Introduction:
Salutation from Paul
1:1-2
Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of
God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ
Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
There has been much debate about the true authorship of this
letter, its intended audience, and other textual
“problems.” R. C. H. Lenski in his commentary on
this Epistle says the following: “Let us turn from this most
uncongenial part of the subject and turn to the delightful task
of following the inspired thoughts and words of the Apostle
himself. Drink of this fountain of the Spirit and live in
peace, purity, and victory.” (Pp. 343)
What is (the) Grace (of God)?
Grace is favor or kindness shown without regard to the
worth or merit of the one who receives it and in spite of what
that person deserves. Grace is one of the key attributes of God.
The Lord God is “merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and
abounding in goodness and truth” (Ex. 34:6). Grace is almost
always associated with mercy, love, compassion, and patience.
In
the Old Testament, the supreme example of grace was the
redemption of the Hebrew people from
The
grace of God was supremely revealed and given in the person and
work of Jesus Christ. The grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ
is applied to human beings for their salvation by the Holy
Spirit, who is called “the Spirit of grace” (Heb.
10:29). The Spirit is the One who binds Christ to His people so
that they receive forgiveness, adoption to sonship, and newness
of life, as well as every spiritual gift or grace (Eph. 4:7).
The
theme of grace is especially prominent in the letters of Paul. He
sets grace radically over against the law and the works of the
law (Rom. 3:24, 28). Paul makes it abundantly clear that
salvation is not something that can be earned; it can be received
only as a gift of grace (
What
is (the) Peace (of God)?
Peace
is a word with several different meanings in the Old and New
Testaments. The Old Testament meaning of peace was
completeness, soundness, and well-being of the total person. This
peace was considered God-given (Ps. 119:165). Peace sometimes had
a physical meaning, suggesting security (Ps. 4:8), contentment
(Is. 26:3), prosperity (Ps. 122:6–7) and the absence of war
(1 Sam. 7:14). Keil and Delitztsch describe the peace of
God as that “which rested on
In
the New Testament, peace often refers to the inner tranquility
and poise of the Christian whose trust is in God through Christ.
This understanding was originally expressed in the Old Testament
writings about the coming Messiah (Is. 9:6–7). The peace
that Jesus Christ spoke of was a combination of hope, trust, and
quiet in the mind and soul, brought about by a reconciliation
with God. Such peace was proclaimed by the host of angels at
Christ’s birth (Luke 2:14), and by Christ Himself in His
Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:9) and during His ministry. He also
taught about this kind of peace at the Lord’s Supper,
shortly before His death (John 14:27).
A. Chosen by the Father (Election)
1:3-6
1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us
in Him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having
predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ
to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the
praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us
accepted in the Beloved.
What are (these) Spiritual
Blessings?
In this Psalm-like section Paul lists the spiritual blessings.
They are (1) election to holiness, (2) adoption as God’s
sons and daughters, (3) redemption and forgiveness, (4) the
gift(s) of the Spirit, and (5) the hope of glory. We
participate in these spiritual blessings by virtue of being
“in Christ.” As Christians we are not isolated
entities but part of the Body of Christ (v. 23). We share
in the resurrection of Christ, and therefore share in these
blessings together.
What is meant
by God having “predestined” us?
1. God would have all men be saved. (Eze 33:11; 1 Tim 2:4)
It
is not God’s will that any man be damned. God reveals
Himself and His merciful and gracious plan of salvation in His
Word. This Word can be heard and read by the non-believer.
Through the preaching and teaching of His Holy Word, God works on
the hearts of the sinner to bring him to know his sins,
God’s wrath, his inability to save himself, and his need for
the Gospel. The spark of faith that is generated by the
Word and the workings of the Holy Spirit allows man to accept the
forgiveness of sins in Christ. (SD II 49-56)
2. God’s foreknowledge.
God’s
foreknowledge is His ability to see and know everything before it
happens. It extends over all His creation and creatures; to
what will happen whether good or bad. It is not that God is
the author or promoter of the evil. This is of the will of
the devil and men to undertake these perversions. His
foreknowledge is to be carefully separated from the doctrine of
election. Though God knows before hand which men will be
saved and which to be damned it is His will, as seen above, that
all men come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. (SD XI)
3. Election to salvation.
A. The Merits and benefits of Christ are distributed
through Word and Sacrament.
B.
His Holy Spirit through this same Word works to move hearts to
true repentance and preserve in them the true faith.
C.
God will thereto justify all those who in true repentance receive
Christ by true faith, and will receive them into grace, the
adoption as sons, and the inheritance of eternal life.
D. He will also sanctify (make holy) in love those who are
thus justified.
E. He will protect them in their weakness against the
devil, the world and the flesh.
4.
Not being of the Elect
If
a man is not in Christ (of the Elect) it is, however, by his own
doing. Since God is not the author or promoter of the evil
works of any man, since it is His wish that all men come to faith
in His Son Jesus Christ, and that He also provides the means for
this to happen, God cannot be blamed for any man’s eternal
loss. He should instead be given full glory and honor for
all who are elected to salvation, for this is truly His work and
not our own.
5. Errors concerning Election.
A. That God does not want all men, but only the Elect to be
saved.
B. He has foreordained that some would be elected to
eternal damnation.
C. That there is something in us that causes God to make us
one of the elect.
D. If God has elected me to salvation, I cannot be
condemned no matter what I do.
E.
If I am not elected to eternal life, it is for no purpose that I
should seek to do good for this is in vain. (Ep XI)
B. Redeemed by the Son (Justification)
1:7-12
1:7 In Him we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to
the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in
all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us
the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He
purposed in Him, 10 that in the
dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which
are in heaven and which are on earth -- in Him.
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all
things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first
trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
What does this
mean?
We have our
redemption according to the riches of His grace and His
will. This section speaks to our justification - being
made right before God. Since justification is obtained
through the Gospel of grace, it follows that we cannot justify
ourselves. The promise(s) of the Gospel are received only
through faith that is worked through the Word of God by the Holy
Spirit. This faith is the true knowledge of Christ and
avails itself of the benefits of Christ. (Ap IV)
God’s will
(vs. 5 & 11) can be disobeyed, but His ultimate purpose
cannot be frustrated (Acts 4:27-28). It is God’s
gracious will that all men be saved, but man in his evil deeds
can frustrate that end. God also works His will, in regards
to salvation, through means. Ultimately God does this
through His Son, in whom we are declared blameless before Him.
God reveals this to us also through the means of His Word.
C. Sealed by the Spirit (Sanctification)
1:13-14
1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom
also, having believed, you were sealed with the
Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession, to the praise of His glory.
Being in
Christ
The Word of God
leads us to Christ, who is the Book of Life, in whom all are
written and elected that are to be saved in eternity. (Ep XI)
John Calvin wrote these word about our election in Christ:
“For
if we are chosen in Christ, it is outside ourselves. It is
not from the sight of our deserving, but because our heavenly
Father has engrafted us, through the blessing of adoption, into
the Body of Christ. In short, the name of Christ excludes
all merit, and everything which men have of themselves; for when
we he says that we are chosen in Christ, it follows that in
ourselves we are unworthy.”
It is “in
Christ” that we have been foreordained/predestined to
salvation. It was in Him that all things were created (Col.
1:16). It was also in Him that the people of God were
chosen before time. Christ is the foundation, origin, and
executor of our election and its fruits. We are chosen in
Christ to be “holy and without blame before [God the
Father].” (1:4 - See also Col 1:22,1Pet 1:2 & 1:15-16.)
The Holy
Spirit as Guarantee
This idea of
guarantee is used only by Paul in the New Testament and is used
only of the Holy Spirit. In its original usage the word
denoted an item of personal property that was handed over until
the full purchase price was paid. The Holy Spirit is for us
God’s guarantee/pledge of our full reception of the
spiritual blessings we receive in Christ.
II.
Introductory Thanksgiving & Prayer
1:15-23
A. Thanksgiving for the readers’ faith.
1:15-19
1:15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord
Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give
thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to
you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may
know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the
glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the
exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according
to the working of His mighty power
How do we know
God?
The Epistle to
the Romans talks about the natural knowledge of God - God
revealed in His creation. This natural knowledge only
embraces the Law and therefore does not save any man. We
only truly know God through His Word and by the wisdom and
understanding given through the Holy Spirit. This
prayer shows us that we do not and cannot come upon this wisdom
and knowledge in and of ourselves. Through the wisdom He
gives we understand His ways and His purpose and the hope to
which He has called us.
Prove God Exists.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the
community of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and an everlasting life. Amen.
Q. What does this
mean?
A. I believe
that I cannot come to my Lord Jesus Christ by my own intelligence
or power. But the Holy Spirit call me by the Gospel, enlightened
me with His gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith,
just as He calls, gathers together, enlightens and makes holy the
whole Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus in the one, true
faith. In this Church, He generously forgives each day every sin
committed by me and by every believer. On the last day, He will
raise me and all the dead from the grave. He will give eternal
life to me and to all who believe in Christ. Yes, this is true!
What is our inheritance?
When do we get it?
B.
The Might of God in the raising of Christ
1:20-23
[according to the working of His mighty power] 1:20 which
He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated
Him at His right hand in the heavenly
places, 21 far above all principality and
power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not
only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put
all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over
all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the
fullness of Him who fills all in all.
What does it mean for Christ to be above
all things and the head of the Church?
Is God right handed or left-handed?
III.
Position of the Christian
2:1-3:13
A. The Christian’s Position Individually
2:1-10
1.Old Condition: Dead to God
2:1-3
2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in
trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according
to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in
the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted
ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just
as the others.
Is Satan real?
What can we do to combat Satan?
What others (v. 3)?
2.New Condition: Alive to God
2:4-10
a. New Life
in Christ
2:1-7
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love
with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been
saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in
the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come
He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus.
b. God’s
New Creation
2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone
should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that
we should walk in them.
What are these Good Works? (Trespasses and sin Vs. Good Works)
Are Good Works
Necessary?
B.
The Christians Position Corporately
2:11-3:13
1.
Reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles
2:11-22
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh B who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands B 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Gentiles were once outside of the faith and without hope for they were Awithout God in the world.@ The Gentiles of today are the unbelievers.
Because
the former Gentiles of
If the unbelievers of today come to also know Christ in faith what, then do they have?
What does this say of the importance of evangelism and sharing the Gospel?
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Once where they were outsides, outcasts, and without hope, Christ brings them into the fold and gives them eternal hope.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
It
may seem to be a simple question, but Christ died for whom?
Just the Jews? Just the Gentiles?
19 Now,
therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow
citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having
been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the
whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple
in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a
dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Are
there any second-class citizens among the faithful?
What
then is the significance of verse 20?
2.
Revelation of the Mystery of the Church
3:1-13
a. Paul=s Stewardship 3:3-7
3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles -- 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
What is like to be a prisoner?
What was Paul=s attitude in comparison?
How were we once prisoners? (See Romans 6)
What is a Amystery?@
A mystery (from the Greek mustherion) is the content of that which has not been known before but which has been revealed to an in-group or restricted constituency - secret, mystery. 'The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you' (Mt 13:11). There is a serious problem involved in translating mustherion by a word which is equivalent to the English expression 'mystery,' for this term in English refers to a secret which people have tried to uncover but which they have failed to understand. In many instances mustherion is translated by a phrase meaning 'that which was not known before,' with the implication of its being revealed at least to some persons.
What was this >mystery?=
b. The Eternal Purpose 3:8-13
8 To me, who
am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given,
that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches
of Christ4, 9 and to make all see what is the
fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages1
has been hidden in God3 who created all things
through Jesus Christ2; 10 to the intent that
now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church5
to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places6,
11 according to the eternal purpose
which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12
in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith
in Him7. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not
lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
Paul=s argument outlining the eternal purpose:
1) The divine purpose goes back to eternity. (v.9)
2) It was formed in Jesus Christ. (v. 9)
3) It was hidden in ages past, but nonetheless there. (v. 9)
4) It is revealed to all men through the preaching of the Gospel. (v. 9)
5) God established the New Testament Church. (v. 10)
6) This in turn
is used to reveal even to the angels the wisdom of God in the
eternal purpose. (vs.10,11)
7) This puts us believers into possession of a wonderful earthly communion with our heavenly Father. (v.12)
And all of this was and is accomplished through Whom? To what end?
So if God has a purpose in all that He does, how do we react to trial and tribulation (our own and other=s)?
IV.
Prayer for Realization
3:14-21
A. Prayer Concluded (3:15-19) 3:14-19
14 For this
reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15
from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to
be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that
you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to
comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and
depth and height -- 19 to know the love of Christ which passes
knowledge; that you may be filled with all the
fullness of God.
Notice the threefold prayer - (1) strength of the Spirit, (2) the indwelling of Christ, (3) and the fullness of God.
Who are Aall the saints?@
Can we fully comprehend what Christ has done for us?
Is Paul=s prayer one of boldness or one that asks for but a few crumbs?
B. Doxology 3:20-21
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Part Two: The Practice of the Christian (4:1B6:24)
I. Unity in the Church 4:1B16
A. Exhortation to Unity 4:1B3
4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness [humility] and gentleness, with longsuffering [patience], bearing [being patient] with one another in [with] love, 3 endeavoring [make every effort] to keep [under guard] the unity [believing in one and the same way] of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
What is true unity? (See also I Corinthians 1:10-25)
The unity of the Spirit is maintained as the members of the body function together harmoniously for the well-being of the whole.
Is it alright for Christians to disagree? (See Acts 15:37 ff)
B. Explanation of Unity 4:4B6
4 There is one
body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your
calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father
of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Nice Trinitarian formula, but isn=t it usually Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and not Spirit, Son (Lord), and Father?
How are the Body and Spirit related? (Your answer will depend on what Paul means by Abody@.)
Why is Lord linked with baptism and faith? (Again see Romans 6)
What does Aall@ mean?
It is apparent that the Holy Spirit is the one Who brings about this unity, what do we do to disrupt this harmony?
C. Means for Unity: The Gifts 4:7B11
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore He says: AWhen He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.@ 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
Why this order - apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers? (See also I Corinthians 12:4 ff.)
9 (Now this, AHe ascended@ -- what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
D. Purpose of the Gifts 4:12B16
12 for the
equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the
building up of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the
unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a
perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ;
Why
did Christ institute the public ministry?
Is
the pastor and the other teaching offices of the church the only
ones who are to do the work of the church?
14 that we
should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about
with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the
cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
What
happens if people don=t grow spiritually?
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ -- 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Are we ever excused from speaking the Truth of God=s Word?
How are we then to approach false doctrine/teachings?