
For the last two weeks, Matt has been helping us to better understand the Trinity.
This morning, we will begin to look at Eph.1:3-14 to see how each Person of the Trinity is equally but differently involved in our salvation.
In Titus, when Paul says …God our Savior…, Whose Name comes to mind?
This morning, we will begin to look at Eph.1:3-14 to see how each Divine Person is equally but differently involved in our salvation.
Let’s begin by 1st by identifying the author and the recipients in v. 1-2.
v. 1a Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God…
…Paul, an apostle… - Apostolos - a person who is officially commissioned as a messenger
…of Christ Jesus…
- …of… or belonging to Christ Who had the authority to appoint Paul as His messenger of the Gospel.
- Authority - Matt. 28:18 …Jesus… spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth…
- To appoint Paul - Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is My chosen instrument to carry My Name before the Gentiles…”
- …Lord… - kurios - a person who has supreme authority.
- …to carry My Name… - Paul was the messenger and the messenger of the Gospel.
…by the will of God… - God [the Father] is the Source of Jesus’ authority.
This phrase is the 1st mention of the Trinity. In it we see the equal yet distinct involvement of the Father and the Son.
The Holy Spirit is explicit at this point.
v. 1b …to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are [also] faithful in Christ Jesus…
…saints… - Greek hagios, from the Hebrew kedesh for holy
• Holy - to be set apart for God’s purpose [Gen. 1:26; Rom. 8:29]; to be morally pure.
- Lev. 19:2 …be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.
- They are saints because God has made them holy [2 Cor. 5:21] in Christ.
Next, Paul identifies these saints as those:
…who are at Ephesus… - to the church at Ephesus [Acts 18]
…who are faithful in Christ Jesus…
• …faithful… from the Greek pistos. Theirs is a steadfast faith that endures to the end.
- Col 1:23 …continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel…
• …in Christ Jesus… the location and Source of their faithfulness.
- …in… is en in the Greek and identifies Jesus as the Location and Source of their faithfulness.
- …in… speaks about their union in [with] Christ so that they are now …partakers [partners] of the Divine Nature [2 Peter 1:4]
- Because they are in Christ, they now share in His faithfulness …by the Spirit [Gal. 5:25] Who is in them
v. 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
…Grace… - the unmerited basis of their being called saints.
• Eph. 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…
…peace… - the result or the effect of grace.
• Phil 4:7 …the peace of [that belongs to] God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
• Rom 5:1 …having been justified by faith, we have [relational] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…
…from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…
• …and… - Paul uses the conjunction and [Kai] to show that Grace and peace are equally yet distinctively from the Father and the Son.
In these two verses, Paul begins by emphasizing the centrality and necessity of the Trinity in our salvation.