Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:3-14
Most services in our mainstream churches have several things in common, most all are important. In no particular order, they can be: the sermon, Scripture readings, hymns and worship songs, prayers, offering, as well as the other parts of a familiar service. As I have reflected on the worship of Christian people over a period of many decades, I have come to believe that one of the most important aspects of all the various parts of worship is the congregational singing, whether classic hymns or more modern praise songs. Why? Because it is in singing that the congregation itself actively voices praise to God and they do so in unity. Singing has the power to draw a person’s mind to a focused point, for the most part.
Please don’t get me wrong, singing in worship is only one of the more important parts, but it is, a very important part. The praise opens up the heart and spirit for the sermon, the Word of God, which importance cannot be over emphasized. We learn from the Word of truth. But the teaching of truth, if it is rightly understood, leads wholly back to praise. Worship through praise comes full circle. If we discover who God is through His Word and what He has done for us, we will praise Him.
Praise to the Father
Paul must have understood this well, for most of his letters begin early on with a hymn of praise (and prayer) to God. We all know that Paul’s letters tend to divide into two sections: teaching and application or, as we could also say, faith and life. Doctrine is followed by duty. But usually, long before he gets to the duty section, Paul revels in what God has done for us by praising Him. Romans reviews basic doctrine and praises God for it. Second Corinthians is another example. The same thing occurs in Galatians (briefly), Philippians, Colossians, and other letters. Of all these letters, none is so overflowing with this initial praise to God for His great blessings as Ephesians.
This is a remarkable section of Paul’s letter. To begin with, it is all one sentence, from verse 3 to verse 14. English translations generally break the words up for ease of reading, but in the Greek Paul simply begins with a note of praise to God for “every spiritual blessing” and then keeps going, adding phrase upon phrase and doctrine upon doctrine, as he lists these benefits.
But it is not just a great panorama of color and movement that we are confronted with in these verses. We also meet with a vast display of doctrines. In fact, they are interconnected, which sometimes makes it hard to analyze the paragraph.
John R. W. Stott, the British commentator states:
“This is a magnificent gateway, a golden chain of many links, and, a kaleidoscope of dazzling lights and shifting colors” to the epistle.” He also provides a temporal outline . . . the past blessing of election (verses 4-6), the present blessing of adoption (verses 5-8), and the future blessing of unification (verses 9-10), followed by a section on the “scope” of these blessings.1
The commentator E. K. Simpson lists the blessings:
“election, adoption, redemption, forgiveness of sins, wisdom and understanding, the unification of things in Christ, and the seal of the Holy Spirit.”2
Probably, to many, the Trinitarian framework is most helpful. Paul is saying that the blessings listed come from God the Father, become ours in Jesus Christ, and are applied by the Holy Spirit. We notice, for example, that God the Father is the subject of nearly every verb in the section, and that the phrase “in Christ” or “in Him” occurs throughout.
To Be Continued
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 
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