Ephesians Chapter One

The Glory of the Church

Our Position, Provision in Christ

1. Introduction:

2. Eph. is written by Paul while in prison in Rome.

- This was during his first imprisonment in Rome; Feb 60 - Mar 62.

- Acts 23:11 Indicates that there was a divine purpose in his imprisonment!

*** All of Paul's epistles are heavily focused on Christ, but the 3 epistles that are the most Christological, the most Christ centered, are the ones that he wrote from prison.

3. Eph 1:3-14 is the greatest and longest doxology in the Bible.

- doxa glory, honor; logoj word, teaching, doctrine

- This is the greatest, and longest praise to the Trinity in the WOG.

- In this great doxology, Paul gives us the reasons that we should praise the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

a. Father 1:3-6; He plans and initiates salvation.

vs:4 He choose, vs:5 He predestined; vs:6 He bestows grace

b. The Son 1:7-12 vs:7 He redeemed us, provided forgiveness of sin

vs:11 provided us an inheritance.

c. Holy Spirit 1:13-14 vs:13 sealed by Holy Spirit

4. The Book breaks down into 2 major divisions;

a. 1:3-3:21 Positional Implications of faith in Christ

b. 4:1-6:20 Experiential Implications of faith in Christ

- The focus of this section breaks down into 5 main emphasis points.

#1. Our unity in Christ; personal, and corporate 4:1-6 [vs:3]

#2. Our maturity in Christ; 4:7-16 [vs:13 pos.; vs:14 neg.]

What is maturity? How do we get it? How is it manifested?

#3. Our conduct; expansion on the walk; the changed life of the one who has "put on Christ" [vs:17 neg; vs:22-24]

#4. Our relationships; 5:21-6:9 Husbands/wives; w/children; slaves/masters (employer/employee)

#5. Our spiritual warfare and the provision for it; 6:10-20 statement of the conflict; who we're in conflict with; and how we deal with it.

1:1-2 Opening Salutation

1. The pattern of the salutation or greeting is consistent 2 ways;

1^st - with the custom for letters or correspondence of the day.

2^nd - with his practice in all his epistles.

2. "Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,"

- Paul was in the truest sense of the word, a unique instrument of God.

- Paul would have a distinctive role in communicating the unique relationship that Church age believers have to Christ; and also the distinctive nature and function of the Church, God's "mystery" (Eph 3:1-13).

3. Paul held the office of an apostle, [one of the 4 spiritual gifts sovereignly given to the church; Eph 4:11]

- avpo,stoloj; one who is sent forth; from the verb avpo,stellw

- The title also stresses the authority of the sender, it is His authority, that is of Jesus Christ, that is being represented by the apostle, not his own; therefore there is accountability of the one sent.

4. Not only is he an apostle belonging to Jesus Christ but he is so by the will of God.

Paul, even when he was a prisoner, was the freest man in the Roman Empire; for he knew something that we ought to know, and that is this; for man's true freedom lies in the cheerful acceptance of God's will as his own.