Ephesians: 3
So let’s talk turkey, i.e., application—Paul style! Paul offers a series of Exhortations to Unity and Virtue (4:1-6:9).
Like a lot of churches—back then as well as today—the Ephesians struggled with unity. Paul says that unity is achieved by walking according to your calling in Christ (Eph 4:1-3) and by choosing to imitate the unity in the Godhead (Eph 4:4-6). Re. this latter point: there is—always has been and always will be—perfect relational unity within the Godhead. God is 1 being who simultaneously co-exists in 3 distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There has never been any quarrelling amongst the members of the Trinity; no jealousy, no name-calling, no division, no 2-party cliques! There has always been perfect harmony between the Father and the Son, the Father and the Spirit, and between the Son and the Spirit. So Paul say, in effect, strive for that kind of relational unity amongst yourselve.
He also says that unity can be achieved when everyone uses their spiritual gifts and offices with the ultimate aim of becoming spiritually mature (4:7-16). Thus, God has created differences—in terms of spiritual gifts—in order, ironically, to bring about unity through spiritual maturity.
As perhaps implied by some of what Paul said in chap. 2, the believers at Ephesus probably struggled in terms of walking in and reflecting Christian virtue. Paul thus says, on the 1 hand, that Christian virtue can be achieved by choosing not to walk according to your former (i.e., non-Christian) lifestyle: e.g., refrain from sexual immorality and greed (Eph 4:17-19, 22). Rather, on the other hand, Christian virtue can be achieved by choosing to walk according to your new life in Christ (Eph 4:23-24). Christian virtue involves forgiving each other (Eph 4:26-27, 32). Christian virtue can also be heard—in other words, Christians ought to speak in a Christ-honouring way (Eph 4:29-31).
In chap. 4 Paul spoke of relationships generally; in 5 and 6, he focuses on specific relationships. In order to reflect the virtues of Christ in these specific relationships (as well as any other for that matter) we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18). Perhaps 2 of the biggest indicators of being “filled with the Spirit” are: speech and control. Spirit-empowered speech is clearly 1 of the marks of being filled with the Spirit, e.g., bold sharing of the gospel (Act 4:31). Question: Can you think of other examples of Spirit-empowered speech? Another indicator of being filled with the Spirit is self—i.e., Spirit-control. This is implied by the Greek word for “filled”: whatever “fills” a person controls that person—whether it be anger, fear, or anything else. To be “filled” with/by the Holy Spirit, then, is to be controlled by him in your speech, actions, attitudes, etc.
Paul says that Spirit-empowered relationships are marked by mutual encouragement and submission (5:19-21). So here in the passage, the encouragement—Eph 5:19—is the Spirit-empowered speech, while the submission—Eph 5:21—is indicative of Spirit-control. Among wives and husbands: wives should submit to their husbands—the way the church ought to submit to Christ (5:22-24). Husbands, for their part, should love their wives—the way Christ loved the church, sacrificing himself on her behalf (5:25-31). Among children and parents: children should obey their parents, while parents—particularly fathers—shouldn’t exasperate children, but rather instruct them in the Lord (6:1-4). Among slaves and masters: slaves should obey their masters as if serving Christ, while masters should treat slaves well since Christ is everyone’s Master (6:6-9).
In drawing his letter to a close, Paul gives the church a glimpse of the happenings in the invisible, spiritual realm of angels and demons (6:10-20). The Apostle say that a battle rages around us in the spiritual realm, a battle that often can make itself felt in the physical (or space-time) realm in which we live (Eph 6:12). Question: Can you think of any examples of this effect in your own life? In light of that battle we need to be ready to engage with the dark powers at work against us. Therefore, we need to dress for the occasion: in God’s armour (Eph 6: 13-17). Notice: it’s God’s armour not ours—we cannot stand against demonic forces in our own strength!
Last but certainly not least, in light of the battle we need to pray (Eph 6:18-20). We need to pray specifically. Specific prayers lead to specific—easily recognizable—answers to prayer (which increase our faith). We need to pray led by the Holy Spirit, i.e., according to his direction in a matter—which can be quite different than ours. Question: Can you think of a time when God showed you that you were asking him for something quite different than what he wanted to do? And we need to pray for other believers actively engaged in the fight—those on the front lines. They especially need and covet our prayers.
Paul’s final benediction (Eph 6:24) in keeping with his earlier predestination motif, is quite particular: he issues God’s grace only for those who “love Jesus”—implying, it’s not for those who don’t (love Jesus).