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| Survey, Overview, & Chronology of the New Testament |
Ephesians
- I. To Whom:
- a. “Saints in Ephesus” (1:1).
- i. The church was established in Ephesus in Acts 19.
- 1. Paul labored among them for 3 years.
2. History records that Timothy, Titus, Apollos and John the apostle all
spent a great amount of time in Ephesus.
3. Ephesus is located in the southeastern part of Asia, east of the
Aegean Sea.
- ii. “Saints”—hagios (translated “holy” 168 times and “saint[s]” 62 times), a
most holy thing, a person who is separate or set apart for a particular work. All
Christians are saints:
- 1. Matt 28:19—“make disciples”—Ac 11:26—“disciples were called
Christians.”
2. Disciples are in Christ—Gal 3:27 >> Matt 28:19, 20 >> Ac 11:26.
3. Saints are in Christ—Phil 4:21; Col 1:2; 1 Cor 1:2.
4. Paul was persecuting the church—Ac 8:1-3; 9:1-4, yet we read he
persecuted saints—Ac 9:13; 26:10.
5. Compare also Eph 2:19 with 1 Tim 3:15 >>house, church, saints.
6. Compare again 1 Cor 14:33 with 1 Tim 3:15 >> Matt 28:19, 20; Ac
11:26; 2:38, 41, 47.
7. Thus, it MUST be concluded that the New Testament term saint is
synonymous with the term Christian.
- b. “Faithful in Christ Jesus” (1:1).
- i. Pistos, one who is trustworthy, one who has proven himself.
- 1. Not all Christians are trustworthy, and those who were not were not
entrusted with this epistle.
2. Word picture in Matthew 24:45ff.
- ii. Many in Christ stop being faithful, yet are still in Christ (2 Pet 2:20-22).
- 1. However, in contrast the apostle is speaking to those who can be
trusted with the work of the church.
2. Compare to 2 Tim 2:1-4.
- c. The “predestined” (1:5, 11).
- i. Prooridzo—to determine before hand, decreed before hand.
ii. Compare to 1 Cor 2:7—“ordained.”
iii. In that God had predetermined the plan, hence those who obey the plan
are “predestined.”
- d. Gentiles in particular—3:1.
II. Date:
- a. 61-65 A.D.
b. Written from Rome when Paul was in prison.
- i. Written at the same time of Philippians, Colossians and Philemon.
ii. Delivered by Tychicus (6:21; cf. Col 4:7; Ac 20:4), whose names
means fateful.
III. Author:
- a. “Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God” (1:1).
- i. Paul who established the church at Ephesus (Ac 19).
- 1. Spent three years in Ephesus (Ac 20:17-38).
2. The name Paul means little one.
3. Saul means desire.
- ii. It was by means of God’s will, or that God desired it to be so, that
Paul was an authoritative apostle (cf. Gal 1:15-17).s
- b. “The prisoner of Jesus Christ” (3:1).
- i. Both literally and symbolically.
ii. “For” is here translated from the word huper, which means for the
sake of.
- 1. It was because Paul was spreading the gospel to the Gentiles
that he suffered all the things mentioned in Acts and 2 Cor 11:24-
29.
2. It was because of his association with Gentiles that he was in a
Roman prison.
IV. Purpose:
- a. “One of the chief purposes of this epistle seems to have been to produce a
greater spirit of unity among these Christians. It may have been intended
especially for the Gentiles of these churches. It endeavors to head off a split in
the church, by which there would have developed Jewish and Gentile
segments of branches of the church. The writer pleads for unity in Christ as the
ideal of all Christians…Paul saw keenly the grave danger of an ultimate
splitting apart of the Jewish and Gentile sections of the church. This he strove
to avoid by every possible means. His major argument in this connection was
that the body of Christ—the church—should be a unit, not two separate parts
or bodies. This he drives home in his illustration of man and wife (5:25-33).”
[William S. Deal, pp.354, 355].
- i. To show that “the Gentiles should be fellow heirs” (3:6).
ii. The term “in Christ,” and its synonyms are found more than 15 times
in the 1st chapter, thus setting the stage for the statement made in 1:3.
iii. The wall of separation between Jew and Gentile has been destroyed
in the church of Christ (2:11-3:11).
- b. Hence, there should be unity in the church (4:3-6).
- i. This is why spiritual gifts were given to the 1st century church (4:7-16).
ii. Which would also involves Christians’ treatment of one another (4:25-
32).
- c. Unity and purity cannot be separated (5:8-21).
- i. The church is the greatest institute ever (5:22-33).
ii. Salvation is only found in it, hence all in it should be one.
V. Things to Note:
- a. Our blessings as Christians are not to be understood as physical (1:3).
b. The church and the body of Christ are synonymous terms (1:22, 23).
c. The church of Christ is God’s eternal purpose (3:10, 11).
d. Salvation is only found in the church (5:23).
e. Christians are to perform good works (2:8-10).
f. We are soldiers (6:10-18).
g. The first drink of alcohol is condemned by God (5:18).
h. Our singing of spiritual songs both in and out of the assembly are not to be
accompanied with mechanical instruments (5:19).
i. Prayer is done through Jesus (5:20).
j. There is only one baptism today (4:3-6).
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