This phrase is a summary of everything Christians receive through God’s work in his Son, including election, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, and the gift of the Spirit. Second, God has blessed us “with every spiritual blessing.” Here Paul limits the type of blessing specifically to spiritual blessings (i.e., blessings pertaining to life in the Spirit). It could be argued that “in Christ” is the most important phrase of this passage (and the entire letter), as it occurs in different forms with the preposition “in” eleven times (Eph. First, God has blessed us “in Christ.” That is, these blessings are reserved specifically for those who believe in Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension and are united with him through faith. The final section of this verse consists of a series of three prepositional phrases clarifying the nature of God’s blessings. This latter phrase gives the basis or grounds for blessing God: God is to be blessed (praised) because he is the one who blesses. who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing.” God is described not only as “Father” but also as the one “who has blessed” believers. Note the emphasis on blessing: “ Blessed be. God is to be blessed or praised because of his great grace that provides believers in Jesus Christ a plethora of spiritual blessings (cf. The main idea of this section is found in the first word in both the English and Greek text: “blessed” ( eulogētos). Paul begins the body of this letter in a typical OT or Jewish style of a prolonged blessing ( berakah). 13In 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, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. 11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In love 5he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Listen to the Passage Read the PassageģBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. This article is part of the Tough Passages series.
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