`In heavenly places'.

When was this will made?

`Before the foundation of the world'.

Who will inherit?

Those who receive `The Adoption'.

Why did the Father thus choose?

`The good pleasure of His will'.

While these five subdivisions of this mighty subject do not actually state

all that is written, it will be found that they will help us as we endeavour to

grasp something of the stupendous revelation which is here unfolded to us.

`Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed

us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ' (1:3).

Our blessings are not so much in mind in this opening passage as an

overwhelming sense of grace.  `Blessed be God'.  No petition rises to the

Father, no confession, no vows of reform, no statement of failure, but

thanksgiving and worship, full and free, ascends unto the God and Father of our

Lord Jesus Christ.  No blessing is sought or desired, `all blessings' are

The opening words of this glorious revelation are not `may I be blessed'

but `may He be blessed'.  This note struck so early, should never be forgotten

by the reader as he follows his guide through chamber after chamber of

unspeakable glory.  `He hath blessed us'.  The word eulogia `blessing' is

derived from the verb eulogeo `to bless', which is a compound of eu `well' and

lego `to speak'.  The reader will recognise that this word is the origin of the

English `eulogy', a word meaning a high form of praise.  The word translated

`blessings' in Ephesians 1:3 is actually once translated `fair speeches', namely

in Romans 16:18 which reveals the primary meaning of the word.  Eu is an adverb

and is found in Ephesians 6:3, `that it may be well with thee'.  It is of

frequent use as a particle in combination with other words, and is most familiar

to the reader in the word evangel or `gospel', where the letter `u' is

pronounced `v' in English.

Writing to the believer before the great dispensational landmark of Acts

28, Paul speaks of `the blessing of Abraham' (Gal. 3:14) coming on the Gentiles,

but Abraham is never mentioned in the Prison Epistles, and no blessing of

Abraham is associated either with `heavenly places' or `before the foundation of

the world'.  Paul refers also to, `the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of

Christ' (Rom. 15:29) and, `the cup of blessing which we bless' (1 Cor. 10:16).

There are some terms used in the Scriptures, which by their very nature

and the place they occupy in the scheme of salvation, come over and over again

in the writings of the apostle.  Such terms as `faith', `redemption',

`justification' will come to the mind immediately, and are found in many of the

epistles whether written before or after Acts 28.  No one, moreover, could deny

the use of the word `blessing' when speaking of these great doctrines of

salvation.  So far as the Prison Epistles are concerned, Ephesians 1:3 stands

alone, the word `blessing' meeting us in the very opening words of the new

revelation, and never again employed in any capacity by the apostle.  Terms such

as `seated together' and `blessing' receive emphasis by their glorious

solitariness.  They stand alone and are beyond compare.