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Greeting (1–2). God's blessing for the many blessings given to us in Christ (3-14). The Greatness of the Christian Hope Believers Have in Christ (15–23) Eph.1:1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Eph.1:2. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Greetings with what Ap here. Paul's message to his readers is similar to the greetings with which he addresses the Corinthians in 1 and 2 letters. – “By the will of God” - see 1 Cor. 1:1. – “An apostle of Jesus Christ” – see 1 Peter 1:1. - “To the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus.” Christians are called “holy and” in the sense that they represent a society set apart from the sinful world. They are “faithful” to God, that is, they stand firmly in faith. To both they owe “Christ to Jesus” (see Rom. 1:1): thanks to His merits, they became holy and, with the help of His grace, remain faithful to the God who called them. – “Grace and peace” – see Rom.1:1 and 1Pet.1:2. – “Our Father” – see Matthew 6:9. Eph.1:3–14. Beginning with the first, dogmatic, part of his message, Ap. in the form of praise to God, gives readers a general picture of the greatness of Christianity. First of all, he says that Christianity has an eternal foundation: we Christians were chosen by God before the foundation of the world in Christ Jesus to close communion with God. Then Ap. indicates that we have been redeemed from sins by the blood of Christ, have received high wisdom from God and in Christ have already entered into the closest union with God - we have even received the seal that we have become heirs of heavenly bliss. Eph.1:3. 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, “Blessed be God and the Father..”. See 2 Corinthians 1:3. Ap. First of all, it speaks from Eph.1:3 to Eph.1:6 about what God has done for Christians in prehistoric times, or, one might say, from eternity. He “blessed”, that is, assigned us in Christ, - Who is here thought of as existing before His incarnation, from eternity itself, - “all sorts of things”, that is, those relating to all aspects of our being, “blessings.” - “Spiritual”, - that is, belonging to the highest, divine, spiritual realm of existence. In the New Testament the word “spiritual” usually used to denote the highest, divine origin of a phenomenon - “In heaven.” The very action of the blessing took place in heaven (cf. v. 4: “before the foundation of the world”). Eph.1:4. since He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love, “Blessing” is not the first thing for which Ap. wants to thank God. The basis of this “blessing I” is “election” (since - in Greek it is κατώς actually: according to how, but here, as can be concluded from the context of speech, this union has the meaning of a union of cause cf. Rom. 1:28). - “In Him”, that is, in Christ. Christ, the Son of God, has already been chosen from eternity by God to accomplish the salvation of people, and we are the same, thanks to this, from eternity we have been pre-elected by God to form the community of believers - “Holy and blameless” - not in the sense of our moral self-improvement, but, as can be seen from the context of the speech, in the general sense: we are destined to form ourselves into the community of God’s elect, who are sanctified by the blood of Christ, that is, appointed to serve God - “In love.” to us, then it is better to understand here not our love, but God’s love for people. Many ancient and modern interpreters refer this expression to verse 5, which seems more likely, since otherwise this expression would be too distant from the verb to which it could only refer ("chose"). Eph.1:5. having predestined us to be sons as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, "Predetermined". At the same time as our election, our destiny to adoption as sons of God in Christ was accomplished. On “predestination” see Rom.8:29. Here is Ap. adds that this predestination is based on God's love for us. - “Adopt”. The concept of “adoption” was also known in the Old Testament (Ex. 4:22; Deut. 14:1), but there this adoption was the lot of the people as a whole, and in the New Testament it is given to each believer individually (Gal. 4:7). - “According to the good pleasure of His will.” According to the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom, by “benevolence” we must understand “a strong desire for our salvation.” At the same time, it must be said that this “will” or decision is completely free (cf. Luke 2:14). In relation to “wanting”, the love of God, about which Ap. said at the beginning of the verse, is its internal basis. Eph.1:6. to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He has graced us in the Beloved, "In praise". It cannot be said that God had a direct goal in His work towards people, His glorification: this would contradict the previously indicated motive of God’s actions, which is love. Here is Ap. only indicates what should appear naturally by itself, as a completely normal consequence of God’s actions. - “Glory of grace.” The expression “glory” is a definition of the word “grace”. “Grace,” that is, God’s disposition towards people, appears as glorious, majestic, and we naturally praise it. - “With which He has graced us.” These words represent a transition to the next image of the state in which Christians already find themselves (Previously, we were talking about what was done for them by God before their actual calling to the Church). God has now “gracified,” that is, He has given us His grace in abundance (cf. John 1:16). According to the interpretation of Chrysostom and others. etc. ancient interpreters, the idea is also given here that God, by His grace, made us dear or pleasing to Himself - of course, through the fact that His Son cleansed us from all sin with His blood. - “In the Beloved.” According to the context of speech, this expression should be understood as the designation of “beloved by us.” This understanding is in accordance with the final words of the message (see Eph.6:24). Eph.1:7. in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, From the eternal action of God's grace. cuts to a picture of her acting in the present. – In Christ (“in whom” – refers to the expression Eph. 1:5: “through Jesus Christ”) “we have redemption” (for the meaning of this word, see Rom. 3:24), and the fruit of this redemption, accomplished for all people at once, is the “forgiveness of sins” of each of us individually. This “forgiveness” cannot be understood as just a legal act, but must be seen as the actual taking away of sin from us, the cleansing of sin (cf. Matt. 26:28; Luke 1:77; Rom. 5:1). But both correspond ("in richness") to the rich grace of God: the grace of God is the greatest power of God, giving us many spiritual powers. Eph.1:8. which He has abundantly bestowed upon us in all wisdom and understanding, “Which He has given us in abundance.” Grace or, as Ap. puts it. Peter, divine power (2 Pet. 1:3) is given to us in the form of “every kind of wisdom and understanding.” By “wisdom” we must understand the ability to penetrate with the mind into the very essence and dignity of things, and by “understanding” - the ability to correctly relate to things, a certain moral tact. Eph.1:9. Having revealed to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He first intended in Him, New proof of God's love for people. God revealed to us what constituted His own secret - the mystery of His will, which was secretly predetermined by Him regarding the world. He revealed this secret according to His goodwill towards people, which He had for them in Christ. From this we can conclude that God now treats us as His sincere friends, because secrets are shared only by those who are on friendly terms with each other. Eph.1:10. in the dispensation of the fullness of times, in order to unite all things heavenly and earthly under the head of Christ. What was this secret? “In the dispensation of the fulness of times,” i.e., when the time appointed by God had arrived, when all the periods that should have preceded the coming of Christ had passed (εις οικονομίαν due to the fact that the watch or dispensation for the salvation of people had come to an end), God decided to bring everything that existed again to the original normal state in which the world was before the fall (“to unite under head - Christ" - ανακεφαλαιοῦν actually: to unite, to bring disparate parts to unity, but here, in relation to the work of Christ, this word can mean and restore to a primitive state). This restoration to a normal state is a consequence of the redemption accomplished by Christ and, beginning with the founding of the Church of Christ on earth, will continue throughout the entire period of human existence on earth. Without a doubt, this effect does not extend to demonic forces that are not redeemed: they are not capable of restoration (the concept of complete “restoration” is generally alien to the New Testament). Eph.1:11. In Him we became heirs, having been destined to do so by the determination of Him who works all things according to the purpose of His will, Eph.1:12. so that we who had previously trusted in Christ might be able to praise His glory. We received another new mercy from God in Christ: we “became heirs,” that is, we acquired the right to enter the glorious kingdom of God and to possess the blessings of this kingdom. We were destined to receive this high right by the free good will of God. - “To serve...”. This right of heirs is so great that we must constantly glorify God, who has given us this right. - “Formerly they trusted in Christ.” Ap. speaks here about all Christians in general and calls them “previously hoped and” or, more precisely, foreshadowed because he means the fact that the full fulfillment of Christian hopes will follow only in the future, when the full inheritance will be granted to us (Prof. Bogdashevsky). Proverbs past standing time here (προηλπικότας) does not denote a past fact, but one that continues to exist. Eph.1:13. In Him you also, having heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, Here is Ap. He is already addressing those Christians who will read his message. - “In Him”, i.e. in Christ, the readers of the message are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit”, after hearing the “word of truth” or “good news” about their salvation, they believed in this news (“having believed in Him”, i.e. in Christ - the translation is incorrect, because everywhere in Chapter II one thought is attached to another, previous one, by means of the pronoun ός, and here it stands: εν ῶ). The “sealing” itself, as can be seen from the context of the speech, is not only an internal act, but also observable externally, by strangers (cf. 1 Cor. 9:2). Here the Apostle undoubtedly means the sending down of the grace of the Holy Spirit on believers on the feast of the first Christian Pentecost (Acts 2) and the subsequent outpouring of spiritual gifts on those who entered the Church. God marked Christians with these gifts as holy, chosen people. Eph.1:14. Who is the earnest of our inheritance, for the redemption of His inheritance, to the praise of His glory. "Which is the earnest of our inheritance." The Holy Spirit that Christians received was only evidence that they would eventually receive all the benefits that Christ promised them (“his inheritance”), that is, heavenly glory 2. - “For the redemption of His inheritance.” Here is Ap. means, as can be deduced from the context of the speech, the future redemption or liberation of God’s “destiny” or the community of believers 3. After all, while we Christians live on earth, we still do not constitute the exclusive possession of God. But over time, thanks to the powers of grace of the Holy Spirit given to us, we must free ourselves from the power of earthly circumstances, and then God will be completely glorified. However, this “liberation” will not be accomplished immediately, but gradually. Eph.1:15–23. Ap. knows that the Ephesians have faith and love. Now he asks the Lord to give them more insight into the great meaning of Christian hope. Let them, with the help of the wisdom and understanding sent to them from God, understand the very essence of this hope, and its basis, and, finally, the way in which it is realized. And so that this very hope would be more solid in the Ephesians, Ap. indicates what God has already done in relation to Christ: what has been accomplished in this regard is so great that Christians can be confident that God will also do for them that relatively small thing that is the subject of their hope. Eph.1:15. Therefore, having heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints, “Therefore,” i.e., in view of the granting of many different blessings to Christians (see Eph. 1:3 et seq.). - “And I” - like you, that is, taking part in your joy and gratitude for the above benefits. - “Hearing” - in all likelihood, from Christians who came to him from Ephesus. - “To all saints” - to all Christians. Eph.1:16. I constantly thank God for you, remembering you in my prayers, Eph.1:17. that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to the knowledge of Him, Ap. constantly thanks God for the fact that the Ephesians became participants in divine blessings. He also remembers them in prayers, that is, he prays for them, so that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. - “God of the Lord,” that is, the God of Christ according to His human nature. – “Father of glory” – To whom belongs glory or greatness, like no one else, from whom this greatness comes (cf. 1 Cor. 2:8). - “Spirit of wisdom and revelation.” The Holy Spirit already belongs to Christians (Eph. 1:13) and there is no need to pray for His gift. Therefore, the expression: “so that he may give...” is better translated as: “so that God may make the Spirit who is already in you a Spirit working in you wisdom and revelation.” “Wisdom” - see Eph.1:8. - “Revelations” are, of course, not revelations about anything new in a religious sense, but about the removal from our understanding of all veils that prevent us from clearly understanding the greatness of Christianity (cf. 1 Cor. 2:10). - “To the knowledge of Him” - more precisely: in the knowledge of Him (εν επιγνώσει αυτοῦ). These words are best placed in the next verse. Eph.1:18. and he has enlightened the eyes of your heart, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of His glorious inheritance for the saints, “And enlightened...” . In the area of ​​knowledge about God (“into the knowledge of Him” - Eph. 1:17), let the Ephesians have “enlightened eyes of the heart,” that is, let them know God with completely bright eyes of the soul (“heart” is the central seat and central organ of personal life, Rom. 10:10). - “So that you may know...”. First of all, this enlightenment of spiritual eyes in the field of knowledge of God is necessary so that the Ephesians will know “what is the hope of His calling,” that is, what is the object of Christian hope, which is based on the divine calling (cf. Rom. 8:24). - “And what is wealth...”. Here it is determined what exactly the object of Christian hope consists of: this is God’s “heritage”, extremely majestic, which the saints of God enjoy and will enjoy (“for the saints” - more precisely: “among the saints”. “Saints” - here in the proper sense, and not Christians in general). Eph.1:19. and how immeasurable is the greatness of His power in us who believe according to the operation of His sovereign power, Finally, Christians need enlightened eyes of the heart in order to understand how great the power of God is, which is already manifesting itself on us believers. - “According to the action of His sovereign power.” It is more natural to relate these words to the expression of verse 20 and thus see here the idea that the great power of God is manifested in relation to believers in accordance with the action of the sovereign power of God with which God acted in relation to Christ (see the next verse). Eph.1:20. which He wrought in Christ, raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, In relation to Christ, the sovereign power of God was manifested in the fact that God raised Christ from the dead (see Rom. 8:11) and seated Him - as a glorified man (according to His Divinity, the Lord Jesus Christ never left the Divine Throne. Chrysostom) - in heaven at His right hand (see 1 Kings 20:25; 1 Kings 2:19; Ps.109:1). Eph.1:21. above all principality, and power, and strength, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the next, There is no doubt that here we are not talking about earthly authorities, but about angelic ranks: in the previous verse it is already said that God seated Christ in heaven. Of course, here we mean only good angels, because here is Ap. speaks of the exaltation of Christ, and not of His victory over the powers of hell. Some interpreters (for example, Prof. Bogdashevsky) believe that the enumeration of the ranks of angels is here in ascending order. - “And every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the future.” Ap. wants to say that Christ is higher than all the ranks of angels, the existence of which we already know, and all others, which we will learn about only in the future life (Blessed Theodoret). – “This age” is the time before the second coming of Christ, and the “future age” is the future life. Eph.1:22. and he put all things under his feet, and made him high above all things, the head of the church, See Ps.8:5–7. - “And he placed Him above all, as the head of the Church.” A more correct translation from Greek should be: “and He (Christ) gave as the head over all to the Church.” Only, of course, in this case it must be added that Christ was given to the Church not only as a gift (Rom. 5:15), but also as the Head. The Church is especially elevated through the fact that she has been given such a Head, which is the head of everything that exists 4. Eph.1:23. which is His Body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. To show the special closeness of the Church to Christ, Apostle. calls it the "Body of Christ". Christ is the head, and the Church is the body. If all the nerves that control the movements of the body come from the head, then from Christ the Church receives all the strength for its life 5 . - “The fullness of him who fills all in all.” Some interpreters (Chrysostom, Blessed Theophylact) understand this expression as a designation of the meaning of the Church - (fullness - πλήρωμα in the actual meaning), saying that the Church fills Christ with itself, although Christ Himself fills everything. Others (for example, Prof. Bogdashevsky) understand this expression in a passive meaning ("fullness" - that which is filled or filled. Parallel to the expression πλήρωμα there are expressions άγγελμα, κήρυγμα, which also have a passive meaning). The latter opinion seems more correct, because everywhere in the chapter under consideration we are talking about what the Church has received, and not about what she herself gives. - “Who fills everything in everything.” According to a more common interpretation, Ap. He says here that the Church is the fullness of the One who fills the whole world with all the objects in the world. But it is difficult to agree with such an interpretation, mainly because, with its acceptance, we will reduce the importance of the Church. In fact, what will be special if the Church is filled with Christ, like the whole world? It is therefore better to accept the expression εν πᾶσιν (in Russian: transl. in everything) as the masculine gender 6 and see here an indication of individual persons - members of the Church, and by the expression “everyone” (τά πάντα) we understand all aspects of the activities of these “all” persons. Thus, this whole expression can be rendered as follows: “Filling or fulfilling all the members of the Church in all aspects of their inner life.” Nevertheless, the expression “the fullness of the Filling...” is most natural, together with Bogdashevsky, to explain this way. The Church is complete perfection in every way. But this is its idea, and the implementation of this idea occurs only gradually in the life of believers, through the action of Christ. Christ (with His grace-filled powers) fulfills all believers, from the fullness of His Church we will receive everything that we need in order to achieve “the measure of the stature of the fulfillment of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). “Deposit” - αρραβών deposit, as a guarantee that the entire amount of the debt will be subsequently paid “Share” – περιποίησις – can mean: a) receiving; b) property. Bearing in mind the use of this term in the latter meaning by Ap. Peter (1 Peter 2:9), here too we give it the meaning of the “property” of God, which is the community of believers Some interpreters find it unfortunate to call Christ the head of the Church as a body. It would be better, in their opinion, if the Apostle used the term “soul” instead of the term “head,” since it is the soul that moves the body. But according to biblical psychology, it is the head that appears to be synonymous with life and mental activity (Matthew 5:36; Luke 21:28). We should not be confused by the fact that the head, in fact, is one of the members of the body: nevertheless, as the source of life and movement of the body, it seems to be separate from the body. Christ is the Head of the body of the Church, without, of course, Himself being a member of the body (Bogdashevsky p. 154) The definition of the Church as “the body of Christ” is very important in that it gives an idea of ​​the very nature of the internal life of the Church. Just as an ordinary body grows and increases, so the body of Christ is created (Eph.4:12) and creates regeneration (Eph.4:16). Just as in the body each member has its own special purpose, serving the whole, so the body of the Church is composed and united “by the working of each member according to the measure” (Eph. 4:16). Just as there is no discord in the body, and all members form a single whole, so in the Church of Christ we are all reconciled in one body (Eph. 2:16), forming one body, animated by one spirit (Eph. 4:4). Just as the body has its own connections, its own nutritional system, so they exist in the Church of Christ (Eph. IV:16, cf. Col. 2:19)” (Bogdashevsky p. 151). It should be noted that Ap. does not directly call the Church the body of Christ in her early letters, but nevertheless there are thoughts that all believers constitute the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27) In this meaning, τά πάντα εν πᾶσιν is found in 1 Cor. 12:6; 1 Corinthians 15:28; Col. 3:11 You might be interested in: