Session #3: Ephesians Chapter 1:15-23 Summery and Chapter 2:1-10 Compiled and written by Theresa Lisiecki Summery and Highpoints of 1:15-23 Last week we were beginning to look at this last section of chapter one. As I wrote in last week s note: One final way of understanding or constructing this section of Paul s prayer comes to us from the New Daily Study Bible: In this passage we see what Paul asks for a church which he loves and which is doing well. 1. He prays for the Spirit of wisdom that the church may be lead deeper and deeper into the knowledge of eternal truths. If that is to happen certain things are necessary for them and for us: a. We should be a thinking people, not one to passively believe everything we are fed from the pulpit. b. Every parish should have a strong teaching ministry and parishioners should take advantage of each opportunity to learn more about their faith c. Be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in the Church and in our lives. Not everything we believe to be important is in fact important. 2. St. Paul prays for a fuller revelation, fuller knowledge of God. a. We should never be satisfied in believing we know everything about God, faith, the Church 3. He prays for a new realization of Christian hope. a. We live in an age of despair (Terrorism, poverty, natural disasters ), but as people of faith our attitude is that God s plan is perfect and that death is not eternal. In other words, we live as a people of hope. 4. St Paul prays for our renewed realization of the power of God in the world and in our lives demonstrated through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hopefully as you read through my notes on the individual verses 15-23 from last week you understood St. Paul s call to us in recognizing the great gift of Jesus and His death, His sacrifice of His own life for our salvation. And for this sacrifice, Jesus now sits on the right hand of God, sharing in God s full authority over heaven and earth. Before we move on to chapter two let me highlight a few concepts in this section: 1:20 made him sit at his right hand Today this image is lost since there are few places that rule as a kingdoms, but throughout the rule of monarchies it was always understood that whoever was given the highest place of honor, to sit at the King s right hand, that they themselves 1
carried the authority of the king. Why the right hand of the King? Most people are right handed. Therefore anyone wielding a sword would hold it in their right hand. The right hand is the hand of authority and the power to take life. In these verses St. Paul is alluding to Psalm 110:1 which scholars believe is describing the enthronement and coronation of the Messiah in heaven. God has crowned His son with His own authority giving him power to rule the cosmos. 1:22-23 made him head over all things for the church Christ is the head leading His body, the community of believers, the Church in redeeming the world. This is our job in faith. Not to get by or make money but to lead everyone in our path to salvation. 1:23 the fullness of one who fills all things What does this mean? If in Christ dwells the fullness of God bodily (Colossians 2:9), then as God fills Christ, Christ in turn fills the church and each believer (Ephesians 3:19; 5:18). Catholic Study Bible. Point of Discussion: In verse 22 St. Paul is recognizing the responsibility of the Church to rule the world. Do you think we have done a good job? What do you think it would take today to make such a reality happen? Chapter 2 In chapter 1:20-23 we heard St. Paul proclaim the awesomeness of God as was demonstrated in the resurrection, ascension of Jesus and His being enthroned with God s power and authority over all creation. In this next chapter St. Paul will go on to explain how God through Jesus Christ entered into human history affecting us who believe. This chapter will be divided into two sections: 1. The first half (2:1-10) will look at how Christ reconciles the relationship that humanity has with God 2. In the second half (2:11-22) St. Paul goes on to discuss how Christ reconciles humanity to one another human to human, nation to nation. Generosity of God s Plan 2:1-10 Once again, we have the challenge of one long run on sentence where it seems like he begins sentences and never finishes them; but scholars believe that St. Paul is not writing a theological statement but is still in the mindset of singing a song of praise to God, as we saw in chapter 1. In this first section of chapter two, after having professed the vastness of God s power exhibited in Jesus resurrection to enthronement which we saw in 1:20-23. St. Paul turns to explain just how that power has affected all people of faith, saving us from the human condition of sinfulness. In chapter 2:1-3 St. Paul will offer a brief overview of how the evil that exists in this world supports and encourages the disorder both Gentiles and Jews suffer apart from Jesus. He will then go on to identify what God did about humanities disorder. Finally, we will read St. Paul s concluding comments which explain the roles of grace, faith and good works in believer s salvation (2:8-10). One very important concept for St. Paul is that salvation is not something we earn or deserve. Salvation is offered to us as pure gift. We choose to live our lives as a response to that gift. (Read: Romans 3:27; 4:4-5; Galatians 2:16-19). 2
Session #3: Ephesians Chapter 1:15-23 Summery and Chapter 2:1-10 In other words, it is not by obeying certain laws set forth for us or by our human actions that we earn a relationship with God through Jesus Christ or our own salvation. We must always remember God loved us first (1 John 4:19). 2:1 you were dead St. Paul begins by pointing out how radically deficient life is before living in faith. The consequences of sin is death (Romans 5:12-19). those who are dead in sin cannot recover the life and grace of God for themselves any more than a corpse can revive itself to live again. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Galatians & Ephesians. It is only through the grace of God that life can come from death. As Catholics we believe it is through the sacraments of baptism and Reconciliation/Penance that God invites us into His grace to new life after the death of sin. trespasses and sins The Greek word that St. Paul uses here for sin is hamartia and literally translated to miss the mark, like shooting an arrow misses the bullseye. Yes, sin is knowing the good but choosing the wrong or bad. But ultimately all sin is failure. Failure on our part to live the best version of ourselves. We miss the mark in living as we ought to. The word trespasses translates to paraptoma which literally means to slip or fall but meaning to stray. We slip away from the truth. We fall into bad behavior. It does not make us any less responsible but reminds us how easy it can be to make the wrong choices. 2:2 following the course (rulers) of this world In some translation we might also read: the age of this world. In looking at the translation of age scholars suggest St. Paul is identifying two periods: The present age filled with sin in which we follow the un-christlike leadership of others, and the age to come in which Christ will rule over all of creation at the end of time. following the prince of the power of the air The prince St. Paul is talking about is the prince of all evil satan. As we all know satan is God s archenemy and is usually hidden from our sight. St. Paul will later in chapter six encourage us to put on our spiritual armor, God s grace and power to protect us against all evil. It has long been believed (to this present day) that satan has power over nature. Remember Jesus temptation in the desert? (Luke 4:1-13; Matthew 4:1-11) In the time of Christ people believed that satan and his dominions traveled through the air. (Small thing but did you know it is for that reason we say God bless you when someone sneezes? It came from this idea that evil traveled through the air. When one sneezed they were expelling evil spirits from their body. There is power in the name of Jesus/God (Luke 10:17). So, blessing someone in God s name is protecting both the sneezer and the other. 2:3 all of us If we were to read this in the original language of Greek we would see that the author is emphasizing this phrase almost as if the author underlined or bolded these three words. In understanding (as we discussed in session #1) that scholars believe this document is written, while open to all intended for the Gentiles, then St. Paul is expanding his audience to include himself and the Jewish Christians gathered. St. Paul himself was once affected by and living under the influence of evil. Sin is a part of the human condition and cannot be conquered without God s grace. 3
children of the wrath Who are these individuals? These are those people, past and present who choose to deny God and live following satan s way, rather that live in the light of Christ. God will see to their judgement. SEE Handout with this Session: SIN As we move into verses 4-7 we should hear the excitement in St. Paul s voice as he declares the good news of our salvation brought about by the merciful hand of God. 2:4 But God In those first three verses (2:1-3) St. Paul summarized the human condition or situation. Now he turns to share with the audience the good news that God has not left us to wallow in the muck of our own sinfulness. God acted in human history to bring about our salvation. Why? because of the great love he had for us. The Greek word used here is agape which is the type of love that cherishing and caring and self-giving. who is rich in mercy The concept of God s mercy is important if you wish to understand the underlying messages of the bible or wish to understand the love of God. Mercy is the greatest expression of God s love. Mercy is the action we show (forgiveness, compassion, understanding, love) in the face of someone doing wrong towards us. Rather than punishment or revenge forgiveness and love are offered instead. To further reflect on God s mercy read: Luke 15:11-31, the Prodigal Son. 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions St. Paul is speaking here of our lives in sin, our lives before the gift of faith. He wants to remind us that this gift of salvation that comes to us from God, we in no way deserve. We didn t earn it. We didn t buy it by our actions or prayers. It is a gift given in love to one who does not merit it. brought us to life St. Paul continues by explaining how God saved us using three verbs, three actions on the part of God: Brought us to life Raised us up with (Jesus) Seated us with (Jesus) in the heavens When God the Father brought Jesus to life, raised him from the death and sat him at His right hand in heaven, He did the same for all believers. It is a mystery but one we only enter into through our acceptance of this truth celebrated and received through the sacrament of baptism. Through the gift of baptism we celebrate our relationship with God through Jesus. Before baptism/belief we live in death and sin. After belief/baptism we live in the light of life. But St. Paul is getting at more than the sacramental gift. St. Paul is talking about the gift of grace given to us through the death of Jesus Christ, which he emphasizes at the end of this verse: by grace you have been saved. 2:6 made us sit with him in the heavenly places This does not mean that we are to rule with Jesus in heaven. From the beginning of time God has intended for us to be with him in heaven for all eternity. Time, in one biblical sense, is divided up into two ages: The present age which is the time we live in now with both it s highs such as births and weddings, successes and love; and its lows such as death, illness, disappointments and hardship. In the present age sin abounds and casts an evil across lives 4
Session #3: Ephesians Chapter 1:15-23 Summery and Chapter 2:1-10 The age to come, which Jesus announced (Matthew 19:28-29; Mark 10:30; Luke 20:34-36) and St. Paul reminds us of (Ephesians 2:7) is our eternal future with God in heaven where God will show which translates from Greek to mean demonstrate, display or prove how much he love us. 2:8 For by grace you have been saved In looking up the definition of grace this is what I found: the free and unmerited favor of God. The Catholic Church would take that a step further and talk about our sharing in God s love and life. (Catechisms of the Catholic Church 1996-7) In other words, grace is a free and undeserving (two essential conditions) gift we receive that draws us into the love and life of God. But there is one important element our participation. We must accept the gift, and this is done through personal accent or belief in God through Jesus Christ. 2:9 lest any (one) should boast In truth there is no room for our pride or boasting of what we have accomplished. Salvation (heaven) is not something we earn through good works or prayer. We believe and we receive. Our life in faith, the good that we do and the relationship we build with God is our response in gratitude and obedience to receiving this gift. 2:10 which God prepared in advance This phrase can make it sound like we have no authorship in the good work or good actions we do. In Catechism #2008 we read: The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace. The fatherly action of God is first on his own initiative, and then follows man's free acting through his collaboration, so that the merit of good works is to be attributed in the first place to the grace of God, then to the faithful. Man's merit, moreover, itself is due to God, for his good actions proceed in Christ, from the predispositions and assistance given by the Holy Spirit. What does this mean? As Catholics we believe that we are made in the image and likeness of God, meaning less that we physically look like God and more that, being made out of the goodness of God we have the goodness of God within us. We have God within us. We have the Holy Spirit with in us. When we do something good it is the God within that initiates the desire and we cooperate with that desire by making it happen. God prepared it in advance because God existed before time, before us. Reflection Questions: 1. Can you think of ways individuals show that they are physically alive but spiritual dead? Be specific. Are there areas of your life that you might be spiritual dead? 2. Reflecting on verses 4-7 and understanding that as Catholics baptism is the sacrament that expresses the gift of salvation, are we deserving of this sacrament? Are we deserving of salvation? 3. Catechism of the Catholic Church 5
Consequences of Original Sin: 402-406 Humanities Vocation for Life in the Spirit: 1846-1869 Expectation to Attain Heaven: 1002-1004 Our Relationship with God: 2006-2011 Bibliography: The Catholic Study Bible NAR The New Daily Study Bible: The Acts of the Apostles by William Barclay The Navarre Bible: Acts of the Apostles New Collegeville Bible Commentary: The Acts of the Apostles by Dennis Hamm Ignatius Catholc Study Bible: Acts of the Apostles by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch Agape Bible Study: Gospel of Luke by Michal Hunt. Agapebiblestudy.com Acts: The Spread of the Kingdom by Jeff Cavins and Sarah Christmyer 6