Ephesians: One new man in Christ

Where Ephesians sits

In the story

Act VI, Church · Rome, AD 60s and later

In the Bible

New Testament · Letters · book 49 of 66

Before it in the story

Romans

After it in the story

Colossians

From Paul's Roman imprisonment to the churches of Asia, where he had spent three years: the fullest statement of God's purpose for the church, one body of Jew and Gentile in Christ, written alongside Colossians and Philemon.

Ephesians summary

Writing as a prisoner, Paul first tells what God has done in Christ and then how His people must walk. In one long sentence of praise he blesses God for every spiritual blessing in Christ: the Father chose and predestined us before the foundation of the world, the Son redeemed us through His blood and made known the plan to unite all things in Him, and the Spirit sealed us as the pledge of our inheritance, each to the praise of His glory (1:3–14). He prays that they may know the power that raised Christ and seated Him above every power, head over all things for the church (1:15–23). That power raised the spiritually dead: by nature children of wrath, they were made alive with Christ, saved by grace through faith, created for good works (2:1–10). It also tore down the dividing wall: Gentiles once far off are brought near by Christ's blood, made with Jewish believers one new man and one holy temple built on the apostles and prophets with Christ the cornerstone (2:11–22). This is the mystery revealed to Paul, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, so that through the church God's wisdom is shown to the powers; he prays that they may know Christ's love beyond knowledge, and closes with a doxology (3). Therefore they must walk worthy of their calling: keeping the unity of the Spirit, growing up into Christ through the gifts of the ascended Lord, putting off the old self and putting on the new (4); walking in love, as children of light and wisely, filled by the Spirit (5:1–20); living in their homes as wives and husbands, children and fathers, slaves and masters under Christ, with marriage a picture of Christ and the church (5:21–6:9); and standing in the full armor of God against the devil, praying at all times (6:10–20). Tychicus carries the letter and the news (6:21–24).

Ephesians in context

Written by

Paul the apostle (1:1; 3:1), a prisoner for Christ (3:1; 4:1; 6:20); the letter was received as his by the whole early church

Written to

The saints in Ephesus and, it seems, the churches around it in Asia, mostly Gentile believers (2:11; 3:1); the words “in Ephesus” (1:1) are missing from some of the earliest manuscripts

Setting

Written from imprisonment, most likely the Roman house arrest of Acts 28, at the same time as Colossians and Philemon, and carried by Tychicus (6:21–22; Col 4:7–9); Paul had spent nearly three years at Ephesus (Acts 19:8–10; 20:31)

When

c. AD 60–62, from Rome, with Colossians and Philemon. Those who doubt Paul wrote it date it after his death, AD 70–100 (see contested).

Why

To lead the churches to praise God for His eternal purpose in Christ, carried out in salvation by grace and in one body of Jew and Gentile; to strengthen them with the knowledge of Christ's power over every power; and to call them to walk worthy of their calling in unity, holiness, love, the home and the fight against the devil.

Themes of Ephesians

• God's eternal purpose in Christ
• Every blessing in Christ
• By grace through faith
• One new man
• The church
• The mystery revealed
• Christ above every power
• The walk
• Christ in the home

Key verses in Ephesians

• Ephesians 1:3

  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.

• Ephesians 1:4–5

  For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,

• Ephesians 1:10

  as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.

• Ephesians 2:8–10

  For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.

• Ephesians 2:14

  For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility

• Ephesians 2:20

  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.

• Ephesians 3:6

  This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.

• Ephesians 3:20–21

  Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

• Ephesians 4:1

  As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:

• Ephesians 4:11–13

  And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.

• Ephesians 5:25

  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her

• Ephesians 6:11

  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Ephesians chapter by chapter

Part 1 · God's eternal purpose in Christ 1:1–3:21

1. 1
   Ephesians 1: To the praise of His glory

   The Father chose, the Son redeemed, the Spirit sealed: Paul blesses God and prays they will know His power in Christ.

2. 2
   Ephesians 2: By grace you have been saved

   God made the dead alive by grace through faith, and in Christ made Jews and Gentiles one new man and one temple.

3. 3
   Ephesians 3: The mystery of Christ

   The mystery now revealed: Gentiles are fellow heirs in Christ; Paul prays they will know Christ's surpassing love.

Part 2 · Walk worthy of the calling 4:1–6:24

1. 4
   Ephesians 4: Walk in a manner worthy of the calling

   Walk worthily: keep the Spirit's unity, grow up into Christ by His gifts, put off the old self and put on the new.

2. 5
   Ephesians 5: Walk in love … walk as children of light

   Walk in love, in the light and in wisdom, filled with the Spirit; husbands and wives picture Christ and the church.

3. 6
   Ephesians 6: Put on the full armor of God

   Children and parents, slaves and masters serve the Lord; then all stand in God's armor, praying in the Spirit.

See the outline of Ephesians