A Walk through Ephesians - Pt 1

 

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1–2 ESV).

 

Before we begin to dig a bit deeper into the wonderful letter from the Apostle Paul, a bit of history and context is helpful. We should understand the story of how Paul came to the city of Ephesus. Some of this is related by Luke in Acts (cf. chapter 19). Ephesus was a huge city, acting as the epicenter for worship of most of the Greek and Roman gods. For over two years, Paul had an effective missionary presence there and converted many people to Christianity. Years later, during his imprisonment in Rome, he wrote this letter to the church there (sometime between 60-62 AD).

 

The movement of thought in the letter divides it into two distinct halves. In the first half (cf. chapters 1-3), Paul explores the story of the Gospel, how all history came to its climax in Jesus, and his creation of a multiethnic community of followers. The second half (cf. chapters 4-6) is linked to the first part by the word “therefore.” Paul explores how the Gospel should affect the way we live our lives, personally, in our community, and within our families.

 

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians stands alongside Romans as a classic example of the apostle’s thought. Ephesians is heavenly in its content and expansive in the truths it proclaims, while remaining approachable and pragmatic in its instructions. Here are three things you should know when you read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

 

§  First, Ephesians is deliberately broad and general. Unlike Colossians, where Paul had not met the people to whom he was writing, he had pastored the Ephesians for three years (Acts 20:31). During that time, he regularly taught in a public lecture hall, laying a broad foundation of Christian teaching in Ephesus before this letter was written (cf. Acts 19:9–10). So, what Paul writes is not a reaction to heresy (as in Colossians) or to public scandal (as in 1–2 Corinthians), but the essential gospel. This is one of reasons many theologians begin with this letter in their teaching. If ever there was a time for the essential gospel in our world, this is such a time.

 

§  Second, the Ephesian believers lived in the shadow of paganism, and because of that were marginalized. Ephesus was a large city perhaps with a population of 200,000–250,000 people. Only Athens and Rome were larger. The most prominent religion in Ephesus involved the worship of Artemis. However, there were many different cults, including emperor worship. While other religions were welcomed, Christianity was not. It was viewed as a threat to the honor and majesty of Artemis (cf. Acts 19:27). Ephesian Christians carried in their recent memory the silversmiths’ riot, where some of them had been attacked and dragged into the great theater. Some of them had been there when a mob of fifty thousand angry people shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (Acts 19:23–41). The Christians in Ephesus lived their lives outnumbered, in the shadow of the Temple of Artemis, surrounded by the occult, and under the threat of renewed violence. The apostle knew this first-hand and sought to equip these early believers with the understanding of the truth of God found only in Scripture. That was to be their weapon against these forces seeking to destroy their faith. If ever we needed such knowledge to be equipped in our world, today is such a time.

 

§  Third, the Ephesians were in a spiritual battle that many today deny exists. Paul warns about “rulers,” “authorities,” and “cosmic powers” (cf. Ephesians 6:12). Most Christians are familiar with the “armor of God” (cf. Ephesians 6). Perhaps lesser known are the circumstances that form the backdrop to this text. Ephesus was a center for the practice of magic (cf. Acts 19:18–19). It welcomed magicians and sorcerers. These were believed to draw power from the worship of Artemis and other occult practices. We might be tempted to say that a false god is “nothing” and therefore no threat (cf. 1 Corinthians 8:4), but Paul corrects a dismissive approach and warns that demons stand behind idols and receive their worship (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:20). Hence, Ephesus was a hub of spiritual darkness and demonic oppression. That is true today, though many deny this in our world.

 

So, as we begin, let each of us determine to receive the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 2).