Old Testament literacy is necessary for New Testament comprehension. Together, the two halves of the Bible compose a seamless story. The only way to understand what the New Testament writers are telling us is to know the Old Testament story from which they are operating. Ephesians is no exception. It is essentially an outworking of God’s dealings with Israel. God made promises to Israel that are now completely fulfilled in Jesus. And this means, at the bottom line, that a new human identity has been gifted to the world “in Christ.”
THE LITERARY STRUCTURE OF EPHESIANS
Ephesians 1-3 — Ephesians 4-6
In Christ… — Therefore…
His Story — My Story
Objective History in Christ — Subjective Experience in Me
“IN CHRIST”
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
—Ephesians 1:3“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” —Ephesians 4:1
How many spiritual blessings has God lavished upon us in Christ?
What does it mean to “walk” in those blessings?
The key idea in Ephesians, repeated more frequently than any other, is that all God promised to Israel is “accomplished in Christ” (3:11), yielding a new identity for the whole human race.
“… in Christ …” (eleven usages)
Ephesians 1:3, 10, 12, 20; 2:6, 7, 9, 13; 3:6, 11; 4:32
“… in Him …” (seven usages)
Ephesians 1:4, 7, 10, 11, 13; 2:15; 3:12
The Power That Works in Us
There is an extremely important key word Paul uses fifteen times to encapsulate the way God has related to us in Christ. That key word is “love”—agape in the Greek. Agape is the Greek equivalent (in the New Testament) of the Hebrew word hesed (in the Old Testament). It is the word that encapsulates God’s covenantal faithfulness to humanity. It is the single most important concept in the Bible because it defines the way God relates to us and, by logical extension, the way we are called to relate to one another.
Love is God’s objective, unalterable, eternally-faithful posture toward us. And it is this “love,” Paul explains, that constitutes “the exceeding greatness of His [God’s] power toward us who believe” (1:19) and “the power that works in us” (3:20).
“Toward us”—the way God relates to us.
“In us”—the impact or effect upon us internally.
The God of the universe is defined not by the love of
The God of the universe is defined not by the love of power but rather by the power of love.
The Application
God’s faithful love as manifested in Christ has practical implications for all relational dynamics.
“Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us.” —Ephesians 5:2
If everything that pertains to my salvation and the salvation of every other person is already accomplished in Christ…
Then I don’t need to live with anxiety about earning God’s favor, because I already have it. Now I can relate to others as God relates to me in Christ.
Homework
Read Ephesians 1:7-10 a few times.
Write a “messy” paraphrase of verse 7.
Prayer
Father, thank you for all You have done for me in Christ. I receive into my life the new identity you have gifted to me in Him. Empower me by the power of Your love to walk in that same love toward others.