Phrase

NT

Ephesians 1:1-14

esv

Greeting

Paul,

an apostle

Explanation (Apposition)

of Christ Jesus

by the will

Means

of God,

To the saints

who are

in Ephesus,

Locative

and are [also] faithful

Reference

in Christ Jesus:

Context

Grace to you

and peace [to you]

from God

Source #1

our Father

Explanation (Apposition)

and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Source #2

1st Element: God is Blessed

Blessed be the God

and Father

Explanation (Apposition)

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us

in Christ

with every spiritual blessing

Manner

in the heavenly places,

even as he chose us

Comparison

in him

before the foundation

Temporal

of the world,

that we should be holy

Purpose

and blameless

before him.

2nd Element: The Believer's Predestination

In love

Distinction

he predestined us

for adoption as sons

Advantage

through Jesus Christ,

Agency

according to the purpose

Standard

of his will,

to the praise

Result

of his glorious grace,

with which he has blessed us

in the Beloved.

3rd Element: The Believer's Redemption

In him

we have redemption

through his blood,

the forgiveness

Explanation (Apposition)

of our trespasses,

according to the riches

of his grace,

which he lavished upon us,

in all wisdom

Explanation (1:7c)

and insight

[by] making known to us

the mystery

Content

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

Explanation #1

in heaven

Locative #1

and things

Explanation #2

on earth.

Locative #2

4th Element: The Believer's Inheritance

In him

we have obtained an inheritance,

having been predestined

according to the purpose

Standard #1

of him

who works all things

according to the counsel

Standard #2

of his will,

so that we ... might be to the praise

of his glory.

who were the first to hope

in Christ

5th Element: The Believer's Sealing

In him

you also, ... ... ... ... ... were sealed ... ... ... ...

when you heard the word

of truth,

the gospel

Explanation (1:13c)

of your salvation,

and [when you] believed

in him,

with the promised Holy Spirit,

Agent

who is the guarantee

of our inheritance

until we acquire possession of it,

to the praise

of his glory.

phrasing

Phrae Notes

I have decided to leave the subordinate arrows out with the exception of the genitive phrases. Even though this was the way we learned in our Phrasing class I think the subordinate arrows can sometimes be obtrusive. Orange Text = Appositional phrases (i.e., a word or group of words that re-identify the original noun. For example, George the dog. The word 'dog' is an apposition for the noun/proper noun 'George.' Blue dashed arrows = pronouns pointing back to God the Father Red dashed arrows = pronouns pointing back to Jesus Orange dashed arrow s = pronouns pointing back to the Holy Spirit Green solid arrows = pointing back to the relative pronoun's antecedent Light blue arrows = genitive phrase pointing back to it's anchor word Flow Structure Other than the greeting (vv.1-2) the passage has five main elements, or thought flows that describe the believer's blessings: God is blessed because He blesses us (vv.3-4g) Our predestination as believers (vv.4h-6) Our redemption (vv.7-10) Our inheritance (vv.11-12) Our sealing with the Holy Spirit (vv.13-14) Note how the five elements build in a progressive order to a climatic conclusion. God is blessed because He has blessed us. The blessing of this love towards His people causes Him to elect us before the foundation of the world. This election leads to our redemption, which in turn allows us to take part in the inheritance. This promise of the inheritance is guaranteed by the sealing of the Holy Spirit. All the parts work together in a harmonious symphony. Neither can be had without the other. We cannot have an inheritance without redemption, nor can we have the guarantee of redemption unless it is God who elects and predestines. The verses are interwoven in this short synopsis of God's salvific benefits, and they all hinge on God's gracious acts, His blessings to His people. To God be the glory!!!!!! 1st Element - God is blessed All of these blessings hinge around the main phrase, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." This is the first and chief element. Paul begins by bursting forth his eulogy of the Father. God has blessed us in everything simply out of His goodness. This goodness comes through one Person and is reiterated several times throughout the passage. The phrase "in Him" or other reference to the Person of Jesus (where the believer's blessings are found or dependent upon) occurs eight times. We have been blessed in the heavenlies, in Christ, and chosen in Him before God laid the foundation of the world. However, this election is not without a purpose. It is so that the believer will become holy & blameless. Holiness is that state where the believer has been set apart. We have been, set apart from sin set apart from the world set apart to Christ as a people Note, first of all that the context of all of these blessings take place in Christ (vv. 3e, 4b, 5c, 6d, 7a, 11a, 13a & h). There is no confusion about where our blessings lie. The first of these blessings is election. It is said that we were chosen before the foundation of the world. It should be pointed out, though, that although this verse mentions the believer's election it is not the primary thought. The main thrust is God's gracious act of election and not the election itself. In the Word Biblical Commentary series (p. 25) this point is brought out well when it says, " It is significant that the language of election before the foundation of the world occurs here in the context of thanksgiving (cf. also 1 Thess 1:4 ; 2:13 ). It is part of an expression of gratitude for God’s inexplicable grace, not a logical deduction about the destiny of individuals based on the immutability of God’s decrees. And, unlike the language of Rom 9:13 , 18 , 22 , Eph 1:4 provokes absolutely no speculation about the negative side of election, reprobation. Overwhelmed by the blessing of being chosen in Christ, the writer does not attempt to find explanations but can only praise the God who is the source of such blessing. " Paul's argument is not for the argument of election, rather it is for God's goodness. This is not to deny the doctrine of election, but rather to keep it in the context of the passage. The doctrine of election & reprobation is expounded upon in passages such as Romans 9, 2Thessalonians 2:13, and Revelation 13:8, as well as numerous Old Testament passages. There are three main aspects of the believer's blessings that are worth noting: the context in which the blessings are found, the location in which the blessings are found, and the purpose for which we are blessed. The context in which the blessings are found - All of these blessings are found in Christ. The phrase 'in Christ' must be understood properly. He is the agent by which the blessings flow. In other words, only those who have believed in Him & have been sealed with the Holy Spirit (13a, i) are those who have these blessings. They are identified further as being chosen before the foundation of the world, that is, their blessings were wrought in the Person and work of Christ before the ages began. The location in which the blessings are found - it is said that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. What is meant by this phrase? The word is made up of the preposition epi ( επι - on or upon,) and ouranos ( ουρανο