Ephesians 4.1-Ephesians 4.1 Marks a Transition from the Doctrinal Section to the Practical Section of the Epistle
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday October 15, 2024
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:1-Ephesians 4:1 Marks a Transition from the Doctrinal Section to the Practical Section of the Epistle
Lesson # 191
Ephesians 4:1 Therefore, I myself, the prisoner because of the Lord’s will, exhort and encourage each and every one of you as a corporate unit to live your lives in a manner worthy of your effectual calling with which each and every one of you as a corporate unit have been effectually called. (Lecturer’s translation)
As we noted in our introduction and throughout our study of this epistle, this letter is divided into two main sections.
The first three chapters contain the “indicatives of the faith” while the last three chapters contain the “imperatives.”
Therefore, the latter presents the practical application of the former.
The prologue or preface of the letter appears in Ephesians 1:3-14.
There are also two magnificent intercessory prayers offered by Paul to the Father for the recipients of the epistle.
The first appears in Ephesians 1:15-23 and serves as a hinge to chapters two and three.
Its purpose is for the recipients of the letter to gain understanding regarding the contents of the first two chapters.
The second intercessory prayer for the recipients of the letter appears in Ephesians 3:14-21 and serves as a hinge to the final three chapters, which again presents the practical application of the first three chapters.
The letter begins with Paul’s customary present greeting in the first two verses.
He notes that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:1) and that grace and peace originated not only from the Father but also the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:2).
As we noted, the preface of the letter appears in Ephesians 1:3-14. Paul begins by asserting that along with the Father, the Lord is worthy of praise and glorification (Eph. 1:3).
The apostle then states that the Father chose the Ephesian Christian community “in Christ” before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4) because of their union and identification with Christ which took place at the moment of their justification through the baptism of the Spirit.
Paul then teaches that the Father predestined them for adoption as His sons through their union and identification with Christ (Eph. 1:5).
He asserts that they received the Father’s grace through His Son, Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:6).
Not only this, but they have received redemption through the blood or death of Jesus, namely the forgiveness of our trespasses (Eph. 1:7).
The Father did this when He revealed to the church the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that he set forth through the person of Christ (Eph. 1:9-10).
Paul teaches that all things will be summed up in Christ, namely the things in heaven and the things on earth.
The Christian has been claimed as the Father’s own possession because of their union and identification with Jesus Christ because they were predestined according to the Father’s purpose (Eph. 1:11).
They were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit because they trusted in Jesus Christ at their justification (Eph. 1:13).
The first prayer, which we noted appears in Ephesians 1:15-22, teaches that the omnipotence of the Father was manifested when He raised His Son Jesus Christ from the dead (Eph. 1:20).
The Father also put all of creation and every creature under the authority of His Son who He gave to the church as head over all creation and every creature (Eph. 1:21-23).
In chapter two, Paul teaches that despite the fact that the recipients of the epistle were spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins and as a result were children of wrath as the rest of the human race prior to their justification, God the Father raised them up and seated them with His one and only Son, Jesus Christ because of His great love (Eph. 2:1-7).
He asserts that the Father raised the church age believer up with Christ and seated them with Him at the moment of their justification through the baptism of the Spirit (Eph. 2:5-6).
They were saved from the wrath of God by grace through the object of their faith, namely Jesus Christ and absolutely not on their own meritorious actions (Eph. 2:8-9).
The believer is the Father’s workmanship who has been created through their union and identification with Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so they would perform them (Eph. 2:8-10).
Paul then asserts that the Father reconciled Jews and Gentiles through the person and work of His Son (Eph. 2:11-22).
Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone of this spiritual temple.
In chapter three, the apostle Paul teaches the Christian community regarding the mystery of Christ, which is that Gentile believers are fellow-heirs with Jewish believers, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus (Eph. 3:1-6).
Paul teaches that the Father’s eternal plan was accomplished through His Son (Eph. 3:7-11).
The believer has confident access to the Father in prayer because of their union and identification with Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:12).
The apostle also asserts that he prayed to the Father that Christ would dwell in the hearts of the Christian community in the Roman province of Asia and that they would know experientially Christ’s love for them (Eph. 3:14-21).
As we also noted the practical application of chapters two and three is found in chapters four through six.
Paul begins this section in Ephesians 4:1 with an exhortation and encouragement for the recipients of this epistle to live their lives in a manner worthy of their effectual call with which the Father effectually called them at justification.
Then, in Ephesians 4:2-3, he identifies this lifestyle as practicing the Lord Jesus Christ’s command in John 13:34-35 and 15:12 to love one another to they might experience unity with each other.
In Ephesians 4:4-6, he continues this discussion about unity between the members of the Trinity and their work on behalf of the church.
In Ephesians 4:7, Paul teaches that each church age believer received a spiritual gift because of the Lord Jesus Christ and specifically because of their faith in Him.
Through the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus Christ gave some men the communication gift of apostleship and prophet while others he gave the gift of evangelist and others the gift of pastor-teacher (Eph. 4:12).
The purpose of which was so that the Christian community might grow to spiritual maturity and become more like Christ (Eph. 4:1-16).
The apostle Paul then goes to remind the recipients of the letter that truth is in Jesus (Eph. 4:21).
Believers are to forgive one another just as the Father forgave them through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:32).
Now, the contents of Ephesians 4:1 present an inference from the previous three chapters, which contains the doctrinal section of the letter and introduces the application or ethical section of the letter, which is contained in the last three chapters of the epistle.
As we noted, the first three chapters thus contain the “indicatives” while the final three chapters contain the “imperatives.”
Therefore, the latter presents the practical application of the former or we could say that the first three chapters present the theological foundation or basis of the ethical or practical injunctions which appear in the last three chapters of the epistle.
Thus, Ephesians 4:1 marks a transition in this epistle.
