A Brief Commentary on Ephesians 1:3-6
Verse 3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”
Blessed be God…who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings... “Blessed be God” indicates one who is worthy, i.e. “worthy of blessing.”[1] By this Paul is saying that God the Father is worthy of blessing because He has blessed Christians with all spiritual blessings. These spiritual blessing include: grace and peace (verse 2); spiritual adoption (verse 5); redemption and forgiveness of sin (verse 7); the Gospel (verse 9); and a divine inheritance (verse 11).
In heavenly places in Christ... The word places is not found in the Greek text. The phrase directly translated from Greek would read “in the heavenlies.” “This phrase indicates the sphere of the blessing which are related to the Spirit. The term refers to heaven as seen in the perspective of the new age brought about in Christ.”[2]
Verse 4: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”
According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world... According to the plan of salvation that God had determined before the foundation of the world. Here Paul is saying that those who are in Christ are those who have obeyed the Gospel plan of salvation that God had predetermined at the foundation of the world. God in His infinite wisdom chose a plan or course of action by which mankind would have the opportunity to have their sins remitted.
That we should be holy and without blame before Him in love… This is the purpose for which God’s plan of salvation was set in place. So that through the blood of Christ man can once again be made holy and pure before God, just as if he had never sinned. He would be sanctified and made pure by obedience to the Gospel, which God has given mankind out of His great love for His creation (John 3:16).
Verse 5: “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself... Paul is saying that those who have obeyed the Gospel plan of salvation are the class of people who have been adopted as children of God through baptism in the name of His son Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). This class of people – Christians have met God’s conditions of salvation that he predestinated at the foundation of the world.
According to the good pleasure off His will... The various facets of the Gospel plan of salvation work together for the good of those that love God (Rom. 8:28) according to the good pleasure of His will. The pleasure of God’s will is significant in two ways. First of all, the plan of salvation itself came about by the pleasure of God’s will. 1 Corinthians 1:21 tells us that “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching [the Gospel plan of salvation] to save them that believe.” Also, God derives pleasure in those that love Him, serve Him and obey His will.
Verse 6: “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
To the praise of the glory of His grace... “Our salvation is by grace (Eph. 2:8-10) and by our salvation His grace is praised.”[3] When a person obeys, loves and serves God that person’s actions glorify God before all. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16. When the world sees that person’s response to God’s grace and the good works in which that grace response in manifested, God is glorified.
Wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved... God’s grace has made the Christian acceptable in Christ Jesus, the beloved Son of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment