1:1

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:

The word apostle denotes one of those that Christ personally sent out. Remember that Paul was chosen by Christ when he was persecuting Christians (Acts 9) and that Paul is the minister to the gentiles (Romans 15:16) while Jesus Himself was the minister to the Jews (Romans 15:8). Paul is an apostle by the directive will of God as in Acts 9:15 as opposed to the permissive will of God in James 4:15. This last part is an example of parallel phrasing similar to Matthew 21:5 with the faithful in Christ Jesus being the saints which are at Ephesus.

1:2

Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

The word grace occurs 12 times in the book of Ephesians and here refers to grace dispensed from day to day as in Hebrews 4:16. It is not a state of grace from which you can fall. This day to day grace matches the trials of the believer (2 Corinthians 12:4-10). God the Father gives the grace (1 Corinthians 1:4; 3:10), and the peace is Christ’s (John 14:1-4). Those of us who have “grace and peace” have God for our Father (1 Corinthians 8:6) and Jesus Christ for our Lord (Ephesians 4:5).

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:

Seven of these blessings are named (1:4, 5,6,7,9,13,14) and the expression “heavenly places” is mentioned five times in the letter (2:6; 3:10; 1:3, 20: 6:12) with 6:12 referring to it as “high places”. The meaning is clear. We are seated upstairs at this moment (2:6). Being in Christ we are present before the throne (1 John 4:17) and as he could be two places at the same time (John 3:13) so might we occupy two localities at once (1 Corinthians 6:17; Ephesians 2:6; 5:30). The heavenly places are real places.

1:4

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

2

At this point Calvin went to pieces. The problem can be cleared up in 2 Timothy 1:9. Here, we are told that before the world began, as in Ephesians 1:4, God gave us certain things, but these things were only given in Christ Jesus and therefore to get them you had to receive Him. Jesus Christ was to be the medium through which all blessings were to be dispensed. Period.

1:5

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Predestination always follows foreknowledge (Romans 8:29). You were not in Christ before Genesis 1:1 nor was anyone else. Christ had no body into which you could enter until Acts 2. See John 17:23. The system of Calvinism where it deals with election is what is called a nullity. The essence of Calvin’s system is that God chose some for salvation and left the others to go to Hell. I would recommend reading Laurence Vance’s book, “The Other Side of Calvinism” in the church library very carefully. It should only take about a year.

1:6

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

It was God’s grace that enabled any man to find Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9) and it is therefore God’s grace that leads any man to accept Him. He (Christ) is the beloved (Matthew 3:17; 12:18).

1:7

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Our redemption is through his blood. Please read the parallel verse in Colossians 1:14; “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

1:8

Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

Wisdom goes hand in hand, even dwells with prudence in Proverbs 8:12.

1:9

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

3

1:10

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

The things that are gathered together are gathered together “in Christ”. Note the emphasis “even in him”. This is not universalism. Unsaved people, devils, and fallen angels are not “in Christ”, nor will they ever be. The teaching of the early church father, Origen, and influential Christian scholars, Westcott and Hort, that even the devil will one day be saved after a time of punishment is a heresy hardly worth mentioning. “The dispensation of the fulness of times” is yet in the future (Acts 3:21).  

1:11

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:

We have definitely obtained an inheritance. Colossians 3:24. Those whom God knew would believe were predestinated according to his purpose to adoption in 1:5, to be conformed to the image of Christ in Romans 8:29, and to be called, justified, and glorified in Romans 8:30.  

1:12

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Note, that this refers to those who trust in Christ. There is no predestination to salvation but only to what happens after salvation.

God Secures Believers