Ephesians 1:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

NIV: he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--

NASB: He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

CSB: He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

NLT: God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

KJV: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

NKJV: having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

The apostle Paul continues to discuss the theme of predestination, connecting it to the themes of love and adoption. Because of His love, God chose in advance for us to become His children. Jesus came at just the right time for Paul's readers to hear the gospel message and believe. When they did, they became members in God's family. Though they were not Jews, they were adopted as sons through Jesus. Paul speaks of salvation elsewhere as adoption (Romans 8:15, 23; 9:4; Galatians 4:5).

Paul also teaches why God chose believers to be His children. It was "according to the purpose of his will." In an act of love and as part of His divine plan, God designed a way for all men, even those not part of the Jewish people, to come into the family of God. These Gentile believers would have especially appreciated this note from Paul, a devout Jew turned Gentile missionary. This "Hebrew of the Hebrews" (Philippians 3:4–7) considered his Gentile readers as equals, as brothers and sisters in the family of God.

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 5/7/2024 4:12:12 AM