Ephesians 1:1
This is an experiment in that I will attempt to study the book of Ephesians (short and sweet, only 6 chapters) and make observations and draw parallels as I go. I don't pretend to be a Bible scholar, I don't presume to be a Bible teacher. I'm open to correction, challenge, and instruction. I'm posting here to share my thoughts and create a forum in which discussion and growth in the Lord can occur.
That being said, on with the first verse! I'm using the Old King Jimmy (aka KJV) because it's the version I can find the most online resources for. I'm all about utilizing technology! ;)
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"Paul, an apostle of Jesus by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus;"
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Pause. Looks rather innocent, eh? Here's how my mind sees it:
WHO: Paul. Please note he's using Paul, not Saul, which is the name his mama gave him. This should ring loud and clear that he's speaking as the person God changed him into, not the person he was.
WHAT: an apostle of Jesus. Thanks to http://www.blueletterbible.org, I can use their lexicon and look up "apostle". Described in Strong's as a delegate. A messenger sent with orders.
HOW: by the will of God. This statement you can take or leave. It's a sentence that requires faith to swallow. How many times has someone tried to convince you of something foolish because it was "the will of God"? That's like arguing with female intuition. It's an unprovable intangible.
Or is it?
Detour #1. The will of God. Easy to throw that around to add legitimacy to what you want to do. It's the will of God that your pastor take the money the congregation gave to the church to air condition the dog house, right? It's the will of God that you take that juicy promotion with the prestige and the pay, because it means more for you and God wants you happy right?
So, what is the will of God? Let's take a look. I'm plugging in "will of God" into the search engine on blueletterbible to see what comes up:
Galations 1:4
a) We know it was the will of God that Jesus come to give himself for our sins and deliver us from the present evil world.
i) I take this to mean that God wants us to not conform to this world. Jesus died so we could live in Him, not die as part of this world.
1 Thessalonians 4:4-7
b) God called us unto holiness. That means "set apart" by the way. The mug I use just for coffee on a Saturday morning (and I did have one of those) is holy. I set it apart for a specific purpose. God sets us apart for His specific purpose. What that is, varies from person to person.
1 Thessalonians is apparently chock full of what the will of God is, because here's another passage, chapter 5:14-18
c) God called us to be teachable, render good for evil, give thanks all the while, pray without ceasing, and to rejoice.
So, Paul is stating that his apostleship is founded by the power that wants him to pray without ceasing, place others before himself, render good for evil, rejoice always, be holy, and act like he was delivered from this world instead of dwelling in it.
Um, proof please.
For that, I go back to the first word of the book.
Paul.
Not Saul.
Paul.
Saul of Tarsus was a powerful name. Struck fear into the heart of many a Christian. He was a murderer, an informant, and had no problem ferreting out fledgling Christian churches and exterminating the members. To Saul of Tarsus, Christians were roaches preying upon the good name of Judaism. They needed to die. All of them. So that was his mission in life. Saul of Tarsus commanded prestige, respect, admiration, and terror.
But he didn't write as Saul. Saul died on a road to Damascus.
He wrote as Paul. Not Paul of Tarsus, not Paul of "I used to be Saul" fame. Just Paul.
That tells me that what he has to say, is from the same source that said "not my will, but Thy will, be done".
back to the rest of the verse:
to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus;"
If I was a saint at Ephesus, I'd almost be offended. What I'm reading is "the saints.........and to the faithful in Christ Jesus". Kind of like saying "this is for the women I love most, and my wife, too!". There just seems to be an odd distinction, because:
- if the saints at Ephesus were also faithful, why couldn't Paul just say "the faithful saints at Ephesus and the rest of the faithful believers in Christ Jesus?"
- or the letter was written for the saints at Ephesus (faithful or not), and also to the rest of the faithful in Christ Jesus, which would mean us?
Either way, Paul does appear to be making the point that it is specifically for the church at Ephesus, but also laying the groundwork that what Paul has to say to the saints at Ephesus were also to be applied in the life of the believer, no matter where (or when) that believer lives.
Detour #2: the fate of the church of Ephesus. This could be an implied/backhanded chastisement to the church of Ephesus by drawing the line of "saints of Ephesus over here, the faithful in Christ Jesus over there". I can state that with some comfort because the first letter of Jesus in the Book of Revelation is to the church of Ephesus. In that letter Jesus warned Ephesus that their lamp was about to be taken away because "they lost their first love". Jesus was calling for the Church at Ephesus to return to their first love, the love of Christ, before their lamp was taken away.
Y'all been to the church of Ephesus on them fancy Bible tours lately? Me neither.
So, out of this first verse, the framework for me is laid. The changed man, Paul, through the will of God that calls us to holiness, is delegated to send a message to the saints of Ephesus, and also to the faithful in Christ Jesus.
I guess I could have read the first verse in five minutes and taken it at its word, but that wouldn't be nearly so fun, would it? :)
That being said, on with the first verse! I'm using the Old King Jimmy (aka KJV) because it's the version I can find the most online resources for. I'm all about utilizing technology! ;)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus;"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pause. Looks rather innocent, eh? Here's how my mind sees it:
WHO: Paul. Please note he's using Paul, not Saul, which is the name his mama gave him. This should ring loud and clear that he's speaking as the person God changed him into, not the person he was.
WHAT: an apostle of Jesus. Thanks to http://www.blueletterbible.org, I can use their lexicon and look up "apostle". Described in Strong's as a delegate. A messenger sent with orders.
HOW: by the will of God. This statement you can take or leave. It's a sentence that requires faith to swallow. How many times has someone tried to convince you of something foolish because it was "the will of God"? That's like arguing with female intuition. It's an unprovable intangible.
Or is it?
Detour #1. The will of God. Easy to throw that around to add legitimacy to what you want to do. It's the will of God that your pastor take the money the congregation gave to the church to air condition the dog house, right? It's the will of God that you take that juicy promotion with the prestige and the pay, because it means more for you and God wants you happy right?
So, what is the will of God? Let's take a look. I'm plugging in "will of God" into the search engine on blueletterbible to see what comes up:
Galations 1:4
| Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: |
a) We know it was the will of God that Jesus come to give himself for our sins and deliver us from the present evil world.
i) I take this to mean that God wants us to not conform to this world. Jesus died so we could live in Him, not die as part of this world.
1 Thessalonians 4:4-7
| That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; | |
| Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: | |
| That no [man] go beyond and defraud his brother in [any] matter: because that the Lord [is] the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. | |
| For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. |
b) God called us unto holiness. That means "set apart" by the way. The mug I use just for coffee on a Saturday morning (and I did have one of those) is holy. I set it apart for a specific purpose. God sets us apart for His specific purpose. What that is, varies from person to person.
1 Thessalonians is apparently chock full of what the will of God is, because here's another passage, chapter 5:14-18
| See that none render evil for evil unto any [man]; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all [men]. | |
| Rejoice evermore. | |
| Pray without ceasing. | |
| In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you |
c) God called us to be teachable, render good for evil, give thanks all the while, pray without ceasing, and to rejoice.
So, Paul is stating that his apostleship is founded by the power that wants him to pray without ceasing, place others before himself, render good for evil, rejoice always, be holy, and act like he was delivered from this world instead of dwelling in it.
Um, proof please.
For that, I go back to the first word of the book.
Paul.
Not Saul.
Paul.
Saul of Tarsus was a powerful name. Struck fear into the heart of many a Christian. He was a murderer, an informant, and had no problem ferreting out fledgling Christian churches and exterminating the members. To Saul of Tarsus, Christians were roaches preying upon the good name of Judaism. They needed to die. All of them. So that was his mission in life. Saul of Tarsus commanded prestige, respect, admiration, and terror.
But he didn't write as Saul. Saul died on a road to Damascus.
He wrote as Paul. Not Paul of Tarsus, not Paul of "I used to be Saul" fame. Just Paul.
That tells me that what he has to say, is from the same source that said "not my will, but Thy will, be done".
back to the rest of the verse:
to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus;"
If I was a saint at Ephesus, I'd almost be offended. What I'm reading is "the saints.........and to the faithful in Christ Jesus". Kind of like saying "this is for the women I love most, and my wife, too!". There just seems to be an odd distinction, because:
- if the saints at Ephesus were also faithful, why couldn't Paul just say "the faithful saints at Ephesus and the rest of the faithful believers in Christ Jesus?"
- or the letter was written for the saints at Ephesus (faithful or not), and also to the rest of the faithful in Christ Jesus, which would mean us?
Either way, Paul does appear to be making the point that it is specifically for the church at Ephesus, but also laying the groundwork that what Paul has to say to the saints at Ephesus were also to be applied in the life of the believer, no matter where (or when) that believer lives.
Detour #2: the fate of the church of Ephesus. This could be an implied/backhanded chastisement to the church of Ephesus by drawing the line of "saints of Ephesus over here, the faithful in Christ Jesus over there". I can state that with some comfort because the first letter of Jesus in the Book of Revelation is to the church of Ephesus. In that letter Jesus warned Ephesus that their lamp was about to be taken away because "they lost their first love". Jesus was calling for the Church at Ephesus to return to their first love, the love of Christ, before their lamp was taken away.
Y'all been to the church of Ephesus on them fancy Bible tours lately? Me neither.
So, out of this first verse, the framework for me is laid. The changed man, Paul, through the will of God that calls us to holiness, is delegated to send a message to the saints of Ephesus, and also to the faithful in Christ Jesus.
I guess I could have read the first verse in five minutes and taken it at its word, but that wouldn't be nearly so fun, would it? :)
Labels: Ephesians Ch 1 Study
posted by Rae at
7:39 PM
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