Ephesians (1) – Introduction

Scripture reading: Ephesians 1:1-2.

Hymn after sermon: Hymn 361 – You have longed for sweet peace.

Hallelujah.

Today we are starting a new series on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. And together, as a church, we seek to expose ourselves to the Word of God in this letter. We’re not looking to impose any of our ideas onto God’s Word, but we want God to speak to us through these six chapters. This means we have to think carefully, and it would be very helpful for you if you have your bibles open to the book of Ephesians.

Paul wrote this letter with the goal of strengthening the church. He wants to give the church new strength. We know this because he says it himself. Once in the middle, once at the end.

Ephesians 3:16 ESV

16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Ephesians 6:10 ESV

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

He’s not talking here about muscles and biceps. He’s talking about spiritual strength. It’s the power of the Spirit of God. And if you know what spiritual strength does, you know that it’s the strength to love people who don’t deserve it. That’s real strength. If physical strength can push aside a boulder, then spiritual strength can push aside whatever stands between us and God, and whatever stands between us and each other. Whether it’s pride or anger or unkind words or bitterness and wrath, we need the strength to push that aside and to love one another. In other words, it’s the strength to forgive.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

And so as we spend the next several months exposing ourselves to the book of Ephesians, let us pray that each of us in Zion church will grow in strength, to love and forgive one another as God loves us.

Paul most likely wrote Ephesians during his two year imprisonment in Rome, in AD 60-62, while he was under house arrest.

Acts 28:30 ESV

30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him,

We know this because Paul mentions his imprisonment several times in the letter.

Eph. 3:1, ‘I Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus…’

Eph. 4:1, ‘I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord…’

Eph. 6:20, ‘I am an ambassador in chains…’

And so along with Galatians, Philippians, and Colossians, this letter to the Ephesians is what we call one of Paul’s prison writings.

Ephesians is what we call a circular letter. It was meant to be passed around the churches in the region of Asia Minor. There were seven churches in Asia Minor back, spread across seven cities. Jesus speaks to them in Revelation 2 and 3. There’s a church in Ephesus, a church in Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. And this letter to the Ephesians was meant to be passed around these churches for all to read.

This was something Paul did. He did the same thing with his letter to the Colossians. At the end of Colossians, he gives instructions to pass the letter along to the church in Laodicea, and to read the letter that he had sent to Laodicea.

Colossians 4:16 ESV

16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.

So how do we know Ephesians was to be passed around? We know because Paul doesn’t talk about any local issues specific to the Ephesian church. Furthermore, two of the oldest manuscripts don’t even include the word ‘Ephesus’ in the opening greeting. And this is great because perhaps we can fill our name in the blank, “to the saints who are in Singapore Zion Church,” and Paul wouldn’t change a thing.

Structure of Ephesians

Now let’s talk about the structure of Ephesians, which is six chapters long. And the first thing to note is that it is split into two halves.

In the first three chapters, Paul is a worship leader, singing the praises of what God has done. It’s all doctrine and theology, and Paul is simply full of adoration and rejoicing. There are 40 imperatives in Ephesians. What’s an imperative? An imperative is when you tell someone to do something. Do this. Do this. Paul tells the readers to do things 40 times. But in the first three chapters he only tells us to do one thing. Eph. 2:11, he tells us to remember what God has done for you and me.

So in the first three chapters, Paul tells us what is already ours as Christians. The riches of grace. And in the last three chapters, he tells us how to use them.

That’s why the other 39 imperatives are scattered across chapters 4, 5, and 6.

The order is important. First, you have to remember what God has done for you in Christ. Why? Because every imperative in the second half of Ephesians is telling us to do what Christ would do. You have to first know the man if you want to be like Him.

And so Paul begins the second half saying this.

Ephesians 4:1 ESV

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

And then he addresses the words that come out of our mouths, our manner of speech and conduct, our emotional patterns of anger and bitterness, and on and on. He talks about the church as the family of God, and the way a husband should love his wife, and the way children should honor their parents. All of this he says in light of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. And as we study Ephesians, I pray that the Holy Spirit will activate the Word and shape and transform us into Christ.

Now, let’s get into today’s passage.

Ephesians 1:1–2 ESV

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

An apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God (v.1a)

The first thing we see here is Paul’s self-introduction. In school, they taught us to put our names at the end of the letter. But that’s not how they did things back then.

So Paul identifies himself as an apostle. Apostle in Greek is apostolos, which means ‘someone who has been sent’. Paul has been sent by none other than Christ Jesus. So his words carry the authority not of his own experience or of his own accomplishments, but the authority of the Son of God.

Even when the doctor gives you a MC, he has to put his credentials on the page. This is Paul listing his credentials.

And he goes on to add that he’s an apostle of Christ by the will of God.

There are two different ways to understand what is meant by “the will of God”, because the Bible talks about God’s will in two different ways. There is God’s sovereign decree, and there is God’s moral will.

The sovereign decree is the will of God that always happens, because God has absolute power. The Bible calls this the secret things of the Lord.

And then there is God’s moral will. This is the will of God that He makes known to us, that we may live according to it. But God’s moral will doesn’t always happen. For example, the Ten Commandments says “Thou shall not murder”, so we can say that God’s moral will is for no one to commit murder. But murder still happens all the time.

We see this in Deut. 29:29.

Deuteronomy 29:29 ESV

29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

So there’s God’s sovereign decree, and there’s God’s moral will. Which one is Paul talking about when he says “I’m an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God”?

He’s talking about God’s sovereign decree. And the proof is in Galatians 1:15.

Galatians 1:14–16 ESV

14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;

See that? God set him apart before he was born, and called him by grace. This is crucial to understand the book and structure of Ephesians, because as we’ve seen, it is God who saves us first, and then we start living out our salvation.

So that’s Paul’s self introduction. He has been sent by the Son of God according to the will of God. Now he addresses his audience.

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus (v.1b)

Earlier we said that Paul didn’t write this letter only for the Ephesians. But given that most of the manuscripts mention ‘Ephesus’, he probably sent it to them first, for them to circulate it around the region of Asia Minor.

Now, Paul established the church in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, where he stayed in Ephesus for a period of about three years. You can read about it in Acts 19. He first speaks in the Jewish synagogue for three months, and then continues in the hall of Tyrannus for two years.

When Paul first arrived, he found some disciples of Jesus. And he asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They said no. So Paul asked, ‘Into what were you baptized?’ They said ‘Into John’s baptism.’ And so Paul taught them about the importance of being baptized in the name of Jesus, and he baptized them.

Look here. He now addresses them and calls them faithful in Christ Jesus. Do you see that? Why? Because baptism makes us one with Christ. Baptism in the name of Jesus makes us one with Him, united to Him by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:5–6 ESV

5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.

When you are baptized in the name of Jesus, you are baptized into His death. His death on the cross becomes your death. But His resurrection becomes your resurrection, and His exaltation your exaltation.

Romans 6:4–5 ESV

4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

This is the doctrine of union with Christ, and it is the key to the book of Ephesians. According to Paul, it is the primary identity of the Christian. He or she has become one with Christ.

And in Ephesians, Paul spells out for us what it means to be one with Christ. I went through Ephesians and marked out every time Paul says ‘In Christ’ or ‘In the Lord’. Here’s what he says.

In Christ...

We are faithful (1:1)

We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (1:3)

We are chosen (1:4)

We have redemption thorugh his blood (1:7)

We behold the mystery of God’s will (1:9)

We have obtained an inheritance (1:11)

We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit (1:13)

We are raised up and seated in the heavenly places (2:6)

We have been brought near to God (2:13)

We have become a new man (2:15)

We are growing into a holy temple (2:21)

We are being built into a dwelling place for God (2:22)

The eternal purpose of God has been realized (3:11)

We have boldness and confident access to the Father (3:12)

We are strong (6:10).

Do you believe this? This is already yours if you believe and have received the baptism in the name of Christ. It’s like the goose that laid the golden eggs in Aesop’s Fables. The golden goose is already in your backyard and you didn’t know it.

Grace and peace (v.2)

Finally, he greets his readers with his customary greeting.

Ephesians 1:2 ESV

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Greek word for grace is charis, which means favor. He’s saying, ‘May the Father and the Son favor you.’

Now, some theologians might argue against what I said earlier about the sovereignty of God. How can God be in absolute control? What about my free will? Here’s the thing. If God isn’t all-powerful, if God isn’t absolutely sovereign, then this phrase ‘Grace to you’ has no meaning whatsoever. Grace to you simply means, ‘May God favor you’. ‘May God love you more than you deserve.’ That’s grace. But what’s the point of God loving you if God doesn’t have the power to save you? God’s love only matters if God is also sovereign. Then He can carry out His love.

Now, this is important. Look at verse 2. Grace and peace from who? Not God the Father. God our Father. Do you see? That’s what we have in Christ. The Almighty sovereign God, maker of heaven and earth, He is our Father.

Some people get confused in their Christianity because they think their identity depends on their obedience to God’s moral will. If I behave well enough, I’ll become one of His children.

This is a lie. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. And you’ll see it clearly in what Paul writes next.

Ephesians 1:3–6 ESV

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, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

See that? Predestination and God’s sovereign decree is at the very forefront of Paul’s idea of salvation. Salvation begins with God. He chose us. When? From before the foundation of the world. According to whose purpose? The purpose of His will. That’s the sovereign decree. To the praise of what? To the praise of His glorious grace. Not anything I’ve done, not anything I deserve. It is God’s grace that is ours in Christ.

Now, there are two kinds of grace. There’s the grace we receive as children of God, and there’s a grace we receive as human beings. The first leads to salvation. We call this saving grace or efficacious grace. It’s the grace by which God grants us saving faith.

On the other hand, there’s the grace that all people receive. We call this common grace. It’s the grace of the sun shining on the righteous and the wicked. It’s the grace by which an atheist discovers the cure for a disease, and uses that for human flourishing.

But only the predestined elect are saved by grace and made into children of God. And if you understand this Word, you’ll understand that you can never lose your salvation. Because it is God who chose you, and it is God who will bring you home.

John 10:27–29 ESV

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

Can you see this? The Son of God has His grip on you, and His heavenly Father is also gripping you tightly. And if you believe this, you can have what? Security. Assurance. Peace. No one is able to snatch you out of their hand.

This is what Paul means when he says “Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Finally, some people might ask, “Well, there’s the Father and there’s the Son, but where’s the Holy Spirit?” And that’s a very good question. Where do you see the Holy Spirit? I’ll tell you where. He’s the one writing the letter.

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

2 Peter 1:21 ESV

21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

So as these words in Ephesians come from Paul, it is the Holy Spirit dwelling within Paul who breathes out the Word of God. And as we receive this precious Word today, the Holy Spirit is breathing into our hearts resurrection life.

What does that do? Through the Word, we receive strength to push aside whatever stands between us and God. We receive strength to push aside whatever stands between us and each other. We receive the strength to love each other, to forgive each other, to be kind and generous to each other, as Christ has been to us.

So it makes sense that at the end of the letter, in his closing greetings, we see the themes of grace and peace once more. But Paul adds another element. See if you notice it.

Ephesians 6:23–24 ESV

23 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

What did Paul add? Love. Love with faith. Love for Jesus. Love incorruptible. May we discover this love in the weeks and months to come, as we put our heads together to study the book of Ephesians as one church. Let us pray.