Theology
Paul's letter to the Ephesians is highly theological and at the same time highly practical. Obviously it is written for practical results, namely, unity within the local Christian groups. Yet Paul is well aware that right action flows from right theology and so we are treated in this book to many deep truths about the church.
Our starting point is an interesting phrase used extensively in the Gospels but little in the Epistles. It appears in 5:5 "No immoral ..... man has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God". Naturally Paul rarely used this phrase because of its highly Jewish nature. Still, the Kingdom is the basis of his theology.
To understand the basic idea of the Kingdom of God we need to look at its historical manifestation in the Kingdom of Israel, especially under David and Solomon. Just like any Kingdom it has a king, a people, a city and laws, but this Kingdom also has a Temple and Priest and is ultimately ruled by God. When the Kingdom failed, the prophets spoke of a New Kingdom that God would establish. When the Jews returned from exile in Babylon (536BC) they thought that they would see it in their Restored Kingdom, but it was only a poor imitation of the Davidic Kingdom.
Jesus announced that the Kingdom was about to burst in upon man in his day. Naturally the Jews took him literally and expected him to become their King and throw out the Romans, but said Jesus, "My Kingdom is not of this world".
This Kingdom found its reality in the Spiritual realm. John painted a picture of this Kingdom in Revelation. It is the heavenly assembly gathered around Christ, the King and High Priest in the New Jerusalem. We commonly use the term "Heaven" to describe this Kingdom which is to be established on the last day when Christ has brought all things under his control.
Although we await the final summing up of all things in the second coming of Christ, there is a real sense in which the Kingdom of God (or Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew's Gospel) is present right now. Christ is at this moment ruling a people gathered about Him. He is protecting them like a city wall. He is mediating between them and the Father as their High Priest and they as a Temple are indwelt by his Spirit. The whole point of Peter's Pentecost Sermon in Acts was his announcement that the Kingdom of God is a now reality.
So right now, in a world of rebellion against God, Christ rules a people, blesses and cares for them and unites them into one. The kingdom of God has burst in upon us.
Yet it is the local church or assembly where we can actually see this universal reality. For it is here, where two or three gather together in the name of Christ, centered on his presence, that we behold a tangible foresight and foretaste of the Kingdom of God.
In understanding Paul's doctrine of the church we must realise that he uses the concept in two ways. On some occasions the term is interchangeable. A church is an assembly at which Christ is present. He is present in the local meeting and in the universal meeting. There is only one place to pin-point the universal meeting and that is in heaven, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, 2:6. Although a figurative description for us at the moment it will be all too real in the day of Christ's return.
It is the "mystery" which reveals the particular character of the church. A 'mystery' is a hidden truth, but this mystery is hidden no longer, for Paul and the Apostles have learnt its secret, 3:3. It concerns God's establishment of his Kingdom or as Paul puts it, the uniting of all things in himself (Christ), 1:9. Of course God has always intended this outcome. The new thought lies first in the fact that it is completely brought about by Christ 3:11, and second, that the church is a tangible expression of it, 1:22-33, 3:9-10.
So then the church is a foretaste of Christ's work of uniting all things in the heavenly or spiritual realm as well as the earthly realm, with God, through and in himself.
Its nature lies in its relationship with Christ. Paul describes this as the 'New Man', 2:15 - Christ being the head and believers the body, 4:15. Obviously this is expressive of a fellowship or love relationship in a triangular fashion, i.e. members with Christ and each other. Thus Paul uses terms such as "unity" or "oneness" to describe the relationship 2:16, 2:19, 3:6, 4:3-4, 4:25-2:21-22.
The depth of relationship can be observed in 5:21-33 when he demonstrates that the marriage relationship is constructed on the image of the relationship of Christ and the church and therefore the future relationship that will exist between God and his creation when he unites all things with himself. The concept is quite outstanding, and when grasped shows the distinctive nature of the church. We must realise that reality is greater than what we can see. There is a spiritual realm which like the earth is in rebellion against God. God's nature (being other-person-centered) is adversely affected when part of his creation breaks fellowship with him. Not that God is dependent upon his creation for fellowship, for within the trinity complete fulfillment of fellowship exists. As Jesus puts it "I and the Father are one". Yet rebellion must be dealt with and it is God's nature to unite the rebellious part with himself rather than destroy it. It is in the creation of man and the subsequent coming of Christ to die that he sets about uniting all things with himself, the church being a visible foretaste, and thus fulfilling his nature for fellowship. Of course man created in the image of God bears this other-person-centered nature. In the spiritual realm we find fulfillment of fellowship (love) in uniting with Christ, while in the human realm fulfillment if found in marriage.
The Genesis picture sets the pattern. Man is created; from whom part is taken to create woman. Completeness is restored to man in marriage when woman is united to him and thus the two become one. Naturally this is descriptive of a deeper truth, namely that the full potential of human fellowship or love is only found within marriage.
Thus the nature of the church is fellowship - the uniting of a people into the closest possible love bond with Christ their creator and thus to each other.
So it is, as the members of the heavenly realm and the earthly realm gaze upon the church they gain a glimpse of God's mighty plan to unite all things with himself through and in Christ, 3:9-10.
From this theological understanding of the church, Paul sets out to encourage Unity and give practical advice to achieve it.
Paraphrase
Praise be to God, for he has chosen us Jewish believers and given us many spiritual blessings. He has made us his sons through Jesus' death and has revealed to us the mystery, that Christ Jesus is the means and the end of fulfilling God's plan of uniting everything with himself - the church itself being a visible foretaste (Christ is all in all). We have been united to God through Christ and now also you Gentiles, since you too have believed the gospel and received the Holy Spirit.
Because you also are united with God through Christ, which you show through your faith in Christ and love towards us your Jewish brothers, I continually thank god because of you and pray that you will increase in an understanding of the mystery in the areas of first, the future heavenly Kingdom when all things are united in Christ and second, the present reality of Christian fellowship and the empowering of the Holy Spirit within the church.
The measure of God's power can be seen in what he has worked in Christ. He has raised him from the dead and given him rule over the earthly and spiritual realms including the church. This church, which fulfills Christ's other-person-centered nature by uniting a rebellious part of creation in fellowship to himself, is a microcosm of the future reality when Christ brings everything under his rule, uniting all things with the Father through himself.
You became part of this church when God made you alive, for previously you were dead and in bondage to Satan. We were all in such bondage but God freely gave us life, through faith in his son, that we might receive the blessings of an inheritance in the age to come and serve him evermore.
Therefore remember that you Gentiles who were originally sinners and separate from us and God, have now, through Christ's work on the cross, been made alive and so are united with us. That once great barrier of the ritual Law that had stood between us is now broken down. It pointed to Christ's work, and is now fulfilled. Also through the preaching of the Gospel directed and empowered by Christ's Spirit, both Jew and Gentile believe and so receive the same Spirit and thus together gain access to the Father. Therefore we are fellow citizens, members of the one body and a single group living by God's word, empowered by God's Spirit.
It was to unite Jew and Gentile into one that God appointed me an Apostle to the Gentiles and revealed to me the mystery which for ages had been hidden from men. It is the now revealed mystery which shows that the Gentile Christians are fellow members with the Jewish believers of the one body.
Therefore my ministry was to preach the Gospel to you Gentiles and thus, by the emerging Christian groups of Jews and Gentiles united together (the church), give not only the world, but also the spiritual realm, a foresight of God's plan to unite all things to himself through and in Christ.
It is therefore my earnest prayer that the Spirit might empower you to perceive, with us, the deepest truths of the mystery and especially the place of love in it.
I have shown you how the oneness we have in the church is a foretaste of the culmination of God's plan to unite all things with himself through and in Christ, so I beg you to act in love to your brothers and so make this unity real. For you see oneness is intrinsic to our position. We are all members of the one body, having the same Lord, faith and God. Yet this does not mean we have the same function within our group (church). Each member has received different gifts by the Holy Spirit so as to perform some ministry. These ministries - Apostles, Prophets, Pastors and Teachers etc. - are given by God to the group (church) to build it up, to strengthen its faith and understanding, to mould it into one, a visible foretaste of the future heavenly reality when Christ has brought all things into subjection to himself (all one in Christ). So with a sound understanding of God's word, which preserves us from false doctrine, and in a balanced environment of mutual ministry, love flourishes and so a oneness is achieved within the group as the members grow toward each other and Christ.
The key to making real the oneness we have with each other, lies in love which finds its practical outworking in right action toward each member. You must be careful therefore not to behave any more like the society in which you live, because it is without Christ, and your now know Christ. Therefore put away that type of behaviour and live as a Christian community.
Speak the truth to each other.
Do not be excessively angry with each other.
Give up your former sinful activities, e.g. let the thief steal no more, rather labour with his hands.
Let no evil speech come out of your mouths, but only that which is helpful and builds up your brother and in so doing you will not cause deep sorrow to the Holy Spirit.
Put away all bitterness, anger, loud protests and demands, slander and all ill-will toward each other.
Disassociate with all forms of immorality. God' wrath is upon all who practice such things, therefore watch that you don't get caught up into this type of living, but rather strive to do what is pleasing to the Lord and expose any immoral tendencies within your group.
Don't get high on drugs, but high on the Spirit by giving life to your worship.
Be subject to one another.
Wives be subject to your husbands because it is the husband's role to care for his wife in the same way as Christ cares for the church.
Husbands love your wives in the same way Christ loved the church, (i.e. willing even to die for it to make it pure). This is a natural response to your wife because when a man and a woman are married they become one flesh, for it was from man that a part was taken to form woman. In marriage the incomplete man is made whole. This physical description actually points to a deeper truth. It is within marriage that the deepest expression of human fellowship finds fulfillment. Unity, oneness and one flesh, are good descriptions of the evolving relationship of marriage. Thus by loving your wife you love yourself for she is of your flesh and no one hates his own flesh. Now this thought contains an extremely important truth about Christ and his people (body, church). There is a sense in which Christ too is lacking or incomplete until he is united with his bride, the church. The two united together become one, it is because we are members of his body that he loves us. Like marriage, it is a fulfillment of fellowship which is accomplished in the union. The sense in which Christ is incomplete lies in the nature of God. He is other-person-centered and therefore grieved and sad (incomplete) over the break in fellowship with his creation. This of course will be healed when he unites all things with himself through and in Christ, the Church itself being a visible foretaste.
Children obey your parents so that you may learn about Jesus from them and so come to believe in him.
Employees and students be obedient to those over you, not because you want to crawl to them, but because it is service to Christ and thus it is from the heart.
Employers and teachers regard what you do as service to Christ and do not intimidate in word or action those under you.
Finally then, because we are under constant attack by the Devil we need to be terribly careful of our Christian life lest we go under and find ourselves condemned in the last day. Therefore (put on your armour) be truthful (loins), be righteous (breastplate), speak peace to all (shoes), be steadfast (shield), make sure of your salvation (helmet) and pray continually in the Spirit.
Outline of the book
Ch.1 Introduction to the mystery. All one in Christ
v.3-14 Blessings to God
v.15-23 Prayer for growth of knowledge in Mystery
Ch.2 The mystery and the church. We are all one in Christ
v.1-10 How we are united with God through Christ
v.11-22 The results
Ch.3 Paul's part in the mystery. Making all one in Christ
v.1-6 The mystery revealed to Paul
v.7-13 Paul's preaching activity and its purpose
v.14-21 Paul's prayer - One in love
Ch. 4-6 Practical application of the mystery. Creating oneness
v.1-16 Mutual ministries
v.17 - 6:9 Mutual concern in right action
i] Lying
ii] Temper
iii] Hangups
iv] Foul talk
v] Cutting words
vi] Immorality
vii] Drugs
viii] Authority.
Wives
Husbands
Children
Employees and students
Employers and teachers
v.6:10-23 Concluding exhortation to right action
Discussion
The following discussion questions may be used in a four part Bible study of the book.
Session 1
i] As a general observation, are local congregations very united, that is do they display this quality of being one people without divisions?
ii] Paul was dealing with a divisive problem of his day, namely the place of the Gentiles within Jewish Christianity. What are the types of divisions in our congregations?
iii] How can we heal these divisions?
iv] Why is it so important to heal them and achieve oneness? 2:19-20, 3:9-11.
Session 2
i] Paul seems to think that the normal situation is for Christians to have spiritual gifts to enable them to perform some ministry within the church. What do you think? Are you open to the idea, if not why?
ii] Paul sees this mutual ministry pattern in the church as essential to its development as a viable group.
What observations can you make about the institutional church today?
Work up a list of ministries helpful for today's church (cf. Romans 12:3-8; 1 Cor.12:27-31).
What is your ministry, i.e. How can you help your brothers and sisters in the Lord? If you look hard you will see that you have a part to play too.
Session 3
i] In our personal relationships with other Christians we are to act always out of love and so make real our oneness in Christ. In points 1-7 Paul brings this down to the practical level.
Discuss the relevance of these points for today.
Can you add some more?
Why are they destructive of fellowship?
Session 4
i] Today authority is being questioned -
What is Paul's view of authority?
What does that mean for us?
Must we always obey those over us? Discuss
ii] Our society regards permissive behaviour between consenting adults as acceptable.
What is Paul's view?
Do you remember what Jesus said on the subject?
From 5:25-33 discuss why it is that sexual sins are regarded with such horror in the Bible.
iii] The Devil is a powerful adversary -
How dangerous is the Occult?
How can we put him to flight?
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