[1] Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Paul’s name is the first word in every epistle that he wrote (2 Thess. 3:17). God put an emphasis on Paul’s distinct ministry. Many of his epistles state something about his apostleship in the first sentence (e.g. Gal. 1:1). He was given a distinct ministry from the twelve apostles and therefore his apostleship was constantly under attack.
All believers are saints (sanctified in Christ). It is God’s will that we are part of two churches in this age. We become members of the church which is the Body of Christ upon salvation and we should also assemble together locally with other like-minded believers for service (see also Phil. 1:1-2; Col. 1:1-2).
Commentators make a big deal about the words “at Ephesus” supposedly not being in some of the ancient manuscripts. They talk about how this was to be an encyclical letter. All of Paul’s letters were copied and passed around to the brethren (Col. 4:16).
The record of Paul’s ministry at Ephesus is found in Acts 18-20. He spent three years there and the ministry continued on after his departure with the help of Aquila and Priscilla and Timothy. There were Gentiles saved after Paul left because he mentions that he heard of their faith (v.15).
Perhaps Paul refers specifically to the “faithful” because in this letter he is speaking to the spiritual saints that can bear the meat of the word.
By the way, comparing this letter with the letter to the church at Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7) proves that they are different churches under different programs (the seven churches in Rev. 2-3 are future Jewish churches in the tribulation period). For example, compare Eph. 1:3 with Rev. 2:7.
[2] Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace precedes peace (Rom. 5:1). Paul says more about the grace of God than all the other Bible writers combined! Have you ever noticed that Paul never sends greetings from the Holy Spirit? We are sealed with the Spirit (v.13). Compare this with John’s greeting to the tribulation saints (Rev. 1:4).
[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:
We ought to bless God for all His blessings (Ps. 103:1-2)! In vs.3-14 the apostle Paul outlines some (not exhaustive list) of the spiritual blessings we have from the Father (vs.3-6), Son (vs.7-12), and Spirit (vs.13-14). Each member of the Godhead is active in salvation. It has been accomplished and made available by the will of the Father, the work of the Son, and the witness of the Spirit. Each section is one sentence and ends with praise to the glory of God.
Most Christians never come to understand the plain truth of this verse:
• We are blessed with ALL blessings the moment of salvation (Col. 2:10)
• These blessings are spiritual
• These blessings are in “heavenly places” (1:3; 1:20; 2:6; 3:10)
Most professing Christians seem to think they are God’s earthly people in a covenant relationship! They claim the blessings of Deut. 28:1-14, but conveniently forget about all the curses in vs.15-68.
Israel Body of Christ
Material Blessings Spiritual Blessings
On Earth In Heavenly Places
Based on Performance Based on Position
[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:
We are chosen “in Christ” (2 Tim. 1:9). Christ is God’s elect (Isa. 42:1-4). When did we get in Christ? When we trusted Him as Savior (v.13), NOT before the foundation of the world (else we were in Christ, out of Christ, back in Christ)! God foreknew that we would trust Christ. Nobody is predestinated to salvation or damnation. Those who are saved are predestinated unto glory. The standing of the Body of Christ before God is that we are holy, without blame, and in His love. We certainly don’t have to keep ourselves in the love of God (compare Jude 21 with Rom. 8:38-39).
God has a twofold purpose that is revealed in His word (v.10; Gen. 1:1).
1. Heaven (Body of Christ) – planned BEFORE foundation of the world (1 Cor. 2:7), kept secret since the world began (Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:9)
2. Earth – (Israel) prophesied FROM foundation of world (Matt. 25:34), spoken since the world began (Acts 3:21)
Satan, whose primary habitation is in the heavens, was focused on defeating God’s plan for the earth and had no idea about God’s plan to reconcile the heavens to Himself! Israel will inherit the earth, but we live eternally in the heavens (2 Cor. 5:1). We will replace the fallen principalities and powers (Eph. 3:10; Rev. 12:7-9).
[5] Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
The word adoption is not used here in the sense of making someone a child who was not born into the family (always a hindrance to read modern and western definitions into Bible words). We were born into the family of God upon salvation. Adoption, as used by Paul, is about position rather than relationship. It is the full placement as a son. It has to do with position and the rights, privileges, and responsibilities that come with that position (Gal. 4:1-7).
Being complete in Christ we have this position now, but we have yet to fully enter into the experience of all that it means to be a son of God. The apostle Paul speaks of adoption in relation to the Body of Christ in three passages and applies it in three tenses:
1) As to the past, we were predestinated unto adoption (Eph. 1:3-6)
2) As to present, we now have the Spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5-6)
3) As to the future, we are waiting for adoption (Rom. 8:23)
"Abba" is Aramaic and is an intimate term for father, like our English word “Daddy”. This is what Jesus called the Father when He was praying in Gethsemane (Mk. 14:36). We are accepted in the beloved!
Note that predestination is for God (“to himself”) and according to the good pleasure of His will (v.9, 11). This does not mean we have no will in the matter! By our will we can only receive salvation, we cannot accomplish it (Jn. 1:11-13).
[6] To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
God made us accepted by His grace (2 Cor. 5:21; Col. 1:12)! Christ is the Beloved (v.7; Matt. 12:18, note beloved and elect). God accepts us as He does Jesus Christ! This has to do with our standing Christ. However, as to our state, we must labor to be accepted as a servant (2 Cor. 5:9; Rom. 14:17-18).
[7] In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
To be redeemed is to be purchased with a price. What was the price? The precious BLOOD of Christ. There could be no redemption without His blood! How many sins did He forgive? ALL of them: past, present, and future (Col. 2:13)! The riches of His grace has given us unsearchable riches (3:8, not measured by human mind, cannot be searched out in OT prophecy).
[8] Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
[9] Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
[10] That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
The mystery was no afterthought or plan B! It was His eternal purpose (Eph. 3:11). It is a demonstration of His great wisdom (Eph. 3:10; 1 Cor. 2:7). One of our spiritual blessings is knowing the mystery of God’s will concerning the dispensation of the fullness of times. Anti-dispensational preachers accuse us of teaching that God failed in trying to establish His kingdom through Israel. They claim Christ preached a spiritual kingdom only and that His promises are being fulfilled spiritually in the church. Those that spiritualize the scripture tell spiritual lies. Israel failed, not God! He knew they would fall and He planned that through their fall He would reconcile the world to Himself (Rom. 11:11-15, 32-36).
The word “dispensation” is found four times in the Bible (Eph. 1:10; 3:2; 1 Cor. 9:17; Col. 1:25). A dispensation is simply a dispensing of divine revelation. It is a dealing out, administration, or economy. Some think the dispensation of the fulness of times refers to the kingdom age. I believe it is the eternal state after the creation of a new heaven and earth. There is one family of God (Eph. 3:14-15), but there will be a distinction throughout eternity between the things in heaven and earth. All the redeemed are “in Christ”. A person can only be “in Adam” or “in Christ” (1 Cor. 15:22). Christ is the foundation to both programs (“chief corner stone”, Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6). So the fact people were in Christ before Paul (Rom. 16:7) does not prove the Body of Christ began before his ministry.
Notice the absence of “things under the earth” in v.10 (Phil. 2:10; Col. 1:20). There is no universal salvation. Those who die lost will remain lost for eternity.
[11] In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
How amazing that we Gentiles, who were strangers from the covenants of promise, have obtained such a glorious inheritance (Eph. 2:11-13)! Every member of the Body of Christ has a guaranteed inheritance in Christ. However, we may add rewards to that inheritance (Col. 3:24).
[12] That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
That Christ would save us and give us a glorious inheritance is to the praise of HIS glory! All we did was trust Christ (depending not on our works but His perfect and finished work).
[13] In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
[14] Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Salvation is in a Person (“In whom”). We are saved by grace the moment we believe on Christ. To believe on Him is not merely a mental assent that He is the Saviour. It is to TRUST Him alone as your personal Saviour.
This is a great verse to explain how to be saved. We hear the word of truth, believe, and are sealed with Spirit. What is the gospel of OUR salvation? It is the good news that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4). In “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15) we must rightly divide the different gospels revealed in scripture. There is only one gospel by which we are saved in this age (Gal. 1:6-12). The word of truth for Israel to be saved (Acts 2:38) is not the word of truth for all men in this age of grace (Acts 16:31; 1 Cor. 1:17).
The Spirit of God does various things for us upon salvation. He:
1. Circumcises (Col. 2:13)
2. Regenerates (Titus 3:5)
3. Baptizes (Col. 2:12)
4. Indwells (1 Cor. 3:16)
5. Seals (Eph. 1:13; 4:30)
A seal speaks of ownership, a finished transaction, and security. We are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit (Rom. 8:9). By the way, that Paul calls Him the “holy Spirit of promise” does not mean he is referring to the prophesied baptism WITH the Holy Ghost (Lk. 24:49). There are two different spiritual baptisms as we shall see in chapters 3 and 4. What he means by “promise” is explained in v.14. An earnest is a promise to complete a transaction.
According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, earnest means, “First fruits; that which is in advance, and gives promise of something to come. Early fruit may be an earnest of fruit to follow. The first success in arms may be an earnest of future success. The Christian’s peace of mind in this life is an earnest of future peace and happiness. Hence earnest or earnest-money is a first payment or deposit giving promise or assurance of full payment. Hence the practice of giving an earnest to ratify a bargain. This sense of the word is primary, denoting that which goes before, or in advance. Thus the earnest of the spirit is given to saints, as a pledge or assurance of their future enjoyment of God's presence and favor.”
The earnest of the Spirit guarantees our future glory (2 Cor. 1:22; 4:13-5:8). We are awaiting the redemption of our body. We are the “firstfruits of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:23).
