Ephesians

Ephesians is Paul's letter "to the saints who are in Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus" (Eph 1:1). Its first half is one long doxological argument — what God has done in Christ before the foundation of the world and what he is doing in the present age through the church; its second half draws the corresponding life — one body, walking worthy of the calling, in the household and against the spiritual powers.

Greeting and the Blessing of the God and Father

The salutation identifies the writer and the addressees and immediately turns to praise: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you⁺ and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph 1:1-2). The letter opens not with thanksgiving but with a long blessing on God: "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" (Eph 1:3). What follows is one extended sentence in which election, adoption, redemption, and sealing are gathered as facets of a single divine purpose — "even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world" (Eph 1:4); "having preappointed us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will" (Eph 1:5); "in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace" (Eph 1:7) — moving toward the climactic purpose to "sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth" (Eph 1:10). The hearers are sealed: "in whom you⁺ also, having heard the word of the truth, the good news of your⁺ salvation, --in whom, having also believed, you⁺ were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is a security deposit of our inheritance" (Eph 1:13-14).

Prayer for Enlightened Eyes

The blessing rolls into intercession: "do not cease to give thanks for you⁺, making mention [of you⁺] in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you⁺ a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; having the eyes of your⁺ heart 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, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power in us who believe" (Eph 1:16-19). The power asked for is the power already shown in Christ — the power that "raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly [places], far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion" (Eph 1:20-21). The chapter ends by tying that exalted Christ to the church: "and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all things in all" (Eph 1:22-23).

From Death to Life by Grace

Chapter 2 begins with the recipients' former condition: "And you⁺ [he made alive], when you⁺ were dead through your⁺ trespasses and sins, in which you⁺ once walked according to the age of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air" (Eph 2:1-2). Both writer and readers are placed under the same verdict: "we also all once lived in the desires of our flesh ... and were by nature children of wrath" (Eph 2:3). The reversal is by mercy: "but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you⁺ have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly [places]" (Eph 2:4-6). The principle is stated and the boast denied: "for by grace you⁺ have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; not of works, that no man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance that we should walk in them" (Eph 2:8-10).

One New Man, One Holy Temple

The same chapter turns from the vertical movement (death to life) to the horizontal one (Gentiles brought near). The Gentile readers were "at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world" (Eph 2:12). "But now in Christ Jesus you⁺ who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both one, and in his flesh broke down the middle wall of partition, the enmity" (Eph 2:13-14). The result is a single new humanity: "that he might create in himself the two into one new man, [so] making peace" (Eph 2:15), reconciled "both in one body to God through the cross" (Eph 2:16). The image shifts to a building: "you⁺ are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone; in whom each building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you⁺ also are built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Eph 2:19-22).

The Mystery Made Known to the Gentiles

Chapter 3 is Paul's parenthetical statement of his own commission. The mystery, hidden in past ages, is now revealed: "[to wit,] that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the good news" (Eph 3:6). His role is to "preach to the Gentiles [the good news of] the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph 3:8), so "that now to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly [places] might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God" (Eph 3:10). The chapter ends in a second intercession — that the readers "may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; that Christ may dwell in your⁺ hearts through faith; to the end that you⁺, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you⁺ may be filled to all the fullness of God" (Eph 3:16-19) — and a doxology to "him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph 3:20).

Walk Worthy: One Body, One Spirit, One Lord

Chapter 4 turns from theology to walk: "I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you⁺ to walk worthily of the calling with which you⁺ were called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph 4:1-3). The unity is grounded in a sevenfold list: "[There is] one body, and one Spirit ... one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all" (Eph 4:4-6). Within that one body the gifts are diverse — "some [to be] apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers" (Eph 4:11) — given "for the preparing of the saints, to the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Eph 4:12), the goal being maturity: "until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph 4:13).

Putting Off the Old, Putting On the New

The walk requires a definite change of clothing: "that you⁺ put away, as concerning your⁺ former manner of life, the old man, that waxes corrupt after the desires of deceit; and that you⁺ are renewed in the spirit of your⁺ mind, and put on the new man, that after God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth" (Eph 4:22-24). Specifics follow: speak truth, deal with anger before sundown, do not steal, do not let corrupt speech proceed (Eph 4:25-29). And: "do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you⁺ were sealed to the day of redemption" (Eph 4:30). The chapter ends with a positive imperative: "be⁺ kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you⁺" (Eph 4:32).

Walking as Children of Light

Chapter 5 resumes the imitation theme: "Be⁺ therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, even as Christ also loved us, and delivered himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell" (Eph 5:1-2). The dark/light contrast organizes the section: "for you⁺ were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord: walk as children of light" (Eph 5:8). The wise walk includes sober speech and worship: "And don't be drunk with wine, in which is riot, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your⁺ heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ" (Eph 5:18-21).

The Household: Wives, Husbands, Children, Parents, Slaves, Masters

The "subjecting yourselves one to another" launches the household section. Wives: "[be in subjection] to your⁺ own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, [being] himself the savior of the body" (Eph 5:22-23). Husbands: "love your⁺ wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it; that he might sanctify it" (Eph 5:25-26). The Genesis citation is read Christologically: "For this cause will a man leave his father and mother, and will stick to his wife; and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great: but I speak in regard of Christ and of the church" (Eph 5:31-32). Children are told to obey, "for this is right" (Eph 6:1), and the fifth commandment is cited as "the first commandment with promise" (Eph 6:2); fathers are told not to provoke but to nurture in "the chastening and admonition of the Lord" (Eph 6:4). Slaves are to obey "with fear and trembling, in singleness of your⁺ heart, as to Christ" (Eph 6:5), and masters in turn are to "do the same things to them, and forbear threatening: knowing that he who is both their Master and yours⁺ is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him" (Eph 6:9).

The Whole Armor of God

The closing exhortation reframes the conflict: "Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you⁺ may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]" (Eph 6:10-12). Each piece is given: loins girded with truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet fastened in "the foundation of the good news of peace," shield of faith "with which you⁺ will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil [one]," and "the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph 6:14-17). The armor is taken up "with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit" (Eph 6:18), and Paul asks prayer for himself, "an ambassador in chains" (Eph 6:20).

Closing

Tychicus, "the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord," is sent to carry news of Paul's circumstances and to comfort the readers (Eph 6:21-22). The benediction closes the letter on the same notes its first words struck: "Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with [a love] incorruptible" (Eph 6:23-24).