THANKSGIVING FOR THEIR DIVINE ORDINATION TO THE BLESSINGS OF GRACE . In this glorious anthem, in which the apostle, tracing all to the Divine Fountain, enumerates the glorious privileges of the Church, and blesses God for them, he first ( Ephesians 1:3 ) states summarily the ground of thanksgiving, expanding it with glowing fullness in Ephesians 1:4-14 . read more
The thanksgiving. The condition of believers is fitted to excite the profoundest emotions of gratitude and praise in all who know them. Grounds of this thankfulness are— I. STATED SUMMARILY . ( Ephesians 1:3 .) (For outline discourse on this text, see Exposition.) II. STATED IN DETAIL . ( Ephesians 1:4-14 .) The chief elements of blessing are: 1. Holiness and blamelessness in love, secured by God's eternal election ( Ephesians 1:4 ). 2. Adoption, secured in... read more
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ - This commences a sentence which continues to the close of Ephesians 1:12. The length of the periods in the writings of Paul, is one cause of the obscurity of his style, and renders an explanation often difficult. The meaning of this phrase is, that God has laid a foundation for gratitude for what he has done. The ground or reason of the praise here referred to, is that which is stated in the following verses. The leading thing on which... read more
Ephesians 1:3-6. Blessed be God, who hath blessed us God’s blessing us is his bestowing spiritual and heavenly blessings upon us. Our blessing God is the paying him our solemn and grateful acknowledgments, both on account of his own essential blessedness, and of the blessings which he bestows on us; with all spiritual blessings The spiritual blessings here spoken of are such as are necessary to the perfection and happiness of our spirits; namely, the light of the gospel, the influences of... read more
1:1-23 A LIFE OF FULNESS THROUGH CHRISTPraise for blessings in Christ (1:1-14)In introducing himself, Paul reminds his readers that they are saints, God’s holy people, who live their lives in union with Jesus Christ (1:1-2). He then offers praise to the triune God: in verses 3-6 on account of the Father who planned salvation; in verses 7-12 on account of the Son who made this salvation a reality; and in verses 13-14 on account of the Holy Spirit who guarantees salvation.God’s blessings, which... read more
Blessed, &c . Compare 2 Corinthians 1:3 . 1 Peter 1:3 . Always applied to God. Lord . App-98 . hath = having. Note the use and importance of aorist participles throughout this section. with . App-104 . all = every. spiritual . See 1 Corinthians 12:1 . blessings = blessing (singular) Greek. eulogia. See Romans 15:29 . heavenly places = the heavenlies, i.e. heavenly spheres. Greek. epouranios. Compare Ephesians 1:20 ; Ephesians 2:6 ; Ephesians 3:10 ; Ephesians 6:12 . Christ .... read more
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.Every spiritual blessing ... There are no spiritual blessings of any kind whatever, other than "in Christ." As Bruce said, "Paul here struck the keynote of Ephesians at once. The writer and his readers are `in Christ,' members of Christ, sharers of his resurrection life."[6]In heavenly places ... MacKnight gave the meaning here as "in the Christian... read more
Ephesians 1:3.— The two first verses contain St. Paul's inscription, or introduction, to his Epistle; and thence to Eph 1:14 he proceeds to thank God for his grace and bounty to the Gentiles; wherein he so sets forth both God's gracious purpose of bringing the Gentiles into his kingdom under the Messiah, and his actual bestowing on them blessings of all kinds in Jesus Christ, for their complete re-instation in that his heavenly kingdom, that there could be nothing stronger suggested to make the... read more
3. The doxologies in almost all the Epistles imply the real sense of grace experienced by the writers and their readers (1 Peter 1:3). 1 Peter 1:3- : sets forth summarily the Gospel of the grace of God: the FATHER'S work of love, 1 Peter 1:3- : (choosing us to holiness, 1 Peter 1:3- :; to sonship, Ephesians 1:5; to acceptance, Ephesians 1:6): the SON'S, Ephesians 1:6- : (redemption, Ephesians 1:7; knowledge of the mystery of His will, Ephesians 1:7- :; an inheritance, Ephesians 1:7- :); the... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 1:3-6
The redemptive predestination of God a reason for man's exultant gratitude. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 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: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of... read more