Efesios 1

Baca pasal ini dengan sengaja

Tanyakan AI tentang pasal ini

Ephesians 1 opens with a blessing that in Greek is a single sentence of 202 words, running from verse 3 to verse 14. It praises God for every spiritual blessing in Christ: chosen before the foundation of the world, predestined for adoption, redeemed through his blood, forgiven, let in on the mystery of God's will to bring everything together in Christ, made heirs, and sealed with the promised Holy Spirit as the down payment on the inheritance, all "to the praise of His glory." Then Paul prays that his readers may know the hope of God's calling, the riches of his inheritance, and the greatness of his power, the power that raised Christ and seated him above every authority as head over everything for the church.

Buka komentar pasal

Ephesians 1 begins with a sentence that Paul, or his secretary, could not bring himself to end. From verse 3 to verse 14 it is one Greek sentence, 202 words long, and it is one of the great pieces of praise in the Bible. Blessed be God, it says, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Then it unrolls the blessings like a scroll. He chose us before the world was founded. He predestined us to be adopted as his children. He redeemed us with his Son's blood and forgave our trespasses, lavishly. He let us in on the secret of his plan, which is to gather everything in heaven and on earth under one head, Christ. He made us heirs. And he sealed us with the Holy Spirit, the first installment of an inheritance still to come. Three times the sentence catches its breath with the same phrase: to the praise of his glory. Only then does Paul turn to his readers, and what he does is pray for them. He asks that God would open the eyes of their hearts to see three things they already possess, the hope they were called to, the wealth of the inheritance, and the size of the power at work in them. To measure that power he points to the one place it has been fully shown: God raised Christ from the dead, seated him at his right hand above every authority and every name, put everything under his feet, and made him head over all of it for the sake of the church, which is his body. The letter has not asked anything of its readers yet. It is still telling them what they have.

Bagian kunci

Ephesians 1:3-6 Ephesians 1:7-10 Ephesians 1:13-14 Ephesians 1:15-19 Ephesians 1:20-23 Romans 8:28-30

Historical and literary context

The letter was written from prison, traditionally Rome around AD 60 to 62, and the words "in Ephesus" are absent from the oldest manuscripts, so it was probably a circular letter to the churches of the Roman province of Asia, of which Ephesus was the capital. Ephesus was famous for the temple of Artemis and for magic, which gives the letter's emphasis on Christ above "all rule and authority, power and dominion" a local edge. The opening blessing follows the form of a Jewish berakah, "Blessed be God," and the language of election and inheritance is Israel's, now applied to a church of Jews and Gentiles. A seal marked ownership and authenticity, and the "pledge" was a first installment guaranteeing full payment. Some scholars think a disciple wrote the letter in Paul's name.

How the chapter unfolds

Verses 1 and 2 are the greeting. Verses 3 to 14 are the blessing, which many divide by the three persons: the Father's choosing and predestining in verses 3 to 6, the Son's redemption and the revealed mystery in verses 7 to 12, and the Spirit's sealing in verses 13 and 14, each part ending with "to the praise of His glory." Verses 15 to 23 are the thanksgiving and prayer: thanks for their faith and love, the request for a spirit of wisdom and enlightened eyes, the three things to know, and the description of Christ's resurrection, enthronement, and headship over the church, which is his body and fullness.

Why this chapter matters

The chapter is the New Testament's densest statement of election and predestination and has been the battleground for that doctrine since Augustine; it is also the source of the phrase "the praise of His glory" and of the picture of the Spirit as seal and deposit. Verse 10, God's plan "to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ," has shaped Christian thinking about the cosmic scope of salvation. The prayer of verses 17 to 19 is one of the most prayed passages of Scripture, and verses 20 to 23, Christ seated above every power with everything under his feet, ground the church's confidence in a world of rival authorities. "The church, which is His body" begins the letter's great theme.

Interpretive tension to watch

Whether "He chose us" means God chose individuals for salvation or chose a people in Christ, and whether predestination is compatible with human freedom, are questions this chapter raises without settling, and Christian traditions have divided over it for sixteen centuries. The 202-word sentence resists translation, and every English version has to decide where to break it and how to attach phrases such as "in love." Verse 23, the church as "the fullness of Him who fills all in all," can mean that Christ fills the church or that the church completes Christ, and interpreters disagree. The letter's authorship and the missing "in Ephesus" remain open questions.

Pertanyaan untuk pasal ini

  • The blessing lists what God has done before anyone asked. How does starting from God's initiative rather than your own change the way you pray?
  • Paul prays that the "eyes of your heart" be enlightened to know hope, inheritance, and power. Which of the three is hardest for you to see right now?
  • The power at work in believers is the power that raised Christ from the dead. Where in your life would you expect to see that kind of power?

Study with context

Use this as a chapter guide, then press deeper into the text itself. The goal is to slow down observation, notice structure, and ask better questions before jumping to conclusions.

Tambah ke Catatan
1 Esta carta proviene de Pablo, un apóstol de Cristo Jesús conforme a la voluntad de Dios, para los cristianos en Éfeso y para los que creen en Cristo Jesús. 2 Gracia y paz a ustedes de Dios nuestro Padre y del Señor Jesucristo. 3 Alabado sea Dios, el Padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, quien nos ha bendecido en Cristo con todo lo que es espiritualmente bueno en el mundo celestial, 4 tal como nos eligió para estar en él antes del principio de este mundo, a fin de que en amor pudiéramos ser santos y sin falta delante de él. 5 Él decidió de antemano adoptarnos como sus hijos, obrando mediante Jesucristo para traernos a hacia él. Se complació en hacerlo porque así él lo quiso. 6 Por eso lo alabamos, por su gloriosa gracia que con tanta bondad nos dio en su Hijo amado. 7 A través de él obtenemos la salvación mediante su sangre, el perdón de nuestros pecados, como resultado de su preciosa gracia 8 que con tanta generosidad nos dio, junto con toda la sabiduría y conocimiento. 9 Él nos reveló su voluntad que hasta ese momento estaba oculta, y por medio de la cual se complació en llevar a cabo su plan 10 en el momento apropiado para reunir a todos en Cristo, tanto los que están en el cielo, como los que están en la tierra. 11 En Él fuimos escogidos de antemano, según el plan de Aquél que obra todas las cosas conforme a su voluntad, 12 con el fin de que nosotros, los primeros en guardar la esperanza en Cristo, pudiéramos alabar su gloria. 13 En Él ustedes también han escuchado la palabra de verdad, la buena noticia de su salvación. En Él, puesto que creyeron en él, fueron sellados con el sello de la promesa del Espíritu Santo, 14 que es el anticipo de nuestra herencia cuando Dios redima lo que ha preservado para sí mismo: nosotros, quienes le adoraremos y le daremos gloria. 15 Esa es la razón, pues he escuchado de su fe en el Señor Jesús y el amor que ustedes tienen por todos los cristianos, 16 por lo cual nunca dejo de dar gracias a Dios por ustedes y recordarlos en mis oraciones. 17 Oro para que el Dios de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, el Padre glorioso, les conceda un espíritu de sabiduría para que lo vean y lo conozcan como él es realmente. 18 Que sus mentes sean iluminadas a fin de que puedan entender la esperanza a la cual él los ha llamado: 19 las gloriosas riquezas que él promete como heredad a su pueblo fiel. Oro para que también puedan comprender el maravilloso poder de Dios 20 que fue demostrado al levantar a Cristo de los muertos. Dios sentó a Cristo a su diestra en el cielo, 21 por encima de cualquier otro gobernante, autoridad, poder o señor, o de cualquier líder, sin importar los títulos, y no solo en este mundo sino también en el mundo por venir. 22 Dios ha sujetado todas las cosas a la autoridad de Cristo, y le ha dado la responsabilidad como cabeza sobre todas las cosas para la iglesia, 23 que es su cuerpo. Cristo llena y completa a la iglesia, pues él llena y da plenitud a todas las cosas.

Ubah membaca menjadi studi sungguhan

Daftar untuk menandai ayat, membuat catatan, dan belajar dengan alat bertenaga AI.

Daftar Masuk
Pilih langkah selanjutnya setelah pasal ini Terus membaca, pilih rencana, atau terus belajar dengan AI.
Baca pasal berikutnya Efesios 2 in Versión Biblia Libre.

Rencana Baca

Pilih rencana jika Anda ingin menjadikan pasal ini sebagai kebiasaan yang dapat diulang.

Tanyakan AI tentang pasal ini

Lanjutkan dengan studi AI jika teks menimbulkan pertanyaan atau memerlukan pendalaman lebih dari satu kali baca.
Ikuti tema-tema yang dibuka pasal ini Hub topik terkait untuk pertanyaan-pertanyaan besar yang mungkin dibuka pasal ini.
Jelajahi semua topik

Bible passages about faith

A curated study hub for readers searching for faith, trust, assurance, and living dependence on God.

Bible passages about holiness

A curated Bible hub for readers searching for holiness, consecration, obedience, and life set apart for God.

Bible passages about identity

A curated Bible hub for readers searching for identity, belonging, adoption, purpose, and new life in Christ.

Bible passages about salvation

A curated Bible hub for readers searching for salvation, grace, new birth, rescue from sin, and life in Christ.