Introduction, 1:1-2.
[1-2] Paul was specially chosen by God (Galatians 1:11-16). This letter was written to Christians living in the city of Ephesus. The letter was read by Christians from other places also.
God’s Great Plans, 1:3-14.
[3] There are many blessings in Christ. All true blessings come from God (James 1:17). What are these blessings? God blessed us and chose us. He planned for us and set us free. He forgave us and brought us together. He sealed us to show we belong to God (Ephesians 1:11-14), He did all of this in Christ. We get “in Christ” through the new birth (John 3:1-7). This happens when we are immersed or put under water in the name of Jesus (Romans 6:1-4; Galatians 3:26-27).
The spiritual blessings are “in heaven.” This is not the heaven which is being prepared for the saints (John 14:1-4). The meaning is “heavenly places” and is often translated this way. This means the spiritual world where there is constant battle between good and evil spirits. When we become Christians, we are in the kingdom of Christ; we are in the church. Here we always enjoy the blessings from God. As the spiritual battle continues, He protects us from all kinds of evil.
[4-6] God planned even before He created the world to bless those who follow Him. This was to be “in Christ”, not in our ancestors or denominations or religious leaders. We should be holy (Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:14-16). Knowing that we would fall into sin, God planned a way for us to come back into a faithful relationship with Him. He would adopt us back as His children into His royal family. This is why God made us, to be His children for eternity.
In the Old Testament, the Jews were commanded to offer to God animals which were perfect (Leviticus 1:3, 10). Our forefathers sometimes offered animal sacrifices, and they offered the best animal. When Christ became our sacrifice, He was sinless (Isaiah 53; Hebrews 10). Today we are to offer ourselves as a holy sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). This means we are to live a pure life. God will not accept us if we are not holy. His plan for us to be holy is to be in Christ (to be Christians). As Christians we have been born again (John 3) and are living a new life (Romans 6).
[7-10] The blood Christ shed in His sacrifice made forgiveness of our sins possible (Romans 6:6-18; 1 Peter 1:18-19). No other sacrifice was able to do this (Hebrews 10). Forgiveness was made possible to sinners on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:37-39). The “secret” which God has revealed is His plan for man’s salvation. “Secret” meant something not known but now revealed. Here it refers to the way God, through Christ brought man back into fellowship with Himself (Romans 16:25-26; Colossians 1:26-27). Salvation is in Christ. It is not in animal sacrifices or the plans of man. All of God’s plans focused on Christ.
Ephesians 1:11-16
11 We were chosen in Christ. God planned this long ago for His purpose. He works out everything. God decides what He wants. 12 We were the first to pin our hopes on Christ. This happened so that we could become praise to God’s glory. 13 You are in Christ, too. You heard the true message, the Good News about your salvation. After you believed, you were sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit whom God promised. 14 The Spirit is the guarantee that we will receive the inheritance. God will set His own people free for the praise of His glory. 15 I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the love you have for all the holy people. 16 So, I never stop thanking God for you. I always mention you in my prayers.
[11-14] Many times we read about God choosing His people (Deuteronomy 9:29; 32:9-10; Psalm 74:2). Christians are God’s chosen people today. We are to praise Him (Matthew 5:14-16). Christians are sealed. A seal shows an agreement has been approved. It is a stamp of ownership. For Christians, the seal is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Acts 2:38-39; 5:32). The fruit of the Spirit in the Christian’s life is evidence of this relationship. It is also to show others the truth of what the Christian has believed and obeyed (Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 4:6). Christians are filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). They are led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). They bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). For “guarantee,” see 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5.
Prayer, 1:15-23.
[15-18] This is an example of prayer. Paul prayed often (Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Faith and love are very important. We must have faith in the Lord (Hebrews 11:6). Faith means belief. It also includes obedience (John 3:16, 36). We must have love for God and for people (Matthew 22:36-40). Faith is no good if we hate people. Love is no good if it does not lead us to obey God.
Gaining insight and a wise spirit is explained in the parallel passage, Col. 1:9-11. He wanted the brethren to have spiritual insight to comprehend and wisdom to apply God’s will to their lives. In so doing, they would come to know God in a fuller way. Some refuse to know God (Romans 1:18-24). Many are without hope. They see sin in their own lives. They see sin all around them. They see their families in trouble. There is evil everywhere. But Christians have hope. God has chosen us. We can have victory in Christ. In Christ we have great power. In Christ we can defeat all evil. We can pray for wisdom (James 1:5). We must also study (2 Timothy 2:15-16). As we study, we will know the greatness of being Christians.
Ephesians 1:17-23
17 I want the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you insight and a wise spirit. Then you will know Him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart will receive light. Then you will know the meaning of the hope of God’s invitation. You will know the riches of His glorious inheritance among the holy people. 19 You will know God’s great power which is available to us who believe. It is like the exercising of His mighty strength, 20 when He raised Christ from death and put him at His own right side in the heavenly world. 21 There Christ is far above any ruler, authority, power, lord, or title which can be given, not only in this world, but also in the next world. 22 God put everything under Christ’s feet. God appointed him to be the head over all things among the people called out by God. 23 This community is Christ’s body. It is the totality of Christ; he completes everything everywhere.
[19-23] Power comes from God (Ephesians 3:20-21). When we are in Christ (Romans 8:37-38; 1 John 4:4), God will use His power for us to do what He has promised. When Christ came back from death this showed God’s great power. Then Christ was over all other power. He was over any “ruler, authority, power, lord or title.” These words refer to spiritual powers (Ephesians 6:10-18; Colossians 1:16). Powers of Satan are present in many forms such as witchcraft, false teachers, and all kinds of sin. These powers are all rooted in Satan’s lies. Christ has power over all things. The people called out today are the church. The church is the body of Christ. He is the head of the church and has all authority. The church makes complete all God’s plans. Jesus is the Savior, and the church is the saved. The Head and the body complete each other.
New Life in Christ, 2:1-10.
2 1You were spiritually dead in your sins and violations. 2 In the past you lived in those things. You followed the evil ways of this world and the ruler of the power of the air – that evil spirit who is now working in those who disobey God. 3 We all used to live among people like that, with the evil desires in our human nature. We satisfied the impulses of our bodies and minds. We were like all other people naturally deserving punishment.
[1-3] Without Christ man is ruled by sin. He is dead. This means he is separated from God, the giver of life (Isaiah 59:1; Romans 6:23; Colossians 2:13). He needs new life which is in Christ (John 3:3). He is dead because he lives according to an authority which is against God. That authority is Satan (Matthew 12:24; Mark 3:22). This is seen in false teachers (1 Timothy 4:1-2). It is seen in witchcraft, drunkenness, and many other evils (Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 21:8). We must turn from such sin. Throughout the Book of Acts sinners are told to repent, which means turn or change heart (Acts 2:37-38; 3:19). We must recognize that Satan is real. He lives and works in this world. He challenges God and seeks to control man (1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:9). Evil desires are strong. Without Christ, we are slaves to sin. We become slaves to drunkenness, sexual sin, and all evil. But Christians live under the power of Christ! (Ephesians 1:21; 3:20-21; Colossians 1:16). Satan is not more powerful than Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-22
4 However, God was rich in mercy, because of His great love which He had for us. 5 While we were spiritually dead in sins, God made us alive with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s gracious love.) 6 And God raised us from spiritual death and seated us in the heavenly world with Christ Jesus. 7 God wanted to show the superior riches of His gracious love for all time. He did this by using Jesus to be kind to us. 8 You have been saved by God’s gracious love through faith. Salvation does not come from you; it is God’s gift. 9 It does not come from human effort. If that were true, someone could brag about earning it. 10 We are what God made. In Christ Jesus we have been created for doing good deeds. God prepared these good deeds long ago, so that we could live by them. 11 Physically you are not Jewish. Those who have been physically circumcised called you “the uncircumcised.” Do you remember? 12 At that time you were without Christ. You were foreigners. You could not be part of Israel. You were strangers to the agreements of God’s promise. You had no hope. You were in the world without God. 13 You used to be far away, but now, in Christ Jesus, you have come near. This was made possible by the blood of Christ. 14 Christ himself is our peace. He has made Jews and non-Jews one. He used his own body to break down the fence of hate which separated them. 15 Christ cancelled the law which had commands in strict orders. He wanted to create one new man from two, making peace between them. 16 Then he could make them friends of God with one body through the cross. He used the cross to kill the hate. 17 When Jesus came, “He preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.” 18 Because, through Christ, both Jews and non-Jews have a way to get to the Father – by one Spirit! 19 So, you are not strangers and visitors anymore. Instead, you are co-citizens with the holy people and members of God’s family. 20 You have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Jesus is its most important stone. 21 The whole building is joined together in Christ. It becomes a holy temple sanctuary in the Lord Jesus. 22 In Christ you, too, are being built up for God, so that He may live in you by His Spirit.
[4-10] The love of God is great (John 3:16; Romans 8:35-39). To be raised refers to the new birth. In this new birth it is like the death and resurrection of Christ. Identifying with Christ’s death places us in touch with His blood which cleanses us (Romans 6:1-14). God made salvation possible by His gracious love. Man responds to that love by his faith. Without faith we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). But this faith is not alone. Some have believed but would not follow (John 12:42). The faith that saves is the faith that does what God says (James 1:22-26). See the obedient faith of Hebrews 11. But we cannot earn our salvation just by working. If this were true, we could brag about earning it. Some people perform magic rituals and believe, mistakenly, when they do it in the right way, the spirits will have to do what they ask. We cannot make God do what we say. We cannot manipulate God’s power. We obey God, and He will do what He has promised. After we are saved, we will want to do good works. This is not because it earns our salvation, but because we now want to do good works (Matthew 25:31-46; James 1:27).
Unity in Christ, 2:11-22.
[11-13] The people to whom Paul wrote in this book were Gentiles. They did not practice circumcision. Those Gentiles had rebelled against God (Romans 1:18-32). They were without Christ. They had no hope of the Messiah for He was promised to the Jews. The Gentiles were foreigners. The Jews were God’s people. All others had rebelled against God. All they could do was create their own gods. This caused most people to worship idols and create beliefs in many gods. It caused many to worship their ancestors and other things (Isaiah 45:20; Jeremiah 10:14; 13:25; Romans 1:21-27). They had no hope. Their lives were in constant fear of evil spirits. They were slaves of fleshly desires. Satan and sin controlled their lives. Sacrificing animals could not remove sin (Hebrews 10:1-10). They could only cry to gods who could not hear (1 Kings 18:26-29).
Christ is the cure for life without God. He made it possible for sinful man to come back to God. His blood was shed for the sins of all (Romans 3:23-25; 5:6-9; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:20).
[14-18] Peace is in Christ. We have peace in our hearts when we are cleansed from evil. We have peace in our families when husbands and wives live by the law of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-6:4). We have peace in our nations when leaders honor Christ (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:2).
The wall between Jew and Gentile was the Jewish law. It has now been removed (Galatians 3:24-25; Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 8:6-12). Peter learned this in Acts 10-11. Neither the tribal laws of our ancestors nor the law of Moses will save us or give us peace. Christ made us all one. Christians cannot practice tribalism for we are of one tribe, that is of Christ and His church.
[19-21] To explain how we are all together Paul used an example of a building. Christ is the most important stone (Psalm 118:22; Acts 4:11; 1 Corinthians 3:11; 1 Peter 2:7). The apostles and prophets are also a part of the foundation. They were the first to teach about this new way (1 Corinthians 3:10-11). The body is built up through the work of many people (Ephesians 4:11-12). Every Christian is a part of this building of God. We all must work in unity and peace. Each person has a special thing he can do in the body (1 Corinthians 12:12-26).
God’s Plan in the Church, 3:1-13.
Ephesians 3:1-6
3 1This is why I, Paul, am Christ Jesus’ prisoner for you non-Jews.2 Surely you have heard about the plan of God’s gracious love which was given to me for you. 3 God used a revelation to make this secret clear. (I wrote a little bit about it before.) 4 As you read this, you will be able to grasp my understanding of the secret of Christ. 5 People of other generations were not told this, but now it has been revealed to God’s holy apostles and prophets by His Spirit: 6 Jewish people and non-Jewish people are now partners; they will inherit together. And through the Good News, they share God’s promise in Christ Jesus.
[1-6] Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote this letter. He was in prison because of his work among the Gentiles (Acts 15; 21:17-34; 22:21-24). Paul had many struggles to bring Jews and Gentiles together. Chapter two explains those struggles. In chapter one, Paul explained the plans God made. God had spoken directly to Paul. Paul explained that also in Galatians 1. God revealed to him the secret. Paul mentioned this in Ephesians 1:9-10. A secret is something people do not understand. Here in chapter three, Paul explained the secret to them. God is telling everyone who reads His word so that we can understand. The revealed secret is stated in verse six: Jews and non-Jews are one. We all share in God’s promise mentioned in chapter one. The secret is the plan of God which He worked out. That plan is seen in the lives of men in the Old Testament. It is also seen in the life of Christ revealed in the Gospels. Its complete fulfillment is seen in Christ. In Christ we find salvation and every spiritual blessing. In Christ we have the uniting of all men in the one body, the church.
Ephesians 3:7-21
7 I became a minister of this gospel. God’s free gracious love was given to me by the exercise of His power. 8 This gracious love was given to me, even though I am the least important of all the holy people. God wanted to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to non-Jewish people. 9 He wanted to teach everyone about the meaning of the secret plan. It was hidden in God a long, long time ago. (He created everything.) 10 Why was it hidden? So that, through the people whom God called out, His many kinds of wisdom could be made clear to rulers and powers in the heavenly world. 11 This happened for God’s eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 12 In Christ and by believing in Christ, we have boldness and confidence to come near to God. 13 So, I am asking you not to give up. I am suffering for you; this is glory for you. 14 This is why I bow down to the Father. 15 Every family in heaven and on earth gets its name from the Father. 16 I pray that God will use His Spirit to give you power from the riches of His glory to make the person inside you strong. 17 Then, through believing in Christ, he will live in your hearts. You will have your roots and foundation in love. 18-19 Then you and all of the holy people will be able to completely understand the meaning of Christ’s love – how wide it is, how long it is, how high it is, and how deep it is. It goes beyond knowing, but you will know it. Then you will be filled with the totality of God. 20 Glory to God! He is able to do so much more than we can even think of or ask for. God uses the power that is working in us. 21 Glory to God among all the people He has called out and in Christ Jesus for all generations forever and ever. Amen.
[7-13] Paul recognized it was the power of God which worked in his life ( Acts 14:27; 15:12; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Ephesians 3:20). The gospel is the power of God for saving people (Romans 1:16). Paul thought of himself as being “least” because he once persecuted the church (1 Corinthians 15:9). When he came to know Christ, he became a faithful preacher (Acts 9).
While God’s plans were hidden, men could not know those plans (1 Peter 1:10-12). He wanted the plans revealed through the people whom He called out. Those people were called the church. Through the church the spiritual realm can know the plans of God. Angels can rejoice in the plans of God (Luke 2:9-14). Evil spirits tremble in fear (James 2:19).
Christ’s Love, 3:14-21.
[14-19] This is another prayer (Ephesians 1:15-19). To “bow down” was to bend the knees to the ground. This meant submission to God. Sometimes people stand in prayer (Luke 18:11; Mark 11:25). At other times they kneel (Acts 7:60; Luke 22:41).
Paul prayed to the Father. In the Old Testament fathers spoke to God for their families. Here Paul said every family comes from the supreme Father (God). For this reason, our prayers should be to Him (Matthew 6:8-13; 1 Timothy 2:5). We are children of God. Paul prayed for us to have power (verse 16). As this power makes our inner person strong, this is talking about spiritual power. God’s glory is the total of His innate characteristics, His righteousness, His love, His knowledge. As God’s Holy Spirit indwells us, we have a relationship with our God where he shares His spiritual power with us (Acts 2:38; 5:32). The Holy Spirit makes His knowledge known to us through the Word. The blood of Christ makes his righteousness available to us. Jesus’ death on the cross affirms His love for us. We can do all through Christ (Philippians 4:13). We need this power to fight Satan (1 Corinthians; 10:13; James 4:7). We will see more of this struggle with evil in chapter six.
Christ lives in our hearts (verse 17). Sometimes Paul spoke of Christ living in our hearts and sometimes of the Spirit living in our hearts (Romans 8:9-11). We know the Spirit is in our hearts by the righteous fruit we bear (Galatians 5:22-26). We are rooted in love. As the roots of a tree provide strength so the wind will not blow it down, so love provides strength for the Christian. As roots provide food for the tree, so love nourishes the Christian. This will help us understand the great love of Christ. The strength of love is seen in 1 Corinthians 13. The power of Christ’s love is seen in Romans 8:35-39.
[20-21] What great power God has! Paul spoke of this also in Ephesians 1:19. God’s power even works in us. We have no power by ourselves. But if Christ is in us, we have power (Ephesians 6:10-18). Paul spoke of “glory to God among people He has called out”. This refers to the church (Ephesians 1:22-23). God’s work on earth today is done through His church. The church was bought by the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28). Christ is head of the church. The saved are added to the church (Acts 2:47). Glory is also in Christ Jesus for the reasons given above. He is our Savior
Ephesians 4:1-13
4 1So I, the prisoner in the Lord Jesus, beg you to live as though you were worthy of God’s invitation. 2 Be completely humble, gentle, and patient. Put up with one another in love. 3 Try hard to keep the Spirit’s unity; use peace to tie it together. 4 There is one body and one Spirit. You were called to one hope, when God called you. 5 There is one Lord Jesus. There is one faith. There is one immersion. 6 There is one God. He is the Father of everyone. God is above everything, through everything, and in everything. 7 Each one of us has received God’s gracious love. Christ gave it by measure. 8 The Scripture says: “When he went up high, he captured everything. He gave gifts to men” Psalm 68:18. (9 When it says “he went up,” it could only mean that Christ came down to the lower parts of the earth. 10 The one who came down is the same one who went up – above all the heavens. He wanted to fill the universe.) 11 Christ appointed apostles, prophets, evangelists, spiritual shepherds, and teachers 12 to prepare the holy people for a ministry of service, for building up the body of Christ. 13 How long? Until we are all together. We must be united in our faith and knowledge of the Son of God. We must become like a full-grown man, reaching for the greatest potential of Christ.