EPHESIANS: SIMPLE CONTEXT
LETTER INTRODUCTION
Eph 1:1-2- Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
AUTHOR: Who Wrote the Letter?
Paul, the apostle
AUDIENCE: Who Was the Letter too?
Context of Ephesus and surrounding Churches
PURPOSE: What Is the Purpose?
Reveal the Father’s eternal purpose in Christ “to unify all things in Heaven and Earth under Christ” (Eph. 1:10) In other words, God’s plan was always to have a huge family of restored humans who are unified in Jesus. (The Bible Project)
Bring forth a unified fully mature church in love that would participate in God’s redemptive plan in Christ.
AUTHOR: “Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the Will of God”
Acts 8:3- Saul began to destroy the church going house to house dragging people off to prison.
Acts 9- Conversion & Commission (Jesus and Church In Christ: Revelation) (AD 35)
Conversion- Suddenly a light from heaven- “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”, “Who are you Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting”
3 days blind, praying, he will see a vision of Ananias coming,
Apostle- “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
1 Tim 1:13-16- “ Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.
Acts 13- Barnabas and Paul Set apart by HS, Sent by church at Antioch
Acts 13-28: Missionary Journeys of Paul’s Apostolic Team
(47-49 AD, First)--( 49-52 AD, Second)--(53-57 AD, Third)
Acts 18:23- Third Journey Began
Paul set off from Antioch checking in on churches in Galatia and Phrygia
AUDIENCE: Ephesus- “To the saints in Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus”
Saints and Faithful in Christ Jesus: Jews and Gentiles in Christ
The people whose lives are in Christ have been pulled up into Jesus’ finished work, given his righteousness, saved, seated with Christ and sent to be witnesses in the world!
Ancient Ephesus
The most famous and populous city in Asia Minor, an Eastern province in the Roman Empire. It was one of the most important urban centers ranking with Rome, Corinth, Antioch and Alexandria. It had an estimated population of about 250,000 people.
“They built a city of marble. They built a stadium that sat tens of thousands of people. They built a two-story teaching hospital. They built a sprawling library.” (Chris Morton: NTWrightonline.org)
The city had impressive monuments including the Temple of Artemis (Roman goddess-Diana), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Built in 400BC took over 100 years to build.
Who was Artemis; greek name, Dianna; Roman name? The supposed goddess of fertility, also known as "Queen of Heaven", "Savior", and "Mother Goddess"
She was probably the most worshiped deity in Asia and perhaps the world during Paul's time.
What was worship like? Hundreds of eunuch priests, virgin priestesses, and religious prostitutes served her.
The promise of fertility, long life, sexual fulfillment, and protection during pregnancy and childbirth.
The cult brought great wealth to the citizens of Ephesus because the temple of Artemis became the world's largest bank during that time.
There was a theater that could seat 25,000 people where Paul was almost killed.
Ephesian Church Overview Story (Luke devotes almost three chapters to this Key church)
Key Church in a Strategic City would become Fully Mature in Christ to Fully Present Christ to the Region.
We get to see a whole generation of the church in Ephesus over a 40 year period (51-90)
“The church in Ephesus was the most important church in Asia Minor, and possibly the most influential church in the world at the end of the first century.” Beasley-Murray
“Third capital of Christianity” Von Harnack
Acts 18:19-19:41; Acts 20:17-38; 1 & 2 Timothy; Rev 2:1-7
51 A.D.- (Acts 18:19)- Church of Ephesus was Born in mid-September on the second missionary journey. Priscilla and Aquila left there, Paul said, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” He would return around 2 years later. Apollos would preach the gospel, only baptism, intersected Priscilla and Aquila there.
53 A.D.- (Acts 19:1)- Paul and team on 3rd missionary journey focuses on Ephesus 53 A.D. and stays for almost 3 years seeing an unparalleled move of the Spirit in that city (Longest stay for Paul of any place he went)
Paul finds 12 disciples who have only heard of John’s baptism
“Did you receive the H.S. when you believed?” No we never heard of it, we got John’s baptism. John’s Baptism was for repentance, he told them to believe in the One coming after him. They were baptized in the name of Jesus, Paul laid hands on them, the H.S. came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Paul took them to the synagogue to teach Jesus’ kingdom way for 3 months, some people refused to believe and publicly persecuted them.
Paul took his disciples to a lecture hall Tyrannus and began training them.
One Greek manuscript adds that Paul did this 11am to 4pm when it was hot and the hall was available during work hours while people were on break.
Acts 19:10- “This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” (8 million people)
Extraordinary miracles
Open confession of evil and burning of sorcery scrolls worth 5 to 10 million dollars (50,000 drachmas)
Riot- ‘Gentlemen,’ he began. ‘You know that the reason we are doing rather well for ourselves is quite simply this business of ours. And now you see, and hear, that this fellow Paul is going around, not only Ephesus but pretty well the whole of Asia, persuading the masses to change their way of life, telling them that gods made with hands are not gods after all! This not only threatens to bring our proper business into disrepute, but it looks as if it might make people disregard the temple of the great goddess Artemis. Then she – and, after all, the whole of Asia, indeed the whole world, worships her! – she might lose her great majesty.’ (Acts 19:25-27 Kingdom New Testament; Wright)
1 Cor 16:8-9- “I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a GREAT DOOR of EFFECTIVE MINISTRY has opened to me.
Region in Revival flowing from a Key church making, maturing and multiplying disciples in a Strategic city, Ephesus.
58 A.D.- (Acts 20:17-38)- Paul comes back almost a year later for final visit with the elders of the church in Ephesus, he pours out his heart about how he spent night and day for those three years building elders that could serve the churches that Jesus bought with his own blood.
60 A.D.- Paul left for 4 years and then wrote the Letter to the Ephesians.
“God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
“Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Eph 6:20- “for which I am an ambassador in chains” Eph 3:13 “bc of my suffering”
63 A.D.- We see the Ephesian church again when Paul writes to his son in the faith and key leader Timothy.
90 A.D.- (Rev. 2:1-7)- Jesus addresses them with encouragement for persevering, enduring hardship and not growing weary. But they have forsaken their first love.
Note- *All dates are estimates*
PURPOSE: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Grace and Peace
Grace- Eph 1-3- God’s Grace in Christ to Create One New Global Family
Peace- Eph 4-6- Living in Christ as Jesus’ unified new family restoring shalom
Prayerful Family on Mission in Ephesians
Prayerful- Paul’s Praise and a Prayer for the Gospel (Eph. 1)
Family- One new humanity of Jews and Gentiles, Family formed in Jesus’ image. God is making a New Temple, greater than Jerusalem, greater than Artemis, for the display of his glory. (Eph. 2-3)
Mission- Walk in Love in all of life! Put oneness on display as the church, a family of families, before the watching world and spiritual powers of evil trying to rip apart a unified body! (Eph. 4-6)
Ephesians Answers the 2 Most Important Questions!!!
Who is God and what has he done? (Gospel)
Who are we and how do we live in light of the first question? (Identity in Christ)
God’s Purpose- The Gospel of “Glorious Grace”
1. God has an eternal plan bursting out of the shared joy, fellowship and glory of the Father, Son and Spirit. It’s the secret behind all things. All things created by love and for love, by God and for God.
2. The Father has not left the execution of his plan to chance, to kings, governments or politics. He has only One who will accomplish his eternal plan. This plan has been fulfilled and accomplished in Jesus Christ.
3. Those in Christ, the church, are now the immeasurably blessed recipients of the eternal plan. Paul says that God’s purpose has always been “to unify all things in Heaven and Earth under Christ” (Eph. 1:10) In other words, God’s plan was always to have a huge family of restored humans who are unified in Jesus. (The Bible Project)
SUMMARY: A Better Temple, One New Humanity in Christ:
“Acts tells a story about how, in a world of temples and empires, a few of Jesus’s early followers spread the good news that Jesus is Lord, and Caesar is not. They didn’t do it by tearing down temples or plotting coups. It’s much more simple—perhaps even boring. They established little communities, much like extended families. Because of their new Lord, Jesus, these new families played by different rules.
Slaves were as valued as free men. Women were as valued as men. Economies, built by the Demetriuses of the world, which traded expensive idols for spiritual hope, were replaced by a shared economy where the poor and the rich took care of each other.
It’s easy to stand on that hillside in Turkey and write off the religions and empires that have come and gone. But today, there are still women and men around the world who make Jesus their King. Today, just like then, making Jesus king has a way of changing the balance of power.
Today, King Jesus is still giving hope, for life now, and after death.
Empires have come and gone. Religions have, as well. But Jesus’s good news is still good news, and it can still threaten empires today.”
(Chris Morton https://www.ntwrightonline.org/great-was-artemis-of-the-ephesians/)
