Group Guide: Ephesians 1:1-3

This week we officially began our study of Paul’s letter to the Christians at Ephesus. Most scholars agree that this was likely a letter written to Christians in and around the city of Ephesus, rather than a letter written to a specific local congregation. It is also important to note that Paul was in a Roman prison when he penned this epistle.

When reading a New Testament epistle like Ephesians, it is tempting for us to read quickly through the introduction so we can get to the “good stuff”. But if we slow down and give special attention to the first three verses of Ephesians, we will find that they are full of significant and God-glorifying truths. The first significant thing we notice when reading these three verses is the very first word, Paul. It takes a man whose life has been changed to write a life-changing letter and Paul is a wonderful example of this. Perhaps no word is more appropriate to describe Paul’s life before he met Christ than the word successful. Paul was headed at full speed toward a life of worldly success and spiritual destruction when God stopped him and changed him. If we are in Christ then, we too, have been saved from God’s wrath and have been brought into the family of God.

We also see in this passage that Paul is writing this letter to the saints at Ephesus. This is significant because the word saints means to be set apart and in the Old Testament this was a title only given to the Israelites. But now, because of Christ’s work on the Cross, Paul can confidently call these gentile believers saints. The word saints is important for us today because it reminds us of our identity. If we are in Christ our identity and value is now found in Him rather than the values of the world. May we remember who we are... we are saints!

In verse three Paul reminds his readers that God is meant to be forever praised and made much of. He then begins to explain that, as sons and daughters of God, we now have access to every spiritual blessing in the heavens. These blessings consist of holiness, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, hope and much more. It is important for us today to understand that having access to these blessing means that we have access to all that we need to live a life that is pleasing to Christ. If we feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped for the season of life we are in, may we remember that we have access to exactly what we need. If we feel unsure of our value, may these blessings remind us of who we are in Christ. As Lewis Sperry Chafer said, “To be in Christ is to partake of all that Christ has done, all that He is and all that He ever will be.”