Ephesians 1:1-8

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
Series: Ephesians

Rusty's Notes

61 AD – Paul is in prison in Rome.

• About the year 53, during Paul’s 2nd Missionary Journey, Paul first ministered in Ephesus but did not remain there (Acts 18:19–21 – 08/23/20).
• Two years later, while on his third journey, Paul stayed in Ephesus for at least two years and saw that whole vast area evangelized.[1] (Acts 19 – 08/30/20 & 09/06/20)

 
Sharpening the Focus:

• Ephesus is a free Greek city located at the mouth of the Cayster River, which flows into the Aegean Sea.
• It is the largest city in Asia Minor.
• The population of Ephesus is 225,000, and it has a large Jewish population.
• Ephesus is a seaport and is the first ranking city of Asia Minor in commerce, wealth, politics, and religion.
• It is the New York of the ancient world.
• The city has a central hub that connects the eastern world with the western world, making it a magnificent city of wealth.
• The city’s wealth is reflected everywhere, from its marble-paved main street to the mosaic floors in its aristocratic homes.
• One of the seven wonders of the world is also there: the great temple of Artemis (in Latin her name is Diana; she is a nature-fertility goddess).
• It took 220 years to build this temple. Built out of pure white marble, it is the largest building in existence at this time and is known worldwide.
• The temple is 220 feet by 425 feet. It is supported by 127 columns, each of them 60 feet high, and is adorned by some of the greatest sculptors of the age.
• In the temple resides a statue of Diana, which the Ephesians believe fell from the sky. Ephesus is also the center for magical arts and occult practices in Asia.

 
GREETING
EPHESIANS 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will:
To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.

• This is the body of believers that Paul spent 2.5 years with.
• He can talk about deep things with them.
• Paul had to clarify what “saints”… not the ones who referred to themselves as followers of Artemis (Diana).
• The word saint is simply one of the many terms used in the New Testament to describe “one who has trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour.”[2]
• When the sinner trusts Christ as his Saviour, he is taken out of “the world” and placed “in Christ.”
• The believer is in the world physically, but not of the world spiritually (John 17:14–16).
• Like a scuba diver, he exists in an alien environment because he possesses special equipment—in this case, the indwelling Holy Spirit of God.
• Every true believer possesses the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20), and it is through the Spirit’s power that the Christian is able to function in the world.
• The phrase “in Christ Jesus” is used twenty-seven times in this letter!
• It describes the spiritual position of the believer: he is identified with Christ, he is in Christ, and therefore is able to draw on the wealth of Christ for his own daily living.[3]

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

• Grace – “unmerited favor”
• Grace – “the desire and power to do God’s will”
• Grace – “God’s ability in us”
• Grace leads to peace.
• God and Jesus are one.
• When grace is accepted by the believer not only do they have the desire to serve God, but they also have the ability/power to do so.
• This is important for later verses.
• As our knowledge about God/Jesus increases… so does our grace (that comes from them).
• 2 Peter 1:2 - May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

 

• Verses 3-14 are one long Greek sentence.
• It’s as if Paul is overly excited.

GOD’S RICH BLESSINGS
3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

• GOD sacrificed the agony of watching his Son crucified so that:
• 1) Jesus could have a body to express Himself to the universe.
• 2) Spirit would have a temple to dwell.
• JESUS went to Calvary so that:

        1) God can receive a family
        2) Spirit would have a temple to dwell.
 - SPIRIT glorifies:
        1) Jesus by revealing what He
                 accomplished on the cross.
        2) God by glorifying the Son

• Paul continues to teach the church not to be man centered. That is when all the issues occur.
• Think about church organizations today and all the issues they deal with.
• What happens if they are selfless?

who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.

• Comprehend this: Jesus not only came to redeem fallen men, but to give them everything they could possibly need.
• Everything spiritually that we need.
• We are spiritual beings more than we are human beings.
• Not physically… it is not about stuff but identity.
• “Stuff” just messes us up.
• The world is definitely focused on the physical being.

4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,

• God’s timeline & our timeline
• There is absolute importance in living from the view and understanding of where you are “in Christ”.

to be holy and blameless in love before him.

• The believer, based on what Jesus has already done, is made the righteousness of God.
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 -  He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. [4]

5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
        - “predestined” for what?
 - to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself,
        - as sons/children
 - Romans 8:23 - Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.[5]
- At the point of salvation, the believer is made into a finished product in his soul and spirit (in his person).

• He is as holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4), justified (Romans 5:1), righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21), forgiven (Ephesians 4:32), complete (Colossians 2:10) and glorified (Romans 8:30) in his person as he will ever be.
• But it is not until the resurrection that body becomes immortal (1 Corinthians 15:53) – becomes a body like Christ possessed after his resurrection.
• Therefore, the resurrection is the final piece of the puzzle that allows our entire being – soul, spirit, as well as the body – to be conformed to the image of God’s son (Romans 8:29).
• To this, we are predestined when we accepted Christ – not beforehand.
• according to His favor and will,
• We’ve already seen that God’s intentions in His relationships are based on what the other party receives.

6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.
        - Any response to this verse?
        - Keep reading it until there is a response.
       
 - 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 - For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.[6]
 - Try telling that to a 15 year old boy who aches to have an earthly father invest in his life.
 - Or the parent who has lost a child.
 - Or the homeless addict.
 - Or the faithful church-going religious person that can’t do enough to please their church or pastor or family.
 - Or the person who is reaping the pain and consequences because of their selfish acts.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
[7] In Him we have redemption through His blood,
 - The Gospel… His death was necessary.
 - the forgiveness of our trespasses,
        - Hebrews 9:22 – Without the shedding
                 of blood, there is no forgiveness.
        -It has already happened… one time.
        - I John 1:9 -
        - Matthew 6:12 – Lord’s prayer.
 
according to the riches of His grace
 - “according to” is greater than “out of”
 - compare that for a moment… which would you rather have from God?
8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.[7]
[8] that He richly poured out (lavished)
        - Some of us need “lavished”
        - “Lavished” covers all sin… all.
on us with all wisdom and understanding.
        - Wisdom – The insight into the true nature of things.
        - Bob says, “The ability to view life from
                 God’s perspective.”
        - Because wisdom is revealed through the
                 Holy Spirit.

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 8). Victor Books.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 9). Victor Books.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 9). Victor Books.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (2 Co 5:21). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Christian Standard Bible (Ro 8:23). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Christian Standard Bible (2 Co 4:17–18). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] Christian Standard Bible (Eph). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.