COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS
LESSON NUMBER 3
Eph 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ," . . . ." (Eph 1:2)
GOD HAS BLESSED US
As we proceed through this epistle, it will become very evident that salivation in its entirety, from beginning to end, is of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. God the Father is the preeminent Person in the Scriptures, and particularly in this book - a book in which the foundations of our faith are accentuated. Think of the perspective that is developed by this marvelous letter. (1) Grace and peace come from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1:2). (2) Blessing belongs to God (1:3a). (3) He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings (1:3b). (4) God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (1:4a). (5) Our lives are intended to be lived before Him in love (1:4b). (6) God predestinated us to be adopted by Jesus Christ to Himself (1:5a). (7) This adoption is according to the good pleasure of His will (1:5b). (8) All of this is to the praise of the glory of His grace (1:6). (9) God made us accepted in the Beloved (1:6b). (10) We have the forgiveness of God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (1:7a). (11) The redemption is according to the riches of His grace (1:7b). (12) God has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence (1:8). (13) God has made known the mystery of His will (1:9a). (14) This has been according to the good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself (1:9b). (15) We have been predestined to obtain an inheritance according to His good pleasure (1:9b). (16) The good pleasure was purposed in Himself (1:9c). (17) His aim is to gather all things together in Christ (1:10). (18) We have been predestinated according to His purpose, who works all things after the counsel of His own will (1:11). (19) The aim is for us to be to the praise of His glory (1:12). (20) God has sealed us with His Holy Spirit (1:13). (21) Paul prays that God will give His people the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (1:17). (22) The eyes of our understanding are opened to the hope of His calling, His inheritance, and the working of His mighty power (1:18-19). (23) The power is that which God wrought Jesus in raising from the dead and exalting Him (1:10-22).
There are twenty-three salient points related to God the Father - and they are only the ones in the first chapter. Let there be no question about the emphasis of this epistle!
BLESSED BE GOD
Eph 1:3a "Blessed be the God . . ." Other versions read, "Praise be to God," NIV "Praised be ADONAI," CJB "Praise the God," GWN "All praise to God," NLT "How we praise God," LIVING "Let us give thanks to the God," GNB and "How blessed is God!" YLT
The word translated "blessed" means "adorable . . . praised." STRONG'S The idea is that of praise that is prompted by being enthralled with God Himself - particularly because of what He has done. Praise is a fruit of spiritual insight and thankfulness. Where these traits do not exist, praise is an impossibility. God is not "blessed" by words emitting from unthankful, and unholy hearts. We have an example of the Divine attitude toward empty praise. "Take thou away from Me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols" (Amos 5:23). Again, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion . . . That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David" (Amos 6:5). And again,. "When ye come to appear before Me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread My courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto Me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with ['I cannot endure your evil assemblies' NIV]; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting" (Isa 1:12-13).
When David "blessed" the Lord, it is because of what he comprehended. "Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me" (Psa 66:20). "O God, Thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is He that giveth strength and power unto His people. Blessed be God" (Psa 68:35). Paul did the same: "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" (2 Cor 1:3-4).
The phrase "Blessed be the God" is like an eruption of insightful praise and thanksgiving to God. As the great heart of Paul began to ponder the advantages given freely to the saints of God, he extolled the Lord, making mention of particular benefits. Even under the Law God said, "When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which He hath given thee" (Deut 8:10). How much more ought such expressions to be found among those who have "tasted of the Lord, that He is gracious" (1 Pet 2:3). Four times David exhorted his own soul to bless the Lord: "Bless the Lord, O my soul" (Psa 103:1,2,22; 104:1). He blessed the Lord for giving him counsel (Psa 16:7), because he stood in an "even place," or on spiritually level ground (Psa 20:12), and because he saw God is "very great" (Psa 104:1). He vowed to "bless the Lord at all times" (Psa Psa 34:1).
PAUL'S AWARENESS. As Paul writes he is acutely aware of what the Lord has provided for the saints. He does not take for granted that they are living in the cognizance of such marvelous realities. Nor, indeed, does he assume that they are not. Rather, as he writes he himself is, as it were, enclosed in the purpose of God. At this point he is not thinking of the attainments of the Ephesians, or of any liabilities that exist among them (such as is mentioned in Ephesians 4:26). What God has provided in Christ Jesus is of such magnitude, and is so essential to the life of faith, that Paul must mention it, doing so with a thankful spirit.
GOD CONSCIOUSNESS. One of the great failings of the modern church is its lack of an awareness of God Himself. That awareness is an aspect of knowing God, which is the summation of eternal life (John 17:3), and a solid aspect of the New Covenant (Heb 8:11). There is no such thing as a reconciliation to God that leaves the individual unaware of the One who saved him. That awareness is also a critical aspect of spiritual growth - growth in which the individual becomes more and more knowledgeable of, and acquainted with, God Himself.
In the epistles alone, "God" is mentioned seven-hundred times. Emphasizing His ownership of all things, the word "God's" occurs nine times. The saints are "God's elect" (Rom 8:33; Tit 1:1), "God's righteousness" (Rom 10:3), "God's ministers" (Rom 13:6), the church is "God's husbandry" (1 Cor 3:9), Christ Himself is referred to as "God's" (1 Cor 3:23). Our "body" and "spirit" are "God's" (1 Cor 6:20), and the church is referred to as "God's heritage" (1 Pet 5:3).
By way of comparison, "man" and "men" are mentioned a total of fourteen times from Romans through Jude, and "the world" eighty-five times, generally with a warning tone.
How is it that with such a stress on "God" in the Scriptures (4,081 times in all the Scriptures), so little is said or known of Him within the church of our time? Could it be that the Word by which men live (Lk 4:4) is not viewed as very important? Indeed, men have come to trust in a form of godliness that rejects the power of it (2 Tim 3:5).
I do not know that there are words that can adequately describe the gravity of this situation. It is out of synch with the manner in which Moses and the Prophets spoke and wrote. It clashes with the ministries of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Himself. Paul's writings assign a preeminent place to the God of heaven, and we do well to pay attention to it. The proper consideration of God - "the Lord God" - is the circumference of all valid learning.
THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS BLESSED US
1:3b " . . . and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us. . ."
Paul is careful to precisely identify the God of whom He speaks. He knows nothing of recognizing the gods of the nations as being valid, or even the same God as the One of whom he speaks. He certainly would not acquaint Him with a god like "Allah," or say that heathen nations worshiped the same God under another name. He will be very specific.
THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. Ten times we read that God is "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." This expression is associated with glorifying God (Rom 15:6), blessing God (2 Cor 1:3), God's awareness of what His people say (2 Cor. 11:31), and God blessing us (Eph 1:3). It is used when speaking of God giving His people wisdom and knowledge (Eph 1:17), prayer (Eph 3:14), and thanksgiving (Eph 5:20; Col 1:3), and the new birth (1 Pet 1:3). Jesus Himself referred to God as "My Father" forty-seven times, and "His Father" three times.
And what does all of this mean? Simply that we cannot think of God apart from Christ, or of Christ apart from God. Jesus Himself set the tone for the consideration of Himself.
You see, then, the importance of thinking of Jesus within the content of the Father, and of thinking of the Father within the context of Christ. This is "the day of salvation" (2 Cor 6:2) - unlike any other time in the history of the world. All valid doctrine leads men to God through Jesus Christ. Where there is no proper understanding of God, there can be no correct view of the Lord Jesus Christ. Further, where Jesus is not know, it is impossible for God to be known.
WHO HATH BLESSED US. Now Paul traces blessing to its ultimate Source. To be blessed is to obtain eternal advantage. It is to realize benefits that pertain to life and godliness. In this text it has primarily to do with obtaining the benefits that are realized because of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. These are advantages that relate to the good fight of faith (1 Tim 6:12). They have to do with running the race that is set before us (Heb 12:1-2), and standing firm "in the evil day" (Eph 6:13). Whatever is required to walk in the Spirit and live by faith are included in the blessings that will be mentioned.
If believers are not careful about this matter, they will begin thinking of the blessing of God only as it relates to life in this world. To be sure, such things are not to be viewed independently of God, who helps and cares for us in this world. However, we must not allow this view to dominate our thinking. First, if we do, we will not be as thankful tomorrow as we are today. Thankfulness for temporal things is essential, but it has a tendency to fade with time. It is best to major on being thankful for the "spiritual blessings" that are freely given to us. That will sensitize our spirits so that we will be thankful "for all things" (Eph 5:20), and "in everything" (1 Thess 5:18). This is one of the chief, if not the primary, aspects of "the sacrifice of praise" - "giving thanks to His name" (Heb 13:15).
THE APPOINTED DISTRIBUTOR - THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
1:3c " . . . with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."
Paul now elaborates on how we are to think of God's blessing. He will raise the bar of thought, so that it is not rolling along the earth. While it is good and necessary to give thanks for benefits experienced "in the body," the perspective before us must not be our stress.
WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS. Immediately we are called into the domain of plentitude. Quite frequently men are thankful for the extraordinary. Here we are called to consider what is, in the Kingdom of God, the ordinary. O, we do not view these things as in any way common. These are not things that can be beneficial, but things that ARE certainly profitable.
What are "spiritual blessings?" Other versions read, "every spiritual blessing," NKJV "every blessing of the Spirit," BBE "all the spiritual blessings," NJB "blessed is IN all spiritual blessing," PNT "all manner of spiritual blessings," TNT and "every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing." AMPLIFIED
From one vantage point, this is every blessing conferred by, or brought to us by, the Holy Spirit. This includes "the things that are freely, given to us of God" (1 Cor 2:12), the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22-23; Eph 5:9); washing, sanctification, and justification (1 Cor 6:11); obeying the truth (1 Pet 1:22); the shedding of the love God abroad in our hearts (Rom 5:5); righteousness, peace, and joy (Rom 14:17); all joy and peace in believing, and abounding in hope (Rom 15:13); renewal (Tit 3:5); and spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:1-11).
"Spiritual blessings" pertain to "the spiritual man" (1 Cor 2:15), or the man who is "led by the Spirit" (Rom 8:14), and is taught by the Spirit (1 John 5:20,27). It is the person in whose heart into which the Holy Spirit has been sent by God (Gal 4:6), and whose body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). The spiritual man thrives in "spiritual blessings." Jesus referred to these things as the "meat," or spiritual food, that does not perish (John 6:27).
These "blessings" are already in place. They are not things that are made as they are needed, but are appropriated by those who believe they are intended to be possessed.
One of the unique things about the New Covenant is that everything that is required to sustain spiritual life is already in place. Like the grain in Joseph's warehouses, these things are distributed from the place where God has placed them.
IN HEAVENLY PLACES. Other versions read, "heavenly realms," NIV "in the heavens," BBE "in heaven," CJB "in the heavenlies," DARBY "in heavenly things," GENEVA "in the heavenly realm," ISV "that Christ has brought us from heaven" CEV "the heavenly world," GNB and "the high places." MESSAGE
Where are these "heavenly places?" This is not a reference to heaven itself, as some versions indicate-i.e. "in heaven." Jesus is said to have entered into "heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Heb 9:24). This cannot be the "heavenly places" to which he refers, for then would they not have been "given to us . . . in Christ."
This is the realm in which God has placed us in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:6). It is a domain that parallels the holy place in the Tabernacle in which the priests ministered regularly. "Heaven itself" answers to the "Most Holy Place" into which the High Priest alone entered once a year. The Holy Place was the area in which work was done. The Most holy place is where atonement was made.
This is a domain above the earthly domain, but lower than heaven itself. It is a domain adapted to the redeemed in which what God gives may be obtained. It is accessed by faith, and in it we find "all things that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Pet 1:3). This is the "Jerusalem that is above, which is the mother of us all" (Gal 4:26). This is the place of the Kingdom into which we have been translated (Col 1:13). It is where men "live by faith" and "walk in the Spirit."
Here is where we have "fellowship" with the Father and with the Son (1 John 1:3), and where "the communion of the Holy Spirit" is enjoyed (2 Cor 13:14). This is associated with the Kingdom we have "received" - a Kingdom that cannot be shaken (Heb 12:22-28). From the standpoint of faith, it is where our lives are "hid with Christ in God" (Col 3:3).
IN CHRIST. "All spiritual blessings" can only be obtained "in Christ." That is, only the person who is "in Christ" can obtain them. Those in Christ are said to have been "baptized into Christ" - something that occurs when men are baptized in water (Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27). From another point of view, God puts us into Christ (1 Cor 1:30). From yet another perspective we are "joined unto the Lord" (1 Cor 6:17), and "added to the Lord" (Acts 5:14). As will be affirmed in the second chapter, God "made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (2:6).
In all of this, God is the acting Agent, and Jesus Christ is the reason for the action. What has been accomplished by God in Christ cannot possibly be attained by means of the Law - any law! It is not the result of self=effort, or the exertion of mere will power. From beginning to end it may be said of salvation, "This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes" (Psa 118:23).
With the expertise of a spiritual tactician, Paul begins his epistle to the Ephesians by focusing their attention on the true Cause of salvation. He speaks of provisions the world does not have - provisions that cannot be invented by men, or accessed by natural aptitude. Thus he sets the tone for all valid teaching concerning the redemption that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.