Ephesians 1:1-3 - Introduction

Wealth, Walk And Warfare
Of The Christian

A Study In The Book Of Ephesians
Introduction – Ephesians 1:1-3

Background of the Letter:

Ephesus:

One of the FIVE MAJOR CITIES in the Roman Empire - along with Rome, Corinth, Antioch, and Alexandria.
A commercial, political, and religious CENTER for all of Asia Minor.
Famous for the Temple of ARTEMIS - It was distinguished for its amphitheater, which was the largest in the world, capable of containing 50,000 spectators.   Fights of wild beasts and of men with beasts were exhibited here.

The Church in Ephesus:

Established in A.D. 53 by PAUL on his 2nd missionary journey.
Paul later returned and stayed THREE YEARS and taught with great effectiveness.
Paul wrote this letter from PRISON in Rome and sent it with a messenger named Tychicus to the church in Ephesus.

Theme and Purpose of the Letter:

Possibly written with a WIDER READERSHIP in mind.
Not written to counteract heresy or to confront any specific problem, rather it is a letter of ENCOURAGEMENT.
Written to strengthen believers by explaining the NATURE AND PURPOSE of his people; the church.
Paul shows us The WEALTH, The WALK AND The WARFARE of the Christian

Key Verses:

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

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of “Hetty Green” known as “America’s Greatest Miser.”

She died in 1916 and left an estate worth over $100 million.

Yet, it is said that…
She at oatmeal cold, because it cost to heat it
Her son’s leg was amputated because she delayed too long looking for a free clinic

It sounds crazy, doesn’t it?

For someone who had such great assets, to go through life miserable. She lived the life of a pauper, when great wealth was available to her.

The same could be said of many Christians today…
For us who are “In Christ” (1:3) – we have countless spiritual blessings.
Yet… so many of these blessing go unused

Our goal is that we would understand what Paul wrote about in Ephesians 1:18…

Ephesians 1:18 (ESV) 18  having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Written: 60 A.D.

Ephesians 1:1 (ESV) 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:

Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesian believers and all Christians to give them in-depth teaching about how to nurture and maintain the unity of the church.

He wanted to put this important information in written form because he was in prison for preaching the Good News and could not visit the churches himself.

“Paul” –

from the Latin word small.  This was his Gentile name.  His Hebrew name was “Saul.”

Hebrew parents often gave Gentile names as well as Jewish names to their children.

He was formerly “Saul of Tarsus” – a persecutor of the church – Acts 9:1-2

“an apostle” –

“one sent.”  Because of the nature of this epistle – the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to introduce himself as an apostle.

Phillips Translation – “messenger… by God’s choice.”  He states in Galatians 1:1 that His apostleship was not his own choosing.

Paul became an apostle to the Gentiles in Acts 9:15.

He knew it was by the grace of God that he had been called – Ephesians 3:8a

His charge from God – “to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” – Ephesians 3:8b

“by the will of God” –

everything we do – MUST be done by the will of God.

“To the saints who are in Ephesus” –

saints - gr. Hagios – “consecrated ones.”

What they call you says a lot about how they feel about you.

ILLUS: At the end of World War I, Herbert Hoover, later to become President of the United States, led the allied relief efforts in Europe. He kept hundreds of thousands from starving, and a new word entered the Finnish language. In Finland, to "hoover" means "to be kind, to help." If someone coined a word from your name, what would it be? 

NEWPAPER AD: Lost one dog with brown hair and several bald spots. Hobbles on right leg due to being broken in auto accident. Left hip hurt, right eye missing, left ear bitten off in dog fight, answers to the name LUCKY.

We may not feel like a saint – BUT THAT IS HOW GOD VIEWS YOU.

A saint isn’t:
A football player from New Orleans,
A dead person who is canonized by the Catholic church(above reproach and responsible for at least two miracles).

IN THE BIBLE a Saint is a living, breathing follower of Jesus Christ. 

A SAINT literally means ‘set apart one, holy one’. It is a description not based on what we have done but on who Christ has made us to be because of what He has done.

It is interesting – ALL Christians (young or old/ were called saints in the New Testament – 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

Illustration… About a man who died in town who was very crooked and evil.  He was also a womanizer and not like very well in town.  His brother, who was just as wicked, went to a church in town and told the pastor that he would give $50,000.00 to the church – the only condition being that in the funeral the pastor would refer to him as a saint.
The pastor… not wanting to turn down this offer down said he would do it. When it came time for the funeral… The Pastor went on to talk about this man and didn’t hold anything back.  He told him that everyone just how wicked this man was.  But he ended it this way… “But when you compare him to his brother… he was a real saint.”

“faithful” – gr. Pistoi – people who were loyal to Christ.

 “Faithful followers of Christ Jesus”—what a great reputation!  This label would be an honor for any believer.

That is, they trusted in Christ for their salvation – Ephesians 1:13.

They were also trustworthy in another sense, because of their stand for truth…

Revelation 2:1-3 (ESV) 1  “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2  “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3  I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.

Revelation 2:6 (ESV) 6  Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

How Do I Cultivate Faithfulness?

2 Kings 12:15 (NKJV) 15  Moreover they did not require an account from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to be paid to workmen, for they dealt faithfully.

Daniel 6:4 (ESV) 4  Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.

I cultivate faithfulness by being HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY.

I cultivate faithfulness by obeying GOD’S WORD.

I cultivate faithfulness by keeping my PROMISES AND COMMITMENTS.

Why Should I Be Faithful?

Faithfulness brings a GOOD REPUTATION AND TRUST from others.

Proverbs 3:3-4 (ESV) 3  Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4  So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.

God chooses to accomplish GREAT DEEDS through faithful people.

Ruth 4:11 (ESV) 11  Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem,

Faithfulness brings eternal rewards.

Is God Faithful? God’s Promise Of Faithfulness

Psalm 89:5 (ESV) 5  Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!

Deuteronomy 7:9 (ESV) 9  Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (ESV) 3  But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

2 Timothy 2:13 (ESV) 13  if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

When other people are unfaithful to us, we remain faithful. Otherwise, we become as faithless as they are.

God’s Promise Of Faithfulness

Philippians 1:6 (ESV) 6  And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

What would it take for others to characterize you as a faithful follower of Christ Jesus?

Ephesians 1:1 (ESV) 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:

When he wrote Ephesians, Paul was under house arrest in Rome (see Acts 28:16ff). Though a prisoner, he was free to have visitors and write letters.

There were a lot of Jews who took up their residence in this city, and it here the seeds of the gospel were sown immediately after Pentecost (Acts 2:9; 6:9).

The apostle John, according to tradition, spent many years in Ephesus, where he died and was buried.

THE WEALTH OF THE CHRISTIAN

Ephesians 1:2 (ESV) 2  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This was the conventional greeting of the day.

“Grace” –  gr. “charis” - appears 13x’s – unmerited favor.

“peace” – gr. “eirene” – an inner tranquility, undisturbed by external circumstances.

Colossians 3:15-16 (ESV) 15  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

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

Three Important Parts In This Verse:

We have:   1- The Blessor –
        2- The Blessed – us
3- The Blessing – “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”

“Blessed” – gr. “eulogetos” – well word.  Basically… we say well words about God.

1. The Blessor - GOD AND FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 8:6 (ESV) 6  yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (ESV) 4  “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5  You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

2. The Blessed - US

Remember what the Lord’s prayer says – OUR Father

Isaiah 64:8 (ESV) 8  But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

I am so glad that God is the perfect Father to us (even when our earthly Father’s have failed us).

Notice who the blessed are?  It is us! YOU AND I!

There are two keys here that will help us to identify whether we qualify or not to be recipients of these blessings.

First off – notice that it says “OUR Lord Jesus Christ.”

Is Jesus YOUR  Lord and Savior today?

Secondly, notice that He is blessing “US.”  The us is a very distinctive group of people. They are the “saints at Ephesus.” (V.1)

Remember… a saint is one who is set apart for God - The saints to whom he wrote were especially “Faithful in Christ Jesus.”

Because of this… you and I are the blessed ones.

2. The Blessed - US

Notice now what the blessing is.  It is spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus.

This is not a future blessing.  The Bible says “Who has blessed us.” It is ours to receive right now.

God has given these things to us right now.

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

WARNING: We are talking about SPIRITUAL blessings and not material and financial health and wealth things.
 Those may come as God blesses us but we have already in the bank all we need in a spiritual sense.

This means that in Christ we have all the benefits of knowing God—being chosen for salvation, being adopted as his children, forgiveness, insight, the gifts of the Spirit, power to do God’s will, the hope of living forever with Christ.

Because we have an intimate relationship with Christ, we can enjoy these blessings now.

 THE SOURCE OF OUR BLESSINGS (RICHES) – NOT IN NOTES

They come from “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”

As we will study later, they come to us a result of the “riches” of . . .

God’s GRACE - Ep 1:7

Ephesians 1:7 (ESV) 7  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

God’s GLORY - Ep 1:18

Ephesians 1:18 (ESV) 18  having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints

God’s MERCY - Ep 2:7

Ephesians 2:7 (ESV) 7  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

James 1:17 (ESV) 17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

 “heavenly places” - The “heavenly places” means that these blessings are eternal, not temporal.

This occurs 5 x’s in Ephesians - nowhere else in the Bible.

The blessings come from Christ’s spiritual realm, not the earthly realm of the goddess Artemis.

I don’t believe that this blessing is just a future place in heaven but I believe that this indicates that wherever Christ is… this is where the blessings of the Lord will be!

“In Christ” – can be found 10 x’s in verses 3-13 of this chapter.

The preposition “in” is used approximately 120 x’s in the book of Ephesians.

In these two words we have the whole thought of Ephesians.Our blessings, Our wealth, etc. are deposited totally in Christ.

What does it mean to be “In Christ?”

Primarily it means a change of position.  Before… we were without Christ and in the world.  Now we have changed position and are in Christ.

Secondly… it means a difference in possessions.  In Adam, we possessed only a sinful nature.  Now, in Christ, we possess a divine nature that comes from Christ.

Basically…

IN CHRIST
Denotes our position – where He is, we are
Defines our privileges – what He is, we are
Describes our possession – what He has, we share
Determines our practice – what He does, we do.

Our Purpose, Destiny and Design Are Fulfilled in christ

Chosen

Ephesians 1:4-6 (ESV) 4  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5  he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6  to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV) 9  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Redeemed

Ephesians 1:7 (ESV) 7  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Galatians 3:13-14 (ESV) 13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14  so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

1 Peter 1:18-19 (ESV) 18  knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Sealed

Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV) 13  In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14  who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.