Destination: there is good reason to believe that Ephesians was not written solely for the church, or churches, at Ephesus, but that it was a

Transcription

1 1 Ephesians Introduction: The Prison Epistles: The letter to the Ephesians is one of five letters known as the prison Epistles. It was written when Paul was in jail. Epaphras has come to visit him, bringing disturbing news about the church at Colossae. Apparently, heretical teaching had begun to take root in the church, threatening its very existence. So Paul writes the Christians at Colossae (the letter to the Colossians). He also writes a private letter to one of the members of the church there, Philemon. A runaway slave by the name of Onesimus, owned by Philemon, has been converted through Paul s ministry and is now returning to his master, all of which is explained by Paul in the Letter to Philemon. The third letter (Ephesians) is written to neighboring churches in the Roman Province of Asia. Tychicus, Paul s Dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord delivered all three letters (6: 21). The letter to Philippians was written on a different occasion. 2 nd Timothy, the fifth letter, was written from a Roman prison just before Paul was martyred for his witness for Christ Jesus. The Relationship of Ephesians to Colossians: These two letters are very much alike, so much so that about half of the verses in Ephesians are found in parallel form in Colossians. There are more similarities between these two letters than between any other two New Testament books. A close comparison of the two letters show that this is not just simply a matter of parts of one letter being copied into parts of the other letter. The parallel is more in terms of Thought and Expression. For example, the same phrases are found in both letters. In Ephesians 5: 16 and Colossians 4: 5 Paul speaks about Making the most of every opportunity (redeeming the time, King James); In Ephesians 4: 2 and Colossians 3: 13 he urges then to Bear with one another; In Ephesians 3: 17 and Colossians 2: 7 Paul speaks about being Rooted and established in love. None of these phrases are used elsewhere by Paul. For other examples of parallel phrases compare Ephesians 1: 23; 3: 19; 4: 13 with Colossians 1: 19; 2: 9; Ephesians 2: 12; 4: 18 with Colossians 1: 21; Ephesians 1: 7 with Colossians 1: 14; Ephesians 1: 13 with Colossians 3: 5; Ephesians 4: 16 with Colossians 2: 19. There are also parallels in theme in both letters. In both Paul speaks to the relationship between husband and wife; parents and child, slave and master (Ephesians 5: 21-6: 9 and Colossians 3:18-4: 1). Christian living is discussed in terms of putting off the old man and putting on the new (Ephesians 4: and Colossians 3: 5-14). Also in both letters Paul states that the Christians are to express thanks through hymns and songs (Ephesians 5: and Colossians 3: 16-17). For further examples of parallel themes, see Ephesians 1: 15 and Colossians 1: 3; Ephesians 6: and Colossians 4: 3-6; Ephesians 3: 1-13 and Colossians 1: So, how did these two letters come to be similar? A Guess is that Paul first dealt with these themes in his Letter to the Colossians, written to address the Colossians heresy. His letter to them was intended to be the antidote to the false teaching they were embracing. But Paul may have then thought in a deeper sense of what he had written and realized that what was true in a local situation was also true in all situations. The specific application to the church at Colossae is then turned into eternal principles in Ephesians.

2 Destination: there is good reason to believe that Ephesians was not written solely for the church, or churches, at Ephesus, but that it was a circular letter intended to be read by all the churches in Asia Minor, including Ephesus. The one good reason to think this is that Ephesians is a very impersonal letter for one who had spent years in Ephesus as Paul did (ref. Acts 18: 19-21; 19: 1-20; 20: 1, 13-37). There are no personal greetings (by contrast 26 people are greeted in Romans 16 and Paul had never, at that time, visited the church there!). There is nothing intimate shared with friends, no remembrances of common experiences. In fact, Ephesians is Paul s most impersonal letter. This would have not been the case if he were writing just to his many friends in Ephesus. Also, the letter itself seems to suggest that Paul and the recipients did not know each other. In 1: 15 Paul says, Ever since I heard about your faith In 3: 2 he writes Surely you have heard about the administration of God s grace that was given to me for you (See 4: 21 also). Thus the best guess is that this was a circular letter carried by Tychicus and read at each stop he made in Asia Minor, finally ending up in Ephesus, the capital city, where it assumed the name of the church there. The question could be then be asked, what about the Book and Letter titles? The answer is that these titles (such as Ephesians) were not part of the original manuscripts. The church added them later as simple titles by which to distinguish one book or letter from another in the newly collected volume that came to be known as the New Testament. So why were they not titles given to them by the original writers? In the first century people did not write on paper but papyrus, which was then rolled up and a string tied around it (if folded it would crack). The name and address could be written on the outside of it but few people did because there was no postal system, as we have today, available to the ordinary citizen. Instead a messenger who knew to whom it was written (such as Tychicus), or the writer delivered the letter to the one to whom it was written. This means that the titles are not authorized Scripture. Thus Ephesians may have not been written specifically for the believers at Ephesus. Place and Date of Writing: it is unclear from where Paul wrote this letter, for he was in prison throughout the Roman Empire. While Caesaria (Acts 24) has been suggested, the most likely place was Rome (Acts 28) meaning that it was written in the early 60,s, some thirty years after Jesus crucifixion and a few years before Paul s death. Outline: in between the introductory greetings (1: 1-2) and the concluding salutation (6: 21-24) the letter can be divided into two distinct sections: Section One. In chapters 1-3 we find theory, doctrine and what God has done for hopeless and helpless mankind. Section Two. In chapters 4-6 we find practice, duty and what believers are to do in response to what God has already done for them. Thus the letter moves from theory to practice; from doctrine to duty; from what God has done to what believers are to do. However, the emphasis throughout the letter is unity. In chapters 1-3 (part 1) Paul points out the great reconciling work of Christ, who by the cross and His resurrection, restored a personal spiritual relationship, by the indwelling Holy Spirit, between man and God and thereby eternal life to all who believed (trusted in the finished work of Christ) after having heard the gospel (chapter 1: 12-14). Thus He broke down the wall between God and man (2: 1-10) and the wall between Jews and Gentile (2: 11-22). Then in chapters 4-6 (part 2) Paul exhorts the believers to unity. 2

3 Ephes. 1:1-2: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul begins this epistle in the way most Greek letters begin: by naming the sender and the recipients and then by offering a brief greeting. Note: the phrase In/at Ephesus is not found in several of the very early and major Greek manuscripts. Paul states that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ. Apostles are much like ambassadors. They are chosen by the King (in this case Jesus) to represent Him and are given power to act in the name of the one who choose them. This was the title that was given to the original Twelve (Luke 6: 13) and then later to Paul (Galatians 1: By using this title, Paul is writing with the authority of Jesus Christ, backed by very God Himself. Thus a person did not get to be an apostle by volunteering for the office, instead, it was Jesus who both called and commissioned one to be an apostle. Saints, the recipients (also translated as The holy ones ) was originally used as a title for the people of Israel who were understood to be those whom God had set apart ( Made holy ) for His own service. But here Paul bestows it on Gentile Christians as well, since they have been sanctified ( Made holy ) through Jesus offering of Himself on the cross for the whole world. Note: Saints (those who have been made holy) is many time used by people to refer to those who seem especially pious people who are considered, by them, to be Super-spiritual Christians. But, in fact, the word Saints refers to all believers, regardless of their life style, because All believers have been made Holy by the finished work of Christ. As has already been noted, the words In Ephesus are not found in the early Greek manuscripts. Only if Gentile-born Christians of the Ephesian church who were converted after Paul had left the city for the last time are being addressed in this epistle can the words In Ephesus be upheld as authentic. The Christians to whom this letter is sent are not only called Saints but also called Faithful. God s people are the Household of faith (ref. Galatians 6: 10) united by their trust in God through Jesus and whose salvation is guaranteed unto the Second Coming because they are kept by the power of God through the faithfulness of God/ Christ (ref. Galatians 2: 20; 1 st Peter 1: 5). Thus, saints can be addressed as the Faithful in Christ Jesus (v: 1). So, grace refers to the undeserved favor of God freely given as a gift. No one could ever earn God s favor, for if they did it would not be grace. Peace refers to the reconciliation of sinners to God. Those then who trust and receive Jesus as their salvation receive peace with God. This is the central theme of Ephesians: peace with God could only come through the grace of God by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ (v: 2). Note: the city of Ephesus was the capital of the Roman Province of Asia. It was a large city situated on the west coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) on the Aegean Sea. The city s key architectural feature was the temple of Artemis (or Diana) that was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world (Acts 19: 35). Paul s first visit to Ephesus was brief (ref. Acts 18: 18-22), but he returned there on his third missionary journey and spent over two years there where his ministry was effective and controversial (ref. Acts 19:8-9; 19: 10; 19: 11-12; 19: 13-17; 19: 18-20; 19: 23-41). Paul never visited Ephesus again. He did call the Ephesian elders to him at Miletus to warn them that false and heretical doctrine would arise among them (ref. Acts 20: 13-38). Finally the city fell into ruins because the harbor silted up and became too shallow for large ships. 3

4 Ephes. 1:3-7: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; In most of Paul s letters, the salutation is followed by a word of thanksgiving. Occasionally he added to this thanksgiving a blessing. But here he begins with a long blessing (1: 3-14) and then follows this with an equally long thanksgiving (1: 15-23). The blessing, in the Greek, is a single sentence that seems to just tumble out of Paul s lips. He blesses God for His work of grace. The word Praise can also be translated To speak well and carries the idea of thanking, glorifying and singing the praises of the one who is the object/subject of this gratitude, for it is the work of God (not man) that is being described. It is in and through Jesus that God s work of love, grace and redemption is performed and is thus that same work that generates all this praise. The wording Has blessed us show that what is in view here is a single past action on God s part, for, Every spiritual blessing of the Holy Spirit has been given us by the Father if we are in the Son. No spiritual blessing has been withheld from us. While the believer will have to grow into maturity to be transformed into the image of Christ in order to know the fullness of the riches of their inheritance in Him, yet God will grant believers deeper and richer experiences while they are growing into this maturity, for all who are in Christ can have the fullness of every spiritual blessing God has for them. However, to experience this fullness the believer must grow and mature in Christ by the Word of God (v: 3). God put believers and Christ together before the world was formed because he had determined to make all His children holy and blameless through the redeeming work of Christ. The Greek word translated Blameless is used to describe the kind of animal that was acceptable as an offering to God under the Old Covenant, one that was perfect and without blemish. Christ Jesus the God/man is the only man that stands holy and blameless, without sin, before God. All believers, having no righteousness before God of their own, had to be made righteous by something other than that they possessed. God made all believers holy and blameless before Him, by placing them in Christ thereby giving them right-standing before Him (v: 4). God had predestined, Literally marked out beforehand to adopt as His children every person who would place all their trust in the finished work of Christ and receive Him as their free gift of salvation (right standing before God). Adoption was a common Roman (but not Jewish) custom where a child was given all the rights of the adoptive family by grace, not by merit or birth. Thus the purpose of predestination was that all believers become what the adoptive family already is. All of God s adoptive children (men and women) are predestinated to be holy and blameless in Christ, and it is all because it gives God great pleasure (joy) to reward Christ with many children (v: 5). Not only is the root and means of God s decision and work located solely in God Himself, but also the purpose of why he did this is so that He will receive all the praise and glory for this free gift of salvation. God wants to be praised by His children whom He has adopted and His joy and pleasure in doing this is only totally fulfilled when they show themselves completely pleased. The praise God s people are to give is the applause and cheers of captives who have been given their freedom (v: 6).The child of God is not only set free from the penalty of sin by payment of a ransom (Jesus death in place of the sinner), but the sin itself is forgotten (v: 7). 4

5 Ephes. 1:8-14: Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. God has thus fully shown (abounded) His wisdom and grace (prudence) toward man (v: 8) because that which was once hidden is now revealed by God: in this case, it is that God s final goal for all those (both Jew and Gentile) who will trust in the finished work of Christ be united as His children under Christ (v: 9). To bring together is from a Greek word meaning To sum up as in the conclusion of a speech or the adding up of a column of figures, a Gathering together of the pieces into a whole. So when the time is right (the fullness of times), God will fulfill what He has already determined (v: 10). Paul now states that Jewish believers (we) have obtained this inheritance because God s purpose was to work all things out just as He had already decreed it to be (after the counsel of His own will) and the Jewish remnant was by God s grace predestined to be His children (ref. Romans 11: 1-6), (v: 11). This made the Jewish believer the first to bring praise to Christ, because they were the first to trust in Him (v: 12). But now Jewish believers (we), are joined by Gentile believers (you), a clear sign that all people from all nations now make up the New Spiritual Israel of God. Paul now presents how the Gentiles have become children of God; first, they heard the gospel, the word of truth. Second, they believed the gospel and then they were sealed (indwelt) with the Holy Spirit that had been promised to all believers (ref. John 14: 16-17, 26; 15: 26-27; 16: 7-11). Note: salvation does not come in steps, but the only way that Paul can describe it in writing is by laying one thing after another. Salvation however, is an instant process and all the things described in this verse happen at the same time; when one hears the gospel and believes the gospel they are sealed by the Holy Spirit at the same instant they believe (v: 13). The Holy Spirit is the down payment (earnest) that guarantees ultimate ownership by God and is also God s Guarantee or pledge that He will bring His people safely to their final inheritance. Guarantee here was originally a Hebrew word that seems to have come into Greek usage through Phoenician traders. It is used in Modern Greek for an engagement ring, but in ancient commercial transactions it signified a First installment, deposit or pledge that pays a part of the purchase price in advance thereby securing a legal claim to the article in question. But in this case the guarantee is not something separate from what it guarantees, but actually the first portion of it. An engagement ring promises marriage but is not itself a part of the marriage. A deposit on a house however is more than a guarantee of payment; it is itself the first installment of the purchase price. So it is with the Holy Spirit. In giving Him to believers, God is not just promising their final inheritance, but is actually giving them a foretaste of it, which, however, Is only a small fraction of the fullness of the complete inheritance. And all this is so that God will, not might, receive all glory and praise for this salvation (v: 14). 5

6 Ephes. 1:15-19: Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Having praised the Triune God for His gracious work on behalf of mankind (vv: 3-14), Paul now prays that the believers to whom he writes will understand the magnitude of what has been done for them. He desires that they may be able to see what is already truly so (vv: 17-18). In particular, he wants them know the hope in which they have been called, the glory of their inheritance and the magnitude of God s power, but he struggles, on this last point to find words to express how overwhelming, and great this power is. This is the second of Paul s monster sentences. It runs from verse 15 to verses 23. Paul does not know the people (or at least most of them) to whom he writes. As shown in the introduction they may have been converted as the power of his ministry moved outward from Ephesus (ref. Acts 19: 10), or they may be new Gentile believers who were converted after Paul left Ephesus. He states that after hearing of their faith in the Lord Jesus and of their love for the saints (faithful to Christ and faithful to one another) (v: 15), that he continually gives thanks to God in his prayers for them (v: 16). Paul then asks for two types of illumination. First, he prays that not only will they know about God but that they will know him as an intimate personal Father. They have entered into a relationship with God, now he prays that their heavenly Father will deepen that relationship by the Holy Spirit giving them the spirit of wisdom and revelation of that which he is writing unto them. Note: because the New Testament had not been completed at the time of this letter, many, if not all of the believers that Paul is writing to at Ephesus may have only heard enough of the word of God for salvation, but had never heard the deeper things of that same word. According to 1 st Peter 2: 1-3 newborn believers (babes) must desire the sincere milk of the word before they will grow in the Lord (ref. 1 st Corinth 3: 1-4; Hebrews 5: 12-14), (v: 17). Paul then wants them to grasp three things in particular that flow out of this personal relationship with God: (1). He prays that their spiritual eyes (heart; mind, will and emotions, the center of man) be enlightened so that they will know that they are God s children, already made holy and blameless in Christ (v: 4) and thereby their position with God was eternal. (2). He prays that they will know that there are spiritual riches beyond imagination that God has reserved for His children (ref. 1 st Peter 1: 3-5), (v: 18). (3). He prays that they will know the exceeding greatness of God s power. If God s call looks back to the beginning of their salvation, and God s inheritance looks on to the end of their salvation, then they can also know that God s power is sufficient to keep them through the time period in between (v: 19). At this point in his prayer, words fail Paul. How can he by mere words of man describe the greatness of God s power? It is beyond anything that is know to man, so he simply lumps together four Greek words that are synonyms for power. Verse 19b literally reads, The power is like the energy of the might of His strength. The first word is Dunamis, or Power, ( Dynamite ) and it denotes the ability to accomplish what is begun. The second word is Energeia, or Energy and it means brute strength. The third word is Kratos or Strength, and it refers to the ability to face obstacles and overcome them. The final word is Ischus or Mighty, and refers to the actual use of power. 6

7 7 Ephes. 1:20-23: Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Paul now points to three acts in history when God s power was displayed. His power was seen in the past in God s act of raising Christ Jesus from the dead. It is seen in the present enthronement of Christ as king. It is also seen in the way Christ Jesus is head over the church. Jesus was really dead, buried in a tomb. However, God s power is so mighty that it broke the bonds of death. So now twenty centuries later one can look back at that empty tomb (for which no adequate explanation apart from resurrection has ever been offered) and at least, in part, grasp the extent and nature of God s power. Jesus is now the King who reigns in absolute power. One day that power will result in the bringing together of all things under Him (ref. 1:10; Psalm 110: 1; Hebrews 2: 5-9), (v: 20). Paul wants all to know that there is no power by any name, be it angelic, demonic, natural or supernatural, from the past, present or in the future, that is not now under Christ s powerful reign, though as yet man does not, and cannot see that all things are under His control (ref. Hebrews 2:8), however, all believers are to by faith know that this is true (v: 21). The third act of power is seen in the appointing of Jesus (who is over all things) as head of the church, which is, in fact, His very body (v: 22). The statement, The fullness of Him that fills all in all could refer to Christ (who is filled by God), or to the church. If the reference is to the church then the church Fills or Completes Christ, that is it fills and completes His body here on earth. If the reference is to Christ, then He Fills the church with His power as He has filled the universe with that same power. Thus the Head of the Church (Christ) fills the body (the church) with His power and thereby the whole body (the church) is filled with life and direction. This last explanation is almost surely what Paul means in this verse (v: 23). In chapter 2: 1-10 Paul is going to show that the ultimate reconciliation of all things in Christ Jesus, as described in chapter 1: 9-10, is guaranteed by the reconciliation that has already been accomplished by Christ between God and man. In chapter 2: he will further demonstrate this fact, by pointing to the reconciliation between Jew and Gentile that likewise confirms that ultimate reconciliation will indeed occur. In chapter 2: 1-10 Paul describes this reconciliation between God and mankind by means of a series of triple contrasts. Whereas believers were once enslaved to the world, the Devil and the flesh, now believers have been made alive, raised up and seated with Christ. Paul states that humanity faces a triple peril; they are dead because of sin, enslaved by that sin and face condemnation (wrath) for that sin. In describing man s slavery to sin he points out that all were under the triple powers of the world the Devil and the flesh. Paul says, So then, before Jesus set us free we were subject to oppressive influences, from both within and without. Outside was the world system inside was the flesh (man s fallen nature), and beyond both, actively working through both, was that evil spirit, the Devil, the ruler of the kingdom of darkness who held sinful mankind in captivity. See the next passage for the rest of the story.

8 Ephes. 2:1-3: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. The You refers to the Gentiles in Asia Minor to whom Paul is writing. This is made clear in v: 11 where he says, You who are Gentiles by birth. However verse 1-3 is not just about pagans, for Paul states, All of us lived the same way thus including himself and his fellow Jews in this description. Also in v: 3b he refers to Others indicating that the whole human race stands condemned in the same manner and for the same reason. All were spiritually dead for humanity in general does not walk in God s ways and thus all were spiritually dead unto God. Paul is speaking literally, for without a relationship with God all people are dead within to Him. They are dead because of their trespasses and sins. Trespasses (transgressions) refers to actively doing wrong. The idea is of a person crossing a boundary fence into a field that has a no-trespassing sign, or of one wandering off the true path into the wrong way (ref. 1 John 3: 4). These are Sins of commission. The word Sins refer to passive failure. The idea here is of an archer, shooting arrows at a target, none of which hit the bull s eye (ref. Romans 3: 23). They all fall short. These are Sins of omission, that is man has failed to come up to the standard of the righteousness of God. Thus, before God, all mankind are both rebels and failures (v: 1). Thus all people followed (literally walked) a particular path. This means they had made a deliberate choice to walk in the direction of the Ways of the world. The world here refers to this present evil age and its system of values and viewpoint around which this world culture and society operates in hostility against God. Thus, the Ways of the world system is the first power to which people outside of Christ are enslaved. The second power to which people outside of Christ are enslaved to is the Devil. This is the first of several references in Ephesians to Satan. He is called the Devil in 4: 27 and 6: 11, and the Evil one in 6: 16. Here it is seen that his kingdom is located in the heavenly realms (6: 12), the atmosphere that stretches from earth to heaven, meaning that he operates by spiritual means. Satan s activity is not only past nor only in the future, it is here and now in this present evil age as he operates in those who are disobedient to God. Paul has already shown that God is the ultimate ruler and in charge of all things. Still He allows, and will allow Satan, as long as this present age continues, to work through people, both believers and unbelievers, who are disobedient to Him (4: 27), (v: 2). The third power to which people outside of Christ are enslaved to is the Flesh, that is their Sinful nature. This means that all, both believers and unbelievers, have a selfcentered human nature that expresses itself in self-righteousness and is thereby destructive to both body and mind. The word Wrath here does not mean the intemperate outburst of an uncontrolled character. It is rather God manifesting His love through His will and power to resist, to overcome and burn away all that would contradict His great love for man. Thus it is, God s personal, righteous, constant hostility to evil, His settled refusal to compromise with it, and His resolve instead to condemn it. Notice that the Wrath of God in verse 3 is immediately contrasted in verse 4 with the love of God (v: 3). Note: some people teach that a Christian can be demon possessed, but this is false doctrine and denies the absolute power of God/Christ (ref. Matthew 12: 28-29). Satan will use believers who give him opportunity but he cannot possess them. 8

9 Ephes. 2:4-10: But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Paul is now going to relieve the bleak description of human plight apart from Christ. He now describes God s activity on mankind s behalf. A change of view that he signals by the use of the conjunction But. He states, We were the objects of His wrath, But God out of the great love with which He loved us had mercy upon us. We were dead, and dead men cannot help themselves, But God made us alive with Christ. We were slaves, in a situation of dishonor and powerless to help ourselves, But God has raised up all who have trusted in Christ and set them upon His right hand, in a position of honor and power. Thus God is the one who took action to reverse man s condition of sin. Love is God s reason for rescuing fallen humanity. This is the first of four words by which Paul explains God s reason for reaching out to fallen mankind. Paul speaks more about Riches in Ephesians than anywhere else in his writings (here and in 1: 7, 18; 2: 7; 3: 8, 16). God is not just rich in love, but He also is rich in Mercy, that is, mercy (loving-kindness: God not giving man what they deserve ) motivated God to rescue fallen hopeless and helpless humanity (v: 4). Paul now describes what happens to those who are In Christ. All in Christ are Made alive together with Him, that is, when one trusts in the finished work of Christ they are spiritually placed on the cross with Him, are then buried with Him and are resurrected spiritually with Him in His resurrection (ref. Romans 6: 3-5). Note Jesus was resurrected bodily, but all who trust in Christ are resurrected to spiritual life in this present life, but they too will also be resurrected bodily at His Second Coming, for once one is placed in Christ s death and burial, they will, from then on and forever, receive all that Christ has received (ref. Romans 6: 5; 8: 9-17). However this resurrection from spiritual death cannot be earned. It is freely given, for God s grace is giving believers what they do not deserve. Grace is the third reason God reaches out to fallen mankind. Paul then says, that, Believers have been saved (past action) and will remain saved forever. To be saved is how Paul describes being rescued, or delivered from the triple peril of death, slavery and wrath (v: 5). Not only have believers been saved from the triple peril of death, slavery and wrath, but being in Christ, all believers from the resurrection of Jesus until His Second Coming, have ascended into heaven (spiritually) with Christ Jesus and thereby are seated together with Christ until the Second Coming at which time, because they are in Christ, their spirits will come with Him and be reunited with their glorified resurrection body (ref. 1 st Thess. 4: 13-17), (v: 6). Thus, the change in life and status brought about in the Ephesians (and in all believers) is another visible demonstration of the greatness of God s power. Paul says God displays Kindness through The incomparable riches of His grace by His work in humanity (v: 7), for this salvation does not come about because of faith. It came by grace, through faith. Thus faith is a grateful response by which one reaches out and accepts the free gift of grace that has been offered. So salvation is not a reward for what one has done. It is not the result of being good or keeping Law. Grace is the true origin of salvation (v: 8-9). Believes are God s work of art, His masterpiece, and thereby works are to flow from the believer as a result of salvation, not for salvation (v: 10). 9

10 Ephes. 2:11-13: Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ Paul moves from the problem of human alienation from God (2: 1-10) to the related problem of alienation between people themselves (2: 11-22). In both cases the problem is hostility, or enmity. In both cases Christ is the one who, through His death, brings peace, first between God and mankind, but then also between human enemies themselves. The focus of this section is on the deep hostility between Jew and Gentile. Paul begins by reminding the Gentiles of their alienation from God s plan for the world (vv: 11-12). But then he describes how Jesus through His death Abolished the Law that divided man from God and Jew from Gentile (vv: 13-18). He did this by creating a new humanity through His cross by which He reconciled this New race, His body, to God. Paul concludes this section by describing, through three metaphors (kingdom, family and temple) the new reality that has emerged (vv: 19-22). In verse 1-3 Paul reminded His Gentile readers that once they were trapped in their transgression and sins, and so were spiritually dead and alienated from God. Now he asks them to also remember that when they were in that position, they were also alienated from all the blessings of God. In verses 1-3 the focus is on being cut off from God Himself, while in verses the focus is on being cut off from God s kingdom and God s people. Thus, the focus in verses is on what the Gentiles once were, prior to Christ s finished work on the cross whereby all people, regardless of race, are now reconciled to God. The word Uncircumcised was a derogatory term by which the Gentiles were mocked. With this contemptuous nickname, Jews were saying that the Gentiles lack of God s mark: on their bodies put them outside of God s kingdom, so they were to be despised. Circumcision was the sign given to Abraham by which the Old Covenant people were to be marked. This was the pride of the Jew s, for they thought that circumcision made them different and special (v: 11). In contrast to the great blessings described in chapter 1 and in 2: 4-10 that come as a result of being In Christ, at one time the Gentiles were outside Christ. That is, they had no hope of a coming Messiah who would make all things right. Gentiles were not part of God s kingdom. Israel was a nation founded by God, consisting of His people, and Gentiles were outside that kingdom. Not only did Gentiles have no part in God s kingdom, they also stood outside all the covenants God had made with His people (ref. Exodus6: 6-8; Deut. 28: 9-14). During this particular historical era (the Roman Empire time) people experienced a deep loss of hope. The first century had a number of mystery cults, all promising salvation from this despair. Living in fear of demons, people thought of themselves as mere playthings of god s that were totally separate from them. Therefore, this did not mean that the Gentiles were atheists. On the contrary, they worshipped scores of deities. The problem was that they had no real knowledge of the one true God (v: 12). Paul now uses the second great But that signals God s intervention into a seemingly hopeless situation by pinpointing how this great change took place. It is as a result of Jesus death on the cross that union with Christ is possible (ref.1: 7). Thus, now all nations (Gentiles, along with all people of the Jewish nation) who are in Christ Jesus have been made a part of the New Covenant (ref. Romans 2: 28-29; 9: 6-7; Galatians 3: 26-29), (v: 13). 10

11 Ephes. 2:14-18: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Jesus alone brings peace, that is, he creates harmony between human beings and God. He also creates harmony between human beings by drawing together, in Him, those who considered each other to be their enemies. He does this by standing between the alienated parties, bridging the gap that separates them. Paul has in mind an actual wall that existed in the temple in Jerusalem. The temple itself was built on an elevated area. The inner sanctuary (the Holy of Holies) surrounded the Court of Priests. Beyond this were the court of Israel (for men only) and then the Court of the Women. All these courts were on the same level as the temple, and each one had a different degree of rights. Around all these courts and about 19 steps below was the Court of the Gentiles. Here Gentiles could look up at the temple, but they could not approach it. They were cut of by a stone-wall ( the middle wall ) bearing signs that warned in Greek and Latin that trespassing foreigners would be killed. Paul himself knew very well about this prohibition. He had nearly been lynched by a mob of Jews who were told that he had taken a Gentile into the temple (ref. 21: 27-32), (v: 14). By three words (abolish, create and reconcile) Paul describes the three accomplishments of Christ on the cross whereby He destroys The dividing wall of hostility. The Law of Commands and ordinances is a reference to the Law of Moses and the thousands of rules and regulations that was in existence at the time of Christ. The belief was that only by keeping all these rules could one be counted good and therefore fellowship with God. In the place of divided humanity, Jesus creates a new humanity (body), a whole new quality of being by abolishing, through His perfect life and atoning sacrificial death on the cross, these Laws and regulations. This does not mean that Jews became Gentiles nor that Gentiles became Jews, both became Christians, the One Body in Christ (Ref. Galatians 3: 28; Colossians 3: 11), (v: 15). The word Reconcile means, To bring together estranged parties. In verse 14 the emphasis is on reconciling Jew to Gentile. Here the reference is to bringing both Jew and Gentile (the one body) together with God (v: 16). Since reconciliation (peace) with God was only possible through the sacrificial offering of Christ on the cross whereby He paid all the sin debt (the enmity), this reference is probably to Jesus appearances after His resurrection. In fact His first words to His apostles after His resurrection was, Peace be with you (ref. John 20: 19), (v: 17). For it is only through Christ that anyone, Jew or Gentile, has access to the Father, and this is not a one-time access. In Greek, one form of this word (access) is used to describe an individual whose job it is to usher one into the presence of the king. However, Jesus not only opened the way back to God, He continues to provide the means ( God the Holy Spirit ) whereby an ongoing and continuing relationship is established (v: 18). 11

12 12 Ephes. 2:19-22: Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Paul uses three images in verses to describe the achievements and results of the threefold work of Christ on the cross. First, the results of this threefold work of Christ on the cross was that now those in Christ are no longer foreigners; non-resident aliens who were disliked and often held in suspicion by the native population. Neither are they any more strangers; those who are residents in a foreign land who pay taxes but have no legal standing and very few rights. Instead, all Gentiles who are in Christ, who were once excluded from citizenship in Israel (v: 12) are now members of God s kingdom. In fact, they do not simply have a new legal status (citizens) their relationship is far more intimate. They have become family, fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God (v: 19). Since both apostles and prophets are teachers, the phrase The foundation of the apostles and prophets could mean that the Church rests on the teaching of both the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament Apostles. But, since the order is reversed here, it probably means that the Church rests on the teaching of the apostles and New Testament prophets (teachers) that followed them. However, they only built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, the cornerstone. The Cornerstone was that stone that tied two walls together, giving each its correct alignment. The temple in Jerusalem had massive cornerstones (one was nearly 40 feet long). The image here is of Jesus holding together Jews and Gentiles, thereby keeping them secure before God in the one body (v: 20). However, the new temple of God is not like the old one, carved out of dead stone, beautiful but cold and dead. Instead, it is alive in every nation of this world (ref. Revelation 7: 9-10), made up of believers in whom God the Holy Spirit dwells. All these believers are joined together by one common fact. They all have trusted in the finished work of Christ and are thereby bonded together just as a mason prepares two stones so that they will bond tightly together (v: 21). Paul then says that this is exactly what Jesus has done for the Ephesians Christians, and all believers. They are built together (both Jew and Gentile) for a temple of God and at the instant they trusted in Christ, God the Holy Spirit moved into their inner-man (1: 13-14). Thus, there are no more Gentiles or Jews in this body, but they are all one in Christ Jesus, the One Body (v: 22). Chapter 3, The next section is divided into two parts. First, Paul describes in chapter 3: 1-6 how he came to grasp the truth that Jew and Gentile are one in Christ (It was by revelation). Second, He explains in chapter 3: 7-12 how he came to preach this truth. Both his understanding of the mystery and his call to preach it are the results of God s grace that was given to him. The phrase is used in verse 2 and in verse 7 by way of introduction to each theme.

13 Ephes. 3:1-6: For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Paul begins with a prayer here in verse 1 but breaks it off at the word Gentiles. He probably does this because he believes that he should tell them how he came to be their apostle and how they came to be included in the same one body as the Jew. He will continue his prayer in verse 14. It is possible that Paul was under house arrest and not in an actual prison when he wrote the letter to the Ephesians. He was able to read and write and to receive visitors thereby he was probably in a rented house (ref. Acts 28: 30). However He was chained day and night to a series of Roman soldiers. In chapter 6: 20 he calls himself An ambassador in chains. Paul was in fact Nero s prisoner, however he knows his true master. Nero had the power to incarcerate him, but it was Jesus who commands his love, allegiance and freely given service. Paul was in prison awaiting trial because of his ministry to the Gentiles. He was arrested in the first place because it was thought he had brought Gentiles into the temple at Jerusalem (ref. Acts 21: 27-32; 22: 22-29). Throughout his ministry, his claim that God was including the Gentiles into the same body and giving them equal basis with Jews aroused severe opposition from them. What he wrote in chapter 2 is the cause of his suffering (v: 1). The believers in Ephesus (Gentiles) had, without a doubt, heard that God had revealed to Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, that Jew and Gentile are one in Christ and that Paul was called to preach this same message (v: 2). In English a Mystery has the sense of something hidden and even incomprehensible, but in Greek, a mystery is something that, while it is beyond human reason to figure it out, once it is revealed by God it is open and plain to all. Thus this new reality is not something that Paul figured out on his own, nor was it the product of man s doctrine. It was given to Paul by revelation from God (v: 3). Paul has already explained one mystery in chapter 1: 9-10, and the general nature of that mystery is that at the end of this age all things will be united in Christ. But this new reality here is not something to be realized only in the future. As he explains in verses 1-6 this mystery also has a here and now reality to it. The immediate meaning of the mystery is that Jew and Gentile have been made one in Christ (v: 4). In the Old Testament it was clear that the Gentiles would one day be blessed through Abraham (Genesis 12: 1-3; Psalms 2: 8; Isaiah 2: 2-4, 42: 6-7, 49: 6). In the New Testament, Jesus told His disciples to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28: 19). But what had not yet been made clear was the Radical nature of God s intention. It was the complete union of both Jew and Gentile in one Body, the Church, of which Christ is the head. However, it was not only to Paul that God had revealed this truth about the Gentiles. In Acts 10: 9-23 Peter learns by means of a divine vision that Gentile s are no longer to be considered impure and outside God s kingdom. Paul says that the Holy Spirit was the agent by whom God s plan is revealed (v: 5). Now the Gentile s are Heirs together/members together/sharers together of the same body (not a new body as some claim) as the believing Jews, all the way back to Abraham. Paul s point here is that these two groups, once traditional enemies, now share together the same promised covenant blessings, the same body and the same benefits (v: 6). 13