To the Faithful Saints at Ephesus

To the Faithful Saints in Ephesus

Copyright 2018 by Philip Dampier

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,

© Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Used by permission." www.Lockman.org

Origin

The original blog was written a verse at a time, but in its present form, this commentary can be read verse by verse, chapter by chapter or at one sitting. The blog was not written as a formal commentary nor is it intended to be used as one. The main idea behind the blog was to provide thoughts about the book that could be used on a daily practical basis in our modern-world life.

What Paul wrote to the Ephesian church was designed to help them be light in a dark and evil world. He wanted them to understand how God had changed their lives through His grace and the gift of Jesus, thus enabling them to change others. The message is still vital today. Just as the Ephesians had a sordid past, we too come to the Savior with sins to be forgiven. We were counted among those alienated from God and destined for eternal punishment. Like the faithful saints of Ephesus, we live in a pagan and idolatrous world that is always trying to woo us back to the dark side.

It is easy to read this letter as if it were addressed to us and that is what I have attempted to do in the blog itself. We miss the great blessings of God’s word if we read it as history only. The message from God like God is unchanging. The work of Satan is the same today as it was then. He wants very much to lead Christians back into darkness again. The blessings of God are the same today as well. The Holy Spirit is working among His people to keep them holy just as He was in the first century.

Studying and applying the lessons in Ephesians is a good way to maintain that holy, separated status as God’s children. We are faithful saints today as well, and we should live as faithful saints. This book is an excellent roadmap to follow to accomplish the maturity in Christ that God desires for us, and we should want for ourselves.

Who were the Ephesians?

The most straightforward answer is to say they were the people who lived in Ephesus. That would certainly be correct but what would it tell us about them? When the great Apostle Paul visited the city for the first time, he immediately divided the citizens into three separate groups. First, there were the Jews and then the Jews who believed in Jesus and finally the non-Jews, i.e., Gentiles.

How excited Paul must have been to find believers among his fellow Jews. How excited he must have been to share the good news of Jesus’ baptism with them. How disappointing to discover in just three months’ time that the Jews wanted nothing to do with him or Jesus. Yet, when a door closed, a door opened. The city was full of religious minded people.

The Ephesians were known far and wide for their worship of the goddess Diana. In spite of the fact that there was a long-standing allegiance to the goddess, many Gentile citizens were interested in the story of Jesus. Perhaps this was because Paul performed many miracles in Ephesus, perhaps the most of any place he preached. So powerful were these miracles that great fear fell among the people and the name of Jesus was magnified. Those who had been practicing magic saw real miracles and burned their books in public.

The result of all this was that the word of the Lord spread all over the area and the church in Ephesus grew from the twelve Jews who received John’s baptism. Paul left Ephesus after teaching over two years in a private house. Publically and privately he shared the good news with Jews and Greeks. The church in Ephesus appointed shepherds and continued in its work of sharing the good news of Jesus.

Jesus was very much aware of this church. One of the seven letters of the Apocalypse was written to the church in Ephesus. Jesus had lots of kind things to say about this church. They were busy doing good things which is what churches are supposed to be doing. They were hard workers who toiled to spread the word and help others. In spite of persecutions and difficulties they did not give up but kept trying. They could have given up, but they didn’t. Because they believed in Jesus, they persevered and withstood every obstacle.

Jesus only had one negative thing to say about them. They had slipped. They had forgotten their first love and zeal. Perhaps they had toiled so long they were tired and that fresh enthusiasm they manifested when Paul was there had worn down.

In the next few weeks, I’m going to be looking at the book of Ephesians and pointing out some things that hopefully will resonate with the readers of this blog. Beginning today, I want us to look at our fellowship of believers. How do we compare with the Ephesians? Do we share any of their positive characteristics? Any of the negative ones? If Paul was writing our church, how different might his letter be to us? He wouldn’t know us personally like he did the Ephesians but the Holy Spirit would be able to tell him all about us.

I think it is essential to think about this letter because it reminds us that we are a part of the church wherever we are. It’s not them; it’s us. We can’t get by warming a pew for perfect attendance. This letter isn’t about that at all. Remember, Jesus spoke of their deeds. As you proceed, keep asking yourself how does this letter speak to me.

Chapter One

Paul greets the faithful saints of the ancient city of Ephesus. It is likely this letter was written from within prison walls about A.D. 60. This is not a corrective letter but one of encouragement.

Faithful Saints

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 1:1)

Ask the general worded question, Do you know any saints? and you might get some unusual answers. This is because the English word has lost its original meaning. We even have a football team named the Saints.

The Greek word used by Paul in Ephesians 1:1 is "hagiagz or hagios. This word means consecrated to God or a holy thing. It could be translated sacred or pious."

Primarily the word is used in the New Testament to denote those who are a part of Jesus and His church. In every case but one, the plural is used, suggesting the called out. Philippians 4:21 is the lone exception, and it is easily tied into a group setting. It is understood, of course, that you can’t have a plural without some singles. But, we also recognize that God is in the habit of addressing His people as His people rather than as His person. The body of Christ, the church of God, is composed of saints.

Some believe you have to be a former worker of miracles and be dead in order to be called a saint. This idea is not taught in scripture, however. Still, others think a saint is a super-Christian type of person; the true holier than me type. We hear things like, "That woman (sometimes man) is a saint. This way of thinking is also not a biblical concept. The thing that is fundamentally wrong with these two ideas of saints is that they are pointing to the efforts or deeds of the person. Sainthood is not given for merited works but as a gift of God.

The scriptural truth is that all Christians are saints even if they don’t always act like we think saints should. Paul uses the term sanctified and holy to talk about the church in Corinth (1st Cor. 1:2). Both of these words are from "hagios."

We notice that in Ephesians 1:1, Paul uses a second term to let them know what kind of saints he is addressing in the letter. They are the faithful saints. Obviously then, you can be a Christian and be called a saint and not be committed to your calling. Perhaps you know such a person. Maybe you are such a person. Being sanctified by God, set apart and made holy is not something we do. No, it is what God does when we are born of water and spirit. Being made a saint is God’s way of saving us by putting us in the kingdom of His Son.

That is God’s part; being faithful is our responsibility. The Ephesian letter is written to faithful saints. Was it written to you?

Task for Today: If you are a child of God, a member of His body, the church of Christ our Lord, then you are a saint. It is a gift from God. Such a gift as you could never obtain on your own or by your own endeavors. Do not downplay who and what you are. You are a saint. You have been made Holy. In God's eyes, you are perfected. Forget what the world says. They see what they want to see and they seldom see God. See what God sees. He sees you as one of His holy ones.

Grace and Peace

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph. 1:2)

Right at the beginning of his letter Paul tells us that the results of being faithful saints are that we obtain two wonderful gifts. The gifts are grace and peace. Many Christians, unfortunately, do not understand what is meant by these two terms. Let’s take a quick look at them and see how they might apply to our lives today.

The first term is grace. This word comes from the Old Testament as well as from the New. In the Old Testament it is the Hebrew word "hen, and in the New Testament it is the word charis. In either part of the Bible, the word’s basic meaning is favor." It most often occurs in scripture as God’s favor to mankind. In the New Testament that is the use almost exclusively.

The very idea of favor suggests that it is a decision of the one bestowing it and cannot by its very definition be imposed. That is why it is often referred to as unmerited favor. We usually assign this favor to salvation, and indeed, that is a major example of the need for grace. However, that is not the only grace we receive. The grace of God is upon His people, His saints, continually. We live our lives under the power of grace. God’s favor is bestowed daily; His grace gets us through the day.

Grace is a permanent, renewed daily gift. Don’t fail to use yours.

The second gift mentioned is peace. Peace is a significant concept in the Bible. As a gift of God, it is as old as Abraham (Gen. 15:15). Even God’s covenants were covenants of peace (Ezek. 37:26). So important was this word in ancient times it was often used as a daily greeting.

Jesus did not come to bring peace on earth in the sense of cessation of hostilities, but He did come to offer peace in another sense to His faithful saints. What is this peace that Jesus gives? It is the gift of peace with God. Jesus is our peace (Eph. 2:14). We were at war with God, alienated from him by sin, but Jesus became the means of our peace. He reconciled us to God, thus creating peace between us. We were without means of achieving this reconciliation of peace ourselves.

As long as we are His faithful saints, we will have peace with God. His wrath will never touch us. We never have to be afraid of anything the world brings because our peace overcame the world. The peace proclaimed by angels is realized in the death of Jesus on the cross.

Task for Today: Feel at peace today. Trust your savior. Grace and peace are His gifts to you as His faithful saint. You live in God’s favor and are wrapped in His peace. Praise God for His unspeakable gifts.

Spiritual Blessings

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (Eph. 1:3)

There are those in our world today who preach a material prosperity gospel. For millions of believers who live in poverty, this is a very questionable doctrine. Jesus himself said we would always have poor people with us and He wasn’t just referring to unbelievers.

The most substantial percent of well-off people, Christian or not, had advantages that others did not have. They or their ancestors spent time working for the prosperity. There are too many materially prospered non-believers to accept the idea that following Jesus will necessarily bless you with earthly goods. God does bless the faithful saints spiritually.

Not just some but all spiritual blessings; every single one. Think about it. All Christians who follow Jesus get all blessings. No one gets more or less. We get them all. Tell me that’s not awesome! God knows how to give His children good gifts. He holds nothing back. First, He gave Christ to die for us and then all the spiritual gifts of heaven.

Now notice where these blessings are. They are in the heavenly places. In the spiritual world, no less. They are given to the inner man. These gifts do not show up in my garage or your marina. They don’t come as houses by the sea or cabins on the lake. None of them are for earthly consumption. They aren’t given to us to spend them on ourselves. They are not this-worldly.

Every Christian has these blessings. We are children of God, heirs of our father and joint heirs with Christ. All that God has is ours. We have God, Christ and the Holy Spirit living in us, transforming us to be like God. Preparing our spirit to live in heaven in the presence of God for all eternity.

What God gives is superior to mansions on a hill, houses on the beach, and cabins by the lake or boats in the marinas. (These are examples only, substitute as you please.) I personally have more material blessings than I need, but they are nothing compared to the spiritual blessings I have in Christ.

One more thing. Material blessings are to share with others, but the spiritual blessings are my personal gift from my father to bring me closer to him. They may well encourage me to share him with others in order that others may have the blessings also.

We spend a lot of time thanking God for our material blessings because we have them. What if we didn’t? Why don’t we spend equal time thanking God for our spiritual blessings? I hope it isn’t because we love one more than the other. The entire total of material blessings has much less value than one spiritual blessing. I believe God wants us to focus on His spiritual gifts so that whether we are materially well off, or in most profound poverty, we will see that we are wealthy beyond words.

Task for Today: Count your blessings! No kidding. Only don't count your earthly blessings. Forget the family, house, car, and clothes and so forth this time around and think about what you have that the world does not have. They have all those things, but they don't have spiritual blessings from God because they are not His children. You are. Start counting.

Chosen

... just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love. (Eph. 1:4)

God set the criterion for his