Ephesians 2: 1-5 Part I

Scripture Study – Ephesians 2: 1-5

NIV    ¹As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ²in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. ⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

The Message   ^{1 -6}It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

     Once again as we look at this scripture we are looking at a piece of a letter. On the positive side it gives us insight into the most personal of writings. We can and will see Paul’s heart every time we read one of his letters. It’s a pastor’s heart, a parent’s heart full of love, pain, and a desire to make his “children” the best followers of Jesus they could be. On the other side there is no writing in the Bible more difficult to understand than a letter. Now, some would think it would be the prophetic books or the poetry but, not really, because when we read a letter and only see one side, it is sooooooooooooooo easy to misinterpret! So when we read the letters of Paul we are often in a difficulty. We don’t have any idea what the letter he was answering said or if he’d had visitors and was addressing something they had told him. It is only from the letter itself we can piece together what was in Paul’s heart.

     It is clear that Paul was the writer of Ephesians, it is also clear he was in jail because of the faith when he wrote it. There is some connection between Colossians and Ephesians because Tychicus was the bearer of both and they are similar in construction. One of the main questions behind Ephesians is to whom was it really written.

     In Paul’s day letters were written on rolls of papyrus. They were rolled and tied with thread, if they were really private or official they were then sealed. But an address was seldom written on them, letters were delivered by hand and there was no postal system. So the titles of the New Testament letters are not part of the original letters at all. They were inserted afterwards when the letters were collected and published for all the Church to read.

    So when we look at Ephesians closely we note some interesting things. This letter is the most impersonal Paul ever wrote, it has none of the intimate greetings or good-byes we note in other letters, this is odd given the fact he was in Ephesus longer that any other city. And in Acts 20: 17-35 there is some real intimacy between Paul and the elders of Ephesus. The other interesting comment is in 1: 15 “because I have heard of your faith” Paul had not just heard of their faith he had been part of it. In 3: 2 he writes “assuming that you have heard”, Paul would know this info if it were Ephesus. Lastly, none of the early manuscripts of the Greek NT contain the words “in Ephesus” they all read “Paul…to the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus.” So if not to Ephesus, where? The oldest suggestion is Laodicea. This comes from Paul’s statement in Colossians 4: 16: “And when this letter had been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea.” That statement makes it certain that a letter had gone to Laodicea. So how could this have happened? Well, Paul’s letters were well loved, treasured and copied for instruction. It could be as simple as the letter from Laodicea was copied or sent to Ephesus where it survived. Who knows… what we do know is the letter to the Ephesians is one of the most beautiful and instructive letters we have. A holy and inspired work laid down to guide, encourage and direct the Church then and the Church now. Info gathered from “The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians” by William Barclay.