Ephesians

Wk 1: Big Picture

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary Structure and Outline of Ephesians

Ephesians, similar to other Pauline letters, is divided into two main parts: doctrine or theology (chaps. 1–3) and duties or ethics (chaps. 4–6)

Part 1: “The readers are reminded of their relationship to God before and after their conversion (2:1-10) and the new union of Jewish and Gentile believers who are now considered one new person, the church (2:11-22). Consequently, there is not only reconciliation of human beings to God but also between Jewish and Gentile believers.”

Part 2: “showing how the doctrine translates into the conduct of the believers. This portion is subdivided into six sections, five governed by the imperative ‘walk’… which is used five times in conjunction with the inferential conjuntion ‘therefore’… They are:

(1) to walk in unity (4:1-16); (2) to walk in holiness and not as the Gentiles (4:17-32); (3) to walk in love by imitating God and abstaining from evil practices (5:1-6); (4) to walk in light by not becoming involved with the evildoers and their works (5:7-14); and (5) to walk in wisdom by being controlled by the Holy Spirit in their domestic and public life (5:15-6:9).

“The sixth section… Paul enjoins them to be strengthened in the Lord in order to be able to stand against evil powers (6:10-20).

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Structure and Outline of Ephesians)

Several links exist between the first and last parts of the book. First, the term “walk” is used in both parts

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Structure and Outline of Ephesians)

love is a very prominent theme in both sections

“in the first part it appears seven times”

“The theme of love continues in the second half of the book where it appears thirteen times.”

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Structure and Outline of Ephesians)

Third, the Spirit is prominent in both parts

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Structure and Outline of Ephesians)

Fourth, the concept of the body begins in the first part where the church is defined as Christ’s body

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary Structure and Outline of Ephesians

Fifth, the concept of the mystery in the first part is introduced

BROAD OUTLINE:

The Calling of the Church (1:1-3:21)

Prologue (1:1-2)/Praise for God’s Planned Spiritual Blessings (1:4-14)/Prayer for Wisdom & Revelation (1:15-23)

New Position Individually (2:1-10)/New Position Corporately (2:11-22)

Parenthetical Expansion of the Mystery (3:1-13)/Prayer for Strengthened Love (3:14-21)

The Conduct of the Church (4:1-6:24)

Walk in Unity (4:1-16)/Walk in Holiness (4:17-32)

Walk in Love (5:1-6)/Walk in Light (5:7-14)/Walk in Wisdom (5:15-6:9)

Stand in Warfare (6:10-20)/Conclusion (6:21-24)

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary Purpose of Ephesians

Certainly one theme on which most commentators agree is unity

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary Purpose of Ephesians

True unity is accomplished when people love one another. The theme of “love” is dominant in Ephesians. Love, both in the verb and noun forms, is found twenty times. The verb form (ἀγαπάω) occurs ten times in Ephesians out of a total of thirty-four times

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary Purpose of Ephesians

The frequent occurrence of the term love in such a short book is phenomenal. The usage of this term can be divided into four parts. First, out of the twenty times the word appears, five times it refers to God’s love

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary Purpose of Ephesians

Second, there are three references made to Christ’s love

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary Purpose of Ephesians

Third, eleven times it refers to the believers’ love for one another

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary Purpose of Ephesians

Moving into the practical section of the book, “love” is used nine times as Paul exhorts them to love one another

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary Purpose of Ephesians

To summarize it in another way, out of the twenty occurrences of love in Ephesians, there are eight instances of God’s or Christ’s love for humans, eleven occurrences of the believers’ love for one another, and one mention of a person’s love of Christ. This frequent use of love seems to furnish the key to the purpose of the book. Apparent are both God’s love for people and the believer’s love for one another within the new community. Love in action within the community of believers fosters unity, the other prominent theme. Unity without love is possible, but love without unity is not. Love is the central ingredient for true unity, laying the foundation for internal and external unity

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Purpose of Ephesians)

Unity without love is possible, but love without unity is not

Love reinforced from outside texts: (Acts 20:18-35) “Paul telling the Ephesian elders at Miletus how he had labored in love by teaching, preaching, and giving”; (1 Timothy 1:5) “After his imprisonment Paul reiterated the theme of love when he wrote from Macedonia to Timothy at Ephesus…, stating that the goal of his instruction was ‘love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith’”; “Except for Paul, the only other time the Ephesian church is addressed is in Revelation 2:1-7… The messenger compliments them for their refusal to tolerate false teachers and teaching but reprimands them for their failure to maintain the vibrancy of their first love for Christ.”

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary Purpose of Ephesians

Their doctrine of separation was the separation from the false teachers, but they forgot their separation to Christ. One can separate from the false teachers without love for Christ. However, if there is a love for Christ, there more likely will be a separation from false teaching. They had put the proverbial “cart before the horse.” By concentrating first on their love for Christ, he would have imbued them with wisdom and power to separate themselves from false teachers and at the same time would have given them the ability and desire to love one another.