Ephesians
Ephesians 3:1–11
Paul’s divinely empowered role in the administration of God’s plan forms a paradigm for the ministry of all believers, as God is made known to the cosmos through the church.
Paul begins in Ephesians 3:1 intending to utter an intercessory prayer but breaks off immediately, to resume in 3:14, where he repeats his opening phrase, “For this reason ….” The seeming digression of 3:2–13 describes the stewardship entrusted to Paul by God’s grace—the apostle’s
Ephesians 2:11–22
All (believing) humanity has been united in one body, the work of Christ removing the condemnation of the law for sin, winning access to God, and building believers together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Believers are “co-citizens” with the saints (Eph 2:19), an edifice “co-fitted” (2:21), and being “co-built” into a divine dwelling (2:22). This incorporation of all humans into one new body reconciled to God, i.e., the church, continues the grand design
Ephesians 2:1–10
Believers, once in dire straits, but now sharing Christ’s exaltation, demonstrate to the universe God’s mercy, love, grace, and kindness as they undertake good works.
Prior to regeneration, the sphere of the Ephesians’ life was governed by evil influences (Eph 2:2–3), so much so, unbelievers are referred to as “sons of disobedience.” These are people characterized by disobedient lives. They are rebels against God, and their fate is divine punishment: the “sons
Ephesians 1:15–23
As the fullness and body of Christ, the church manifests God’s incomparable power against supernatural foes.
This section is essentially a prayer by Paul. He asks that the Ephesians might know three things: the hope to which God has called them, the glorious inheritance that God possesses in them, and the great power of God working for them (Eph 1:18–19). The first two—hope of divine calling and glory of divine inheritance—have already been dealt with in 1:1–14
Ephesians 1:1–14
God who blesses his people, redeeming them for his grand plan to consummate all things in Christ, is worthy of being blessed.
This opening section of the book of Ephesians, at first blush, seems to be rambling. But one notices that God’s grand design is clearly stated in 1:10—“the consummation of all things in Christ.” Right now, everything is broken, undone, chaotic. But one day, in God’s grand design, everything is going to be integrated, harmonized, and aligned
Ephesians: Introduction
This is the first in a series of posts on each pericope of Ephesians, essentially a distillation of what is in my Ephesians commentary (more on that here).
The theme of Ephesians is clearly established early on in 1:9–10.
… the consummation of all things in Christ—
the things in the heavens and the things on the earth in Him.
Ephesians 1:8–10
God’s plan, his “administration/working out of the fullness/completion of time,” is to “consummate/bring together/unify
Abe Kuruvilla is the Carl E. Bates Professor of Christian Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), and a dermatologist in private practice. His passion is to explore, explain, and exemplify preaching.