Ephesians
The Church, the body of Christ: the believer’s wealth in Christ and walk in the Lord.
Ephesians lifts the reader into “heavenly places.” Paul, writing as a prisoner of Jesus Christ, begins with a doxology that sweeps from eternity past to eternity future: the Father chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, the Son redeemed us through His blood, and the Holy Spirit sealed us unto the day of redemption (1:3–14). Every spiritual blessing is already ours in Christ.
The first three chapters describe the believer’s position. Once dead in trespasses and sins, we have been quickened, raised, and seated with Christ, saved by grace through faith (2:1–10). Jew and Gentile, once separated by a wall of partition, have been made one new man in one body (2:11–22). This union was a mystery hidden from the ages and revealed to Paul: “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body” (3:6).
The last three chapters describe the walk that fits the calling. Believers are to walk in unity, in purity, in love, in light, and in wisdom, filled with the Spirit. Paul applies this to marriage—where Christ’s love for the Church is the pattern—to children and parents, and to servants and masters. He closes with the armor of God for the believer’s warfare against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Writer: Paul
Written: AD 62–64
Name: Addressed to the saints at Ephesus.
Title and authorship
The epistle to the saints at Ephesus and “to the faithful in Christ Jesus” (1:1). Ephesus was the leading city of the province of Asia and home of the great temple of Diana.
Paul wrote Ephesians (1:1; 3:1) as a prisoner in Rome. It is the first of the four “prison epistles” (with Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon), carried by Tychicus (6:21–22).
Historical background
Paul’s first Roman imprisonment, about AD 62–64. Paul had spent three years in Ephesus on his third journey (Acts 19; 20:31), and the gospel spread from there through all Asia (Acts 19:10).
The saints at Ephesus and, very likely, other churches in Asia; the letter contains few personal greetings and may have circulated.
Ephesus and Diana
The temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, four times the size of the Parthenon. Silversmiths made a living selling shrines of the goddess, and Paul’s preaching threatened their trade and started a riot (Acts 19:23–41).
Magic and the word
Ephesus was a center of magic; “Ephesian letters” were famous charms. When believers there burned their books of curious arts, worth fifty thousand pieces of silver, “so mightily grew the word of God and prevailed” (Acts 19:19–20).
Later history
Timothy later pastored at Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3), Paul warned its elders of grievous wolves (Acts 20:29), and Christ commended its labor but rebuked it for leaving its first love (Revelation 2:1–7). Tradition places John’s later ministry there.
Key passages
Ephesians 2:8–10
By grace are ye saved through faith, not of works; we are His workmanship created unto good works.
Ephesians 3:6
The mystery: Gentiles fellowheirs and of the same body with believing Jews.
Ephesians 4:1–3
Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, keeping the unity of the Spirit.
Outline
1 · Spiritual blessings in Christ
The Father’s purpose, the Son’s redemption, and the Spirit’s sealing establish the believer’s wealth.
2 · Grace and reconciliation
Those made alive in Christ are joined into one body and one household.
3 · The revealed mystery
Paul explains his stewardship and prays for spiritual understanding and strength.
4–6 · A worthy walk and a firm stand
Unity, purity, love, household order, and spiritual warfare express the calling.
Original language
ἐν Χριστῷ (en Christo, G5547) — “in Christ”
The key phrase of the epistle; “in Christ,” “in him,” and “in whom” occur about thirty-five times. Every spiritual blessing comes to the believer through his position in Christ.
ἐπουράνιος (epouranios, G2032) — “heavenly places”
Literally “the heavenlies.” Used five times in Ephesians: the believer’s blessings are there (1:3), Christ is seated there (1:20), we sit there in Him (2:6), angels observe God’s wisdom there (3:10), and our warfare is with wicked spirits there (6:12).
μυστήριον (musterion, G3466) — “mystery”
A truth hidden in other ages and now revealed. In Ephesians the mystery is the Church: Jew and Gentile in one body (3:3–9), and Christ and the Church as husband and wife (5:32).
σφραγίζω (sphragizo, G4972) — “sealed”
To seal as a mark of ownership, authenticity, and security. Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise “unto the day of redemption” (4:30).
οἰκονομία (oikonomia, G3622) — “dispensation”
Household management, stewardship, administration. Paul speaks of “the dispensation of the grace of God” given to him (3:2) and “the dispensation of the fulness of times” (1:10). The word underlies the English “economy.”
Doctrinal study
The Trinity in salvation
Ephesians 1:3–14 presents the Father choosing and predestinating to adoption (4–6), the Son redeeming and revealing (7–12), and the Spirit sealing as the earnest of the inheritance (13–14). Each section ends “to the praise of his glory.” Salvation is the work of the whole Godhead.
One new man
Christ broke down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile, abolishing in His flesh the enmity, “the law of commandments contained in ordinances,” to make in Himself of twain one new man (2:14–15). The Church is not Israel continued; it is a new creation in which national distinctions give way to unity in Christ.
Spiritual warfare
The believer’s enemy is not flesh and blood but principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places (6:12). His armor is truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God—with prayer.
Commentary notes
Wealth and walk
Chapters 1–3: the believer’s wealth in Christ—his possession and position. Chapters 4–6: his walk in the Lord—his conduct and stand. Christian living is based on Christian learning; the believer who does not know his wealth in Christ will struggle to walk in its fullness.
Joshua and Ephesians
Ephesians is the New Testament Joshua: an inheritance already given that must be possessed, a warfare against enemies who occupy the land (the heavenlies), and an armor for the battle.
Too deep for some
Ephesians covers eternity past (1:4) to eternity future (2:7). Some groups become stuck here—hyper-Calvinists making election determine who may be saved, and hyper-dispensationalists cutting off parts of the Bible. The balance is found by letting the whole book speak.
Christ in the book
- The Head over all things to the Church (1:22)
- Our peace, who broke down the middle wall (2:14)
- The chief corner stone (2:20)
- The Bridegroom who loved the Church and gave Himself for it (5:25)
Applications
Historical
- Paul encourages this dedicated fellowship in the reality of their position in Christ and their responsibility to walk worthy of it, in the idolatrous environment of Ephesus and against principalities and powers.
- Paul spent an extended ministry in Ephesus; Acts records the conflict created by the gospel in its idolatrous setting.
- This is one of the four letters associated with Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome.
Doctrinal
- Like the Ephesus period of church history, which left its first love (Revelation 2:1–4), believers must keep their focus on justification by grace through faith and the duty to walk in it if they are to withstand the grievous wolves of the last days (Acts 20:29).
- The mystery of the Church is Jew and Gentile united in one body in Christ, a truth now revealed with clarity through apostolic ministry.
- The Church’s reconciliation is grounded in Christ’s cross. Its existence precedes the fuller explanation of its identity given in Paul’s prison epistles.
Devotional
- Our lifestyle reflects our understanding of all we received when we were placed into Christ: we are His body and His bride, and we stand in His armor.
- Forgiveness, truthful speech, kindness, and faithfulness in relationships express the practical responsibilities arising from the believer’s calling in Christ.
- Stand in God’s provision through truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, the word, and prayer.
Answering the critics
Some modern critics deny Paul’s authorship, arguing that the vocabulary and style differ from his other letters.
The book names Paul as author twice. People speak and write differently to different audiences and for different purposes—compare Romans with Galatians or 1 Corinthians with 2 Corinthians. The early church received Ephesians as Paul’s without question.