Lecture Three: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians

Context of Ephesians

Who wrote the Letter?

The letter to the Ephesians was possibly written when Paul was in prison in Rome sometime between 60-64 AD. It’s very similar to the letter to the Colossians in its themes. However, while Colossians was written to the church at Colossae, Ephesians appears to have originally been a general letter directed at more than one church in the province of Asia Minor. The oldest copies of Ephesians that we have do not mention the Ephesians at all.

So why was the phrase “to the church in Ephesus” added later?

Probably because the church in Ephesus was responsible for preserving the letter. Paul spent three years in Ephesus – longer than any of his other church plants – and the Ephesians were very close friends with him. This letter was one of the last to be written by Paul and they would have wanted to preserve the legacy of their founder.

Many scholars even think that Paul might not have written the entire letter on his own, but the Ephesians perhaps wrote down what Paul had taught them and preserved these teachings as a letter written on his behalf after he was executed by the Emperor Nero in Rome. However, by the late 2nd Century AD most church historians believed Ephesians was most likely written by Paul to the church at Ephesus while he was imprisoned in Rome.

Who were the Ephesians?

The Book of Acts says that at the beginning of his third missionary journey, Paul stopped in Ephesus and found twelve disciples of John the Baptist who had apparently missed the part of his message about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and had only heard the part about the water baptism of repentance. Paul reminded them of John’s words about the one who would come after him – Jesus – and the disciples believed and received the Holy Spirit when Paul placed his hands on them.

After nearly three years of training his disciples and teaching in the synagogues and outdoors in the lecture hall, Paul decided he was going to go back up to Jerusalem. Around that time, a guy named Demetrius who crafted and sold idols in the city stirred up all the other craftsmen against Paul because the people weren’t buying their idols anymore. Soon the whole city was in an uproar. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples wouldn’t let him. Eventually, the city clerk calmed the crowd down by telling them that they didn’t need to fight for their goddess – Artemis – because she could defend herself. The Christians were not a threat.

After this, Paul ended up leaving Ephesus and traveling around to places like Macedonia and Troas. On his way back to Jerusalem, he met with his Ephesian disciples once again to say his good-byes. He blessed them and warned them to be on their guard against false teachers who would try to take over their group. And they wept because they knew they would never see him again.

Structure of Ephesians

I. Salutation (1:1-2)

II. The Unity of the Church Positionally (1:3–3:21)

A. Theological Preface: Why God is Blessed and Should be Praised (1:3-14)

B. Prayer for Knowledge: To Understand the Church’s Positional Unity (1:15-23)

C. Vertical (Man to God) and Individual Reconciliation (2:1-10)

D. Horizontal (Jew to Gentile) and Corporate Reconciliation (2:11-22)

E. Paul’s Relation to the Mystery of this New Spiritual Community (3:1-13)

F. Prayer for Love: To Maintain the Church’s Practical Unity (3:14-21)

III. The Unity of the Church Practically (4:1–6:20)

A. Maintaining Unity through Diversity (4:1-16)

B. Morality and Members of Each Other (4:17-32)

C. The Believer’s Relation to Unbelievers (5:1-14)

D. The Believer’s Relation to the Spirit (5:15-6:9)

F. The Believer’s Present Relation to Satan: Spiritual Warfare (6:10-20)

IV. Final Greetings (6:21-24)

A. The Commendation of Tychicus (6:21-22)

B. The Benediction (6:23-24)

I. Salutation (1:1-2)

Claims to be written by Paul

Addressed to the faithful in Ephesus

Blessing of grace and peace offered

II. The Unity of the Church Positionally (1:3–3:21)

A. Theological Preface: Why God is Blessed and Should be Praised (1:3-14)

1. The Father Elected Believers in Eternity Past (1:3-6)

Praise to God the Father

He gave us spiritual blessing in Christ

Chose us before word’s creation to be holy

Predestined us to be his adopted children through Christ

Freely gave us grace in Jesus

2. The Son Redeemed Believers in the Historical Past (1:7-12)

Jesus’ blood redeems and forgives us

God’s mystery has been revealed to us in Christ and will one day reach its fulfillment when all of heaven and earth are united under Christ

We were chosen beforehand to be the first to put our hope in Christ

3. The Spirit Sealed Believers in their Personal Past (1:13-14)

You were included in Christ when you heard the gospel.

You were sealed with the Spirit when you believed

The Spirit is a deposit of our inheritance until our redemption

B. Prayer for Knowledge: To Understand the Church’s Positional Unity (1:15-23)

1. The Content of the Prayer (1:15-19)

Ever since I heard about your faith and love, I always thank God for you and pray for you

I pray that…

You’ll get the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to know him better.

The eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know…

The hope to which he has called you

The riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people

His incomparably great power for us who believe.

2. The Immensity of God’s Resources (1:20-23)

That power is the same as…

When he raised Christ from the dead

When he seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms

When he placed him above all rulers and powers and every famous name in the present and the future

When he placed all things under his feet

When he appointed him as head of the church, which is his body, and is the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

C. Vertical (Man to God) and Individual Reconciliation (2:1-10)

1. The Individual Believer’s Former State (2:1-3)

You used to be dead in sin

You used to follow the world’s ways

You used to follow the ruler of the kingdom of the air whose spirit works in the disobedient

All of us used to live that way – living for the flesh

2. The Individual Believer’s Present State (2:4-10)

God made us alive in Christ when we were dead in sin because of his great love and mercy

He raised us with Christ and gave us a seat with hi n the heavenly realms

He did this so that in the coming ages he might show his rich grace through his kindness in Jesus

You are saved by grace through faith

It’s a gift from God, not something you earned to boast about

We are God’s handiwork

He created us in Christ to do good works that he prepared in advance for us

D. Horizontal (Jew to Gentile) and Corporate Reconciliation (2:11-22)

1. The Gentiles’ Former State: Isolation (2:11-13)

You who are Gentiles used to be separated from Christ and called “uncircumcised” by Israel and foreigners” of the Covenant

But now in Jesus you have been brought near by his blood

2. The Gentile Believers’ Present State: Incorporation into a New Spiritual Community (2:14-22)

a. The Peace which Christ Accomplished in His Death (2:14-18)

Jesus is our peace, making the two groups one

He has destroyed barriers of hostility by using his own flesh to set aside the Law

His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, making peace

He reconciled in one body groups through the cross

The cross puts hostility to death

He came and preached peace to those far and near and gave access to the Father to both groups by one Spirit.

b. The Foundation which Christ Laid through His Apostles (2:19-22)

Because of all this, you are no longer strangers but citizens and members of God’s household

This house was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus as the chief cornerstone that holds the whole building together and turns it into a temple in which God lives by his Spirit.

E. Paul’s Relation to the Mystery of this New Spiritual Community (3:1-13)

1. The Content of the Mystery Revealed to Paul (3:1-7)

This is the reason I, Paul, became a servant of the Gospel by God’s grace and through his power

Surely you’ve heard about the grace God gave to me for you (ie. the mystery revealed)

When you read what I write, you can see my insight into the mystery of Christ

In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ

This mystery was hidden in past generations but revealed by the Spirit to the Apostles and Prophets

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

2. The Wisdom of the Mystery Revealed to Angelic Beings (3:8-13)

Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me:

To preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ

To make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery

This mystery was hidden in God in the past, but now he has chosen to reveal it to all the rulers of the heavenly realms through his church.

It was accomplished through Jesus

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence

Please don’t be discouraged by my sufferings which are for your glory

F. Prayer for Love: To Maintain the Church’s Practical Unity (3:14-21)

1. The Content of the Prayer (3:14-19)

This is why I pray to the Father

Every family in heaven and on earth gets its name from him

I pray that he will strengthen you by the Spirit and that Christ will live in you by faith

I pray that because you are rooted in love that you will also have power with all God’s people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

2. The Immensity of God’s Resources (3:20-21)

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

III. The Unity of the Church Practically (4:1–6:20)

A. Maintaining Unity through Diversity (4:1-16)

1. Maintaining the Unity (4:1-6)

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Be completely humble and gentle

Be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

There is…

One body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called

One Lord

One faith

One baptism

One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

2. The Diversity of Spiritual Gifts in Contributing toward Unity (4:7-16)

But Christ apportioned grace to each of us.

Scripture says:

“When he ascended on high,

he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”

If he ascended… then he also descended to the earth

And he who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.

In order to equip his people for works of service, Christ gave…

The apostles

The prophets

The evangelists

The pastors (shepherds)

The teachers

They were given so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in faith and knowledge of the Son of God and become mature

When we attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

Instead, as we lovingly speak the truth, we will grow to become the mature body of Christ, who is the head

With the head leading, the rest of the body is joined and grows up in love and works together, each part in its place

B. Morality and Members of Each Other (4:17-32)

1. Morality and the Former Lifestyle (4:17-24)

a. Negative Example: Pagans (4:17-19)

I insist that you don’t keep living like the Gentiles

They live in darkness and ignorance, separated from God’s life because of their hard hearts.

They’ve lost all sensitivity and have become slaves of sensuality and greed.

b. Positive Basis: Death of the “Old Man” (4:20-24)

That’s not the type of life you learned about in Jesus.

You were taught to…

Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires

Be made new in the attitude of your minds

Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

2. Morality and the Present Life in Christ (4:25-32)

Since we’re all in the same body, we must stop being false and speak truthfully to our neighbors

Don’t let anger lead to sin, giving the devil a foothold

If you’ve been stealing… stop stealing, start working, be useful and learn how to share

Replace nasty words with helpful words

Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit who sealed you for the day of redemption.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

C. The Believer’s Relation to Unbelievers (5:1-14)

1. Do Not Conform to their Sinfulness (5:1-7)

Walk in the way of love as children loved by God, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

It’s not proper for God’s holy people to have a hint any kind of impurity or greed – even foolish talk and dirty jokes should be replaced with thanksgiving.

You can be sure that those who are immoral, impure, and greedy are idolaters and don’t have an inheritance in Christ’s kingdom.

Don’t be partners with those whose empty words would trick you into thinking that God’s wrath doesn’t come to the disobedient.

2. Confront them with the Gospel (5:8-14)

You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light and find out what pleases the Lord.

The fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.

Don’t store away and cover up fruitless deeds of darkness – bring everything into the light, even the secret things too shameful to speak of, because everything that is illuminated becomes itself a light.

That’s why it’s said:

“Wake up, sleeper,

rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

D. The Believer’s Relation to the Spirit (5:15-6:9)

1. The Admonition for Spirit-Filling (5:15-20)

Since you live in evil times, try hard to live wisely and to make the most of every opportunity.

Instead of being foolish, try to understand what God’s will is.

Don’t fill up on wine that will lead you to sin; fill up on the Spirit that will lead you to sing and make music to the Lord and be thankful for everything in Jesus’ name

2. The Test of Spirit-Filling: The Believer’s Relation to the Extended Family (5:21–6:9)

a. Wives and Husbands (5:21-33)

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives…

Submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.

Why?

Because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

As the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands…

Love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Love your wives as your own bodies.

Why?

Because he who loves his wife loves himself.

Do you hate your own body? Do you feed and take care of yourself?

Take care of your wife the way Christ takes care of his church since we are all members of his body.

This is a profound mystery… “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

I am really talking about Christ and the church, but, husbands, follow Christ’s model and love your wife as you love yourself, and, wives, respect your husbands.

b. Children and Parents (6:1-4)

Children…

Obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Why?

The first commandment with a promise was to “honor your father and mother, so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Fathers…

Do not exasperate your children

Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

c. Slaves and Masters (6:5-9)

Slaves…

Obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.

Why?

Because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

Masters…

Do not threaten your slaves

Why?

You both have a Master in heaven who does not show favoritism.

F. The Believer’s Present Relation to Satan: Spiritual Warfare (6:10-20)

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.

Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Additionally, take up the shield of faith to extinguish all the evil one’s flaming arrows.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

Be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.

IV. Final Greetings (6:21-24)

A. The Commendation of Tychicus (6:21-22)

I’m sending Tychicus to you so that you will know how we are doing and to encourage you.

B. The Benediction (6:23-24)

Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.