These are my notes for Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group's study of the New Testament book of Ephesians.
This is a letter written by the Apostle Paul believed to not be designed for just one congregation, but intended to be passed around to several churches in the area surrounding Ephesus. The epistle itself is in the form of a general document dealing with a particular or in this case several subjects rather than as a letter written to a specific church. For example, there are no specific exhortations or personal greetings, as with most of Paul’s letters.
Unlike other epistles written to specific churches, this epistle does not deal with specific problems in a local congregation. Instead, Paul addressed great themes that pertain to the Christian's position in Christ, as a member of the body of Christ, the church.
This letter to the church at Ephesus encourages, admonishes and teaches believers even today of God’s plan for His church. Paul offers so much information in these six chapters. When you read and study this book you can understand that the Holy Spirit gives the believer what they need to be saved, holy and God-honoring.
In this first session we look at some background for the time place, and purpose of the letter along with Paul's initial greeting to his readers.
For an audio of the Session click on the YouTube link at the end of my notes.
This is a letter written by the Apostle Paul believed to not be designed for just one congregation, but intended to be passed around to several churches in the area surrounding Ephesus. The epistle itself is in the form of a general document dealing with a particular or in this case several subjects rather than as a letter written to a specific church. For example, there are no specific exhortations or personal greetings, as with most of Paul’s letters.
Unlike other epistles written to specific churches, this epistle does not deal with specific problems in a local congregation. Instead, Paul addressed great themes that pertain to the Christian's position in Christ, as a member of the body of Christ, the church.
This letter to the church at Ephesus encourages, admonishes and teaches believers even today of God’s plan for His church. Paul offers so much information in these six chapters. When you read and study this book you can understand that the Holy Spirit gives the believer what they need to be saved, holy and God-honoring.
In this first session we look at some background for the time place, and purpose of the letter along with Paul's initial greeting to his readers.
For an audio of the Session click on the YouTube link at the end of my notes.
Introduction
AUTHOR
The apostle Paul (1:1; 3:1).
Ephesians 1:1 NIV Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 3:1 NIV For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--
TIME AND PLACE OF WRITING
Ephesians is one of Paul’s four "prison epistles". There are three references to his imprisonment in Ephesians
Ephesians 3:1 NLT When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . .
Ephesians 4:1 NLT Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
Ephesians 6:20 NLT I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
The other letters were written to the churches in Philadelphia, Colossee, and to the man Philemon, whose runaway slave was with Paul.
The general consensus is that these epistles were written during Paul's imprisonment at Rome between 61 and 63 AD.
Acts of the Apostles 28:16 NLT When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier.
Acts of the Apostles 28:30-31 NLT For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.
The indication is that the epistle was delivered to them by Tychicus.
Ephesians 6:21-22 NLT To bring you up to date, Tychicus will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.
Tychicus was obviously someone that Paul trusted to deliver the document because he called him beloved brother and faithful helper (servant).
He’s mentioned a few other times in the Bible as being a companion of Paul
Acts of the Apostles 20:1-4 NLT When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia. While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece, where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia. Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
THE RECIPIENTS
There are reasons to believe that this epistle was not designed for just one congregation, but intended to be passed around to several churches in the area surrounding Ephesus. The epistle itself is in the form of a general document dealing with a particular or in this case several subjects rather than as a letter written to a specific church. For example, there are no specific exhortations or personal greetings, as with most of Paul’s letters.
PAUL'S MINISTRY IN THE REGION
Paul first came to Ephesus for a short visit toward the end of his second missionary journey.
Acts of the Apostles 18:18-21 NLT Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews. They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. As he left, however, he said, “I will come back later, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
Located on the SW coast of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), Ephesus was one of the great cities in that part of the world. A Roman capital, it was a wealthy commercial center and home for the worship of the goddess Diana, which became a big problem for Paul on another visit to Ephesus. Ac 19:23-41.
On his third missionary journey Paul made it back to Ephesus for an extended stay
Acts of the Apostles 19:1, 8-10 NLT While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of the Lord.
Paul spent three months teaching in the local synagogue. Resistance to his doctrine forced him to leave the synagogue, but he was able to continue teaching in the school of Tyrannus for a pe1iod of two years. The end result is that the gospel spread from Ephesus throughout Asia Minor.
Then because the gospel was causing people to stop worshiping Diana the local idol makers caused a riot which forced Paul to leave. That incident is recorded in Acts. 19:23-20:1
Later on near the end of his third missionary trip Paul and met with the elders of the church at Ephesus.
Acts of the Apostles 20:17, 36-38 NLT But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him. When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they escorted him down to the ship.
PURPOSE OF THE EPISTLE
Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice—regardless of any particular problem in the church.
This epistle, along with Colossians, emphasizes the truth that the Church is the body of which Christ is the Head. There is no higher point of revelation than is reached in this epistle which shows the believer as seated with Christ in the heavenlies and exhorts him to live in accordance with this high calling. Actually the epistle falls into two main parts of three chapters each. In Eph 1-3 the apostle tells believers what they are in Christ; In Eph 4-6 he tells them what they are to do because they are in Christ. It has often been suggested that the contents of the epistle can be summarized by the three words sitting, walking, and standing. By position, the believer is seated with Christ in the heavenlies
Ephesians 2:6 (NLT2)6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
Our responsibility is to walk worthy of our calling
Ephesians 4:1 (NLT2)1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
This walk is further seen as a warfare
Ephesians 6:11 (NLT2)11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
Unlike other epistles written to specific churches, this epistle does not deal with specific problems in a local congregation. Instead, Paul addressed great themes that pertain to the Christian's position in Christ, as a member of the body of Christ, the church.
This letter to the church at Ephesus encourages, admonishes and teaches believers even today of God’s plan for His church. Paul offers so much information in these six chapters. When you read and study this book you can understand that the Holy Spirit gives the believer what they need to be saved, holy and God-honoring. You will also come to understand and perhaps even consider the gifts that God has given to you as a believer. Paul compares and explains the purpose of our earthy marriage and how that relates to things in eternity. He finishes the book by explaining that all believers will be faced with spiritual warfare and he gives six examples of the weapons that are at every believer’s disposal to thwart the wiles of the devil. This is a book in the Bible that should be studied and understood by all believers.
AUTHOR
The apostle Paul (1:1; 3:1).
Ephesians 1:1 NIV Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 3:1 NIV For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--
TIME AND PLACE OF WRITING
Ephesians is one of Paul’s four "prison epistles". There are three references to his imprisonment in Ephesians
Ephesians 3:1 NLT When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . .
Ephesians 4:1 NLT Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
Ephesians 6:20 NLT I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
The other letters were written to the churches in Philadelphia, Colossee, and to the man Philemon, whose runaway slave was with Paul.
The general consensus is that these epistles were written during Paul's imprisonment at Rome between 61 and 63 AD.
Acts of the Apostles 28:16 NLT When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier.
Acts of the Apostles 28:30-31 NLT For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.
The indication is that the epistle was delivered to them by Tychicus.
Ephesians 6:21-22 NLT To bring you up to date, Tychicus will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.
Tychicus was obviously someone that Paul trusted to deliver the document because he called him beloved brother and faithful helper (servant).
He’s mentioned a few other times in the Bible as being a companion of Paul
Acts of the Apostles 20:1-4 NLT When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia. While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece, where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia. Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
THE RECIPIENTS
There are reasons to believe that this epistle was not designed for just one congregation, but intended to be passed around to several churches in the area surrounding Ephesus. The epistle itself is in the form of a general document dealing with a particular or in this case several subjects rather than as a letter written to a specific church. For example, there are no specific exhortations or personal greetings, as with most of Paul’s letters.
PAUL'S MINISTRY IN THE REGION
Paul first came to Ephesus for a short visit toward the end of his second missionary journey.
Acts of the Apostles 18:18-21 NLT Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews. They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. As he left, however, he said, “I will come back later, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
Located on the SW coast of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), Ephesus was one of the great cities in that part of the world. A Roman capital, it was a wealthy commercial center and home for the worship of the goddess Diana, which became a big problem for Paul on another visit to Ephesus. Ac 19:23-41.
On his third missionary journey Paul made it back to Ephesus for an extended stay
Acts of the Apostles 19:1, 8-10 NLT While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of the Lord.
Paul spent three months teaching in the local synagogue. Resistance to his doctrine forced him to leave the synagogue, but he was able to continue teaching in the school of Tyrannus for a pe1iod of two years. The end result is that the gospel spread from Ephesus throughout Asia Minor.
Then because the gospel was causing people to stop worshiping Diana the local idol makers caused a riot which forced Paul to leave. That incident is recorded in Acts. 19:23-20:1
Later on near the end of his third missionary trip Paul and met with the elders of the church at Ephesus.
Acts of the Apostles 20:17, 36-38 NLT But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him. When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they escorted him down to the ship.
PURPOSE OF THE EPISTLE
Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice—regardless of any particular problem in the church.
This epistle, along with Colossians, emphasizes the truth that the Church is the body of which Christ is the Head. There is no higher point of revelation than is reached in this epistle which shows the believer as seated with Christ in the heavenlies and exhorts him to live in accordance with this high calling. Actually the epistle falls into two main parts of three chapters each. In Eph 1-3 the apostle tells believers what they are in Christ; In Eph 4-6 he tells them what they are to do because they are in Christ. It has often been suggested that the contents of the epistle can be summarized by the three words sitting, walking, and standing. By position, the believer is seated with Christ in the heavenlies
Ephesians 2:6 (NLT2)6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
Our responsibility is to walk worthy of our calling
Ephesians 4:1 (NLT2)1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
This walk is further seen as a warfare
Ephesians 6:11 (NLT2)11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
Unlike other epistles written to specific churches, this epistle does not deal with specific problems in a local congregation. Instead, Paul addressed great themes that pertain to the Christian's position in Christ, as a member of the body of Christ, the church.
This letter to the church at Ephesus encourages, admonishes and teaches believers even today of God’s plan for His church. Paul offers so much information in these six chapters. When you read and study this book you can understand that the Holy Spirit gives the believer what they need to be saved, holy and God-honoring. You will also come to understand and perhaps even consider the gifts that God has given to you as a believer. Paul compares and explains the purpose of our earthy marriage and how that relates to things in eternity. He finishes the book by explaining that all believers will be faced with spiritual warfare and he gives six examples of the weapons that are at every believer’s disposal to thwart the wiles of the devil. This is a book in the Bible that should be studied and understood by all believers.
Chapter 1
Greetings
Ephesians 1:1-2 NLT This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Paul identifies himself as an apostle chosen by God. God has chosen him to be a leader in the church and to act with God’s authority. First, Paul refers to himself as the writer of the letter. This was the custom at that time. Then he refers to his readers, as the ‘*saints’. The meaning of ‘saints’ is ‘the holy persons’. It means those that God has set apart to live holy lives. These are the Christians in Ephesus.
He brings the words grace and peace as a prayer asking God to give them both grace and peace.
Ephesians 1:3-11 NLT All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
In the original Greek language, this is one long sentence.
In this passage, Paul writes about the good things that the Father gives to us. The Father has blessed us (verse 3). He has chosen us (verse 4). He has decided that we shall become his sons and daughters (verse 5). He has given his grace to us (verse 6). Grace is the gift of God that we cannot buy. Neither can we work to earn it. He has told us about his choice and purpose. Which is to bring together all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. All of this is in verses 7-10.
Let’s go back to
Ephesians 1:3-6 NLTAll praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
The Father has chosen us
Verse 3 God has blessed us ‘in the heavenly places with every spiritual blessing in Christ’. Paul often uses the words ‘heavenly places’. He uses them 5 times in this letter. If we are Christians, we live now in heavenly places.
Jesus Christ has always existed; he is eternal. God chose us before our birth to be together with Christ. God made this choice before he made the world. This choice has nothing to do with the kind of person that we are. It does not depend on whether we are good or bad. Therefore, we cannot be proud. We cannot say that we have made the choice. We can only agree with what God has done. Christ justifies us in front of God. Then we need to obey God. We must live holy lives as God intends.
Paul writes, ‘He wants us to live holy lives.’ The meaning of the Greek word ‘holy’ is to be separate or different. Christians live in the world. But they must be different from the people around them.
Verse 5 says that God decided to adopt us. Under Roman law when a child was adopted the adoptive father then had the sole authority of the child the birth father had none after adoption. All the rights of the old father then ended. The child became a new person. If he had any debts in the old family, the court ended them. It would be as if the debts had never existed.
That is what God has done for us. We were under the power of sin and the devil. God, by Jesus, removed us from that power. He put us into his new family. He took away the old debts (our sins). It was as if they had never existed. We became part of his family and we became new people.
Notice that Paul doesn’t say that God chose us to be in Christ. He rather says God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless. What God chose from the foundation of the world was that whoever is in Christ will be holy and blameless.
Verse 6 All this makes us praise him for his wonderful grace. This grace is free. Moreover, he gave us this in the ‘son that he loves’ - Jesus.
The Son gave his life for us
Ephesians 1:7-12 NLT He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.
Before Christ you had to make a sacrifice in order to atone or be forgiven for sin. Sacrifice was the way by which God would forgive you. It was the way that God could deal with sin. ‘If there is no sacrifice of blood, God will not forgive our sins’. We see that at
Hebrews 9:22 NLT In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
Christ himself became this sacrifice. He gave his blood when he died on the cross. This forgiveness is because ‘God shows us his rich grace’. This *grace is greater than we can understand.
Ephesians 1:9-10 NLTGod has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.
Verses 9-10 God lets us know ‘his secret plan that Christ would complete’. He makes it possible for us to understand this. But he did not show his plan before Jesus came.
God’s plan was that Jesus Christ will be the head (or ruler) of the whole universe (heaven and earth). God arranges the time of all things. He does this in perfect wisdom. God has fixed all the ages and seasons. He has decided when they will end. God is now working out his plan (that Christ will rule the whole universe). His plan is working all the time. One day God will complete it. History is ‘his story’.
Through the ages, God is bringing everything together under his rule. The meaning of the *Greek words are that God will add up everything. He will put it all under Christ as head.
It would be difficult for a person who is not a Christian to understand this. He would not make sense of history. Different events have taken place in different ages. They would not link with each other. Paul shows that God has a plan for the history of men and women. Once God hid this secret. Now he makes his plan plain. Christians today can now understand it. It is the job of Christians to tell the world about it.
Ephesians 1:11-12 (NLT2)11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.
From the beginning, God chose us to ‘have hope in Christ’, the Messiah. He chose that we should be a part of his plan. God works out everything in agreement with his choice. Everything that he wants to do, he does. Everything will be as he said. This plan includes Paul and the Jewish believers and now includes ‘you also’ (the *Gentile Christians) who believe in him.
1:13-14 ~ The mark of the *Holy Spirit
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT2)13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
The most important thing is to hear God’s word. God’s word is the word of truth. The word of truth is the gospel. The gospel is the good news about salvation. The knowledge of salvation comes by hearing about Jesus Christ
Romans 10:14 (NLT2)14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?
Hearing, however, must lead to faith. God can bless us only if we have faith.
So, when you believe, you receive the Holy Spirit. It is for those who have heard and believed. The Holy Spirit is our seal or guarantee.
In those days, a seal was a person’s own sign. It was a stamp or mark. It showed that he was the owner. He used it when he sent something important to another person. He would use this on a letter. It showed that everything was true and not false. It was a promise.
The Holy Spirit is the seal for the Christian. The Holy Spirit in him is a proof to himself of his faith. The*Holy Spirit makes the Christian certain that he has salvation. This seal also keeps the Christian safe. No one can break the seal. No one can break into his life.
The Holy Spirit is God’s seal or promise. It is a promise to all those who believe in him.
Greetings
Ephesians 1:1-2 NLT This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Paul identifies himself as an apostle chosen by God. God has chosen him to be a leader in the church and to act with God’s authority. First, Paul refers to himself as the writer of the letter. This was the custom at that time. Then he refers to his readers, as the ‘*saints’. The meaning of ‘saints’ is ‘the holy persons’. It means those that God has set apart to live holy lives. These are the Christians in Ephesus.
He brings the words grace and peace as a prayer asking God to give them both grace and peace.
Ephesians 1:3-11 NLT All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
In the original Greek language, this is one long sentence.
In this passage, Paul writes about the good things that the Father gives to us. The Father has blessed us (verse 3). He has chosen us (verse 4). He has decided that we shall become his sons and daughters (verse 5). He has given his grace to us (verse 6). Grace is the gift of God that we cannot buy. Neither can we work to earn it. He has told us about his choice and purpose. Which is to bring together all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. All of this is in verses 7-10.
Let’s go back to
Ephesians 1:3-6 NLTAll praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
The Father has chosen us
Verse 3 God has blessed us ‘in the heavenly places with every spiritual blessing in Christ’. Paul often uses the words ‘heavenly places’. He uses them 5 times in this letter. If we are Christians, we live now in heavenly places.
Jesus Christ has always existed; he is eternal. God chose us before our birth to be together with Christ. God made this choice before he made the world. This choice has nothing to do with the kind of person that we are. It does not depend on whether we are good or bad. Therefore, we cannot be proud. We cannot say that we have made the choice. We can only agree with what God has done. Christ justifies us in front of God. Then we need to obey God. We must live holy lives as God intends.
Paul writes, ‘He wants us to live holy lives.’ The meaning of the Greek word ‘holy’ is to be separate or different. Christians live in the world. But they must be different from the people around them.
Verse 5 says that God decided to adopt us. Under Roman law when a child was adopted the adoptive father then had the sole authority of the child the birth father had none after adoption. All the rights of the old father then ended. The child became a new person. If he had any debts in the old family, the court ended them. It would be as if the debts had never existed.
That is what God has done for us. We were under the power of sin and the devil. God, by Jesus, removed us from that power. He put us into his new family. He took away the old debts (our sins). It was as if they had never existed. We became part of his family and we became new people.
Notice that Paul doesn’t say that God chose us to be in Christ. He rather says God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless. What God chose from the foundation of the world was that whoever is in Christ will be holy and blameless.
Verse 6 All this makes us praise him for his wonderful grace. This grace is free. Moreover, he gave us this in the ‘son that he loves’ - Jesus.
The Son gave his life for us
Ephesians 1:7-12 NLT He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.
Before Christ you had to make a sacrifice in order to atone or be forgiven for sin. Sacrifice was the way by which God would forgive you. It was the way that God could deal with sin. ‘If there is no sacrifice of blood, God will not forgive our sins’. We see that at
Hebrews 9:22 NLT In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
Christ himself became this sacrifice. He gave his blood when he died on the cross. This forgiveness is because ‘God shows us his rich grace’. This *grace is greater than we can understand.
Ephesians 1:9-10 NLTGod has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.
Verses 9-10 God lets us know ‘his secret plan that Christ would complete’. He makes it possible for us to understand this. But he did not show his plan before Jesus came.
God’s plan was that Jesus Christ will be the head (or ruler) of the whole universe (heaven and earth). God arranges the time of all things. He does this in perfect wisdom. God has fixed all the ages and seasons. He has decided when they will end. God is now working out his plan (that Christ will rule the whole universe). His plan is working all the time. One day God will complete it. History is ‘his story’.
Through the ages, God is bringing everything together under his rule. The meaning of the *Greek words are that God will add up everything. He will put it all under Christ as head.
It would be difficult for a person who is not a Christian to understand this. He would not make sense of history. Different events have taken place in different ages. They would not link with each other. Paul shows that God has a plan for the history of men and women. Once God hid this secret. Now he makes his plan plain. Christians today can now understand it. It is the job of Christians to tell the world about it.
Ephesians 1:11-12 (NLT2)11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.
From the beginning, God chose us to ‘have hope in Christ’, the Messiah. He chose that we should be a part of his plan. God works out everything in agreement with his choice. Everything that he wants to do, he does. Everything will be as he said. This plan includes Paul and the Jewish believers and now includes ‘you also’ (the *Gentile Christians) who believe in him.
1:13-14 ~ The mark of the *Holy Spirit
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT2)13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
The most important thing is to hear God’s word. God’s word is the word of truth. The word of truth is the gospel. The gospel is the good news about salvation. The knowledge of salvation comes by hearing about Jesus Christ
Romans 10:14 (NLT2)14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?
Hearing, however, must lead to faith. God can bless us only if we have faith.
So, when you believe, you receive the Holy Spirit. It is for those who have heard and believed. The Holy Spirit is our seal or guarantee.
In those days, a seal was a person’s own sign. It was a stamp or mark. It showed that he was the owner. He used it when he sent something important to another person. He would use this on a letter. It showed that everything was true and not false. It was a promise.
The Holy Spirit is the seal for the Christian. The Holy Spirit in him is a proof to himself of his faith. The*Holy Spirit makes the Christian certain that he has salvation. This seal also keeps the Christian safe. No one can break the seal. No one can break into his life.
The Holy Spirit is God’s seal or promise. It is a promise to all those who believe in him.
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