As we embark upon a study of the book of Ephesians, Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, today that will take us right up to the Advent season of the church, I want to remind you of the state of affairs in Ephesus leading up to and during Paul’s time of writing this epistle. I say remind because you already know some of what was prominent in Ephesus from when we walked through the book of Acts during the latter part of this past year. In fact, almost the entirety of Acts 19 and 20 (towards the end of our journey through Acts) records various encounters that Paul had in Ephesus. We were told about Paul’s preaching in the synagogue and his grassroots ministry that he began there. We looked at what is in essence his laboring to plant a church there. We also saw his encounter with the seven sons of the Jewish high priest Sceva and how the power of the Holy Spirit worked through Paul to completely embarrass these traveling exorcists. We saw Paul’s tiff with the silversmith Demetrius and the other merchants who relied heavily upon the worship of the goddess Artemis. You have to understand that to many of the Ephesians, Artemis was the very reason why they enjoyed the prosperity that they did. The temple of Artemis there in Ephesus is still considered one of the seven great wonders of the world. The people of the city of Ephesus thought that because of their love for and nurturing of the goddess, that she rewarded them by making them the most glorious city in all of Asia and one of the most glorious in the world. When Paul came in denouncing this goddess and proclaiming the One True God, it was no wonder that some got upset, especially those whose livelihood depended upon the worship of Artemis. Finally, we looked at the proclamation of the gospel that Paul gave to the Ephesian elders. Through all of this, Paul had been used by God to bring many in that community to faith and to really plant a church there in Ephesus that consisted of not just a few people, but a church that was quite substantial and even had numerous key political and social figures as part of their membership. Paul didn’t just introduce the gospel and then depart, but he introduced it and helped establish a means by which the gospel might flourish in Ephesus and the surrounding area before he moved on to the next location.
As he did with so many of the churches that he planted, Paul wrote a letter, this epistle to the church in Ephesus, to encourage them in their continued faith and to check in on how they were functioning as a body of believers. However, unlike most of the other epistles, there isn’t some major problem that needs addressing. There isn’t some divisive issue that if not resolved will destroy the church. Actually, the church in Ephesus was fairing quite well. So, Paul, instead of dealing with some particular issue, is able to simply speak to them about any topic that he chooses. In other words, he’s able to teach instead of correct. Now, it’s true that correcting someone can and does educate them, but there is something different about getting new information versus going over old information again. He’s able to give them anything that he feels would be of benefit to their growing in the grace and knowledge of God. It’s very similar to the book of Romans in that regard. Also, I want to remind you as well that Paul wrote this epistle while he was sitting in prison. It would be very easy for him to sound bitter and angry about his current situation, but instead all we find is unbridled joy for the sake of the gospel. Of all the things that Paul could write to the Ephesians about, he chooses to write to them about the body of Christ, he chooses to write to them about the church. And not only does he write about the church itself, but he makes sure to point out that we are all a part of the body of Christ and that we all have a role to play in making the bride of Christ operate as she was intended, as God intends for her to operate. We all have a responsibility to care for the church and her members, to make sure that we are all walking in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called as he writes to begin chapter 4. Paul makes it very clear in this epistle that the church isn’t just to be something that we do, but an entirely new society and a new way of life. Your faith shouldn’t just be a descriptor as to who you are, but should be your complete and total identity. John Stott has what is probably the best summation of Paul’s intentions and focus in this letter when he writes, “The whole letter is thus a magnificent combination of Christian doctrine and Christian duty, Christian faith and Christian life, what God has done through Christ and what we must be and do in consequence.”
Now, I’ve limited our text for today to mainly just the greeting that Paul gives in this letter primarily because there simply isn’t enough time to give both a proper introduction to this epistle and a full wrestling with the very weighty, heavy, and at times controversial (at least in some circles) matters that are discussed in verses 4-14. In fact, verses 3-14 of this first chapter of this epistle are actually one sentence in the original Greek. So, you can see why I would be hesitant to separate too much. If Paul didn’t end the sentence then it is very likely that he intended for the concepts spoken of in that sentence to be taken as a whole, which we will do next Sunday. However, I want to at least introduce what Paul is opening this letter with, so I’ve included verse 3 along with the standard Pauline greeting in our text for today. We see that Paul states his apostleship, states his audience, and wishes them grace and peace. He could have started with a recounting of what he had done there in Ephesus, but instead he chooses his standard greeting and to remind them of who he is, who they are, and the gifts that God has given to all of us. You see, Paul doesn’t go into what happened previously with him in Ephesus because that’s not what matters (or at least shouldn’t). What should matter is that he is an apostle sent by God. The Greek word translated as apostle literally means a messenger sent from one person to another. Let’s say that you go to the doctor for an issue that you’ve been dealing with. After running tests, that doctor then comes back with a diagnosis. Now, whether or not you have known that doctor or had any prior experience with him/her ought to be irrelevant. The fact that they graduated medical school and have been licensed as a doctor ought to be all the credentials required for you to take it that they know what they’re talking about. Now, I realize that some of you disagree with that analogy, but you cannot disagree with the reality of that being the way that it ought to work. However, I will also remind you that Paul was well-known by this time. So, this wouldn’t be just any doctor. If I were to tear up my knee running one morning and Dr. James Andrews at UAB were to do the surgery to repair it, I would feel pretty good about it, even though I have never meet the man or had any interaction with him. The fact that I have heard so much about him and his work should and would be enough for me to trust his opinion and his expertise.
Anyways, Paul then goes on to tell them, “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…” Now, I read all of the rest of this one Greek sentence during the reading of our text today simply so you would be familiar with it even though I’m really not going to get into it today. If you’re a note-taker and want to write this down you can, but I’m going to repeat in next Sunday as well. Notice that Paul lays out in this order Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit (every spiritual blessing). Ok, so that last one is a bit of a stretch, but after next Sunday you’ll see why I am attempting such a leap. Just looking ahead for one second to these verses we see the following pattern: in verses 3-6 Paul deals with the work of the Father, 7-10 the work of the Son, and 11-14 the work of the Holy Spirit. As I said, I’m going to deal with this next Sunday because we simply don’t have the time to even scratch the surface of what is going on there today. However, I want you to remember this in terms of an introduction of sorts. Paul is starting out by introducing the way in which the persons of the Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, work together in order for us to receive the full blessings of God. When it comes to salvation for example, the Father is the architect of the plan, the Son is the achiever or accomplisher of that plan, and the Holy Spirit is the applier of the benefits of the accomplishment of that plan. Well, if we take that analogy of all three members of the Trinity working together and apply it to the theme of this look at Ephesians, then we ought to have the understanding that all parts of the church must work in conjunction with one another if we are to enjoy the full blessings of the bride of Christ and if we are to honor God faithfully in our being part of this Christian community. You see, one of the beautiful things about the Christian faith is that it isn’t a faith of isolation. In other words, it isn’t (or at least shouldn’t be) something that is private or done alone. Instead, it is something that very wonderfully is to be shared with others. We rely on other Christians, church members, and most importantly our God for strength and encouragement. I’ll be completely honest with you, my profession has been ranked by many publications as the loneliest of professions. And honestly, there are times when that feels like the truth. Why is that the case? Well, it has to do largely with the nature of the job, but also with the way in which we have individually privatized our faiths. However, when we are working as we should, both individually and collectively, this feeling of isolation and loneliness isn’t there. When the body of Christ is functioning as she ought to, then not only is loneliness not present, but there is a sense of community that makes us feel as if isolation isn’t even a real thing.
As we journey though Ephesians over the next several months, we’re going to look at the community that is the Church. We’re going to look at the fact that all of us have a part to play. We’re going to look at the fact that the Church operates at her best when all of her members are operating. So, as we bring this introduction to a close today, I want to encourage you to think about the way in which you are engaged in the ministry of the Church. I know that you can’t see it, but in my notes I have the “C” in Church capitalized. I’m not asking what you do for this congregation. I already know how that is for many of you, and some of you have given the Session those answer through your surveys as well. What I’m asking you to think about is what you do for the kingdom. Do you witness? Do you financially support a gospel proclaiming organization or church? Do you teach? Do you engage in missions? Do you engage in mercy ministries? The old adage of the Church is that 20% or the people do 80% of the work (although some studies show it is closer to 10% do 90%). Can you imagine what the Church, or the world for that matter, would be like if all Christians worked for the gospel? Maybe one day we will wake up and find out. Maybe one day Christians will act as if their calling is who they are, and not just a part of their identity. However, for that to happen, we have to lay aside our own interests, and seek first the righteousness of the kingdom of God. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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