Ephesians 1:1-3

Paul sends salutations in the form of a blessing that the disciples in Ephesus should enjoy God's abundant favor (grace) and a blessing of peace dispatched from God. Paul refers to God as ''our Father.'' The favor of God that the apostle wishes upon these disciples is that same favor obtained through the Master Yeshua (Jesus), God's favored Son who obtained such abundant favor through his righteousness and his suffering that it is of sufficient quantity to share with his disciples. 

The word ''saints'' means ''holy ones.'' Paul considered the God-fearing Gentiles set apart from the rest of humanity because of their allegiance to the Messiah. To be ''faithful in Christ Jesus'' means to be loyal to Yeshua, believing that he is the Messiah King and living under his authority and rule, obeying his commandments, and heeding his words. That is what it means to be ''faithful in Christ Jesus.'' 

THE LONG BLESSING

"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, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.'' (Ephesians 1:4-6)

After the salutation, Paul opens the epistle with a blessing formulated according to the traditional liturgical pattern for a berachah: Blessed b God who has done such and such, in this case, God is titled the ''God and Father of our Master Yeshua.'' 

However, as the epistle continues, it now becomes critically important to pay attention to the pronouns. Paul says that God has ''blessed us in Messiah with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places'' and that ''he chose us in him before the foundation of the world.'' Who is ''we''? Who is ''us''? 

Most readers assume that the first-person common plural forms here refer to all Christians as if Paul is speaking generally about what God has done for every disciple of Yeshua (Jesus). At first glance, many readers assume ''us'' means all believers, Jew and Gentile alike.  But in these opening verses, Paul is first referring specifically to Jewish believers, himself included. 

So it is evident that Paul is distinguishing between two different groups: those to whom he refers as ''we'' and those who whom he refers as ''you.'' The distinction Paul is making is between Jewish disciples and Gentile disciples. Paul speaks of the Jewish disciples, including the apostolic community, the apostles, and Jewish believers in Yeshua, as ''we.'' He speaks to the Gentiles disciples as ''you.'' 

Paul uses ''we'' and ''us'' referring to the Jewish believers, including himself:

Verse 1:4: He chose us in him before the foundation of the world.

Verse 1:5: He predestined us for adoption

Verse 1:11: In Him we have obtained an inheritance. 

These references align with Israel's covenantal language, chosen, adopted, receiving the inheritance. Paul is speaking from a Jewish perspective, possibly referring to the faithful remnant of Israel who had believed in Yeshua (Jesus), including himself. 

Paul makes a series of claims on behalf of the Jewish disciples of Yeshua, claims that, in his broader theology, ultimately extend to the entire nation of Israel. The first three claims he makes about Israel are as follows:

1. He has blessed the Jewish people in Messiah with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. 

2. He has chosen the Jewish people from before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. 

3. In love, he has predestined the Jewish people for adoption to himself as sons through Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.

The spiritual blessings are the blessings God promises Israel in the Torah. These are already spiritually realized in Messiah in heavenly places. The Jewish people are called the chosen people because God chose them from all nations. Jewish theology teaches that before God created the heavens and the earth; He chose Abraham. He chose the Jewish people to be holy, which means to be sanctified.  

The Jewish people were predestined for adoption through Yeshua. It was, in fact, for this purpose that the Messiah was sent to Israel, as Yeshua said, "I was sent to the lost sheep of Israel,'' and as Peter said, ''the promise is for you and for your children'' (Acts 2:39). 

For this reason, the Jewish people are called ''sons'' as God said, ''Out of Egypt I called my son,'' and ''Say to Pharaoh, Israel is my firstborn son.'' 

In other words, Paul is saying that all these blessings belong to Israel - to the Jewish people and not to the Gentiles. 

But here's the beauty: Paul's bigger message in Ephesians is that through the Jewish Messiah, Jew and Gentile are one new humanity. The blessings first given to Israel are now shared with the Gentiles through union with the Messiah.