Spiritual Blessings: Are they that important?

Well, I've returned to the classroom and opened the Bible again. I've spent several weeks on Paul prepping the class before we turn to Ephesians and Philippians. But this week we got to Ephesians chapter 1. It is interesting as I have looked at the outlines the students provided. Some have no structure, thus their reading of the letter has no structure. Words and ideas flow from words and ideas one after another, just like the skulls coming down in the Path of the Dead in LOTR 3. Others had structure, but it seemed artificially or imported from another source. But some actually struggled with the idea and incorporated an outline that was informative to me the outside reader. All that to say that where you start does determine where you end up!!!

But back to blessings. Ephesians 1:3-14 is the passage in question at the moment. It was frequently called a EULOGY from the Greek term to speak a good word. Later, when scholars started to realize Paul may have actually maintained some Jewishness started to call it a BERAKAH, from the Hebrew term to speak a good word. WOW!!! But what are the blessings???

Well the topic of discussion is either GOD as the acting subject or IN HIM where God is the place of the blessing. The whole passage serves to act as a starting point for the discussion of Ephesians. The starting place is God and God's actions to provide and bless humanity.

The blessings?

v. 4 We are "Holy and Blameless" in other words, Clean

v. 5 We are now Sons and Daughters, in other words, Family

v. 7 We are redeemed in His Grace, in other words, set free

v. 9-10 We are provided understanding of God's plan, in other words Christ in and over all

v. 11 We have an inheritance, in other words, we are trusted by God

v. 13 We possess the seal, in other words, we are marked by God as his own through the Spirit

The reason?

v. 6 to the praise of his Glory

v. 12 to the praise of his Glory

v. 14 to the praise of his Glory

So the question remains, is Ephesians about us or about God? That is the question!