Ephesians Made Easy

By Joyce Webb 2009

Introduction

Paul wrote this letter to the believers who lived in Ephesus. This place is in the land we now call Turkey.

Paul traveled around to different places telling the Gentiles (non-Jews) about Jesus—his death and resurrection. He would stay in one place until there was a group of believers. Then Paul would go on to another place. Later, Paul would write letters to these groups to encourage, or to teach them more about God. Most of the New Testament is made up of these letters that Paul wrote.

The Jewish leaders did not like the disciples preaching about Jesus. They did not like Paul preaching. When Paul went to new places to preach,

The Jewish people there would make trouble for Paul. At times, Paul was beaten, they threw stones at him, they put him in jail, they did all kinds of things to hurt him or get him to leave.

Paul was Jewish but he was also a Roman citizen. It was unusual for a Jew to be a Roman citizen. To be a citizen (member) of Rome, a Jew would need to pay much money. Paul was born as a Roman citizen. The Bible does not explain how it came to happen that Paul was born a citizen.

As a Roman citizen he had a right to have a jury and trial. So when Paul was beaten and put in jail and other bad things—he put up with it for a long time—finally things became worse and Paul told them he was a Roman citizen and he wanted a trial and jury. So they told him he would have to go to the city of Rome to have a trial.

Paul is taken to Rome. They do not put him in a regular prison, but they put him in a house with guards. During the time that he is waiting his trial—-he writes letters to some of the groups of believers—Ephesus is one of those letters.

 Chapter 1     Verse 1 – 8

Verse 1 Paul introduces himself. He says he is an apostle (disciple/teacher) of Jesus Christ. That he was chosen to be an apostle by God—God’s will. Paul writes to the Christians (saints) in Ephesus and to all who are faithful to Christ. The word “saints” means Christians. In the Bible, any and all believers were called “saints”.

Verse 2 Paul writes a greeting and says “May grace and peace be given to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Verse 3 We give praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has given us many spiritual blessings in Christ.

Verse 4 Before God made the world, He chose us to belong to Him.

So we could be holy (right with God) and having no blame. We are in His love.

Before God made Adam and the world, God knew that Adam would sin. God had a plan of how He would help man. God planned to send His Son to die for man. God planned for us to belong to Him.

Genesis 3:15 God told Satan that God would send a child of the woman (woman’s seed) to be against Satan. Satan would hurt this child’s heel, but this child would crush Satan’s head.

The woman’s child was Jesus. Satan hurt Jesus a little—but Jesus crushed Satan. Jesus death and resurrection broke the power that Satan had over people.

Verse 5 God knew and planned for us to become his children by Christ Jesus—like we were adopted by God the Father.

God brought us to Himself because it brought Him pleasure and happiness to do it.

Verse 6 We give praise to Him for the goodness of His grace and mercy. He has made us clean and now God can accept us and we are loved by Him.

Verse 7 We are redeemed through Jesus’ blood. Redeem means to save someone or something by paying a price for it—to buy back.

Some times we hear of someone who has been kidnapped. The person who took someone wants their family to pay to get them back.

Jesus paid to get us back. Adam and Eve gave themselves to Satan by doing what he said—instead of obey God. They came under Satan’s rule.

God’s death punishment came upon Adam and Eve and all in the future who sinned.

We have all sinned—so we are all under the death punishment. The price to pay is death of a perfect person. Not one of us is perfect—we all have sin. If we are going to escape death—someone else will need to pay for us. Jesus was willing to pay.

Jesus died for us and paid the death punishment for us. So we do not have to die but can have eternal life. Jesus redeemed us by paying with His life.

Jesus’ paying for sin came to us because of God’s great grace to us.

Verse 8 God gives us wisdom and helps us make good choices and decisions.

Verse 9 – 11

Verse 9 – 10 God has now made us know and understand His will for us. It was a plan that He had long ago. God had planned since Adam was created to send Jesus, His son. After thousands of years, the time was right. God sent His son to earth. God gave to Jesus all power over things in the heaven and in the earth.

Verse 11 In Jesus Christ we will receive all things—forgiveness of sin, eternal life, help here on earth. God planned this for us long ago.

 

 

 

Verse 12 – 14

God’s will is for us to praise and give glory to God. Paul says to these believers—that “we were the first to be believers and trust in Christ”.

The 12 disciples were the first to believe and trust in Christ. They went out to tell others. Paul came soon after them to begin to tell others. Paul traveled far to different countries to tell the Gentiles (non-Jews) about Jesus. Small churches were started in many of these places.

Verse 13 – 14 Paul said that the people there at Ephesus also believed. When they heard the gospel they believed. The Holy Spirit has come to them because they believed. The King James version says that they were “sealed” by the Holy Spirit whom God had promised.

God showed them that they now belonged to God because He gave them the Holy Spirit. Having the Holy Spirit in us is the beginning of the promises that God has for us. If we continue to walk with God, we will receive all of the blessings God has planned for us—until someday in heaven when we will be completely saved and redeemed.

We say we are saved and redeemed from sin and eternal death now—because we have faith that God will keep His promise to make it happen in heaven some day.

When we are in heaven—it will be complete. We will receive the promise. We will not need to live by faith and hope because it will be done and complete.

Verse 15 -23

Verse 15- 16 Paul thanks God for the faith that these believers have and that they show love to other believers. Paul says that he thanks God for them and prays for them that God will give them spiritual wisdom and understanding. He prays that they will grow in in their knowledge of God.

He prays that their hearts will be full of light so they will understand what God has planned for them. God has called them. He will show them great riches of His glory. He shows great power to those who believe.

This is the same power God used to raise Jesus from the dead. God has taken Jesus to heaven to sit at God’s right hand. Now Jesus is higher and has more authority and power than any power or ruler on earth.

This power and authority is not for just now but also for the world to come.

Revelation 21:1 Tells that there will be a new heaven and new earth someday. This earth and heaven will pass away. God will make a new one.

If we are believers and keep faithful to God, we will live with God forever. We say we will be in heaven with Him because that is where God is right now. But we will be with Jesus wherever He is. Jesus will come to earth for 1000 years —we read about this in Revelation—we will be with Him then. Jesus will be in the new heaven and earth—we will be with Jesus then too.

We do not know all that the future has for us—-but whatever happens —we will be with Jesus and it will be good.

 

Verse 22 – 23 God has put all things under Jesus’ feet—means God has given Jesus all power over all things. Jesus is the head of the church. Jesus is the head, the believers in the churches are “His body”. Jesus’ presence and spirit and power fills everything everywhere.