Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)

Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)

EPHESIANS 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Application Notes

1:1 Paul wrote this letter to the church in Ephesus in order to give them in-depth teaching about how to nurture and maintain unity in the church. The first three chapters recount the gospel about Jesus. The last three show how we can live out the truth of the gospel. Paul wanted to put this important information in written form because he had been imprisoned for preaching Jesus' message and could not visit the churches himself. This letter was very likely a circular letter--it was first sent to Ephesus and then circulated to neighbouring local churches. Paul mentions no particular problems or local situations and offers· no personal greetings, so the letter could fairly easily be passed along from church to church. 

1:1 When he wrote this letter, Paul had been a Christian for nearly 30 years. He had taken three missionary trips and established churches all around the Mediterranean Sea. He had been a missionary in Ephesus for more than two years, and many people had become followers of Jesus. When he wrote Ephesians, Paul was under house arrest in Rome (see Acts 28:16-31). Though a prisoner, he was free to have visitors and write letters. (For more on Paul, see his profile on page 1899.) 

1:1 Ephesus was one of the five major cities in the Roman Empire, along with Rome, Corinth, Antioch, and Alexandria. Paul first visited Ephesus on his second missionary journey (Acts 18:19-21). During his third missionary journey, he stayed there for almost three years (Acts 19). Paul later met again with the elders of the Ephesian church in Miletus (Acts 20:16-38). Ephesus was a commercial, political, and religious centre for all of Asia Minor. The temple to the Greek goddess Artemis (known to the Romans as Diana) was located there. 

1:1 "The faithful in Christ Jesus" -what an excellent reputation! Such a label would be an honour for any believer. What about you--your lifestyle, character, values, focus--would cause people to characterise you as a faithful follower of Christ Jesus? Hold fast to your faith, one day at a time; faithfully obey God, even in the details of life. Then, like the Ephesians, you will be known as a person who is faithful to the Lord. 

1:3 When we bless or praise God, we recognise and attribute to him his true worth. "who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing" means that because we are united with Christ, we have all the benefits of knowing God--we have been chosen for salvation, adopted as his children. and forgiven. God gives us insight into His Word, the gifts of the Spirit, power to do his will, and the hope of living forever with Christ. Because we have an intimate relationship with Christ, we can enjoy these eternal blessings now. The use of the phrase heavenly realms tells us that these blessings come from eternity with God and do not originate with our human experience. The blessings come from Christ's spiritual realm, not the earthly realm of the goddess Artemis. Other references to the heavenly realms in this letter include 1:20; 2:6; and 3:10. Such passages reveal Christ in his victorious, exalted role as ruler of all. 

1:4 Paul emphasises that God chose us to make the point that salva­tion depends totally on God. We are saved not because we deserve it but because God graciously and freely gives us salvation. Our wisdom or good behaviour does not influence God's decision to save us; in his mercy, he has saved us according to his plan. Thus, we cannot take credit for our salvation or take pride in making the right decision. The mystery of salvation originated in the timeless mind of God long before we existed. It baffles us why God would accept us. But Christ, by his sacrifice, makes us holy and blameless in his sight. If we are in Christ. God looks at us as if we have never sinned. All we can do is express our thanks for his wonderful love. 

1:5 Predestined means marked out beforehand. This is another way of saying that salvation is God's work and not our own doing. In his infinite love, God has adopted us as his own children. Through Jesus' sacrifice. he has brought us into his family and made us heirs along with Jesus (Romans 8:17). He did this on purpose for his own pleasure (Luke 12:32). In Roman law, adopted children had the same rights and privileges as biological children, even if they had been slaves. (For more on the meaning of adop­tion, see Galatians 4:5-7.) Paul uses this language to show how strongly we are related to God through Christ and how strongly God desires a relationship with us. Have you entered into this loving bond with him? 

1:7-8 Grace is God's voluntary and loving favour given to those he saves. We can't earn salvation, nor do we deserve it. No religious, intellectual, or moral effort can gain it, because it comes only from God's mercy and love. Without God's grace, no person can be saved. To receive God's salvation, we must acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves; only God can save us. We can receive this loving favour by believing in and uniting with Christ. Imagine that you are trying to go on an ocean voyage but have no passport. money, or credit cards--and then Jesus comes along to pay your way so you can travel in first class. This is a small illustration of how lavishly and freely he gives his grace to each of us. 

1:7 To speak of Jesus' blood is an important way of speaking about his death. His death provided two wonderful benefits to us--redemption and forgiveness. Redemption pictures the price paid to gain freedom for a slave (Leviticus 25:47-54). Through his death. Jesus paid the price to release us from slavery to sin and its devastating consequences. Forgive­ness was granted in Old Testament times on the basis of the shedding of animals' blood (Leviticus 17:11). Now we are forgiven on the basis of the shedding of Jesus· blood-he died as the perfect and final sacrifice (see Romans 5:9; Ephesians 2:13; Colossians 1:20; Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 1:19). We have been freed from every restraint so that we can live fully and become all he intended us to be. 

1:9-10 God was not intentionally keeping his plan a secret ("the mystery of his will"), but his plan for the world could not be fully understood until Christ rose from the dead. God's purpose for sending Christ was to unite Jews and Gentiles in one body with Christ as the head. Many people still do not understand God's plan, but at the right time ("when the times reach their fulfilment"), he will bring us together to be with him forever. Then everyone will understand. On that day, all people will bow to Jesus as Lord, either because they love him or because they are required to submit in his presence (see Philippians 2:10-11). 

1:11 God has a purpose and a plan. He planned to bring salvation to the entire world long ago. God rules the world; he is in charge. When your life seems chaotic, rest in this truth: Jesus is Lord, and God is in control. God's purpose to save you cannot be thwarted, no matter what evil Satan may bring (see Romans 8:28-39). 

1:13-14 God gives the Holy Spirit to us as a seal, confirming that we belong to him and his deposit, guaranteeing that he will do what he has promised. The presence of the Holy Spirit is like a down payment, a deposit, a validating signature on God's contract. The Holy Spirit working in us demonstrates the genuineness of our faith, proves that we are God's children, and secures eternal life for us. His power transforms us now, and what we experience today gives us a first taste of the total change we will experience in eternity. 

1:16-17 Paul prayed for the believers to know God better. How do you get to know people? By reading biographical information or historical data about them? That will help you know a lot about them, but it won't enable you to actually know them. If you want to get to know someone, you have to spend time with that person; there is no shortcut. The same holds true with God. Reading the Bible, great works of theology, and devotional material helps us as we get to know God, but these things don't substitute for knowing God personally. What about you? Do you really know God, or do you just know about him? The difference is in spending time with him. Personal experience with Christ will change your life. So, as you read and study about God (which is vitally important), make sure you also experience his presence in daily prayer. Talk to him throughout the day, ask him for wisdom, trust him to act in your life, and watch for him to do so. As you invite God into every moment of your life, you will better understand his great love for you, his care, and his comfort. and his delight in you. Your relationship with him will thrive and flourish. 

1:18 Paul wants the hearts of all believers to be enlightened. We need clear minds and open hearts to grasp the truth of our hope. The hope we have in Christ means more than a vague assurance that the future will be good. Indeed, it means being certain that God will do as he has promised. Let us trust and expect God to bring it about and wait patiently for Jesus' arrival. 

1:19-20 The world still marvels at the power of the atom, yet we belong to the God who created atoms and the entire universe. With his unlimited power, he also raised Jesus Christ from the dead. God's incomparably great power helps us grow, change, and love others. Because God's resurrection power continues to work in us, it helps us overcome our difficulties each day. Nothing is too difficult for him. 

1:20-22 Having been raised from the dead, Christ is now the head of the church and is the ultimate authority over the world. Jesus is the Messiah, God's anointed one, the one Israel longed for, the one who would set the broken world right. As Christians, we can be confident that God has won the final victory and is in control of everything. We need not fear any dictator or nation, or even death or Satan. The contract has been signed and sealed; we are waiting just a short while for its delivery. As Paul says in his letter to the Romans, nothing can separate us from God and his love (Romans 8:37-39). 

1:22-23 "Fullness" refers to Christ filling the church with his gifts and blessings. The church should be the full expression of Christ and fulfil his mission (see 3:19). When reading Ephesians, it is important to remember that it was written primarily to the entire church, not merely to an indi­vidual. Christ is the head, and we are the body of his church. (Paul uses this metaphor in Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; and Colossians 3:15; as well as throughout the book of Ephesians.) Paul uses the image of the human body for the church to show that the church has many parts that work together as one. As members of his body, each believer must work interactively with all the other members to do Christ's work on earth. None of us should attempt to work, serve, or worship merely on our own. We need the entire body. 

Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)