TEACHING NOTES Introduction Ephesians is designed in two sections: (1) Ch. 1-3 covers a detailed explanation of the gospel message (2) Ch. 4-6 tells us how to live out the gospel message. These two sections are set on the hinge “therefore.” Today, we begin the application section of Ephesians. Paul begins this section by giving us a picture of what the church is supposed to be and how it is supposed to function. ​ Ephesians 4:1–3 ESV 1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Walk in a manner worthy of the calling = In Paul’s writings, “walking” is a metaphor for living. The Greek word for “worthy” used here is axios, which refers to doing something properly or suitably. Paul uses this idea in several of his letters. In Philippians Paul writes, “let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel” (Phil. 1:17). In Colossians Paul writes, “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord” (Col. 1:10). In 1 Thessalonians Paul writes, “walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory” (1 Thess. 2:12). In Ephesians, Paul wants his readers to walk worthy of their “calling”, which is an invitation to experience special privilege and responsibility. This “calling” can also refer to one’s position or status. Therefore, since we have been called to follow (walk with) Jesus, we should live like people who have Jesus with them at all times. OT - Deut. 10:12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,” Mark 1:17 “And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me [walk with me], and I will make you become fishers of men.’” Jesus is saying that if these men who catch fish will follow Him, they will still be fishermen but with a different goal. Following (walking with) Jesus changes the goal of everyday life. A normal life becomes a life with a calling. Gal. 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Humility = Grk. tapeinophrosyne - Lowliness, specifically in the mind. For Paul, humility is a mindset that leads one to think of himself on level ground. Throughout the biblical story there are numerous examples of how pride can be the source of sin. Knowing this, Jesus declared “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). Our struggle with pride is largely a result of the fallen world in which we live. In this world, it is the proud who succeed. In God’s kingdom, it is the humble who are blessed and who receive His inheritance. Gentleness = Grk. prautes - Whereas humility is a state of mind, gentleness is more about our actions toward others. A humble state of mind leads us to be gentle. The implication is that those who are not gentle have a pride issue. Patience = Grk. makrothymia - a state of tranquility or peace while waiting on an outcome. This is quite different from how we might think of patience. We think of it as a struggle that likely includes heightened emotions. In other words, we’re upset or angry while we wait. Our version of patience might be called “impatient patience.” For Paul, patience was a peace that surpassed all understanding and guarded the heart and mind from sorrow or anger (Phil.4:7). When Paul prayed for the Colossians, he prayed for “all endurance and patience with joy” (Col. 1:11). In Paul’s mind, the best example of being patient with others comes from God Himself and how patient He is with us (Rom. 2:4). Bear with one another in love = Being patient with others is done best by “bearing with one another in love.” In Greek, “bear with one another” literally means to put up with one another. It carries the idea of being tolerant for time in hopes that patience and love will work things for good. People will make mistakes and sometimes it will be intentional, but we love them through it patiently. This does not mean that we ignore bad behavior, but that we deal with it slowly and carefully. Eager to maintain unity and peace = The Greek word for “eager” used here is spoudazo, which means to do quickly or to do one’s best. The Greek word for “maintain” used here is tereo, which means to guard or keep watch over something. Paul is saying that these believers should make every effort to guard the unity and peace of their church family. If there is some kind of division or dispute, they should be quick to restore unity and peace. Why is unity and peace so important? ​ Ephesians 4:4–6 ESV 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Paul gives us seven “ones” in this passage: One Body: Since believers make up the body of Christ, each member of that body must be eager to maintain unity and peace so the body can function effectively. One Spirit: All believers possess the same Spirit of God. Therefore, division and strife has no place within the community of the Spirit. The Spirit is the source of unity in a world that is fixated on individualism. One Hope: All believers have a the same destination and the same inheritance. Our common hope is one hope, not multiple hopes and dreams. One Lord: All believers work together for one boss (Lord). One Faith: Since all believers have one Lord, there is one way of trust and allegiance to that one Lord. One Baptism: All believers are transferred from the world into God’s kingdom through one baptism. Baptism is dying to self and being raised to a new life. There is no other way to enter the kingdom. Following Jesus is the only way, truth, and life. One God: All believers unite under one God and refuse to give allegiance to another. In a world of polytheism, Judaism and later Christianity stood out as completely unique. ​ Ephesians 4:7–8 ESV 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” Grace was given to each one of us = For Paul, grace and gift is synonomous. Grace is a gift that not only saves us but also provides the means for living the Christian life. Paul quotes Psalm 68:18 = If you read this verse in the Old Testament, you will see that Paul changed “receiving gifts from men” to “he gave gifts to men.” Why? Because Paul knows that the entire Psalm is speaking of a victorious procession where God has won over His enemies. Usually when a battle is won, the victor would parade through the streets with the prisoners (captives) of war. But Paul knows that the Psalm speaks of God’s people dividing the spoils of war and ends with Psalm 68:35 “Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!” This victorious God, who has defeated the enemy, is giving power and strength to His people. That power comes as the gifts of the Spirit. ​ Ephesians 4:9–10 ESV 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) Ascended and Descended = If Jesus ascended from earth back to heaven, then He must have first descended to earth. From Christ’s seat in heaven at God’s right hand, He is now filling all things through the Spirit in us. ​ Ephesians 4:11 ESV 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, Note: Paul gives more extensive lists of spiritual gifts elsewhere in his writings. This list in Eph. 4:11, Paul is telling us the first group of gifts that were given. This is also shown in 1 Cor. 12:28 “And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.” Titled Positions or Functions? We must understand that these gifts were never intended to be positions with titles. They are gifts that function within the church. They are jobs to be done, not elevated positions to hold. In the church, every believer is gifted to do certain tasks or ministries. The only position in the body of Christ is the head, which is Christ. Every other part of the body functions and works together with the others. Apostles = Grk. apostolos - At the basic level of meaning, this word refers to one who is sent on a mission with a message. We find two types of apostles in the New Testament. Obviously, the first apostles were those who had been with Jesus during His earthly ministry. Those apostles (the 12) wrote most of the New Testament and held a special kind of authority in the early church. However, there were other apostles who were close associates of the twelve (Mark, Luke, Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Phoebe, etc.). Those later apostles functioned more like missionaries, traveling to various place to plant churches. So, what we would call a “missionary” today was called an apostle in the early church. Prophets = Grk. prophetes - In modern Christianity, the meaning of this term has become cloudy. Some think that a prophet can tell the future. Certainly, in Acts we find one or more prophets who knew a famine was coming or that Paul would get arrested in Jerusalem. But that seems to be rare. More often, the prophets in the New Testament church simply spoke words from God. Sometimes Paul would call this the “utterance of wisdom” or “the utterance of knowledge” (1 Cor. 12:8). This was a gift that helped guide the church, but these prophets were never seen as infallible. The apostles commanded the churches to test prophesy because the person could be misunderstanding what God was saying to them (1 Cor. 14:29; 1 John 4:1). Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 14:3 that the main purpose of prophets was “upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.” Evangelists = Grk. euangelistes - The basic meaning of this word is simply one who is a proclaimer of good news (gospel). In modern Christianity, an evangelist is often seen as a traveling preacher. However, this is not necessarily what Paul is talking about. In the New Testament, an evangelist was gifted in communicating the good news of the kingdom. This gift gives the person a peculiar ability to draw people toward the gospel. We might say that it is a gift of clearly explaining the gospel and the courage to share the gospel with others. Shepherds = Grk. poimen - Some English translations say “pastors” because the idea comes from pasture. The original meaning of “pastor” came from the Greek poimen, which means to pasture or shepherd sheep. The ESV translates this word as “shepherds” because that’s what the Greek word means everywhere else it is used in the New Testament. Jesus called Himself “the good poimen” who lays His life down for His sheep (John 10:11). Jesus is the model of what it means to shepherd or pastor the sheep (people). What do shepherds do? They protect the sheep, care for the sheep, and feed the sheep. In Jer. 3:15, the prophet is speaking about the new covenant where God would give His people “shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Teachers = Grk. didaskalos - This word refers to an instructor or teacher. In Greek, didache means “the teaching.” Therefore, a didaskalos is a person who studies and explains the didache. In Acts 2:42, we find that the early church was devoted to the apostle’s didache or teaching. The first apostles devoted themselves to the study and teaching of God’s Word and refused to get distracted with other ministries (Acts 6:2). Other ministries can be done by people with the other gifts. Teachers must be focused on studying and teaching the Bible. Note: Some scholars say that these last two gifts are one in the same. In their view, they are one gift, as in shepherd-teachers. While the Greek text might be interpreted that way, the example of the apostles in Acts 6:2 seems to separate these roles. The shepherd/pastor should be able to teach if needed. But the teacher must be devoted to the Word to be most effective. ​ Ephesians 4:12–13 ESV 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, To equip the saints for the work of ministry = The purpose of these first gifts are NOT to do all the work of ministry, but to “equip [train, prepare, furnish] the saints for the work [good deeds] of ministry [service].” Attain to the unity of the faith = As the gifts equip the saints to do good works, the church is pulled together in unity and faithfulness. Being trained/equipped and doing good works together builds a strong and unified family of believers. When a church becomes an “experience” (show) where the experts do the ministry and the saints come to watch, there will be far less unity and family in that church. When church leaders are busy doing all the ministry, there will be far less training and equipping. The knowledge of the Son of God = If the five gifts Paul mentioned are effectively doing their function, the saints will not only recognize who Jesus really is, but will come to know Him personally in a deeper way. This is really the goal of the church community—to know God more and more. In fact, Jesus said that knowing God is actually the definition of eternal life (John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”) Mature manhood = When we are equipped to do good works, attain unity in faith, and to know God, we will start to grow up spiritually. Paul’s use of the phrase “mature manhood” is not about gender but about being and acting like a full-grown person. The standard or goal of this maturity is “the stature of the fullness of Christ.” The body of Christ must be mature like Christ. ​ Ephesians 4:14 ESV 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. So that we may no longer be children = Paul gives us a perfect illustration for immaturity. What does it look like to be childish? Throwing a fit when we don’t get our way. Tossed around by whatever is popular. Believing whatever sounds good. Easily deceived by flashy schemes. ​ Ephesians 4:15–16 ESV 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Speaking the truth in love = Grk. aletheuo en agape - Literally, “truthing in love.” This concept has mostly been lost in modern Christianity. In America, the church has been committed to speaking the truth in judgment to the unbelieving world. But it has not been committed to speaking the truth in love within the church. We’re quick to speak truth and judge those outside the church, but afraid to tell the truth in love to those inside the church. Speaking the truth in love is the way to maturity. When someone speaks truth to us because they love us, we experience grace and encouragement to change. When we speak truth to those we love, we practice grace and love and get better at it as we continue to practice. All of this leads to maturity for both parties. Held together by every joint = Paul is saying that the five gifts mentioned above are like the ligaments that hold each part of the body together. When we exercise, our ligaments do the work of holding things together but also to push and pull each part for building strength. When each part is working properly = The early church functioned very differently than our modern churches. Modern churches usually have elevated leaders who do most of the ministry, while the congregant’s role is to sit and watch. In the early church, every member was involved in ministry both inside and outside of the church. In early church gatherings, there was no “show” and everyone participated in some way. Early church gatherings were more like a family gathering with a meal and had no defined order of service. However, over the centuries the church became more of a weekly spectator experience than a family gathering. Build itself up in love = Here, Paul tells us the final purpose of God’s gifts to the church. The overall goal is for God’s people (the church) to be built up in love. The idea of building up in Greek (oikodome) is the word for building a house. Since the church is now God’s house or temple, He wants it built on love. Paul already said this in Eph. 3:17 when he prayed that his readers would be “rooted and grounded [founded] in love.” In the Old Testament, God’s temple was His house. It was built as a garden-of-Eden-like place where God’s people could come to meet with Him. Jesus removed that temple built of stone and created a new temple in us that is built in love. This foundation of love creates a temple for God that invites everyone into the family of grace as each believer does their part. Conclusion As we end our time together, we’re all going to be involved. We will sing, take Communion, and pray the Lord’s Prayer together.