(Just a heads up there are somethings being noted that aren't fully understood with some side notes) - You can take them for what they are worth this is still a verse by verse, study of Ephesians, everyone is growing and learning every day, and so may God give you the increase and may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, love of God and the fellowship of the holy spirit be with you!
It will always be about your faith, love for God, and love for Others. Keep growing!
Purpose:
The apostle Paul wrote to believers in Ephesus to encourage and help them realize and lay hold of the riches of God's grace in Christ (1:3-23). The language of the letter makes it clear that Paul is enraptured by the overflowing goodness of God. His words of praise stream out like a gushing river. Paul explains to his readers the incredible gift believers have been given in Christ. In Ephesus, a city with powerful and influential pagan cult- the worship off Diana of Ephesus - The apostles emphasizes the universal and supreme nature of Christ power and authority.
The Apostle wrote to encourage believers to live a life worthy of God's calling in a spirit of gratitude (2:8-10; 4:1), Paul had been accuse of preaching a gospel that made good deeds irrelevant. However the apostle shows that good deeds are a thankful response to what God has done for the world through Jesus. "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which god prepared in advance for us to Do" (2:10)
Background
Author: The author of Ephesians is the apostle Paul (1:1)
Date The letter was written sometimes in Ad 60-62, while he was under house arrest in Rome.
Audience : The audience was the church at Ephesus. But since Ephesus was a cosmopolitan city and probably included believers from Greek, Roman, Jewish backgrounds, the letter was likely circulated to other churches in the area and so would have had an additional audience as well.
Ephesus (in modern-day Turkey) was an important cultural center of the ancient world, only behind Rome, and Alexandria. The amazing temple to Diana, of Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, dominated the social life of the city. Diana, among many other things, was the goddess of new life and birth.
It's traditionally thought that Ephesus was the home of the apostle John in the latter part of the first century.
The book of Ephesians Chapter 1 : Verses 1 - 4
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
Verse 1-2: In the first two verses you can see who what is being said: From Paul, and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.
This is being sent to the saints who are in Ephesus, faithful in Christ Jesus, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 3: Paul says: 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.
Paul is saying that it is a great blessing, to be Blessed by the God, and Father
Of our Lord Jesus Christ who
Has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places in Christ
The apostles have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, as well as those who are also chosen by God, have been blessed with every spiritual blessing.
blessed:
2127 eulogéō (from 2095 /eú, "well, good" and 3056 /lógos, "word, reason") – properly, to speak (reason) which confers benefit; hence, bless.
2127 /eulogéō ("confer what is beneficial") is used of God blessing people (Lk 1:28; Eph 1:3; Heb 6:14, etc.) – and His people blessing Him (Lk 1:64, 2:28, 24:53; 1 Cor 14:16; Js 3:9).
verse 4: Paul goes on to say just as the God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.
Paul seems to be writing to a people who have been chosen, along with the apostles here, in this letter before the foundation of the world.
(1st Church?) This would be hard to replicate in todays society.
That they should be holy, and without blame before God in love.
Love: 26 agápē – properly, love which centers in moral preference. So too in secular ancient Greek, 26 (agápē) focuses on preference; likewise the verb form (25 /agapáō) in antiquity meant "to prefer" (TDNT, 7). In the NT, 26 (agápē) typically refers to divine love (= what God prefers).
Usage: love, benevolence, good will, esteem; plur: love-feasts.
Foundation:
2602 katabolḗ (from 2596 /katá, "exactly according to," down from the most general to the most specific detail, "following all the way along," and 906 /bállō, "to cast") – properly, a foundation, cast according to a blueprint (original design); the substructure which determines the entire direction (destination) of all that follows; the foundation-plan, upon which the entire super-structure is built; (figuratively) the beginning (founding) that purposefully designs all that follows.
2602 /katabolḗ ("foundation-plan") typically relates to Christ's incarnation, i.e. coming to earth in the flesh to be our Redeemer. This divine plan was set and sealed (guaranteed) before creation (Heb 9:26; 1 Pet 1:20; Rev 13:8). In general, 2602 (katabolḗ) refers to the basis God has established, upon which all people can know Him. This was laid down before the first ray of sunshine or drop of water touched the earth.
Holy:
40 hágios – properly, different (unlike), other ("otherness"), holy; for the believer, 40 (hágios) means "likeness of nature with the Lord" because "different from the world."
The fundamental (core) meaning of 40 (hágios) is "different" – thus a temple in the 1st century was hagios ("holy") because different from other buildings (Wm. Barclay). In the NT, 40 /hágios ("holy") has the "technical" meaning "different from the world" because "like the Lord."
[40 (hágios) implies something "set apart" and therefore "different (distinguished/distinct)" – i.e. "other," because special to the Lord.]
Blameless: 299 ámōmos (an adjective, derived from 1 /A "not" and 3470 /mṓmos, "blemish") – properly, unblemished, without spot or blot (blight); (figuratively) morally, spiritually blameless, unblemished from the marring effects of sin.
World:
2889 kósmos (literally, "something ordered") – properly, an "ordered system" (like the universe, creation); the world.
[The English term "cosmetic" is derived from 2889 /kósmos, i.e. the order
("ensemble") used of treating the face as a whole.]
It will always be about your faith, love for God, and love for Others. Keep growing!
Purpose:
The apostle Paul wrote to believers in Ephesus to encourage and help them realize and lay hold of the riches of God's grace in Christ (1:3-23). The language of the letter makes it clear that Paul is enraptured by the overflowing goodness of God. His words of praise stream out like a gushing river. Paul explains to his readers the incredible gift believers have been given in Christ. In Ephesus, a city with powerful and influential pagan cult- the worship off Diana of Ephesus - The apostles emphasizes the universal and supreme nature of Christ power and authority.
The Apostle wrote to encourage believers to live a life worthy of God's calling in a spirit of gratitude (2:8-10; 4:1), Paul had been accuse of preaching a gospel that made good deeds irrelevant. However the apostle shows that good deeds are a thankful response to what God has done for the world through Jesus. "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which god prepared in advance for us to Do" (2:10)
Background
Author: The author of Ephesians is the apostle Paul (1:1)
Date The letter was written sometimes in Ad 60-62, while he was under house arrest in Rome.
Audience : The audience was the church at Ephesus. But since Ephesus was a cosmopolitan city and probably included believers from Greek, Roman, Jewish backgrounds, the letter was likely circulated to other churches in the area and so would have had an additional audience as well.
Ephesus (in modern-day Turkey) was an important cultural center of the ancient world, only behind Rome, and Alexandria. The amazing temple to Diana, of Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, dominated the social life of the city. Diana, among many other things, was the goddess of new life and birth.
It's traditionally thought that Ephesus was the home of the apostle John in the latter part of the first century.
The book of Ephesians Chapter 1 : Verses 1 - 4
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 1-2: In the first two verses you can see who what is being said: From Paul, and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.
This is being sent to the saints who are in Ephesus, faithful in Christ Jesus, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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,
Verse 3: Paul says: 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.
Paul is saying that it is a great blessing, to be Blessed by the God, and Father
Of our Lord Jesus Christ who
Has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places in Christ
The apostles have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, as well as those who are also chosen by God, have been blessed with every spiritual blessing.
blessed:
2127 eulogéō (from 2095 /eú, "well, good" and 3056 /lógos, "word, reason") – properly, to speak (reason) which confers benefit; hence, bless.
2127 /eulogéō ("confer what is beneficial") is used of God blessing people (Lk 1:28; Eph 1:3; Heb 6:14, etc.) – and His people blessing Him (Lk 1:64, 2:28, 24:53; 1 Cor 14:16; Js 3:9).
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
verse 4: Paul goes on to say just as the God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.
Paul seems to be writing to a people who have been chosen, along with the apostles here, in this letter before the foundation of the world.
(1st Church?) This would be hard to replicate in todays society.
That they should be holy, and without blame before God in love.
Love: 26 agápē – properly, love which centers in moral preference. So too in secular ancient Greek, 26 (agápē) focuses on preference; likewise the verb form (25 /agapáō) in antiquity meant "to prefer" (TDNT, 7). In the NT, 26 (agápē) typically refers to divine love (= what God prefers).
Usage: love, benevolence, good will, esteem; plur: love-feasts.
Foundation:
2602 katabolḗ (from 2596 /katá, "exactly according to," down from the most general to the most specific detail, "following all the way along," and 906 /bállō, "to cast") – properly, a foundation, cast according to a blueprint (original design); the substructure which determines the entire direction (destination) of all that follows; the foundation-plan, upon which the entire super-structure is built; (figuratively) the beginning (founding) that purposefully designs all that follows.
2602 /katabolḗ ("foundation-plan") typically relates to Christ's incarnation, i.e. coming to earth in the flesh to be our Redeemer. This divine plan was set and sealed (guaranteed) before creation (Heb 9:26; 1 Pet 1:20; Rev 13:8). In general, 2602 (katabolḗ) refers to the basis God has established, upon which all people can know Him. This was laid down before the first ray of sunshine or drop of water touched the earth.
Holy:
40 hágios – properly, different (unlike), other ("otherness"), holy; for the believer, 40 (hágios) means "likeness of nature with the Lord" because "different from the world."
The fundamental (core) meaning of 40 (hágios) is "different" – thus a temple in the 1st century was hagios ("holy") because different from other buildings (Wm. Barclay). In the NT, 40 /hágios ("holy") has the "technical" meaning "different from the world" because "like the Lord."
[40 (hágios) implies something "set apart" and therefore "different (distinguished/distinct)" – i.e. "other," because special to the Lord.]
Blameless: 299 ámōmos (an adjective, derived from 1 /A "not" and 3470 /mṓmos, "blemish") – properly, unblemished, without spot or blot (blight); (figuratively) morally, spiritually blameless, unblemished from the marring effects of sin.
World:
2889 kósmos (literally, "something ordered") – properly, an "ordered system" (like the universe, creation); the world.
[The English term "cosmetic" is derived from 2889 /kósmos, i.e. the order
("ensemble") used of treating the face as a whole.]