Short Studies in Ephesians Chapter 1:1-14 Albert Fairweather Ephesians was written by Paul about A.D. 60, while imprisoned in Rome. Carried by Tychicus (6:2-22). It is probably the first in order of his prison letters (3:1; 4:1). Theme: Explaining the mystery ( 1:9, 3:3). This mystery is mentioned 6 times. It is something previously hidden in the divine counsels, but now being revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets (3:5). There are twelve mysteries listed by W.E. Vine. Briefly, this mystery is the believer s exalted position as seated with Christ in the heavenlies, with Jew and Gentile made one body in Christ - the Church. In Greek religions, a mystery is what became known to the initiated, those who became perfected in idolatrous rites. To Christians, a mystery is not mysterious, but is outside what the natural man can comprehend. It can only be revealed by the Holy Spirit to those born of the Spirit. Outline: 1. Introduction (1:1-2). 2. The Believer s position in Christ in grace (1:3 3:21). Our standing! 3. The Believer s practice in the world - his walk & warfare (4:1 6:20). Our state! 4. Conclusion (6:21-24). The contrasts: Our position and condition; our union and communion; our doctrine and duty! Chapter 1 Introduction 1:1. Paul is the author; apostle means a sent one commissioned by the Lord Jesus who granted signs to authenticate his ministry. All by by the will of God (see v.6,9). The saints in Ephesus, are set apart ones in Christ, sanctified by the indwelling Holy Spirit. This is positional sanctification. There is also progressive sanctification. They are faithful or believing ones, this is true of all believers. 1:2. Our need met: Grace is favour freely bestowed (1 John 3:1), it means that God freely gives help for daily living. Peace means to join together or heart tranquillity, an end to strife, resting in God in all situations (Phil. 4:6-7). There is peace with God (Rom. 5:1) and the peace of God (Phil. 4:6-7)! God is now our Father by the new birth and by adoption; Lord is Sovereign Master as head of the Church. Jesus means Saviour ; Christ means the Anointed One, the Messiah. He is our Prophet, Priest and King. The Believer s position in grace, 1:3 3:21. 1:3. He blessed us. God is blessed (eulogeo), meaning to be praised and worshipped. Man is blessed (makarios) pronounced happy because of our spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ. Our blessings are spiritual (through the Holy Spirit), in and from heaven, centred in Christ (1:20; 2:6). Not earthly as under Law. This is where the Church demonstrates God s wisdom to heavenly beings (3:10). In the book of Job, Satan had entrance. It is the place of spiritual conflict as in 2:2. 1:4. He chose us. This happened in Him (Christ) in eternity before the world (kosmos) began. Note: God is sovereign - All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, but man is responsible and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out (John 6:37; 2 Peter 3:9). His purpose in choosing: That we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. This is how the Father sees each believer.
Page 2 1:5. In love He predestined us: He marked us out beforehand, to foreordain, to predetermine from eternity past. His purpose in predestining: to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself. "Adoption" is to place, a term involving the dignity of this relationship. Here God s love is revealed. He made us His children (teknon John 1:12) and also placed us as adult sons (huios - Rom.8:15) to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). Sonship carries with it the responsibility to live up to our exalted position in Christ! This was all according to the good pleasure of His will, to bring many sons to glory (Heb. 2:10). 1:6. He accepted us: All that He has done is to the praise of the glory of His grace, for what He has done and is in Himself. Our position by grace: We are accepted in the Beloved. Let us praise Him for this wondrous grace! 1:7. He redeemed us: This means to release on payment of a ransom, to buy in the slave market. We are freed from the bondage and guilt of sin and brought into liberty in Christ. Liberty is not licence to do as we please but the responsibility to do as we ought! The price paid: His life given and blood shed. All according to the riches of His grace. His grace is infinite, and so is His forgiveness. We have a new Master (1 Cor. 6:19-20). 1:8-9. He made His grace to (super)- abound toward us: This is revealed in His wisdom, prudence (understanding in the right use of wisdom), in making known (revelation) to us the mystery of His will. All is centred in Christ crucified, the power and wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:18-31). The believer is brought into the secret of God s will and into eternal union with Christ in the Church (Matt. 11:25-30). This was according to His good pleasure which He purposed (determined) in Himself! 1:10. Future aspects of the mystery: There will be a future dispensation ( administration or stewardship ) when Christ reigns in heaven and over the earth with the Church in glory and restored Israel the head of the nations on earth (read Isaiah 11). This is known as the Millennial (1000 year) Reign of Christ. All will centre in Him and He will be the head of all things in that day. Then He hands all things to His Father - the eternal state (1 Cor. 15:24-28). 1:11-12. We have an inheritance: This refers firstly to the apostles and early Jewish believers we who first trusted before the future national Jewish salvation (Romans 11:26). He has predestined or marked out beforehand them to this end. This will be manifest to all. All is according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the council of His will, and will be to the praise of His glory. These Jews were trophies of grace, called out of a nation that rejected their Messiah. Note His grace, wisdom, understanding, purpose and will! All proceeds from Himself. 1:13. We are sealed: This refers to the Gentile believers: they heard the Gospel the word of truth, they believed, they, like the Jewish believers, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph. 4:30; 2 Cor. 1:22). Promised by the Father and Son (John 14:15-18). Having believed : This seal speaks of permanency, ownership and security. He gives His sheep eternal life (John10:27-30).
Page 3 1:14. The guarantee of our inheritance : Now Jew and Gentile are united by the our. The Holy Spirit within is the token payment, pledge or deposit until the full amount is paid! The redemption of the purchased possession refers to our body when we are taken into the Lord s presence at His coming (1 Thess. 4:13-18; Phil. 3:21). It may also refer to the Church (Eph. 5:27). Redemption is of spirit, soul and body, and to the praise of His glory (V.6; 12; 14). Chapter 2 2:1-3. What we were in the past. From the heights of Ch. 1 we descend to: 1. Being spiritually dead. To trespass means going beyond the boundaries; to sin means to miss the mark. 2. Depraved, we followed the devil whose realm is the cosmos; we were sons of disobedience. 3. Jew and Gentile (others) lived fleshly lives, children of wrath, with sins of action and of thought! We must watch mind fantasy where sin begins as well as actions. But now He has lifted us up from the pit of sin and made us alive in Christ (Psalm 40:1-3).. The fruits of Grace and Faith 2:4. But God! His character: He is rich in mercy and intervened because of His great love for us. 2:5-6. When He loved us: when we were spiritually dead in our trespasses. He made us alive together with Christ: we are identified with Him in His death, burial and resurrection (Col. 3:1-4). Key: In Christ Jesus. He raised us up: In resurrection to sit with Him in the heavenlies. All saved by grace alone! Converted Jews and Gentile are so blessed. 2:7. Why He raised us up: To show the exceeding riches of His grace 2:8. How He raised us up: By grace through faith all a gift. 2:9. What salvation is not: It is not of works, all our boasting is excluded! 2:10. What salvation is: He has done a work in us, making us anew in Christ Jesus. His purpose being we should go forth to serve Him with good works. Not save by works, but to do good works. 2:11-13. Gentiles called to remember a. A reproach to the Jew, uncircumcised. b. Without Christ not knowing His salvation. c. Aliens to the commonwealth of Israel. Viewed as gentile dogs. d. Strangers from the covenants of promise made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. e. Without hope and God in the world lost in paganism. But they could become proselytes. But now in Christ made near by His blood Shiloh, the Peaceable One, has come (Gen.49:10) 2:14. He Himself is our peace joining Jew and Gentile as one, breaking down the wall that separated: Gentiles could not approach the Temple court under threat of death! 2:15-16. He made peace He has done away with all that separated creating in Himself one new man the church. Reconciling them in one body. Putting to death the enmity by the cross. 2:17. He proclaimed peace to Gentile (far off) and to Jew (near). Preaching peace through Jesus Christ (Acts 10:36).
Page 4 2:18. Our privilege of access - in Prayer a. Through Christ we have access, we ask in His name (John 14:13-14). b. By one Spirit He intercedes (Rom. 8:26). C. To the Father to whom we pray (1 Peter 1:17). Both Jew and Gentile now have this access. 2:19. The Church, His household (1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 3:6) - Gentiles now saints, joint members with Jews. 2:20. The Church, His building - The foundation laid by the apostles and prophets (1 Cor. 3:10), by example and teaching. Christ as cornerstone gives alignment and direction to the structure (1 Peter 2:6-8). As capstone He will complete the building (Zech. 4:7). 2:21. The Church, His holy temple joined in unity, is a living growing organism, where we worship in spirit and in truth (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19). 2:22. The Church, a habitation of God Where He dwells with and in His people in the Spirit. Ephesians Chapter 3 The Dispensation of the Grace of God 3:1. Though a prisoner in Rome, Paul lived by faith in the heavenlies. He was Christ s prisoner above earthly circumstances. 3:2. Dispensation is a stewardship. a. Paul was entrusted with this (1 Cor. 4:1). b. The message was all of grace, God s free gift. c. Through his ministry, Gentiles were being blessed along with believing Jews. Israel had been set aside, the Church age was being ushered in. 3:3-4. Paul was an apostle by God s calling (Gal. 1:1). God made known to him the mystery of the Church by revelation (2 Cor. 12:7). His previous writings were now more fully explained. Darby translates the mystery of the Christ, that is, the Head and the body (1:22-13). 3:5-7. The mystery fully revealed by God. a. Through the Spirit, b. To the holy apostles and prophets (2:20). c. That Gentiles as well as Jews enjoyed the same promises and blessings in Christ. Paul again emphasis his calling, God given grace and power to carry out this ministry 3:8. Paul, the persecutor of the Church, now has a true estimate of his own worth. He was called (Acts 9) to preach the unsearch-able riches of Christ to the Gentiles: b. As Saviour the Gospel b. About Christ and His will the universal and local church truth (Acts 20:27). "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen (Mat 28:20). 3:9-11. Revealing the fellowship of the mystery a. To understand His mystery or great plan. b. The calling out of Jew and Gentile to form a new thing the Church which is His body. c. The mystery previously hidden, but now revealed by the Church to angels & powers. b. Angels are ministering spirits to the saints (Heb.1:14). They desire to look into these things (1 Pet. 1:12). All according to His eternal purpose in Christ. God is the teacher, the universe the classroom, the Church the object lesson, angels the students! William MacDonald 3:12-13. The blessings we inherit in Christ! a. We have boldness absence of fear, and access with confidence into His presence.
b. These great truths should also cause us not to lose heart because of any trials glory is ours now and eternally. Sin did not take God by surprise. He had a plan before creation (1 Pet. 1:18-21). Through Christ we have gained more than we lost in Adam. 3:14-15. This refers back to 3:1 and chapter 2. Paul worships in view of what we were by nature and are now by grace, the blessing of every group of created intelligences through Christ: 3:16-. His second prayer: