Apollo Stuckey
Hey to all my beautiful people, and a special hello to those who’ve read more than one of my blogs!
Welcome back, and if you’re here for the first time, I’m so glad you’re joining me. Today, we’re diving into Ephesians. Originally, I planned to cover one chapter at a time, but that quickly felt overwhelming. Instead, I’ll break the book into three major parts, which feels much more practical:
The Introduction – Ephesians 1
What Christ Brings – Ephesians 2-3
Living as the Body of Christ – Ephesians 4-6
If you’ve watched the videos I shared in the Origin series or followed along in the Bible app, you already have an idea of where we’re headed. Let’s get into it!
Journeying Through Questions
As I write this, I find myself wrestling with a few questions. I’m sure I’m not the only one who reads the Bible and has questions, right? My journey has taught me that “the mystery of God” is never-ending. The more I learn, the deeper and more intricate my questions become. Yet, with every answer, we grow spiritually and more inquisitive.
I’ll share my questions at the end of this post and follow up with the answers in a future blog—so stay tuned! I also encourage you to ask questions of your own, because how will you learn if you don’t ask questions. As the body of Christ, we are called to be seekers of truth (1 Thessalonians 5:22, Matthew 7:7). The key is to seek with a pure and wholehearted intention (Jeremiah 29:13).
Now, back to Ephesians.
Section 1: The Introduction (Ephesians 1)
The first chapter of Ephesians begins with a beautiful, Jewish-style poem. We recognize this through parallelism, the repetition of ideas in different words. Paul, identifying himself as an apostle (“one who is sent out”), addresses the saints in Ephesus, setting the stage for what’s to come. (I also understand there is some controversy amongst scholars about the word Apostle and who is considered one but I will address that in a later book)
Blessings
Paul opens by praising God for His work through Christ Jesus. Here are a few key points that stood out to me:
He gives us all spiritual blessings.
He chose us before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).
He predestined us for adoption as His children through Jesus (Ephesians 1:5).
By His grace, we are made accepted (Ephesians 1:6).
He loves us with wisdom and prudence (Ephesians 1:7).
He reveals to us the mystery of His will (Ephesians 1:9).
I encourage you to read the full chapter, or better yet, the entire book. What stands out to me might differ from what speaks to you—after all, they don’t call it the living Word for nothing.
Why These Verses Spoke to Me
Words like spiritual blessing, foundation, predestined, accepted, and prudence resonate deeply. To me, they convey God’s intentionality and purpose.
For example, the word predestined means “determined in advance.” Paul emphasizes that God’s work is not random but carefully planned. This gives me comfort, knowing that God’s plan for us is secure, though we can delay or deviate from it.
Another word, prudence, means “acting with care and thought for the future.” This reinforces the idea that God’s plan is well-thought-out and full of love and wisdom. (Sidenote: if you ever watched my Instagram I mentioned that in the bible God will say the same thing 15 different ways well now we know that's called parallelism, and this is an example of that, Look at us learning lol)
Paul sums it up beautifully in Ephesians 1:9, saying that God has made known to us the mystery of His will—a reminder that His intentions are deliberate and meant for our good.
Knowledge and Understanding
Paul concludes this section by commending the Ephesians for their faith and assuring them of his prayers. He prays that they receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation, with the eyes of their hearts enlightened to understand their inheritance in Christ.
One verse that stands out is Ephesians 1:20-21, which highlights Christ’s authority:
"...which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come."
The imagery of Christ at God’s right hand reminds us of His supremacy and the spiritual nature of the battles we face. This isn’t just a physical fight—it’s spiritual, as we’ll see later in Ephesians. Also, we can all agree that the right hand in the Bible is pretty significant. That isn’t to say the left hand is bad, I mean it's in the Bible too, but that right hand is where it's at right?
Wrapping Up Section 1
The introduction in Ephesians lays a solid foundation, setting the tone for the rest of the book. Paul’s love and reverence for God shine through his words, reminding us of the depth of God’s love and His intentional plan for our lives.
My Questions
As I read, a few questions came to mind:
Were Gentiles not saved before the New Testament?
Why were the Jews chosen as God’s people? (I know but I need a deep dive)
Don’t come for me—I love asking questions, and I encourage you to share your questions and answers with references, preferably, so we can all grow together. I’ve started researching them already because I kind of knew the answer, but I want to know know. I want to know to the point where I can explain it to a child i.e. mines, so stay tuned!
Thank you for reading, and I hope this inspires you to dig deeper into Ephesians here is a video to help with your experience. Let’s continue to seek God together!
