Reflections on Ephesians

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There is no epistle in which we find more about “the grace of God” than that great and wonderful epistle of Paul to the Ephesians! It is one of his prison epistles and, interestingly enough, he was actually and literally in jail (“an ambassador in bonds”) for telling a secret, the secret of “the mystery” (Eph. 6:19-20). Paul endured a great deal of opposition and suffering in making this secret known. That’s rather unusual, isn’t it?

The Ephesian epistle was probably written about 64 A.D., and was evidently sent by the hand of a man named Tychicus (6:21-22), along with two other letters, one to the Colossians (Col. 4:7-9), and that to Philemon (Col. 4:7-9 cf. Phile. 10-12). Never, never were more valuable documents entrusted to human hands!

Now, in the earlier epistles of Paul, we learn a great deal about dispensational change and development, from Law to grace, but in Ephesians we have arrived, and find ourselves on the highest, broadest spiritual ground. Here the Holy Spirit reveals to us, in all their fullness, those blessed truths which distinguish this grace dispensation from all others.

For example, “the mystery” or the sacred secret is here revealed in all its fullness. He says that this secret isnow made known” (1:9) through him (3:1-3), but it is for all to see (3:9), for it concerns our close relationship to Christ (5:30-32). And since Satan will oppose the proclamation of this secret, boldness is needed to proclaim it (6:19-20) the “revelation of the mystery” (Rom 6:25).

In Ephesians, the one Body of Christ, the Church (1:22-23) of this dispensation of grace is emphasized throughout. The whole body, he says, is the complement, the “fulness of Christ” (1:23). He says God is making of this “body of Christ… one new man” today (2:15), reconciling Jews and Gentiles to Himself “in one body” (2:16), a joint body (3:6), in which we are to keep the unity of the Spirit (4:3-4) since today Jews and Gentiles in the “one body” are without distinction and on an equal footing at the base of the cross. The Body, he says, must grow up, and it must build itself up in love (4:11-16). Christ is “the Head of the Body,” and its Savior (5:23), and we are the members of it (5:30). How close that brings all believers to each other! How close it brings us to Christ – united with Him in His one body.

Our position in the heavenlies is prominently brought out in the first chapter of this epistle. We read that, immediately upon conversion, we “are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies” (1:3). We’re told that God’s power in raising Christ from the dead and exalting Him far above all is now extended to us-ward who believe (1:19-21). Positionally, he says, we’ve already been raised from the dead and “seated in the heavenlies” (2:6). Now, he says, it is ours to occupy this position by faith, as a witness to “the principalities and powers” in the heavenlies (3:10). Hence we must wrestle with “the rulers of the darkness of this age, wicked spirits in the heavenlies” (6:12). And for this, he says, we’re going to need “the whole armor of God” (6:10,11).

In this epistle, all is grace. Read Ephesians and see how it is permeated with grace. Even the salutation speaks of grace and peace (1:2). Compare that with what we read about the second coming of Christ to this earth, where He will come to judge and make war (Rev. 19:11). Grace and peace is the exact opposite of judgment and war! Thank God He hasn’t declared war yet. He hasn’t visited this world in judgment yet. He still offers to sinners everywhere, and to saints, of course, in greater measure, grace and peace.

Now the doxology—oh, what a doxology of grace! The doxology in the Ephesian epistle is the longest of all of Paul’s doxologies, and in the original it is his longest sentence. We’re blessed because we are “chosen by God the Father to the praise of His glory” (1:4-6). We’re “made “accepted in the beloved” to the praise of His glory.” We’re “sealed with the Spirit” to the praise of His glory. Glory to the triune God! Glory for His grace!

We read individual things, too, about the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All throughout this epistle, everything emanates from “the Father.” The Father is always the source. The Father has chosen us (1:3,4) according to the good pleasure of His will (v. 5), according to the riches of His grace (vv. 6,7), according to His good pleasure (v. 9), “according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (v. 11), according to “the working of His mighty power” (v. 19), and “according to His “eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus” (3:11). There’s more about that in the epistle, showing that everything finds its source in the will of God.

Then we see how our salvation centers in “the Son.” He’s always the second person in the Trinity. His place is always in the midst. We read, for example, that “we’re blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus” (1:3), and “have redemption through His blood” (v. 7), in whom we are greatly enriched (v. 11), in whom also we are “saved” (v. 13), and “sealed” (v. 13). Think of that! We are “in Christ,” and because of His finished cross-work, the believer is “sealed until the day of redemption.”

Then we come to “the Spirit.” It all comes down to us through, or by the operation of, the Spirit. We’re “sealed with the Spirit” (1:13), and we “have access to God the Father by the Spirit” (2:18). We are “an habitation of God through the Spirit” (2:22), and we’re “strengthened by the Spirit” (3:16). We must not “grieve the Spirit” (4:30), but rather bear “the fruit of the Spirit” (5:9). We must be “filled with the Spirit” (5:18), use “the sword of the Spirit” (6:17), which is “the word of God,” and we must “pray in the Spirit” (6:18).

What a tremendous, tremendous epistle!