Ephesians 1

I. Introduction

The church of Ephesians was right smack in the middle of the centre of pagan worship, where the goddess of fertility, Artemis (also known as Diana), was worshiped. The city was famous for its occult, dark magic, incantations, and fortune telling. These permeates every aspect of personal and business activities. 

As part of the religious and cultural tradition, sexual relationships with temple priests and priestesses and prostitutes were a norm and even expected. Sexual promiscuity, drunkenness, greed and so on were daily lifestyles. As a strategic port city, tourists and worshipers from all over Asia and Europe came to Ephesus for business, for religious pilgrimage and for pleasure. Today we can still see the impressive temple ruins and idol statues in Ephesus.

Paul wrote the letter to the church in Ephesus from a prison in Rome around A.D. 60/62. The church was full of converts from this "dark" and evil culture and many of them were still stuck to the old lifestyles. It's not just a matter of resisting personal temptations, but also the suffering from persecution, rejection and loss of business opportunities from their past relations, business partners and even family members. We should be aware and understand that these challenges exists today in countries or cities with strong or predominant religions that permeates into the culture and commercial activities and many are trapped and have real practical issues in moving from darkness to light even as we share the Gospel.

Paul was exhorting these new believers to leave their old lifestyle but to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called". (Ephesians 4:1) He starts by reminding the Christians the Blessings in Christ (ch.1); Salvation in Christ (2:1-11); the Unity in Christ (2:12 to 4:16), Walking in Christ (4:17- 5:21), Submission in Christ (5:22-6:9) and Standing firm in Christ (6:10-6:20)

Roman Ruins (not in Ephesus)

Scripture: Ephesians 1:1-3

"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" (v3)

Observation:

Verses 1 and 2 is Paul's greetings and introduction to himself. The word “Apostle” literally just means a delegate or messenger. In the bible, there is a clear distinction of the twelve apostle of Christ (with Matthias replacing Judas Iscariot). These were called the “twelve apostles of the lamb” and have a special honour in the coming Kingdom (Rev 21:14). There are also other “messengers” appointed by the “will of God”, including Paul, Barnabas (Acts 14:14), Timothy and Silvanus (1 Thes 1:1;2:6) and possibly others by association. The purpose of apostles were to build the foundation of the doctrine of Christ (Eph 2:20; 3:5). There had been many “false apostles” during the first century church and with the completion of the biblical canon, there is no longer any need for apostles today. 

In the original Greek, verses 3 to 14 is a single long sentence. In this sentence, Paul identified 8 things that God gave us. The first of this is “spiritual blessings”. To “bless” (gk. eulogeo) means “to speak well of” or in this context, to “favour” us though there’s nothing in us that is praise worthy. 

Notice that Paul also likewise blessed God – “Blessed be the God and Father” – since God speaks well of us, all the more we should speak well of God, for He is indeed praise worthy!

The word “Heavenly Places” is mentioned 5 times in Ephesians and nowhere else. There are five things in the heavenly places: (a) spiritual blessings (1:3); (b) Christ’s Throne (1:20); (c) the future us (2:6); (d) rulers and authorities (3:10); and (e) forces of evil. (6:12). We shall examine these by and by. 

Application:

What does God bless us with? Spiritual blessings. Many times we only can see, or choose to see, blessings that we can see, touch or feel – and God does indeed give these to us too. However, we get upset, angry, disappointed when we don’t get what we want or what we think we deserve. We are not aware of blessings that He has already prepared for us that are imperishable. 

It does not mean these blessings are of no benefit to us here and now – as Christians, we are drawn into spiritual warfare whether we like it or not, and the blessings of God include protection against the direct attacks and subtle influences of the devil, for these blessings work in both earthy and in the heavenly domains. If we cannot appreciate God's heavenly blessings, then we forfeit their earthly protection and benefits as well.

Scripture: Ephesians 1:4-5

"even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." (v4)

Observation 

This passage is one of the most debated in the Bible. Factions and sub-factions had been formed and defined by the interpretation of predestination and how it works, such as Calvinism v.s. Armenianism. Still other Christians consider this passage poetic in nature and that God does not perform any sort of predestination, but that salvation is totally free will.

The extremes are difficult to accept, for if everything is predestined then there is no need for organised evangelism. The person who has been chosen will somehow find a way to read the Scripture or talk to someone and be saved. You can't make it happen, and neither can you prevent it from happening. The free will theory on the other hand presupposes that God doesn't know who will be saved. This goes against God's omniscient knowledge.

Sometimes the best way to tackle complex passages like this is to fall back on simple and straight forward doctrines from other passages to answer the critical questions surrounding salvation, such as:

1. When was salvation plan made?

In Ephesians 1:4, it is clear that God already had a plan "before the foundation of the world". Christ was also chosen before creation (1 Pet 1:20). When God decided to create creatures with free will, He also knew they will sin. Thus before creation, he already prepared the salvation plan. Thus the plan to "choose" people for salvation was made before creation.

2. What is the salvation plan?

We know that salvation is found only in Christ. He too was chosen before the creation of the world: "He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake" (1 Peter 1:20).  Hence those in Christ are the chosen ones. Our verse says "we are chosen in Him." Think of it as a chosen team, rather than a chosen individual. Christ was the chosen head of the team, and whoever is in His team is also chosen. Therefore, if you want to be part of the chosen team, you have to exercise your free will to believe in Christ.

3. To whom is salvation plan made available to? 

To everyone, without exception. "The Lord... is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (2 pet 3:9.)  It's therefore contradictory for God to first declare it is available to all, and then pre-decide that specific individuals will never have the chance. Does God know in pre-creation who will eventually be chosen? Yes, of course He does for He is omniscient. He calls everyone, but not all will be willing to join the chosen team.

In conclusion, God has the ability to predestine and control events and even people, and He does, just as He predestine individuals like Cyrus, Judas, Paul, Moses, Jacob, Esau for the purpose of carrying out His divine plans. God knows exactly who is fit for what at the perfect timing. But when it comes to salvation, we are only chosen "in Him", because Christ was chosen by God before the world to be our sacrifice.

Application

We are chosen to be holy and blameless. God does not choose holy people to be saved, but saves sinful people to be holy. And the only way to be holy is through the forgiveness of sin by Christ sacrifice on the cross. How should we respond to God's mercy and grace for having "chosen us in Christ?" We can't repay Him except through the offering of thanks and blessings to Him, and to know, love and obey Him more.

Scripture: Ephesians 1:6,7a

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses

Observation:

Blessed us, chosen us, adopted us.  But before he can adopt us as holy and blameless children, He had to  redeem and forgive us. Redemption (GK. apolytrosis) literally means to "separate" something or someone from an existing bond or a union by paying a price.

That's the first step, to redeem us from the union with eternal death. But without forgiveness, we can't go into God's presence. The children of Israel were redeemed from Egypt but they couldn't enter the promise land until they were purified over 40 years. The blood of Christ on the cross enabled both our redemption and forgiveness.

Application:

Redemption means we are free to leave our dark past behind. Forgiveness means we are free to move forward to the light. Though we are still sinners by nature, we must leave our guilt behind in true acceptance of God's forgiveness, and in the same way forgive others whom Christ has forgiven. As verse 6 says, our response for being adopted as sons is to praise His glorious grace, a public testimony of His love and mercy demonstrated through His sacrifice on the cross for our redemption. Let us continue to share the redemption plan with pre-believers.

Scripture: Ephesians 1:7b - 10

"according to the riches of his grace,  which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight  making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ  as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."

Observation:

CS Lewis once said that Grace (GK. charis) is the one thing that makes Christianity unique among all faiths.  All other religions are based on rules of scale between good and bad. Our God, however went all the way to tip the scale through Grace, redeeming us by sacrificing His own son.

Grace is not just given, but lavished upon us. The Greek word for lavish is from the same root as the word 'abundant' (gk. Perissos) when Jesus said "I came that they may have abundant life" (John 10:10). It means to be excessive, over abound, or superfluous.

Application:

Our life can only be abundant when we understand, accept and embrace the grace and the will of God operating in us. We can know the will of God (both the general will and the specific will for us) because His Word and the Spirit reveal them to us. God's grace gives us the desire and power to obey His will, which is sometimes not pleasant for our sinful nature to follow. We must therefore read and obey the Word and the Spirit for they enable us to have the right perspective of life, what is important, what we need to let go, and to focus on the eternal when the universe will finally be put under the rule of Christ our Lord.

Scripture: Ephesians 1:11-12

"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory."

Observation:

The words translated to "inheritance" in vs 11 and in vs 14 are different in the original Greek. The first is 'kleroo' while the second is 'klēronomia'. Kleroo is only translated as 'inheritance' only once in the bible, which is here in vs 11. Literally, it means "alloted" or "assigned". It carries the idea of a heritage or cherished private possession.

I wonder if Paul is not referring to possessions that we will inherit in heaven (as in vs 14), but to emphasise again that we have been allotted as a prized possession of God for the purpose of bringing Him praise and glory. It carries the same concept and message as verses 5 and 6.

Just as Israel was called God's inheritance, so are we as well through Christ.  "But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day."  Deuteronomy 4:20

Application:

God has chosen us to be His prized possession for the purpose of bringing him glory on earth. That sums up our primary purpose on earth. It encompasses our worship to sharing of the Gospel,  to the use of our possessions to bless other believers. We can be sure Satan is also focused on distracting us from God's purpose with worldly  temptations and unhappiness with fellow believers. Let us be very aware of his schemes.

Scripture: Ephesians 1:13-14

"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."

Observation:

Let's review what He has given us so far: spiritual blessings,  chosen us, predestined as sons, redemption, forgiveness, lavished His grace, revealed his "mysterious" will to us, made His prized possession and - in this passage -  a promised inheritance. Nine gifts that we can always treasure no matter what we go through.

The Holy Spirit is another unique feature of Christianity - more than just a counselor for us, He is an advance  deposit of our portion and possession in heaven.

The word 'guarantee' (GK. arrhabōn) was used to describe the money or asset given as a pledge or a collateral. The word 'acquire' was translated from the same Greek word as 'to redeem' (apolytrōsis), which is the same root word as 'redemption' (apolytrōsisin) bought by Christ's blood verse 7.

Application: 

It is amazing to realise that there are two redemptions - Christ was given for redemption of our souls; the Holy Spirit was given for redemption of our future inheritance.  Our sights are to be on our eternal Lord and our eternal inheritance, not on earthly treasures.

"They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life." 1 Tim 6:18

Scripture: Ephesians 1 :15-17

"For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him"

Observation:

Love for the saints is true evidence of faith in Christ. It's not just to grudgingly obey His command to 'love one another' but it should be a result of a transformed heart. The love 'agape' here is unconditional.

Paul prayed that the church will continue to deepen their understanding of spiritual truths and also to 'know' God more intimately.

Application:

Consider in what practical ways your church or your family show love to the saints? The knowledge of God is of no use if it did not lead to obedience and unconditional love for others. "Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected." 1 John 2:4-5

Scripture: Ephesians 1 :18-19

"Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might"

Observation:

Paul prays that the saints will grow in their understanding and insights in three areas - our hope, our riches and our power.

The hope (GK. elpis) that the Bible speaks of is not a wishful expectation but an assurance of something God promised in the future, and God cannot lie. Specifically the hope is on Christ's return and our eternal life.

The riches (GK. ploutos) here is not referring to the value of our inheritance, but the value of being the inheritance of God. That's the difference between merely getting a reward from a king, as compared to being an heir to the king. The Bible says we are joint heirs with Christ.

The power (Gk. dynamis) that Christ has is also available to us in order to do God's work. We cannot do God's work by our own strength. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2cor 12:9).

Application:

Hope enables us to persevere and gives us genuine joy even in darkest circumstances. Realising that we are heirs with Christ helps us to behave in the manner worthy as children of the King. And having access to the power of Christ through prayer emboldens us to preach the gospel and to disciple others even in the midst of spiritual warfare and attacks from the evil forces. Paul wants the saints to be unwaving and victorious in personal vision, character, and effective ministry.

Scripture: Ephesians 1:19b-23

"according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."

Observation:

Paul elaborated on examples of the power and might that Christ has. The first is the power over death through resurrection. The second is power over all authority in every dominion - including spiritual powers, which is an important part of the people of Ephesus. The third power is the headship over the church.

As heirs with Christ, the saints share in these powers to a certain extent, but of course not equal to that of Christ. We too will one day have a resurrected body, and will rule over angels and nations (1 Cor 6:2-3).

Over the church God has appointed certain authority such as apostles (in the past), elders, deacons and ministry leaders endowed with the appropriate spiritual gifts to help govern and care for the flock.

Application:

The awareness that we have such powers or authority ought to motivate a different behavior than those without hope. For example, Paul rebuked the Corinthian Church for members suing other members in the secular court, rather than settling the dispute within the church authority.

It is importance for us to submit to our church leadership, even if it they do not rule in our favor, in order to preserve unity and the structure of authority that God has placed, where in future even fallen angels and unbelievers will be subjected to.

Prayer for Ephesians 1

Lord, forgive us for often forgetting about your spiritual blessings, and have our eyes looking at the wrong places for our satisfaction. Help us to recognize the small miracles you do for us each day that tells us you are looking out for us from the heavenly places. Remind us to have gratitude and attitude and speak well of you always so that others know you are a good and generous God. Amen

We thank you and bless you that you have chosen us in Christ even before the world began. You loved us even though you knew we would sin against you. You chose Christ to be the sacrifice for our sins and now whoever is in Christ are predestined to be your children. Thank you for redeeming and forgiving us, once and for all so we are free from the laws and penalty of sin. We thank you also for your grace so lavished upon us, and for revealing your mysterious will for our lives. Help us to rely on the strength of your grace to obey you will.

Remind us that our purpose on earth is to bring praise, honor and glory to You, for You are worthy of them, Oh Lord! May our eyes be set on Christ, and our hearts on the incorruptible inheritance you have sealed in the Holy Spirit for us, and not on our earthly treasures that will pass away.

Help us not to just have head knowledge of you, but to be transformed in our love for the saints and be embolden in sharing your Gospel even as we know you more.  Amen.