Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Why are we studying Ephesians?

The letter to the Ephesians is a marvellously concise, yet comprehensive, summary of the Christian good news and its implications.

Nobody can read it without being moved to wonder and worship, and challenged to consistency of life.

It was John Calvin’s favourite letter.

Armitage Robinson called it ‘the crown of St Paul’s writings’.

William Barclay calls Ephesians “the queen of the epistles.”

The English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge termed this book “the divinest composition of man”

John Mackay, a former president of Princeton Theological Seminary who was converted at the age of fourteen through reading Ephesians, called it the “greatest … maturest … [and] for our time the most relevant” of all Paul’s writings.

“This letter is pure music,” he said.

Ruth Paxson called Ephesians “the Grand Canyon of Scripture,” meaning that it is breathtakingly beautiful and apparently inexhaustible to the one who wants to take it in.

If Ephesians is profound, it is so not for the mysterious nature of its unfathomable deep secrets, but for the clear way it presents the most basic Christian truths.

What will we cover in Ephesians?

In this book we will address the following questions:

• Why worship?

(1:3–14)

• What should we pray for?

(1:15–23)

• What is so amazing about grace?

(2:1–10)

• Who are we?

(2:11–22)

• Why is the church a big deal?

(3:1–13)

• What should we pray for?

(3:14–21)

• How can we be unified?

(4:1–16)

• How do “new” people live?

(4:17–32)

• How can we imitate God? (5:1–14)

• What is God’s plan for marriage?

(5:15–33)

• How should we parent?

(6:1–4)

• How should we see our vocation?

(6:5–9)

• How do we fight?

(6:10–24)

What was Ephesus Like?

What was Ephesus like?

Ephesus was the capital of proconsular Asia and as such was the political and commercial center of a large and prosperous region.

That is why Paul spent so much time there.

Ephesus was on the Cayster River, not far from the Aegean coast.

Its port was large and so became the chief communication and commercial link between Rome and the East.

Merchants flocked to it.

It became a melting pot of nations and ethnic groups.

Greek and Roman, Jew and Gentile mingled freely in its streets.

In Paul’s day Ephesus played a role not unlike that of Venice in the Middle Ages or Constantinople today.

Ephesus boasted the largest of all Greek open-air theaters; it held twenty-five thousand spectators.

There was a stadium for chariot races and fights with animals.

Chiefly, however, Ephesus boasted of its great temple to Diana or Artemis.

It was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

It measured 425 by 220 by 60 feet (about four times the size of the Parthenon) and housed the statue of Diana, believed to have come down from heaven.

This temple was a depository for huge amounts of treasure and was, in effect, the bank of Asia.

It was served by hundreds of the priestesses of Diana, who were temple prostitutes.

To this city the apostle Paul came to preach—briefly on his second missionary journey and extensively on his third.

In this city God was pleased to establish a faithful church.

To the Christians of this city, attempting to live for God in the midst of utter paganism, the apostle directs this letter.

If you believe the gospel you are a saint of Christ, don’t ever forget that!

PRAYER

Message

In Christ Paul is no longer Saul.

Paul could well confess that he was the greatest of sinners, yet he could still speak for God, because it was God’s will for him to do so.

= Bryan Chapell

For extra study Act 22.3; Phil 3:4-6; Gal 1:13-16, 2:6-9

The Author

The Man

Who was this man Paul and why does that matter to us?

Acts 13.9 “9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him”

Gentile mission here forward… Paul to gentiles

Named after King Saul

Roman Citizen / Jew

Act 22.25 “25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?””

Act 22.3 “3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.”

Autobiographical description

Phil 3.4-6 “4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also.

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.”

Gal 1.13-14 “13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.

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.”

His Calling

Gal 1.15-16 “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;”

Acts 26.12-18 “12 “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.

13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me.

14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by …”

What is an apostle and what does that mean for us?

The Office

Apostle includes…

Mark 3.13-15 “13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.

14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons.”

Sent ones with authority

Act 1.21-26 “21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”

23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias.

24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”

Where does Paul fit in with the 12 then?

Gal 1.1 “1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—”

Gal 1.15-17 “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; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.”

1 Cor 15.6-9 “6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”

The Authority

Where does His authority come from and what does that mean to us?

Gal 2.6-9 “6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.

7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.”

1 Thes 2.6-7 “6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.

7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.”

1 Cor 14.37-38 “37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.