Ephesians 1:3-14 The Difference

This passage which is in my Bible class’ study this week (1/4) was at first confusing because it seems to run on. The reason for this, is that it was originally one sentence in the original language.

As Paul begins his prayer he begins with a blessing, the berakhah, which I believe my friend AJ Jacobs refered to in his excellent book. The berakhah take son special meaning here as Paul includes Christ in what was a traditional Jewish blessing. For more on the berakhah and many of these types of blessings, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berakhah.

Along the way, this passage which includes the repetition of praise speaks to an important question, "How central is Jesus to my faith?" or better yet, "What do you do differently in your everyday life because of your commitment to Christ?"

Thomas Adams says it this way:

Our mind is where our pleasure is, our heart is where our treasure is, our love is where our life is,

but all these, our pleasure, treasure and life, are reposed in Jesus Christ.

I had to look up that word reposed. Reposed means: peace; tranquillity; calm. To lay to rest, rest. Basically, he is saying what Paul is telling us. We find our peace when Christ is central in our lives.

Ephesians 1:3-14

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.