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Inductive Bible Study Ephesians 3

 

“This mystery is that through the gospel the gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 3:6

Background

“You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.” Ephesians 2:19

The book Ephesians is written during Paul’s Roman imprisonment 61-63 AD. He also wrote Philippians, Colossians and Philemon during his imprisonment. Several things indicate that Ephesians was a circular letter but uncertain, a doctrinal treatise in the form of a letter, to the churches in Asia Minor. The great theme of this letter is God’s eternal purpose to establish and complete His body, the church of Christ. In developing this theme, Paul discusses predestination (1:3-14), Christ’s headship over the body (1:22-23;4:15-16), the church as the building and temple of God (2:21-22), the mystery of Christ (3:1-21), spiritual gifts (4:7-16), and the church as the bride of Christ. Ephesus was a commercial, political, and religious center, the great temple of Artemis (Diana) being there. As a major trading center, it ranked with Alexandria and Antioch. After Paul, Timothy had charge of the church in Ephesus for a time (1 Tim. 1:3) and later the apostle John made the city his headquarters.

Observation

The Mystery was not something mysterious but something unknown until it was revealed to the initiated (Rom. 16:25). The mystery spoken of here is not that Gentiles would be blessed (that was predicted in the old Testament) but that both Jews and Gentiles would be equal heirs in the one Body of Christ (v.6). This was unknown in the OT prophecy but was revealed by the NT apostles and prophets (v.5). Other mysteries revealed in the NT are found for example in Matt.13:11; Rom. 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; Eph. 5:32;6:19; Rev. 1:20;17:5,7.

The content of the mystery is that in the Body of Christ all are fellow heirs, fellow members, and fellow partakers.

Power is used here in context of God’s power working within us, through His Spirit (v 3:16;18;20).

Heavenly realms. Means the unseen sphere above this world of sense, which is the Christians ultimate home, and with which we now, in a measure, have communication. The establishment of the church is a revelation of God’s power even to angelic beings (3:10-11).

 

Correlation

Ephesians divides fairly neatly between doctrine (chapters 1-3) and practical advise (4-6). The connection between the first three chapters is that Paul expands the concept of the Body of Christ put forward in 1:23; 2:15,16; 3:6:

1) He brings us near (vv. 2:11-13)

2) He gives us peace (vv. 2:14-17)

3) He gives us access to God (v.2:18)

4) He gives us a new family (vv. 2:19-22).

We where all unbelieving Gentiles and:

1) without Christ (contrast v.2:13)

2) where aliens (cf. v. 2:19)

3) where strangers (cf. v. 2:19)

4) without hope (cf. 1:18)

5) and without God (cf. v. 2:18; 3:12)

Heavenly places (1:3) is also a key phrase of this book (1:10;20; 2:6; 3:10).

God’s purpose is to reveal His power to the heavenly realms through uniting, and showing the unity between Gentiles and Jews in the Body of Christ, the church, which is united in Jesus Christ.

 

Interpretation

The gospel is not only salvation from sin, but also reconciliation, a single new body, adoption into God’s family. Jews and gentiles are equal in God’s eyes. Because the book of Ephesians is divided into two parts, as mentioned before, we have to look at chapters 4-6 to really understand what it meant to the Ephesians, the original readers. In chapter one till three Paul makes clear where they come from and what they have in Christ, because this should have an impact on how they live their life (4:1) “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received”.

The Ephesians felt abandoned, discouraged and unloved because of the doctrine of the Jews. Through the unity in Christ they have a new life and a new society, they are equal with Jews, the wall of hostility is destroyed (3:1-13). The encouragement from Paul comes through his prayer for the Ephesians (3:14-21). He strengthens them with the power through the Holy Spirit, that they may be rooted in love, that they will know Christ’s love and that they will be filled in the fullness of God.

 

Application

We are all equal in Christ. Living together in a multi cultural community (like Luke) with Christians from different backgrounds it is important to know that we are all one in Christ. Paul is describing that it is a privilege to spread the gospel (3:7-9), so it is for us being here in Luke, to reveal the mystery of Christ to the people in the UK. As we are trying to work on the core values of Operation Mobilization, to esteem the church, we are fulfilling God’s intend to make known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms the manifold of the wisdom of God through the church (3:10). Through Paul’s prayer we can be encouraged and challenged to come back to our first love for God and to be strengthened by the power of God through His Spirit as well as to be rooted and established in His love that we might really understand His love for us through Christ and come to a broader knowledge of the fullness of God. We are also encouraged to pray for each other as Paul did for the Ephesians, because God wants to do more for us as we ask or could imagine. It is an encouragement to see God’s love in a community like Luke, where people, from a different background and culture, are able to live together without starting World War III. Because God is living in us, bringing us together under Christ.

 

By Elisabeth Lommatzsch and Patrick Frank van der Heijden 2001