Ephesians: The eulogia (1:3).

Thursday September 13, 2018

 

Title: Ephesians: The eulogia (1:3).

 

Eph 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:

 

Eph 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Eph 1:3-14 – the eulogia (noun) = a blessing bestowed. “Blessed be (eulogetos, adj.) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed (eulogeo, verb) us with all blessing (eulogia, noun) in the heavenlies in Christ.

 

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,

 

Eph 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.

 

The doctrines concerning the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as God the Holy Spirit will be developed as we progress through the first three chapters.

 

Introductory aspects of the eulogia:

 

Following the prescript is an expression of praise rather than thanksgiving.

 

In most of Paul’s letters the prescript is immediately followed by an introductory thanksgiving, but here and in 2Co we have an expression of praise.

 

2Co 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;

 

Eulogetos [eu – well; logos – word] – worthy of praise. Jewish form – berakhah (blessing).

 

The Greek word is eulogetos from eu “well” and logos “word,” and it is a form taken over from Jewish synagogue worship called the berakhah, the Hebrew word for “blessing.”

 

In the OT form, the berakhah is followed by the reasons for which God is to be blessed.

 

Psa 28:6 Blessed be the Lord,

Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.

 

Psa 66:20 Blessed be God,

Who has not turned away my prayer,

Nor His lovingkindness from me.

 

Psa 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,

The God who is our salvation.

 

Psa 72:18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,

Who alone works wonders.

 

This pattern is followed in the NT.

 

2Co 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;

 

2Co 1:4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

 

1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

 

Luk 1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

 

Luk 1:68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,

 

Luk 1:69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us

In the house of David His servant — 

 

Jewish grace: Barukh attah Adonai Elohenu melekh ha-o-lam ha-mot-zi le-chem min ha-a-rtz (Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth).

 

This is the Jewish grace before eating (traditional HaMotzi blessing).

 

God is to be praised and glorified because He has bestowed on His people “in Christ” every spiritual blessing.

 

As to the nature of these blessings we are not left in doubt. Paul is going to list them so that we can, in one vast sentence, take them all in and know that our God is worthy of praise and glorification.

 

Some emphasize that God is to be praised no matter what He does, and this is absolutely true, but it is also true that God can do no other than bless His children superabundantly.

 

Some get caught up in anger or rejection of God when things in their lives don’t seem so blessed. But the blessings listed by Paul have zero material or circumstantial nature.

 

Christians who fail to praise God because of their particular circumstances completely forget these blessings, the “every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies,” and focus solely on their current circumstance.  

 

Mar 4:21 And He was saying to them, "A lamp is not brought to be put under a peck-measure, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand?

 

“A lamp” has the definite article. The lamp is a reference to Christ and not the truth. As Israel had rejected Him as Messiah, Jesus spoke to them in parables. The unbeliever gets parables that contain the mystery. If the unbeliever turns to Christ and believes upon Him then the mysteries of the parables are revealed.

 

If Israel had accepted their Messiah then the lamp (Jesus) would have been put on the lampstand, but as they did not accept Him, there would be a period of hiddenness, an intercalation, in which the lamp would be revealed to those who believe, while not exposed to the unbeliever.

 

Mar 4:22 "For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it should come to light.

 

Here there is an indication of a sort of hiddenness. Think of the Millennial Reign of Christ when He openly sits on David’s throne and makes the world a perfect place. Amazingly, there will still be unbelievers in that environment, but the King and the truth will be openly revealed to all. There will be no parables.

 

Mar 4:23 "If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."