EPHESIANS

W. J. Franklin

Chapter 1:1-14

INTRODUCTION

Paul made a brief journey to this city, noted in Acts 18:19, and left Priscilla and Aquila there, his newly-made friends and tent makers. Later he returned for a prolonged visit which was evangelistic and pastoral. See Acts 19:10,20,31. This stay extended to three years, longer than he had remained in any other town. See Acts 20:31. Later, on his way to Jerusalem, he called the elders of the assembly established there to meet him at Miletus, at which time he delivered the sublime message found in Acts 20:18-35.

Timothy was their pastor for a while—I Tim. 1:3. Paul wrote them the highest and deepest church truths contained in his epistles. Tradition affirms that John the apostle was their pastor, and Jesus dictated a letter to John for them. In spite of all their great advantages, Jesus had to say to them, “I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love”—Rev. 2:4.

The epistle to the assembly in Ephesus contains the most sublime of provisional truths. It has been called the “Alps of the New Testament.” The book has a very wide scope, beginning with the fact that God chose before the foundation of the world, carrying out that choice in time, and looking to the future, when in the ages to come He will show forth His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. It sums up and brings together the ages in Christ Jesus, both the ages before and those that follow the cross. The past is tied in with the future, and Christ is seen as the center of it all. Christ is not only set before us as heading the church, but also, as in the time to come, to have all things summed up under Him as the head of them all.

The words, “heavenly places, high places,” occur five times, and would be better translated just as “The heavenlies.” It shows our position in Christ, the place of our seating with Him, and where our blessings are, as well as the place of our conflicts.

OUTLINE

1. God’s program and Paul’s prayer for Christian perception and power—Ch. 1.
2. God’s grace resulting in a glorious temple—Ch. 2.
3. A divine mystery, a prayer for strength and comprehension—Ch. 3.
4. Divine oneness and the gifts for service—Ch. 4.
5. The walk and the consummation—Ch. 5.
6. Human relationships, warfare and the armour—Ch. 6.

SALUTATIONS

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus”—V.1. Paul did not associate others with himself in the writing of this epistle, as he did in writing others. Perhaps that is because this letter contains so much that is peculiar to Paul’s writings and the revelations God gave him. Others would not and could not know these things unless they learned them from him. As a minister, this verse shows that Paul belonged to Jesus Christ, but it was God that put him in his office of apostle.

Some have tried to assign this letter to the Laodicea, but we feel that it is properly addressed to the Ephesians. If it were addressed to Laodicea, and written about the same time as Colossians, and carried by the same bearer, why send greetings to the Laodiceans in the letter to the Colossians? See col. 4:15; Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7.

Of about twenty or more translations in my possession, the most dependable give the weight of their authority to the fact that the letter was addressed to the church at Ephesus. All the translations in my possession by liberals or modernists, assign it to Laodicea.

“Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ”—V. 2. This verse contains Paul’s usual pronounciation of grace and peace from God. Since all blessings flow from grace, with peace as a result, we may call this book a book of grace and peace, as the word “grace” appears in our version twelve times, while the word “peace” occurs seven times. The word “Cause” in chapter 3:1 and 5:31 is a form of the word “grace;” and again the word “Accepted” in chapter 1:6 means, “Graced” in the Greek language.

GOD’S BLESSINGS

“Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”—V. 3. Note the six occurrences of the word “Hath” in chapter one. They indicate something that God accomplished in the past, something that is a finished transaction.

“All spiritual blessings” means that God has blessed all His children equally with every blessing. “Spiritual” speaks of their quality. “Heavenly” of their character and locality. They are not earthly. In God’s counting, we are in Christ in the heavenlies. We need not moan our lack when we are enriched in Him in everything, and we come behind in no gift in Him. See I Cor. 1:5-7.

This verse has the first occurrence of the phrase, “In Christ.” The phrase occurs ten times in our Bible, and the Greek language has the same in 2:7 and 3:21, making twelve in all. The little word “In” appears one hundred and four times in the book before us.

The work of the triune God will be noted in this chapter. God chose and predestinated—Vs. 4,5. The Son redeemed—V.7. The Spirit sealed—V. 13.

My Prayer