EPHESIANS 4:17-32 - OUT WITH THE OLD; IN WITH THE NEW

 

4:17-32

Out With The Old & In With The New

In this passage, Paul returns to the subject of how the believer should live. He is expanding his discussion from verse 1 of chapter 4, where he said they should live a life worthy of their calling. 

He emphasizes the fact that a change should and must occur when one comes to faith in Christ. Therefore, he begins with saying that the Ephesian believers should not continue to walk as the Gentiles do. By “Gentiles”, he means the unbelieving, those who have not come to Christ. Conversion, salvation, should initiate a change in the believer. 

This is a word for believers today, also, because Christians are constantly tempted to show to the world that we really are not different from everyone else. This is an effort to gain the world’s “respect” or approval. It happens to individuals and institutions. 

A good example is the desire of Christian colleges and seminaries to be accepted by other schools as intellectual equals. The school liberalizes its theological stance in exchange for secular respect.

Paul says that believers cannot act like non-believers, not just because of what they do, but what they are. They do what they do because of what they are.

What they are is darkened in understanding and futile in their thinking (17-18). Darkened means they do not think rightly because they do not have the light of God in them. Mankind, because of sin, no longer thinks correctly. Their thinking often becomes the exact opposite of God’s thinking. 

Paul addresses this concept in many of his writings. For example, in Romans 1:21-22, he says the failure of mankind to honor God caused them to become futile in their thinking. Their thinking does not lead them to the correct conclusions. Their hearts are darkened as they hardened themselves agains God. They become alienated from the life of God. They are hostile to him. (Colossians 1:21)  

Once this happens, they give themselves up to sensuality and impurity. They celebrate sin. (19) 

In contrast, believers learn to live a different way in Christ. That is why Paul said “this is not the way you learned Christ”. (2) Upon being saved, believers want to live in a way that pleases and honors the Lord. We learn what that is by studying the Bible and being taught by other believers. 

The metaphor that Paul uses to describe the change that happens with conversion it putting off the old self and putting on the new. The old self represents the sinful life we are content with before we are saved. The new self includes a renewed mind and spirit, once that seeks to be fully a new creation that is the image of God in righteousness and holiness. (24) We must constantly focus on this renewed state of being so that we can resist the old way of thinking and acting as the world does. 

Paul told the Roman christians “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind”. (Romans 12:2) This is not always easy to do in the midst of the constant barrage from the world about the way to think and to live.

In Colossians 3:2, Paul wrote: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

There are two truths to consider here. First, upon conversion, you become a new creation whose old life is put away and replaced by the new that has come (2 Corinthians 5:17) But, we must constantly seek to keep the old self away and to keep the new self in play. 

Paul goes on to give specifics. Interestingly, the first thing he tells us to avoid is lying. Christians are to speak the truth to each other. (25) This is a reflection of Zechariah 8:16, which says “These are the things you are to do: speak the truth to one another…”

Second, we are to avoid letting anger lead us to sin. This seems to be a quote of Psalm 4:4, which says “be angry and do not sin”. It is not necessarily a sin to get angry, but anger can lead you to sin. Jesus told us that anger can make us subject to judgment. (Matthew 5:22) 

Many people have said and done terrible things under the influence of anger. Paul advised that we do not stay angry into the night and that we do not give the devil the opportunity to lead us into sin through our anger. Anger should be replaced with reconciliation. And, if reconciliation is not possible because of the other party, you may have to forgive and consign the person to the Lord to deal with. 

Third, we are not to steal. Rather we are to work and to share with others who are in need. (28) We do not take from others and we do share with others that need it. Stealing is replaced by working and giving. 

Fourth, we are not to engage in corrupting talk. This includes gossip, slander, grumbling, and being harsh with people. Instead, we are to speak in a way that builds up others. (29) Corrupting talk grieves the Holy Spirit, as does any sin, and we must avoid that. (30) He is the one who seals us for our final redemption and we should not grieve him. He is holy and is not pleased by sin. 

The summary of things we are to avoid is in verse 31: bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. All of these are attitudes which cause us to use corrupting talk, or are themselves corrupting talk. 

The things we are to embrace are in verse 32: kindness toward each other, tenderheartedness (the opposite of bitterness), and forgiveness toward each other, since God forgave us in Christ. 

The grace and love of God toward us is the pattern for us to follow. 

The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts

 "Amid many debated questions regarding spiritual gifts in the New Testament, three certainties stand out. First, a spiritual gift is an ability to express, celebrate, display, and so communicate Christ in a way that builds up and strengthens the faith of other Christians and enlarges the church.

New Geneva Study Bible, p 1867.

HOW THE CHURCH WORKS (PART 2-SPIRITUAL GIFTS) - EPHESIANS 4:7-16

 

Diversity of Gifts

4:7-16

This section begins with the word “but” to show us a contrast with the previous section. The previous section stressed the unity of position of believers: they are all equal in Christ. This section is about the diversity of gifts given. There is unity, but diversity.

Christ gave each believer a gift by grace as he determined. (7) Paul referred back to Psalm 68:18 to say that, when Christ ascended to heaven after his resurrection, he gave gifts to believers. (8) He determines which gift he will give. We do not determine which gift we receive. All of the gifts are a matter of grace and Christ’s sovereignty.

In verse 9 and 10, Paul inserted another parenthetical statement. He explained that, since Christ ascended, it means he also descended from heaven to earth. He was in heaven with the Father before he took on human flesh. That is why he could pray “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed”. (John 17:5) 

Jesus descended from heaven to earth when he was born to Mary. He was born in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:7) He became flesh. (John 1:14) In that flesh he lived, was killed, and buried.  Then God raised him from the grave. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

After 40 days, Jesus ascended to heaven. (Luke 24:51) He ascended into the heavenly realm that he might fill all things. (Ephesians 4:10) He is present all through the universe. And he holds all things together. (Colossians 1:17) 

Although the gifts come to individuals for use, they are ultimately given to the church. Therefore, the gift should be recognized by the church. A person may claim they have a particular gift because they see it as more valued or respected and not because they actually have it. 

There are other lists of gifts in Paul’s writings: Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. In addition, 1 Peter 4:10-11 speaks of the gifts but does not list them specifically. We can assume, therefore, that the list in our passage are not exhaustive. The gifts in our passage seem to be centered upon the proclamation of the gospel.

Christ gave the following gifts: apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds(pastors) - teachers. (11)

The apostles were the 12 plus Paul. The word “apostle” means one who is sent on a mission. Certainly the original apostles were commissioned by Jesus and given a mission. Jesus told them “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:29-20) The apostles proclaimed and explained the teachings of Jesus.

The prophets were those who spoke special messages from God to the church.  They did not speak new revelation as Scripture as the Old Testament prophets did. For example, Agabus told through the Spirit that there would be a severe famine in all of the Roman Empire. The famine happened during the reign of Claudius. In response, the church in Antioch gathered and sent aid to the church in Judea. (Acts 11:27-30) There is also a list of prophets in the church at Antioch. (Acts 13:1) Agabus is mentioned again in Acts 21, as are the four daughters of Phillip. 

Evangelists are those who specifically proclaim the gospel to those who have not come to Christ. We see that many of those who left Jerusalem when persecution began after the execution of Stephen proclaimed the Gospel to those they met. Phillip, one of the Seven, went to Samaria and preached Christ. (Acts 8:1-5) 

The pastor-teacher explains God’s word to others. While it could be that pastor and teacher are separate rolls, the conjunction between them seems to tie them together into one roll. Therefore, teaching and shepherding the members of the body is all part of one gift and one role.

The purpose of the gifts is to equip the saints for the work of ministry. (12) The saints are the believers, the members of the body, the church. Paul’s idea is that the saints all participate in ministry, not that a special group does. 

The church does not seem to do this well. Instead, we often have a group that is expected and paid to do ministry. They are call the clergy in some circles, church staff in others. They do the ministry and the other members of the church give money to pay their salaries. All should be involved in ministry. 

The gifts are also to be used for building up the body of Christ (the church). By building, Paul means bringing all believers to spiritual maturity. (13) That maturity will be evidenced by the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. We grow in faith, knowledge, and unity as we mature. The ultimate goal is to be like Jesus, as much as is humanly possible. (13)

Jesus does not want or expect us to make a profession of faith and stop there. He does not want us to remain as spiritual infants. Infants have no discernment. Jesus wants and expects us to mature. 

The end goal, and the sign of, maturity is that we are not carried away by new doctrines, human cunning, or deceitful schemes. (14) This is a maritime image: a boat at sea may be tossed around by the waves or driven off course. The waves are false doctrines and deceitful schemes. 

 We see those abound today around the world. One of these is the prosperity gospel, which teaches that every believer can be wealthy and well in this life. Usually, that requires a seed gift, which is money given to the minister. That is why we see so many preachers of this false gospel become exceedingly rich.

Another is the demonology endorsed by several groups of Pentecostals. There is a demon for everything. If you lust, you have a demon of lust. It is a great way to avoid personal responsibility for sin. Certainly the devil tempts. But we sin in our weakness and in our rebellion against God. Demons do not make us sin. 

New revelation, in the guise of God giving a person a new truth, is another false doctrine. Gave gave us the Bible to know the truth he is willing to reveal. There are no new spiritual truths in addition to the Bible. 

As Paul says, instead of embracing every new idea, we are to grow up in every way into Christ, who is the head of the church. Instead of embracing secret ideas or trying to get rich in this life, learn to know Jesus through his word, serve him, and minister to others in his name. (15) 

Jesus holds the whole body together. (16) When the body is properly equipped, and each believer works properly, the body will grow and build itself up in love.  

HOW THE CHURCH WORKS (PART 1) - EPHESIANS 4:1-6

 

Ephesians 4

Introduction

It is common for Paul to set out theological matters at the beginning of his letters, then move to the practical application of that theology in the life of the church and the individual believer.  For example, Romans 1-11 discuss Paul’s theology of the gospel. Romans 12 begins the practical application. Ephesians 4 begins Paul’s application. Our knowledge of theology through study of the Bible is not an abstract matter. What we learn propels us to live according to what we know. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says the weight of our practice must equal the weight of our knowledge.  

Living A Worthy Life

4:1-3

Paul begins this chapter with a plea, saying I “urge” you. This is similar to the beginning of the practical application in Romans 12:1, where he said “I appeal to you”. 

He also adds his designation as “prisoner for the Lord” to give weight to his authority and the seriousness of the plea, so they will take it to heart and act accordingly. 

The plea, then, is for the Ephesians (and us) to walk, or live, in a manner worthy of their calling. The “calling” here is the call to come to Christ in salvation. It is not a call to an office or ministry. 

Romans 8:28 says “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Then, verse 30 says those whom he predestined he also called. 2 Thessalonians 2:14 says we are called through the gospel. 

The church is composed of the “called out” ones, those who are called out of the world and into the kingdom of our Lord. 

Having been called to Christ, and coming to him in faith in response to that call, we are to live for Christ. (Luke 9:23) Our life should be worthy of our call. We do not come to Christ and then live for the devil. 

Paul gives us a few attributes that will characterize a worthy walk. First, is that we live with all humility and gentleness. (2) We have seen in most of our previous studies that God condemns pride and values humility. Paul told the Ephesians when he met with them in Miletus that they saw that he lived among them “with all humility”. (Acts 20:19) Humility is not thinking more of yourself that you should and not holding yourself out as being better than others. It is not insisting on your rights & putting others before ourselves.

Humility helps you avoid pride and the disfavor of the Lord for it. It also keeps you from feeling entitled to receive more from your church than other people. You will also be more willing to serve in a role that is not publicly acclaimed if you are humble.

Humility is not weakness. Moses was humble. (Numbers 12:3) But he was a strong leader who stood up to Pharaoh and led a nation across the desert. 

Paul also says we should walk with gentleness. Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22) Jesus said he was gentle. (Matthew 11:29) Gentleness is a great relationship builder. We need to be gentle with each other rather than harsh. No one enjoys having someone be harsh with them. Those who are suffering particularly need gentleness. 

Gentleness does not mean we do not stand for correct doctrine or that we are not firm on moral issues. But even in these circumstances we can be gentle rather than harsh. I have a preacher friend in Louisiana USA who is the model of this. He has been confronted with many theological issues and some ethical ones in organizations in which he has been involved. He has always stood for truth and the Bible. But he has always been a gentleman about it. 

Paul also tells us the walk in patience, bearing with one another in love. (2) Patience is the ability to face delay, inconvenience or even trouble without getting angry. We must exercise patience with those who are less spiritually mature than us and realize they may not always get it right. Sometimes we must be patient because our facility has an issue and it takes time to repair, causing discomfort. Sometimes we must exercise patience waiting for God to act.

And Paul says to bear with one another in love. This is another way to say be patient with each other. Our motivation is love. Since God loves us, we must love each other. We express our love for each other with patience, gentleness, and humility.

All of these behaviors are listed in Galatians 5:22 as fruits of the Spirit. Therefore, if you are a believer, you have the Holy Spirit in you and are able to develop these attitudes and behaviors. 

The goal of these behaviors, in addition to pleasing the Lord, is to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We have unity because Christ has reconciled us to each other as well as to himself. So, we do not create it. But we do need to preserve it. It is difficult, if not impossible, to be a good witness to Christ if we do not show love for each other. Fighting with each other, being harsh, critical, prejudiced, and demanding makes us look like the worst of humanity, not the best. 

 A Confession of Faith

4:4-6

Paul transitions here from exhortation to recitation of a creed (statement of belief). The emphasis is on oneness. There are 7 “ones” in this section. The number 7 in the Bible usually symbolizes perfection or completeness. 

There is one body. That body is Christ’s body, the church. There are not two bodies, one Jewish and one Gentile. There are no characteristics that create more than one body. There can be only one. 

There is also one Holy Spirit. He dwells in us and among us. When we live in submission to the Spirit, we will live in unity. 

There is also one hope to which we are called. That hope is eternal life. There are not different hopes for different believers. 

There is also one Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. As the apostle Peter said, “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Or, as Jesus said, ““I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Since there is only one Lord, there is only one faith, faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is not true that it does not matter what you believe as long as you believe something. Only Jesus saves. Whoever believes in him should not perish but will have eternal life. (John 3:16)

There is also one baptism. We are baptized in the Holy Spirit when we are saved. We are baptized with water as a symbol, being buried with Jesus and raised with him to a new life. 

There is one God and Other of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (6) He is sovereign and transcendent over all. He is omniscient and omnipresent. 

Notice the Trinitarian statement here: there is one Spirit, one Lord (the Son), and one God the Father.  

 

There is perfect love and unity in the Trinity. The Trinity worked in love and unity to bring us to salvation. The Trinity worked in love and unity to demolish divisions and create one body - the church. The members of the church must work in love and unity to accomplish the mission of the church and reflect the Trinitarian God we worship.

We do not honor the Lord by fighting and dividing. 

EPHESIANS 3: REVEALING THE MYSTERY

 

Prayer Resumed

3:1

Here Paul begins to resume the prayer for the Ephesians he started in chapter 1, verses 15-10. He refers to himself as “I Paul”. This emphasizes the personal nature of his prayer. He called himself “a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles”. He emphasizes his work and sacrifice is for Christ, but it is also for them. He was arrested  in Jerusalem because of his ministry to the Gentiles, as he had brought Gentiles with him to Jerusalem, including Trophimus of Ephesus. The Jews assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple and had him arrested. It was likely a pretext, since they resented Paul’s conversion and ministry for Christ in general, and especially to the Gentiles.

The Mystery

3:2-7

At the end of verse 1, most Bible versions have a dash. This indicates the coming of a parenthetical statement, one that may be somewhat off topic but explanatory. It could also be called a digression.I do not know why the translators used a dash rather than a parenthesis. The original statement does not resume until verse 14.

In this parenthetical statement, Paul explains more fully what he meant by writing he was a prisoner for the sake of the Gentiles. He discusses his ministry in relation to the mystery God revealed to him. In the New Testament, a mystery is a truth hidden until the time God chooses to reveal it. 

Paul said that God gave him the stewardship of God’s grace for their benefit. (2) A steward is one who takes care of someone else’s property. Paul’s job was to take care of the message of grace and present it to the Gentiles. He had a divine appointment to do so. 

He also received from the ascended Christ a revelation of a mystery. This was evidently part of the Damascus Road experience where he was blinded and did not eat or drink for three days. (Acts 9:1-9) The Lord told Ananias that Paul was his chosen instrument to carry his name before the Gentiles. 

That mystery had remained unknown for generations, but God had now revealed it to the apostles and prophets through the Holy Spirit. That mystery was that the Gentiles would become fellow heirs of eternal life with the Jewish believers. They would be equal members of the same body. They would partake of the promise of eternal life in Christ by believing the gospel. (6) The promise of God to Abraham to bless all nations through him was fulfilled in Christ. (Genesis 22:18) This mystery was revealed to the apostles and prophets, with Paul as the primary. (6) 

God made him a minister of this gospel as a matter of grace and worked in him by his power to evangelize the world. (7) He brought the message of salvation to the Gentiles and taught their unity with the Jews in Christ. 

                                                                                                                         The Purpose

3:8-13

Paul realized this grace and accepted it humbly, calling himself the least of the saints. (8) That seems an unlikely truth given all the work Paul did. But he was always mindful of the fact that he persecuted the church and yet was called to expand it by preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. By unsearchable, he means that we will never know all of the riches of Christ. 

  

In addition to a stewardship of God’s grace, Paul was given a stewardship of a long time mystery. This mystery was hidden for ages in God the Creator. (9) But, through Paul, God revealed his manifold wisdom to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Angels and other heavenly beings, rulers and authorities, would know know God’s wisdom, that he had eternally purposed to unite Jews and Gentiles equally in Christ to create the church. 

This is the same truth of unity Paul taught in Romans 11 when he wrote using the metaphor of the people of God as an olive tree. Believing Gentiles were grafted into the tree. And, as the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul played the major role in bringing this about. 

The heavenly beings were not privy to the mind of God in this matter all through the ages. But, before earth was formed and man was made, God had eternally purposed to do it. Not only were we chosen before the foundation of the world, but God also purposed a unification of humanity in Christ before the foundation of the world. (11) 

And in this unity, all the members of this new humanity, those who are in Christ, have boldness and access to the Father with confidence through our faith in Jesus. (12)  He is seated at the right hand of God and we are seated with him in the heavenly places. (2:6) So, we know that we have access to the Father because we are in the Son.

So, Paul, as a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of the Gentiles tells them the eternal purpose of God, their place in it as Gentiles, and his place also. Yes, he is in jail. Yes, he is suffering. But he sees it as an honor to suffer for Christ. Since he met Christ on the Damascus Road and was transformed, he has been willing to do whatever Christ wants him to do and to do it with no holding back. If prison was where Christ wanted him, he was content to be there. 

But Paul knew that the Ephesians, and others, with whom he had affectionate relationships, might not see his imprisonment the way he did. They might be sad. Or they might “lose heart”, be discouraged as the New International Version says. Rather, they should see that Paul is honored to suffer on their behalf, it was also an honor for them.(13)

Resumption and Conclusion of the Prayer for the Ephesians

3:14-19

Finally, in verse 14, Paul returns to his prayer for the Ephesians. He prayed to the Father. Most translations say “from whom every family in heaven and on earth in named”. We do not know of any way in which every family is named for the Father. The Greek word here is “patria” which means fatherhood. So, it seems more reasonable to say that God the Father is the prototype for every other father in existence. 

So Paul asks the Father to give his children strength to comprehend and know the love of Christ. (19) That love surpasses human knowledge.  Humans only obtain it through the power of the Holy Spirit as Christ dwells in them. The same applies to us, as Paul says “with all the saints”. (18) Paul has prayed for us as well as the Ephesians.

When we know the love of Christ and are rooted and grounded in it, we will be filled with all the fullness of God. (19) This is the work of the Trinity. Paul prayed for the Father to give strength to us through the Holy Spirit to allow us to fully know the Son and his love. That results in our being filled up with God. We will know we are saved and loved, that we always have access to the presence of God and commune with him. What a privilege this is!

Doxology

3:20-21

Having revealed these truths, Paul breaks into praise. He says God is able to do far more than we ask or even think of through his power working in us. So, to God be the glory in the church and in Christ forever. Amen.   

ONE IN CHRIST: EPHESIANS 2:11-22

 The Gentiles Before Faith In Christ

2:11-12

Paul wanted the Gentiles to understand their privileges in Christ by reminding them of their state, or status, before coming to Christ. 

Israel (the Jews), as God’s people, had a special relationship with God and special privileges. Paul wrote about these privileges in Romans. He said they received the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Mosaic law, the worship, and the promises.” (Romans 9:4) 

The law separated Israel from all other nations who did not have it. The law was the distinguishing factor between Jews and Gentiles.

They knew this. Psalm 147 recounts the blessings given to Jerusalem and ends with saying God has not dealt this way with any other nation. (Ps. 147:20) Jewish men’s liturgical prayers included thanks to God for not making them Gentiles.

The sign of the special relationship God had with the Jews was circumcision. God commanded it to Abraham when he made a covenant with him and his offspring. (Genesis 17:9-14) By the time of Paul, Jews referred to themselves collectively as “the circumcision” and to Gentiles as the “uncircumcision”. So, Paul used these terms in verse 11. 

The Gentiles did not have the special blessings of the Jews. They were not members of the chosen people. Paul said they were alienated from the commonwealth of Israel. (12)  A commonwealth is a group of people organized into a single government. Israel was organized according to the law of God and bound to him by covenant. The Gentiles were strangers to the covenant, meaning they were not part of it. 

Uncircumcision was a sign of the Gentiles estrangement from God. Paul writes that they had no hope and were without God in the world. 

Gentiles After Faith In Christ

2:13-18

The words “but now” show us that Paul will now contrast the Gentiles in Christ to his description of Gentiles before Christ. As long as they were separated from Christ (12), they were separated from God and his people. But, that changed when they became believers. First, they, who were far from God, have been brought near. (13) They were brought near by the blood of Christ, meaning his sacrificial death. Through his death, Christ reconciled us, both Jew and Gentile, to God. He is our peace. (14)

But he also reconciled us to each other. He broke down the dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles. (14) 

Josephus tells us there was a wall in the temple precincts separating the outer courts from the inner courts. The wall had signs attached at intervals telling Gentiles they could not enter and would be killed if they attempted to enter. Paul was actually arrested by the Jews and charged with taking a Gentile Christian into the inner courts (Acts 21:27-36) Maybe Paul had this wall in mind when he wrote of the “dividing wall of hostility” in verse 14. 

The wall of hostility was broken down by Christ in his death. (14) That is because he abolished the requirements of the law which only the Jews had. Christ did this by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances. Circumcision is no longer a requirement. Dietary rules are abolished. Special days and feasts were no longer observed. 

He made us, both Jew and Gentile, one people. He has “made us both one”. (14) We are no longer two types of people, Jew and Gentile. He created “one new man in place of two”. (15) He created a new human being, a new humanity. He made us one body.

In effect, God created a new entity with the sacrifice of Christ. Jews and Gentiles became former Jews and Gentiles and new members of the Church. Some early Christian writers referred to Christians as a third race, no longer Jew or Gentile, but simply Christian.

Members of the House of God

2:19-22

So Gentiles in Christ are no longer strangers and aliens. They are fellow citizens. Citizens have rights and privileges that aliens do not. This was the case in the Roman Empire. We see this when Paul exerted his rights as a citizen when he was arrested in Jerusalem and bound without a trial. (Acts 22)

Paul also used the metaphor of a house to describe this situation. First, he said Gentiles are members of the household of God. (19) A household is a house and those who live in it as family, so the Gentiles are part of God’s family with equal rights and privileges as the original members. 

Paul then modifies the metaphor to focus on the house as a building. This house is being built by God. (1 Corinthians 3:9) The foundation of the house is the” apostles and prophets”. (20) The apostles are the Twelve plus Paul. The term here may include those who, like Paul, received a special commission from the risen Lord. James might be an example. (1 Corinthians 15:7) The prophets were the New Testament prophets, who further taught and applied the word of God. 

The corner stone of this house is Jesus. (20) A cornerstone was the principal stone, usually placed at the corner of the building. It was usually large and solid. It determined the directionality of the building.

Each believer, Jew and Gentile, is a stone which is joined with the other stones. It grows as more believers are added. It is a holy temple in the Lord. (21) The Jews may have been the first stones laid, but the Gentiles are also being built together with them to make this temple. 

This house, or temple, which is the universal church, is the dwelling place for God by the Spirit. As the temple in Jerusalem was the place of God’s dwelling in the old covenant, the body of believers is the place of God’s dwelling in the new covenant. 

There is no distinction among members of the household because of race,  gender, or economic status. In Galatians 3:28, Paul said “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” 

That is God’s design for his new humanity. Therefore, creating divisions among God’s people is going against his design and will and is a sin. Rather, we are to work to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)

WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST: EPHESIANS 2:1-10

 

Who We Were Before Christ

2:1-3

After the prayer, Paul reminded the Ephesians of what they were before they came to Christ. This applies to us today also. The “you” of verse 1 may mean the Gentile believers in the church at Ephesus. 

First, Paul says, before Christ, they were dead in their trespasses and sins in which they once walked. (2:1-2) “Once walked” means how they lived before they came to Christ. These were the things that characterized them. 

They were spiritually dead. That means they were alienated from God and separated from the life he gives. 

An illustration of this truth is the story of Adam and Eve. Originally, they were without sin and lived in perfect fellowship with God. But, when they rebelled against God, they lost that fellowship. All sin is rebellion against God. 

Having rebelled against God, Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden and out of that perfect fellowship with God. (Genesis 3:23-24) God had told them that eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would cause them to die. (Genesis 2:17) Adam and Eve were spiritually dead, separated from God by their sin.

This sinful life followed the “course of this world”. (2) The Greek word for “world” (Kosmos or Cosmos) can have several different meanings, but here means the way of humanity that lives in opposition to God. That is why Paul could write that we have not received the spirit of the world; we have received the Spirit that comes from God. (1 Corinthians 2:12) 

That also means they were following the way of Satan, who is described as the prince of the power of the air that now works in the sons of disobedience (the world). “Air” here mens the spiritual realm. Over in chapter 6, verse 12, Paul wrote of rulers, authorities and cosmic powers who are the spiritual forces of evil in the “heavenly places”, which seems to mean the same place or realm referred to her in chapter 2, here 2. He has also referred to it as the dominion of darkness. (Colossians 1:13) 

Having spoken to the Gentiles of their former life, Paul, in verse 3, includes the Jews in this same condition when he wrote “among whom we all once lived”. That life was dominated by the passions of the flesh, the desires of the body,  and the desires of an unregenerate mind. Paul used the word “flesh” to mean our corrupted human nature. He has described the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21. It is a long list of sinful activity that can result from letting the flesh have its way.

Lastly, Paul says all of those who have not come to Christ are “children of wrath”. That is a way of saying they deserve God’s wrath. What could be more scary than experiencing God’s wrath? The book of Revelation certainly gives us vivid and scary pictures of God pouring out his wrath. There were 7 bowls of wrath in Revelation 16, as God gave mankind the opportunity to repent before the end. Then there was the final judgment of Revelation 20 where those whose name were not found in the Lamb’s book of life were thrown into the lake of fire. 

Reading the depictions of God’s wrath shows us how much he hates sin. It also helps us see how great God’s grace is toward believers. 

Who We Are In Christ

2:4-10

The words “but God” are two of the sweetest words in the New Testament.  After showing us the depth of our sin and our spiritual death before we knew Christ, Paul shows us that God made us alive in Christ, together with him. 

As God raised Christ from the dead physically, with that same power he raises us spiritually. (6) He seats us in the heavenly places in Christ. Jesus himself declared this to the church in Laodicea, saying “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne”. (Revelation 3:21) Since we are in Christ, we are seated with him as he sits on the throne at the right hand of God in the heavenly places. That is where, and why, we receive the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places as set out in chapter 1. 

God did this out of his mercy because of his great love for us. He is rich in mercy. (4) Way back in the book of Exodus, God revealed himself to Moses and declared himself as “a God merciful and gracious”. (Exodus 34:6) Mercy means not getting what you deserve. What we deserved was wrath and death. What we received was life in Christ. 

God also saved us from wrath and death as a matter of grace. Grace is getting what you do not deserve. We did not earn salvation, we received it because God gave us grace. Verses 8 and 9 are often memorized by believers. It says we are saved by grace. We receive that grace by faith in Christ. But even this saving faith is not generated by us. It is given to us by God. No works done by us merit salvation and so there is no room for boasting. 

God had a purpose in all of this beyond our salvation. It was that we, as his workmanship, his new creation, would do good works. God prepared those good works beforehand with the intention that we would do them, or walk in them as Paul said. (10)

And God had an even further purpose in this. It is that he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus in the coming ages. (7) God will glorify himself through the display of his grace for eternity as all creation marvels that he granted salvation to us in grace and grace alone. In Philippians 2, Paul wrote that Jesus was exalted so that all would acknowledge his lordship to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11) The church will for all time be the masterpiece of God’s goodness. 

Knowing the depths of God’s grace brings us to thankfulness and worship. Knowing God’s great love for us should sustain us when things in this life are difficult. Knowing we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places gives us a hope for the future and the strength to face physical death. Understanding God’s plan of salvation from before the foundation of the earth brings us to glorify him. 

Spend some time this week meditating on these things.