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Berean Expositor Volume 4 & 5.
Studies in the Epistles of the Mystery.
The blessings of the Father (Eph. 1: 3-6).
pp. 1-3.
We have seen something of the fulness of the title of God revealed in this passage--
The Father--and now we seek wisdom and a spiritual understanding of the blessings
which are peculiarly associated with this precious name. As we have before observed,
Eph. 1: 3-14 details the blessings which are connected with God under the title of Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. Let us consider the first set contained in verses 3-6. The structure
of the passage appears to be somewhat as follows:--
The blessings of the Father (Eph. 1: 3-6).
A | a | 3-. Blessed be God.
b | -3. The believer blessed in Christ.
B | c | 4-. The Father's choice us.
d | -4-. The Father's object that we should be holy and without blame.
e | -4. The Father's motive in love.
B | c | 5-. The Father's predestination us.
d | -5-. The Father's object unto the placing as sons.
e | -5. The Father's motive the good pleasure of His will.
A | a | 6-. Praise of the glory of His grace.
b | -6. The believer accepted in the Beloved.
We have already considered the meaning of the opening words of Eph. 1: 3 in the last
article of this series. Let us commence our studies with the second half of the third verse,
"Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ." We first
dwell for a moment upon that wonderful little word "all." All spiritual blessings;
forgiveness of all trespasses; far above all principality and power; filled unto all the
fulness of God; with all lowliness; with all prayer and supplication; so the precious
teaching of these epistles continues. Fulness everywhere, unalloyed grace, unmixed
mercy are ours "in Christ."
The blessings emphasized here are spiritual. Spiritual blessings call for spiritual
songs of gratitude (5: 19), and will also be accompanied for this little while by some
measure of conflict with spiritual wickedness (6: 12). The spiritual blessings of the
present dispensation are contrasted with the earthly blessings of the kingdom:--
"For the Lord God bringeth thee unto a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains
and depths that spring out of valleys and hills, a land of wheat, and barely, and vines, and fig
trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive and honey; a land wherein thou shalt eat bread
without scarceness, thou shalt not lack anything in it, a land whose stones are iron, and out of
whose hills thou mayest dig brass. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shall bless the
Lord thy God for the good land which He hath given thee" (Deut. 8: 7-10).