CHAPTER 1

(A.D. 64)

INTRODUCTION

¹Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ (the Apostle stands as the de facto leader of the Church, and does so by the special Message he brings; with Paul, it was Grace) by the Will of God (the Foundation of Pauls Calling), to the Saints (which one instantly becomes upon accepting Christ) which are at Ephesus (to those Saints and all others as well, and for all time), and to the Faithful in Christ Jesus (ever Faithful in making the Cross the Object of ones Faith):

²Grace be to you, and peace (which come by means of the Cross), from God our Father (a privilege of untold proportions), and from the Lord Jesus Christ (proclaims the Saviour in association with the Father).

SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS

³Blessed be the God (we should ever bless the Lord for what He has done for us) and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (God is the Father of Christ, as Christ is seen in His Humanity), Who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings (every benefit of the Atonement) in Heavenly places in Christ (the Divine Blessing has its ground and reason in Christ; it is ours by reason of our being in Him, which was brought about by the Cross):

⁴According as He has chosen us in Him (does not refer to the person being chosen, but rather the purpose for which the person is chosen) before the foundation of the world (the Creator, in laying His Plans for the world, had the purpose of Redeeming Grace in view), that we should be Holy and without blame before Him in Love (presents the purpose of the chosen):

⁵Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children (does not refer to the individual being predestinated as to whether he will be saved or lost, but rather the manner in which one becomes a Child of God) by Jesus Christ to Himself (by means of the Cross), according to the good pleasure of His Will (it is an act of sovereignty, but an act based on love),

⁶To the praise of the Glory of His Grace (the ultimate reason), wherein He has made us accepted (made possible by the Cross) in the beloved (in Christ).

⁷In Whom (in Christ) we have Redemption through His Blood (the outpoured Blood of the Son of God at the Cross is the price for Redemption), the forgiveness of sins (a remission of their penalty), according to the riches of His Grace (the riches of that Grace gave us the Cross);

⁸Wherein He has abounded toward us (refers to Gods Grace being manifested toward us in superabundance, again made possible by the Cross) in all wisdom (insight) and prudence (to solve the problems of each moment of time);

⁹Having made known unto us the mystery of His Will (refers to the secret purposes and counsels God intends to carry into effect in His Kingdom), according to His good pleasure (extended to Believers) which He has purposed in Himself (originated in His Own Mind):

¹⁰That in the dispensation of the fulness of times (concerns itself with a well-ordered plan)H e might gather together in one all things in Christ (the Atonement addressed not only mans Fall, but the revolution of Lucifer as well), both which are in Heaven (where the revolution of Lucifer began), and which are on earth (the Fall of man); even in Him (made possible by what Christ did at the Cross):

¹¹In Whom (Christ) also we have obtained an inheritance (the best Greek Texts have, we were designated as a heritage; thus, the Saints are Gods Heritage, His Possession through the Work of Christ on the Cross), being predestinated according to the purpose of Him (pertains to the inheritance being predestinated, not the individual who would obtain the inheritance) Who works all things after the Counsel of His Own Will (therefore, it is perfect):

¹²That we should be to the praise of His Glory (proclaims that which is guaranteed to be, not what is hoped to be), who first trusted in Christ. (We will attain all of this by first trusting in Christ, which means accepting what He did for us at the Cross.)

¹³In Whom (Christ) you also trusted, after that you heard the Word of Truth (pertains to the Message of the Cross [I Cor. 1:18]), the Gospel of your Salvation (the good news provided by the Cross): In Whom (Christ) also after that you believed (believed in what Christ did for us at the Cross), you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise (made possible by the Cross),

¹⁴Which is the earnest (down payment) of our inheritance (but with a guarantee that it all will come at the Resurrection) until the Redemption of the purchased possession (bought by the Blood of Christ, and will be totally fulfilled at the Resurrection), unto the praise of His Glory. (This refers to that which God has done, and will do, which is a victory of astounding proportions.)

PRAYER

¹⁵Wherefore I also, after I heard of your Faith in the Lord Jesus (day-by-day Faith exercised in the Lord Jesus for daily living), and love unto all the Saints (it is only those who do not depend on the Finished Work of the Cross, who lack in love),

¹⁶Cease not to give thanks for you (is used some twenty-three times in one way or the other in Pauls Epistles), making mention of you in my prayers (a habit of the Apostle his intercessory prayer life);

¹⁷That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory (refers to our Lord in His Humanity as worshiping and being obedient to God the Father), may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Him (knowledge of Christ, which we receive through the Word, enables the Holy Spirit to increase our Wisdom and Revelation):

¹⁸The eyes of your understanding being enlightened (could be translated, The eyes of your heart having been enlightened with the present result that they are in a state of illumination); that you may know what is the hope of His calling (in a sense, actually points to what the hope really is), and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the Saints (speaks now not of the Saints inheritance, but rather Gods inheritance; the Saints are that inheritance),

¹⁹And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe (power to live a Holy life; who believe in Christ and what He has done at the Cross), according to the working of His mighty power (it works for us according to our Faith in the Finished Work of Christ, and by no other means),

²⁰Which He (God the Father) wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead (which He did by the Power of the Holy Spirit), and set Him at His Own Right Hand in the Heavenly places(refers to the highest place of honor, dignity, and authority, and means that the Sacrifice of Christ was totally accepted),

²¹Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion (proclaims the exalted position of Christ), and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come (Christ is given this exalted position, and will retain it forever, because of the Cross):

²²And has put all things under His feet (He thus fulfills the destiny for which man was originally created), and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church (He is the absolute, ultimate authority, because of the Cross),

²³Which is His Body (the Church has its Source of Life in Him, sustained and directed by His Power, the instrument also by and through which He works), the fulness of Him that fills all in all. (As Christ was the True Israel, and is the True Man, He is also the True Church.)