Shepherds Bible Ephesians Chapter 1

Ephesians Shepherds Bible Chapter 1 THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS CHAPTER I 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: #An Apostle "by the will of God." In other words, he was chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ to his Christian brothers. # 2. Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, ana from the Lord Jesus Christ. 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: #Or, because you believe in Christ and accept Jesus Christ, Cod blesses you in all these things. # 4. According a s He hath chos en us in Him be fore the foundation of the wor ld, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: # In other words, long ago before the foundations of this world ever were, God chose us to be His servants without blame. Now understand the predestination indicated here. He chose the elect in the spiritual world before the foundations of this world were lain. Many deep scholars find it very difficult to understand that He chose this group of people, but the elect are wise enough to understand that this is written to two levels. We take that of it that pertains to us, and let them take that of it which they con accept. It will fall in place as we go along. # 5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good p leasure of His will. #Now He chose you not by the good deeds or the great things you did, but according to His will. Before we go further however, let's clarify one thing. God chose you because you earned the right in that spiritual war in which Satan rebelled against God and dragged a third of the souls (angels, people, - whatever you wish to call them) to him. At that time, one group of souls stood firm and fast; and their loyalty remained with God. They stood with Michael and earned the right to be the elect, to be the chosen on this earth. You will not underhand this epistle unless you totally see that.# #In regard to this predestination, turn for a moment to Romans 8:29-31 which reads:# 29. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified. #Justified, or He judged that they were worthy because of their loyalty and the stand that they had taken. #

31. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? #We see beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is foreordained or predestined.# #Let us return to Ephesions 1:6 # 6. To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. #'The Beloved is Christ, making us the firstfruits with Him.# 7. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; #You have heard this many times, but don't skip over it. And should you ask now why the elect, if they be saints, need redemption, it is because on this earth, they are in the flesh and therefore subject to the sins of the flesh.# #To pursue the subject of redemption through His blood, turn to Hebrews 9: 11-I4 # 11.But Christ being come an high priest of qood things to come, by "a greater and more "perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; #The tabernacle here is His body, the actual temple.# 12. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying o f the flesh. l4. How rruch more shall the blood o f Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God? #Just prior to verses 9-15, it is talking about the altar.# Heb. 9 :5: And o ver it the cherubims of glor y shado wing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. #Now Paul is saying here, I cannot go into deeper detail at this time. The mercy seat (being mercy or salvation) means the seat or Christ, and what or who was that protecting cherub that covers the mercy seat? As it is recorded in the 28th chapter of Ezekiel thnt protecting cherub that covereth was Lucifer. It is part of thnt mystery, hidden from the foundations of rhe world, that you fought against him and earned the right to understand these things.# #Now let us get back to Ephesians 1:8 # 8 Wherein He hnth abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

#He has given us great wisdom, and prudence in the Greek means mental activity. Probably a better word in the English would be insight. In other words, He has given us wisdom and insight to know who that cherub is, to know God's perfect plan and our place and duties in it. # 9. Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: #Read the second chapter of Hebrews in which we are told Christ came to this earth in the flesh to lay down His life for the purpose of overcoming death and Satan, that same cherubim we spoke of earlier.# 10. That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might ather together in one all things in Christ, bo th which are in heaven, a nd which are on earth; even in Him. #Now this is the entire purpose.. to gather all back to Christ and God, because all souls that do accept Him shall have on everlasting peace under His kingdom. All souls that do not accept Him will he destroyed.# 11. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: #Again the word "predestinated." We are chosen for His purpose. All things happen exactly as He decided a long time ago. Make no mistake; it is saying He sent Jesus Christ to gather His servants, who were chosen a long time ago before the foundations of this world, and together they will bring oil beings that will believe on Him into His kingdom. It shall happen. # 12. That we should he to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. #The elect were the first that trusted in Christ and they shall always hold that place, but the next verses show the magnitude of God's love.# I3. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after thnt ye believe, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, # Paul is speaking to the Gentiles and deceived Israel. He says you also believed and so you come into your own inheritance of the kingdom of God. If you break the word promise back to the Greek, it is "inheritance."# 14. Which is the earnest of our in heritance until the rede mption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory. #/This is put awkwardly in the English. What it means is that Christ came to us, thereby fulfilling what God has promised.# 15. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, # Note that Paul is talking here to the Gentiles aout the elect of Israel. There is a great difference betwen these two. #

16. Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my pr ayers; 17. The the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation inthe knowledge of Him. #We see now that Paul's primary purpose was to spread the qospel to the Gentiles as well as the lost sheep of the house of Israel that were mixed in with them. It is a two-fold message. That's why people (even deep scholars) say these are the hardest chapters of Paul's writings to understand. They do not realize it is written to two totally diverse peoples.# 18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, #Now again, the saints or the elect. They were teachers. They were the holy ones. What does Paul mean by the "eyes of your understanding being enlightened? He's saying I hope your hearts will be flooded wit light and that God will relate this wisdom to you. # 19. And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power. 20. Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, # Do not overlook the magnitude of that miracle, Christ's resurrection! Our Father took Christ back to Himself. # 21. Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, b ut also in that which is to come: # Above everything and every one. Do you see the poer involved in this? # 22. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church. 23. Which is His bod y, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all. # The Church is His body, or all the people on this earth and in heaven.