Blessings of Another Kind

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies   Ephesians 1:3

Blessed – There are two words for “blessed” in the New Testament.  One is common to the Greek pattern of wise sayings that begin with makarios.  You will find this in the Beatitudes.  There are dozens of “makarisms” in the Old and New Testaments.  They are always about a state of bliss that results from some condition of human existence.  Jesus uses this pattern to talk about the state of bliss of poverty of spirit, mourning, hunger, mercifulness and risk-taking.  But this is not what Paul has in mind in his letter to the Ephesians.  Paul uses the other word, the proper word for “blessed” (eulogeo), but he uses it in three different forms. Each one is important.

First comes eulogetos, constructed from two Greek words that mean “to speak well of.”  You will recognize the English derivative, eulogy.  In this form, the word is always about what is inherently worthy of praise and honor.  Paul says the equivalent of “Hallowed be the God and Father of our Lord.”  We give God praise and honor because God inherently deserves such.  These actions are properly called “blessing” because they acknowledge who God is.

But then Paul uses eulogesas.  God blesses us.  How?  By speaking well on our behalf.  God pronounces His inherent goodness over us, not because we are worthy of it, but because He is willing to give it.  God puts in a good word for us.  He offers at His good pleasure to share His honor with us, to pass along what He has by character so that we might share in His holiness and perfection. 

Finally, Paul uses eulogia.  Now the word is a noun – something tangible.  It is God’s good word toward us made real in the form of a commendation or benediction.  But it is no longer just words for these words; they now have substance.  They are spiritual favors, gifts and benefits whose origin is heaven, now made available on earth.  The hallowed God speaks recommendations over us that become evident in benefits to us. 

But what are these benefits?  They are not in the same category as makarios (don’t forget that).  They are much more like going to court with a character witness deposition in hand from the most important person in the world.  They are stamped and sealed requisition notices.  They are official endorsements of acceptance.  They are citizenship papers. 

When God blesses you, make sure you know which word He is using.  Otherwise, you might not understand why things did not turn out the way you expected.