EPHESIANS ~ Chapter 1/Thursday Bible Study

This New Covenant Book of Letters (an *Epistle), was written while Apostle Paul was a prisoner in Rome around 62 AD – this would also be the same timeframe he wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, as well as the Epistle to Philemon.

In this particular Letter, Apostle Paul is addressing in writ, “**Elohim’s holy people in Ephesus”.

Ephesus was a large commercial port city in Asia Minor, located at the mouth of the Cayster River near the Aegean Sea. Today – in our time – the modern name for Ephesus is Selcuk: a small Turkish town located in western Turkey, which has a population of around 36,000 (about the size of where I currently live in WA State; a small, home-town ‘city’).

Apostle Paul’s aim with this dispatch is to strengthen those members of The Body who remain faithful, and to encourage the faithful to strengthen also the new converts to grow in spiritual knowledge of The Faith … and to admonish and reconcile (put to rights, settle, resolve) those in Church fellowship who were slipping down the slippery path of forsaking their original love for ***Yeshua Ha’Mashiach (Jesus Christ), and were fervently embracing personal power and egomaniac control, rather than to live in agape love through selfless service, agape sacrifice, and Christian love: rather than embracing the grace of Elohim through Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary, they were adopting a self-centered/self-serving theology of divisional hatred and narcissist anger as means of perpetrating ego-satisfying reign.

This letter is still very pertinent today, as much of the same problems flourish in today’s Church Body, no matter the global locale ☹

And the solution is still the same: crucify the flesh – live in Christ, not chase after worldly pursuits!

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Ephesians ~ Chapter 1/Thursday Bible Study

“Paul, Apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of Elohim, to the saints at Ephesus, faithful followers of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. Grace be to you, and peace, from Elohim our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ! (vv. 1-2)

The Church Planned Before Creation

Blessed by Elohim, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing that Heaven itself enjoys. For even before the world was made, he chose us in Him to be holy and blameless before Him in love. By His good plan and purpose, He persuaded us to become His children by adoption through Jesus Christ. And so we praise His glorious mercy, by which he has made us the objects of His favor through His beloved Son. For it is in Him, and through His blood, that we have redemption and obtain forgiveness of our sins. It is all done in accordance with the riches of His grace. This He has lavished upon us in all wisdom and intelligence. Furthermore, He has given us an insight into the mystery of His Will – showing what He planned in Christ was His own good purpose. His Plan was that in the fulness of time all things in Heaven and Earth should be headed up in, and by, Christ. (vv. 3-10)

The Believer Sealed by The Holy Spirit

In Christ we have obtained an inheritance that was predestined for us according to the Plan of Him Who in everything carries out what He wants done. His Plan for us was to manifest His glory, for we were the first to believe in Christ. The same applies to you. You have listened to The Word of Truth – the ****Gospel of your salvation – and you have been sealed by the *****Ruach Ha’Kodesh, Who was promised. He is, then, a guarantee of our inheritance until we shall receive full possession of it, to the praise of His glory! (vv. 11-14)

The Believer Strengthened by the Knowledge of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach

I have been told of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the love you have shown to all your fellow Christians. Because of this, I do not cease to give thanks for you, and I make mention of you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is ******Elohei Ha’Elohim, will give you the Ruach Ha’Kodesh – the Spirit of wisdom and revelation through a knowledge of Him. And that your minds may be enlightened so that you can see and understand the hope to which He has called you; and how gloriously rich is the inheritance promised the Christians.

And I pray, too, that you may realize how surpassingly great is His power, available to us who believe, shown in the mighty working of His power when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand (the place of ultimate honor and status = total and unquestionable equality: Hebrews 1:3 & 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22; and Acts 7:55-56) in the highest Heaven. Yes, Yeshua Ha’Mashiach is above every ruler, authority, power, and lordship … and above every name that is named – not only in this world, but also in the world to come. The Father has put everything under the Son’s feet, and He has made Him the Head over all things for the Church (Universal Body of Believers in Christ Jesus). The Church is His Body, filled by Him, Who in every respect and everywhere, is perfect.” (vv. 15-23)

Selah – ‘Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow’ song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQUTvMtUhw4

*Epistle = (/ɪˈpɪsəl/; Greek: ἐπιστολή, epistolē, "letter") is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as part of the scribal-school writing curriculum.

**Elohim (Hebrew: אֱלֹהִים, romanized: ʾĚlōhīm: [(eloˈ(h)im]) is a Hebrew word meaning "Gods – Father, Son, & Holy Spirit". Although the word is plural in form, in the Hebrew Bible it usually refers to a single deity “Behold, the Lord – the Lord is One”, particularly the at God of Israel.

***Yeshua Ha’Mashiach: is Hebrew for “Jesus the Messiah”; the name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua.

Christ (from the Hebrew word, Ha’Mashiach ישוע המשיח & the Greek word, Christos/khris-tos) = The Anointed, Yeshua the Messiah, in both languages.

****Gospel = teaching or revelation of Christ.

*****Ruach HaKo’desh: In Hebrew, the Holy Spirit (רוח הקודש, Roo-ahk hah-Koh-desh) refers to the divine force, quality, and influence (aka, power) of God.

The Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16 & 11:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Ephesians 1:13 & 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:8; Titus 3:5; and Jude 1:20), is referred to more than 90 times in the Brit Chadashah.

==B’rit Chadashah = The New Testament. B’rit Chadashah in Hebrew, means, “The New Covenant” (the word B’rit means “covenant” and Chadashah means “new”). The literal meaning of B’rit Chadashah is “a New Covenant By Blood” … aka Yeshua’s Blood.

******Elohei Ha’Elohim (Hebrew word: אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים)) = God of gods; above all gods.

**Galatians 6: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/08/galatians-chapter-6thursday-bible-study.html