Ephesians

[John Reece]

This is a non-debate reading and grammatical analysis thread.

Throughout this thread, entries in the section headed 'Analysis' will consist primarily of excerpts from A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament, by Max Zerwick and Mary Grosvenor (Rome: Biblical Institute Press, 1981).

Abbreviations:

• Abbott = T. K. Abbott, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians (International Critical Commentary; Edinburgh: T. & T Clark, 1946); from the Preface: "The following commentary is primarily philological. Its aim is to ascertain with as great precision as possible the actual meaning of the writer's language."

• BDAG = A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature ― Third Edition ― revised and edited by Frederick William Danker, based on Walter Bauer's Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments und der frühchristlichen Literatur, sixth edition, ed. Kurt Aland and Barbara Aland, with Viktor Reichmann and on previous English editions by W. F. Arndt, F. W. Gingrich, and F. W. Danker (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000).

• BG = Biblical Greek: Illustrated by Examples, by Maximilian Zerwick S.J., English edition adapted from the fourth Latin edition by Joseph Smith S.J. (Scripta Pontificii Instituti Biblici: Rome, 1963).

• Bratcher = Robert G. Bratcher and Eugene A. Nida, A Translator's Handbook on Paul's Letter to the Ephesians (Stuttgart, Germany: United Bible Societies, 1982).

• NA27 = Novum Testamentum Graece, 27th edition (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1898 & 1993) ; Greek text = the same as The Greek New Testament, 4th revised edition (formerly published by the United Bible Societies = UBS).

• Zerwick = A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament, by Max Zerwick and Mary Grosvenor (Rome: Biblical Institute Press, 1981).

Bible Versions:

ASV = American Standard Version.
ESV = English Standard Version.
KJV = King James Version.
NET = New English Translation.
NJB = New Jerusalem Bible.
NRSV = New Revised Standard Version.
REB = Revised English Bible.
TEV = Today's English Version.
TNIV = Today's New International Version.
YLT = Young's Literal Translation.

[John Reece]

This is a non-debate reading and grammatical analysis thread.

Throughout this thread, entries in the section headed 'Analysis' will consist primarily of excerpts from A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament, by Max Zerwick and Mary Grosvenor (Rome: Biblical Institute Press, 1981).

Abbreviations:

• Abbott = T. K. Abbott, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians (International Critical Commentary; Edinburgh: T. & T Clark, 1946); from the Preface: "The following commentary is primarily philological. Its aim is to ascertain with as great precision as possible the actual meaning of the writer's language."

• BDAG = A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature ― Third Edition ― revised and edited by Frederick William Danker, based on Walter Bauer's Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments und der frühchristlichen Literatur, sixth edition, ed. Kurt Aland and Barbara Aland, with Viktor Reichmann and on previous English editions by W. F. Arndt, F. W. Gingrich, and F. W. Danker (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000).

• BG = Biblical Greek: Illustrated by Examples, by Maximilian Zerwick S.J., English edition adapted from the fourth Latin edition by Joseph Smith S.J. (Scripta Pontificii Instituti Biblici: Rome, 1963).

• Bratcher = Robert G. Bratcher and Eugene A. Nida, A Translator's Handbook on Paul's Letter to the Ephesians (Stuttgart, Germany: United Bible Societies, 1982).

• Metzger = A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1994).

• NA27 = Novum Testamentum Graece, 27th edition (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1898 & 1993) ; Greek text = the same as The Greek New Testament, 4th revised edition (formerly published by the United Bible Societies = UBS).

• Zerwick = A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament, by Max Zerwick and Mary Grosvenor (Rome: Biblical Institute Press, 1981).

Bible Versions:

ASV = American Standard Version.
ESV = English Standard Version.
KJV = King James Version.
NET = New English Translation.
NJB = New Jerusalem Bible.
NRSV = New Revised Standard Version.
REB = Revised English Bible.
TEV = Today's English Version.
TNIV = Today's New International Version.
YLT = Young's Literal Translation.

[John Reece]

NA27 Text (Ephesians 1:1):

Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῖς οὖσιν [ἐν Ἐφέσῳ]* καὶ πιστοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ

*1.1 [ἐν Ἐφέσῳ] {C} The words ἐν Ἐφέσῳ are absent from several important witnesses (P46 ℵ* B* 424c 1739) as well as from manuscripts mentioned by Basil and the text used by Origen. Certain internal features of the letter as well as Marcion’s designation of the epistle as “To the Laodiceans” and the absence in Tertullian and Ephraem of an explicit quotation of the words ἐν Ἐφέσῳ have led many commentators to suggest that the letter was intended as an encyclical, copies being sent to various churches, of which that at Ephesus was chief. Since the letter has been traditionally known as “To the Ephesians,” and since all witnesses except those mentioned above include the words ἐν Ἐφέσῳ, the Committee decided to retain them, but enclosed within square brackets (Metzger).

Transliteration:

Paulos apostolos Christou Iēsou dia thelēmatos theou tois hagiois tois ousin [en Ephesō̧] kai pistois en Christō̧ Iēsou

Translation (ESV)

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

Analysis (Zerwick):

οἱ ἅγιοι : the saints (because dedicated to God ; title of all believers).
οὖσιν : participle of εἰμί be.
πιστός : faithful.

[John Reece]

NA27 Text (Ephesians 1:2):

χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Transliteration:

charis hymin kai eirēnē apo theou patros hēmōn kai kyriou Iēsou Christou.

Translation (ESV)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Analysis (Zerwick):

χάρις ... εἰρήνη : grace ... peace combines and Christianizes Greek and Hebrew greetings, χαίρειν and šālôm.

[John Reece]

NA27 Text (Ephesians 1:3):

Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ

Transliteration:

Eulogētos ho theos kai patēr tou kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou, ho eulogēsas hēmas en pasȩ̄ eulogia̧ pneumatikȩ̄ en tois epouraniois en Christō̧

Translation (ESV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places

Analysis (Zerwick):

εὐλογητός : blessed (be).
εὐλογήσας : aorist participle of εὐλογέω (τινά) (τινι) bless (one) with (something).
ἐν : instrumental (first occurrence) with.
εὐλογία : blessing.
πνευματικός : spiritual.
ἐπουράνιος : heavenly (whether existing in heaven or coming down from heaven or leading to heaven), here, it would seem as verse 20 and 2:6, in heaven.*

*Abbott: ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις. The adjective is found several times in the N.T. in the sense "belonging to or seated in heaven." .... It seems more natural to connect the words with εὐλογήσας (Lightfoot), or rather with the whole clause εὐλογήσας ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ. Not, however, taking the words as expressing literal locality, but as designating the heavenly region in which our citizenship is (Philippians 3:20), where the believer has already been seated with Christ (2:6), "the heaven which lies within and about the true Christian" (Lightfoot). "Those spiritual blessings conferred on us create heaven within us, and the scenes of Divine benefaction are 'heavenly places'; for wherever the light and love of God's presence are to be enjoyed, there is heaven."

[John Reece]

NA27 Text (Ephesians 1:4a):

καθὼς ἐξελέξατο ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ

Transliteration:

kathōs exelexato hēmas en autō̧ pro katabolēs kosmou einai hēmas hagious kai amōmous katenōpion autou

Translation (ESV)

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

Analysis (Zerwick):

καθώς : here perhaps causal for.
ἐξελέξατο : aorist of ἐκλέγομαι choose.
πρό : before.
καταβολή : foundation.
εἶναι : infinitive of εἰμί be ; infinitive, so with subject and predicate in accusative.
ἅγιος : holy.
ἀμώμος : unblemished.
κατενώπιον : in the sight of, before.

[John Reece]

NA27 Text (Ephesians 1:4b-5a):

⁴ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ⁵προορίσας ἡμᾶς εἰς υἱοθεσίαν διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς αὐτόν

Transliteration:

kathōs exelexato hēmas en autō̧ pro katabolēs kosmou einai hēmas hagious kai amōmous katenōpion autou

Translation (ESV)

⁴In love ⁵he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.

Analysis (Zerwick):

προορίσας : aorist participle of προορίζω, of God, predestine (having in mind his πρόθεσις (verse 11).
υἱοθεσία : adoption as a son, εἰς υἱοθεσίαν διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς αὐτόν to (receive) through Jesus Christ sonship to himself.
αὐτόν for ἑαυτόν : himself.

[John Reece]

NA27 Text (Ephesians 1:5b):

κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ

Transliteration:

kata tēn eudokian tou thelēmatos autou

Translation (NRSV)

according to the good pleasure of his will

Analysis (Zerwick):

εὐδοκία : goodwill, κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ translate as it pleased his will.

[John Reece]

NA27 Text (Ephesians 1:6):

εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ ἧς ἐχαρίτωσεν ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ.

Transliteration:

eis epainon doxēs tēs charitos autou hēs echaritōsen hēmas en tō̧ ēgapēmenō̧.

Translation (NRSV)

to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Analysis (Zerwick):

εἰς : denotes purpose, to, for.
ἔπαινος : praise.
ἧς : by which.
ἐχαρίτωσεν : aorist of χαριτόω favor one with something, bestow something freely on one.
ἠγαπημένῳ : beloved, perfect passive participle of ἀγαπάω.

[John Reece]

NA27 Text (Ephesians 1:7):

Ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ, τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν παραπτωμάτων, κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ

Transliteration:

En ō̧h echomen tēn apolytrōsin dia tou haimatos autou, tēn aphesin tōn paraptōmatōn, kata to ploutos tēs charitos autou

Translation (ESV)

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace

Analysis (Zerwick):

ἐν ᾧ : masculine in whom ; a key thought in this chapter.
ἀπολύτρωσις : redemption, liberation.
ἄφεσις : (from ἀφίημι forgive) forgiveness.
παράπτωμα : transgression.
πλοῦτος : wealth.

[John Reece]

NA27 Text (Ephesians 1:8):

ἧς ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς ἡμᾶς, ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει

Transliteration:

hēs eperisseusen eis hēmas, en pasȩ̄ sophia̧ kai phronēsei

Translation (ESV)

which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

Analysis (Zerwick):

ἧς : which (attracted from ἥν).
ἐπερίσσευσεν : aorist of περισσεύω, literally "cause something to overflow" to one, i.e. cause one to overflow with something, lavish, shower something upon one. The words ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει may be associated with the preceding words or with those which follow.
σοφία : wisdom.
φρόνησις : understanding.

[John Reece]

NA27 Text (Ephesians 1:9):

γνωρίσας ἡμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ, κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν αὐτοῦ ἣν προέθετο ἐν αὐτῷ

Transliteration:

gnōrisas hēmin to mystērion tou thelēmatos autou, kata tēn eudokian autou hēn proetheto en autō̧

Translation (ESV)

making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ

Analysis (Zerwick):

γνωρίσας : aorist participle of γνωρίζω make known.
μυστήριον : in Paul, mystery, secret, of truths only apprehended through revelation, especially referring to God's plan.
εὐδοκία : good pleasure.
προέθετο : aorist middle of προτίθημι set before, middle propose, purpose.
ἐν αὐτῷ : i.e. to be realized in Christ.

[John Reece]

NA27 Text (Ephesians 1:10):

εἰς οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν, ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ, τὰ ἐπὶ τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐν αὐτῷ.

Transliteration:

eis oikonomian tou plērōmatos tōn kairōn, anakephalaiōsasthai ta panta en tō̧ Christō̧, ta epi tois ouranois kai ta epi tēs gēs en autō̧.

Translation (NET)

[for] the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ* — the things in heaven and the things on earth.

*Bratcher: The next clause, "to head up all things in Christ" (...), is the climax, the final definition of the goal of the whole process of salvation, "the mystery of his will" (verse 9a), which the author has been describing in verses 3-10a. The Greek verb translated "to head up" occurs only here and in Romans 13:9 in the New Testament (in Rom 13:9 it means "to sum up, summarize"). In this passage the mere idea of "summarizing, summing up" does not do justice to the verb; it includes the idea of Christ as "head," as supreme over all things (see verses 20-23). So TEV "to bring all creation together ... with Christ as head" (so also BJ [Bible de Jerusalem], FrCL [French Common Language], and other translations).

Analysis (Zerwick):

εἰς : (denotes purpose) for.
οἰκονομία : administration, especially God's plan of salvation.
πλήρωμα : fulness, πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν see Gal 4:4, but here embracing the messianic era in its entirety with special reference to its consummation.
ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι : (< κεφαλή head) aorist middle infinitive of ἀνακεφαλαιόω sum up under one head (either sums or e.g. a discussion) ; also recapitulate ; the context favors to sum up/comprehend all things in Christ as head.
ἐπὶ τοῖς οὐρανοῖς : in heaven ; the genitive after ἐπὶ (τῆς γῆς) bears no perceptible difference in meaning.

[John Reece]

NA27 Text (Ephesians 1:11):

Εν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν προορισθέντες κατὰ πρόθεσιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ

Transliteration:

En hō̧ kai eklērōthēmen prooristhentes kata prothesin tou ta panta energountos kata tēn boulēn tou thelēmatos autou

Translation (ESV)

In 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

Analysis (Zerwick):

ἐκληρώθημεν : aorist passive of κληρόω appoint or choose by lot (κλῆρος) ; possible translation: "in whom we were chosen"; "in whom were alloted (sc. an inheritance)"; or "in whom we have been made his heritage, i.e. claimed as God's own" (JB).
προορισθέντες : aorist passive participle of προορίζω predestine.
πρόθεσιs : (< προτίθημι set before) purpose, κατὰ πρόθεσιν in accordance with the purpose.
ἐνεργοῦντος : participle of ἐνεργέω work, effect, carry out.
βουλή : (of God) intention.

[John Reece]

NA27 Text (Ephesians 1:12):

εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ.

Transliteration:

eis to einai hēmas eis epainon doxēs autou tous proēlpikotas en tō̧ Christō̧.

Translation (TNIV)

in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Analysis (Zerwick):

εἰς τό : with accusative + infinitive final denotes the purpose, here of the choice.
εἶναι εἰς : exist for.
ἔπαινος : praise.
προηλπικότας : perfect participle of προελπίζω hope before ; be the first to hope.