What’s this chapter about? Paul opens with heartfelt gratitude towards God for the abundant spiritual blessings that believers have in Christ, emphasizing their selection, redemption, and sealing with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:3-14). He sincerely prays for the Ephesians to be enriched with wisdom and revelation, enabling them to deepen their knowledge of God and grasp the immense hope and power available to them (Ephesians 1:17-19). This chapter forms the bedrock for comprehending the believer’s identity and the immeasurable riches of God’s grace.

1. Eph 1:1
2. Eph 1:2
3. Eph 1:3
4. Eph 1:4-5
5. Eph 1:6
6. Eph 1:7-8
7. Eph 1:9-10
8. Eph 1: 11-12
9. Eph 1:13
10. Eph 1:14
11. Eph 1:15-17
12. Eph 1:18
13. Eph 1:19-20
14. Eph 1:21-22

Eph 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:

• Saints at Ephesus. Ephesus was a significant city in the Roman Empire, known for its diverse population and the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The church in Ephesus was established during Paul’s missionary journeys, and it became an important center for early Christianity. Paul spent considerable time there, teaching and strengthening the believers (Acts 19:8-10).
• faithful… The word “faithful” often gives a sense of something that needs to be done. Example, He is faithful in what he does. But the Greek word pistos (Strongs G4103) means to have faith or trust in. So what Paul is saying here is that to those who are having faith in Christ Jesus.

Eph 1:2

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

• Grace and Peace. Paul always opens his letters with grace and peace. Even when he wrote to messed up churches like Corinth, he mentioned grace and peace, which means that irrespective of what is going in the lives of people who hear you, always speak life and peace. This is also evident in Eph 4:29 when he says let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but always say what imparts peace.

Eph 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

• Every.
  • We often fail to fully embrace the significance of some words in the Bible. “Every” is one such verse. It’s not just a vague notion, not partial; it encompasses absolutely everything. Let it sink in: Every truly means every. Every single blessing.
  • However, we have a tendency to beg God for what He has given us. There are denominations that major in begging God to give them something, through prayers, begging, fasting, and even worship. God cannot be forced to bless you. God already blessed us in Christ by grace. We appropriate what God has already done by grace into our life, through faith,
  • There’s no need to wait for “God to show up” – understand that He showed up for you, even before you were born. No waiting for “God to change your heart” – instead, take the initiative to walk in the Spirit. Don’t wait for “God to make you love him” – seek to know Him intimately. And no waiting for “God to send more of Him” – but walk in everything that he has already given. The ball is in our court!
• Spiritual blessing. All our blessings are spiritual in nature. But the spiritual realm is superior to the physical realm, and hence the blessings in the spiritual realm manifest into the natural as well. I like to call it a “leakage” into the natural. It’s up to you whether you want it, but it is available. Paul didn’t want to walk in the prosperity which was available, just like he didn’t want to get married. It doesn’t mean that God would have had a problem if he walked in prosperity, or had married. It’s definitely not the goal, but an incentive you get freely as a Child of God.
• Heavenly places..The phrase “heavenly places” or “heavenly realms” is used several times in the book of Ephesians (Ephesians 1:3 ,Ephesians 1:20 ; Ephesians 2:6 ; Ephesians 3:10 ; Ephesians 6:12). This phrase is translated from the Greek word epouranios, meaning “the sphere of spiritual activities.” “Heavenly realms” can refer to both angelic and demonic activity. Ephesians 1:20 says that God “raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.” But Ephesians 6:12 speaks of evil forces in the same realm: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against . . . the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
• In Christ..We are alive to God and have eternal life in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:11, 23). The grace and kindness of God are found in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:4, Eph. 2:7) and his forgiveness is found in Christ Jesus(Eph. 4:32). There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1), we are justified in Christ (Gal. 2:17), and our salvation is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:10). Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:39). We have freedom and are sanctified in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:2, Gal. 2:4). We are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6). The peace, faith and love of God are found in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7, 1 Tim. 1:14). In Christ we are brand new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17), and we are complete in Christ (Col. 1:28). All the glory goes to God because it is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:30). Being in Christ is what made you blessed. It was because He is blessed, that you are blessed in Him. Your blessing is not independent of Jesus. It is in Christ..
• God gave but they didn’t receive it. Just because God gave it doesn’t mean that you have received it For example, in Joshua 21:44 it says that God had given the Israelites all that he had promised. But yet, in Judges 1:19, we see that they couldn’t possess all of it. In some cases the inhabitants there were too strong for them. It’s not God who didn’t give it, but they failed to take hold of it. God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, but have you received it? Just as in the case of inheritance of Israelites, your inheritance might be inhabited by giants like cancer, diabetes, depression. We are to walk in the freedom and take hold of it by warring the fight of faith in our mind.

Eph 1:4-5

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.

• Just as..The Greek word is καθώς (kathōs)
  • καθώς (kathōs): adv.; ≡ Str 2531—1. LN 78.53 to the degree that (Ac 11:29); 2. LN 89.34 inasmuch as; a marker of cause or reason (Jn 17:2; Ro 1:28); 3. LN 64.14 just as, even as; in accordance with (Lk 11:30; Jn 15:9); 4. LN 67.33 when, at the time of (Ac 7:17); 5. LN 89.86 how, in what manner (Ac 15:14)
  • This means this word is a connector of cause and time, so the verse means that “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, when and because He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him”.
• Him, before the foundations of the earth. This shows the preexistence of the Son before he was born into this earth, which goes in hand with John 1:1, where it says that in the beginning was the Word. Similarly, we see that in Christ we were chosen before the foundations of the earth. The person who doesn’t believe in the pre-existence of Jesus would say that Jesus existed the same way we existed before the foundations of the earth. However, in John 17:5, it’s mentioned that Jesus’ pre-existence is different from ours, because he had glory with God before the world was.
• Chose us in Him…This is sanctification, because sanctification is setting apart. He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be sanctified and blameless in His sight. Sanctification in the spirit, is never the act of us, but of God. God sanctified us before the foundation of the world, that we would be sanctified and blameless in His sight. We were sanctified before the foundations of the earth, and our sanctification in the spirit is never an ongoing process but its complete. However, in the physical realm, we are asked to sanctify our actions and deeds.
• Predestined to become conformed. Notice that he says that we were predestined for adoption, which means that we were not adopted before the foundation of the world. We were predestined for adoption. So when does the adoption take place?- when we believed. So the connect is Romans 8:29-30. So in effect whom God foreknew, he predestined to be the image of His Son, probably the same as adoption.
  • Also this verse says that he predestined us in love, which means it wasn’t some sort of random choice, but whom he foreknew and loved he predestined and conformed to the image of His Son. He made the decision to predestine based on foreknowledge (Romans 8:29), kind intention of His will (Ephesians 1:5 ), in love (Ephesians 1:4).
  • We are not predestined to be who we turn out to be, from a worldly point of view . But we are predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus. Its not like, we are predestined to be a doctor or a scientist, but irrespective of all that, we are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.
  • Purpose of predestination. To the praise of His glorious grace, which was freely given to Christ and hence in us ( Ephesians 1:6)
  • What do we get because of that. Redemption from sins through the blood (Ephesians 1:7 ). Redemption is simply the price God paid to get us back for His purpose. Forgiveness of our trespasses (Ephesians 1:7).
• Holy and Blameless…The scriptures say in many places that God wants to present us before him holy and blameless. We know that God wanted to do this, before the foundations of the world (Eph 1:4).
  • Eph 5:27 also talks about this. Also he calls the church of Ephesus holy in Eph 1:1.
  • However, Col 1:22-23 talks about how we can do it, it says that :
  • Colossians 1:22–23. yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
  • This means that the way in which we are presented to God holy and blameless, is by faith firmly established and steadfast.
  • Also, the verse says to be holy and blameless, which is G1511, and the sense is to be (somewhere). You are holy by your location, which is in Christ, and not on the basis of your actions.

Eph 1:6

To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

• Accepted He has “accepted” us in the “beloved”. These two words are not what Paul would use often in his letters. The word “accepted” occurs in angels greeting of Mary, where she is called “highly favoured” (Luke 1:28 says “Greetings, favoured one”. or “highly favoured one”for the same word Greek word G5487.). NASB says it is “freely bestowed on us” in the beloved.
• In the beloved. Paul also talks about accepted in the beloved. Let’s look at when Jesus was accepted or highly favoured by God. It was not when Jesus had done everything perfectly, but even before that, when he was about to be baptized. God said in Matt 3:17 that this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. When Jesus was accepted, it was our acceptance. His acceptance was not on the basis of what he did till that point, but rather, it was a declaration of Jesus, a sanctification or setting apart for Jesus. He was accepted, and we were also accepted because of that. In Him, we have been accepted, and just like he was, we have been accepted because he was accepted, and just like he was accepted even before he did anything, we have been accepted even before we do anything. What we do, is that we believe. This is the praise of the glory of grace! This is the grace that needs all the praise.
• Favoured. The English words “highly favoured” in the verse above are a translation of the Greek word charitoo. This word occurs only twice in the New Testament: Ephesians 1:6 and Luke 1:28 above, which in essence means to “bestow favor.” It indicates an action that God performed on those who have found favor in His sight. Your place in Christ is that of favor. And divine favor is not a doctrine for us to believe and feel better about ourselves or get some inspiration to survive until tomorrow. Instead, it is an experience of God’s goodness. It is more tangible than many Christians realize. Our salvation is the core example of the experience of divine kindness. Today, it could be deliverance, healing, financial open doors, etc. The same favor that God charito’ed on us when we became born again is still at work in every area of your life. Grace requires your faith to receive and enjoy, so believe.
• Glory of His grace. We were chosen for the praise of the glory of His grace. This means that through the grace, glory is revealed. Grace reveals glory. Glory leads to praise.
  • We were predestined to bring praise to the glory of his grace. His grace is glorified when someone who was lowly was used powerfully (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). So do not be worried, as we are called to bring glory to His grace. There is no glory in being sick. But you can glorify God with your trust in God while being sick. There is no glory in being struck down, but there is glory to God when you rise up from the ashes of defeat to strike the enemy back. That is the glory of His grace.

Eph 1:7-8

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

• In Him, we have…In Him, I am never in short of forgiveness, and grace abounds. In Him, I have been redeemed.
• Forgiveness of our trespasses…We have forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace, which he lavished on us. More grace provided does not make it cheap, as some people call grace preachers, cheap-grace preachers. Rom 5:20-21 says that where sin abounded, grace abounded even more. This means that wherever I mess up, grace abounds in that area. I can never out-sin him. Forgiveness is a grace gift.
• Redemption is a term used in the Bible to describe the act of being bought back or rescued from a state of bondage or captivity. In the context of Christianity, redemption refers to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, where He paid the price for our sins and set us free from the power of sin and death. Through His sacrifice, we have been redeemed and brought into a new relationship with God. This redemption includes the forgiveness of our sins and the restoration of our fellowship with God. We are no longer slaves to sin, but we have been set free by the blood of Jesus. Scripture references that speak about redemption include Ephesians 1:7 and Colossians 1:14.
• It is not a beggarly Redemption, but a real liberty in Christ that we have now. It is a Redemption by the God Who could say, “Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven,” and cause the whole starry heavens to leap into being in a single instant. It is Omnipotence beyond human reason. This is where philosophy has never left a footprint. Our Redemption is a miracle of His grace. It is according to “the riches of his grace.” It is a present-tense work wrought “through His blood.” It is lavish. It is abundant. Our Redemption is a perfect thing. When you know it, enter into it, and your heart grows accustomed to it, there will be ability in your life that you have never known.
• Redemption done or wait for it?…Notice that this redemption is already an accomplished fact. Our sins are already forgiven. Yet, Ephesians 1:14 speaks of waiting for the redemption of the purchased possession. How do we reconcile these two passages?First, it is obvious that there is no contradiction since Paul was the author of both of these statements, which are in back-to-back sentences. More than one part of us needed to be redeemed. We are each a spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Our spirits have already been redeemed, forgiven of all sin through the blood of Jesus. But our bodies and souls have yet to be redeemed. They have been purchased, but we are waiting on the redemption of those purchased possessions (1 Corinthians 3:10-12 and 1 Cor 15:53-54).

Eph 1:9-10

He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him

• Mystery.
  • The mystery referred to in Ephesians 1:9 is the revelation of God’s will to bring together all things in Christ. This mystery was previously hidden but has now been made known to believers. It is the plan of God to unite both Jews and Gentiles in Christ, forming one body, which is the church.
  • In the Old Testament, the idea of Gentiles being included in God’s plan of salvation was not fully understood. But through the ministry of Paul and other apostles, God revealed His mystery, His hidden plan, to include the Gentiles in the blessings of salvation. This was a radical and groundbreaking revelation at the time.
  • Ephesians 3:6 further explains this mystery, saying, “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” The mystery is that both Jews and Gentiles are now partakers of the same promises and blessings in Christ.
  • So, the mystery of God’s will is the inclusion of Gentiles in the plan of salvation, the formation of one body, the church, and the sharing of the promises in Christ. It is a beautiful and profound truth that highlights the unity and grace of God in bringing all people together in Christ.
• Is the will of God a mystery?
  • In the Old Testament, God said, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). That was for the Old Testament people who didn’t have the eternal life of Almighty God abiding in their spirits. His ways were high above theirs as the heavens are above the earth, but now that we have become partakers of His divine nature, we have been raised up and made to sit together with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). That is where we live now! Glory to God!
  • God gives you the right to choose. You can decide what you want. You say, “Supposing I choose something God doesn’t like.” Never be afraid of that. You’re a child of God and God’s will is revealed in you and to you. You’re the expression of the will of God. When people see you laugh, they can tell that God laughs. People can’t see God with their optical eyes, but they see God when they see you because you’re His expression!
  • In Romans 12: 2 it is clear that since now we are transformed by the renewing of your mind, we do not seek what the will of God is, but we prove it.
  • God’s ways were not our ways during the Old covenant. However, in the new covenant, he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with the Lord and we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16) . His ways are our ways now.
  • The Holy Spirit reveals to us everything we need to know as written in John 14:26.

Eph 1: 11-12

Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

• This inheritance is not eternal life because we have eternal life now. It is not the Holy Spirit because we have the Holy Spirit now. It is also not the Holy Spirit because it says the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance, so how can Holy Spirit become the guarantee of Holy Spirit. So what is this inheritance? The inheritance is the glorious body. Because it says until the redemption of the purchased possession. Romans says that the only redemption which we are waiting for is the redemption of our bodies. It is mentioned din Rom 8:23.
• What is this good thing that he has prepared for us? (2 Cor 5:5). A body reserved for us in the heavens. In Ephesians it is probably called as an inheritance. This is the glory that is going to be revealed in us according to Rom 8:18. The Bible says that the glory is going to be revealed and then the creation waits for the earnest revelation of the Sons of God. Where ? On earth.
• Inheritance. Paul in Colossians 1:5, talks about some hope which is kept for us in heaven. He talks about this very often. This is the glorious body. Also, Peter talks about this inheritance in 1 Peter 1:4 and Paul again talks about it in Eph 1:11.

Eph 1:13

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

• Sealed… Paul white says that the “sealed” here means that the contents of what is inside wouldn’t go outside. Or the contents of whatever is outside wouldn’t come inside. Also, it means the mark of authenticity, and that nothing can be done to open or break the seal. Remember when King Darius put his seal but wouldn’t change it because it had his seal. If a man couldn’t change after the seal, how can God change it.
• Holy Spirit. We received the Holy Spirit having believed.

Eph 1:14

Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints.

• Inheritance. As mentioned in Eph 1:7, this inheritance is the glorious body.

Eph 1:15-17

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

• Faith in the Lord Jesus. Faith is the nature of the Spirit of God and it is produced by the influence of God’s Word and Spirit upon a receptive heart. The status of your faith can change dramatically from day to day, depending upon how your heart relates to God’s Word and Spirit. It is with the heart man believes (Rom. 10:10). Living by faith is living by the Word of God that is alive in the heart in every circumstance.

Eph 1:18

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.

• Inheritance facts.
  • The inheritance is for now (1 Pet 1:4).
  • The inheritance is in the saints (Eph 1:18).
  • Romans 8:16-17 says that we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, which means that whatever is of God is for us.
  • The reservation of the inheritance was done in heaven.
  • The inheritance is imperishable and undefiled.
• In 2 Cor 5:5, it says we have been prepared for this purpose. A body reserved for us in the heavens. In Ephesians it is called as an inheritance. This is the glory that is going to be revealed in us according to Rom 8:18. The Bible says that the glory is going to be revealed and then the creation waits for the earnest revelation of the Sons of God. Where ? On earth.

Eph 1:19-20

And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.

• Power. In Colossians Paul talks about being strengthened with ALL power.
• Raised Him.. We were raised with Him when that happened (Eph 2:6).

Eph 1:21-22

And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

• Head over all things. Power is different from authority. In Eph 1:19 it talks about the great power that we have in Christ, and here it talks about being the head, which is authority. It’s important to have both. One policeman might have the authority to stop a vehicle, but he does not have power, as the driver can run over him. However, even if a person does not have much power, if he has the authority, all of heaven’s powers will back him. Thats the difference between power and authority.
• The fullness of Him…We are His fullness. Jesus is the whole body, and not just the head. We are in a blood covenant with Jesus and in Him. By being in Him, we are his body and are the fulness of Christ. Without the body of Christ, Jesus is not full. Thus, we are the fullness of Him.
• We ask! We are co-heirs with Christ and part of the family of God…In John 14:13, Jesus asks his disciples to ask anything in His Name. This is the case before Jesus’ death on the cross. The disciples were not saved yet. Jesus talks to them specifically when he says that the order is “Ask–>in Jesus’s name–>Jesus will do it for us”. That’s because it’s Jesus’ authority and they were not yet brothers but just friends (John 15:15). So they had to do things with Jesus’ authority. But, in the new covenant, they didn’t just use the authority of Jesus as a friend. Jesus gave Himself to the Church ( Eph 1:22), as head over all things. So though the ownership of the authority is still Jesus’, we don’t have to ask for permission, as we are with him (Eph 2:6), and we are in Him (John 15:4) and we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). We live as ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20). We don’t ask anymore, in the name of Jesus, we just ask(James 1:5). We don’t necessarily have to keep saying “In the name of Jesus” because whatever we do is in the name of Jesus. Every part of our being is in the name of Jesus.
• Fullness.You have already received the fullness of the Spirit.