Saint Paul, a prisoner at Rome, wrote this letter to his Christian converts at Ephesus. After thanking God for their faith and praying that they may persevere, he exhorted them to lead a Christian life, enumerating the duties of husbands and wives, of children and their parents, of slaves and their masters.
The Epistle of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians is pure as a source of spiritual insight, understanding, and wisdom! As such, it is presented verbatim in its entirety below. Words and phrases that are highlighted touched my heart, my soul and/or raised questions in my consciousness.
My interpretation of this part of The New Testament starts with transcribing and copying down key parts of each chapter of the Scriptures. These notes, listed by chapter, are found at the very end at the bottom of this post.
Word and phases that are highlighted and in bold (like this) are the narrative I have woven to tell the story of how the Scriptures impacted me and/or expanded my biblical knowledge and spirit.
With gratitude that the Spirit of the Living God is in our hearts and impacting our world, here is my interpretation for Ephesians, Chapters 1-3:
God’s Will Fulfilled through The Holy Spirit Alive Within Us!
Fulfilling God’s Will is an “Us” thing. We can’t do it alone just as God through Jesus Christ did not do it alone. The Apostles, Disciples, and human beings like you and me helped down through the ages.
Most importantly The Holy Spirit is alive and thriving in each one of us. If our minds are open, if our hearts are open, and if we seek God and God’s Will for our lives, every season in our lives, it will be made known to us.
Then life becomes easy as our Splendid Spiritual Selves no matter the trials or tribulations we encounter. Amen! Al-le-lu-ia!
Ephesians Chapter 1: Greeting; The Eternal Plan of the Father; Realized in the Son; Fulfilled through The Holy Spirit; Thanksgiving and Prayer; God has made Christ Head of the Church.
Greeting:
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to all the saints who are at Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus; grace be to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Eternal Plan of the Father:
Realized in the Son:
In him we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins, according to the riches of his grace. This grace has abounded beyond measure in us in all wisdom and prudence, so that he may make known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure. And this his good pleasure be purposed in him to be dispensed in the fullness of the times: to re-establish all things in Christ, both those in the heavens and those on the earth.
Fulfilled through The Holy Spirit:
In him, I say, in whom we also have been called by a special choice, having been predestined in the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, to contribute to the praise of his glory—we who before hoped in Christ. And in him you too, when you had heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and believed in it, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance, for a redemption of possession, for the praise of his glory.
Thanksgiving and Prayer:
Wherefore I on my part, hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and of your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in deep knowledge of him: the eyes of your mind being enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe.
God has made Christ Head of the Church:
Ephesians Chapter 2: All brought into Christ’s Life; Gentile and Jew United.
All brought into Christ’s Life:
You also, when you were dead by reason of your offenses and sins, wherein once you walked according to the fashion of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air about us, the Prince of The Spirit which now works on the unbelievers—indeed, in the company of these even we, all of us, once led our lives in the desires of our flesh, doing the promptings of our flesh and of our thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not from yourselves, for it is the gift of God; not as the outcome of works, lest anyone may boast. For his workmanship we are, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which God has made ready beforehand that we may walk in them.
Gentile and Jew United:
Wherefore, bear in mind that once you, the Gentiles in flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” in flesh made by human hands—bear in mind that you were at the time without Christ, excluded as aliens from the community of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you, who were once afar off, have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, he it is who has made both one, and has broken down the intervening wall of the enclosure, the enmity, in his flesh.
Therefore, you are now no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are citizens with the saints and members of God’s household; you are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the chief corner stone. In him the whole structure is closely fitted together and grows into a temple holy in the Lord; in him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in the Spirit.
Ephesians Chapter 3: Vocation of the Gentiles revealed to Paul; Paul assigned to preach to the Gentiles; A prayer for his readers; A doxology.
Vocation of the Gentiles revealed to Paul:
Paul assigned to preach to the Gentiles:
Of that gospel, I was made a minister by the gift of God’s Grace, which was given to me in accordance with the working of his power. Yes, to me, the very least of all saints, there was given grace, to announce among the Gentiles the good tidings of the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all men as to what is the dispensation of the mystery which has been hidden from eternity in God, who created all things; in order that through the Church there be made known to the Principalities and the Powers in the heavens the manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him we have assurance and confident access though faith in him. Therefore I pray you not to be disheartened at my tribulations for you, for they are your glory.
A Prayer for his readers:
A Doxology:
Now, to him who is able to accomplish all things in a measure far beyond what we ask or conceive, in keeping with the power that is at work in us—to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus down through all the ages of time without end. Amen.
Day 172: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; God’s Will Fulfilled through The Holy Spirit Within Us!
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Epistle of Saint Paul to the Ephesians, Chapters 1-3.
Bible Notes:
Saint Paul, a prisoner at Rome, wrote this letter to his Christian converts at Ephesus. After thanking God for their faith and praying that they may persevere, he exhorted them to lead a Christian life, enumerating the duties of husbands and wives, of children and their parents, of slaves and their masters.
Ephesians Chapter 1: Greeting; The Eternal Plan of the Father; Realized in the Son; Fulfilled through The Holy Spirit; Thanksgiving and Prayer; God has made Christ Head of the Church.
Greeting:
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to all the saints who are at Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus; grace be to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Eternal Plan of the Father:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing on high in Christ. Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish in his sight in love. He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ as his sons, according to the purpose of his will, unto the praise of the glory of his grace, with which he has favored us in his beloved Son.
Realized in the Son:
In him we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins, according to the riches of his grace. This grace has abounded beyond measure in us in all wisdom and prudence, so that he may make known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure. And this his good pleasure be purposed in him to be dispensed in the fullness of the times: to re-establish all things in Christ, both those in the heavens and those on the earth.
Fulfilled through The Holy Spirit:
In him, I say, in whom we also have been called by a special choice, having been predestined in the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, to contribute to the praise of his glory—we who before hoped in Christ. And in him you too, when you had heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and believed in it, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance, for a redemption of possession, for the praise of his glory.
Thanksgiving and Prayer:
Wherefore I on my part, hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and of your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in deep knowledge of him: the eyes of your mind being enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe.
God has made Christ Head of the Church:
Its measure is the working of his mighty power, which he had wrought in Christ in raising him from the dead, and setting him at his right hand in heaven above every Principality and Power and Virtue and Dominion—in short, above every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come And all things he made subject under his feet, and him he gave as head over all the Church, which indeed is his body, the completion of him who fills all with all.
Ephesians Chapter 2: All brought into Christ’s Life; Gentile and Jew United.
All brought into Christ’s Life:
You also, when you were dead by reason of your offenses and sins, wherein once you walked according to the fashion of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air about us, the Prince of The Spirit which now works on the unbelievers—indeed, in the company of these even we, all of us, once led our lives in the desires of our flesh, doing the promptings of our flesh and of our thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest.
But God who is rich in mercy, by reason of his very great love wherewith he has loved us even when we were dead by reason of our sins, brought us to life together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and seated us together in heaven in Christ Jesus, that he might show in the ages to come the overflowing riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not from yourselves, for it is the gift of God; not as the outcome of works, lest anyone may boast. For his workmanship we are, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which God has made ready beforehand that we may walk in them.
Gentile and Jew United:
Wherefore, bear in mind that once you, the Gentiles in flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” in flesh made by human hands—bear in mind that you were at the time without Christ, excluded as aliens from the community of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you, who were once afar off, have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, he it is who has made both one, and has broken down the intervening wall of the enclosure, the enmity, in his flesh.
The Law of the commandments expressed in decrees he has made void, that of the two he might create in himself one new man, and make peace and reconcile both in one body to God by the cross, having slain the enmity in himself. And coming, he announced the good tidings of peace to you who were afar off, and of peace to those who were near; because through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Therefore, you are now no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are citizens with the saints and members of God’s household; you are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the chief corner stone. In him the whole structure is closely fitted together and grows into a temple holy in the Lord; in him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in the Spirit.
Ephesians Chapter 3: Vocation of the Gentiles revealed to Paul; Paul assigned to preach to the Gentiles; A prayer for his readers; A doxology.
Vocation of the Gentiles revealed to Paul:
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you, the Gentiles—for I suppose you have heard of the dispensation of the Grace of God that was given to me in your regard; how that by revelation was made known to me the mystery, as I have written above in brief; and so by reading you can perceive how well versed I am in the mystery of Christ, that mystery which in other ages was not known to the sons of men, as now it has been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit: namely, that the Gentiles are joint heirs, and fellow-members of the same body, and joint partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Paul assigned to preach to the Gentiles:
Of that gospel, I was made a minister by the gift of God’s Grace, which was given to me in accordance with the working of his power. Yes, to me, the very least of all saints, there was given grace, to announce among the Gentiles the good tidings of the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all men as to what is the dispensation of the mystery which has been hidden from eternity in God, who created all things; in order that through the Church there be made known to the Principalities and the Powers in the heavens the manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him we have assurance and confident access though faith in him. Therefore I pray you not to be disheartened at my tribulations for you, for they are your glory.
A Prayer for his readers:
For this reason I bend my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth receives its name; that he may grant you from his glorious riches to be strengthened with power through his Spirit unto the progress of the inner man; and to have Christ dwelling through faith in your hearts; so that, being rooted and grounded in love, you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, in order that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.
A Doxology:
Now, to him who is able to accomplish all things in a measure far beyond what we ask or conceive, in keeping with the power that is at work in us—to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus down through all the ages of time without end. Amen.
Speak Your Mind