E-Book
5,54 €

Getting the Most Out of Ephesians E-Book

J. Scott Duvall

0,0

5,54 €

Sammeln Sie Punkte in unserem Gutscheinprogramm und kaufen Sie E-Books und Hörbücher mit bis zu 100% Rabatt.
Mehr erfahren.

Herausgeber: Lexham Press
Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
Sprache: Englisch

Beschreibung

An interactive workbook containing a good balance of insightful exposition and well--designed questions for personal and group application. The book also offers illustrations to help the reader understand the cultural background of Ephesians and interesting asides and quotes. Ideal for devotions as well as group or personal study.

Details

Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:

EPUB

MOBI

Seitenzahl: 200

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Bewertungen

0,0

Rezensionen(0 Rezensionen)

Leseprobe

J. SCOTT DUVALL

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF EPHESIANS

Your Guide to Enriching Personal and Group Study

Getting the Most Out of Ephesians:

Your Guide to Enriching Personal and Group Study

Lexham Press, 1313 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225

LexhamPress.com

First edition by Weaver Book Company.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Print ISBN 9781683591948

Digital ISBN 9781683591955

Cover design: Frank Gutbrod

To all who have been a part of the Duvall K-Group:

Thank you for being community for Judy and me

and for helping us experience many of the realities

revealed so beautifully in Ephesians

CONTENTS

Overview of Ephesians

1.Introduction to the Letter

Ephesians 1:1–2

2.Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ (Part 1)

Ephesians 1:3–6

3.Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ (Part 2)

Ephesians 1:7–14

4.Prayer for Spiritual Understanding

Ephesians 1:15–23

5.New Life in Christ (Part 1)

Ephesians 2:1–7

6.New Life in Christ (Part 2)

Ephesians 2:8–10

7.The Creation of a New Community (Part 1)

Ephesians 2:11–18

8.The Creation of a New Community (Part 2)

Ephesians 2:19–22

9.Paul’s Unique Role in God’s Plan

Ephesians 3:1–13

10.Paul’s Prayer for the New Community

Ephesians 3:14–21

11.New Walk in Unity (Part 1)

Ephesians 4:1–6

12.New Walk in Unity (Part 2)

Ephesians 4:7–16

13.New Walk in Holiness (Part 1)

Ephesians 4:17–24

14.New Walk in Holiness (Part 2)

Ephesians 4:25–32

15.New Walk in Love

Ephesians 5:1–6

16.New Walk in Light

Ephesians 5:7–14

17.New Walk in Wisdom (Part 1)

Ephesians 5:15–21

18.New Walk in Wisdom (Part 2)

Ephesians 5:21–33

19.New Walk in Wisdom (Part 3)

Ephesians 6:1–4

20.New Walk in Wisdom (Part 4)

Ephesians 6:5–9

21.New Walk in Strength

Ephesians 6:10–20

22.Conclusion

Ephesians 6:21–24

Bibliography

OVERVIEW OF EPHESIANS

How Does This Book Fit into God’s Redemptive Plan?

Paul didn’t write Ephesians to solve a major problem or deal with any particular crisis or emergency in a local church. Instead, he wrote a majestic but general letter to give believers the overarching view of God’s great plan. He often talks in sweeping terms about God’s redemptive purposes, and perhaps to our surprise, we learn that the church plays a crucial role in that plan. Paul doesn’t ignore what God is going to do in the future, but he does focus on what God has already done and is doing right now—in Christ and in his church. God’s plan is mentioned most directly in two passages in Ephesians:

1:8b–10: “With all wisdom and understanding he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.”

3:8–11: “Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

As New Testament scholar Peter O’Brien writes, “Cosmic reconciliation and unity in Christ are the central message of Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians.”1 The “mystery of God’s will” (his master plan) is to bring unity to all things in Christ. God wants to work in our individual lives to be sure, but he is doing something much, much bigger of which we are a part. His overarching purpose is to redeem the whole of creation and what Jesus has done lies at the very heart of that plan. In Christ, people can once again have a relationship with the living God. In Christ, enemies can be reconciled. In Christ, evil powers have been defeated and will one day be destroyed.

This is where you and I come into the picture. The church is God’s greatest work of art, his masterpiece. As God’s purposes in Christ are worked out now in the church, all of creation can see what God is up to. The church is the preview or trailer for the greatest movie ever made. As O’Brien says, “The church is not only the pattern but also the means God is using to show that his purposes are moving triumphantly to their climax.”2

WHY IS EPHESIANS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Paul writes to help a network of house churches stay strong in their faith. He had spent three years teaching and caring for these Ephesian Christians and he wanted to make sure they continued to follow Jesus.

Specifically, Paul wanted believers to have a deeper understanding and experience of three important realities:

•The new life we have in Christ

•The new community we belong to as a result of our relationship with Christ

•The new walk we are called to by Christ

In this letter Paul focuses on Jesus Christ (new life). The expression “in Christ” (and parallel phrases like “in the Lord” or “in him”) are found almost forty times in Ephesians. God will unite and restore all of creation under one Lord—Jesus Christ (1:10). Paul also stresses unity (new community) through words like “unity,” “one,” and “with/together with,” and concepts such as church, body, temple, and bride. God has brought together in community all who are in Christ. This new community is maintained and preserved as we live a lifestyle that pleases Christ (new walk). This new lifestyle is characterized by love for God and love for people. The theme of love appears (per thousand words) more than twice as often in Ephesians than in any other Pauline letter.3

New life brings us into new community and encourages a new walk. Part of the new walk includes sharing with others the new life they can have in Christ.

new life

→

new community

→

new walk

As you read and study and seek to live out Ephesians, don’t be surprised as you see God reshape your identity and make it more secure in Christ. You won’t be so easily unsettled by your circumstances when you are more solidly grounded in Christ. Also, you will probably begin to invest more in your Christian community as you see the great value God places on community. As you understand what it means to be in Christ and to live in community, I predict you will begin to see new patterns of godliness appear in your life. Spiritual growth doesn’t usually happen in a linear fashion (a neat, straight line of growth). Rather, our growth is often a messy start and stop, fail and try again kind of experience. But through it all, God will use this ancient letter to the Ephesians to help you grow more and more like Jesus Christ.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO LIVE IN EPHESUS?

If you lived in ancient Ephesus, you would have lived on the western coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Ephesus was a cosmopolitan and multiethnic seaport city of about 250,000 people, ranking third behind Rome and Alexandria in terms of size and importance.

Your city featured modern roads, a business market, a civic center, expensive homes, public baths, a stadium, a gymnasium, temples to various gods and emperors, a concert hall, and much more. Two particular landmarks would have been especially impressive to visitors. First, there was a theater that seated almost 25,000 people. This is the place where the silversmith Demetrius led the crowd to riot in opposition to Paul and the Christian message (Acts 19:23–41).

Photo 1. Theater in Ephesus

Second, there was the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Artemis was the mother goddess of nature and fertility who was worshiped throughout the ancient world. Her statue with its combination of symbols (e.g., bulls, lions, zodiac, breasts or eggs) shows how much the Ephesians blended religions. Her famous temple is no longer standing, except for a single column in a swamp.

Photo 2. Statue of Artemis idol

Ephesus wasn’t just devoted to Artemis worship. It was a city of many religions and cults, including worship of the Roman emperor (Nero during the time when Paul wrote Ephesians). The city was also a center for the practice of magic and occult arts. In Acts 19:18–19 we read that when the new Christians gave up magic, they burned their books worth 50,000 days’ wages. These new believers needed reassurance that Jesus Christ was more powerful than the evil spirits and powers associated with goddess worship, the occult, the practice of magic, emperor worship, and about fifty other gods worshiped in Ephesus.

WHAT KIND OF MINISTRY DID PAUL HAVE IN EPHESUS?

(This section traces briefly the history of Paul’s connection to the Ephesian church. Don’t get bogged down here so feel free to read through this at a later time if you need to.)

First Visit, Second Journey (AD 52)

After spending almost two years serving the church in Corinth (Acts 18:11), Paul went to Ephesus, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He didn’t stay long on his first visit. About all we know is that he conversed with the Jews in the synagogue (Acts 18:19). Although the church in Ephesus invited him to stay longer, he declined and left for Antioch. He left Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus.

Second Visit, Third Journey (AD 53–56)

On his third missionary journey he traveled through Galatia and Phrygia and came to Ephesus (Acts 18:23; 19:1). He encountered twelve men who only knew John’s baptism of repentance and he told them about Jesus (Acts 19:1–7). Paul taught in the Jewish synagogue for three months, but when some began speaking evil of “the Way” (the Christian faith), he moved to the lecture hall of Tyrannus where he taught for two years so that “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:10).

Paul’s ministry had a great influence on the city of Ephesus. God used him to perform miracles, cast out demons, and teach the Word (Acts 19:11–20). But God’s work brought opposition. When conversions to Christ hurt sales of Artemis cult idols, the local silversmiths stirred up a riot in the theater against Paul and the Christian message (Acts 19:23–41). Paul then left Ephesus for Macedonia (Acts 20:1).

Meeting with the Elders (AD 57)

Paul spent three months of winter (AD 56–57) in Corinth, the place where he wrote Romans (Rom. 16:23). He left for Jerusalem, hoping to arrive by Pentecost (May AD 57; cf. Acts 20:16, 22). As he traveled to Jerusalem he stopped in Miletus, a short distance from Ephesus, and called for the Ephesian elders to meet him there (Acts 20:17–18). Paul spoke to these church leaders about his previous ministry among them, of his plans to go to Jerusalem, about the likelihood that they would never see him again, and of false teachers who might try to infiltrate the church at Ephesus. He commended them to God and once again mentioned his example among them. They knelt in prayer together before saying a tearful goodbye (Acts 20:18–38).

A Letter from Prison (AD 60–62)

Shortly after Paul arrived in Jerusalem he was imprisoned for stirring up trouble (Acts 21:17–23:22). After a brief time, he was transferred to Caesarea where he spent two years in prison (Acts 23:23–26:32). Paul appealed to Caesar and traveled to Rome to stand trial (Acts 27:1–28:30). Most believe that Paul wrote the letter of Ephesians during his two-year imprisonment in Rome (AD 60–62).

Later Visits?

Most likely Paul was freed from his Roman imprisonment in AD 62 and revisited many churches, including some in Asia (2 Tim. 4:13, 20). Perhaps Paul did see the Ephesian elders again after all.

HOW IS EPHESIANS ORGANIZED?

From the outline below you can see that Ephesians 1–3 focuses on God’s great plan of salvation in Christ: new life and new community. These chapters form the theological foundation for the instructions and commands that follow in Ephesians 4–6, where we learn how to live out God’s plan. The first half tells us who Christ is and who we are in him; the second half tells us how to live like the people we are.

1:1–2

Introduction to the Letter

1:3–14

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

1:15–23

Prayer for Spiritual Understanding

2:1–10

New Life in Christ

2:11–3:21

New Community in Christ

2:11–22

The Creation of a New Community

3:1–13

Paul’s Unique Role in God’s Plan

3:14–21

Paul’s Prayer for the New Community

4:1–6:20

New Walk in Christ

4:1–16

Walk in Unity

4:17–32

Walk in Holiness

5:1–6

Walk in Love

5:7–14

Walk in Light

5:15–6:9

Walk in Wisdom

6:10–20

Walk in Strength

6:21–24

Conclusion to the Letter

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK AND MORE

Just a bit of context. This guide was originally written as a year-long small-group study for a local church, where I served as a co-pastor. We used an integrated teaching plan that included (1) a week of personal study as people worked through the guide by themselves, (2) a Sunday morning sermon that focused on the same passage, and (3) small-group time on Sunday nights (after having a meal together), where we reviewed the text and talked through the discussion questions together. It worked really well. Our Ephesians study consisted of eleven weeks in the fall and eleven weeks in the spring, and this turned out to be just about right. So you could definitely use this book for personal Bible study, but you could also use it in a church setting for your small groups.

I’ve used the NIV 2011 as the primary translation, but since my background is New Testament studies and Greek, the study is informed by an underlying grasp of the Greek text of Ephesians. I will often bring in other translations and make a comment about the meaning of a word or how the sentence or paragraph fits together. In particular, I’ve found the NET Bible and the Holman Christian Standard Bible to also be very helpful.

On commentaries, here are the books I’ve found most helpful and reliable in my study of Ephesians. On the more technical end, I like the commentaries by Harold Hoehner and Peter O’Brien. The volume by Clinton Arnold was published after I had completed this study, but it looks to be a terrific resource. On the less technical, more pastoral side, I like the book by Kent Hughes. The works by Klyne Snodgrass and John Stott do a good job of striking a balance between the scholarly and the devotional. There are other good commentaries on Ephesians, but I’ve enjoyed these the most.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Jim Weaver for publishing Getting the Most Out of Ephesians. He has the much-needed vision of strengthening the church and honoring the Lord by providing enriching resources for pastors, pastors-in-training, church leaders, and serious lay students of the Bible. I’m grateful to Jim for being a faithful friend and for making resources like this available to God’s people.

May the Lord be pleased.

INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTER

Ephesians 1:1–2

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ancient letters began by identifying the writer and the audience (e.g., “Paul to the Ephesians”) before giving a greeting (e.g., “Greetings”). Christian writers used this same form, but they would modify the content to reflect deep truths about the faith. It isn’t just “Paul to the Ephesians, greetings.” Instead, it is “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,” and the Ephesians are identified as “God’s holy people” or “saints.” The typical word “greeting” (chairein) is even changed to “grace” (charis).

Paul wasn’t just adding fine-sounding theological words to his vocabulary to try to impress his readers. His relationship with Jesus had radically changed his life, including the way he spoke and wrote letters. Can you think of a specific example of how your relationship with Jesus has changed the way you use words?

Paul identifies himself as “an apostle of Christ Jesus.” An apostle is one who has been called, authorized, and sent on a mission by another. Paul is a fully authorized representative and messenger of Jesus. In wanting to “focus only on Jesus,” some contemporary Christian movements suggest that the words of the apostles (including Paul) are somehow less inspired and authoritative than the words of Jesus. They are viewed as second rate. But Paul is “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” This means that Paul’s letters carry Christ’s full authority. God wanted Paul to be Christ’s representative. If we take Jesus’ words seriously, we must also take Paul’s words just as seriously because they come from Christ.

The group of people receiving this letter is identified in two ways. First, they are “God’s holy people” (or “saints”). We mistakenly think of “saints” as people who live especially pious lives, but even the Corinthian Christians are called “saints” (1 Cor. 1:2) and they certainly had issues. The saints are people who have been set apart by God, who belong to God, who are in relationship with God through Jesus. The word “saints” is simply another word for “Christians” in the New Testament.

Second, the recipients are “faithful.” This word does not refer to a second group of people (i.e., to the saints and to those who are faithful), but merely tells us more about the one group (i.e., God’s holy people, that is, those who are faithful in Christ Jesus). The “faithful” describes those who exercise faith in or believe in Jesus.

How might the two words—“saints” and “faithful”—sum up what we do and what God does?

Holy Geography

“[The Ephesian Christians] have two homes, for they reside equally ‘in Christ’ and ‘in Ephesus.’ Indeed all Christian people … live both in Christ and in the secular world.… Many of our spiritual troubles arise from our failure to remember that we are citizens of two kingdoms. We tend to either pursue Christ and withdraw from the world, or to become preoccupied with the world and forget that we are also in Christ.4”

The original recipients of this letter were both “in Ephesus” and “in Christ.” In fact, all Christians are both “in __________” (some city) and “in Christ.” Paul’s sense of geography or location places us both in Christ relationally and spiritually and in the world for ministry and mission. Life goes so much better when we know who we are “in Christ” and what our relationships and roles are where we live.

Photo 3. Street connecting the harbor and theater in Ephesus

What exactly does it mean to be “in Christ”? Paul uses the phrase “in Christ” (and equivalents) many times in Ephesians. To be “in Christ” is to be personally related to Jesus Christ, to be united to Christ, to be one with him and his people.

To be “in Christ” means that Jesus determines our identity, our priorities, and our destiny. If you are unsure of who you are or where you are going, you might want to spend some time reflecting on the “in Christ” words below.

Paul’s greeting consists of “grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The typical word for greeting (chairein) is even changed to “grace” (charis). Grace is the gospel in one word. While we were undeserving sinners totally unable to save ourselves, Christ came to our rescue. Grace refers to God’s favor in providing salvation through Christ for people who didn’t deserve it.

Peace is deep contentment, calmness, and wholeness that comes from a harmonious relationship with God. By greeting the Ephesians (and us) in this way, Paul is reminding us that God’s grace is what produces our peace. When we experience God’s undeserved forgiveness and mercy, we are flooded with a sense of well-being.

In many Bibles you will see a text note on verse 1 that says something like “some early manuscripts do not include the words ‘in Ephesus.’ ” It is possible that this letter was intended not only for the Ephesian church, but also for other churches in the region (i.e., a circular letter). Harold Hoehner makes a good case, however, for the phrase “in Ephesus” being part of the original text (Hoehner, Ephesians, 144–48). Whether it was in the original letter or not, the letter became connected with the Ephesian church at an early stage because Ephesus was the dominant city in the region.

IN CHRIST

Often the phrase “in Christ” refers to the relational place where believers are positioned. Just as all people have died “in Adam” (1 Cor. 15:22) and all the nations will be blessed “in Abraham” (Gen. 12:3; 18:18), so all Christians have been incorporated into Christ. As believers, our relationship with Christ is the defining relationship. This relationship is the reality center that shapes all our activities and relationships. At other times, the phrase “in Christ” means that Christ is the agent or instrument through whom something is done. For example, in 1:4 the church (“us” not “me”) was chosen “in Christ” before the foundation of the world. This means that God chose the church through Christ’s work of paying for sin on the cross.

1:1

“To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus”

1:3

“who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ”

1:4

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”

1:6

“to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves”

1:7

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

1:9

“He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ.”