Ephesians 1

[nebula]

Sigh.

OK, every time I read Ephesians 1, I get cross-eyed. It's like Paul is rambling and drifting his thoughts all over the place.

Anyone else have this problem?

I read a sentence, and I feel like I can't completely grasp it.

Can anyone offer any assistance in grasping it?

[oldzimm]

Can you give an example?

[nebula]

Taking out the verse numbers . It's like reading a run-on sentence.

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

[OneLight]

Can you break this down into bullets? I can see points, with sub-points in every sentence.

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Strange as it may sound, this is how I study scripture when there is a lot of information packed into a chapter.

[Guest]

.... Can you break this down into bullets? I can see points, with sub-points in every sentence.

Strange as it may sound, this is how I study scripture when there is a lot of information packed into a chapter.....

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.

In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times,

that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -having also believed,

you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance,

with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory

It's Clear To Me

But Then Again Paul's Style Rises Up Like A Smooth

And Well Built Building, Growing Course Upon Course Within My Mind

And With Every Statement He Makes, This Brother Always Points To The LORD Jesus

And Dear Sister If You Key On Jesus, It May Help Show The Patterns And Allow The Joy To Overflow

[oldzimm]

Taking out the verse numbers . It's like reading a run-on sentence.

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Yes I see your point, it is sorta like that old saying "can't see forest because of the trees". This could be a case of "not seeing the message because of the words".

When reading the Bible and it feels like my head is getting wrapped around the axle, that's when I study each verse individually (over and over), so I might get a better understanding.

[OldShep]

I have done back and checked out Ephesians 1 and my (NIV,KJV,CEV and ESV) all seem clear.

In Brief, God choose us before the world was made to be holy and Blameless in his sight. That action was done through Jesus Christ who died on the cross for my sins and every-other believer in Christ Jesus. God did not predestined us as individuals to be saved, but predestined the act of Jesus dying for us on the cross, so we would be able to stand before Him, God the Father as holy and blameless, by the shedding of Jesus blood,{ that is a 100 time stronger then Oxy clean,} removing all of our sins/stains before God the Father. Allowing us to be adopted as sons and sisters in Christ.

Paul then kinds of gets caught up in the idea of really being saved and tells us that it was because of "His Glorious Grace", which God has freely given to us, in the one He Loves, {stressing the Love of the Father toward the Son. { I can not say for certain that I would do that even for all the people in the world}

In Him, Jesus, we have been release, set free from being a slave to sin. My sins were the nails that held Christ to the Cross! I think that maybe Paul had great sins that he two was released from. This is also tied into the Grace, you have been saved, and the Forgiveness of our Sin's. For a Blood had to be shed to clean us. God did this out of Love, understanding and great wisdom toward a people that were dead.

For me, it came like a bolt of Lighting, or like being hit up side of my head with a 2 by 4, knocking some light into my thick skull, Jesus Died for Me, because of Me, while I was still in the same cesspool that destined me to died. I cried out for the Lord to open my Eyes, I want to see you. Just like the song.

Read it again, read one verse at a time and ponder on the verse, let it verse fill your Heart, Soul and Mind for a period of time and the Holy Spirit will make it as clear as crystal.

Well, I get the idea that I should be quite now...."You can Do it, I have Faith"..

.

ICL Dennis.

"His glorious grace"

[other one]

Interestingly I pretty much do the same. I think this is a very good way of sorting through the words......

BTW Neb, this is pretty much a run on sentence and why our Grammer teachers told us that this kind of writing is not good.

Can you break this down into bullets? I can see points, with sub-points in every sentence.

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Strange as it may sound, this is how I study scripture when there is a lot of information packed into a chapter.

edited to add: I might add just one thought that I believe that he predestined a group and not individual people. I think he simply set up the way for us to be part of that group, but I don't bleieve he predestined each of us to be in that group.

[enoob57]

Eph 1:3-14

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,

This is an infinite resolve of The Father for us in Christ... we all know when drawn near in Him -now- we experience what words cannot express in worship but receive assurance that what we lack in and of ourselves-> His Spirit, in bond with us, takes care of (Spiritual Blessings)... right now we are painfully aware of the two hearts we have held -the old and new given as flesh and spirit and as we move to dwell in The Spirit we become consumed by the fullness of thought in Him so that we miss no other thoughts of self.

Heaven will be a releasing of non essential focus and the ability to 100% In The Person of Our Husband... The Spirit of God excites me to this future of Hope so that it fills my every longing now for then! Imagine the experience of undistracted flow of God's Pure Love flowing out into us and back to Him -> without end we shall stand in this reality of Spiritual Blessings...

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

From what Our Lord has taught us thus far is His Love for progression in us Here a little there a little... ever increasing in the knowledge of Him (isn't it glorious!) Just when you think all of you is consumed more is found to consume even the more. Here we find that in those Spiritual Blessing lie Journey's for each one of us with Him in the eternities past where His thought of us... we were formed... being now released from self completely we shall be able to enjoy Him and His undefiled and enabled for comprehension of the unbounded Love that He formed us in His Thoughts and seen later demonstrated on The Cross of His Glory and Grace that testifies of this past truth in future realities undaunted by sin and shame of The Cross!

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth — in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

The mystery of salvation and why that not born of Him can understand- lies in the simple fact of separation of Holiness and evil. Now to the glories of His grace found through the redemption of His Life (blood=life Jn 6)- born and lived as we- YET WITHOUT SIN- if for no other reason ever given me but this-> eternity of worship will be the only suffice for this truth of Him! I cannot imagine the discipline and the force of will as man He stood against this world in Himself as God ... It is with this Life we must be clothed for our life is filthy rags destined for destruction and it is here where some believe their own efforts must be combined (but) His Spirit assures me in and of myself lies no power for regeneration only here in His blood of Life... for all who will choose this truth of Him and realize it is totally outside of themselves will hear the knock upon their hearts door --- the mystery of His Will--- choice and Sovereignty are brought under unity- choice in His Sovereign Will standing before Him in eternal worship for Who He 'IS' and Sovereign Will receiving that which 'IS' due Him by their choice...

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

NKJV

We understand and know who we are and there 'IS' no fear of perishing within us. We should be preparing for this praise of His Glory by obediences of Life in Him.... imagine entering His Presence fully obedient to Him in every 'IS' that you are given here on out-> God's Speed to us all in this pursuit for it is the Glory due Our Christ Our Lord! Love, Steven

[nebula]

Thanks, guys!