Ephesians Revisited

The letter to the Ephesians is a book in which we find both lofty theological doctrines and also practical truths for daily living. Below is a recap of this important letter.

The central theme to the entire book is the Gospel itself. While we do not usually associate many of the practical application portions and household codes to the Gospel message, Paul continually points back to the working of Christ for his people as a motivation for godly living. Thus there are two main sections in the book itself, the indicative section of what God has done, followed by the imperatives of what we must now do.

Paul begins the book by showing the grand plan of redemption of the entire Godhead in a Trinitarian explanation of God’s redemptive plan. He begins with before time itself in the predestination of God’s people for himself and showing the unique contribution of the Father, Son and Spirit.[1] Nothing in the first chapter is a command or statement of action but is fully showing what God has done for us. The chapter ends with a prayer to understand the truths presented.

The second chapter shows the application of God’s redemptive plan of the gospel into two unique situations. He begins with God’s saving ability in individuals who are all dead in their trespasses. This means that God alone must save and that no one can save themselves. Faith alone is the conduit of God’s saving grace into people’s lives. The second application of the gospel in this chapter is the breaking down the wall of hostility between Jew and gentile and uniting them together into one new man.

Chapter three highlights this gospel truth and serves as a transition into the imperative commands that are to follow in the rest of the book. Paul has laid groundwork for the audience to work from, making clear that their good works flow from the promises of God and that their works do not create the promises of God. He speaks of his authority as a minister of the Gospel and prays for them to have strength so that they can live in the admonitions of the next section.

This next major section is about the godly living that should flow from the understanding of God’s saving, redemptive, gospel plan that he has been laying the groundwork of for three chapters. Chapter four, for instance, has a series of lists of moral commands and standards that they are to live up to. He makes clear over and over, however, that these commands are not to make them saved people, but that they are to live up to the salvation calling that Christ has already given.

Another theme that runs through the entire book is unity of the people of God.[2] We are to have unity with Christ, with different ethnic groups in the church, with husbands and wives and with each other inter-personally. Chapter five begins with this unifying theme as an outworking of the gospel because of how Christ gave of himself; therefore we should give of ourselves. It ends with a household code of the relationship between husbands and wives. Even in this section, however, the gospel is not far from Paul’s mind as he relates the marriage relationship with that of Christ and the church, for which Christ gave his life.

The household codes continue in chapter six with addressing issues of children and parents and also slaves to masters. Each time that he gives the instructions to the groups in focus he relates it back to the Lord, and does not rest the instructions on the authority of the humans by themselves. Children obey their parents in the Lord, parents raise them in the Lord, slaves obey their masters in the Lord, and masters treat their slaves well because of the Lord. The foundation of Christian interaction in relationships is the submission to the Lordship of Christ.

This chapter ends with the ultimate explanation of how to live this Christian life of the moral imperatives that are given, by putting on the armor of God. This sort of life will not be easy and Christians must prepare themselves for battle against spiritual dangers. In fact Paul may even be alluding to prophecies in Isaiah of the spiritual war gear of the Messiah himself.[3] Simply because we are saved does not mean that there will not be a struggle, but we do not need to despair for Christ has equipped us with what is necessary to withstand the forces of darkness. This chapter ends with Paul’s final farewells to the hearers of the letter.