INTRODUCTION.
The Epistle to the Ephesians
is one of the prison Epistles of the Apostle Paul. Tychicus and Onesimus were
sent by him to Colosse. Epaphras, that great man of prayer, who agonized in
prayer for the Colossian believers (Col. iv:12), had communicated to Paul the
condition of the church in Colosse, and informed him of the threatening danger
from unsound teachers. Tychicus had received from Paul the letter to the
Colossians, containing such wonderful revelations concerning the person and
work of Christ, and the believer's fulness in Him. All the Colossian errors
were met by the Holy Spirit in this Epistle and much more was added. Onesimus,
the runaway slave, who in believing the Gospel had become the spiritual son of
the Apostle and a brother beloved to his master Philemon, carried that
beautiful little epistle of recommendation and courtesy to Philemon. The
Epistle to the Ephesians was also committed to Tychicus. Never before and never
after were such weighty and blessed documents entrusted to human
messengers.
In the Epistle to the Colossians Paul makes the statement,
"Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is
given to me for you, to fulfil the Word of God" (Col. i:25). To fulfil the Word
of God does not mean, as often stated, that Paul fulfilled his ministry and was
faithful in it. It means rather that to him was given the revelation which
makes full, or completes, the Word of God. The highest and most glorious
revelation, which the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has been pleased
to give, He communicated through the Apostle Paul. The two prison Epistles to
the Ephesians and Colossians embody this completion of the Word of God. The
Ephesian Epistle holds the place of pre-eminence. The revelation which is given
in this Epistle concerning believing sinners, whom God has redeemed by the
blood of His Son, and exalted in Him into the highest possible position, is by
far the greatest revelation. God is revealing His own loving heart and tells
out by His Spirit how He loved us and thought of us before the foundation of
the world. He shows forth the riches of His Grace and now makes known the
secret He held back in former ages. How rich it all is! Like God Himself, so
this revelation, coming from His loving heart, is inexhaustible. We may speak
of Ephesians as the rich Epistle of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who, rich in mercy, tells us of the exceeding riches of His Grace in
kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. But even this definition does not
tell out half of all the Glory this wonderful document contains. It is God's
highest and God's best. Even God cannot say more than what He has said in this
filling full of His Word.
In the Psalms we read: "The heavens
declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork" (Ps.
xix:1). We lift up our eyes and behold the wonders of God's creation, which He
called into existence by His Son and for Him (Col. i:19). Here in this Epistle
another heaven is opened. If the heavens of Creation are so wonderful and their
depths unfathomable, how much more wonderful are the Heavenlies into which
Christ has entered, where He now is seated, far above all principality and
power and might and into which God's Grace has brought us in Him!
And
this brings us to the reason for calling the opening chapters of this Epistle
"the Masterpiece of God." The first three chapters of Ephesians contain the
great revelation to which we referred above. What God has accomplished in His
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to the praise of the Glory of His Grace, how He
makes believing sinners one with His Son, sharers of His fulness and His Glory,
this is the revelation of these chapters. All was planned before the foundation
of the world, while elsewhere in these chapters (ii:7), the eternity to come is
mentioned. From eternity to eternity are the boundaries of these three
chapters.
The church, the body of Christ, the fulness of Him that
filleth all in all, the one body in which believing Jews and Gentiles are
united, the building growing unto an holy temple, the habitation of God by the
Spirit, and the ultimate destiny of that body, are further revelations of these
marvellous chapters.
Now the central verse of these chapters is found
in ii:1O. "For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good
works, which God has before ordained, that we should walk in them." The
word "workmanship" arrests our attention. It is the Greek "Poiema," from which
our word "Poem" is derived. It is a beautiful thought in itself to think of
those who are saved by Grace, and united to Christ as "the poem of God." But
the word "Poiema" may also be rendered "Masterpiece." Only once more is the
same word found in the original language of the New Testament Scriptures. In
Romans i:20 it is used in connection with the physical creation. God has
produced two great masterworks in which He manifests His power. He called the
universe into existence out of nothing. What He, as the omnipotent One can do,
is seen in the creation of the heavens and the earth and in the sustenance of
His creation. His eternal power and Godhead are revealed in creation (Rom.
i:19-20). But the creation of the universe out of nothing is not the greatest
masterpiece of God. God has done something greater. He has produced a work,
which reveals Him in a far higher degree. That greater masterpiece is the
redemption of sinners. God took only six days to bring order out of the chaos
of the disturbed original creation and to call into existence the present earth
and heavens, but He spent forty days with Moses in directing him to build the
tabernacle, because the work of redemption is more glorious than the work of
creation. In this greater work He manifests "the exceeding greatness of His
power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,
which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His
own right hand in the heavenly places" (i:17-20). God planned this great
work before He ever created the universe, and the universe was called into
existence in anticipation of this greater manifestation of God's glorious
power. How God planned it before the foundation of the world, the work of the
Godhead in the accomplishment of it, the details of His masterpiece and the
mystery connected with it, we hope to follow in this exposition.
God's creation may be studied with the telescope and with the microscope. With
the telescope we study the heavens and see the great constellations and
millions of heavenly bodies. We take the microscope and examine the drop of
water and behold there the marvels of creation. A telescopic sweep of this
Epistle is insufficient. The microscopic examination brings out its
wonders.
"The student of the Epistle to the Ephesians must not expect
to go over his ground too rapidly; must not be disappointed, if the week's end
finds him still on the same paragraph, or even on the same verse, weighing and
judging, - penetrating gradually, by the power of the mind of the Spirit,
through one outer surface after another, getting in his hand one and another
ramifying thread, till at last he grasps the main cord whence they all
diverged, and where they all unite - and stands rejoicing in his prize, deeper
rooted in the faith, and with a firmer hold on the truth as it is in Christ.
And as the wonderful effect of the spirit of inspiration on the mind of man is
nowhere in Scripture more evident than in this Epistle, so, to discern those
things of the Spirit, is the spiritual mind here more than anywhere else
required." And the more we read and study this Epistle, the more we will be
impressed with the greatness and the glory of the revelation it brings to our
hearts. It is a theme for eternity. How needful the study of this Epistle is
for us in these days! The truths revealed will keep us in the days of apostasy
and lift us above the materialistic spirit of the times. Without earnest and
continued meditation on the great truths made known in this Epistle, spiritual
growth and enjoyment are impossible. May it please the Holy Spirit to lead the
writer and the reader into a better and deeper heart knowledge of His wonderful
Grace.
Chapters I-III
The Epistle to the Ephesians is
composed of two parts. In chapter iv:1 we read, "I therefore, the prisoner
of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are
called." With the fourth chapter the second part of this Epistle begins.
The preceding chapters, the first three, then tell us of the calling wherewith
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has called those, who believe in
His Son, and from the fourth chapter to the end of this letter we find
exhortations to walk worthy of that calling. To walk worthy as a Christian it
is needful to know the calling wherewith He has called us. In the first great
prayer in this Epistle we read, "That ye may know what is the Hope of His
calling." Every Christian believer must know the Calling above everything else.
The true knowledge of it is to govern our lives on earth.
Chapter
I.
How God planned for and works in the production of His
Masterpiece.
1. The Introduction. Verses 1-2.
2. The Great Doxology.
Verse 3.
3. The Plan and Work of the Godhead. Verses 4-14.
A.
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
a. Chosen us in Christ
before the foundation of the world. Verse 4.
b. Predestinated us unto the
Son-place in o Christ. Verse 5.
c. Made us accepted in the Beloved. Verse
6.
"To the Praise of the Glory of His Grace." Verse 6.
B.
The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
a. Redeemed us through His blood.
Verse 7.
b. The Revelation in Him of the mystery of His will. Verses
8-10.
c. In Him we obtained an Inheritance. Verse 11.
"To the Praise of
His Glory." Verse 12.
C. The Holy Spirit of God.
a.
Quickened by Him in hearing and believing the Gospel. Verse 13.
b. Sealed
with the Holy Spirit of Promise. Verse 13.
c. The Earnest of our
Inheritance. Verse 14.
"Unto the Praise of His Glory." Verse 14.
4.
The Parenthetical Prayer to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
Glory. Verses 15-23.
A. Thanksgiving. Verses 15-16.
B. The Prayer for Enlightenment in the Knowledge of Him. Verses 17-18.
a. To know the Hope of His Calling (God the Father). Verse 18.
b. To know
the riches of the Glory of His inheritance in the Saints (God the Son). Verse
18.
c. To know the exceeding greatness of His power to usward, who believe
(God the Holy Spirit). Verse 19.
C. The Manifestation of the
Power to usward. Verses 20-23.
a. Christ raised from the dead. Verse
20.
b. Seated at God's right hand far above all. Verses 20-21.
c. All
things under His feet. Verse 22.
d. Head of the Church, His body. Verses
22-23.
Chapter 11:1-10.
The Masterpiece produced.
A. Dead in Trespasses and Sin. Verse 1.
B. Enemies of God
under the Prince of the Power in the Air. Verse 2.
C. Children of
Wrath. Verse 3.
2. What God does rich in Mercy. Verses 4-6.
A. The foundation: His great love wherewith He loved us. John iii:16. Verse
4.
B. Giving Life together with Christ. Verse 5.
C. Hath
raised us up with Him. Verse 6.
D. Seated us in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus. Verse 6.
3. The Destiny of the Masterpiece. Verse 7.
The Ages to come.
4. Saved by Grace through Faith. Verses 8-10.
A. The positive statement. Saved by Grace Verse 8.
B. The
negative side: Not of Works. Verse 9.
C. The Purpose of the
Masterpiece. Verse 10.
a. His Workmanship.
b. Created in Christ unto
good works.
Chapter II :11-III :21.
The Mystery of the
Masterpiece, the Church, the house of God and the Body of Christ.
1. The
Conditions of the Gentiles. Verses 11-12.
A. Called the
Uncircumcision. Verse 11.
B. What they were. Verse 12.
a.
Without Christ. (Aliens).
b. Strangers to the covenants.
c. Without
Hope and without God.
2. But Now in Christ Jesus. Verses 13-18.
A. Made nigh by the blood of Christ. Verse 14.
B. What the
work of Christ has accomplished. Verses 15-18.
a. He is our Peace; made
both One. Verse 14.
b. Broken down the middle wall.
c. Abolished the
law of commandments in ordinances. Verse 15.
d. To make one new Man. Verse
15.
e. In Himself.
C. The Reconciliation. Verse 16.
a. Both
(Jews and Gentiles) reconciled unto God in one body.
b. The enmity
slain.
c. By the Cross.
D. The Peace and Reconciliation
preached. Verse 17.
a. To those afar off (Gentiles).
b. To them that
were nigh (Jews).
E. The gracious Result. Verse 18.
Both have
access by one spirit unto the Father.
3. The great Relationship of the
Master-piece. Verses 19-22.
A. The relationship changed. Verse
19.
a. No more strangers and foreigners.
b. Fellow citizens with the
Saints.
c. Of the Household of God.
B. The church as the
Spiritual House. Verse 20.
a. The foundation of the house laid.
b. The
chief cornerstone.
C. The Holy Temple. Verse 21.
a. Building
framed together.
b. Growing unto an holy temple.
D. The Church,
the habitation of God through the Spirit.
4. The ministry of the
Mystery of the Masterpiece. Chapter 111:1-13.
A. Paul the prisoner
of Jesus Christ. Verse 1.
B. His Ministry concerning the
Masterpiece. Verses 2-5.
a. Made known by revelation.
b. The mystery of
Christ.
c. Hidden in other ages.
d. Now made known by the Spirit.
C. The Mystery revealed. Verse 6.
a. Gentiles fellowheirs.
b. Of
the same body.
c. Partakers of His promise in Christ.
D. Paul
made a Minister of it. Verse 7.
a. According to the gifts of His Grace.
b. According to the working of His Power.
E. The Proclamation of the
unsearchable Riches. Verse 8.
a. The Apostle's humility.
b. The
unsearchable riches of Christ.
F. The dispensation of the mystery
and its purpose. Verses 9-10.
a. To make all see what it is. Verse 9.
b. To show the manifold wisdom of God to the heavenly principalities and
powers. Verse 10.
c. According to the eternal purpose. Verse 11.
d.
Access with confidence. Verse 12.
e. The tribulations of the Minister of
the Mystery. Verse 13.
5. The Prayer unto the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Verses 14-19.
A. The Prayer unto the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Verses 14-15.
B. The Petitions of the Prayer. Verses
16-19.
a. To be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner Man.
Verse 16.
b. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. Verse 17.
c. Rooted and grounded in love.
d. To comprehend with all saints. Verse
18.
e. To know the Love of Christ. Verse 19.
f. To be filled with the
fullness of God.
6. The Great End - Doxology. Verses 20-21.
This
marvellous section of the Word of God begins with a great doxology (i :3) and
ends with another great outburst of Praise. All is unto the Praise of the Glory
of His Grace.
Continued