Ephesians 1:1-3

The Blueprint

Introduction

Story

Head of Satan church is South Africa has reportedly become a Christian, by seeing Theology in action. The love of the gospel through Christians won him to Christ.

Ephesians 1:1-2 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Entryway into the Book of Ephesians (Eph 1:1–2)

Introduction

As we begin to look at Eph 1, it’s important to consider the context. Obviously, it’s at the beginning of the letter, and I am sure you could have worked that out. But after an initial greeting, Paul moves to an extended doxology, praising God and raising many of the themes that will resonate throughout the letter. Then, in chapter 1, he turns to a prayer, a prayer that Paul prays that his recipients would receive knowledge of God and a prayer in which he also raises themes that resonate throughout the letter.

A Standard Greeting

So, it’s true to say that Eph 1 is kind of like a vestibule, an entryway, into the whole letter, and it is deeply rich with intertwining ideas and themes. We will pick these apart as we go through the letter, but for now we will just focus on the first two verses: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will: To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” In many ways, this is a standard greeting, very similar to the greetings of Paul’s other letters. But there is one issue that’s worth picking out, and that is the phrase “in Ephesus” (1:1).

Questions of Audience

Only Ephesus?

“Ephesus” is actually not in the best and earliest manuscripts that we have of this letter. While this letter is generally called “Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians,” we have some scholars questioning whether Paul wrote it and other scholars questioning whether it’s actually to the Ephesians. I have already argued that Paul did write it. But I agree with those scholars who say that, actually, this letter probably was not originally intended for the church in Ephesus or, at least, not only for the church in Ephesus. It was probably more of a general letter. This would make sense of the fact that there are no personal greetings at all in the letter—very unusual for any kind of letter but unusual for Paul as well. It was probably written for the churches in Asia Minor that existed in and around Ephesus, in that region that we would identify as Eastern Turkey today. But we can’t be certain, and you should consult the commentaries for more information about that.

Churches of Asia Minor

But my view is the Letter to the Ephesians is simply Paul’s letter to the churches around the area of Asia Minor [but] probably became associated with Ephesus as the largest, most influential church in that region. So that probably explains why the scribes began to add “in Ephesus” to 1:1.

The Time Frame and Location of Ephesians

Now, we know that Paul spent over two years in Ephesus on his third missionary journey. We read about that in Acts 19. And it was probably written while Paul was in prison in Ephesus itself in ad 55, or possibly in prison in Caesarea in ad 58, or most likely during his imprisonment in Rome around ad 61 [or] 62. So there are three main candidates: Ephesus itself, Caesarea, or Rome. Those locations indicate [in] what time frame it would have been written—if in Ephesus, then round about ad 55; if Caesarea, ad 58; and if in Rome, then right toward the end of his life in ad 61 [or] 62.

The Letter Itself

Apostle

Saints

Faithful

Grace

Greeting

Apostle is the title Paul most frequently gives himself. As meaning basically ‘one sent’, it speaks of the great privilege, but also of the divine compulsion, of the commission laid upon him. He could not think of himself in his relationship to others except in terms of his being sent to all with the gospel. It is God’s positive purpose that makes Paul a man under authority and enables him to write with authority. He is always at pains to stress that his calling is due to no personal merit.

The saints are the holy ones, hagioi. In Old Testament days the tabernacle, the temple, the sabbath, and the people themselves were holy as they were consecrated, or set apart, for the service of God. People are not ‘saints’ in this sense by personal merit; they are set apart by God, and in consequence they are called to live in holiness. Thus, the word expresses at once the privilege and the responsibility of the calling of every Christian, not the attainment of a select few. These saints through Christ become One New Humanity according to Ephesians 2:15.

The faithful (pistoi), a term often used for Christians in the New Testament, may mean those who have faith, or those who show fidelity. Here both ideas may be included; they are believers, and their calling is to faithfulness. They are those who believe in the Lord, but the phrase in Christ Jesus means much more than alluding to the object of their faith. The phrase, so frequently used by Paul, especially in this letter, sums up very much of his understanding of the gospel. It, or an equivalent, is used eleven times in verses 1–14 alone. Christians not only have faith in him; their life is in him. As the root in the soil, the branch in the vine (cf. John 15:1ff.), the fish in the sea, the bird in the air, so the place of the Christian’s life is in Christ. Physically his or her life is in the world; spiritually it is lifted above the world to be in Christ (cf. Col. 3:1–3).

There is the implication that wherever Christians may be, in whatever difficult environment, threatened by materialism or paganism, in danger of being engulfed by the power of the state or overwhelmed by the pressures of non-Christian life, they are in Christ. This is not mysticism but is intended to express the very practical truth that Christians, if faithful to their calling, will not try to be self-sufficient, or to move beyond the limits of the purpose and control and love of Christ, nor will they turn to the world for guidance, inspiration and strength. They find all their satisfaction and their every need met in him, and not in any other place nor from any other source.

Grace Paul uses the cognate word charis (grace). Peace was the common Hebrew greeting (šālôm). Paul brings grace and peace together, and the two may be said to sum up all the gifts of Christ. The greeting has thus become a blessing, or a prayer that his readers may know fully the free, undeserved favour of God, restoring them to himself, peace in their hearts, and peace with one another. The two words are in fact twin themes of the letter, as of the gospel of Christ itself. The grace and peace come from God our Father, as the source of all things, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who by what he has done has brought them to humanity.

Historical Setting

The “household” (or “family”) was the fundamental social structure in Graeco-Roman culture and would have included not only parents and children, as in the modern world, but also slaves and other family members. In accordance with cultural norms, each member of the household was expected to respect and submit to the paterfamilias—the “father of the family”—who often functioned as father, husband, and master. Although scholars debate the origin and content of household codes, it is agreed that their general function was to reinforce the need for submission within the household. Household codes therefore addressed subordinates, not the paterfamilias. Paul, however, not only prefaces the household code in Ephesians with a call for mutual submission by all believers (Eph 5:21), but he addresses the member of the three relationships in Eph 5:22–6:9—husbands, fathers, and masters—who had greater authority. This knowledge of household codes in Graeco-Roman society helps us understand Paul’s culturally unique advice in Ephesians to the various members of the household.[1]

Letter written under the reign of Emperor Nero, who supposedly started the great fires in 64 AD and to divert attention and suspicion away from himself, started arguably the greatest persecution of Christians with the motive being that they started the fires. He would put animal skins around believers and have wild animals maul, kill and eat them. He also used them as human torches, burning them alive to illuminate his parties. He is also the one attributed to having Paul executed (Martyred). Around 64 AD (just a few short years after penning this letter.

Letter Destination

The earliest and best manuscripts (including P46, the oldest known papyrus manuscript containing most of Paul’s letters, Codex Sinaiticus, and Codex Vaticanus) do not contain the phrase “to Ephesus” (en Ephesō), though virtually all modern translations retain the designation, which is found in other manuscripts.[2] He spent several years ministering in Ephesus (Acts 20:31), but two main observations suggest the author and recipients of the letter don’t know each other well: The letter does not address any personal matters, and Paul and his readers seem to know each other only by reputation (Eph 1:15; 3:2). Thus, the original destination and purpose of the letter are debated[3]

Arnold offers a lengthy discussion of the text-critical issues of Eph 1:1. He argues that while “in Ephesus” is not present in reliable manuscripts like Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus, and P46, the dative participle ousin (“to those”) indicates that there was some indication of place in the verse. He concludes that “in Ephesus” is the original reading and that Ephesus is therefore the intended destination. In Arnold’s view, the author likely intended Ephesians to be circulated among different house churches in Ephesus.[4]

Doctrinal and Ethics

Paul regards the church from a double point of view, as consecrated to God, and believing.With the first term (ἄγιοι) he sets forth its objective ground, with the second (πιστὸι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ) its subjective life; the former marks the Divine work of salvation, the latter the human acceptance and appropriation[5] Our worth and dignity are found in that we are saints through faith in Jesus.

Grace and peacestand related to each other: in the former God condescends to man, in the latter man lifts himself to God. In grace, the Most High comes down into the depths of misery and sin; in peace, poor sinful man, taken up, reconciled, pacified, cleansed, draws nigh to his God and Father. Neither is complete at once, each has its development and history: grace, not merely forgiveness of sin, but deliverance, enlightening, sanctification, beatification, imparts ever more fully, penetrates ever deeper and wider, exalts ever more gloriously; peace, not merely rest, quiet, but union and harmony, strengthens more and more, grows and impels ever higher and more beautifully[6]