Category: EPHESIANS

The Bible – New Testament

Ephesians

Index

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Chapter 1

1

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the holy ones who are (in Ephesus) ² faithful in Christ Jesus:

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

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³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, ⁴

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as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love

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he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will,

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for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved.

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In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace

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that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight,

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he has made known to us the mystery ⁵ of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him

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as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.

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In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the one who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,

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so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped ⁶ in Christ.

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In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed ⁷ with the promised holy Spirit,

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which is the first installment ⁸ of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.

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⁹ Therefore, I, too, hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and of your love ¹⁰ for all the holy ones,

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do not cease giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,

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that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him.

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May the eyes of (your) hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones,

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and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might,

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which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,

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far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come.

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And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

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which is his body, ¹¹ the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

1 [1-2] For the epistolary form used at the beginning of letters, see the note on ⇒ Romans 1:1-7. Twenty-two of the thirty Greek words in ⇒ Eph 1:1-2 also occur in ⇒ Col 1:1-2.

2 [1] [In Ephesus]: the phrase is lacking in important early witnesses such as P46 (3rd cent.), and Sinaiticus and Vaticanus (4th cent.), appearing in the latter two as a fifth-century addition. Basil and Origen mention its absence from manuscripts. See Introduction. Without the phrase, the Greek can be rendered, as in ⇒ Col 1:2, “to the holy ones and faithful brothers in Christ.”

3 [3-14] While a Pauline letter usually continues after the greeting with a prayer of thanksgiving, as in ⇒ Eph 1:15-23 below, Ephesians first inserts a blessing of God for the blessings Christians have experienced, as in ⇒ 2 Cor 1:3-4 and ⇒ 1 Peter 1:3-12. The blessing here, akin to a Jewish berakah, is rich in images almost certainly drawn from hymns and liturgy. Many ideas here are also found in ⇒ Col 1:3-23. Certain phrases are frequently repeated, such as in Christ (⇒ Eph 1:3, ⇒ 10, ⇒ 12) or in him (⇒ Eph 1:4, 7, 9, ⇒ 11, ⇒ 13) or in the Beloved (⇒ Eph 1:6) and (for) the praise of (his) glory (⇒ Eph 1:6, ⇒ 12, ⇒ 14). Some terms like chose (⇒ Eph 1:4) and destined (⇒ Eph 1:5) reflect Old Testament theology (⇒ Deut 7:7; ⇒ 9:4-6; ⇒ 23:5) or Pauline themes (redemption, ⇒ Eph 1:7, ⇒ 14; grace, ⇒ Eph 1:6, 7) or specific emphases in Col (forgiveness, ⇒ Col 1:14). A triadic structure is discernible in ⇒ Eph 1:3-14: God the Father (⇒ Eph 1:3-6, 8, ⇒ 11), Christ (⇒ Eph 1:3, 5, ⇒ 7-10, ⇒ 12), and the Spirit (⇒ Eph 1:13-14). The spiritual blessings Christians have received through Christ (⇒ Eph 1:3) are gratefully enumerated: the call to holiness (⇒ Eph 1:4; cf ⇒ Col 1:22); the gift of divine adoption establishing a unique spiritual relationship with God the Father through Christ (⇒ Eph 1:5; cf ⇒ Gal 4:5); liberation from sin through Christ’s sacrificial death (⇒ Eph 1:7); revelation of God’s plan of salvation in Christ (⇒ Eph 1:9; cf ⇒ Eph 3:3-4; ⇒ Romans 16:25); the gift of election and faith in Christ bestowed upon Jewish Christians (see the note on ⇒ Eph 1:12, we who first hoped in Christ); and finally, the same gift granted to Gentiles (⇒ Eph 1:13, you also). In the Christ-centered faith and existence of the Christian communities the apostle sees the predetermined plan of God to bring all creation under the final rule of Christ (⇒ Eph 1:4-5, ⇒ 9-10) being made known (⇒ Eph 1:9) and carried through, to God’s glory (⇒ Eph 1:6, ⇒ 12, ⇒ 14).

4 [3] In the heavens: literally, “in the heavenlies” or “in the heavenly places,” a term in Eph for the divine realm.

5 [9] Mystery: as in ⇒ Romans 16:25; ⇒ Col 1:26, ⇒ 27 and elsewhere, a secret of God now revealed in the plan to save and sum up all things in Christ (⇒ Eph 1:10); cf ⇒ Eph 3:3-6.

6 [12] We who first hoped: probably Jewish Christians (contrast ⇒ Eph 1:13, you, the Gentiles); possibly the people of Israel, “we who already enjoyed the hope of Christ,” or perhaps present hope in contrast to future redemption (cf ⇒ Eph 1:14).

7 [13] Sealed: by God, in baptism; cf ⇒ Eph 4:30; ⇒ 2 Cor 1:22.

8 [14] First installment: down payment by God on full salvation, as at ⇒ 2 Cor 1:22.

9 [15-23] See the note on ⇒ Romans 1:8 for the thanksgiving form in a letter. Much of the content parallels thoughts in ⇒ Col 1:3-20. The prayer moves from God and Christ (⇒ Eph 1:17, ⇒ 20-21) to the Ephesians (⇒ Eph 1:17-19) and the church (⇒ Eph 1:22-23). Paul asks that the blessing imparted by God the Father (⇒ Eph 1:3) to the Ephesians will be strengthened in them through the message of the gospel (⇒ Eph 1:13, ⇒ 17-19). Those blessings are seen in the context of God’s might in establishing the sovereignty of Christ over all other creatures (⇒ Eph 1:19-21) and in appointing him head of the church (⇒ Eph 1:22-23). For the allusion to angelic spirits in ⇒ Eph 1:21, see ⇒ Romans 8:38 and ⇒ Col 1:16. Here, as in ⇒ 1 Cor 15:24-25 and ⇒ Col 2:15, every such principality and power is made subject to Christ.

10 [15] Your faith . . . your love: some manuscripts omit the latter phrase, but cf ⇒ Col 1:4.

11 [23] His body: the church (⇒ Eph 1:22); cf the note on ⇒ Col 1:18. Only in Eph and Col is Christ the head of the body, in contrast to the view in 1 Cor 12 and ⇒ Romans 12:4-8 where Christ is equated with the entire body or community. Fullness: see the note on ⇒ Col 1:19. Some take the one who fills as God, others as Christ (cf ⇒ Eph 4:10). If in Christ “dwells the fullness of the deity bodily” (⇒ Col 2:9), then, as God “fills” Christ, Christ in turn fills the church and the believer (⇒ Eph 3:19; ⇒ 5:18). But the difficult phrases here may also allow the church to be viewed as the “complement” of Christ who is “being filled” as God’s plan for the universe is carried out through the church (cf ⇒ Eph 3:9-10).

Index

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

The Bible – New Testament

Ephesians

Index

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Chapter 5

1

So be imitators of God, ¹ as beloved children,

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and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.

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Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones,

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no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving.

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Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

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Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient. ²

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So do not be associated with them.

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For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light,

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for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.

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Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

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Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them,

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for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret;

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but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,

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for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” ³

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⁴ Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise,

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making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.

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Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord.

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And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

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addressing one another (in) psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts,

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giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

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⁵ Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. ⁶

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Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.

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For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body.

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As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.

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Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her

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to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,

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that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

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So (also) husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

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For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church,

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because we are members of his body.

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“For this reason a man shall leave (his) father and (his) mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

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This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

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In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband.

1 [1] Imitators of God: in forgiving (⇒ Eph 4:32) and in loving (as exhibited in how Christ loved us).

2 [6] See the note on ⇒ Eph 2:2.

3 [14] An early Christian hymn, possibly from a baptismal liturgy. For the content compare ⇒ Eph 2:5-6; ⇒ 3:9 and ⇒ Isaiah 60:1.

4 [15-16,19-20] The wording is similar to ⇒ Col 4:5 and ⇒ Eph 3:16-17.

5 [⇒ 5:21-⇒ 6:9] Cf the notes on ⇒ Col 3:18-⇒ 4:1 and ⇒ 1 Peter 2:18-⇒ 3:7 for a similar listing of household duties where the inferior is admonished first (wives, ⇒ Eph 5:22; children, ⇒ Eph 6:1; slaves, ⇒ Eph 6:5), then the superior (husbands, ⇒ Eph 5:25; fathers, ⇒ Eph 6:4; masters, ⇒ Eph 6:9). Paul varies this pattern by an emphasis on mutuality (see ⇒ Eph 5:20); use of Old Testament material about father and mother in ⇒ Eph 6:2; the judgment to come for slave-owners (you have a Master in heaven, ⇒ Eph 6:9); and above all the initial principle of subordination to one another under Christ, thus effectively undermining exclusive claims to domination by one party. Into the section on wives and husbands an elaborate teaching on Christ and the church has been woven (⇒ Eph 5:22-33).

6 [21-33] The apostle exhorts married Christians to a strong mutual love. Holding with ⇒ Genesis 2:24 that marriage is a divine institution (⇒ Eph 5:31), Paul sees Christian marriage as taking on a new meaning symbolic of the intimate relationship of love between Christ and the church. The wife should serve her husband in the same spirit as that of the church’s service to Christ (⇒ Eph 5:22, ⇒ 24), and the husband should care for his wife with the devotion of Christ to the church (⇒ Eph 5:25-30). Paul gives to the Genesis passage its highest meaning in the light of the union of Christ and the church, of which Christlike loyalty and devotion in Christian marriage are a clear reflection (⇒ Eph 5:31-33).

Index

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.