1-13 Paul's Ministry to the Gentiles
- Paul was a prisoner for their sakes.
- God commissioned Paul to minister to them.
- The "mystery" was revealed to him, and he is passing it on to them.
- In former times this mystery was not known
- But now it has been revealed
- What is it? That the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise of Christ Jesus through the gospel.
- Paul is a servant of this gospel
- Though he is the least of all saints, this mission -- this grace -- was given to him.
- The mission? To make everyone see the mystery that had been hidden for ages
- In the church the wisdom of God is made known -- the unity of Gentiles and Jews in Christ -- this is God's eternal purpose -- and the revelation of this great mystery.
14-21 Paul's Prayer
- Paul is also overcome with gratitude for this message of unity -- and he falls on his knees in praise to God.
- He prays on behalf of the Ephesians, that:
- they'll be strengthened through God's Spirit
- that Christ will dwell in their hearts -- through faith
- that they will be rooted and grounded in love. Love is the key to this unity.
- that they may have the power to understand the immensity of Christ's love -- which surpasses knowledge.
- To God be the glory -- who is able to accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine. How weak our faith, how feeble our attempts, how flimsy our excuses.
1-16 Unity in the Body of Christ
- Paul begs them to lead a life worthy of their calling -- again a call to unity through these means:
- humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love
- making every effort to maintain unity
- There is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. There can no more be more than one body or one faith than there can be more than one God.
- Christ gives us grace in the same amount as his own gift -- the resurrection from the dead.
- Those gifts -- the abilities of apostles, prophets, etc. -- were given for the building up of the church.
- The ultimate purpose? Unity of the faith, maturity, attainment of the full stature of Christ.
- There is no reason to be immature, heeding false doctrine.
- We work together as a properly working body whose members nurture each other for the purpose of full-grown maturity.
- To do this, you have to leave the Gentile life behind, with its ignorance and worldliness
- Clothe yourselves in your new selves -- in righteousness and holiness
- This is the new life:
- Putting away lying; anger that leads to sin; stealing; evil, destructive talk - it grieves the Holy Spirit, with which you have been marked
- Also put away bitterness, wrath, slander, malice
- Instead, be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving
1-2 The New Life
- Imitate God, live in love
- Your example: Christ, who loves us and give himself up for us.
- This includes fornication, impurity, greed; obscene, silly, and vulgar talk.
- Replace such talk with thanksgiving
- Remember - impure people do not inherit the kingdom of Christ
- Be not deceived:
- The words of the disobedient that want to influence you are empty
- Don't associate with them
- You're now children of light, the fruit of which is things that are good and right and true.
- Your task now is to expose the unfruitful works of darkness
- Characteristics of wisdom:
- Using your time wisely
- Understanding the will of God
- Expressing your joy not with wine, but with singing to one another, always giving thanks.
- Be subject to one another
- Wives, be subject to your husbands - as the church is subject to Christ
- Husbands, love your wives
- As Christ loved the church, and made her holy for himself
- As you love your own bodies
- Leaving your father and mother and cleaving to your wife
1-9 Children and Parents, Slaves and Masters
- Children, obey your parents in the Lord; honor your father and mother
- Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger
- Slaves, obey your earthly masters, as you obey Christ
- Not only while being watched, but as slaves of Christ, from the heart
- Serve with enthusiasm. Lip service not acceptable here.
- Masters, realize you and your slave both have the same Master, who shows no partiality
- Finally -- be strong -- in the strength of God's power -- putting on his whole armor
- Our struggle is against the cosmic powers of darkness, so it takes spiritual armor.
- Belt of truth
- Breastplate of righteousness
- Whatever shoes prepare you to proclaim the gospel of peace
- Shield of faith, to quench the flaming arrows
- Helmet of salvation
- Sword of the spirit, which is the word of God
- Note: If any one of these is missing, it makes us vulnerable to destruction. We must make sure we carry the truth, that our lives reflect the righteousness of God, that we prepare ourselves, build our faith, that we're walking in the light, and that we carry -- and know how to use -- the word of God.
- Pray at all times in every prayer and supplication. Even fully clothed in armor, we must depend on prayer
- Keep alert - persevere in prayer for the saints
- Pray for Paul, that he wold make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. Even Paul needed prayer for his continued boldness in making known the mystery of the gospel. (There's that emphasis again on the mystery.) He's in prison as he writes this, a "victim" of his own boldness, yet he still solicits prayers so that he will keep his courage.
- Paul is sending Tychicus to inform the Ephesians of Paul's welfare and to encourage their hearts
- Paul's blessing:
- Peace to the whole community
- Love with faith from God and Christ
- Grace to all who have an undying love for Christ
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