notes

Main point summary

Praise be to God because He blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

Arc

editing

NT

Ephesians 1:3-14

nasb

na28

esv

net

mine

a Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,

e Blessed be f the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Blessed 5 is 6 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in b the heavenly places in Christ ,

ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ ,

who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing g in the heavenly places,

who has blessed 7 us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.

just as a He chose us in Him

καθὼς ἐξελέξατο ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ

h even as he i chose us in him

For 8 he chose us in Christ 9

before b the foundation of the world,

πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου

j before the foundation of the world,

before the foundation of the world

temporal

that we would be c holy and blameless before 1 Him in love

εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀγάπῃ,

that we should be k holy and blameless before him. In love

that we may be holy and unblemished 10 in his sight 11 in love. 12

actionpurpose

by predestining us

προορίσας ἡμᾶς

l he predestined us 1

He did this by predestining 13 us

to b adoption as sons

εἰς υἱοθεσίαν

for m adoption as sons

to adoption as his 14 sons 15

through Jesus Christ to Himself,

διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς αὐτόν,

through Jesus Christ,

through Jesus Christ,

actionmanner

c according to the 2 kind intention of His will,

κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ,

n according to the purpose of his will,

according to the pleasure 16 of his will -

ground

a to the praise of the glory of His grace,

εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ

o to the praise of his glorious grace,

to the praise of the glory of his grace 17

which He freely bestowed on us in b the Beloved .

ἧς ἐχαρίτωσεν ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ .

with which he has blessed us in p the Beloved.

that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son. 18

a In 1 Him we have b redemption

Ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν

q In him we have r redemption

In him 19 we have redemption

c through His blood,

διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ ,

s through his blood,

through his blood, 20

the d forgiveness of our trespasses,

τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν παραπτωμάτων,

t the forgiveness of our trespasses,

the forgiveness of our trespasses,

ideaexplanation

according to e the riches of His grace

κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ

u according to the riches of his grace,

according to the riches of his grace

which He 1 lavished on 2 us. In all wisdom and insight

ἧς ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς ἡμᾶς, ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει,

which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight.

He 1 a made known to us the mystery of His will,

γνωρίσας ἡμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ,

v making known 1 to us the mystery of his will,

He did this when he revealed 21 to us the secret 22 of his will,

b according to His 2 kind intention

κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν αὐτοῦ

n according to his purpose,

according to his good pleasure

which He c purposed in Him

ἣν προέθετο ἐν αὐτῷ

which he w set forth in Christ

that he set forth 23 in Christ, 24

with a view to an administration 1 suitable to a the fullness of the times,

εἰς οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν,

as a plan for x the fullness of time,

toward the administration of the fullness of the times,

that is , b the summing up of all things in Christ , things 2 in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him

ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ , τὰ ἐπὶ τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐν αὐτῷ .

y to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

to head up 25 all things in Christ - the things in heaven 26 and the things on earth. 27

1 in him also we 2 a have obtained an inheritance,

Ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν

In him we have obtained z an inheritance,

In Christ 28 we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, 29

also in Christ we have been claimed as God’s own possession,

having been b predestined c according to His purpose who works all things d after the counsel of His will,

προορισθέντες κατὰ πρόθεσιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ

a having been predestined b according to the purpose of him who works all things according to c the counsel of his will,

since we were predestined according to the one purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will

to the end that we who were the first to hope in 1 Christ would be a to the praise of His glory.

εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ .

so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be d to the praise of his glory.

so that we, who were the first to set our hope 30 on Christ, 31 would be to the praise of his glory.

In 1 Him , you also , after listening to a the message of truth,

Ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀκούσαντες τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας,

In him you also, when you heard e the word of truth,

And when 32 you heard the word of truth

the gospel of your salvation—

τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς σωτηρίας ὑμῶν,

the gospel of your salvation,

(the gospel of your salvation) -

having also 2 believed in him

ἐν ᾧ καὶ πιστεύσαντες

and believed in him,

when you believed in Christ 33 -

series

you were b sealed with c the Holy Spirit of promise,

ἐσφραγίσθητε τῷ πνεύματι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῷ ἁγίῳ,

f were sealed with the g promised Holy Spirit,

you were marked with the seal 34 of the promised Holy Spirit, 35

who is 1 a given as a pledge of b our inheritance,

ὅ ἐστιν ἀρραβὼν τῆς κληρονομίας ἡμῶν,

who is h the guarantee 1 of our i inheritance

who is the down payment 36 of our inheritance,

with a view to the c redemption of d God’s own possession,

εἰς ἀπολύτρωσιν τῆς περιποιήσεως,

until j we acquire k possession of it, 2

until the redemption of God’s own possession, 37

e to the praise of His glory.

εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ.

l to the praise of his glory.

to the praise of his glory.

progression

generalspecific

na28

discourse

Devotional

How can God make much of us and still be God-centered? This question is probably one of the most important questions one might ask, because this question rightly points us to the relationship of the gospel and God's unwavering allegiance to his self-glorification. Why is this important? It is important because a gospel that takes away God's self-glorification in it is not the gospel of the scriptures. But the question is how did God accomplish our redemption without compromising His holiness, righteousness and glory? The answer is Jesus Christ! Paul demonstrates this in Ephesians 1:3-14 : " 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. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ , according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace , with which he has blessed us in the Beloved . In him we have redemption through his blood , the forgiveness of our trespasses , according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him , things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance , having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory . In him you also , when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit , who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. " You will notice that all of God's actions are for the praise of His glory. We can hear it from these words, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"( vv. 3 ), "to the praise of his glorious grace"( vv. 6 ), "to unite all things in him"( vv. 10 ), "to the praise of his glory"( vv. 12 ), "to the praise of his glory"( vv. 14 ). Each stands as the aim or conclusion of God's actions or blessings from Him. Example, in verse 3 the statement "Blessed be the God" is grounded on God's act in blessing us. This is the main point of this passage; God is worthy of all praise and blessings because he has blessed us with every spiritual blessings. But how does blessing us, give glory to Him? Isn't it that since God blesses us therefore He's making much of us? How is this not man-centered? Yes, it is true that in blessing us God shows his love for us and that he makes much of us. However, He did all of this not because of any inherent value in us, but because of His Son, Jesus Christ. That is, since all spiritual blessings provided for us are found only in the Son, in essence then he is whom God is making much of, and therefore maintains unwavering allegiance to the upholding of His own glory. We only received these blessings by extension of our relationship with Jesus. You will see this clearly in the four main blessings: 1. Election is for the praise of the glory of God's grace because this election is in Christ. Verses 4-6 says " he chose us in him .... to the praise of his glorious grace ". 2. Redemption is for God's glory because it is found only in Christ. Verse 7-10 says, " In him we have redemption through his blood , the forgiveness of our trespasses ,.. to unite all things in him " 3. The obtaining of inheritance is for God's glory because this too is in Christ only. Verse 11-12 says, " In him we have obtained an inheritance.. to the praise of his glory. " 4. The sealing with the promised Holy Spirit is also for God's glory, because this will not happen apart from Christ. According to verse 13-14, " In him you also , when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.. to the praise of his glory. " So this is how God can make much of us and still be ultimately for His own Glory. It is because of Jesus! What other blessings can you find in this passage that were made possible only in Jesus? According to this short devotional is God's self-glorification loving? Can we imitate God in this? How can we best imitate God in loving others?

Instructor’s Notes

In the text above I highlighted with yellow all the references to God's self glorification as the ultimate purpose of his saving work. Then I highlighted God's gracious acts and blessings with purple . Lastly, I highlighted with green all the prepositional phrases that has to do with Christ and their connection to the spiritual blessings.