Ephesians 1:1-14
Ephesians! For our reading list, the last of Paul’s nine “city” letters…
Paul references the Trinity here, explicitly. He speaks of the Father in verses 3-6 and 9-10 (although Paul’s pronoun usage – Him, His, He – often makes it difficult for us to distinguish between the Father and the Son), the Son in verses 5-13, and the Holy Spirit in verses 13-14. I don’t recall Paul mentioning the Holy Spirit a lot in his letters. Most of Paul’s writing is focused on Jesus, especially His redemption. In today’s verses Paul covers His redemption, His forgiveness, and the inheritance we have in Jesus.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. (v. 13) Here Paul is speaking directly to his audience, primarily Gentiles, having mentioned himself and his fellow Jewish believers (…we who were the first to hope in Christ…) in the previous verse. Whenever Paul speaks in the second person (you, etc.), I always imagine that he is speaking to me/us also. That is, that we are included with the Ephesian believers and that what was true for them is also true for us – specifically in this case that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and that we have the same guarantee of our inheritance in Christ. It’s a strong message when we make it personal.
Slava Bohu!
I agree, Fred. I don’t recall Paul talking much about the Holy Spirit. Perhaps we are not as sensitive to the Holy Spirit if we focus solely or primarily on Pauline writings. Good reason to read the Bible in its entirety regularly! Not putting down Paul (theologian), just expanding God’s perspective!