EPHESIANS

Billy Bland
Author: Paul (Eph. 1:1; 3:1) – internal evidence, claims of authorship and very similar
style. Out of 150 verses in Eph. 78 are found in Colossians in varying degrees of identity.
These are twin epistles.

External evidence for authorship: early church fathers refer to it as from Paul: Clement
of Rome, Polycarp, Clement of Alexandria and Irenaeus.

Date and place of writing: In prison, Eph. 3:1; 4:1, 6:20. This would place it around A. D.
62 in Rome.

The city of Ephesus

Capital of the province of Asia. Famous for its trade, art and science. Trade was easy due to
its sea port, there were three important rods led to Ephesus.

It was the center of the worship to goddess Diana or Artemis. Temple of Diana: 425 feet of
length; 225 feet wide; supported by 127 columns of 60 ft. high. Each column was a gift
from a foreign king. 220 years was in construction. It is now in ruins. It was considered one
of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The church in Ephesus.

Paul was forbidden to preach in Asia, he then visited Ephesus in his second missionary
journey. Acts 18:18-21. Apollos was there, and when Paul arrives a problem arises
concerning baptism. Acts 19 – He remained there 3 years.

Timothy was left there and later met with the elders of the church and admonishes them.

The last writing to the church was by Jesus Christ in revelation and charges them of
forgetting their first love.

Purpose

Encourage the brethren – Rev. 2; To set Christ as the head of the church: exalt the church
as well. We read much about the church – the body of Christ. Colossians about the head of
the body. The “in Christ” theme (1:3 – heavenly places in Christ. 30 times in Eph.).
Metaphors of Eph.

- Christians as children of God. 1:5; 4:1; 5:1.

- Christians are the family of God 2:9; 3:15.
- The church is the body of Christ 1:22-23; 4:4
- Christians are citizens in Christ’s kingdom: 2:19
- Church is the temple of God: 2:20-22.
- Church is the bride of Christ: 5:22-23.
- Christian is the soldier of Christ 6:10-20.

The glorious church – 5:25-27.

- Christ is the Head. 1:22-23; 5:23.

- Church is the fullness of Christ. 1:22-23
- One is reconciled to God in the one Body. 2:16.
- God’s wisdom is made known by the church: 3:10
- We glorify God in the church 3:20-21
- There is only one church: 4:4.
- Christ is the savior of the body: 5:23
- Christ loves the church: 5:25
- Christ gave himself for it: 5:25.
- It will be presented to Christ as a glorious church. Eph. 5:27
- It is the glorious bride of Christ. Eph 5:21-22.

Ephesians 1

v. 1-2: Paul was an apostle – one sent by Jesus Christ, Acts 26;

By the will of God: Gal. 1:1; 1 Cor. 9:1; 2 Cor. 12:12 – It was not something that he looked
for, but given entirely by God.

“saints”: set apart. Not a miraculous occurrence, but a process made by the HS through the
word. It has nothing to do with being born in sin. John 17:17.

Faithful in Christ Jesus: same group as “saints”. Faithfulness: faith in action.

v. 3: Blessed: May God be praised.

All spiritual blessings: the gifts of God.

Heavenly places (church): exalted position that we have in Christ Jesus. Places on high.
This phrase appears 5 times in Eph. and nowhere else in the Bible. 1:3; 1:20; 2:6; 3:10;
6:12.

“in Christ”: 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27. The way in which one partakes in the spiritual
blessings that are in the church.

v. 4-5: Predestination: what has God predetermined? God predetermined the way or the
plan by which people would be saved, not the individual itself. He chose from eternity our
being elected in Christ. 1 Pet. 2:9-10.

We are chosen by coming to Him. 2 Tim. 1:9. The calling was predetermined and executed
in the gospel. 2 Thess. 2:13. God chose that by sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the
truth we would be saved, and we are called to that in our response to the gospel. 2 Pet. 1:10.
Not an unconditional election, since it has to be made sure.

We are elected and chosen in Christ! But we have to respond to the calling to be in Christ:
God’s will be for us to be saved, and set a plan to make it happen. Deut. 30:19. Rev. 22:14;

John 6:44-45 – The drawing by God is done by being taught of God.

v. 7: Reiterates the “In Christ”. In this case redemption is in Christ – we have been
purchased back by God. Redeemed by the blood. The blood of Christ is the cure for sin.
Not because the medicine is available everyone is saved: one must enter into contact with
the blood – following the prescription of the Bible we have healing to our sin. When is the
blood of Christ? Rom. 6:3-4. We are baptized into the benefits of the death of Christ.

By the blood we have a good conscience: Heb. 9:13; 13:12 – sanctified by the blood. 1 Pet.
3:21.

Our sins are washed away: Rev. 1:5; Acts 22:16; - what washes away sins, and when.

The blood of Christ purchased the church: Acts 20:28;

The blood establishes the covenant with the people: Mat. 26:28 – dedicates the New
Testament. Blood and law.
“riches of his grace”

v. 9-10: made known unto us the mystery: something unknown until it is revealed. The
purposed plan that was set forth in Christ was revealed – so that in the fullness of time all
things would be gather up in Him. Apokatastasis.

v. 11: 1 Pet. 1:3-5. The promise of the world to come is found in “Him”.

v. 12-14: All of this purpose was carried out so that we could live to give praise to him,
who purposed the plan. And so listening and believing, the Holy Spirit came as a mark of a
seal unto each of them which is the assurance of our inheritance. John 3:33; 2:27.

Paul’s prayer

v. 15-16: hearing about the brethren’s faith he could give thanks to God for them. Rom.
1:8; 16:19, 26. He was thankful for the brethren.

v. 17: “Father of Glory”: Ps. 19:1.

v. 18: “eyes of your heart enlightened”: intellectual-subjective understanding by the Spirit

that lets us know our own hope to come.

v. 19: as well as the power that works in our favor.

v. 20: This power was performed in the resurrection and exaltation of Christ (possibly in
contrast to Colossians?).

v. 21: this power puts him in contrast or in hostility, but also in preeminence over the rest of
the rulings on earth and heaven.

v. 22-23: And this power is also shown and put at work in the church. Not only the head of
the church, but the head to the church. Complete authority. This church is the body of
Christ and the fullness in which Christ is manifest. One who is in Christ is in the church.

Ephesians 2

v. 1: hath he quickened: an addition that ruins the sense of the passage. Paul announces first
the seriousness of sin as a condition of death, and only later he announces the possibility of
being born again by the gospel.
v. 2: John 12:31; 2 Cor. 4:4 – the opposing forces against God that are at work and rule the
world. Mostly the demonic idea: apocalyptic outlook. This dualism is not the same as a
“gnostic” or platonic dualism – it is the recognition of an enemy against which the gospel
raises.

v. 3: Nature children of wrath: this follows what is said above, by the manner of life that
they carried, they are found to be “children of wrath”, a long standing practice that was
turned for them into their reality. Ezek. 18:20.

Wrath: God’s anger. The judgement of God was upon them. Rom. 1-3: both upon Jew and
Gentile.

v. 4-5: Mercy: we deserved to be judged. But despite that deserved punishment, and
because of His great love, God made us alive with Christ. Rom. 5:6-8. Basic Pauline idea.
Paul reiterates the idea of the seriousness of sin: we were dead, but God accomplished the
impossible to give us life. This all is summarized in the dense formula: by grace ye have
been saved.

v. 6-7: We are a perpetual demonstration of God’s grace and kindness done in Christ, in
that by raising up to a live in Christ, both Jew and Gentile can seat in the heavenly places.

v. 8-9: This grace, this God’s favor in Christ, is reached by the faithfulness to God’s
covenant, which is not earned by anyone since is something that God himself took upon
himself.

Josh. 6:1-2; Heb. 11:30. This could also mean a faith that is active and obedient to God. It
does not take away the fact that it is a gift of God, we still did not earn anything. These are
work of obedience, not works of the law. Rom. 1:16-17 – righteousness revealed in the
gospel: the way in which God makes the world reconciled to himself. Rom. 3:26.

v. 10: In what God did in Christ, we become his new creation in Christ. Here creation is
tied to covenant and responsibility: created in the work of Christ and for good works. 1 Cor.
15:58.
v. 11-13 Here Paul takes a look at the past, from the stand point of what they have become:
You were dispossessed, cast aside, foreigners. Your past, however, is redeemed in what
Christ did for you.

v. 14: He is our peace. Is. 9:6. John 17:20-21 – The Messianic work of Christ brought to the
world the opportunity of bringing the nations into one. Ezek. 34:23ff.

v. 15: This is not the law, but the enmity that came through the law. Rom. 3:17. Now the
law has been fulfilled and redeemed by Christ, in Whom we have a law that brings life.
Gal. 6:2. Jam. 1:25.

v. 20-21: the church together is the temple of God – contrasted with the temples made
beautiful to worship idols. Col. 1:27. In that sense we become the dwelling place of God.
He redeems the world by living in us.

Ephesians 3

v. 1: Prisoner of Christ – the truth authority of the world that can make him a prisoner is
Christ Jesus. 6:20; Philem. 1.

v. 2: Commission to the gentiles: The Pauline claim of Romans is taken here by the author
to speak with authority about the gentiles. It refers to the apostolic commission for the
Gentiles. It was given by God’s grace.

v. 3-4: The author now speaks how all that he says was given directly by Christ, in order for
the Gentiles understand the mystery of God.

v. 5: 1 Pet. 1:10 – the idea that in the prophets this knowledge was kept secret.

v. 6: The mystery, the fundamental truth is not salvation by faith, but the inclusion of the
Gentiles in one universal people of God.

v. 7: This is what Paul serves, and for which He strives.

v. 8: 1 Cor. 15:9-10 – in a much more refined way, the author takes the Pauline theme of
looking down on himself: although I am not worthy God has given me the commission to
preach and carry the Jesus mission to the Gentiles. Rom. 1:14.
v. 9: The purpose is to make everyone know the plan that was kept in secret over the ages.
Heb. 2:14; Gen. 3:15 – the reality of God’s plan for all.

Through Jesus Christ: not in the Greek.

v. 10: The purpose: that the church can announce God’s wisdom to the unseen world. 1 Pet.
1:12. The principalities can see in the church the rule of God over the whole earth. Just as a
building shows the wisdom of the architect, the church shows the wisdom of God.

The temple as the type of the church – a place where God dwells.

This is done in preaching the gospel and trust in his wisdom for our lives.

v. 11: This purpose was thought from the eternity.

v. 12: By being in the church we can be confident that we can approach God because of our
faith in Christ. Heb. 11:1, 6. There has to be faith and trust in God. Heb. 4:14-16. We
should not perceive God as a terror, lest we separate from him.

v. 13: So, do not get discouraged for my sufferings, these have brought glory to you.

v. 14-19: Paul’s prayer for the Gentiles: he lets them know that he is praying for them,
and what he is praying about.

v. 15: God is the one from whom the family itself comes. It is not that he is Abba because
of a metaphor: He lets us have a family on earth because of who HE is.

v.16: Col 1:10-11 – the strengthening comes from the work of the Spirit in each one.

v. 17: The growth of the Christian is dependent on being rooted in love.

v. 18-19: these measures are of his love.

It is broad: includes everyone. John 3:16; Luke 2:10; 19:10; Eph. 3:9.

It is long: to what extent he has gone. Phil. 2;

Deep: the extent that it reaches. 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Acts 2:36; 2 Pet. 3:9.

High: the extent to where we are taken. Rev. 21:3.

Know – passes knowledge: we can know but we remain in the shadows. To know is to be
in humility acknowledging that we do not know. One can be filled with this fullness to live
this life.

v. 20: God’s power is unlimited. His work in us can make us reach unimaginable.

v. 21: Let the church glorify Jesus Christ forever.

Ephesians 4

v. 1: worthy of the vocation: walk as it is proper to your goal – calling in life. Being
Christians is not a sideline.

v. 2: How is it worth? Humbly: in subjection to God; longsuffering: patience

(understanding the differences in the church); forbearing one another: mercy and
understanding. This breaks the idea of deserving.

v. 3: make an effort to keep the unity of the family that God created in Christ. Unity of the
Spirit: the church stands in the Spirit; it is her guide. John 17; 1 Cor. 1:10ff.

v. 4-6: the

v. 8: Christ got captivity captive by descending and ascending: Ps. 68:18. By this the author
wants to make clear how Christ gave the gifts and offices to the church. Following the
theme from Psalms. V. 9-10: he wants to make sure that Jesus is the same who descended
as the one who ascended.

v. 11: the offices that governed the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and
teachers. All of theme appointed by Christ in his redemptive work.

v. 12-13: the purpose is the growing of every member in a unity in the faith – the same
“body” of believers. This interpretation that the gifts were supposed to last until the
completion of the written word is not in the text.

The idea of a full-grown man, resembles 1 Cor. 13.

I struggle to see in 1 Cor. 13:11 a reference to a complete revelation. I think it is about the
Parousia.
v. 17-22: the relationship to the world: the contrast to people living in ignorance and
alienated from God. 2 Pet. 3:5;

Past feeling – people that cannot feel guilt for what they do.

v. 20: That is not the way you have learned the teachings of Christ.

v. 22-24: The old man was buried. Col. 3:9-10. A change had taken place. The life in Christ
brings a renewal of the disposition of the mind.

This is the new creation in Christ: the creative part of God keeps on happening.

v. 25-6: falsehood, lies and anger are part of the old man that has to be put off.

v. 27: the personification of evil in the figure of the devil.

v. 28: the exaltation of work opposed to sealing. The gain of the individual has its full sense
in the sharing with others.

v. 29: Graceful words.

v. 30: The Holy Spirit in a personal sense – we are sealed by the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit.

v. 31-32: Christian characteristics in behavior: kindness, forgiveness, etc.

Ephesians 5

v. 1-2: Beloved children: the paternal understanding of God: Abba. This underatanding of
children of God must be manifested in a walk imitating the character of God. Here, it refers
to the sacrifice or offering of Christ: the atonement.

v. 3-4: warning of specific sins glamorized in the world. Instead the conversation should be
with thankfulness.

Walk in love – the Christian walk in Ephesians.

v. 5: The contrast with the heathen: the unclean or moral impurity. Covetousness: Mal. 3:8;
Col. 3:5– the need to radically change the way of life. This probably was intended as a
polemic against some form of speculation that resembled “Gnosticism”.
v. 8-9: instead the Christian should walk in the light as a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

v. 10-13: 2 Tim. 4:2; 3:16-17. There is a form of judgement on how the Christian lives
before the world. Shedding light into the darkness.

v. 16-20: Redeeming the time – making the most of the time: in this context the contrast
between drunkenness and being filled with music. This is reminiscent of Rom. 13:11-14.
As you are filled with the Spirit –the personal indwelling- you will sing to God. Col. 3:16.

1 Pet. 4:3; Prov. 20:1

The antiphonal singing practice: to one another. The practice carried the idea of teaching. It
is both vertical and horizontal.

1 Chr. 29:11-14 – the amount of reverence and thankfulness to God. Mat. 6

The household codes 5:21-6:9.

v. 21: represents the overall theme of the codes – mutual subjection in love.

v. 22-24: as the church is subject to Christ, the wife subject to the husband. In Everything:
the things that please to God.

The savior of the body: no salvation outside the body.

v. 25: The responsibility of the husband. Even in these horrible codes, the woman has a
value distinct from the mainstream culture.

The husband must be ready to die for her wife – the same love of Christ.

v. 26: A symbol feminine purity, but also ritual purity – set apart and cleansed. Washing of
water identified with the word. Baptism. John 3:5; 1 Pet. 3:21.

v. 27: The reason to make her holy: present it to himself. As a bridegroom preparing a pure
bride to marry her.

v. 28-29: the only nice idea from this: a moral obligation to love the women. There is a
shared body reality between husband and wife.

v. 31: Marriage means maturity.

v. 32: The theme of the author is not the physical marriage, but the mystery of Christ and
the church: being dead to the law to be married to Christ. Rom.

v. 33: love and respect for one to another. 1 Cor. 13 – love personified.

Ephesians 6

v. 1: hupakuoo – to obey. Directed both to parents, to know how to lead, and to the children
themselves.

v. 2-3: wisdom and promise.

v. 4: The responsibility of the parents: do not provoke your children to be discouraged and
revolt against the authority.

Nurture: holistic life: encouragement and reprimand.

v. 5-9: The author stands in the place of the master, not of the slave. Titus 2:9-10; Col.
3:22; 1 Pet. 2:15-25; these verses shouldn’t be here.

The work of the slaves is as if they were doing it to God. And the Lord will pay back.

The “softening” of this by appealing to the “masters” only ratifies the codes as something
immovable.

v.10-20: The armor of God.

The representation of the Christian life as a battle against demonic forces: spiritual battle.

v. 12: the high places: this is a cosmic-apocalyptic battle, not battle against little “moral”
issues.

v. 13: the purpose of the armor is to stand firm.

The way in which this battle is fought is by peaceful means. The representation of the word
of God as the winner at the end.

Pray in the Spirit – people in whom the Spirit dwells.

Even in prison he asks for prayers that he may preach boldly.

Ambassador: someone with authority – selected by the Lord. Apostolic authority.

Tychichus: one of the collaborators of Paul.