Or were made heirs] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
[The Holy Spirit is the deposit (earnest “arrabon” in Greek) guaranteeing our inheritance until the salvation. Deposit or earnest means God made a deposit with full payment [salvation] to made later. This is like two contracting party God and those justified Christians, God made a deposit but payment later is conditioned on the delivery on the side of the justified Christians. In Greeks customs if those who received the deposit but did not deliver on their side of the contract, they will have instead to payback God double as penalty]
[Cross References of those who will not deliver they would not be paid Hebrew 5:9, Matthew 19:16-17, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Romans 2:6-7, Romans 8:12-13, Matthew 25] [not from works, the efficient cause, through the faith the instrumental cause, Salvation is not by faith alone] Colossians 2:11-13
Thanksgiving and Prayer
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit [Or a spirit ] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray 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 his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
NOTES:
1:1–2 For the epistolary form used at the beginning of
letters, see note on Rom 1:1–7. Twenty-two of the thirty Greek words in Eph
1:1–2 also occur in Col 1:1–2.
1:1 [In Ephesus]: the phrase is lacking in important early
witnesses such as P46 (3rd cent.), and Sinaiticus and Vaticanus (4th cent.),
appearing in the latter two as a fifth-century addition. Basil and Origen mention
its absence from manuscripts. See Introduction. Without the phrase, the Greek
can be rendered, as in Col 1:2, “to the holy ones and faithful brothers in
Christ.”
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. The blessing here, akin to a Jewish berakah,
is rich in images almost certainly drawn from hymns and liturgy. Many ideas
here are also found in Col 1:3–23. Certain phrases are frequently repeated,
such as in Christ (Eph 1:3, 10, 12) or in him (Eph 1:4, 7, 9, 11, 13) or in the
beloved (Eph 1:6) and (for) the praise of (his) glory (Eph 1:6, 12, 14). Some
terms like chose (Eph 1:4) and destined (Eph 1:5) reflect Old Testament
theology (Dt 7:7; 9:4–6; 23:5) or Pauline themes (redemption, Eph 1:7, 14;
grace, Eph 1:6, 7) or specific emphases in Colossians (forgiveness, Col 1:14).
A triadic structure is discernible in Eph 1:3–14: God the Father (Eph 1:3–6, 8,
11), Christ (Eph 1:3, 5, 7–10, 12), and the Spirit (Eph 1:13–14). The spiritual
blessings Christians have received through Christ (Eph 1:3) are gratefully
enumerated: the call to holiness (Eph 1:4; cf. Col 1:22); the gift of divine
adoption establishing a unique spiritual relationship with God the Father
through Christ (Eph 1:5; cf. Gal 4:5); liberation from sin through Christ’s
sacrificial death (Eph 1:7); the revelation of God’s plan of salvation in Christ (Eph
1:9; cf. Eph 3:3–4; Rom 16:25); the gift of election and faith in Christ
bestowed upon Jewish Christians (see note on Eph 1:12, we who first hoped in
Christ); and finally, the same gift granted to Gentiles (Eph 1:13, you also).
In the Christ-centered faith and existence of the Christian communities, the
apostle sees the predetermined plan of God to bring all creation under the
final rule of Christ (Eph 1:4–5, 9–10) being made known (Eph 1:9) and carried
through, to God’s glory (Eph 1:6, 12, 14).
1:3 In the heavens: literally, “in the heavenlies” or “in
the heavenly places,” a term in Ephesians for the divine realm.
1:9 Mystery: as in Rom 16:25; Col 1:26–27 and elsewhere, a
secret of God now revealed in the plan to save and sum up all things in Christ
(Eph 1:10); cf. Eph 3:3–6.
1:12 We who first hoped: probably Jewish Christians
(contrast Eph 1:13, you, the Gentiles); possibly the people of Israel, “we who
already enjoyed the hope of Christ,” or perhaps present hope in contrast to
future redemption (cf. Eph 1:14).
1:13 Sealed: by God, in baptism; cf. Eph 4:30; 2 Cor 1:22.
1:14 First installment: down payment by God on full
salvation, as at 2 Cor 1:22.
1:15–23 See note on Rom 1:8 for the thanksgiving form in a
letter. Much of the content parallels thoughts in Col 1:3–20. The prayer moves
from God and Christ (Eph 1:17, 20–21) to the Ephesians (Eph 1:17–19) and the
church (Eph 1:22–23). Paul asks that the blessing imparted by God the Father
(Eph 1:3) to the Ephesians will be strengthened in them through the message of
the gospel (Eph 1:13, 17–19). Those blessings are seen in the context of God’s
might in establishing the sovereignty of Christ over all other creatures (Eph
1:19–21) and in appointing him head of the church (Eph 1:22–23). For the
allusion to angelic spirits in Eph 1:21, see Rom 8:38 and Col 1:16. Here, as in
1 Cor 15:24–25 and Col 2:15, every such principality and power is made subject
to Christ.
1:15 Your faith…your love: some manuscripts omit the latter
phrase, but cf. Col 1:4.
1:23 His body: the church (Eph 1:22); cf. note on Col 1:18.
Only in Ephesians and Colossians is Christ the head of the body, in contrast to
the view in 1 Cor 12 and Rom 12:4–8 where Christ is equated with the entire
body or community. Fullness: see note on Col 1:19. Some take the one who fills
as God, others as Christ (cf. Eph 4:10). If in Christ “dwells the fullness of
the deity bodily” (Col 2:9), then, as God “fills” Christ, Christ in turn fills
the church and the believer (Eph 3:19; 5:18). But the difficult phrases here may
also allow the church to be viewed as the “complement” of Christ who is “being
filled” as God’s plan for the universe is carried out through the church (cf.
Eph 3:9–10).
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