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In ancient Greek--the language of the New Testament--there is no punctuation. Period.
The King James Version very nearly preserves that custom in the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesian congregation. There you'll find, spanning vv. 7-13, one of the great run-on sentences in the history of English literature. The one sentence is fully 125 words without a period.
But, grammar aside, the passage and its larger context (vv. 3-14), supports a declaration Paul made in v. 3, more accurately expressed in the English Standard Version:
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...
But to what does Paul refer when he alludes, first, to every spiritual blessing, and, second, when he declares that every spiritual blessing is found in Christ?
The answer to the first question is relatively easy. The Apostle Paul enumerates every spiritual blessing, five in all, within the context of vv. 4-14.
The first is kinship (v. 5): a person enjoys the provision and protection of the Father's house (Hebrew, bet ab). The second is redemption (v. 7): a person risks life and treasure to restore a kinsman to the Father's house. The third is covenant (v. 9): a treaty that establishes the parameters of relationship including a person's responsibilities and benefits. The fourth is inheritance (vv. 10-11): it's less about a transfer of wealth, and more about the preservation of the person and their land. The fifth is identity (vv. 13-14): the seal of the Spirit is a person's tangible deposit against the promised inheritance; the seal of the Spirit includes the identifying qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Blessings of substance, one and all. And, certainly, each one a familiar theme to readers of the New Testament. But what might Paul have meant that every one of the five is in Christ?
The answer is to be found in the tribal culture of ancient Israel. Kinship, redemption, covenant, inheritance, identity were all aspects of life among the descendants--the tribes or families--of the sons of Jacob, aka Israel. Paul, in Ephesians 1, employed the tribal culture of Israel to illustrate the relationship between Jesus and his disciples.
Followers of Christ belong to the tribe of Christ.
Ezekiel appears to have anticipated the day when the twelve tribes of Israel would be united as one: "Thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand'" (Ezekiel 37:19). Is it possible that Ezekiel anticipated the tribe of Christ?
In contemporary western culture, the perceived support and safety of the individual is largely vested in the government, rather than the tribe or family. Additionally, identity is typically established on the merits of the individual, rather than the tribe or family. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of reliance upon government and self?
How might life and relationships change if you lived with intention as a member of the tribe of Christ?
An individual's tribal affiliation in ancient Israel was established at birth. Mightn't it be accurate to suggest followers of Christ are similarly birthed into the tribe of Christ?
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