Ephesians 1 Audience

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Why this Audience Analysis?

When reading Paul’s letters like in Ephesians 1 and several other scripture verses, people’s preconceived notions about predestination, fore-knowledge, being chosen, and being elect are read into scriptures. Because analysis’ that contain these preconceived notions come across as very credible, these types of theologies remain. This new analysis will pay careful attention to the audience mentioned in Paul’s Ephesians letter itself, to show the letter is really speaking about the category of people who are faithful followers in Jesus Christ. As this simple approach is effective, it is unnecessary to bring in preconceived notions to interpreting these scriptures.

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What are these Preconceived Audience Notions?

Because of these preconceived notions pertaining to items like predestination, being chosen, and being elect, both from those growing up inside the Church, and from people coming into the Church, it is easy to read scriptures in the light of these preconceived ideas. The goal of this analysis of Ephesians 1, which can be applied to other scriptures, is to provide a way to read this scriptures in light of the audience identified by the writer of the scriptures themselves. This careful reading shows there is really no need to bring these preconceived notions about predestination when reading the scriptures. These preconceived notions typically exclude people from knowing God, in effect saying it was either known ahead of time they would not believe, or it was decided by God they would not believe.

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Preconceived Notions about Audience Correct?

Fortunately, these preconceived notions are incorrect. All people have a chance to come

to know God in this lifetime to the degree that God has allowed this revelation in their lives. This revelation was to the Jewish people through God’s direct revelation and commands through the law and the prophets. For the gentiles, we learn this revelation was through their consciences and through God’s interventions with his people. After Jesus’ death & resurrection, our role is to ensure all people hear God’s gospel message and have the opportunity to choose to faithfully follow Jesus Christ, to have eternal life guaranteed by God’s promises.

Identify The Audience:

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is often understood in many different & even contradictory ways, likely due to its’ proclamations & explanations occurring several sentences after its’ primary audience is identified. The audience intended in Ephesians 1 is specified at the beginning of the letter of Apostle Paul to the faithful believers in Christ Jesus in Ephesus.

Ephesians 1:1-2 (ESV):  1 Paul,  an apostle of Christ Jesus  by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The audience is identified as “the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus“. While the letter is specifically addressed to the living Christian saints in Ephesus, the topics discussed apply to all faithful Christian believers. This leads us to acknowledge the letter is addressed more broadly to “the saints who … are faithful in Christ Jesus“.

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Identify The Saints:

Who are the saints? The saints are those faithful believers in Jesus Christ who will have their sins forgiven and will be granted eternal life. Because they remain faithful believers, their names will be found written in the Book of Life and will not be blotted out prior to their lives in this world ending. The saints can be thought of as the plants in the Parable of the Sower that reap a good harvest. These are those who are remaining faithful in their pursuit to be like Jesus Christ. The author of Ephesians in describing the audience being addressed is also excluding those are attending the Church, yet who are only playing the role externally.

Read in Audience Context:

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To better understand the letter to the Ephesians and how it applies to all faithful believers in Christ Jesus, the instances of “us” and “we” in the text will be annotated with the [adjacent braced] phrase “the saints who … are faithful in Christ Jesus“.

Ephesians 1:3-4 (ESV): 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] in Christ with every spiritual blessing  in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] in him before the foundation of the world, that we [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 …

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Blessings for Intended Audience:

The Holy Scriptures, in Ephesians 1:3-4 (ESV) and elsewhere, inform us God intended before the world’s foundation to bless with every spiritual blessing the faithful Christian believers in the Lord Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ is God, and worked with God the Father and the God the Holy Spirit in our Universe’s creation. God’s choice to bless the faithful believers in Christ Jesus was so those people who are found to later meet the criteria of faithful believers in Christ Jesus would be shaped in life by their pursuing Jesus’ righteousness to become holy and blameless before God. The trust in the Lord is what Satan undermined with Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden, with their unfortunate consent and later regret. If Adam and Eve had remained faithful to God and trusted God rather than Satan when tested, then they would have been exhibiting characteristics of saints in their faithful obedience and trust in the Lord. While this more direct path towards following the Lord would have been more expedient and advantageous for humankind, our free will fall to choose sin and slavery to sin, lead to God promising to send us a Savior, since God planned for such contingencies.

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Distinguished Audience:

It is a tendency of many Christians to read this and think that God meant them. If you are a faithful believer in Christ Jesus by what you say, think, and do, then God does mean you, if your assessment is accurate. Yet, as God calls all people to come to know him, God means all people who will come to know him. All people who will come to know God have been chosen to be blessed and start in this life the process to become holy & sanctified in this way, even though an individual’s life ends before the process has fully completed. Because of sin, people need God to intervene to create in them a new heart, creation, and spirit. As people approach God by seeking God’s kingdom & righteousness, God elects to choose & change them during their lifetime, according to the promises and grace of God.

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Audience is Category:

There are readers who read these and similar scriptures and contemplate that God picked the individual people before the foundation of the world to come to know God, and others to likewise be excluded from knowing God. We learn from the broader context of scriptures, that God is calling all people, and wishes for all to repent, become baptized, and come to know and faithfully believe and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus the individual focused reading that is exclusive of any individual must be dropped in favor of the categorical reading.  The categorical reading is that God has chosen to bless the audience who are faithful followers of the Lord.

Ephesians 1:5-6 (ESV):[In love] 5 he predestined us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] in the Beloved.

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Audience is Inclusive & Exclusive:

The Bible is very inclusive of all peoples from all nations having the opportunity to come to know God through Jesus Christ as first class citizens of God’s kingdom. What plans does God have for those who are faithful believers & followers of Jesus Christ? God plans to adopt faithful believers in Jesus Christ as his children, and is pleased to do that since bringing sinners into approaching righteousness showcases God’s grace & glory.

Ephesians 1:7-10 (ESV): 7 In him we [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] have  redemption  through his blood,  the forgiveness of our trespasses,  according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus], in all wisdom and insight 9 making known  to us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] the mystery of his will,  according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

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Doctrine for Audience’s Role:

Paul’s letter re-iterates basic doctrines of Christianity, that faithful believers in Jesus Christ have their sins forgiven by the payment the Son of God made when crucified on the cross. Paul explains this process, so faithful believers understand their role & the path God ordained for them.

• Is this something even faithful believers deserve to receive? No, since all have sinned and deserve death.
• Why do believers enjoy this benefit? This is due to God’s promises, which provides the only guaranteed path of redemption after humankind turned away from God in disobedience.

God wishes for the faithful believers in Christ to understand God’s plan, which appears mysterious to those outside the faith. For those in the faith, it is the same plan for those of all nations and all peoples.

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Inheritance for Current Saints Audience:

The current faithful believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have obtained the inheritance of eternal life as God’s children that God saw fit to bestow. God predetermined this ahead of time, since God is orderly and even before the world was created, made plans to defeat sin, if it entered the world, to bless those who heeded God’s call to follow him.

Ephesians 1:11-12 (ESV): 11 In him we [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

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Inheritance for New Saints Audience:

God’s Kingdom is growing and there are new faithful followers who need to understand the process & path as new believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. On this journey in this life, one of the markers according to God’s promises is that the Holy Spirit seals the new believers. The true believers are those who welcome the Holy Spirit as a permanent resident in their souls, and a heeded guide to God’s truths. While scriptures have shared their are those who were blessed with the Holy Spirit like King Saul, who later rejected God’s direction, God’s plan and purpose is for all new true believers to desire to retain the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV): 13 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, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

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New Saints Audience Sincerity:

The Apostle Paul received detailed reports on the new Saints, their faith, and their fruit of love, and how they treated each other. This lead to excitement over the sincerity & genuineness of their faith, and the desire that their progress would continue richly in knowledge & character & practice, aligning with God’s purposes for all believers to be successful in their faithfully following Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:15-21 (ESV): 15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that  the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is  the hope to which he has called you, what are  the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And  he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

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Ultimately Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is God, is placed over all rulers & powers & authorities for eternity. God does allow people to do things contrary to God’s will and purpose for the best in their present & eternal life. God allows this treachery for the grandeur purpose to have a heaven filled with heavenly people. Scriptures informs us of many angels, including Satan, who were in heaven and fell. God’s intention is to have those who would fall, to fall in this lifetime, so that only those who are suitable for eternity in heaven are ever granted entrance into heaven. To accomplish this, the temptations & testing & trials in this life pose a real challenge to remain faithful, yet a real opportunity to solidify our characters through these trials to become more like the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1 (ESV):

1 Paul,  an apostle of Christ Jesus  by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace to you [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] in Christ with every spiritual blessing  in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] in him before the foundation of the world, that we [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] for  adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] in the Beloved. 7 In him we [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] have  redemption  through his blood,  the forgiveness of our trespasses,  according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus], in all wisdom and insight 9 making known  to us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] the mystery of his will,  according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

11 In him we [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] have obtained  an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 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, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

15 For this reason,  because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love  toward all the saints, 16 I  do not cease to give thanks for you,  remembering you in my prayers, 17 that  the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,  may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is  the hope to which he has called you, what are  the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us [the saints who ... are faithful in Christ Jesus] who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And  he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

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