Teaching Notes EPHESIANS 1
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EPHESIANS
The Unity of the Church
Jews and Gentiles One in Christ
Paul spent his life teaching Gentiles that they could be Chris-
tians without becoming Jewish Proselytes. This was very displease
ing to Jews generally, for they thought of the Mosaic Law as
binding upon all, and were bitterly prejudiced' against Uncir
cumcised Gentiles who presumed to call themselves disciples of
the Jewish Messiah.
While Paul taught Gentile Christians to stand like a rock for
their Liberty in Christ, as he did in Galatians and Romans, yet
did not want them to be Prejudiced against their Jewish
the fellow-Christians, but to regard them as Brothers in Christ.
Paul did not want to see Two Churches: A Jewish Church and
a Gentile Church: but ONE CHURCH: Jews and Gentiles One in
Christ. His gesture, in behalf of Unity, to Jewish elements in the
Church, was the Great Offering of Money which he took from
Gentile Churches, at the close of his Third Missionary Journey,
to the Poor in the Mother-Church at Jerusalem. See Acts 21.
His hope was that this demonstration of Christian Love might
bring Jewish Christians to feel more kindly toward Gentiles.
Paul's gesture, in behalf of Unity, to Gentile elements in the
Church, was This Epistle, written to the leading center of his own
Gentile Converts, exalting the ONENESS, UNIVERSALITY, and.
UNSPEAKABLE GRANDEUR of the Body of Christ.
To Paul, Christ was a Great Big Something, in Whom there is
room, not only for people of different Races, Viewpoints and
Prejudices, but He is One who has Power to solve all the prob
lems of mankind, and bring into unity and harmony with God
all earthly Social and Family life, Eph. 5:22—6:29, and even
the Myriads of Beings in ‚the Infinite Unseen Universe, 3:10.
Ephesians is one of the four “Prison Letters”, written from Paul's
Roman imprisonment, 61-63 AD, “the others being Philippians,
Colossians, Philemon”. Three of these were written at the same
time, and carried by the same messengers, Eph. 6:21; Col 4:7-9; Pln
10-12: Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon.
There was another, not now extant, Col 4:16.
Chapter 1. Spiritual Blessings
“At Ephesus", Eph. 1, is not in some of the most ancient manu
scripts. It is thought that, probably, it was intended as a Circular
Letter to the Asian Churches, Tychicus bearing a number of
copies, with space for each city to insert its own name. This
Would account for its lack of personal greetings. with which most
of Paul’s Letters abound.
Paul had spent three years in Ephesus, and had there many de-
voted friends. But if this was a circular Letter to Ephesus and
neighboring cities that would account for its "more formal tenor”.
The Laodicean Letter, Col 4:16, possibly may have been one of
the copies, [See, Lost Letter to the Laodiceans] [1] God's Eternal
Purpose, Eph. 3-14. A magnificent epitome to God’s
plans: the redemption, adoption, forgiveness, and sealing of a
people for God's own possession, determined from eternity, now
being brought to pass through the effective exercise of God’s will.
“Heavenly places", Eph. 3, is a key phrase of this book, 10,20; 2:6;
3:10; 6:12. It means the unseen sphere above this world of sense,
which is the Christian’s ultimate home, and with which we now,
in a measure, have communication.
Paul’s Prayer for Them, Eph. 16-23. That is the way Paul usually
begins his Letters. Four such prayers are especially beautiful; This,
and those in Eph. 3:14-19; Phil. 1:9-11; and Col 1:9-12.
EPHESIANS
The Unity of the Church
Jews and Gentiles One in Christ
Paul spent his life teaching Gentiles that they could be Chris-
tians without becoming Jewish Proselytes. This was very displease
ing to Jews generally, for they thought of the Mosaic Law as
binding upon all, and were bitterly prejudiced' against Uncir
cumcised Gentiles who presumed to call themselves disciples of
the Jewish Messiah.
While Paul taught Gentile Christians to stand like a rock for
their Liberty in Christ, as he did in Galatians and Romans, yet
did not want them to be Prejudiced against their Jewish
the fellow-Christians, but to regard them as Brothers in Christ.
Paul did not want to see Two Churches: A Jewish Church and
a Gentile Church: but ONE CHURCH: Jews and Gentiles One in
Christ. His gesture, in behalf of Unity, to Jewish elements in the
Church, was the Great Offering of Money which he took from
Gentile Churches, at the close of his Third Missionary Journey,
to the Poor in the Mother-Church at Jerusalem. See Acts 21.
His hope was that this demonstration of Christian Love might
bring Jewish Christians to feel more kindly toward Gentiles.
Paul's gesture, in behalf of Unity, to Gentile elements in the
Church, was This Epistle, written to the leading center of his own
Gentile Converts, exalting the ONENESS, UNIVERSALITY, and.
UNSPEAKABLE GRANDEUR of the Body of Christ.
To Paul, Christ was a Great Big Something, in Whom there is
room, not only for people of different Races, Viewpoints and
Prejudices, but He is One who has Power to solve all the prob
lems of mankind, and bring into unity and harmony with God
all earthly Social and Family life, Eph. 5:22—6:29, and even
the Myriads of Beings in ‚the Infinite Unseen Universe, 3:10.
Ephesians is one of the four “Prison Letters”, written from Paul's
Roman imprisonment, 61-63 AD, “the others being Philippians,
Colossians, Philemon”. Three of these were written at the same
time, and carried by the same messengers, Eph. 6:21; Col 4:7-9; Pln
10-12: Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon.
There was another, not now extant, Col 4:16.
Chapter 1. Spiritual Blessings
“At Ephesus", Eph. 1, is not in some of the most ancient manu
scripts. It is thought that, probably, it was intended as a Circular
Letter to the Asian Churches, Tychicus bearing a number of
copies, with space for each city to insert its own name. This
Would account for its lack of personal greetings. with which most
of Paul’s Letters abound.
Paul had spent three years in Ephesus, and had there many de-
voted friends. But if this was a circular Letter to Ephesus and
neighboring cities that would account for its "more formal tenor”.
The Laodicean Letter, Col 4:16, possibly may have been one of
the copies, [See, Lost Letter to the Laodiceans] [1] God's Eternal
Purpose, Eph. 3-14. A magnificent epitome to God’s
plans: the redemption, adoption, forgiveness, and sealing of a
people for God's own possession, determined from eternity, now
being brought to pass through the effective exercise of God’s will.
“Heavenly places", Eph. 3, is a key phrase of this book, 10,20; 2:6;
3:10; 6:12. It means the unseen sphere above this world of sense,
which is the Christian’s ultimate home, and with which we now,
in a measure, have communication.
Paul’s Prayer for Them, Eph. 16-23. That is the way Paul usually
begins his Letters. Four such prayers are especially beautiful; This,
and those in Eph. 3:14-19; Phil. 1:9-11; and Col 1:9-12.
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Ephesians 1 New International Version (NIV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To God’s holy people in Ephesus,[a] the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Footnotes:
Ephesians 1:1 Some early manuscripts do not have in Ephesus.
Ephesians 1:5 Or sight in love. 5 He
Ephesians 1:5 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture.
Ephesians 1:9 Or us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he
Ephesians 1:11 Or were made heirs
Ephesians 1:17 Or a spirit
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[1] The Lost Letter to the Church at Laodicea
The Epistle to the Laodiceans is a lost (although witnessed in Codex Fuldensis) letter of Paul the Apostle, the original existence of which is inferred from an instruction to the congregation in Colossae to send their letter to the believing community in Laodicea, and likewise obtain a copy of the letter "from Laodicea" (Greek: ἐκ Λαοδικείας, ek Laodikeas).[1]
And when this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read before the church at Laodicea, and that you yourselves read the letter which will be forwarded from there.
— Colossians 4:16 OEB
Several ancient texts purporting to be the missing "Epistle to the Laodiceans" have been known to have existed, most of which are now lost. These were generally considered, both at the time[when?] and by modern scholarship, to be attempts to supply a forged copy of a lost document.[2] The exception is a Latin Epistola ad Laodicenses ("Epistle to the Laodiceans"),[3] which is actually a short compilation of verses from other Pauline epistles, principally Philippians, and on which scholarly opinion is divided as to whether it is the lost Marcionite forgery or alternatively an orthodox replacement of the Marcionite text. In either case it is generally considered a "clumsy forgery" and an attempt to seek to fill the "gap" suggested by Colossians 4:16.[4]
Some ancient sources, such as Hippolytus, and some modern scholars consider that the epistle "from Laodicea" was never a lost epistle, but simply Paul re-using one of his other letters (the most common candidate is the contemporary Epistle to the Ephesians), just as he asks for the copying and forwarding of the Letter to Colossians to Laodicea.
The Colossians 4:16 mention
Paul, the earliest known Jewish Messianic author, wrote several letters (or epistles) in Greek to various churches. Paul apparently dictated all his epistles through a secretary (or amanuensis), but wrote the final few paragraphs of each letter by his own hand.[5][6] Many survived and are included in the New Testament, but others are known to have been lost. The Epistle to the Colossians states "After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea."[7] The last words can be interpreted as "letter written to the Laodiceans", but also "letter written from Laodicea". The New American Standard Bible (NASB) translates this verse in the latter manner, and translations in other languages such as the Dutch Statenvertaling translate it likewise: "When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter (that is coming) from Laodicea."[8][9] Those who read here "letter written to the Laodiceans" presume that, at the time that the Epistle to the Colossians was written, Paul also had written an epistle to the community of believers in Laodicea. Wikipedia.
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New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Some content adapted from Halley, Henry H., Bible Handbook, Grayson Publishing, Minneapolis, MN. © 1927 - 1959, 1964
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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia
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