(Notes and highlights by Prithvi Raj, Bangalore)
Introduction: This epistle was written by Paul in AD 61~63, when he was imprisoned in Rome. Tychius, co worker of Paul Acts 20:4 carries this letter Ep 6:21; Col 4:7; 2Tim4:12. Colossians was also written during this period. Another letter mentioned in Col 4:16 could be the copy of Ephesians. This was probably a circular letter intended for other churches in addition to one in Ephesus (Ep 1:1,15; 6:21-23)
Ephesus: Important city in western Asia Minor (now Turkey). It had a harbour that opened into the Cayster river leading to the Aegean sea. This city was also at the intersection of many trade routes, thus making it a commercial centre. It had a temple dedicated to Roman goddess Diana (Greek - Artemis).
Church in Ephesus: Paul ministered in Ephesus for three years (Acts 19: 10). Church flourished and needed a warning (Rev 2:1-7).
Chapter 1
1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
(Faithful followers of Christ include us. This epistle is applicable to us)
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. 9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
(V3-14…single sentence in Greek NT. This sentence highlight the blessings God blessed us (those believe in Him) in heavenly places, through Jesus Christ, His Son)
We are a chosen lot from the human kind to be holy and blameless for God.
We are redeemed and forgiven by His Son’s blood
God promised us an inheritance along with Christ in heavenly places and this deal is guaranteed by Him by giving us His Holy Spirit.
1:9 Mystery indicates that God's great plan for the salvation of man and the restoration of all things can be known only through the revelation of God.
1:10 Fullness of time indicates the time determined by God when his redeeming purpose reaches its full measure in sending his son
1:13 Sealed, means believers being marked as the property of God and assured of his protection.
In Ephesians 1st chapter, Paul highlights the Spiritual blessing we have in Christ. At the time of this writing (AD 60), Paul was a matured Christian and leader (under house arrest in Rome), and he had known the various factors influencing the Christians while experiencing persecutions on one hand and the miracles on other hand. In this context, Paul outlines at least 5 Spiritual blessings that a Christian is blessed with and they are. We are chosen to be holy and blameless in his sight (If our life style is not holy and blame less, we have to question our claim of being chosen). He selected and predestined as His children by adoption (By His grace and will and for His glory. If our life and activities does not promote glory to God, our claim as Child of God is questionable ). We are redeemed from penalty of our Sins by the blood of Christ (purely by the grace of God).We are revealed the Mystery, which was hidden for ages (Mystery is that through the gospel, gentiles has become co-heirs with Israel in the inheritance promised by God to His children). We are included in the fellowship with God and the relationship is sealed by Holy Spirit. Having briefed on the Spiritual blessing enjoyed by the believers in Christ, he emphasized the two significant qualities that can be found only on the followers of Christ. They are Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and Love for mankind. The amplitude of our faith and the love (refer 1Cor 13 for understanding the characteristics of Love) we have for others would reveal our maturity in our Spiritual life.
15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere,16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
(Paul prayed for the inner being to be built up to understand the real privileges of a follower of Christ. Our understanding about the spiritual blessing in heavenly places will help us to stand firm and grow in spiritual life. Such understanding can help us to focus and concentrate on what is important in life. Strong faith in Christ and love for other believers are significant marks of a believer. Growing in the knowledge of God is an important concern for a believer and the specific prayer of Paul for the believers stresses it. Hope the believers due to their association with Christ is the motivation to stay focussed in Christian life. Understanding the availability of the power of God that can work in us and through us - is the vital point that we should not miss).
1:18 Hearts. Means the inner life of men, often referring to mind Rom 10:6; Ps 14:1
21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
(In Christian theology, the "church" is often referred to as the "body of Christ" on Earth, meaning that the community of believers collectively represents Christ's physical body, with Christ himself as the head; essentially, the church is considered the physical manifestation of Christ's presence in the world).
Chapter 2
1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
(Living in sin, obeying the devil and following the sinful nature is considered as dead in the sight of God. Such lives are subject to the anger of God).
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace 3 toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
(God displayed His grace and kindness by raising the dead in sins to life and keeping us to sit in heavenly places along with Christ. This is the privilege and the position of those who accepted Jesus as their saviour and Lord. 3 words in V8,9 - Grace, Faith and Salvation. God gives salvation to us as a reward or as a gift. We need to receive salvation by believing in Christ as our Messiah, the son of God sent by God to rescue us from our sins through His sacrifice. God saved us and kept us in the world as His representatives to do good works).
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. 14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. 17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. 19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
(If Christ did not die for us, if gospel did not reach us, and if we did not accept Jesus Christ, we would have lived different type of lives - life without God, life without hope, lived far from the knowledge of true God, lived lives having enmity with God, lived outside the privilege and promise of eternal life. Christ was the bridge joining Gentiles and the Jews with God).
2: 12 Covenant promises. Covenant expresses God's gracious will to have fellowship with man. The basic content of the covenant is " I will be your God" as in the covenant with Abraham (Gen17:7,8), with Israel (Ex 24: 3-11), with David (2 Sam 23:5), the promised new covenant (Is 54:10; 55:3; 61:8; Eze 16:60; 34:25; 37:26). To this gentiles were strangers until Christ established the new covenant in his blood (Mt 26:28; 1 Cor 11:25).
Chapter 3
1 When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . 2 assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. 3 As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. 4 As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. 5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. 6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. 7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. 8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.
(Paul explaining his call as minister to Gentiles)
10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Paul's implication is that God's wisdom is becoming known, even among angels of the spiritual realm, as a result of what is taking place through the church. These "rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms" can refer to angels (1 Peter 1:12) and to demons (Ephesians 6:12). But of these two, which would benefit from this "wisdom"? Certainly not the demons which follow the Devil's selfish ways. No, Paul was referring to the angels that were serving Jehovah God faithfully and wanted to see how the promises and prophecies would be fulfilled as is mentioned in 1 Peter 1:12).
12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.
(We can approach God …..through….Christ’s work + Our faith).
13 So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored.
(Paul highlighting his suffering in prison).
14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
(In addition to the prayer of Paul that the believers may increase in understanding God and His works in us and for us in chapter 1, here, he prays for the believers to be strengthened in their inner being and to understand and experience the love of God in their lives. Understanding and living in the power and love of God is highlighted through the two prayers in this epistle).
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Chapter 4
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
(This could be main purpose of this epistle).
2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
(Suggests the presence of fault among believers and we need to be careful to react while encountering faults in the lives of other believers. We are asked to be humble, gentle and patient, acting in love).
3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all. 7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.” 9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself. 11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
(Importance of staying united, growing together towards maturity is outlined here. God has given each one of us a special gift and as each part does its work, other parts (believers) will grow and the church becomes healthy and expresses love. Identifying each one’s role in the body of Christ is vital. Our role in the ministry is to identify and execute it properly as God assigns it. Immature believers will be easily influenced by false teachings)
17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. 25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. 28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
(Living the type of life as we lived before our salvation is unfit for a believer. To live a life worthy of calling, we have to set an example by our lifestyle and behaviour. We have to yield to the Holy Spirit to renew our minds, thoughts and attitudes. We have to consciously avoid telling lies, speaking vain words, harsh words, slander and abusive languages, stealing others’ goods, etc. We have to control anger and should not entertain bitterness, rages and any evil behaviours. We are expected to work hard and help others in need. We have to build up others by our words. We are expected to be tenderhearted and to show kindness, forgiveness, etc.)
Chapter 5
1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
(We have to display the love of God in our daily lives. The love of God needs to overflow through us. Everything we speak and do has to be seasoned with love. We are loved by God to love others. World can see the real love through us)
3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do.
(Sexual purity, controlling tongue and controlling greed are essential for the follower of God. Greed is a grave sin but it is often overlooked and is often compromised)
8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
(Those who believe in Christ have the light from God within them. That light produces a type of life that is good, right and true. They have to decide and determine the type of life pleasing God)
15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.
25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body.
31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Chapter 6
1 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord,for this is the right thing to do. 2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. 6 Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. 7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 8 Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.
9 Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
6:3-17 The description of the Christians weapons hints few phrases from old testament. Is 59:17; Is 11:45; Is 49:2
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
6:19 Paul constantly sought intercessions of the churches. Rom 15:30; 2 Cor 1:11; Col 4:3,4; 2 Thes 3:1,2
21 To bring you up to date, Tychicus will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.
23 Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. 24 May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Maturity in Spiritual life will never lead to stagnation. The expectation on the growing Christians is revealed in the prayer uttered by Paul for the believers. We can also pray as “God, give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that I may know you better. Enlighten the eyes of my heart in order that I may know the hope to which you have called me, the riches of your glorious inheritance in the saints and your incomparable great power for me who believe”
In second Chapter, Paul highlights the transition happened in a Christians' life following
his/her Spiritual birth.
Then.........
We were dead (in sins and transgressions) following the ways of the world and being controlled by the Spirit of the world that controls those who are disobedient to God. The focus of old life was on gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature, following its desires and sinful thoughts. As the result we were condemned as objects of wrath
Now........
By His great mercy and love, God has made us alive in Christ, saving us from the penalty/power of sins and we are God's workmanship created in Lord Jesus Christ to do good works. Christ, by His death on the cross abolished the divisions (between Jews and non-Jews) and enabled each one of us to have direct access to the father by the Holy Spirit. Consequently, We became partakers in the fellowship with God and being built as Holy temple (on the foundation of Apostles and prophets built on Corner stone Lord Jesus Christ) in which God dwells by His Spirit.
As a born again Christian and believer in Christ, we are expected to exhibit the Characters of transformed life in Christ but the sad part is that our characters and activities features the properties of our old life....being dead......being in rat race following the ways of the world, clinging on to the ungodly (worldly) life styles, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature, following its desires and sinful thoughts. Do we need to repent? Or to continue living the same life, deceiving ourselves? One cannot be dead and alive at the same time.
In Christ
A Christian is "A mind through which Christ thinks, A voice through which Christ speaks, A heart through which Christ loves, A hand through which Christ helps"
Before the Crucifixion of Lord Jesus Christ, non-Jews did not have the tradition of following the God of the Bible. Jews were having the revelations of God and was considered as chosen race. But the death of Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross bought Jews and non-Jews together as members of one body, Christ being its head. The non Jews became heirs and sharers together with Jews in the eternal inheritance promised by God to His people. This is mystery and is been revealed through the Gospel.
In Christ, we are born again in Spirit, being adopted as a child of God and are being confirmed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. Having found new life in Christ, living thereafter successfully for God, obeying Him and living up to His expectations is not a easy task as we have to fight against our carnal desires, attractions of the world etc., daily.
The power through the indwelling Holy Spirit and right understanding about the depth, height, length and breadth of the immeasurable love of God would enable us to grow and move towards spiritual maturity. May He empower us and grant us the right perspective about His love for us.
Unity, the need of the hour
Paul had the tradition of laying the doctrinal foundation before providing the practical guidelines for spiritual life in his epistles. Similarly in Ephesians, he highlighted the role of church in the first half and in the second half, he detailed on the orderly life that a Christian has to live.
Paul had hard time, removing the cracks (divisions) in the churches those days. The divisions and the lack of oneness in the body of Christ cause the decline the morality in Christendom and ineffectiveness in Christian ministries, undertaken.
Knowing the divisions expected in the body of Christ, Lord Jesus Christ prayed for the unity of the believers. It is hard to find oneness even in the hand full of believers. The main reason behind the divisions is self, which wants to divide and rule and is fueled by pride, greed, hatred and bitterness, motivated by selfish ambitions, lust for fame, name and money.
There could be more excuses for justifying the cause for divisions but we have sufficient factors, compelling for the unity in the body of Christ. We have
One body – the body of Christ, the universal church
One Spirit – the Spirit of God, Holy Spirit
One hope – the resurrection from the death and eternal life
One Lord – Lord Jesus Christ
One faith – the fundamental belief in God the father, Jesus, the Son of God and
Holy Spirit
One baptism – baptized by Holy Spirit into the body of Christ
One God - the maker and the ruler of all things, visible and invisible
We are special people, called/chosen by God and are not expected to live as nonbelievers do. They are futile in their thinking, darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God. They carry on in their ungodly behaviors because of ignorance, due to their hardened hearts. They lost all sensitivity to godly things, giving themselves to sensuality, indulging in impure activities and craving for more and more.
As new creation in Christ, We are expected to put off our old characters (old self corrupted by deceitful desires) and to be transformed in Character and attitude (New self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness).
We ought to exercise control in our talks (stop lying and speak truth), control anger (that ends in making harms and destroying relationships), work ethically, earn and share with those in need. God sealed our relationship with Him by giving His Holy spirit to be within us - controlling, correcting, convicting, counseling, empowering us to live and grow in Him. At times when we fail to be led by the promptings of Holy Spirit, He is grieved.
We are encouraged to make efforts to build up interpersonal relationships, avoiding malice, rage, anger, slander etc. , to develop mercy, compassion, forgiveness etc. We are expected to imitate the love of God in our relationships. Our love of others is revealed by how we give and forgive.
In Christ, Our Position in this world
After receiving Christ as our Savior and Lord in our life, our position in this world changes. We are turned from darkness to light to live as children of light. And we are expected to display the characters, confirming our position as child of light.
It includes
- Not indulging in any type of sexual immorality
- Not being possessed by greed (also known as idolatry).
- Making use of every opportunity, wisely and constructively.
- Finding the will of God and making efforts to fulfill His will.
- Coming together regularly as body of believers for a time of fellowship, glorifying God
- Being submissive to one another in love.
Right from the birth till death, we pass through diverse roles in our life. We are advised to do well in every role assigned to us. Husband is instructed to love the wife as Christ loved the church (sacrificing himself for church). The wife has to respect and obey him in Lord. Employees (slaves) are asked to obey their employer as they obey to God. Parents are instructed to love their children and to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. All relationships are responsible and bidirectional.
Spiritual Armor
As followers of Christ, we have war with powers of darkness and its evil forces. Satan controls the world and makes the worldly system attractive and appealing. In order to defend our Christian life, we ought to be prepared to fight attacks by Satan at any moment. When Paul was under house arrest, on seeing how the Roman soldiers were dressed up preparing for battle, he had urged the growing believers to put on full armor to fight attacks from Satan.
Belt - Symbolizes truth. Like soldier is known by the belt he wears, a follower of Christ is known by the truthful life. We need to talk and walk truth.
Breastplate -Symbolizes righteousness. Heart is the seat of emotions. Many times, we are carried away by the type of emotions, denying the sovereignty and authority of God. We are made righteous by God through the blood of Christ. We can be protected from the damaging emotions when we believe and accept the righteousness of God.
Foot gear - Symbolizes the readiness to spread good news. The commission of Jesus Christ is go to every nation, tribe and language and to proclaim the gospel (the good news that brings peace, joy, holiness and eternal life). When we stop getting involved in the work of great commission, we can be easily attacked. We need to be prepared by life and activities proclaiming the love of God.
Shield - Symbolizes faith. Satan attacks us with fiery arrows of persecutions, losses, doubts, sexual attractions, worldly pleasures etc. To defend ourselves, we need to stand firm in our faith in God. Failing to fall in the trials and temptations builds up our character, facilitating our conformation to the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ
Helmet – Symbolizes Salvation. Satan is tirelessly involved in making us doubt about various contents of our Christian faith. When we fall prey to the doubts, he gains control over our lives and moves us away from God by breaking the vital link, faith. Alternatively, when we trust on the salvation we have in Christ, we will witness the love, care and guidance of God.
Sword - Symbolizes the written word of God. While we defend ourselves from the attacks of the enemy, we ought to be prepared as well to win over the enemy and to move forward, capturing his Kingdom and delivering the people from the bondage of darkness.
The purpose of different ministries (apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, teachers) is to build the body of Christ (not to divide on the basis of ministerial gifts). Each ministerial gift and ministry has to complement each other than being compelled to compete. The ministries we do in the body of Christ has to motivate us to help to build unity (setting aside all differences) in faith and to build the knowledge of the son of God and enabling growth towards Christian maturity , attaining the fullness of Christ.....The prayer of Jesus “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one, I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17: 20-23
How are we expected to live?
Relationships are to be nurtured with love, care along with respect and obedience. Christ served as a perfect example to follow. He obeyed to God willingly and perfectly loving His body, the church sacrificially. The developing world and its demanding lifestyle push and pull us away from vital relationships that we are supposed to nurture - the relationship with God and loved ones. It is time to self examine, concerning the quality and depth of our relationships
Being filled with Holy Spirit and devotion to the word of God would enable us to march forward
