Ephesians Chapter 1

I used to work for a guy, an Athletic Director, that was so tight with his money, that, as the saying goes, he squeaked when he walked. I understand there are appropriate times to be frugal, and there are appropriate times to maybe splurge a little in spending. But this guy would ALWAYS find the cheapest stuff he could get his hands on.

We would begin the school year with workout clothes for the team that were paper thin, and cheaply made; not a good idea when you are dealing with the beating this type of clothing takes in a year. It’s not unusual for workout clothes to only last one school year, but the cheap ones he would buy sometimes only lasted a couple months. Then he would get mad about having to replace them with the same cheap junk he bought the first time.

Our school colors were maroon and gold. I remember one summer; we’re unpacking boxes of equipment as it comes in and we open a box that has 45 pair of RED football practice pants. Our first thought was the company he ordered from sent us the wrong pants; NOPE, he found a better deal on the red pants because they had been returned by another school. So instead of the normal white or maroon pants, he ordered RED pants to save a dime.

The funny things is, after he retired from coaching, he went into the business of being a sporting goods salesman. About four years I had moved on from that previous school and was the head track coach at Hughes Springs. He came by one day and was trying to sell some of the same ol cheap junk he used to buy. He got mad at me when I refused by something from him knowing I would end up having to replace it in the long run. I pacified him by buying ONE pair of shoes for myself.

This guy spent so much time complaining about the quality of the products he was buying every year, but refused to spend any more money in order to purchase something that was going to last; never heading anyone’s advice. There were better options available, there were solutions to the fact he would end up spending even more money in the long run because of having to replace everything; but he wasn’t willing to hear it from anyone.

The resources were there, he just wouldn’t utilize them.

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Tonight, we are going to begin a study through the book of Ephesians. It took us a little over a year and a half to cover all of Philippians, so I have logged today’s date in my Bible to see how long it takes us to get through the six chapters of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus.

The book of Ephesians is an EXCELLENT source of wisdom and encouragement; a spiritual resource for anyone who might be like the athletic director I worked for, and suffers in their spiritual walk because they either don’t know about the resources presented in this letter, or their mindset is one so that they are spiritually malnourished and starving for the truth of their walk with Christ. If we do not take advantage of the great storehouse of information presented in this letter, we will find ourselves in a struggle for growth and sanctification.

The book of Ephesians has been called the believer’s bank or the treasure house of the Bible. It gives the riches, inheritance, and fullness of Christ and His church. The riches available to us from God have no limit or restrictions. The only thing keeping us from these riches is our self. We have no reason to be unhealthy in our walk with God; we have all the resources available at our disposal.

In this book the word RICHES is used five times; GRACE twelve times; GLORY eight times; FULLNESS, FILLED UP or FILLS six times, and IN CHRIST or IN HIM fifteen times.

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If I go to the bank tomorrow morning and ask for a loan, they’re going to want to know about all my assets and liabilities. They’re going to want to know about everybody I owe money to, and will run a credit check to see if in my past, I have proven that I am responsible enough to manage the money I’m asking for. When they run this analysis, they are then going to come back with a number, that number will be the maximum amount of money they believe I am capable of borrowing.

But what if what I want, or what I need is more than they are willing to give? Then, I’m probably just going to be out of luck. Sorry, that’s all we can do.

Our Christian walk, though we often treat it the same way, does not have to be like this. We don’t have to wonder around spiritually strapped or lacking because we serve a God that is willing and wanting to give us all that we need in our walk with Him. He does not hamstring us by putting limitations on His grace and treasures. What does hamstring us, is our own mindset and lack of will and desire to seek all that He has to offer.

In Christ our riches are not based on us, they are not based on our ability or capability; they are based in Him. Our riches and glory are based in Christ’s grace, His peace, His will, His kindness, His purpose, His glory, His calling, His inheritance, His power, etc. We shortchange ourselves when we inherently try to plug OURSELVES into places where only Christ can satisfy.

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And, because we are in Christ, we are HIS body, we are the CHURCH. Much of Paul’s letter to church in Ephesus focuses on some of the basic doctrines of the church; what is the church; how should the church function; how believers are to function within the church.

Ephesians 3:4-5

4 By reading this you are able to understand my insight about the mystery of the Messiah. 5 This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:

The mystery Paul speaks of is found in the very next verse. This mystery speaks of the relationship of Christ that extends beyond that available only to the Jews, to the relationship available to the Gentiles as well.

Ephesians 3:6

6 The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

As Gentiles, we are members of the same body, the Church. Through that membership in Christ, we possess the same riches and glories promised to the Jews.

The truth of God, the mysteries of God, the wisdom of God, can be divided into three categories.

The first category is that truth with God reveals to no one. This truth is the limitless wisdom that is beyond the finite minds of mankind. It’s too much for us to comprehend.

Deuteronomy 29:29

29 The hidden things belong to the Lord our God,

The second category of truths are those God has chosen to reveal to special people or individuals throughout history. Though all men can have some knowledge of God; Romans 1 says we have no excuse concerning our knowledge of God because He has made Himself known in creation; that being His eternal power and divine nature.

Romans 1:19-20

19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

Outside of that natural revelation, the deeper truths of God’s nature and will are incomprehensible to the unbelievers.

God has given special revelation to the prophets and apostles throughout time that was intended for every person who places their faith in Christ. That revelation, that wisdom given to the prophets and the apostles, was intended to be made known to the people; it was wisdom to be shared.

The final category of God’s truths was kept secret until disclosed in the New Testament. These truths are the truth Paul writes about in Ephesians, as well as what is revealed in other New Testament books. To gain knowledge and understanding of these mysteries is one of the greatest riches we have to possess as followers of Christ in the current age.

Jesus Himself spoke in parables in order to conceal the meaning of these mysteries to those whose who were not granted the wisdom.

Matthew 13:34-35

34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and He would not speak anything to them without a parable, 35 so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:

I will open My mouth in parables; I will declare things kept secret from the foundation of the world.

Jesus was declaring the wisdom of God that had been concealed until the Messiah stepped on the scene. In His letter to the church in Corinth, Paul echoes the words of Christ concerning the concealment of this wisdom to the Believers, the Church.

1 Corinthians 2:14

14 But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.

These mysteries refer to the truths which are revealed in the present form concerning the coming Kingdom. We read a great deal in the Old Testament about the Kingdom. The coming Messiah was to be the King who set on the throne and ruled over that Kingdom.

Both Jesus Himself and John the Baptist preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Jesus was born a king, He was acknowledge by the Magi as a King, Herod feared Jesus as a rival King, and even Pilate questioned Jesus concerning His kingship. This Kingdom ruled by Jesus was offered to the Israel if Israel was to accept Jesus as their King; but they rejected Him and forfeited the Kingdom; thus, their part of the Kingdom and the physical reign of Jesus was postponed until Christ returns and sets up His kingdom for 1,000 years.

Meanwhile, the King is absent from the earth, but not absent from the lives of His believers. The present form of the kingdom is the sphere of salvation by faith. Jesus is King over those who profess his as the Lord and Savior. The blessing that will be EXTERNALLY distributed or dispensed during the millennial reign, are not INTERNALLY given to believers. Jesus is enthroned in the hearts of His followers.

This ties into the Amillennialism we have discussed the last few Sunday nights. The Amillennialist believe the reign is ONLY in the hearts of man, and will not be a literal, physical reign of Christ on the throne of David in Jerusalem.

As Christ will dispense grace in the millennial reign, He does now in the hearts of believers. As Christ will dispense Joy during the millennial reign, He does now in the hearts of believers. The kingdom as it now stands, in the interim, in the hearts of believers, was knowledge not given or made available to the Old Testament saints. All the writings of the Kingdom in the Old Testament will EVENTUALLY be fully manifested, but now we only experience a partial fulfillment.

There are other mysteries which are now revealed which were previously not known to the Old Testament saints. The indwelling presence of Christ in the Spirit, the incarnation of the Son of God, the unbelief of Israel and her rejection of Jesus as the Messiah, the end times revelations, the unity of the believers as the church, the church as the Bride of Christ, and the mystery of the Rapture. All of these are examples of knowledge that was not known before being revealed to the Apostles and Gospel writers.

One of these mysteries concerns the Church. The New Testament uses a lot of the same metaphors in reference to the church as the Old Testament does in reference to Israel. They are both called a bride, a wife, a family, a flock, and a vineyard or vine branches. The difference being that the Old Testament never refers to Israel as the BODY of God. That is a distinct and unrevealed figure for God’s people in the New Covenant. The Church is Christ present Body on the earth, in which the Kingdom reigns. The church is the only outward incarnation the world sees.

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Back to some introductory information concerning the letter to Ephesus.

Ephesians 1:1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will: To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.

We know it was written by Paul, about the same time as was written the letter to the Church in Philippi; somewhere between 60-62 Ad. If you have a footnote in your Bible, you may see that the phrase written here, “at Ephesus,” or, “Who are at Ephesus,” was not included in many of the early manuscripts of the letter. Because of this, and that Paul doesn’t address any local situational issues within the letter, it is believed the letter was intended for all the churches in Asia Minor, including Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, and Sardis, but that it was originally sent to Ephesus first, and meant to be forward to the other churches.

The letter is divided into two distinct sections, each containing three chapters. The first section encompassing chapters 1-3 addresses doctrine, and the last three chapters address a more practical application of the doctrine.

Starting next week we will begin a deep dive into the first section concerning the doctrine Paul lays out for the churches.