Paul wrote this letter from prison in Rome about AD 62.  Ephesus was an important political, educational, and commercial center.  It is one of the seven churches Jesus addresses in the book of Revelation.  Paul pastored there for three years, and left Timothy to pastor for a year and a half.  It is written to spiritually more mature believers, but who like other congregations struggled with being unified.  Chapter 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God (called of God), to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.”  Verse 2 “Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”  It is interesting that the Father and Jesus are mentioned, but not the Holy Spirit.  I believe that is because the Holy Spirit is Christ’s Spirit.  This next verse is used as a proof text by the LDS to support their doctrine of preexistence.  Verse 3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”  Paul is describing blessings as being heaven-centered and not earthly based.  I don’t read into that verse a hint of there, having been a pre-mortality.  Paul is simply stating that our spiritual blessings come from heaven, where Christ lives.Now we come to a passage of scripture that is heavily debated even within Christianity.  Verse 4 “According as he (the Father) hath chosen us in him (in Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (sanctified) and without blame before him in love (because of the Father’s love for us):”  The LDS will again use this verse and those following to try and prove that “predestination” is referring to a premortal life where valiant and faithful spirit children were chosen to perform particular missions and service here on earth.  Verse 5 “Having predestinated (LDS call it foreordained) us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”  Let me explain.There is a large segment of the Christian population here in the United States – who believe in Reformed Theology.   Another term for it is Calvinism – after John Calvin.  They insist that Ephesians 1:1-12 clearly establishes the idea that God is a God of TOTAL sovereignty.  That He unconditionally predestined His elect to salvation – meaning He chose who would be His before the foundation of the world.  And after so doing, set His will in motion – making it so that none would come to Him and be saved who are not on the list.  Admittedly these first twelve verses – taken out of the context of the rest of the Bible – could be readily interpreted to mean this.  And if this is true, the Sovereign God has also – by electing some to be saved – elected MOST to suffer in hell eternally.  In Reformed Theology there is no individual free will – no choice.  It is obvious that Ephesians 1 puts considerable emphasis on God’s purposed will.  The question remains – whether His will and purposes are directed at each individual He has elected – or is Paul talking about something else here?   I suggest he was talking about something entirely different.  Predestination spoken of here by Paul is directed ONLY to the Jews as a Nation – whom God predestined to do what they would do for the salvation, reconciliation, and unity of the world with them into one.  Now we read Verses 4 through 12 and discover that the terms “we” and “us” and the terms “ye” and “you” refer respectively to – the Jews (the we, and us) and then to the Gentiles (whom Paul calls ye and you).  Here in this first chapter of Ephesians, Paul identifies himself with the Jews, who he calls “the first hope in Christ.”  He dwells on God’s purpose for the Jews as a nation – how God chose them (whom Paul calls “us”) before the foundation of the world – how he predestined them to adoption as sons – and how he offered them the gospel of grace – first.  And in this we realize that i