EPHESIANS 8: Jesus our Head and Body (1:22-23)

“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Eph. 1:22-23).

Paul pushes hard here. First, who leads your church?  Whose agenda always seems to get passed?  Pastor?  Key elders? Prominent, influential families?  Paul reminds us that Jesus is the to be head over everything for the church. Everything…means everything.

What if we sought Jesus’ input on our visioning process?  What if we sought Jesus’ advice for how to go about revitalizing?  Are Jesus’ priorities shaping our annual budget and spending?  Does our discipleship process follow the example of Jesus or the latest Christian book?

Does Jesus reign over our marriage counseling sessions?  Does Jesus have the last word in our church council conflict resolution process?  Does Jesus’ teachings inform every sermon we prepare and preach?  Is Jesus head over our mission committee and outreach efforts?

Second, do we truly embrace our primary call as a church to be the body of Christ — the hands and feet, the instrument by which God gets his will accomplished on earth?  When people think of our church, do they picture a giant Jesus?  When someone drives past our building, does the face of Jesus pop into their mind? Or, is it possible that people get other more negative images in their mind?

EPHESIANS 7: Death Defying Power (1:18-21)

I pray that….you may know….his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (Eph. 1:18-21)

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was 19 years old and had recently experienced a spiritual awakening in college, and was reading through Romans for the first time. I was hit like a ton of bricks by one particular verse: “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (Rom. 8:11).

Are you kidding me?!  The same power unleashed on Easter morning that broke open the grave and raised Jesus from the dead — that same Spirit is indwelling me?  If we let this reality sink in, we will come to realize that we have the most powerful force in the universe somehow available to us.

This thought never seemed to escape Paul, as it comes up here again in his great prayer for the Ephesians. He prays that God will give them the ability to grasp, deep in their bones, the incomparable power and strength that was exerted when God raised Jesus from the grave!

How can we let any human obstacle or fear stand in our way of living freely and confidently?  How can we not get up every morning with a renewed sense of peace and resolve to face the troubles of the day?

What obstacles are you facing?  Unemployment?  A broken marriage?  Addiction?  Cancer?  What if we faced these challenges clinging to the fact that we have God’s death-defying power available to us?

Next, Paul reminds us that Jesus is on the throne. Regardless of appearances to the contrary, Jesus is seated ”far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”  This is good news!

EPHESIANS 6: Paul’s Prayers & Priorities

Our prayers reveal our priorities. The requests we bring before God give a window into our heart’s greatest concerns at any particular moment. Sometimes they are petty and selfish: “Lord, help me find a good parking spot” or “Help me pass this test I didn’t study for.” Often they focus on more urgent immediate needs around us: “Lord, heal the cancer” or “Comfort the grieving widow.” Certainly nothing wrong with these as far as it goes.

I love Paul’s prayers because they provide a glimpse into his heart and reveal his greatest desires for the believers he’s addressing. Strangely, his prayers rarely sound like either the petty prayers or prayers for immediate needs listed above. Paul’s prayers — and, therefore, his priorities — are rather on the deeper spiritual realities and affections of the heart. Let’s listen to his prayer for the Ephesian believers in 1:16-19.

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (1:16-19).

Out of all the possible things Paul could have prayed, and prayed continuously, for these believers, he mentions two. We do well to ponder them and ask ourselves if these ever arise in our own prayers for ourselves and others.

EPHESIANS 5: Chosen in Christ (1:4-12)

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves…. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” (Eph. 1:4-6, 11-12)

Klyne Snoddgrass on “election” in Ephesians 1:

The election language in Ephesians 1 is primarily about God and shows why God should be praised. Any conclusions drawn must derive from the fact that this is a doxology, not a systematic theology. This is not to ignore the theological significance of doxologies, but to stay within Paul’s intention with his worship. His purpose is to focus on God at work, planning and drawing people to himself through Christ. If the focus is corporate rather than individual and if people are elect only in the Elect One, Christ, then this text has nothing to do with our fear that God chooses some and ignores others. That is the nonbiblical conclusion about the result of election and the question who is elect. The focus of the biblical text is on the cause of election — God — and its purpose — that Christians live holy and blameless before God. God values human beings and draws them — both Jews and Gentiles — to himself in Christ. The focus is God’s grace, and this text will not support any discussions about arbitrary decisions from God.

EPHESIANS 4: The Greatest Cause on Earth (1:18-23)

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” (Eph. 1:18-23)

We’re moving closer and closer to another general election season. As I write this, our community is in heated debate over the school referendum vote only a couple days away. I’m amazed to see the passion people have toward both national and local political parties and their agendas.

The local paper is glad to fill their pages with impassioned letters to the editor, urging citizens to make their vote count, and stand up for what’s best for our community and schools. There are signs in every yard as I drive through town. People are glad to go door to door, leaving a pamphlets and doorknob hangers. Thousands of dollars are spent on mass mailings.  Websites are created to champion their agenda, and chain emails are spread widely. Rhetorically savvy YouTube videos are circulated to rally support.

The bottom line is this: people care and are committed to championing their cause — especially when their kids’ education and/or property taxes are at stake!

I’m grateful to live in a democratic state. I encourage people to exercise their civic right and go vote. But as a Christian trying to “seek first the Kingdom” and a church planting pastor trying to rally a community around a far greater cause than a school levy, I keep asking myself the question: What if we were as passionate about pushing God’s agenda forward in our community as we are about passing a referendum vote or electing our favorite school board candidate?  

• What if Christians were so passion about the gospel message that we created special websites, spent thousands of dollars on mailings, sent mass email appeals and and made Christ’s cause known through YouTube testimonials, etc?
• What if we organized special rallies and found more creative ways to spread our message across our local network?
• What if the local newspaper was flooded weekly with letters to the editor from Christians urging fellow citizens to get more involved in their local church, to love their neighbors more selflessly, to join a local mission project, or give more generously to the food shelf and other charities?
• What if we were willing to fill our lawns with signs and banners promoting Jesus Christ and his message and cause?
• What if we Christians believed in our cause enough to go door to door inviting people to church on Sunday and leaving doorknob hangers?
• What if we were just as committed to getting our neighbors to worship as others are about getting their neighbors to the polls?

EPHESIANS 3: Grace and Peace (1:2)

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

Two words of enormous weight and depth so easily slip off our tongue as we hurry past Paul’s characteristic greeting: grace and peace. But let’s pause to consider them for a moment.  In all his letters, these are the two things Paul wishes upon those to whom he writes. He wishes upon his hearers both grace and peace — first, from God, and also from himself as he writes.

A humbling question to ask then is this: Would the average unchurched person choose these two words to describe their experience with and perceptions of Christians?  Are Christians known today for their outrageous graciousness toward others?  Are they known for their ability to bring peace in their dealings with others?  Sadly, many outside the church would quickly accuse Christians of being precisely the opposite of these: people who are quick to judge and condemn others, and people known for being divisive and argumentative.

Lord, help us to become people characterized by grace and peace.

But, as we know, Paul is not primarily concerned with our graciousness and peace for others. He wishes them the amazing grace and peace that comes directly “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. John Stott describes how these two words sum up the major themes of the entire letter: 

EPHESIANS 2: A New Address (1:1)

 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus” (1:1).

When we surrender our lives to God and begin our new life with Christ, we receive a new address. Regardless of our earthly residence — whether Ephesus or Minneapolis — we’re given a new place to call home. We are transported out of the realm of darkness, rebellion, ignorance and destruction, and given a new home “in Christ.”

This signature phrase of Paul shows up 164 times in his 13 letters in various forms such as “in Christ,” “in the Lord,” “in him,” etc. More than any other letter, Ephesians emphasizes this theme (36 times) as Paul tries to capture the powerful existential truth that we now share a deep union with Christ as we live in the sphere of his activity, under his transformative influence, making our home with him, seating at the dinner table with him every night as it were, and rising each morning to share breakfast with him before facing a new day. Like a gold fish who sees his entire world through the water in which he “moves, breathes and has his being”, so too all who are in Christ now abide in, swimming in the vast ocean of Christ’s love and redeeming purposes.

With Christ-colored lenses, we now see our life, our purpose, our value through the eyes of God.  Yes, Christ gives us an entirely different identity to live the rest of our lives with. We live in Christ — in his love, in his enduring promises, in his grace, in his mercy, in his purposes and will, in his forgiveness, in his hope, in his truth. Yes, we have a new address, brothers and sisters. Let’s enjoy the view!

EPHESIANS 1: Introduction

We’re preparing to spend the year exploring Ephesians together at our MainStreet College LifeGroup. I’m both excited and terrified to lead us through this profound letter together. A few years back I was able to blog through the entire Letter to the Philippians, which was a long and arduous journey, and I hope that many blog reflections will be sparked by our time in Ephesians as well.  But let me start with Klyne Snodgrass’s introductory words in his commentary on Ephesians to whet our appetite.

“Pound for pound” Ephesians may well be the most influential document ever written. Within the history of Christianity, only the Psalms, the Gospel of John, and Romans have been so instrumental in shaping the life and thought of Christians, but all three of these works are much longer than the few pages of this letter. Ephesians has justly been described as “the Switzerland of the New Testament,” “the crown and climax of Pauline theology,” and “one of the divinest compositions of man.” The explanation of the gospel and of life with Christ provided here is powerful and direct. If read receptively, it is a bombshell.

This letter is the most contemporary book in the Bible. Apart from a few terms and the treatment of slavery, Ephesians could have been written to a modern church. It is about us. It describes human beings, their predicament, sin, and delusion, but much more it describes God’s reaching out to people to recreate and transform them into a new society. Most of the letter is about two subjects: power and identity. It describes the power God’s Spirit gives for living. It shows who we really are without Christ and who we become both individually and corporately with Christ.  It is about how we understand ourselves and how we can get along with each other and God. The focus on God’s new society also makes Ephesians one of the most important works for understanding the church.