Ephesians 1:1-2. God s Grace and Peace to Holy Ones

Transcription

1 Ephesians 1:1-2 JD God s Grace and Peace to Holy Ones The epistle to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul. It authorship has generally not been questioned until the nineteenth century, as Constable points out, but there is enough evidence to remain confident that the traditional Pauline authorship is correct. Wuest states that Paul wrote this along with Colossians during his first Roman imprisonment, approximately 64 A.D. Ephesians is considered by many to be an encyclical letter. That is, it was intended to be addressed to and read by a variety of churches. Support for this idea comes from the fact that three early Alexandrian Greek manuscripts do not contain the phrase in Ephesus, and church members are not mentioned by name as in other epistles. Those who follow this idea, such as Wuest, believe that other church names could be inserted rather than Ephesus. Hoehner does doubt that the epistle was encyclical, because the wide geographical distribution of Greek manuscripts does include in Ephesus, and no known manuscripts have the name any of any other area. Hoehner points out that it may still be considered circular since the Ephesians may have passed it on to Laodicea and Colosse, and this epistle may be what is referenced in Colosssians 4:16. Ephesians 6:21-22 show that this epistle was delivered by Tychicus. Due to either the encyclical or circular nature of the letter, it does not address a specific issue or heresy, but instead focuses on pure doctrine. Constable in his commentary quotes A.T. Robinson who points out the relationship of Ephesians to Colossians is akin to the relationship of Romans to Galatians, that is, a more thorough treatment of a topic to a less personal audience. The focus of Ephesians is on love and the church. Constable also points out the emphasis on God s action in bringing salvation and the importance of Christian knowledge, consistent faith, and spiritual warfare. The emphasis of the epistle fits with the situation described in Revelation 2:4 and I Timothy 1:5. While brief, the epistle carries a concentrated load of doctrine. It contains some of the most powerful and oftenquoted verses in the Bible. The first two verses of the epistle to the Ephesians introduce the letter. It is written to the saints or holy ones, which is a translation of hagios. Wuest goes into great detail discussing the origins of this word in the pagan Greek culture and notes that its usage in the Biblical sense is very unique, a term that was coined afresh with a new meaning as it is used in the New Testament. The epistle notes the recipients are saints and faithful. Constable notes that not all saints are faithful, but apparently the receipients of this epistle were. Constable also quotes Van Ryn and E.K. Simpson who emphasize the importance of the phrase in Christ. Hoehner notes that in this epistle Paul extends grace and peace rather than greetings which is more common in the Greek letters. Constable however maintains that this greeting is consistent with Pauline epistles. Wuest goes into detail discussing the meaning of grace and peace. The Greek word charis translated as grace indicates how wonderful God is in his actions toward us. The Greek word for peace indicates healing a disjointed situation, which is what God does in salvation for his followers. Hoehner suggests that peace is a relational result of the steadfast grace love that God has toward man. RW Paul to Saints, Peace through Grace. Both commentators were in agreement that Ephesians had been written by the apostle Paul to the church at church at Ephesus during his first Roman imprisonment. In the 19th century higher criticism challenged challenged Paul s authorship of the letter based on differences in the literary styles between the letter to the

2 letter to the Ephesians and other letters attributed to Paul. However, higher criticism overlooked the fact the fact that the letter was first circulated during Paul s lifetime which would have given Paul the opportunity to deny his authorship and also the fact that the church has historically acknowledge Paul to be Paul to be the author. The letter did not appear to be written in response to any particular problem that the church at Ephesus was Ephesus was experiencing nor did it make use of numerous personal greetings to Paul s acquaintances acquaintances within the church at Ephesus. It followed a general pattern of communication that Paul had Paul had demonstrated in some of his other letters, one of first defining the doctrine which was then then followed by the description of the practical application of the discussed doctrine. In chapters 1 through 1 through 3, Paul discussed the calling of the church and the believer; the doctrine. In chapters 4 through 6, through 6, Paul discussed the conduct of the church and the believer; the application. The 19th chapter of the Book of Acts, gave insight and context to the relationship that Paul shared with the with the believers at Ephesus. Paul had actually spent 3 years in the company of the Ephesians. There was There was also the passage in Acts 20:17-38 where Paul stopped on his way to Jerusalem and subsequent subsequent imprisonment to have a last face to face meeting with the elders of the church at Ephesus. There Ephesus. There was also a letter from Christ to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7 where we learned we learned that the Ephesians had preserved and tested and endured but that they had also left their first their first love. These other passages have lent themselves to give a clearer understanding of Paul s letter to letter to the Ephesians. Verses 1 and 2 were full of information. They called to mind Paul s conversion on the road to Damascus Damascus where he was a witness of the risen Christ. It also called to mind Paul s defense of his apostleship in Galatians 1 and 2. Verse 1 reinforced these facts. Paul was an apostle of Christ Jesus by the Jesus by the will of God. Paul was writing to the saints at Ephesus meaning those who had been set aside set aside by God for His use, but more than that he identified the saints of Ephesus as being faithful. And faithful. And perhaps most importantly, Paul identified what really mattered most for the Ephesians; their Ephesians; their position, they were in Christ Jesus. Lastly Paul defined for the Ephesians the new new relationship that they experienced as a result of being in Christ Jesus. Because of the Father s grace Father s grace given through Christ Jesus, the Ephesians now experienced peace with the Father. They They were in right relationship with the Father through His grace. BR Greeting from Paul to the Ephesian Saints The epistle to the Ephesians was written by Paul who identifies himself twice in the letter. Paul also identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, clearly evidencing that Paul had the unquestionable authority of God behind him. No man, himself included, made him an apostle. The decision was made by God Himself. It is generally accepted that Paul wrote Ephesians during his first imprisonment in Rome around 60 A.D. Paul may have written the book of Colossians at the same time. Ephesians, along with the books of Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon, is thus considered a Prison Epistle. Since Paul makes no mention of his release in Ephesians as he does in Philippians and Philemon, it is likely that he wrote Ephesians early on in his imprisonment. This letter was sent to the saints, holy ones set apart for God s use, in Ephesus which was the capital of capital of the Roman province in Asia. Though some believe that the letter was intended to be circulated circulated among undesignated churches due to the omission of the words in Ephesus in some manuscripts, the amount and quality of external and internal evidence suggests that Paul wrote this letter letter specifically to the Ephesian church. It is possible that Paul intended for the letter to be circulated, but circulated, but the Ephesian church was the first to receive it. Being the capital of the Roman province, province, Ephesus was a very strategic location from which to circulate his letter. It is probable that Ephesians was delivered by Tychicus, the same man who delivered Paul s epistle to the epistle to the Colossians.

3 The letter does not indicate a singular occasion for its writing, but that does not mean Ephesians was written without purpose. Ephesians has a strong emphasis on church doctrine and practical living of that doctrine. Paul mentions the mystery of the church several times throughout the epistle, and he explains what the mystery is. Paul also has a definite focus on love love for God and for each other. This is likely due to Paul s contact with the Ephesian church. He had instructed the Ephesian saints to beware of false teachers, both from within and from without. From Revelation we can see that the Ephesians did well in keeping out false doctrine, but their first love for Christ had diminished. Thus, Paul emphasized love for God and for others, as well as unity within the church, in response to the Ephesian s diminishing love. The book of Ephesians can be divided into two major sections. In the first three chapters of the epistle, Paul epistle, Paul focuses primarily on pure knowledge, i.e. doctrine. In the latter half of the letter, practical practical knowledge, or christian conduct, is Paul s focus. This organization is in agreement with most of most of Paul s writings, where he begins with foundational truth and ends with application of that truth. truth. Due to the lack of an occasion for Paul s writing, the book of Ephesians differs from Paul s other other letters as it reads more like a public speech than a personal missive. Paul opens the letter identifying himself as the author, specifically pointing out that he is an apostle by the apostle by the will of God, not by a human decision. He then addresses the letter to the church in Ephesus. Ephesus. It is notable that, in his address, Paul says, faithful in Christ Jesus. This attests to their being being specifically in Christ, not in Adam nor in the pagan Ephesian goddess. Paul uses the phrase in phrase in Christ nine times in the first fourteen verses of chapter one and twenty-seven times altogether altogether in the book of Ephesians. Paul s doctrinal instruction and application centers around what it what it means to be in Christ. Paul closes his salutation by wishing grace, God s unearned favor, and peace, the result of God s grace grace towards us, to the Ephesian saints. Those two words, peace and grace, are a basic summary of the of the whole letter, and thus they act as an excellent introduction. CM Paul s Authorized Greeting to the Ephesian Believers Authorship: The internal and external evidence for Pauline authorship far outweighs critics claims that Ephesians is uncharacteristic of the writing of Paul and, therefore, pseudonymous. Dr. Hoehner states flatly that pseudonymity was not practiced by the early Christians and that, furthermore, it would seem strange that a disciple of Paul would be greater than Paul in theological and spiritual perception (BKC, p. 613). That Paul was a prisoner during the time he wrote Ephesians is plainly stated in Eph. 3:1 and 4:1. This was likely his first imprisonment, and the time during which he also wrote Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians. Taken together, these four epistles are known as the Prison Epistles. Unlike Philippians and Philemon, there is no hint in Ephesians that Paul expects to be released from prison, so it is likely that Ephesians was written in the early part of his stay, or about A.D. 60 (BKC, p. 614). Audience: It appears from several bits of evidence that this was intended to be an encyclical letter, to be circulated among the churches of Asia Minor, of which Ephesus was the cultural and commercial center. The letter was probably delivered from Rome by Tychicus. It is the least personal of his Epistles, even though he spent three years in Ephesus. The relative impersonality of the letter seems surprising, given the number of remarkable events which took place during his stay in Ephesus, as well as Paul s moving farewell address upon leaving the elders at the coastal town of Miletus. Purpose and Themes: Throughout his epistles, it seems that Paul s constant refrain was one of warning against false teachers, and his last statement to the Ephesian elders as he departed Miletus was precisely this very warning. In Revelation, we find the rest of the story. Apparently, the elders in Ephesus heeded well Paul s final words of warning against evil teachers, for Jesus Christ commends them for working hard to preserve sound doctrine (Rev. 2:2-3, 6). Nevertheless, the Lord faulted them for leaving their first love. It is likely that Paul had picked up on this trend, for he wrote from Macedonia to Timothy at Ephesus that his instructional goal should be pure love. Thus it is that love is the keyword in Ephesians, Paul using the noun or verb form fully 19 times in this small epistle alone, or one-sixth of all his references to love in all his epistles! It is also significant that

4 the letter begins and ends with love. This emphasis on love dovetails perfectly into Paul s purpose of promoting unity between both Jewish and Gentile believers. This unity was predicated upon the mystery of the church as Christ s body in which both Jewish and Gentile believers are one (Constable, p. 2). Thus, the exposition of the mystery of God s will for the church was Paul s main purpose in writing this particular epistle. Other themes are God s action in bringing salvation, the importance of the Christians growing in knowledge, the importance of consistently living out one s faith, and spiritual warfare. Outline: The book s outline falls into two main sections: I. The Calling of the Church, and II. The Conduct of the Church. As with most of Paul s letters, the first half of the letter is pure knowledge; the second half is practical knowledge, consistent with the common Doctrine/Duty format. Eph. 1:1-2: The two-verse Prologue forms the reading section for this week. An apt title might be Paul s Authorized Greeting to the Ephesian Believers. As the letter opens, the will of God takes front and center stage in the line-up of key words or phrases, pivoting from Paul s calling as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God (1:1) to our calling unto the adoption of children to Himself (1:5) to the praise of His glory (1:14). Paul s care in clarifying his use of the Greek word hagios to mean those who believe in Christ Jesus alerts the reader that this is yet another of the keywords and phrases that are the stuff of these two small 5 SK Paul s greets the believer s in Ephesus I am reading this passage from the English Standard Version of the Bible so some of the portions I display in quotes may be slightly different from the Bible you may be using if it is another version. We learn several things about both the apostle Paul and the people in Ephesus in this small section of scripture. It is affirmed that Paul is the author of the letter. Paul identifies himself in verse 1 as an apostle of Jesus Christ. He also claims his apostleship as being by the will of God. This tells us something about the nature of his apostleship in that it was not by the will of men nor was it by his own will. Paul addresses his letter to the saints who are in Ephesus. From this phrase we can see that this letter was addressed to believers in Jesus Christ. These believers are part of the church in Ephesus. Paul also says that they are faithful in Christ Jesus This phrase gives us an indication that the believers in Ephesus were faithful in their devotion to Jesus an also in their conduct. There is no indication at least in this beginning of the letter that Paul is writing to deal with any issues of immorality or poor conduct on the part of the believers in Ephesus. In verse 2 Paul gives a greeting and a blessing to the church in Ephesus by asking that grace and peace be given to the believers. Paul identifies this grace and peace as coming from both God, who he addresses as our Father, and Jesus Christ. Paul addresses Jesus as the Lord. JM Greeting and Salutations to the Ephesian Church In his initial literary salutation, Paul sets forth to cover more than a simple greeting. After establishing his identity, he quickly refers to his position as one of the apostles. The word apostle, meaning generally a sent one in the original Greek, confers also the idea of a special messenger who has seen Christ and thus whose words have a special significance. Paul was familiar with this congregation. This might have been a reason that he used it as the original recipient of a letter probably meant for broader distribution. The city of Ephesus was also a political, commercial, cultural, and religious center of the large frontier portion of the Roman Empire known as Asia Minor. This allowed for the rapid exchange of goods and information within the local provinces as well as

5 a channel to the greater centers of power including Rome and the Greece. This Christian body seems to have been respected by Paul for its ability to keep the teachings he had shared in earlier visits. His greeting, though, is more than a simple salutation. It is a very affectionate familiar greeting to established faithful friends, but at the same time was preparing the readers to give special heed to the message of the letter to come by invoking not only the fact of his calling but the name of Jesus Christ and Father God in a short reference to Trinitarian theology. As we read the outline of the book, we can see several subplots including the mystery of the church, the holiness of God, spiritual growth, unity of believers, and spiritual warfare, but the overall master theme of the book is that of love for Our God and also our fellow believers. Paul seems to be looking into the heart of the church and finding a spot of imperfection that needed honing for future challenges. This comes back to our attention in the book of Revelation. WA Born in Tarsus. Son of a merchant who was born in Palestine and was a Pharisee. Pharisee-Distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law. A self righteous person. This book was written to the church at Ephesus but not to an individual. The letter was to be recopied and shared with all of the churches in the area; this type of writing is known as encyclical. This is supported by the lack of the words in Ephesus is not found in many of the early writings and no people were named in the book. It was common for letters to be widely distributed then for guidance. It is believed that this work was written during Paul s first captivity. His captivity was in a rented home with a Roman guard. He was allowed visitors and could minister at will from that home. Experts believe that during this time he also wrote Colossians, Philemon, Philippians and the other prison epistles. As a side note the phrase house arrest epistles was considered as a replacement for the term prison epistles but did not lend the same street cred to the author. The city of Ephesus was an important city in the Roman Empire. The populace believed they were the guardians of Artemis, a responsibility they took very seriously. Their image of her was an integral part of the people s identity. The city had been visited by John the Baptist and those church members were the core of the expanded church that God built there using Paul. Through Paul God performed many miracles and The Way gained many believers and followers. Acts 19 chronicles the most notable events during Paul s time in Ephesus. Revelation 2:1-7 gives an account of the Churches faith, they did not stray and devolve back to their old ways or take on the customs of the unsaved populace around them. They were guilty of waning in their zeal though. Paul s purpose for writing the letter was to emphasize the need for unity in Christ s church. The need for both Jew and Gentile to become one in the faith and workers together is supported by Paul s repeated use of the word love in this epistle. Of the 109 times he used a form of love in all of his writings over 20% are used in this book alone. This book can be broken down into two parts this first part being the calling of a Christian and the second being how the follower is supposed to act out their calling. The salutation introduces Paul as the author and Ephesus as the intended recipient. Paul identified himself as an apostle. An apostle is one who is sent as a representative for another. Paul is Christ s representative. The church members are recognized as saints. Saints are ones who have been set apart for God s use. The identification portion of the salutation could read Paul, a representative for Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the ones set apart to serve God in Ephesus who are faithful to Christ.