Ephesians

Mark D. Roberts, Scot McKnight

• Publisher: Zondervan Academic
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9780310599128
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

A new commentary for today's world, The Story of God Bible Commentary explains and illuminates each passage of Scripture in light of the Bible's grand story.

The first commentary series to do so, SGBC offers a clear and compelling exposition of biblical texts, guiding everyday readers in how to creatively and faithfully live out the Bible in their own contexts. Its story-centric approach is ideal for pastors, students, Sunday school teachers, and laypeople alike.

Each volume employs three main, easy-to-use sections designed to help readers live out God's story:

• LISTEN to the Story: Includes complete NIV text with references to other texts at work in each passage, encouraging the reader to hear it within the Bible's grand story.
• EXPLAIN the Story: Explores and illuminates each text as embedded in its canonical and historical setting.
• LIVE the Story: Reflects on how each text can be lived today and includes contemporary stories and illustrations to aid preachers, teachers, and students.

—Ephesians—

Like all of Paul's letters, Ephesians is centered in the gospel and its implications. It tells the story of what God has done in Christ and spells out the ethical implications of this story. But the letter to the Ephesians is unique among Paul's letters in many ways, including in how it tells of the story of God, beginning "before the creation of the world" and ending in eternity.

Edited by Scot McKnight and Tremper Longman III, and written by a number of top-notch theologians, The Story of God Bible Commentary series will bring relevant, balanced, and clear-minded theological insight to any biblical education or ministry.

CHAPTER 1

Ephesians 1:1–2

LISTEN to the Story

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

²Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Listening to the text in the Story: Exodus 19:5–6; Leviticus 19:1–2; Acts 9:1–19; 2 Corinthians 1:1–2; Galatians 1:1–17; Colossians 1:1–2.

The opening section of Ephesians reflects the standard form of a personal letter in the Greco-Roman world of the first century. Paul adapts this basic form to set the stage for what is to come, introducing not only himself but also the principal characters of the story told in the letter, God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, he uses the greeting in verse 2 to present theological concepts, grace and peace, that will figure prominently in the rest of Ephesians.

EXPLAIN the Story

The Letter Writer and Recipients (1:1)

Letters written in Greek (“Hellenistic” letters) from the time of Paul began with a basic form: name of writer, name of recipient, and greeting. Sometimes this introduction was followed by a prayer to the gods, either as a thanksgiving or as a wish. So, for example, a third-century AD writer began his letter, “Aurelius Dius to Aurelius Horion, my sweetest father, many greetings. I make supplication for you every day before the gods of this place.”¹

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus (1:1) Though many scholars believe this letter was actually written by a disciple of the apostle Paul, there are good reasons to believe that Ephesians was, in fact, written (or composed and dictated) by Paul himself. (See Introduction for more detail.) The basic meaning of “apostle” in Greek is “envoy” or “messenger.”² Apostles were authorized by someone and given authority to carry messages on the sender’s behalf. So Paul’s authorization came from “Christ Jesus by the will of God.” In some of his letters Paul emphasizes his authority as an apostle (2 Corinthians; Galatians), but he does not do so in Ephesians. In fact, the other three uses of the word “apostle” in Ephesians are plural, including other people besides or in addition to Paul (2:20; 3:5; 4:11). In his self-introduction as an apostle, Paul underscores the fact that he has this role not by his own choice but because God chose him.

To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus (1:1). Ephesus was among the cities for which this letter was written. Yet as we saw in the Introduction, the words “in Ephesus” do not appear in several of the most important ancient manuscripts of Ephesians. Given the uncertain tie between the letter of Ephesians and the church of Ephesus, and given the unusual lack of detail in the letter related to any specific congregation in a particular location, it seems wise to interpret this letter without overemphasizing its connection to Ephesus.

The English phrase “God’s holy people” translates a plural form of the Greek word hagios. Typically, hagioi is rendered as “saints” (ESV, NRSV, KJV), but “God’s holy people” faithfully captures the meaning of the original. Paul typically addresses the recipients of his letters with this designation. Given our contemporary use of the word “saint,” it’s important to remember that all believers, not just special Christians, are saints. (For further detail, see commentary on 1:4 below.)

Those who receive Paul’s letter are not just holy people, but also “the faithful in Christ Jesus.” Though “faithful” in Greek could mean “trustworthy,” here it probably refers to those who believe in Christ (see 1:13, 1:15). The phrase “in Christ Jesus” is pregnant with meaning that will be explored further (see discussion of “In Christ” in reference to 1:3).

The Greeting (1:2)

The greeting in verse 2, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” is the standard Pauline salutation, found with exactly the same Greek words, and in the same order, in six other Pauline letters.³

Grace and peace (1:2). With the word “grace,” Paul employs a curious play on words. Usually, first-century Greek letters began with chairein, the infinitive of the verb “to rejoice,” which means “greetings” (for example, Acts 23:26; James 1:1). Paul chose instead to use the word charis, which means “grace” and sounds like chairein. To this he added the word eirēnē, which means “peace” in Greek and echoes the traditional Hebrew greeting, Shalom. So, “grace and peace” is a Christianized greeting that combines both Greek and Jewish elements. As far as we know, Paul himself coined this particular greeting, which shows up in several later New Testament letters (1 Pet, 2 Pet, Rev). Paul’s invention is rather like when a Christian ends a letter with “Yours in Christ” rather than the common secular ending “Yours truly.” Paul took that which was culturally common and tweaked it to carry a new message. Though we who know the collection of Paul’s letters are not surprised by the phrase “grace and peace,” his original readers (rather, listeners, since his letters were read in churches) might have been surprised by what they heard. It sounded familiar, yet curiously different. They might have wondered why Paul made this unusual rhetorical move. What is so special about grace and peace?

In fact, the letter to Ephesians will explain in depth the extraordinary importance of grace and peace. These major themes of the letter are central to the good news. Moreover, at the end of the letter Paul will once again bring up the subjects of peace (6:23) and grace (6:24). In between the beginning and the end, he will mention grace or peace an additional sixteen times.

Grace and peace come not from Paul or his good wishes but “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:2). God is not some distant, impersonal being, but rather one who can be known intimately as “our Father.” Jesus is called “Christ,” a term which, in Ephesians, may or may not still echo its Semitic source, “Messiah,” the anointed one of God. Jesus Christ is “the Lord,” a term often used by Jews for God. Thus, verse 2 reveals a striking partnership between God and Jesus, one in which Jesus is pictured as divine, not merely human.

LIVE the Story

Often, the opening scene of a story introduces one or more of the main characters. In the first chapter of Charles Dickens’s classic novel Great Expectations, for example, we are introduced to the protagonist, Philip Pirrip, better known as Pip, as well as a convict who seems relatively inconsequential at first but who turns out to play a pivotal role in the narrative. Right from the start, we know two of the major players in Dickens’s story.

Ephesians begins in a similar way. The opening verses introduce the main characters of the story found in this letter. Yes, these characters include Paul, the apostle who writes the letter, as well as its recipients, who are believers in Christ. Both Paul and the recipients figure prominently in the story told in the letter.

But if we pay close attention to the first two verses of Ephesians, and especially if we compare these with other Hellenistic letters written around the same time, we are struck by the repetitive appearance of two other main characters. Paul is named once. The saints who are receiving the letter are named once. But Christ is named three times, and so is God, who is identified as “our Father” (1:2).

The starring role of these two divine persons (the Spirit is introduced later, in 1:13) is seen not only in how often they are named but also in their function. Paul is an apostle because God willed him to be so (1:1). Grace and peace come “from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:2). Thus, in a short introduction we are introduced to the main actor of the drama that will soon unfold: the God whose will defines the center of the narrative (1:9–10) and from whom comes the grace that changes everything (1:6–7; 2:5–8) and the peace that results from the grace given through Christ (2:14–17).

Thus, the opening verses of Ephesians do not just parrot the words of a first-century form letter. Rather, they introduce the main characters and begin to reveal ways in which these characters determine the narrative that follows. The grace that transforms our lives and the peace that comes as a result of grace are not things we produce through our own ingenuity and effort. Rather, they are gifts “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:2). Ephesians is, more than anything else, the story of God.

1. “137. From a Student to his Father,” Select Papyri, Volume I: Private Documents, trans. A. S. Hunt and C. C. Edgar, LCL 266 (Cambridge: Harvard, 1932), 343, 345.

2. BDAG 122.

3. Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Phil 1:2; Phlm 3.

CHAPTER 2

Ephesians 1:3–14

LISTEN to the Story

³Praise 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. ⁴For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—⁶to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

¹¹In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹²in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³And 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, ¹⁴who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Listening to the text in the Story: Genesis 1–3; 12:1–3; Exodus 1–20; Psalm 103; Mark 1:9–11; Romans 8; 2 Corinthians 5:16–21.

Ordinarily, Paul follows his greeting by offering thanks to God for the recipients of the letter. In the case of Ephesians, however, an extensive section comes before the thanksgiving, which begins in 1:15. The section that stretches from verse 3 to verse 14 commences and concludes with praise to God, and might rightly be called a doxology or even a eulogy (see commentary on 1:3). The whole section comprises a 202-word sentence in Greek, the longest in the New Testament. English translations divide the Greek sentence into several smaller sentences; the NIV uses eight. But it’s not just the length of the Greek sentence that impresses the reader. Its words and images are also grand, stretching our minds to consider the greatness of God, the riches of his grace, and his stunning plan for the cosmos.

Ephesians opens by telling...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• The Story of God Bible Commentary Series
• Abbreviations
• Introduction to Ephesians
• 1. Ephesians 1:1–2
• 2. Ephesians 1:3–14
• 3. Ephesians 1:15–23
• 4. Ephesians 2:1–10
• 5. Ephesians 2:11–22
• 6. Ephesians 3:1–13
• 7. Ephesians 3:14–21
• 8. Ephesians 4:1–6
• 9. Ephesians 4:7–16
• 10. Ephesians 4:17–5:2
• 11. Ephesians 5:3–14
• 12. Ephesians 5:15–20
• 13. Ephesians 5:21–33
• 14. Ephesians 6:1–4
• 15. Ephesians 6:5–9
• 16. Ephesians 6:10–20
• 17. Ephesians 6:21–24
• Scripture Index
• Subject Index
• Author Index