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Christmas Season · Second Sunday after Christmas Day · Year A

Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18

Chosen Before the World’s Foundation

January 4, 2026

Chaos. The Creation of the World, Ivan Aivazovsky
Chaos. The Creation of the World, Ivan Aivazovsky, 1841Mekhitarist Monastery, San Lazzaro degli Armeni, Venice
Aivazovsky, the great painter of the sea, here paints light breaking over formless water. He gave it to the Armenian monastery in Venice where he had been at school.He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will.Ivan AivazovskyA Russian-Armenian marine painter (1817-1900) who produced around six thousand pictures of the sea, almost all of them from memory rather than from studies.Mekhitarist Monastery, San Lazzaro degli Armeni, VeniceAn Armenian Catholic monastery on its own island in the Venetian lagoon, with a library of Armenian manuscripts and a printing press.Mekhitarist Monastery, San Lazzaro degli Armeni, Venice
Roman Lectionary
GospelJohn 1:1-18Jn 1:1-18 orJohn 1:1-5, 9-14Jn 1:1-5, 9-14
Second ReadingEph. 1:3-6, 15-18Eph 1:3-6, 15-18
First ReadingSir. 24:1-4, 12-16Sir 24:1-4, 12-16
Responsorial PsalmPs. 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

Overview & Insights

“He chose us in him before the foundation of the world.” (Ephesians 1:4)

The letter opens with a berakah, the Jewish blessing form that also begins 2 Corinthians and 1 Peter (2 Corinthians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3). In Greek, vv. 3-14 are a single sentence, piling participles and relative clauses without a full stop, and the effect is liturgical rather than argumentative. Election is placed before the foundation of the world and its terminus is adoption, huiothesia, a Roman legal institution with no exact Hebrew equivalent, which Paul uses also at Romans 8:15, 23 and Galatians 4:5. Everything is qualified by the phrase “in Christ”, which recurs through the paragraph as the location of every blessing. The second part of the reading turns from blessing to intercession, asking for a spirit of wisdom and revelation and for “the eyes of your hearts” to be enlightened (v. 18); knowledge here is a gift prayed for rather than an achievement reported.

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Commentary

Commentary on Ephesians 1:3-14Commentary on Eph 1:3-14 Working Preacher

The RCL Second Sunday of Christmas commentary on every spiritual blessing and adoption in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3-14 CommentaryEph 1:3-14 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching

A Reformed commentary on blessing, election, and taking possession of what is already given.

Ephesians 1 Commentary: God's Ultimate PlanEph 1 Commentary: God's Ultimate Plan Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's verse-by-verse evangelical commentary on the blessing and Paul's prayer.

Ephesians 1:3-4 CommentaryEph 1:3-4 Commentary Precept Austin

Verse-by-verse study notes on being blessed with every spiritual blessing and chosen in Christ.

Ephesians - Chapters 1 and 2Eph - Chapters 1 and 2 Agape Bible Study

A Catholic study of Ephesians 1 covering the blessing and Paul's prayer for wisdom and revelation.

Background & Word Study

Book of Ephesians Summary | Watch an Overview VideoBook of Eph Summary | Watch an Overview Video BibleProject

An animated overview of Paul's vision of unity in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3 InterlinearEph 1:3 Interlinear BibleHub

Greek word-by-word interlinear of the opening blessing.

The Church Fathers

Ephesians 1 - Catena Bible & CommentariesEph 1 - Catena Bible & Commentaries Catena

Patristic comments gathered verse by verse on the blessing and Paul's prayer.

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