Chapter 1
Salutation
The document follows normal format for ancient letters.
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
Author is identified as Paul. For more details, please see the introduction.
Paul’s apostolic credentials are immediately affirmed. We don’t find this in the “gentler” letters, such as Philippians, but common in letters where he has to deal with controversy and error. In this case, he’s not dealing with error, but he is teaching his readers and therefore highlighting the reason that they should listen to what he has to say. Apostle literally means “one who is sent”.
To the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus:
The word “saint” here refers to all Christians. The word (hagios) literally means “set apart”. All Christians are different, set apart from the rest of the world.
Most of the later manuscripts include the words “in Ephesus” at the end of this verse. For more details, please see the introduction.
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a typical Pauline greeting, bringing together Greek (“grace”) and Hebrew (“peace”) concepts.
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
Now that Paul has offered a salutation and greeting, he proceeds to the blessing .This entire section is a single sentence in the Greek! This blessing recounts the Ephesians past, present and future by speaking about their election, adoption and recapitulation.
Many themes which will reappear later in the letter can be found in this blessing. Not only that, it Trinitarian, whereby we are chosen by the Father (1:3), redeemed by the Son (1:7) and sealed by the Spirit (1:13)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, …
He blesses the Father
…who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, …
The Father has blessed us through Christ. The idea of being “in Christ” is found throughout the letter and ultimately finds its fullest expression in Paul’s description as Christ as the head and the Church as His Body.
This blessing has not been partial or incomplete. We have been blessed with “every” spiritual blessing.
The “heavenly places” refers to the spiritual realm.
… 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, …
God’s foreknowledge and predestination is mentioned.
…that we should be holy and blameless before him.
We are called with a purpose – to be “holy and blameless”, like Jesus.
Paul uses the language of the Temple sacrifices here (Leviticus 1:10). All sacrifices were set apart (i.e. “holy”) and unblemished (i.e. “blameless”). This hooks into what Paul writes in Romans where he talks about us offering ourselves as spiritual sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). Christ was the perfect sacrifice and we are called to imitate Him.
5 He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
Here Paul speaks of predestination. The interaction between free will and predestination is a mysterious one.
The Early Church Fathers speak about how we are made “sons in the son”. Through Christ, we are welcomed into God’s family, to share in divine filiation. Jesus was the Son by nature, but we are sons by “grace”.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 which he lavished upon us.
We have been bought back through the blood of Christ. In the ancient world, this referred to the price paid for a slave or captive’s freedom. Our redemption was foreshadowed in the exodus of Israel (Exodus 15:13).
Through this blood of Christ, our sins are forgiven. This is a pure gift of God’s grace.
9 For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
The “mystery” here will be explained in more detail in the beginning of chapter 3. In short, it is the plan to reunited all things in Christ.
The word which is translated here as “unite” is anakephalaioo, and could reasonably be translated as recapitulate. In this passage it is used to explain that all of creation is being reordered with Christ at the summit, with Christ as the New Adam repairing the damage done by the Old Adam.
11 In him, according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 we who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory.
We live to praise.
Paul uses the word “we” here. There are a few possibilities:
1. We = Jewish Christians, You = Gentile Christians
2. We = Christians known by Paul, You = Christians who hadn’t met him
3. We = Long converted, You = Recently converted
None of these options are mutually exclusive.
13 In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
The reception of the Holy Spirit is the downpayment of a future inheritance.
A “seal” is a mark of both protection and ownership. The Early Church used this language when referring to baptism, chrismation and holy orders.
The idea of a “guarantee” means that the Holy Spirit is a “down payment”, a pledge of something greater in the future. We see this idea between Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38:17-18. In the context of Ephesians, the Holy Spirit is the first installment which will be fulfilled in Heaven.
Paul’s Prayer
Now that Paul has completed the salutation, greeting and blessing, he begins the prayer…
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, …
Paul constantly remembers the Ephesians when he prays. The fact that he says he has “heard” of their faith suggests that he hasn’t actually met them in person.
… 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, …
Paul prays for wisdom and enlightenment for the Ephesians. In the Early Church, Baptism was often described as “enlightenment”.
In Hebrew thought, the “heart” is the very centre of the person from which all thought, will and feeling come.
…that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, …
He prays that they will grasp the hope to which they have been called.
… 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the working of his great might…
He prays for recognition of the power at work…
… 20 which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, …
…and this is the same power which raised Jesus from the dead.
When Paul talks about Christ sitting “at [the Father’s] right hand]”, he is alluding to Psalm 110 which describes the enthronement of the Messiah:
The Lord says to my lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
till I make your enemies your footstool.” – Psalm 110:1
(This is actually the most frequently referenced Old Testament passage).
… 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; …
Christ has now been glorified above all.
The names “authority”, “power” and “dominion” are names in Jewish and Christian tradition for the choirs of angels. Catholic tradition speaks of three hierarchies of angels, each with three choirs:
Tier 1
1. Seraphim
2. Cherubim
3. Thrones
Tier 2
4. Domions
5. Authorities
6. Powers
Tier 3
7. Rulers
8. Archangels
9. Angels
In this passage, Paul is saying that Jesus is above every spiritual being.
The “age to come” refers to the time when Jesus comes again in glory and brings about the culmination of the Kingdom.
… 22 and he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all.
To put something “under his feet” means that Jesus has domination over it. This is an allusion to Psalm 8:6 where David speaks of the exalted place of man:
Thou hast given him dominion over the works of thy hands;
thou hast put all things under his feet, – Psalm 8:6
Jesus as the New Adam transcends this, being Lord of all.
Paul transitions from Christ to talking about His body, the Church.
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