Ephesians Introduction (09/06/08)

Title:

• Ephesians is addressed to the church at Ephesus.
• Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia (Asia Minor – Modern day Turkey)
• Some scholars believe that because the name Ephesus is not mentioned in every early manuscript, the letter was intended to be circulated among all seven churches in Asia Minor established by Paul or his followers, the first being Ephesus.
• “Before you begin your personal study of Ephesians, write the name of your own church or city at the appropriate place in verse 1 and then read everything in the letter as the explicit word of God to you and your fellowship” (Boice x).

Author:

• Is Paul as we can see from verse 1, “ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:”
• Chapter 3 verse 1, “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—”
• Letter was written from Roman prison between 60-62 A.D.
• Acts 28: 16-31
• v16, “And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier that guarded him.”
• v.30, “He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him,”
• Possibly written at the same time as Colossians and may have been sent with that epistle and Philemon by Tychicus
• Eph. 6:21-22 – “So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.”
• Col. 4:7-8
• Was written to the Christians in Ephesus who were trying to live for God in the midst of utter paganism.

Background & Setting:

• Gospel first came to Ephesus by Priscilla & Aquila – Acts 18:26
• Paul left them there during his second missionary journey – Acts 18:18-19
• Ephesus is located:
• At the mouth of the Cayster River
• On the East side of the Aegean Sea
• Ephesus was the capital of proconsular Asia
• It’s port was large and thus became the chief communication and commercial link between Rome and the East.
• “Merchants flocked to it. It became a melting pot of nations and ethnic groups. Greek and Roman, Jew and Gentile, mingled freely in its streets” (Boice 3)
• Compared to Venice in the Middle Ages
• Ephesus boasted the largest of all Greek open-air theaters
• Held 25,000 spectators
• City was best known for the Temple of Artemis (Diana) which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world
• 425’ x 220’ x 60’ (about four times the size of the Parthenon - a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC)
• The temple was a huge depository for huge amounts of treasure and was the bank of Asia.
• It was served by hundreds of priestesses of Diana, who were temple prostitutes.
• The city was an important political, educational, and commercial center
• Ranks with Alexandria, Egypt & Antioch, Pisidia

Church History:

• The church was started by Priscilla & Aquila and was more “firmly” established by Paul on his third missionary journey (Acts 19)
• Paul pastured the church for about 3 years
• When Paul left, Timothy took over pasturing the church for about a year and a half
• Timothy was instructed to counter the false teachings in the church
• False teachers were a few influential men (Hymenaeus & Alexander) who were possibly elders of the church (1 Tim. 1:3, 20)
• They plagued the church with:
• “fables and endless genealogies” (1 Tim. 1:4)
• forbidding marriage and certain foods (1 Tim. 4:3)
• their confident preaching of a false doctrine (1 Tim. 1:7)
• their disputes rather than edification (1 Tim. 1:4) (NKJV)
• About thirty years later, Christ gave the apostle John a letter for this church, indicating its people had left their first love for Him (Rev. 2:1-7)

Historical & Theological Themes:

• First three chapters are theological
• Emphasizing NT doctrine
• Last three chapters are practical
• Emphasizing Christian behavior
• “Perhaps, above all, this is a letter of encouragement and admonition, written to remind believers of their immeasurable blessings in Jesus Christ; and not only to be thankful for those blessings, but also to live in a manner worthy of them” (MacArthur 1681)
• “One very important thing that will happen is that you will be moved to seek God’s glory as your chief end in life and not merely your own personal well-being or happiness. To God be the glory! Amen” (Boice x).
• Even though we are saved (and also in part because we are saved) we will be tempted to live a self-gratifying complacent life, and as a result Paul preaches in the last chapter:
• of the full spiritual armor supplied to us through Gods Word and by His Spirit (6:10-17)
• our need for continual prayer (6:18)
• Another key theme is the mystery of the church which is revealed in 3:6, “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel”
• This truth remained hidden from previous generations (3:5, 9)
• This truth means that all believers in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, are equal before the Lord as His children and as citizens of His eternal kingdom
• Another major truth is that the church is Christ’s present spiritual, earthly body
• This depicts the church as a living organism composed of mutually related and interdependent parts.
• Christ is the head, Holy Spirit is the lifeblood.
• Body functions through the faithful use of its members various spiritual gifts given to each by the Holy Spirit
• “As I look at the church, I sense that our problem is that we are too man-centered. We think of the church as being created and managed by us and for our needs, rather than by God and for God’s glory” (Boice ix).
• Ephesians promotes sound ecclesiology (The branch of theology that is concerned with the nature, constitution, and functions of a church) in that it is a doctrine of the church that begins with God and his work and ends, as all things eventually will end, with God’s glory.
• The letter explores how the church is to function and helps believers understand the churches direction and self-understanding.
• Another theme presented is the riches and fullness of blessing to believers.

Repetition:

• The following words are repeated in the letter:
• Riches=5; Grace=12; Glory=8; Fullness/Filled=6; in Christ/in Him=12

Interpretive Challenges:

• Theology is direct and unambiguous
• “…It presents the basic doctrines of Christianity comprehensively, clearly, practically, and winsomely” (Boice xi)
• Ephesians contains no unique teachings.
• “We are told who we are, how we came to be as we are, what we shall be, and what we must do now in light of that destiny” (Boice 2).

References:

Ephesians - John MacArthur

Ephesians - James Boice

The Letter to the Ephesians - Peter O'Brien

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