When I first studied through the book of Ephesians there was one out of the many sections that intrigued me…one section that amazed me. It was found in chapter three. In this chapter the Apostle Paul writes about the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to him for the churches (vs. 2).
What was once a mystery, was now being revealed to Paul. This “sacred secret” that was the Jew and the Gentile would be “made heirs together, members of the same body and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel” (vs. 6).
Paul goes on to say in verse 10 of chapter three that this body, composed of Jews and Gentiles, would be called the church and it would be through the church that “the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places”. In other words, the angelic beings would see God’s grace and wisdom on display!
Furthermore, Paul writes in verse 11 that all this “was according to the eternal purpose that God has purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This is why at the beginning of this letter in chapter one Paul writes:
Eph 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
Eph 1:5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
Eph 1:6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
Eph 1:8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight
Eph 1:9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ
Eph 1:10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
This is telling us that all of salvation, in which is displayed the wisdom of God, is according to God’s purpose. Christ is in it—His incarnation, His sufferings, His death and everything surrounding it, were decreed by God. All those for whom Christ became incarnate, suffered and died were appointed by God and the applying of this great salvation to them was according to His purpose.
The time when, the place, and the means whereby souls are converted, are all settled in the decrees of God; the Gospel itself, the preaching of it by such and such persons, its use to bring men and women to repentance are all according to a divine purpose: and this purpose is eternal, or was in the mind of God from all eternity.
No new purpose can arise in God; no purpose, resolution, or decree can be made by Him in time, which was not in His mind and heart and hands before the world began.
Background - Ephesians was written around AD 63 while Paul was under house arrest (or detention) in Rome. Under house detention he enjoyed certain privileges in what was a relaxed form of custody. Among these was the freedom to receive a constant stream of visitors. Intimate friends like Luke, Aristarchus and presumably Timothy were often at Paul’s side. From time to time he would receive messengers from churches outside of Rome.
Also while under house arrest Paul was able to minister to people and churches through letters. It was at this time that Paul wrote a letter to the Colossian believers and the letter to Philemon and then his third letter from prison, to the church at Ephesus.
This letter was sent to Ephesus and to all the churches founded as a result of the mission there throughout the Asian Province.
In this letter, Paul didn’t deal with specific issues as in Colossians and in much of his other correspondence. In Ephesians, he dealt with the implications of the Gospel.
The Expositor's Bible Commentary writes, “Ephesians, unlike Colossians, was not devised to combat error and expose the inconsistencies of false teaching. Paul’s aim was more detached and therefore more exalted. He rose above the smoke and battle and captured a vision of God’s sovereign plan…and contemplated God’s overall design for His church and for His world. As he [Paul] did so, he came to realize as never before the breathtaking scope of God’s strategy in Christ for the fullness of time.”
They lost their first love…The book of Revelation (Rev 2:2) tells us that the Ephesian church had succeeded in keeping out the false teachers but had failed to maintain the vibrancy of their first love for Christ (Rev. 2:4)
This is in harmony with the contents of Ephesians, for the verb form of “love” (agapao) is used 9 times in Ephesians whereas Paul used it only 23 times in all of his other letters. Paul used the noun (agape, “love”) 10 times in Ephesians compared with 65 times in his other epistles.
In fact, of the 107 times Paul used the verb or noun form “love” one-sixth of his references to “love” appear in this small epistle to the Ephesians. This letter begins with love (1:4-6) and ends with love (6:23-24).
Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe tells us that Ephesians balances doctrine and duty. The first three chapters deal with doctrine (the calling of the church) and the last three chapters deal with application (the conduct of the church). You might also understand that Ephesians balances position and practice. The first three chapters deal with the believer’s position in Christ and the last three chapters deal with the Christian’s practice or walk before Christ and the world.
Chapter 1, verses 1-3
“Apostle” - a term for one who bears the New Testament message. It is used, first of the original disciples and then of other Christian missionaries. Paul claimed that, like that of the twelve, his commission came directly from Christ (Acts 26:16-18; 1 Cor 9:1).
In order to be numbered as an Apostle (with a capital A) one had to meet certain qualifications:
* Had to have been with the Lord Jesus and hand-picked by Him (Acts 1:21)
* Had to have been an eyewitness of the resurrected Savior (Acts 1:21; 9:1-16; 1Cor 9:1)
Paul always testified to his fulfilling both of these requirements: (Acts 22:3-10; Acts 26:9-18). Yet, today, we have many in the church calling themselves “Apostles”. Feel free to ask them, “Are you qualified to be an Apostle of the Lord Jesus?”
“By the will of God” - Paul made the claim that he was an Apostle “by the will of God.”
But amazingly, Paul was killing Christians when the Lord saved Him. This tells us that no one is beyond the pardon of the Lord. Jesus saves “from the guttermost to the “uttermost”. He removes our transgressions far as the east is from the west. He buries our sins into the depths of the sea (Psalm 103:12; Micah 7:19).
Paul’s entrance into this apostleship wasn’t due to any qualifications he had. In fact, in Philippians 3:8 he uses the word “dung” to describe those things that ordinary people would have bragging rights to. He was an apostle “by the will of God.”
I believe Andrae Crouch got his lyrics from the sentiments of Paul, “All that I am and ever hope to be. I owe it all to Thee. To God be the glory”.
“To the saints in Ephesus” - This letter was a circular letter. This doesn’t mean it was round, it means that it was a letter that was circulated around to other churches. As the letter was copied, the name of the intended church was filled in. It was, “To the saints in Ephesus”.
“Saints” – The influence of the Catholic Church has caused this word to lose its original meaning today so we need to go back to the Bible for its meaning.
In the Old Testament, the words used for saints (qaddish and chasid) means “holy”.
To be holy is to separate yourself from evil and dedicate yourself to God. This separation and union is seen both with things and people. For example, all the items of worship associated with the Jewish Temple were “holy” and separated for the Lord's use. This separation reflects God's very character, for He is holy (Lev. 19:2).
* altar (Ex. 29:37),
* oil (Ex. 30:25),
* garments (Ex. 31:10),
* people (Ex. 22:31).
Holiness is clearly portrayed in the Old Testament as an encounter with the living God, which results in a holiness of life-style (Isaiah. 6; Dan. 7:18-28). And according to the Old Testament, holiness is more than a one-time separating and uniting activity; it is a way of life. "You shall be holy: for I ... am holy" (Lev. 19:2).
In the New Testament, the word, hagios, is used for saints. In Ephesians, Paul refers to the believers as “saints”, hagios, the “set apart ones”.
Related to this is a word found in 1st Thessalonians. In 1:1 Paul writes to the “church of the Thessalonians”. The word “church” is translated from the Greek word, ekklesia which means “called-out ones”.
It is important to note that “church” is actually mistranslated here. The term “church” actually is derived from the German Kirche, which in turn comes from the Greek adjective kuriakos, “belonging to the Lord” (cf. 1 Cor 11:20) or possibly the Latin circus (kirkus).
Ekklesia is derived from the word kaleo, meaning, “to call.” Some have understood this to refer to the church as “the called out ones.” The emphasis in Scripture is not on the people who gather, or where they gather, but rather, who does the gathering.
In other words, the most important factor in an ekklesia is who causes and calls the assembly. Again, a study of the scriptural use of the term lets us know that it is God who calls the assembly…it is God who forms the gathering. Therefore, whenever the term “church” is used, it is either stated or implied that it is a gathering of (or by) God.
Please know that if you are a Christian, you don’t decide to get up out of bed to go to church. You are called by God into this body. You are commanded by God to this assembly. God is gathering His people here today to worship and serve Him.
In the New Testament the word “saints” is used to refer to those who are “called out” and “set apart” for God’s use. At home you may have some things that are “set apart” for special use. If the President was coming over for dinner, you wouldn’t pull out the Styrofoam plates. You would use the china that you’ve reserved for special occasions.
And so God has called you out of darkness for His use. You belong to Him! In Paul’s epistles to the Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, and Philemon, his use of the word “saints” refers to the people who name Jesus as their Lord.
In the Book of Revelation, the word “saints” is used more times than in any other single book (13 times). Here the meaning is further defined. The saints not only name Jesus as Lord, but they are faithful and true witnesses for Jesus.
So biblically, the term saint, if correctly applied, refers to anyone who believes Jesus Christ is Master. To believe in Jesus demands obedience and conformity to His will. A saint bears true and faithful witness to Christ in speech and life-style.
...and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Faithful - pistoi – This word combines the ideas of trust and fidelity. The faithful person is steadfast, trustworthy, and thoroughly grounded in the Word of God. Faith and faithfulness is possible only (as Paul writes) "in Christ Jesus".
...Grace to you...
The greeting of that day in the Roman culture would be something like, “Greetings and peace.” But Paul goes beyond the use of the word “greeting” chairein and substitutes the word, charis (“grace”) to highlight the unmerited benefits given by God to the believer in Christ. Paul coins a slight variation of this greeting to communicate a deepened Christian meaning: “Grace to you, and peace”.
What is “grace”? This word is used in Ephesians 2:8, 9: “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
This is telling us that it is through grace that lost men and women are saved from their sins in the eyes of a holy God by a transaction, completely free of charge. Grace is unmerited favor. It is God's love demonstrated freely for the benefit of his people.
The concept of grace is different from justice and mercy.
* Justice is God giving us what we deserve.
* Mercy is God withholding from us what we deserve.
* Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve.
Grace is God's Riches At Christ's Expense. Grace rules out all human merit (Rom. 11:6). We do not deserve it; we cannot earn it; we cannot buy or purchase it. Grace is that which is given by God because of who He is and not because of who we are.
God bestows His grace to us in our daily living; God gives us grace for every moment. Someone has described grace not just as “God’s unmerited favor” but as “the power and desire to do God’s will.”
...and peace…
One of the benefits of grace is peace. Grace is God’s loving kindness toward those who are undeserving of His favor but have placed their faith in Jesus Christ (Titus 3:4).
And as recipients of His grace, we have “peace with God” (Rom 5:1). Someone has said, “Grace is the fountain and peace is the stream.”
“Peace with God” vs. “The Peace of God”
The “peace of God” (Phil. 4:7) is the Holy Spirit’s way of assuring us that God is in control even in the midst of difficult circumstances.
But “the peace of God” isn’t the peace that Paul writes about in Ephesians 1:2. The peace that Paul was writing about is the peace that had for its background the hostility of mankind against God since the creation.
Since the fall of man, humanity has struggled and pushed against the holy boundaries that God has set forth in our conscience and in the Law of Moses. Over the ages we have fought against God in order to get our own way.
The peace that Paul was referring to was the peace that was purchased by the death of God’s own Son. This is the peace that results from being justified by faith in Jesus Christ
Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This word peace comes from the Greek word eirene, (i-ray'-nay) and means “to set at one again”.
This takes us back to the Garden of Eden when after the first couple ate the forbidden fruit, they were separated from God by their wicked works and thus hid themselves from Him. Paul writes in Colossians 1:21, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.”
But thankfully, our omniscient God had a plan to restore peace. Jesus the “Prince of peace” (Isaiah 9:6) would reconcile man back to God by His death on the Cross! Fellowship with God would be restored, and the relationship with God could be “set at one again” for anyone who would repent of their sins to follow Jesus as their Savior and King.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...” (vs. 3)
This begins what becomes a rather long doxology eulogizing God. (verses 3 to 14)
A doxology is a “praise saying”. It comes from two Greek words: doxa, which means “glory” and logos, which means “to say or a word or a saying”. A doxology is a saying about God's glory. In other words, it’s a praise or it is offering God thanks. It is saying thanks by means of praising God. A doxology is a praise saying.
Paul’s doxology identifies God the Father as the ultimate recipient and source of blessing—He is the One to whom blessing is ascribed and the One who bestows blessings on those who love Him.
The word “Blessed” in verse three is translated from the Greek word eulogetos, from which we get eulogy. To bless or eulogize God is to praise Him for His mighty works and holy character.
Though the Greek word eulogetos, is used exclusively of God in the New Testament, in the Old Testament we can find several examples of God being spoken well of. One is in Psalm 103:
Psalm 103:1 Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
Psa 103:3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
Psa 103:4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
Psa 103:5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
So back in Ephesians, Paul begins to eulogize God in his doxology.
... who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing...
“Hath blessed” is an aorist tense in the Greek text, referring to the fact of an action. The translation should read “The One who blessed!” in other words, “He did it! It’s a fact!”
When we bless God, we praise Him, speak well of Him, but here in this text, God blesses us! But it is not that He speaks good of us or eulogizes us; the text is referring to the wonderful fact that He does us good.
Our blessing is with our words; His blessing is by His deeds. He bestows benefits on us.
The apostle James writes, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
The word spiritual also in Ephesians 1:3 three, describes the blessings, not as spiritual contrasted to physical, but as blessings produced and given us by the Holy Spirit.
And it’s the “spiritual blessings”, i..e., the blessings bestowed by the Spirit of God, you want over and above the physical blessings anyway, right?
Paul goes on in verse 4 through the rest of this chapter and even on through the end of chapter three to share with his readers these spiritual blessings received because of who they are in Christ.
These blessings are “in the heavenlies”.
... in the heavenlies... - Some translations have “in heavenly places”. The word places is italicized denoting that this word is not in the Greek text and is supplied by the translators in an attempt to make plain to the English reader, the thought in the Greek text.
The original meaning is, “in the heavenlies” and is also used in 1:20; 2:6; 3:10; and 6:12.
Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest comments on this verse, writing, “It is that we saints, while still in the body on earth, are enjoying some of the blessings which we will enjoy in heaven.” In other words, God doesn’t make the Christian wait until he or she is in heaven to enjoy the heavenly blessing. We can enjoy them and rejoice in the possession of them right now!
Someone has counted 15 blessings that come by way of the Holy Spirit to the Christian:
1. Chosen Before the Foundation of the World (v.4) - To know you’ve been chosen before the foundation of the world is to know that your existence isn’t an accident or by-product of natural selection. God has been thinking about your destiny before He ever said, “Let there be light.” (Genesis 1)
2. Holy and Blameless (v.4) - In Christ you are holy and blameless. This means you are fit to serve Him and worship Him not because of your own righteousness, but because of the righteousness of Christ that has been imputed or attributed to you.
3. In His Love (v.4) - In Christ you stand in agape or sacrificial love.
4. Predestined to Adoption (v.5) - God has predetermined to call you His own in Christ. He has selected you to be His son or daughter. You are a part of His family. He is your Father.
5. Accepted in the Beloved (v.6) – In Christ you are not rejected. You are not an outcast. The Creator of the universe accepts you in Christ. You have been reconciled to God because of Christ’s sacrifice. Nothing is between you and God today.
6. Redemption through His Blood (v.7) - Outside of Christ you were a slave to sin and eternal death. You couldn’t buy or earn your way out of it. The price for your freedom was the precious blood of Jesus.
7. Forgiveness of Sins (v.7) – Though you had a track record of consciously rebelling against God and His law in your heart. Though you have a past of ignoring His wisdom and thought yourself to be the captain of your ship…in Christ, you have been forgiven.
8. Riches of His Grace Abound To You (v.7-8) - We have already seen that grace means “unmerited favor.” Abound means “to have in abundance.” In Christ, there is an abundant measure of unmerited favor flowing to your life like a river.
9. Made Known to You the Mystery of His Will (v.9) - In a fallen world of war, suffering and disease; a sinful world where bad things happen to good people; God has revealed His solution to us. He wrapped-up every answer to every aspect of the human condition in Christ and He gave it to us.
10. Obtained an Eternal Inheritance (v.11) - Revelation 21:4 describes Heaven in the following manner: And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.
11. Heard the Word of Truth (v.13) – God has opened up our minds and heart so that we might hear the truth as light overwhelms the darkness. We are not left in the dark. We have heard His good news and discovered the path of life. We are not without counsel.
12. Sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise (v.13) - The Promise of the Holy Spirit that was prophesied about Christ and His willingness to make a stony heart like a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26) has been fulfilled for those who are in Christ. God not only saves but He seals us thus keeping us saved for eternity.
13. Believers Know the Hope of His Calling (v.18) – God has called the Christian out of darkness (1 Peter 2:9) and this calling has given us hope. This hope in Christ serves as an anchor for the soul (Hebrews 6:19). It’s a rock (1 Corinthians 10:4).
14. Believers have a Rich and Glorious Inheritance (v.18) – The possessions of the world will not last. They will either rot, rust or will be relinquished to others when you die. But the inheritance the believer receives from Christ is eternal, infinite and inexhaustible (1 Peter 1:4).
15. The Exceeding Greatness of His Power (v.19-20) - Paul says the exceeding greatness of His power is toward you who believe. What kind of power is this? It is the same power that raised Christ from the dead! It is the same power that conquered sin, death and hell. In Christ, this same power is present in your life today! It keeps you. It empowers you for ministry.
These spiritual blessings:
1. Are of such a character that they are Spirit-produced ones.
2. Are blessings which have their natural residence in and come from heaven.
3. Are “in Christ”.
... in Christ (vs. 3) - Not merely through Christ - Expositors. The phrase “in Christ” expresses the supreme idea that saturates this entire letter to the Ephesian church. We are in Christ! The blessings are in Christ! In order for you and I to experience the blessings we need to be “in Christ”!
The phrase “in Christ” qualifies the whole statement of the blessing in its bestowal, in its nature, and its root. These blessings have their ground and reason in Christ, so that apart from Him and apart from being in union with Him, they have no relation to us.
One commentator writes, “In Him (Christ) lay the cause that God blessed us with every spiritual blessing...” (Meyer)”
Are you in Christ? Paul is writing about more than a religion…more than a church membership…more than a church attendance…more than a ritual…more than a sacrament.
The Scriptures are presenting us with a relationship! A salvation, in which is displayed the wisdom of God and is according to God’s purpose. Christ is in it—His incarnation, His sufferings, His death and everything surrounding it.
This relationship was decreed by God. All those for whom Christ became incarnate, suffered and died were appointed by God and the applying of this great salvation to them was according to His purpose. This is what we are beginning to see and learn about in this great letter!
How can anyone who names the Name of Christ, treat this great salvation so trivial and trite? How can anyone who’s name has been written in the Book of Life before the foundation of the world just drag themselves into church and let the hour of worship slip by without ascribing glory to the One who bought their salvation by dying on the Cross for their sins?
How can anyone just sit on their gifts and abilities and not invest them in the kingdom work of reaching souls for the Lord Jesus? How can you withhold what doesn’t even belong to you and consume it upon your own desires? Are you in Christ?
