Eph 1:3-14 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Eph 1:3: 1:3–3:21 Ephesians is divided into two sections: Chs 1–3 praise God for his amazing grace, and chs 4–6 instruct believers on how to live in grateful response. Summary for Eph 1:3-14: 1:3-14 Paul praises God for all the spiritual blessings he has graciously provided through Jesus Christ, for Gentiles as well as for Jews. • This section is a single, complex sentence in Greek—one of the longest in Paul’s letters, with long sentences being typical of Paul’s writing (also in 1:15-23 ; 2:1-7 , 14-16 ; 3:1-12 , 14-19 ; Col 1:3-29 ; 2:1-3 , 8-15 ). The interwoven nature of these sentences reflects the interconnectedness of their ideas. 1:3 Paul describes every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in 1:4-8 , 13-14 . Paul’s focus is not on physical blessings, but on what God has done through Christ to bring people into a saving relationship with himself.

Summary for Eph 1:3: 1:3–3:21 ^a Ephesians is divided into two sections: Chs 1–3 ^b praise God for his amazing grace, and chs 4–6 ^c instruct believers on how to live in grateful response.
Summary for Eph 1:3-14: 1:3-14 ^d Paul praises God for all the spiritual blessings he has graciously provided through Jesus Christ, for Gentiles as well as for Jews.

• This section is a single, complex sentence in Greek—one of the longest in Paul’s letters, with long sentences being typical of Paul’s writing (also in 1:15-23 ^e; 2:1-7 ^f, 14-16 ^g; 3:1-12 ^h, 14-19 ⁱ; Col 1:3-29 ^j; 2:1-3 ^k, 8-15 ^l). The interwoven nature of these sentences reflects the interconnectedness of their ideas. 1:3 ^m Paul describes every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in 1:4-8 ⁿ, 13-14 ^o. Paul’s focus is not on physical blessings, but on what God has done through Christ to bring people into a saving relationship with himself.
1:4 ^p God’s people are holy and without fault in his eyes because they trust in Christ’s atoning sacrifice for their sins (see 1:7 ^q; 5:25-27 ^r; Col 1:22 ^s; Titus 3:5-7 ^t; Jude 1:24 ^u).
1:5 ^v God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family: By his sovereign initiative, God embraces and blesses as his children those who trust in Christ. They become heirs to all the promises God has made to his people (see 1:11 ^w, 14 ^x; 2:19 ^y; Rom 8:15-17 ^z, 29-30 ^aa; Gal 4:5 ^ab).
1:6 ^ac Believers praise God, who has richly blessed them with his forgiving grace.

• his dear Son: Literally the beloved, a Messianic title for Jesus; see Matt 3:17 ^ad; 17:5 ^ae; Col 1:13 ^af.
1:7 ^ag he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son: Believers, who were once prisoners of sin, are free from God’s judgment and from bondage to sin because of Christ’s sacrificial death (see 1:14 ^ah; 4:30 ^ai; Rom 3:24 ^aj; 1 Cor 6:20 ^ak; Col 1:14 ^al; cp. Matt 26:28 ^am; Mark 10:45 ^an; Heb 9:11-12 ^ao, 26 ^ap; 1 Pet 1:18-19 ^aq).
Summary for Eph 1:8-10: 1:8-10 ^ar Wisdom and understanding come from the revelation of God’s mysterious will regarding Christ. In Paul’s writings, mysterious will (traditionally mystery) often refers to a divine truth formerly hidden but now revealed in the Good News (see 3:9 ^as). Here it refers to how God will bring everything together under the authority of Christ, so that he may be universally recognized and respected as Lord (see Phil 2:9-11 ^at; Col 1:16-20 ^au, 26-27 ^av; 2:2 ^aw, 19 ^ax; 4:3 ^ay). Ephesians focuses specifically on the inclusion of Gentiles as well as Jews in God’s redeemed people (see Eph 3:3-6 ^az; 6:19 ^ba; cp. Rom 16:25-26 ^bb).
1:11 ^bc we have received an inheritance from God: Paul often talks about salvation as an inheritance, something promised to our spiritual ancestors and received by us (see Rom 8:17 ^bd; Gal 3:29 ^be; 4:7 ^bf; Col 1:12 ^bg; 3:24 ^bh).

• Because God is sovereign, he makes everything work out according to his plan (cp. Rom 8:28-30 ^bi).
Summary for Eph 1:12-13: 1:12-13 ^bj we Jews ... you Gentiles: Literally we ... you; the reference to Jews and Gentiles is implied.
1:13 ^bk he identified you as his own (or he put his seal on you): Just as a seal signifies authentic ownership, the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life signifies God’s ownership (4:30 ^bl; 2 Cor 1:22 ^bm).
1:14 ^bn The Spirit is both God’s guarantee of future blessings and a foretaste of eternal life and power. The believer’s eternal inheritance includes everything he promised (see also 1:18 ^bo; Rom 8:17 ^bp; 2 Cor 1:22 ^bq; 5:5 ^br; Gal 3:29 ^bs; 4:7 ^bt; Col 1:12 ^bu; 3:24 ^bv; Titus 3:7 ^bw).