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Ephesians 1:1-14
(Ephesians 1:3-14)
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• Reading the Text:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
  • The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary, exposition and sermons.
• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • Similitude VIII.2, Shepherd of Hermas. (c.145)
  • I.III.4, I.X.1, III.XVI.6, IV.XXIV.2, V.VIII.1, V.XIV.3, V.XX.2, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
  • Chapter XIV, Adversus Judaeos, Tertullian (c. 198)
  • VI.9, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
  • II.9, On The Apparel of Women, Tertullian (c. 202)
  • Chapter LIII, On the Resurrection of the Flesh,  Tertullian (c. 211)
  • V.17, V.19, Against Marcion, Tertullian (c. 212)
  • Chapter V, On Monogamy, Tertullian (c. 215)
  • III.V.4, First Principles (De Principiis), Origen. (c.225)
  • Commentary by St. John Chrysostom.
    • "Fain would I understand why it is that wealth is so eagerly pursued by mankind. Why surely for this reason hath God set a limit and a boundary to our nature, that we may have no need to go on seeking wealth beyond it. For instance He hath commanded us, to clothe the body in one, or perhaps in two garments; and there is no need of any more to cover us. Where is the good of ten thousand changes of raiment, and those moth-eaten?"
  • From the Geneva Notes.
    • "The faithful are said to be gathered together in Christ, because they are joined together with him through faith, and become as it were one man."
  • The Purpose of God's Decrees, Thomas Boston (Puritan, c 1700)
    • "...the glory of one attribute is more seen in one work than in another: in some things there is more of his goodness, in other things more of his wisdom is seen, and in others more of his power. But in the work of redemption all his perfections and excellencies shine forth in their greatest glory."
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
    • "Christ united the two differing parties, God and man, in his own person, and satisfied for that wrong which caused the separation. He wrought, by his Spirit, those graces of faith and love, whereby we are made one with God, and among ourselves."
  • From Wesley's Notes.
    • "The sealing seems to imply, A full impression of the image of God on their souls, A full assurance of receiving all the promises, whether relating to time or eternity."
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
    • "This "remission," being the explanation of "redemption," includes not only deliverance from sin's penalty, but from its pollution and enslaving power, negatively; and the reconciliation of an offended God, and a satisfaction unto a just God, positively."
  • From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
    • "The "earnest" money was a small part of the purchase money given in hand to bind the bargain. Paul says that the Holy Spirit given to God's children is such earnest of the inheritance that he will bestow, a small part given now as a proof to his adopted children."
• Contemporary Commentary, Studies and Exegesis:
  • "Visualizing Peace," Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer.
    • "You cannot overcome hatred with hatred. It's an ancient concept: you can only overcome hatred with love. You cannot overcome violence with violence. You can only overcome violence with peace. And so it is that St. Paul viewed Jesus' death as an act of peace overcoming the hatreds and divisions of the human family."
  • Commentary, Ephesians 1:3-14, Sarah Henrich, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2015.
    • "Eudokia is a reminder not only of God's purpose, which is also very much emphasized by the long-range planning of God (coming up in a moment), but also the good gifts which it was God's long range plan to impart. God's interaction with humankind, both Jew and Gentile, is based on God's favorable purpose."
  • Commentary, Ephesians 1:3-14, Kyle Fever, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2014.
    • "The infusion of God's goodness and the calling in Christ do not serve the purpose of proclaiming human triumphalism. The infusion of God's good work serves the purpose of proclaiming God's goodness, which ultimately benefits humanity."
  • "Rising Above the Low-Water Mark of 2013," Doug Mendenhall, ON Scripture, Odyssey Networks, 2014 (Video: New Years Wishes from the Street).
    • "Read Ephesians 1 with fresh eyes, and let the spirit of the passage lead you to see all those you encounter as brothers and sisters, whether they look like you, act like you, think like you or not."
  • Commentary, Ephesians 1:3-14 (Pentecost 7B), Sally A. Brown, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2012.
    • "This is a text of almost unfathomable depth."
  • "The Chronophage and the Fullness of Time," Katie Munnik, Presbyterian Record, 2012.
    • "Because we aren’t in time – we’re in Christ."
  • "Blessed in Christ," Paul Bellan-Boyer, City Called Heaven, 2012.
  • "First Thoughts on Year B Epistle Passages in the Lectionary," Pentecost 7, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
    • "That vision of Christ is then a vision for the church and the whole world. It already shows itself where barriers and prejudice are broken down. The 'you, too' is part of the realisation of the vision."
  • Radical Gratitude, lectionary-based stewardship, Northwest United Methodist Foundation. (.pdf)
  • "Spiritual Blessings in Christ," Ephesians 1:3-14. Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources. Includes detailed textual notes.
    • "The opening passage in Ephesians, 1:3-14, is virtually one long sentence made up of compound clauses, the principal clause being v3, 'who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.'"
  • "Looking Redeemed," Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer, 2009.
    • "If we want to see the church thrive, I think we should make cultivating joy a priority—joy in life, joy in service, and joy in worship."
  • Commentary, Ephesians 1:3-14 (Pentecost 6), Arland J. Hultgren, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2009.
    • "The preacher who plans to preach on this text could do well to speak of Christ as Revealer and Redeemer, both in the New Testament and in the faith of the church through the ages."
  • Join the Feast, Ephesians 1:3-14, Elizabeth Smith, Union PSCE, 2009.
    • "In a world full of injustice, pain and division, these words of adoption, grace and gathering all things up are sometimes hard to hear. Indeed, there is tension between what God has already done in Christ and what is left to be done in the world."
  • Ephesians 1:3-14, Ordinary 15B: Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • "Thinking Blessing," "Thinking and Practicing Reconciliation": The Ephesians Texts for Pentecost 8-14, Ronald Olson, Word & World Texts in Context, Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary, 1997.
  • Ephesians 1:3-14, Reconciled in Christ: Ministry in Light of Ephesians, Wendell W. Frerichs, Word & World Texts in Context, Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary, 1988.
  • "The Calling and Design of the Church: A Study in Ephesians," by Lehman Strauss at the Biblical Studies Foundation.
    • "Too many of us place the emphasis upon those things that are temporal and transient while we neglect the values that are spiritual and eternal."
  • Commentary, Ephesians 1:3-14 (Christmas 2), Marion L. Soards, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2010.
    • "The striking thing about this redeeming work that is done in Christ is that it is cosmic in span, including "all things . . . in heaven and things on earth." God's work aims as a cosmic reconciliation and this plan of God has been revealed to Christians in Christ."
  • Ephesians 1:3-14, Christmas 2: Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • Commentary, Ephesians 1:3-14 (Christmas 2), Hans Weirsma, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2009.
    • "There are all kinds of reasons to object to the opening salvo of the New Testament letter to the Ephesians."
  • "First Thoughts on Year B Epistle Passages in the Lectionary: Christmas 2," William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
    • "The doxological flight path of our passage can lead into other worlds. It can however also enable us to see ourselves, our world and our place in it in ways that are earthed, especially when read within the whole tradition."
  • Environmental & earth-centered reflections, Rev John Gibbs, from the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota Environmental Stewardship Commission.
    • "In an age of anxiety when "the center does not hold," this cosmic view of redemption speaks most to the point of our need."
  • "Translating AGIOS in Col 1,2 and Eph 1,1," Thomas B. Slater, Biblica, 2006.
    • "...from grammatical, linguistic, theological and literary perspectives, the best translation of a#gioj in Col 1,2 and Eph 1,1 is as an adjective."
  • "A Call for Evangelical Nonviolence," Ronald J. Sider, The Christian Century, 1976.
    • "The exultant New Testament view that Jesus triumphed over the principalities and powers in the resurrection offers a sure foundation for enduring hope."
• Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
  • Couch, Beatriz Melano, "Blessed Be He Who Has Blessed," International Review of Mission, 1988.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Crawford, Leslie James, "Ephesians 1:3-4 and the Nature of Election," Master's Seminary Journal, 2000.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Frerichs, Wendell W., "Reconciled in Christ: Ministry in Light of Ephesians," Word & World, 1988.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Hann, Robert R., "Election, The Humanity of Jesus, and Possible Worlds," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 1986.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Mawhinney, Allen, "Baptism, Servanthood, and Sonship," Westminster Theological Journal, 1987.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Newman, Carey C., "Election and Predestination in Ephesians 1:4-6a: An Exegetical-Theological Study of the Historical, Christological Realization of God's Purpose," Review and Expositor, 1996.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Newman, Carey C., "Ephesians 1:3 - A Primer to Paul's Grammar of God," Review and Expositor, 1998.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Neyrey, Jerome H., S.J., "God, Benefactor and Patron: The Major Cultural Model for Interpreting the Deity in Greco-Roman Antiquity," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 2005.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Okamoto, Joel P., "Homiletical Helps on LW Series B - Epistles," Concordia Journal, 2006. (Section on this text begins on p. 236.)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Olson, Ronald, "'Thinking and Practicing Reconciliation': The Ephesians Texts for Pentecost 8-14," Word & World, 1997.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Peterson, Robert A., "'Though All Hell Should Endeavor to Shake': God's Preservation of His Saints," Presbyterion, 1991.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Robbins, Charles J., "The Composition of Eph 1:3-14," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1986.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Sider, Ronald J., "A Call for Evangelical Nonviolence," The Christian Century, 1976.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Thomas, Rodney, "The Seal of the Spirit and the Religious Climate of Ephesus," Restoration Quarterly, 2001.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Woodcock, Eldon, "The Seal of the Holy Spirit," Bibliotheca Sacra, 1998.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
• Sermons:
  • "I Exam," Nathan Mattox, 2012.
  • "God's Promises for You: I Forgive You," the Rev. Allen Hunt, Day 1, 2007.
  • "The Strong Will of God," "Lavish Grace," from a series of sermons on the book of Ephesians by Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church in Des Moines, Washington.
• With Children:
  • Worshiping with Children, Christmas 2, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2015. 2014 2011.
  • "Storypath Lectionary Links: Connecting Children's Literature with our Faith Story," January 4, 2015, Union Presbyterian Seminary. Connections: Jeremiah 31:7-14 and The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant, Ephesians 1:3-14 and Johnny Appleseed by Jodie Shepherd, John 1:(1-9) 10-18 and Katie and the Puppy Next Door by John Himmelman.2014 2011
  • "God's Branding Iron," Bryan Clements, sermons4kids.com.
• Drama:
  • "Circle of Love," John McNeil, dramatix.
  • "Don't You See Me?" Glenn A. Hascall, dramatix.
  • "The Burden," Diane Schaffner, dramatix.
  • "Dirty Laundry," Eric Stapleton, dramatix.
  • "The Great Veggie Heist of Artesian Valley," Glenn A. Hascall, dramatix.
  • "Check, Please!" Scott Phillips, dramatix.
  • "The Chalkboard," Sarah Musselwhite, dramatix.
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
  • Ephesians 1:4-5, Ephesians 1:9-10, Heartlight - Free Christian PowerPoint Backgrounds.
• Hymns and Music:
  • “Long Ago, When Pharaoh's Daughter,” Carolyn Winfrey Gillette’s hymn celebrating adoption, both God's adoption of us and families adopting children today. Tune: NETTLETON 8.7.8.7 D (“Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”).
  • Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
  • Hymns with Scripture Allusions: Ephesians 1:4, 6, 7, 13. The Cyber Hymnal.
  • Hymnal Scripture References, The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship.
  • At Digital Hymnal (midi files, guitar chords, karaoke files, projection text):
    • My Maker and My King
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
• Study Links and Resources for the Book of Ephesians

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