I. Core Theological Concepts (God's Plan, Salvation, Christ, and the Spirit):;xNLx;;xNLx;Predestined / Predestination (Greek: proorizo) (Ephesians 1:5, 11): God's predetermination or foreordaining of His eternal plan from before the foundation of the world. In Ephesians, this refers to God choosing believers in Christ for adoption as sons and to obtain an inheritance, according to the purpose of His will.;xNLx;Grace (Greek: charis) (e.g., Ephesians 1:2, 6-7; 2:5, 7-8; 3:2, 7-8; 4:7, 29; 6:24): God's unmerited, unearned favor, kindness, and divine enablement freely given to humanity, especially for salvation through Jesus Christ. Ephesians emphasizes that salvation is "by grace...through faith" (2:8).;xNLx;Redemption (Greek: apolytrosis) (Ephesians 1:7, 14; 4:30): Deliverance or liberation from sin, bondage, or evil through the payment of a ransom. In Ephesians, it refers to forgiveness of sins through Christ's blood and the future "redemption of our bodies" or the "day of redemption" (the final aspect of our salvation, the redemption of God's possession).;xNLx;Forgiveness (of trespasses) (Ephesians 1:7; 4:32): The act of pardoning or remitting sins and offenses, made possible through Christ's sacrificial death.;xNLx;Inheritance (e.g., Ephesians 1:11, 14, 18; 5:5): The spiritual blessings, salvation, and future glory that believers receive as God's chosen children and heirs in Christ. This includes the Holy Spirit as a "guarantee" of our inheritance.;xNLx;Mystery (of his will / of Christ / of the gospel) (Greek: mysterion) (e.g., Ephesians 1:9; 3:3-4, 6, 9; 5:32; 6:19): In Pauline thought, a "mystery" is not something inherently unknowable, but rather a divine truth previously hidden or only partially understood, which has now been revealed by God through Christ and His apostles. In Ephesians, the central mystery is God's plan to unite all things in Christ, and specifically the inclusion of Gentiles along with Jews as fellow heirs and members of the body of Christ.;xNLx;Saints (Greek: hagioi) (e.g., Ephesians 1:1, 4, 15, 18; 2:19; 3:8, 18; 4:12; 5:3; 6:18): Meaning "holy ones." Refers to all believers in Christ, who are set apart by God for His purposes, made holy through Christ, and called to live holy lives.;xNLx;Faithful (in Christ Jesus) (Ephesians 1:1; 6:21): Believers who are full of faith, trustworthy, and loyal to Christ.;xNLx;Hope (e.g., Ephesians 1:12, 18; 2:12; 4:4): The confident and joyful expectation of God's future blessings and the fulfillment of His promises, based on His character and saving work in Christ.;xNLx;Glory (of God / of Christ) (e.g., Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14, 17-18; 3:13, 16, 21; 5:27): God's manifest majesty, honor, splendor, perfection, and radiance. Believers are called to live to the praise of His glory, and the church is to display His glory.;xNLx;Riches (of his grace / of his glory / of Christ) (e.g., Ephesians 1:7, 18; 2:4, 7; 3:8, 16): The immeasurable abundance and superabundance of God's kindness, favor, power, and blessings bestowed upon believers in Christ.;xNLx;Wisdom / Insight / Understanding (e.g., Ephesians 1:8-9, 17-18; 3:3-4, 10, 19; 5:15, 17): Spiritual enlightenment, discernment, and comprehension of God's truth and purposes, given by the Holy Spirit.;xNLx;Counsel / Purpose / Will (of God) (e.g., Ephesians 1:5, 9, 11; 3:11): God's sovereign plan, intention, and design, established from eternity and being worked out in history through Christ and the church.;xNLx;Fullness (of him who fills all in all / of God / of time / of Christ) (e.g., Ephesians 1:10, 23; 3:19; 4:10, 13): Completeness, totality, or the state of being filled. The church is described as "the fullness of him who fills all in all" (1:23), meaning it is the entity in which Christ's presence and power are fully operative. Believers are to be "filled with all the fullness of God" (3:19). God's plan culminates in "the fullness of time" (1:10).;xNLx;Salvation / Saved (Greek: soteria, sozo) (e.g., Ephesians 1:13; 2:5, 8; 5:23; 6:17): Deliverance from sin, death, and God's wrath, and the gift of eternal life and reconciliation with God, received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.;xNLx;Holy Spirit / Spirit of God / Spirit of Christ (e.g., Ephesians 1:13-14, 17; 2:18, 22; 3:5, 16; 4:3-4, 30; 5:18; 6:17-18): The third person of the Trinity, who seals believers as a guarantee of their inheritance, reveals God's wisdom, strengthens the inner being, unites believers in one body, and empowers Christian living and spiritual warfare.;xNLx;Seal / Sealed (with the Spirit) (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30): The Holy Spirit given to believers as a mark of God's ownership, authenticity, and the guarantee of their future redemption.;xNLx;Adoption (as sons) (Ephesians 1:5): The gracious act of God whereby He brings believers into His family as His beloved children through Jesus Christ, granting them all the rights and privileges of sons and heirs.;xNLx;Dead (in trespasses and sins) (Ephesians 2:1, 5): The state of spiritual lifelessness and separation from God due to sin before conversion.;xNLx;Wrath (children of wrath) (Ephesians 2:3; 5:6): God's righteous anger and judgment against sin. Unbelievers are described as "by nature children of wrath.";xNLx;Flesh (e.g., Ephesians 2:3, 11, 15; 5:29, 31; 6:5, 12):;xNLx;Physical human nature, the body.;xNLx;In a negative sense (as in 2:3, "desires of the flesh"), it can refer to fallen human nature, the sinful self, oriented away from God and driven by sinful passions.;xNLx;Circumcision / Uncircumcision (Ephesians 2:11): Physical circumcision was the sign of the covenant for Jews. Paul refers to Gentiles as "the uncircumcision" and Jews as "the circumcision" in the flesh, highlighting a distinction that has been overcome in Christ.;xNLx;II. The Church and Unity:;xNLx;;xNLx;Church (Greek: ekklesia) (e.g., Ephesians 1:22; 3:10, 21; 5:23-25, 27, 29, 32): The community of all believers in Jesus Christ, which Paul describes in lofty terms as:;xNLx;His body (Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:16; 3:6; 4:4, 12, 16, 25; 5:23, 30): Christ is the head, and believers are members of His body, united to Him and to one another, with diverse gifts for mutual edification.;xNLx;A holy temple / Dwelling place for God (Ephesians 2:19-22): The church is being built together into a spiritual house where God dwells by His Spirit, with Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, and apostles and prophets as the foundation.;xNLx;The household of God (Ephesians 2:19): Believers are members of God's family.;xNLx;The bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33): An intimate metaphor describing Christ's sacrificial love for the church and the church's responsive submission and purity.;xNLx;Gentiles / Nations (Greek: ethne) (e.g., Ephesians 2:11; 3:1, 6, 8; 4:17): Non-Jewish peoples. A central theme in Ephesians is the "mystery" that Gentiles are now "fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (3:6), united with Jewish believers in one new man.   ;xNLx;Commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:12): The covenant community of Israel, from which Gentiles were formerly alienated.;xNLx;Covenants of promise (Ephesians 2:12): The specific covenant agreements God made with Israel (e.g., Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic), which contained His promises. Gentiles were once "strangers" to these.;xNLx;Dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14): The barrier of separation, rooted in the Mosaic Law and cultural animosity, that existed between Jews and Gentiles, which Christ broke down through His death, creating one new humanity.;xNLx;Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20): Jesus Christ is the foundational stone upon which the church, as a holy temple, is built.;xNLx;Manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10): The multi-faceted, incredibly diverse, and rich wisdom of God, which is now being made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.;xNLx;Unity (of the Spirit / of the faith) (Ephesians 4:3, 13): The oneness that believers share in Christ through the Holy Spirit, which they are called to maintain and to attain in fullness of faith and knowledge.;xNLx;Apostles and Prophets (as foundational) (Ephesians 2:20; 3:5; 4:11): Foundational ministries in the church. Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers to equip the saints for ministry. The mystery of Christ was revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.;xNLx;III. Spiritual Warfare and Christian Living:;xNLx;;xNLx;Heavenly places / Heavens (e.g., Ephesians 1:3, 10, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12): The spiritual realm, the sphere of God's dwelling and activity, where Christ is now exalted and where believers are spiritually seated with Him. It is also the realm where spiritual conflict occurs against evil powers.;xNLx;Rulers / Authorities / Cosmic powers / Spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 1:21; 3:10; 6:12): Malevolent spiritual beings or demonic powers that operate in the heavenly places and exert influence in the world, against whom believers must wage spiritual warfare.;xNLx;Devil (Ephesians 4:27; 6:11): Satan, the chief adversary of God and His people.;xNLx;Schemes (of the devil) (Ephesians 6:11): The cunning strategies, deceptions, and temptations used by the devil to oppose God's work and harm believers.;xNLx;Armor of God (Ephesians 6:11, 13-17): The spiritual resources and defenses provided by God that believers are to put on to stand firm against the devil's schemes and spiritual attacks. This includes the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit (the word of God).   ;xNLx;New self / Old self (Ephesians 4:22-24): Paul contrasts the old way of life characterized by sin and corruption ("old self") with the "new self" created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness, which believers are to "put on" as a result of their union with Christ.;xNLx;Walk (in a manner worthy / in love / as children of light / wisely) (e.g., Ephesians 2:2, 10; 4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15): A metaphor for one's conduct, lifestyle, or pattern of behavior. Believers are called to walk in a way that reflects their new identity in Christ.;xNLx;Redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16): To make the most of every opportunity, living wisely and purposefully, especially because "the days are evil.";xNLx;Submission / Submit (e.g., Ephesians 5:21-24, 33 [wife to husband]; 6:1 [children to parents], 5 [bondservants to masters]): To place oneself under the authority or leadership of another, in a spirit of respect and cooperation, within the context of God-ordained relationships. Paul grounds this in reverence for Christ.;xNLx;IV. Other Notable Terms:;xNLx;;xNLx;Gentiles (See Section II);xNLx;Circumcision (See Section I);xNLx;Bondservant / Slave (Greek: doulos) (Ephesians 6:5-8): Refers to slaves within the household structures of the Roman world. Paul gives instructions for both slaves and masters regarding their conduct.;xNLx;This list provides definitions for many of the key terms and concepts in Paul's Letter to the Ephesians (ESV). Understanding these within their rich theological and historical context is crucial for appreciating the grandeur of God's eternal plan and the believer's identity and calling in Christ and His Church.