| �Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.� |
| Ephesians |
| Author: Paul, while imprisoned in Rome. Date: 64 A.D. Theme: A spiritual walk rooted in spiritual wealth. Key Words: �Heavenly Places� �Riches� �Power� �Strength� �Grace� Parallel Readings: Colossians Revelation 2:1-7 Acts 19 The Circumstances Paul first arrived in Ephesus along with Priscilla and Aquilla, who he left there to help establish the church while he traveled through Galatia, and Phrygia. He returned shortly, but this time he wasn�t passing through . . . he had a mission! Paul began his ministry in the City by speaking boldly in the synagogue for three months; he held daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus for two years! The influence was so great that �all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord� (Acts 19:16). The city was turned upside down. Converts were amazed by the overwhelming power of the spirit. Believers came out confessing their evil deeds, and sorcerers brought $25,000 worth of scrolls out to be burned. The workings of God in the city were so great that they would lead to the demise of the worship of Artemis just as Demetrius had feared. The great temple would be burned to the ground in 262 AD, never again to be rebuilt. Diana would die, Ephesus would become a Christian city, and in 341 AD a council of the Christian church would be held there. The church began with a dynamic explosion of excitement, but now, as Paul writes his letter from a prison in Rome, the believers seem to be struggling through an identity crisis. It seems that they are poor and weak, but they must understand that they are still powerful and rich! The Message Each of the six chapters in the letter to the Ephesians provides the church with a new perspective on who they are in the world. In Chapter 1 the church is described as the Body of Christ, In chapter 2, �the temple.� In Chapter 3, we�re �the mystery� of Christ, and in chapter 4, �the new man.� In chapter 5 we�re the �Bride of Christ,� and in chapter 6 the Christian is described as a well armed soldier. Paul�s purpose in using such strong metaphors is obvious. He wants to open the eyes of this church in the same way that Elijah wanted to open the eyes of his fearful servant. They must understand that the Christian struggle is �not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms� (6:12). The letter is void of controversy, and much like in its sister book, Colossians, the reader is continually reminded of the countless �riches� that we have in Christ. One theme that seems to set it apart from other letters is that of the �heavenly realms� (1:3; 1:20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12). It�s where our blessings come from, it�s where our real struggle occurs, and ultimately, it�s where our true life is. Ironically, the church at Ephesus is warned in Revelation 2:5 to remember �the height� from which they had fallen. The Relevance What a powerful reminder the book is to the Christian wrestling with thoughts of inadequacy and insignificance. We must be careful not to teach �putting off the old� without a strong emphasis on �putting on the new!� The new man is a man of power, blessed with a magnificent wealth of spiritual blessings. He�s a man who looks at the world through the eyes of a conqueror! (Rom. 8:37). Paul went as far as to say that he �delighted in� weaknesses, hardships, and persecutions. He said, �When I am weak, then I am strong!� Doesn�t that sound backwards? How can we find strength in our weaknesses? I guess that�s it, isn�t it? Finding our strength in the Lord, and �the power of His might� involves discovering our own weaknesses and understanding that we need His limitless power at work in our lives. When we, as a church are tempted to find our strength in the size of our attendance, the beauty of our building, or in the latest programs, we�re already doomed to failure . . . just as the temple of Artemis was. But, when we confess to God that our situation is hopeless without Him, we can be prepared to see Him work in a powerful way! �Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.� |
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