Ephesians 1:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

NIV: to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

NASB: to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved.

CSB: to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

NLT: So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

KJV: To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

NKJV: to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

This act of choosing believers in advance to become part of God's family contributes "to the praise of [God's] glorious grace." God does all things for His own glory. This includes His advance planning of those who will become His children. That should cause every believer a moment of pause. Consider that God, who created all things, specifically chose before the creation of the world that we would be created, live, become a child of God, and one day stay with God for eternity.

This grace is a powerful gift, a blessing given to us from God. Paul will develop grace much more in this letter, mentioning it specifically twelve times in six chapters. In addition, much of chapter 2 and part of chapter 4 specifically focus on grace. Paul begins with grace (Ephesians 1:2), continues with grace, and ends with grace (Ephesians 6:24). His life and letters were clearly influenced by the grace of God at work in him and his desire and calling to communicate it to others.

Ephesians 1:3–14 praises God for the blessings He has provided. Paul ties together the ideas of predestination, God's glory, the salvation of His people, and the rights we have as children of God. In particular, believers are blessed because God chose, before creation, to save us. That salvation came at a great cost: the death of Jesus Christ. As children of God, we can be confident that God will give us what He has promised: namely, an eternity with Him in heaven.

The first chapter of Ephesians contains two main passages. The first describes the blessings Christians have been given as a result of our salvation through Christ. Paul explains these through praises directed to God the Father. The second section both commends the Ephesians for their reputation, and prays that Christ would bring them into an even fuller and more aware faith.

The first three chapters of Ephesians are doctrinal, while the last three are practical. Chapter 1 establishes Paul's view on the value of our salvation in Christ, and the blessings we obtain from it. He does this in the form of praise, directed at God, and describing in detail what it means to have an inheritance in heaven. Later chapters will build on these ideas as Paul connects who we are in Christ to how we should live as Christians.

Ephesians follows a theme common in Paul's writings: connecting theory with practice. In this book, however, he goes into greater depth before making the transition. As a letter meant to be read by more than just the believers at Ephesus, this is an important look at how Christian belief should translate into Christian action. The first three chapters lay out spiritual ideas, the last three chapters show how these truths should be applied in the life of a mature believer. Paul focuses heavily on love, the unity of the Christian church, and the incredible value of our salvation through Christ.

Accessed 11/21/2024 9:37:37 AM