Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• What are the first passages that come to mind?
• Spiritual Battle (Eph 6)
• The practical passages: about marriage, family, etc
• Aspect of Unity (Eph 4)
• The practical passages re conduct
• What about chapters 1-3?
• Chapter 4-6 are practical passages
• If we miss chapter 1 we miss the whole point
• The glories of our salvation
• We were chosen in Christ
• We are redeemed by Christ's blood
• We are accepted in the Beloved
• Doctrine always come before practice
• We do not preach morality
• We preach the gospel
• Our behaviour is due to thankfulness and a changed position
• We must not rush through chapter 1
• Given for the security of the believer
• To remind us and uplift us
• Chapter 2
• Wonderful passages
• The doctrine of salvation by grace alone
• Key words in the book
• Glory - 8 times
• Mystery - 6 times
• In Him / In Christ - 12 times
• Grace - 13 times
• Romans is the most doctrinal
• Ephesians is the most sublime
• Paul's great desire was the believer's eyes would be opened - v18
• To understand the word of God
• That they would experience more of God (3:16)
• To know more of the blessing

Who is the Letter Addressed to?

• To the saints in Ephesus who are faithful in Christ Jesus (v1)
• Not all manuscripts have the word Ephesus
• Written to the churches in Asia Minor
• Is a circular letter that went throughout many different churches
• No controversies are addressed (like Galatia, Colossiae, Corinth)
• Very few scholars believe it is not addressed to Ephesus
• A book for everyday Christians
• The Holy Spirit is the teacher of each believer
• Acts 18-19 provides some background to Ephesus
• Paul met Priscilla and Aquila, and Apollos
• Paul left Ephesus but then came back (AD 50)
• Paul is writing the letter in AD 60 or 61
• Paul was in Ephesus for 3 years
• Paul found 12 men when he arrived following the way of John the Baptist but taught them the way of the Holy Spirit
• Paul went to the synagogue and taught every sabbath day for 3 months (Acts 19:8)
• They rejected the word of God
• Paul went to the school of Tyrannus and was teaching for 2 years to Jews and Greeks (Acts 19:9)
• God performed unusual miracles through Paul (Acts 19:10-11)
• The seven sons of Sceva
• God's power was seen (Acts 19:17-19)
• Many came and confessed their deed and repented of their magic
• The cult of artemus, a wonderful temple to Diana (one of the ancient wonders of the world)
• Paul addresses the believers as saints:
• Someone who has been called out of the darkness of the world and into the light of Christ
• Every Christian is a saint
• Do we see each other as brothers and sisters?
• To the faithful
• To those who really believe/full of faith
• Example of the first missionaries to the Amazon
• God has done a great work
• What about secular Great Britain?
• Will God do great things?
• The Brazilian church has planted 3 churches in the last 20 years
• How many churches has Tabor planted in 200 years?
• We have sent out many missionaries
• Paul went first to Philippi, then to Thessalonica, then Berea, then Athens, then Corinth, then Ephesus

The Beginning (v1-2)

• Paul was writing from prison (3:1)
• Paul had not given up
• He wrote many letters
• He wrote two letters to Timothy
• He wrote to Colossiae
• When we are in hard situations we must remember that we were in the hands of God
• Paul is using the title and authority of Apostle
• We do not have apostles today
• This came with the authority of God
• He is humble - it was by the will of God
• Paul signs his name at the start of the letter as was the custom at the time
• Paul desires grace and peace to all believers
• He forever speaks about the Father and Jesus Christ
• He desires that believers would know more of God
• This should be our desire also
• We should pray this for other believers also
• Not just a salutation but a deep desire

The Purpose of the Letter

• About lifting the minds of the Ephesian believers to the sublime
• Not to be worried about our earthly thoughts and concerns
• Our minds are to be lifted to the heavenly and the sublime
• Don't be preoccupied with self
• Example of Paul Tripp at Abba: Gaze
• The reminder that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ
• The chapter tells us of the all the blessings we have in Christ
• Example of man in Brazil - our worth in Christ
• Statements confirming believers
• You have the forgiveness of sins
• Redeemed by the riches of His grace
• The motive to live holy and obedient life
• If we lack assurance - meditate on these verses