Ephesians - Recapitulation II

The Centrality of Christ ...for the Body
Ephesians 2:11-3:21

Ephesians 2

13 in Christ Jesus you ...have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
15 create in himself one new man in place of the two
16 reconcile ...in one body
18 through him we ... have access
20 built on the foundation of Christ Jesus
21 in whom the whole structure,...grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
22 In him you ...are being built

Ephesians 3

4 the mystery of Christ
6 partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus
8 the unsearchable riches of Christ
11 the eternal purpose ...realized in Christ Jesus
12 in whom we have boldness and access
19 to know the love of Christ
21 to him be glory in Christ Jesus

God's purpose for us in Christ

brought near by the blood of Christ 2:13

contrast with "afar off"

1. brought into union with Christ
2. given citizenship in the community - joint-heirs with Christ
3. made participants in the covenantal promises - applied under the terms of the New Covenant
4. given a hope, the expectation of complete fulfillment of the promises - achieved for us by Christ's death, resurrection and exaltation
5. godly and not of the world, not conformed to the world but to the image of Christ Joh_15:19 Rom_8:29 Rom_12:2

create in himself one new man ...and reconcile both to God 2:15-16

1. no more class or ethnic distinctions
2. no longer Jew or Gentile but Christian
3. accomplished in Christ as in him we are reconciled first to God and then to one another
4. no Christ, no reconciliation with either God or man
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ being the chief cornerstone 2:20, 22

the foundation being the preaching of Christ and his Gospel

Act_17:3 ..."This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ."

Rom_15:20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation,

1Co_1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

1Co_1:23 but we preach Christ crucified

1Co_9:18 What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge

2Co_2:12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel,

2Co_4:5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord,

Eph_3:8 ...this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Col_1:28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

Christ is the one who "caps it all off", the supreme focus of attention, the one without whom there is no salvation and no church.

Plural references

Ephesians 2

14 has made both one
15 one new man from the two
16 that He might reconcile them both
17 you who were afar off and to those who were near
18 we both have access
19 fellow citizens with the saints
19 members of the household of God
21 the whole building, being fitted together
22 being built together

Ephesians 3

6 of the same body
10 made known by the church
15 the whole family in heaven and earth
18 able to comprehend with all the saints
21 to Him be glory in the church

God's purpose for Himself through the church

his wisdom may be known through the church 3:10
his love may be comprehended in the church 3:18

1. with all the saints does not mean "along with the saints"; the preposition σύν means "in union with" the saints

2. apart from fellowship, even the covenant of membership, with other saints in a local church it is not possible to fully wrap our minds around and know experientially the love of Christ

"This gift of spiritual comprehension is contemplated further as to be possessed and exercised "with all the saints", not as a matter of private experience, the peculiar faculty of some, or an exceptional bestowment like the rare privilege of visions, but as a gift proper to the whole community of believers and one in which these Ephesians might share together with all God's people. " Expositor's Greek New Testament, Eph. 3:18

"Something important is treated of, which cannot be comprehended in solitude, for one's self alone but only in fellowship. Like all science, the science of God's love, the study of God, is a joint labor." J. P. Lange, Commentary, Eph. 3:18

It is the love of Christ that we are to comprehend experientially, grasp with our minds
"Almost all men are infected with the disease of desiring to obtain useless knowledge. It is of great importance that we should be told what is necessary for us to know, and what the Lord desires us to contemplate, above and below, on the right hand and on the left, before and behind. The love of Christ is held out to us as the subject which ought to occupy our daily and nightly meditations, and in which we ought to be wholly plunged. He who is in possession of this alone has enough. Beyond it there is nothing solid, nothing useful, — nothing, in short, that is proper or sound. Though you survey the heaven and earth and sea, you will never go beyond this without overstepping the lawful boundary of wisdom." Calvin, Commentary on 3:17b-19

Referring to" what is the breadth and length and height and depth":

"...points at once to 'the love of Christ'. The dimensions set forth here then become clear: 'breadth' refers to the nations lying beside each other on the earth, over all of whom the love of Christ will extend itself; 'length', to the successive ages during which it will reach; 'depth', to the misery and corruption of sin, into which it will descend; 'height' to the glory at God's throne and near His heart to which it would elevate all." J. P. Lange, Commentary, Eph. 3:18

he may receive glory in the church in Christ Jesus 3:21

John 17:1-5 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

John 17:24-26 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

Ephesians - Recapitulation

The Centrality of Christ ...for the Individual
Ephesians 1:1-2:10

Read 1 Peter 2:1-10

Peter begins with the individual coming to Christ - there is debate over whether this is the initial coming in faith or if it is descriptive of the ongoing relationship between Christ and a faithful follower. Probably, since that statement follows 1Pe_2:3 , "you have tasted that the Lord is good", it is the latter that is in view here. But don't lose sight of the truth that it is the "living stone" 1Pe_2:4, the "cornerstone chosen and precious" 1Pe_2:6 to whom they are coming.

But Peter's focus shifts rapidly from individual to corporate experience as he describes what Christ "does" with the ones who come to him - builds them "up as a spiritual house" 1Pe_2:5. Individual living stones are laid up one on another on top of the footing consisting of the apostles and prophets; the final stone that completes the building joining all together is the cornerstone, Christ. The goal in our salvation was never solely limited to the individual; God has always had the entire building, the covenant community, the body of believers in view.

This should be no surprise - we are, after all, created in God's image which implies a relationship of some kind between Creator and creation. This concept is further enhanced by the very nature of the Godhead - relational - unity in trinity and perfect fellowship. Being in the image of God means we are relational creatures, designed to fellowship vertically and horizontally. Obviously sin has profoundly compromised our ability to have properly functioning relationships but God purposed through the means of salvation to remedy that. The first relationship that is restored is that with God Himself, then our relationship with fellow-believers. You almost get the idea that Jesus could have said ""Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength" so that you will "love your neighbor as yourself".

So what does that have to do with Paul's letter to the Ephesians? From Eph 1:1 to 2:10 Paul describes the individual aspect of our salvation by grace; from 2:11 to 3:21 he deals with the corporate aspect of our salvation. Throughout the three chapters, he repeatedly emphasizes the theme that all of this centers on Christ: in Christ, in him, through Jesus Christ, in the Beloved, with Christ are the phrases we hear again and again.

The centrality of Christ in our salvation and in God's ultimate purpose is unmistakable. John Piper has stated that the first question of the WSC can with little modification apply to God.

Q. What is the chief end of God?

A. The chief end of God is to glorify Himself and enjoy Himself forever.

Would it be improper to answer that the "chief end of God is to glorify Himself in Christ and enjoy Himself forever"? Eph_3:21 Is it any surprise that we find the Father acting in, with and through the Son if the Son is the object of His devotion and the One in whom He will be glorified?

In our present postmodern culture, partly to keep debate out of the public square, there is an "agenda" to keep religion separate from science, faith separate from reason, belief separate from fact. "Sometimes you just have to take it on faith" is code for "there's a conflict between the 'facts' and 'belief' so just ignore the facts." But the Bible knows nothing of this sort of "blind leap in the dark" faith. With regard to our salvation, God does not expect us to accept blindly that Christ is central to His purpose and our relationship with Him.

After his initial greeting, Paul immediately turns his attention to the inexhaustible blessings with which God has blessed us. The concept of blessing is rooted in the Old Testament and its usage there - εὐλογία occurs more than 400 times in the LXX. Remember the blessing that God promised to Abraham - Gen_12:2-3 "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." That blessing was passed from one generation to the next, to Isaac, then Jacob, then Joseph.

"The blessing of Yahweh is the gracious divine gift which He dispenses in sovereign freedom, granting His favour to individuals or to a people and causing the work of their hands to succeed (Dt. 28:12; 8:9–17)." TDNT

The blessings of which Paul speaks are spiritual blessings; he goes on to identify what those blessings are and how God has blessed us with them. He does not leave us in the dark with respect to the "why" question, what God's motivation or purpose is in blessing us this way.

1. He has chosen us in Christ Eph_1:4, selected but not in a vacuum and not capriciously. Chosen because of something Christ will do, because of a relationship between us and Christ. We see that in the following statement - we were not chosen because our name came up on the cosmic "wheel of fortune". We were chosen to the end that we should be holy; Christ and his effectual rule in our lives are essential to our holiness.
   
   
2. He has predestined us to be adopted through Christ Eph_1:5, the instrumental cause of our adoption. Again Paul reminds his readers of the absolutely essential place Christ holds in their salvation. That sonship we have with God consists of our conformity to the image of Christ, being made the special objects of his love and grace Eph_1:6, participating in a heavenly inheritance Eph_1:11.
   
   It is important we not miss the point that, if God can be said to want or desire things, we are His children because He wants to be our Father; no one twisted His arm or otherwise coerced Him into adopting us. It was "according to the good pleasure of his will" - it gave him satisfaction or delight to adopt us, to give us as a reward or trophies of war to His Son. Isa_53:10-12
   
   
3. It is in him that we have redemption and forgiveness of sin Eph_1:7. We're not even halfway through Paul's dissertation here but it's easy to hear each repetition of "in him" as another nail in the coffin in the idea that all roads lead to God. Paul's case is that there is only one road, through Christ; there is redemption, there is true forgiveness only in one, Christ. There is only one solution for guilt, the blood of Christ and none other.
   
   
4. In Eph_1:13 Paul declares that we were sealed in him by the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit stamps on us the mark or seal that says we belong to Christ. The next verse adds to the picture by comparing the Holy Spirit to an engagement ring that shows we are betrothed to Christ as His bride.
   
   
5. Following up the assertion that it is resurrection power that works in us, the same power He worked in Christ Eph_1:19-20, we, too, are raised with Christ and seated in heavenly places in Christ Eph_2:5-6. The ascended and exalted Christ has gone before us and on our behalf as our forerunner Heb_6:19-20; since we are in Him, God views us as raised and seated with Him.
   

God has done all this for us, to us, in us, for the sake of His Son. Why? It is God's plan to "gather together in one all things in Christ" Eph_1:10 making Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body Eph_1:22-23. Consider Col_1:15-22 for an elaboration of God's overarching purpose centered in Christ. By virtue of His deity Christ is supreme over all of creation; by His incarnation, passion, resurrection He became head of the church. As Paul states in Eph_1:22, the Father "gave him as head over all things to the church", which includes the church Eph_5:23. The Father's purpose in all of this is that the Son will be preeminent, occupying first place in all things.

This sense must be the focus of our thinking as we contemplate what marvelous blessings God has blessed us with in Christ - He did it for us, yes, but more importantly for the church, the body, and most importantly for His dearly loved Son.