Pastor Rockwell / EPHESIANS: THE BOOK OF SALVATION BY GRACE


Pastor Jerry Rockwell

EPHESIANS: THE BOOK OF SALVATION BY GRACE

 

Introduction: The study we are about to engage in of the book of Ephesians is one we do not take lightly. It has been examined in various ways, all based on what the student considers the theme of Ephesians. We do not dispute any of them. We do have what we consider the theme of Ephesians and that is the grace of God for believers. The passage that establishes this theme is Ephesians 2:8-10. Many are not aware that the word “grace” in the Old Testament (OT) is found 39 times.[1] In the New Testament (NT) it occurs 131 times.[2] One writer has a strong statement about the content of this epistle. He says, “This little epistle packs much power. It is a circular letter sent to the Asia Minor region of the early church that reviews core themes of the gospel: the programme of God; the church; the mystery, hope, riches and power of the gospel rooted in grace, not works of the law; and a gospel whose result is reconciliation.”[3]

 

THE CITY OF EPHESUS

The city of Ephesus was not a major Roman city but was the center of the worship of Diana. It had a population of some 350,000 people.[4] Ephesus was centrally located on the western coast of Asia Minor and was the home of the temple of Diana (Artemis) and considered one of the wonders of the world. The city of Ephesus was at one time a seaport city but the silt from the Cayster River blocked the channel to the ocean and it lost its recognition as a major seaport. Ephesus was known for the largest theater in Asia Minor. It evidently has a Colosseum with a seating capacity of 50,000 people (that would rival some college and NFL stadiums at one time). Ephesus also boasted of the largest temple dedicated to the Diana.

 

WRITER/AUTHOR/DATE

This book of the Bible being considered to be a “prison letter” it is important to know who was doing the writing of the book of Ephesians. It is clearly the Apostle Paul. He is known in the Bible as the “Apostle to the Gentiles.” Paul calls himself that in Romans 11:13 (KJV), “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office.” That identification was not something he named for himself. God informed Ananias, a certain disciple in Damascus, that he was to go to Paul and help him receive his sight. The story of Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus is one most are familiar with (Acts 9:1-9). Paul was on his way to Damascus to find Christians, bind them and take to Jerusalem (vs. 2). Suddenly there was a “light from heaven” which shined around Paul and the people traveling with him (vs. 3). We read the narrative from there which says in Acts 9:4–8 (KJV), “4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.” After this event, God appeared to a “certain disciple at Damascus” (Acts 9:10) The narrative gives us this story in Acts 9:11-15 (KJV), “11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” [Emphasis added.]

         Paul is named in the Epistle of Ephesians two times. The first is Ephesians 1:1 (KJV), “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.” This clearly designates Paul as the one writing to this church in Ephesians. The second time his name appears in the letter is Ephesians 3:1 (KJV), “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles.” It is clear that Paul was the writer of this epistle. From the evidence of Paul’s incarceration, the letter to the church at Ephesus was probably written in the 60’s.[5] Exact dates are difficult to determine since much of the biblical material does not mention dates.

 

PRISON LETTER

The final statement in the epistle is at the close after Ephesians 6:24. There is a statement in brackets: “<To the Ephesians written from Rome, by Tychicus.>” Some consider this a spurious insertion, not part of the inspired text. Tychicus was one of Paul’s companions along with others who traveled with Paul (Acts 20:4). The insertion may be “spurious” but it was not unusual for someone to write for Paul. Note Romans 16:22 (KJV), “I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.” Of course the major difference between the two is that the “Tertius” verse is in the text and the note at the end of Ephesians is an addition outside the text.

It is called a “Prison Epistle” because two verses. Ephesians 3:1 (KJV), “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles.” Ephesians 4:1 (KJV), “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.” If the letter was written from Rome where Paul was imprisoned, it was written near the end of his life. His extended incarcerations are recorded at Jerusalem and Rome. The Jerusalem imprisonment is recorded in Acts 24:25-26 that took place after Paul had been tried by the Roman Government Rulers in Judea. We know that Paul was incarcerated for a brief time at Philippi according to Acts 16:21-40. In addition, Paul was kept in prison at Jerusalem for two years according to Acts 24:27. The extended time Paul spent in prison was at Rome and it was for at least two years according to Acts 28:30. Thus, Paul evidently wrote several of his prison epistles from Rome. It was not unusual for Paul to write from prison. He wrote at least two epistles from prison, Ephesians 6:20 and Colossians 4:3.

EPISTLE

Historically the book of Ephesians has been considered to be an epistle (meaning letter) written to the church at Ephesus. The first verse suggests it is a letter to the “saints which are at Ephesus” (Eph. 1:1). Some consider Ephesians to be a “circular” letter, designed to be circulated among the churches of Asia. This is seen in Colossians 4:16 (KJV), “And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.” Though not stated, the churches evidently shared the writings of the apostles with other churches. That is one of the evidences of the prolific number of Greek Manuscripts (MSS) being available, even today.[6]

 

 

 

GRACE

The word “grace” has been addressed earlier, yet, significantly, this epistle gives the primary statement of salvation being a matter of “grace” (Eph. 2:8-9). After Paul’s statement of who is addressed (Eph.1:1), he immediately says, “Grace be to you. . .” (Eph. 1:2). Then he concludes the epistle in the last verse, Ephesians 6:24, and says, “Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.” The word “grace” has been defined as “God’s unmerited favor.” Were it not for the grace of God, we would be in a difficult position and have no hope in this world. The apostle John wrote in John 1:14 (KJV), “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Jesus was “full of grace and truth.” That is a powerful statement of God’s purpose in Jesus Christ. Everything we can hope for is found in Jesus Christ. This means that “grace” is an essential concept in the provision of God for mankind who desperately needs a means of escape from the ravages of sin.

 

CONTENT OF EPHESIANS: Several commentators point out that Ephesians can be easily divided into two parts. One, the importance of doctrine, what we believe about the Christian life, Ephesians 1-3. Second, the practical application of what the church believes, Ephesians 4-6. Again, Darrell Bock gives some insight into this method of study. He says,

   “‘We may confidently affirm that Ephesians was written to promote unity, particularly between Jew and Gentile, to affirm the supremacy of Christ over every power, and to remind believers of their privileges in Christ.’ But the epistle is about more than this. Its second half urges a life lived drawing on this new ‘in Christ’ identity, relying on Christ’s power and strength. The result entails a distinctive quality of existence carried out in a dark world where the main challenge is spiritual. The uniqueness of this Christ-rooted approach to life points to its being from God and testifies to him. Believers are to see themselves both individually and corporately.[7] [Emphasis added.]

 

PAUL’S CONTACT WITH EPHESUS AND THE EPHESIANS

The best way to understand Ephesians is to explore the introduction to the Gospel by Paul historically. That would take us to the book of Acts. The first contact Paul made with the city and people of Ephesus is found in Acts 18ff. The remainder of this study will focus on the evidence of Paul’s contact with the people of Ephesus found in Acts.

  1. Paul at Corinth, Acts 18:1-17. The significant part of this brief account of Paul going to Corinth is meeting Aquila and Priscilla. They had traveled to Corinth because of the expulsion of the Jews from Rome by Claudius.
  2. Paul’s Initial Contact With Aquila and Priscilla, Acts 18:1-3. The text indicates the Paul “found a certain Jew. . .” ( 2) Aquila who was originally from Pontus, but recently from Italy due to the acts of the Roman Government and Claudius who was the Roman Emperor from 41-54 a.d. He expelled the Jews from Rome due to the accusation that they were instigators of riots in Rome. Some suggest that Paul was a house guest of these two due to their common occupation of being “tentmakers” (Acts 18:3).
  3. Paul’s Evangelism in the Synagogue, Acts 18:4. One of the things Paul usually did was go to the Jews via their synagogue which was their Sabbath meeting place to study the Law. These were a ready group because they had a biblical frame of reference, knowing the stories in the Old Testament and some knowledge of the messages of the prophets. This was fertile ground in some sense because Paul only had the Old Testament scripture to preach from (2 Tim. 3:15).
  4. Paul’s Companions Join Him, Acts 18:5-11. Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia to Corinth. They evidently joined Paul in his preaching ministry. An interesting statement is made in 6 which indicates the people of the synagogue “opposed themselves and blasphemed” the witness of Paul. The irony of the event after Paul told them he would “go unto the Gentiles” he entered into the house of a man by the name of Justice whose house was joined to the synagogue (vs. 7). He happened to be a “chief ruler of the synagogue” and he “believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized” (vs. 8). It is almost like Paul was frustrated by the response of the people of the synagogue but there were many who believed and that was probably enough motivation for Paul to return to Corinth and establish a church there. Acts 18:12-17 gives the account of Paul being brought before the “judgment seat” of Gallio, the deputy of Achaia and the Jews “made insurrection” against Paul (vs. 12-13). This motivated Paul to leave there and travel into Syria taking Priscilla and Aquila with him (vs. 18).
  5. Paul at Ephesus the First Time, Acts 18:1-21. This is the first contact Paul had with the city of Ephesus and its people. He continued his strategy of going to the synagogue and “reasoned with the Jews” ( 19). This was a positive experience because it says in Acts 18:20 (KJV), “When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not.” The hope by the people of this brief encounter was short lived and we read in Acts 18:21 (KJV), “But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.”
  6. Paul Returns to His Sending Church in Antioch, Acts 18:22-23. This was a brief visit with the people who had sent Paul and Barnabas and later Paul and Silas to be witnesses in the cities of Asia Minor.
  7. The Brief Interlude Involving Priscilla and Aquila, Acts 18:24-28. This is a brief interjection of what took place at Ephesus in Paul’s absence. The Jewish couple encountered a man from Alexandria, Apollos, who was evidently “mighty in the scriptures” ( 24). He had one short coming in his message, he only knew the “baptism of John” (vs. 25). Aquila and Priscilla took him and “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (vs. 26). The next two verses, 27-28, describe the effective ministry of Apollos in Achaia.

 

[1] In Genesis (11), Exodus (6), Numbers (1), Judges (1), Ruth (2), 1-2 Samuel (5), Ezra (1), Esther (1), Psalms (2), Proverbs (5), Jeremiah (1), and Zechariah (3).

[2] It is found in Luke (1), John (4), Acts (10), Romans (24), 1 Corinthians (8), 2 Corinthians (13), Galatians (7), Ephesians (12), Philippians (3), Colossians (5), 1-2 Thessalonians (6), 1-2 Timothy (7), Titus (3), Philemon (2), Hebrews (8), James (3), 1-2 Peter (10), 2 John (1), Jude (1), Revelation (2).

[3] Darrell L. Bock, Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary, ed. Eckhard J. Schnabel, vol. 10, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 2019), 1.

[4] John Phillips, Exploring Ephesians & Philippians: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Eph 1:1–2.

 

[5] Ibid. [age 20.

[6] It is estimated that more than 5,000 Greek Manuscripts exist today of the New Testament. The majority of these were written on papyrus which can easily deteriorate over time. That is evident in the number of “fragments” of scripture found.

[7] Darrell L. Bock, Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary, ed. Eckhard J. Schnabel, vol. 10, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 2019), 2.