The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians: The Purpose of the Ages
Stanley Bruce Anstey
Table of Contents
Introduction: Ephesians
If a believer is to be established in the full Christian revelation of truth, he will need an understanding of what has been given to the Church in Paul’s two-fold ministry. In Romans 16:25 Paul speaks of these two things as “my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,” and “the revelation of the mystery.” His “gospel and preaching” is unfolded in the epistle to the Romans, and the revelation of “the mystery” is unfolded in Ephesians and Colossians. The gospel announces what God has for the blessing of man, but the Mystery discloses what there is for the pleasure of God concerning His Son.
The Mystery
“The mystery” is a secret that God has kept hidden in Himself “through the ages” of time, but has now made known through the special revelations given to the Apostle Paul (Eph. 3:4-5, 9; Col. 1:26; Rom. 16:25). It discloses God’s great purpose to glorify His Son in two spheres—in heaven and on earth in the world to come (the Millennium), through a specially formed vessel of testimony, the Church, which is Christ’s (mystical) body and bride.
The Mystery is not Christ in His holy and glorious Person, nor is it His life of perfection as He walked in this world, nor is it His death and resurrection and His coming again (His Appearing) to reign over this world. These things were all spoken of in the Old Testament and known to those who were familiar with those Scriptures. The Old Testament foretells of a Jewish Messiah reigning over the earth with Israel and the Gentile nations rejoicing under Him. But the Mystery reveals something more; when Christ will reign, He will have a complement at His side—the Church, His body and bride. God will use this special vessel to enhance the glory of Christ in that coming day of display. Moreover, the Mystery reveals that Christ will not only reign over the earth, but the whole universe will be under the administration of Him and His bride.
Paul said to the Ephesian elders, “I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Therefore, those to whom he was writing must have had some introduction to these wonderful things.
The Development of Truth in the Epistles
It has been often said that the highest truth in the whole Bible is found in the epistle to the Ephesians. There is a distinct progression of truth in connection with our identification with Christ in Paul’s epistles. They are:
The epistle to the Ephesians does not present Christ as “crucified,” “dead,” or “buried.” It begins developing the truth concerning our identification with Him on the other side of death, as “quickened,” “raised,” and “seated” in Him in the heavenlies (Eph. 2:6). The epistle sees the believer on the highest ground with Christ and opens out the wide expanse of blessings that we have in Him.
Two Parts of the Epistle
While the truth that Paul gives here in this epistle is very high, God intends that it would be immensely practical. There are two great parts to the epistle: chapters 1-3, which are doctrinal, and chapters 4-6 which are practical. Since every Christian doctrine has a moral and practical application to the lives of believers, the exhortations given in the latter three chapters are based on the doctrines stated in the first three.
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Seated
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Raised
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Raised
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Quickened
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Quickened
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Buried
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Buried
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Dead
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Dead
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Dead
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Crucified
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Crucified
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Galatians
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Romans
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Colossians
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Ephesians
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God's Eternal Purpose Regarding Christ and the Church: Ephesians 1
The Salutation
Vss. 1-2—Paul opens the epistle with his ordinary greetings, identifying himself as "an apostle of Christ Jesus." It is not addressed to an assembly but to “the saints and faithful” who were "at Ephesus," therefore, other servants are not associated with him in the greeting. (As a rule, when he addressed assemblies, others were included in the greeting according to 2 Corinthians 13:1.) Apparently this was a circular letter that was to be passed among the saints in that general region (F. G. Patterson).
After the salutation in verses 1-2, chapter 1 divides in two parts. In the first part, the Apostle is seen blessing God (vss. 3-14). In the second, He is praying to God (vss. 15-23). We see from this that the epistle was written in a priestly tone, and that the first chapter is really an ascription of praise and prayer. It is fitting that such lofty truths, which are about to be disclosed in this epistle, should be communicated in a priestly, worshipful manner. It was written in that spirit and it should be read in that spirit.
The Apostle Blesses God
Vss. 3-14—The Apostle blesses the triune God for His incredibly wise plan to display the glory of His Son in heaven and earth in the world to come (the Millennium) through the Church, which is Christ's body. As he exults in the blessedness of God’s great purpose, we are privileged to listen in and thus learn how richly we are blessed in Christ, the Man who is the focus of God’s purpose and counsel.
Vs. 3—Paul addresses God in the double relationship that the Lord Jesus has with Him, as “God” and “Father.” (The two prayers recorded in the epistle in chapters 1 and 3, coincide with these two relationships.) Paul exults in the fact that we have been blessed with “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” These blessings are heavenly, spiritual, and eternal, in contrast to Israel’s blessings, which were earthly, material, and temporal. They are “in the heavenlies” (J. N. Darby Trans.) which is not a place as the KJV suggests, but the realm of spiritual activity. Every one of these Christian blessings is a present possession of the believer. We are not waiting to get them; they are ours now. This is indicated by the repeated use of the words “hath,” “have,” and “having” in the chapter.
Furthermore, Paul says that our Christian blessings are all “in Christ”—an expression used many times in the first three chapters. It refers to the Christian’s position of acceptance before God in Christ, the risen Man. To be “in Christ” means to be in Christ’s place before God. Hence, the measure of His acceptance before God is ours! The favour that rests on Him in the presence of God is also ours on account of us being in His place.
Our Christian Blessings
(Each one is inseparably connected with our acceptance “in Christ” – see J. N. Darby Translation.)
Redemption in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:24).
Forgiveness of sins in Christ—a purged conscience (Rom. 4:7; Eph. 4:32; Heb. 9:14).
Justified in Christ Jesus (Rom. 4:25-5:1; Gal. 2:16-17).
The gift of the Spirit in Christ—anointed, sealed, and given the earnest of the Spirit (Rom. 5:5; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:13).
Reconciliation in Christ Jesus—“made nigh” (Rom. 5:10; Eph. 2:13; Col. 1:21).
Sanctified in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:19; 1 Cor. 1:2).
Eternal Life in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:23; 2 Tim. 1:1).
Deliverance (Salvation) in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1-2).
Sonship in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:14-15; Gal. 3:26; 4:5-7).
Heirship of the inheritance in Christ (Rom. 8:17; Eph. 1:10-11; Gal. 3:29).
New creation in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:29; Gal. 6:15; 2 Cor. 5:17).
Membership in the “one body” in Christ (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12-13).
These distinctive blessings “in Christ” belong only to the Church, Christ’s body and bride. Old Testament saints are blessed of God, but they do not possess these Christian blessings.
The "Good Pleasure" of God
Let us note that the passage before us focuses on the eternal purpose of God to glorify His Son. Our blessings are mentioned, but the emphasis is on God's side of things—what He has done for His own pleasure and for the satisfaction of the His heart. There are two things in particular that are said to be according to God's good pleasure:
It is His "good pleasure" to have a company sons before Him in the very place of His Son, and blessed with special blessings that no other blessed persons have (vs. 5).
It is His "good pleasure" to give this company of sons special insight into His great purpose to glorify His Son, which He has been kept secret in His heart from before the foundation of the world
Paul’s blessing of God in connection with His all-wise plan to glorify Christ is mentioned under three heads and is in relation to the three Persons of the Godhead (the Trinity) who have had this eternal purpose and have counseled to bring it to pass. Each section ends with a fitting note of “praise” (vss. 6, 12, 14).
Sonship With the Father
1) The Apostle exults over the place we have as sons in relation to “the Father” (vss. 4-7).
Vss. 4-6—God has chosen us for a place of sons in His family. The phrase, “the adoption of children” (KJV), should be translated “sonship” (vs. 5). The word in the Greek means, “son-place,” and refers to God’s act of setting us before Himself in the very place of His own Son. Sonship is the highest conferred blessing that we have in relation to the Father. We have this place now as a present blessing through the indwelling Spirit (Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:15).
God could have put us in the privileged place of the elect angels, or even lifted us to the lofty position of an archangel, but He chose to give us a place far higher and more blessed than that—He put us in His own Son’s place! Sonship is a position in the family of God that has been reserved for those who are saved during this present time by the gospel call, and thus compose the Church. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the Old Testament saints are part of the family of God as His children, but they do not have this favoured place of sons (Gal. 4:1-7). As part of God’s family, Christians are children of God (Rom. 8:16) and they are also sons of God (Rom. 8:14).
We learn from Paul's exulting in regard to our blessings in Christ that sonship is something that God chose us for “before the foundation of the world.” Thus, we have been “chosen” and “predestinated” to the nearest possible place of relationship to God that a creature could have! Chosen (which is election) is to be selected (vs. 4), and predestinated refers to what we have been selected for (vs. 5). The first has to do with persons; the second has to do with the place God has for those persons. If God is to have a people before Him, they must be in a condition in which they are like Him. He is “holy” in His character and “blameless” in His ways. Therefore, He has purposed to have believers in that same condition in that place of blessing.
God has planned this great blessing for Christians “according to the good pleasure of His will.” It will bring satisfaction to His heart to have a company of sons before Him in glory with His own Son. The great blessing of “sonship” is to share:
The Son’s place of favour (Eph. 1:6).
The Son’s life—eternal life (John 17:2).
The Son’s liberty before the Father (Rom. 8:14-16).
The Son’s inheritance (Rom. 8:17).
The Son’s glory (Rom. 8:18; John 17:22).
This place in which we stand before God is a place of “favour in the Beloved” (vs. 6). We have it because of our connection with Christ, the Son of His love (Col. 1:13). This goes beyond being “accepted” (as the KJV translates verse 6) and denotes having the affection of the Father in a special way.
Vs. 7—Moreover, this great blessing is based on the work of Christ in “redemption.” The fact that redemption is mentioned in the eternal purpose of God shows that the entrance of sin and the fall of man (Gen. 3) were not a surprise to Him. Redemption, therefore, is not an afterthought with God.
The “riches of His grace” (vs. 7) emphasizes how far down He reached to save us. The “glory of His grace” (vs. 6) emphasizes how high He reached to set us in Christ’s place. It is of little wonder that the Apostle says, “To the praise of the glory of His grace!” These two things are illustrated in Luke 15 in the father’s reception of his son. Covering the prodigal with kisses illustrates “the riches of His grace,” clothing him with the best robe, with shoes on his feet, and a ring on his hand, and giving him a son’s place in his house illustrates “the glory of His grace.”
Hence, we have three great things in relation to the Father: He has “chosen” us (vs. 4), He has “predestinated” us (vs. 5), and He has “brought us into favour” in the very place of His own beloved Son (vss. 5-6).
Heirship With Christ
2) The Apostle turns to exult over the place we have as co-heirs of the inheritance with “Christ” in the administration of the world to come (vss. 8-12).
Vss. 8-9—It is God’s intention that this favoured company of sons (the Church) would be intelligent as to His eternal purpose, and what He is doing in this world now, and what He will do in the world to come—the Millennium. Wherefore, “He has caused to abound towards us in all wisdom and intelligence,” and has “made known to us the mystery of His will.” He has given to the Church special insight as to His plan to publicly display the glory of His Son in the coming millennial day. Thus, the Church has become the depository of God’s counsel regarding His purpose for that coming day. This, too, is something that is said to be “according to His good pleasure.”
It has pleased God to make known to us this secret (“the mystery”) concerning His Son. It is something that Old Testament saints knew nothing of because, until now (the Day of Grace), it had been “kept secret since the world began” (Eph. 3:5; Col. 1:26; Rom. 16:25). There are two sides to the Mystery. When it is called the “the mystery of His will” (Eph. 1:9), it refers to God’s purpose to put all things under Christ’s headship in the coming millennial day. When it is called “the mystery of the Christ” (Eph. 3:4; 5:32; Col. 4:3) it is referring to the Church being associated with Christ in that day of display.
Vs. 10—In “the dispensation [administration] of the fullness of times” (the Millennium) God has purposed to “head up” all things in heaven and on earth under “the Christ.” This expression refers to the mystical union of Christ and the members of His body by the indwelling Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12-13 – J. N. Darby Trans.).
The Old Testament speaks of a Jewish Messiah who will reign over Israel in a coming day with the Gentile nations rejoicing with them (Psa. 8, etc.). The revelation of “the mystery” in the New Testament goes far beyond that and unfolds God’s plan to have the entire universe (heaven and earth) under Christ’s reign. And also, in that coming millennial day, Christ would have a complement (His bride) at His side to enhance the display of His glory (John 17:22-23; 2 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 21:9-22:5). This can be seen here in the phrase “the Christ.” It is a technical expression used in Paul’s epistles that refers to the mystical union of Christ and the members of His body (1 Cor. 12:12-13). Furthermore, this tenth verse indicates that it is not God’s intention to have the heavens completely severed from the earth, as they are now. His will is to “head up” the administration of all things in heaven and earth under the Christ and the Church ("the Christ"), so that there would be a united system of heavenly and earthly glory under Him and His bride.
Vs. 11—The “inheritance,” over which we will reign with Christ, is the whole creation—every created thing. It is not numbered among our spiritual blessings, being that it is material things. Our blessing in connection with the inheritance is in heirship—the right and privilege to reign over all created things with Christ in His kingdom glory. Many Christians mistakenly think that we are the inheritance which has been given to Christ as a possession. It is true that we are the Father’s gift to the Son (John 17:2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 24), but we are not the inheritance. This verse states clearly that the inheritance is given to us. If it is given to us, then we are the heirs, not the inheritance. A wife—which we are destined to be (Rev. 19:7; 21:9)—is not numbered among a man’s possessions as chattel.
There are two aspects of the inheritance in the New Testament. Firstly, in 1 Peter 1:4 it is referring to our spiritual blessings, which are “reserved in heaven” for us. Mr. Darby spoke of this aspect of the inheritance as being over our heads (in the heavenlies), because 1 Peter is a wilderness epistle and the saints are seen as pilgrims on earth. This aspect of the inheritance has been translated elsewhere as our “portion” in Christ (Col. 1:12; Acts 26:18 – J. N. Darby Trans.). In Ephesians, however, the inheritance is the material creation. Mr. Darby spoke of this aspect as stretching out under our feet. In this epistle the saints are seen seated in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 2:6), and everything in the universe is under them—even the angelic beings (Eph. 1:20-21).
This great plan to publicly glorify Christ in the world to come with and through His eternal complement (the Church) is “according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His own will.” We have two things here: “purpose” and “counsel.” Purpose is the intention of God’s will and counsel is the wisdom the Godhead takes in carrying it out. Purpose is the objective that God has before Him, and divine Persons have taken counsel as to how it would be secured, and the “ways” of God (Rom. 11:33) are bringing it all into effect. Bible teachers and hymn writers will often use these terms in the plural (i.e. the "purposes" and the "counsels" of God), but Scripture never does—they are always mentioned in the singular. God has one singular "purpose" to glorify His Son, and His "counsel" is always one in bringing it to pass.
Vs. 12—The revelation of God’s great purpose to all in the coming millennial day will redound “to the praise of His glory.” When men look on what the grace of God has wrought in Christ, they will praise God for His all-wise plan (John 17:23). Believers from among the Jews (“we” – vs. 12), who have "pre-trusted" before a remnant of Israel receive the Lord as their Messiah in a coming day, and believers from among the Gentiles (“ye” – vs. 13) are made to share in the common blessing of being part of this new heavenly vessel of testimony—the Church.
Hence, we have three great things in relation to the Son: we have “redemption” in Him (vs. 7), we have been given the revelation of “the mystery” in Him (vss. 8-10), and in Him we have obtained “an inheritance” (vs. 11).
Sealed With the Spirit
The Quickened, Sealed and Given the Earnest of the Holy Spirit
3) The Apostle then exults in the work of the Holy Spirit who has enabled us to know and enjoy these things before God’s great plan to publicly glorify His Son comes to pass (vss. 13-14).
Vs. 13—The exalted Man at God’s right hand will not only bring the universe into suitability with God in a coming day, He is presently bringing believers into suitability with the Godhead through the operations of the Holy Spirit. Paul says, “After that ye have heard the Word of truth.” This is the beginning of the work of God in a person. Hearing, in this sense, refers to the Word of God penetrating the soul and creating a spiritual capacity in a person by the quickening power of the Spirit, whereby he is attuned to the voice of the Son of God and able to receive divine communications (John 5:25; 8:47; Prov. 20:12; Rom. 10:17). Paul goes on and says, “In whom also, having believed.” Further to hearing, there is a necessity on the part of the individual of believing the message—“the gospel of your salvation.” This refers to the person understanding and resting in faith on the finished work of Christ, whereupon he is “sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise” by that divine Person coming to dwell in him (John 14:17; 1 Thess. 4:8; James 4:5; 1 John 3:24; 4:13). The seal of the Spirit gives the believer the assurance in his soul that he is truly saved.
Note: a person is indwelt with the Spirit, not by being quickened, but by believing the gospel of his salvation. As mentioned, quickening is the beginning of the work of God in a soul; sealing is the completing of that work whereby the person is placed in the full Christian position before God (Rom. 8:9). There is an interval of time between the two, varying from seconds to years in believers—depending on the circumstances of their personal history.
Vs. 14—A wonderful prospect lies before us in the coming day of display (the Millennium). But God would not have us to wait until then to know and enjoy these things. Hence, the Holy Spirit who has taken up His abode in us works to this end as “the earnest.” The sealing of the Spirit gives us to know that we belong to Him; the earnest of the Spirit gives us to know that we have things that belong to us. The seal is for the assurance of our salvation; the earnest is for the enjoyment of our portion in Christ before we are there with Him in the glorified state.
The inheritance (the material creation) has been “purchased” at the cross and is presently awaiting “redemption.” Redemption goes beyond purchase and includes being “set free.” The creation is now under the bondage of corruption (Rom. 8:20-23) and is in the hands of Satan and evil men (1 John 5:19). When the Lord comes to redeem the creation at His Appearing, He will put down every adverse power and set it free for the purpose for which it was intended (Rev. 11:15). This too, is “to the praise of His glory.” But note: the phrase, “of His grace” (as in verse 6) is not found here because the subject is the release of the groaning creation. It has not sinned as we have, and therefore, it is not in need of His grace acting toward it in the way we need it. The groaning creation needs His power in redemption, not His grace in redemption.
Hence, we have three great things in and through the Holy Spirit: He has quickened us (“heard”), He has “sealed” us (vs. 13), and He is the “earnest” of our inheritance (vs. 14).
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In reviewing these things, we learn that those who compose this new vessel of God’s workmanship (the Church) have:
The place of sons before “the Father” which Old Testament and millennial saints do not have (vss. 4-7).
Union in the body of “Christ” and the prospect of reigning with Him over the inheritance, which those from other ages do not have (vss. 8-12).
The indwelling presence of the “Holy Spirit” which all other saints do not have (vss. 13-14).
Hence, it is a tremendous privilege to be part of this special company of believers.
The Apostle Prays to God
Vss. 15-23—The Apostle’s praise passes to petition. When he heard of their “faith in the Lord Jesus” and “love unto all the saints,” He gave thanks to God, for it was a true manifestation of divine life. These things proved that they were real and were growing in grace.
His prayer is addressed to the “God of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This coincides with the first part of the Lord’s double relationship mentioned in verse 3. It is to “God” because it has to do with the saints’ apprehension and God’s power to bring to pass His great plan to glorify His Son in the world to come.
Note: Paul does not pray that the saints would be more blessed, because more blessed they cannot be! (vs. 3 – "every spiritual blessing") Our Christian blessings are a mountain peek to which God Himself cannot add. Therefore, instead of praying for more blessings, Paul prays that the saints would be in a right spiritual state to apprehend God’s great plan to glorify His Son, and to appreciate the blessings that are theirs in Him. He longs for the saints to grasp the magnitude of the great purpose of God and to understand how richly they have been blessed in Christ in whom everything centers. He prays that “the eyes” of our “heart” (not “understanding”—as in KJV) would be “enlightened” because he wants us to not only know these things, but to enjoy them in our souls.
There are three things in particular for which Paul prays that the saints would “know” in their hearts. This is indicated in the three-fold use of the word “what” in verses 18-19. These three things correlate with the three things in the Apostle’s blessing in verses 3-14. They are:
“What is the hope of His calling”
The Apostle has spoken of this in verses 4-6. He would have us to know and appreciate the position to which we have been called. Our calling is “high” (Phil. 3:14), “holy” (2 Tim. 1:9), and “heavenly” (Heb. 3:1). We could not have been called to a higher place, for it is indeed the nearest possible place of relationship that His love could provide! The “hope” of it is yet to be realized. This is not the hope of the Lord’s coming to take us home to heaven (the Rapture) for in Ephesians we are seen as being there already (chap. 2:6). It is, rather, the deferred certainty of being manifested with Christ in glory in our high calling in the day of display (the Millennium). The glorification of the sons of God is at the Rapture (Rom. 8:17), but the manifestation of the sons of God is at the Appearing of Christ (Rom. 8:19).
“What is the riches of the glory of His inheritance”
The Apostle has spoken of this in verses 8-12. He would have us to understand and appreciate the place we have as heirs in connection with the inheritance. The calling is above in relation to our place with divine Persons, but the “inheritance” is below involving created things. The “glory” of the inheritance will be seen when the vast creation will have at its head, its crowning jewel set in its place—Christ and the Church reigning over it. The saints are not the inheritance (as commonly thought); they are “heirs” of it (Rom. 8:17; Gal. 3:29; 4:7).
The inheritance will be taken “in the saints.” This means that the Lord will not take possession of the inheritance until He has us with Himself, so that we can take it together at His Appearing (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; 2 Thess. 1:7). An Old Testament type of this is when Jehovah took the land of Canaan in and through the children of Israel. The Lord led them into their promised inheritance as the Captain of the host, and they took possession of the land with Him (Josh. 5:13-15).
“What is the exceeding greatness of His power”
The Apostle has spoken of this in verses 13-14. He would have us to know that there is no lack of power to redeem (set free) the inheritance. The Man of God’s counsels (Christ) has gone into death to secure it all for God. The resurrection of Christ demonstrates God’s great power and ability to bring to pass His great purpose. Paul says, “According to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.” All the forces of evil (Satan’s kingdom) were gathered at the tomb to prevent His rising from the dead (Psa. 18:7-19; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14), but the power of God broke through it all triumphantly, and “raised Him from the dead” and “set Him at His own right hand.”
The politicians of our day make promises to change and improve the conditions in society in an effort to make this world a better place, but things remain in the same corrupted state. This world has not improved morally because—well-meaning as the politicians are—they don’t have the power to implement their plans. In contrast to this, God has not only promised to set this world right—by bringing to pass His great purpose to glorify His Son in heaven and earth—He has the power to do it! He will arrange ("head up") everything under the universal headship of "the Christ" in the world to come (vs. 10). He has given proof of "the exceeding greatness of His power" that will bring it to pass, by raising Christ from the dead and setting Him at His own right hand. Christ is presently seated there "far above" all angelic beings and "every name that is named." This is true, "not only in this world [age], but also in that which is to come."
This “power” is said to be “to us-ward who believe” (vs. 19). This means that while we wait for God to bring to pass His great purpose at Christ's Appearing, He is using that same power to strengthen us now and enable us to walk worthy of our calling in a practical way (chaps. 3:16; 4:1). God has put “all things under His feet” (Christ's universal Lordship) and given Him to be “head over all things (Christ's universal Headship) to the Church.” Hence, Christ is not only "the head of the Church" (chap. 5:23), He is also "the head over all things to the Church" (chap. 1:22). Being Head over "all things" means that He is in control of everything that comes into the lives of the members of His body while they are on earth. Hence, there is nothing that happens to us that is by chance; The Lord has allowed, or ordered it, for some good reason (Rom. 8:28). Christ is never said to be Head over the Church, but “He is the Head of the body” (Col. 1:18), but He is Head "over" all things that touch our lives.
Verse 23 indicates that the Church is the Eve of the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45)—“the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.” We are His heavenly complement and will reign with Him at His side in the coming day of display. The Church is “the fullness of Him.” This is an incredible statement. In Ephesians, Christ is seen as incomplete without us (as far as the purpose of God is concerned). In Colossians, we are seen as being incomplete without Him (Col. 2:10).
"Ages" and "Dispensations"
Paul has used the words "dispensation" and "age" in this first chapter of Ephesians (vss. 10, 21). These are not the same thing, and can be distinguished as follows:
An age is an epoch or period of time that has run, or is running, or will run, its course on earth. Such periods are called "the ages of time" (Titus 1:2). The Lord spoke of two ages in His ministry: "this age" and of "the age to come" (Matt. 12:32). "This age" is the Mosaic age, which began at Sinai and was in progress at the time of the Lord's first coming. When He was rejected and cast out of this world, this age became "the present evil age," in that the "princes of this age" committed the greatest sin of crucifying the Lord of glory (Gal. 1:4; 1 Cor. 2:6, 8).
This Mosaic age is still in progress today. The coming of the Holy Spirit and the introduction of Christianity did not bring the Mosaic age to an end, nor did it begin a new age. Presently, God is calling believers out of the Jews and the Gentiles to be part of the Church (Acts 15:14; 26:17). Those who believe the gospel of His grace today are delivered "out of the present evil age," and are no longer part of it, as far as their position is concerned (Gal. 1:4). The Church has no connection with the earth and its periods of time, and therefore, to speak of this present time as "the Church age" (as some Christians do) is not doctrinally accurate.
The Church is on earth at this present time as a sojourner on its way to its heavenly home; its calling, character, and destiny are all heavenly. Since the Church is still on earth and passing through "this age" which is marked by evil, the exhortations of the Apostle are to keep ourselves separate from its character and ways. We are to "live soberly, righteously, and godly, is this present age" (Titus 2:12). Believers are to reject the wisdom of this age, because "God has made foolish the wisdom of this world" (1 Cor. 1:20). Also, Christians who are "rich in the present age" materially are warned to not allow themselves to be characterized by the age, and "trust in uncertain riches" (1 Tim. 6:17). They are to distribute their possessions and whereby the lay "up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come" (1 Tim. 6:18-19). Sad to report, some Christians today are turning from their steadfastness, and are loving "this present age" and they are settling down in the world as a result. Demas is an example of this (2 Tim. 4:10).
Some have thought that the present calling of God by the gospel has put the Mosaic age in abeyance, and it will not begin again until some future day. However, it is still running its course on earth, and the Law still has its "application" to men in the flesh in this age, in the sense of magnifying their sins and showing them their need of a Saviour (1 Tim. 1:8-10; Rom. 3:19). The Law, of course, has no application to Christians who are viewed as having died with Christ. The Law is not dead; it is the Christian who is dead to it. The Law, therefore, has nothing to say to them (Rom. 7:4, 6).
We know from the prophetic Scriptures that this present age has at least 7 more years remaining to it, after the Church is called to heaven. These years will be fulfilled in the seventieth week of Daniel (Dan. 9:27). This age is presently under the control of Satan who is its god and prince (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2), and it is going on to judgment. It will close at the Appearing of Christ in what is called, "the completion of the age" (Matt. 13:39-40, 49; 24:3; 28:20). At that time, the Lord will bring in "the age to come," which is the Millennium (Matt. 12:32; Mark 10:30; Eph. 1:21; Heb. 2:5; 6:5). When the Millennium has run its course of 1000 years, the Eternal State will be ushered in. Scripture calls this, "the ages of ages" (Gal. 1:5; Eph. 3:21; 1 Tim.1:17; 1 Peter 5:11; Rev. 5:13; 22:5).
The word "dispensation" means "the administration of a house," or "an economy," or "a house-law." In the sense that it is used in Scripture, it is a publicly ordered dealing of God with men in the administration of His ways during various ages. There appears to be three main dispensations (See Concise Bible Dictionary — pp. 216-217).
The first of these is the Dispensation of the Law. This was an ordered dealing of God with men (the nation of Israel) whereby the legal requirements of the Law were to be fulfilled by the people in order for them to walk in fellowship with God. It has passed through three phases:
About 400 years under the Judges (from Israel's entrance into the land of Canaan to the end of the Judges — Acts 13:19-20).
About 500 years of kingship (from Saul to the Babylonian captivity).
About 600 years of prophetic testimony during the Times of the Gentiles (from the captivity to John the Baptist (Luke 16:16).
The second great dispensation is the present "dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph. 3:2). It can also be called, "the Dispensation of the Mystery" (Eph. 3:9 – W. Kelly Translation footnote). The manifestation of grace actually commenced with the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:17), but when His earthly people rejected him, God opened the present dispensation of grace in the heavenly call of the Church, which began with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4; 11:15). This is an altogether different ordering of God for a heavenly people who are now being called out of the Jews and Gentiles to be part of a new heavenly thing—the Church of God (Acts 15:14; 26:17). The burden of true Christian ministry today is to "further God's dispensation" by helping the saints to understand their heavenly blessings in Christ and the great privileges that are theirs in Him (1 Tim. 1:4).
The third great dispensation is yet to come—"the dispensation of the fulness of times" (Eph. 1:10). This will be a special ordering of God for men during the Millennial reign of Christ.
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Paul uses the word "age" in this epistle to denote three different things:
"This age" (chap. 1:21)—the present day.
The age "which is to come" (chap. 1:21)—the Millennium.
"The age of ages" (chap. 3:21)—the Eternal State when there will be no time.
He also speaks of two dispensations in this epistle:
"The dispensation of the fulness of times" (chap. 1:10)—a special ordering of God during the millennial kingdom reign of Christ.
"The dispensation of the grace of God" (chap. 3:2)—a special heavenly ordering of God for those who believe the gospel of His grace and are thus part of the Church of God.
In summary, an "age" is a period of time, and a "dispensation" is a moral and spiritual economy of God in relation to men during a certain period of time.
God's Work of Forming the Church & Making It His Vessel of Testimony: Ephesians 2
Chapter 1 has disclosed what God purposed in eternity past in regard to Christ and the Church; chapter 2 discloses what God is doing at this present time. He is presently gathering the material that will comprise the Church by calling believers out from among the Jews and the Gentiles, and bringing them together into a “joint-body” (chap. 3:6). It is a special vessel of testimony He is forming in view of displaying Christ’s glory in the world to come (the Millennium). In the meantime, this same vessel has become the habitation of God by the Spirit, as a present testimony of His grace in this world.
Three Insurmountable Conditions Overcome by the Mercy, Love, and Grace of God
In chapter 2, we see the material that God has chosen lying in a most impossible state. Men and women from among the Jews and the Gentiles are dead in sins, far from God morally, and there is deep racial prejudice and variance between them. Hence, there are three seemingly insurmountable conditions which prevail over the whole scene where God has purposed to work. There is:
Spiritual death (vs. 1).
Moral distance from God (vs. 13).
Racial dissension (vss. 15-16).
Satan is also there to oppose the carrying out of the counsel of God, and thus thwart the purpose of God reaching its fruition. However, the same great power that has taken Christ out of death and set Him at God’s right hand in chapter 1 is seen here in this chapter overcoming these great obstacles of death, distance, and dissension, so that the purpose of God may be accomplished.
As in the first chapter, we see here all three Persons of the Godhead working to secure what God has purposed. There is:
The work of “God” quickening and creating us in Christ (vss. 1-10).
The work of “Christ” in redeeming and reconciling us (vss. 11-13).
The work of the “Spirit” bringing believing Jews and Gentiles together in one new man and giving them access to the Father (vss. 14-22).
Spiritual Death Overcome
Chap. 2:1-10—Firstly, we have God’s work in quickening and creating us in Christ and thus overcoming the obstacle of spiritual death.
Vss. 1-3—Three opposing forces are seen dominating and controlling those whom God has purposed to use in the formation of this new vessel—the “world,” “the prince of the power of the air” (the devil) and “the flesh.” This state of spiritual death is not a condition of irresponsibility, for these dead men are described as walking. It is to God they are dead; to the influences of the world, the flesh, and the devil, they are very much alive, and are controlled by them.
Vss. 4-6—However, three divine motives have brought God into action—His “mercy,” “love,” and “grace.” And, three great results have occurred—He has “quickened us together,” “raised us up together,” and we now “sit together” in heavenly places in Christ.
“Quickened” refers to the impartation of divine life to the soul whereby the spiritual faculties in a person become operative and thereafter he is able to receive divine communications. Elect Gentiles (vs. 1) and elect Jews (vs. 5) have experienced this quickening power. (Note: he says, “We too being dead in offences ... ” This refers to the Jews, of whom Paul includes himself.) The result is that both (believers from the Gentiles and the Jews) have been raised up together out of the condition of spiritual death, and have been seated together “in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.” “With Christ” (vs. 5) indicates our association with Him in life, and “in Christ” (vs. 6) indicates our new standing before God in Him. We are presently seated in the heavenlies in Christ, but when He comes and takes us home to heaven, we will be seated there with Christ.
Vs. 7—Verses 1-3 have described what we were in the past as under the control of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Verses 4-6 describe our present position as raised up and seated together in Christ in the heavenlies. And verse 7 tells us of our future place of blessedness.
In “the ages to come” (the Millennium and the Eternal State) God is going to “display” before all His creatures “the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” It is commonly thought that this verse is referring to the riches of God’s grace being showed to us in that coming day, but that is not the point in the verse. It is to the world that the exceeding riches of His grace will be shown (John 17:23). We are shown it now by the Spirit as we spend time in His presence in communion with Him (John 16:13-15); we do not have to wait until that day to learn of the wonders of His grace.
Vss. 8-9—This work of God is wholly “by grace.” To emphasize this, it is mentioned a second time. Even the “faith” to believe these wonderful things and to be saved is a “gift of God.” We have nothing to “boast” in personally.
Vs. 10—We are God’s “workmanship” and are part of a new creation race of men “created in Christ Jesus” for the purpose in which He has called us. Hence, the condition of spiritual death is no obstacle to God’s fulfilling His great purpose.
Moral Distance From God Overcome
Chap. 2:11-13—In this next section, the Apostle focuses on the work of “Christ” in redeeming and reconciling us, and thus overcoming the second great obstacle to God accomplishing His purpose.
Those whom God has purposed to use in His great plan to glorify His Son are not only dead in trespasses and sin (vs. 1); they are also far from Him morally and spiritually (vss. 11-12). By nature and practice, they are at a great moral distance from God. Being in such a state, they are totally unsuited for representing Him and displaying the glory of Christ. Before the grace of God reached us we were:
“Without Christ”—Christless.
“Aliens”—friendless.
“Strangers”—homeless.
“Having no hope”—hopeless.
“Without God”—godless.
However, through the work of Christ on the cross, God has overcome the obstacle of moral and spiritual alienation, and has brought us to Himself. We who were once “far off” are now “made nigh” in Christ. This is reconciliation. In 1st Peter 3:18 the Apostle Peter speaks of this great work of God. He says, “Christ also hath once suffered for sins (propitiation), the Just for the unjust (substitution), that He might bring us to God” (reconciliation).
The work of Christ is brought in here to show that God works sovereignly in quickening souls (vss. 1, 5) because He has a righteous basis on which to do it—“the blood of Christ” (vs. 13). The “blood” is the means of our cleansing by which we are made fit for the presence of God and able to be used for the display of His Son’s glory. The blood has met the need of our moral unsuitability by washing our sins away. Hence, by virtue of the cleansing power of the blood of Christ, man's moral distance from God is no obstacle to God in fulfilling His eternal purpose.
Racial Dissension Overcome
Chap. 2:14-22—In this section of verses, the work of the “Spirit” is prominent in bringing believing Jews and Gentiles together into “one new man,” making “peace” and giving them “access to the Father,” thus overcoming the obstacle of racial dissension and prejudice.
Vss. 14-15—Humanly speaking, Jews and Gentiles could never dwell together in unity. But God has done the impossible. Christ is “our peace who hath made both (Jew and Gentile) one.”
The aspect of “peace” here is racial. It is one of three parts to our standing in peace. Firstly, we have external peace Godward (Rom. 5:1). This is not a state of mind but a condition prevailing between two who were once alienated. Secondly, we have internal peace resulting from knowing deliverance from sin (Rom. 8:6). It is a peace in the mind and conscience flowing from resurrection life in the soul through the indwelling Spirit. Thirdly, we have racial peace existing between Jewish and Gentile believers who now dwell together in this one new company (Eph. 2:14-15). All three aspects of peace are connected with our standing in Christ and are ours the moment we are saved and sealed with the Spirit.
God has “annulled” (not “abolished” as in the KJV) the thing that gave cause for the enmity between the Jew and the Gentile—“the law of commandments in ordinances.” The enmity had developed from the presence of the law, which made a distinction between Jews and Gentiles in their customs and their manner of life. The Apostle makes an allusion to “the middle wall of partition” in the temple which separated the two. Every time the Jews went into the temple they were reminded of their privileged place with Jehovah, and it only fueled their pride and prejudice against the less privileged Gentiles. The Gentiles, on the other hand, have been vexed by the hypocrisy they see in the Jews (Rom. 2:24), and it has stirred their disgust and hatred for the Jew. Over time the “enmity” has become very deep-seated.
In Christianity, God has removed the division of Jew and the Gentile. He has “broken down” the middle wall of partition in this new company of believers and has “made, of the two, one new man.” The “one new man” is Christ—the Head in heaven—linked to the members of His body on earth by the indwelling Spirit. This is union in the body of Christ. Hence, in the one new man, the Jew is gone, and the Gentile is gone (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11), and with them, the enmity that existed.
Not only has God formed a union of Jews and Gentiles to Christ the Head in the one new man, but He has made it possible for there to be a practical unity among them. Union and unity are not the same thing. For instance, we could tie the tails of two cats together and have union, but we wouldn’t have unity. Unity is a practical thing in which the members of the one new man walk together in peace and with love for one another. This has resulted from “the enmity” being “slain” at the cross.
Vs. 16—A two-fold enmity had existed; firstly, between men and God, and secondly between the Jew and Gentile. But a two-fold reconciliation has brought them “unto God” in happy relations, and it has also brought them together “in one body” in a happy relationship.
Vss. 17-18—In the one body of Christ, not only do we dwell together, but we work together as God’s present vessel of testimony on earth. Christ, through the many members of His body, is presently preaching peace to the world—to those who are “afar off” (Gentiles) and them who are “nigh” (Jews). Those who believe and are brought into this favoured relationship with God in the Church now have equal “access by one Spirit unto the Father.” This is superior to the advantages the Jew had over the Gentile in approaching God in the Old Testament economy. They had a limited access to God; their approach to Jehovah was through a system of ordinances, which kept them at a distance from Him. Now believing Jews and Gentiles can approach “the Father” in the liberty of sonship in His immediate presence (Heb. 10:19-21).
Hence, God has overcome the seemingly impossible obstacle of racial dissension between Jew and Gentile, and has brought them into a relationship with Himself that is far beyond what was ever known by Israel before.
Various Links in the Formation of the Heavenly
Vessel of Testimony—the Church
We are made alive (quickening)—vss. 1-10.
We are made nigh (reconciliation)—vss. 11-13.
We are made one (union)—vss. 14-22.
Two Figures Used to Describe the Church’s Present Testimony—the Body and the House
There are two main figures used in the New Testament to describe the Church in its corporate setting—the body and the house. Verses 14-16 have given us the body of Christ, and in verses 19-22 we see the house of God. As the body of Christ we are to manifest unity, and as the house of God we are to manifest order according to God’s holiness.
Vs. 19—Christians are “fellow-citizens with the saints” in the heavenly city (vs. 19) and are destined to reign with Christ and will be the means of displaying His glory in the world to come. But in the meantime, God intends that the Church should be His present vessel of testimony on earth now. Hence, the body and the house come into view.
Vss. 20-21—There are two aspects of the house of God in the New Testament; firstly, it is in the process of being built by Christ, the Master Builder. Each believer is a living stone in the structure (Matthew 16:18; 1 Peter 2:5; Hebrews 3:6; 1 Corinthians 3:9a). People become part of the house by believing the gospel. As each new believer is added, the house “increases” until the last believer is built into it. Then it will be His “holy temple” and ready to display Christ’s glory in the world to come. The construction of the house has taken almost 2000 years. The first stones were put in place on the day of Pentecost, and when the last person is saved and put into the structure, the Lord will come and take the Church home to heaven.
Vs. 22—Secondly, the house is viewed as a place where God is presently dwelling by the Spirit. In this sense, it is a “habitation of God through the Spirit.” In the first aspect, believers “are” the house (Heb. 3:6); in the second aspect, believers (and false professing believers) are “in” the house (1 Tim. 3:15; 2 Tim. 2:20). In the first aspect we see God's sovereignty—He saves people and puts them into it. In the second aspect we see man's responsibility, where men are seen as having a part in the building of the house (1 Cor. 3:9-17). Consequently, there is the possibility of failure coming into the picture and bad material being built into the structure, though this is not contemplated here. In 2 Timothy 2:20, we see this aspect of the house in the hands of men, and false professors being brought into it and corrupting it, so that it has become “a great house” embracing all professing Christians, both real and false. The house of God in this aspect (in the hands of man) has become a place of corruption, confusion, and much failure.
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In conclusion, we see that nothing has or ever will hinder God from fulfilling His counsel concerning the formation of this heavenly vessel of testimony—the Church. Job rightly said, “I know that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted” (Job 42:2; Eccl. 3:14). The Church was conceived in eternal love and fashioned by the power and wisdom of God, so that He would have a suited vessel to display the glory of Christ. When the age of display (the Millennium) is ushered in, Christ will reign with His eternal complement at His side. She is there as His body and bride, not for her glory, but to enhance His glory. The whole scene will manifest the wisdom of God, the grace of God, and the glory of God.
God's Way of Making Known the Mystery by the Apostle Paul: Ephesians 3
In this chapter we have an important digression between the doctrinal truth of the epistle (chaps. 1-2) and the practical exhortations (chaps. 4-6). Here, the Apostle establishes his authority for teaching “the mystery of the Christ.” Paul knew that the Jews would have some serious misunderstandings about what he was teaching, so he turns aside in a parenthesis to explain the truth of the Mystery in more detail, and also to give the unique character of his mission in bringing it to the saints. His purpose here was to clear up some of the misunderstandings that the Jews would naturally have with his doctrine.
Thus far in the epistle Paul has spoken of the new thing that God was doing in forming the Church, wherein there is neither Jew nor Gentile (chap. 2:14-16). He has also taught that those who have a part in this new thing were in a place before God that was superior to what Old Testament saints have—as being in the Son's place (chap. 1:4-6). Understandably, these things would be a stumbling block to the Jews. They had their thoughts and feelings formed in the Old Testament Scriptures which promised that their Messiah would reign on earth over Israel with the Gentile nations under them. What Paul was teaching seemed to set aside everything that the Old Testament Scriptures anticipated. How incredible to their minds that God would break down what He had built up and had long sanctioned. Moreover, it sounded like Paul was speaking disparagingly of the Old Testament worthies—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, etc. How could Gentiles have a place before God greater that Abraham? And, if this were all true, what now of the promises? Were they null and void? To the Jewish mind steeped in Jewish hopes, it seemed like Paul was a renegade who was teaching things that were plainly contrary to the Word of God.
The distinctions of Jew and Gentile being set aside in the Church (Gal. 3:28; 6:15; Col. 3:11) was too much for the Jewish loyalist. It was particularly hateful to the Jews because it placed them on the same ground as the Gentiles. This touched their national pride. As a result, they became Paul’s main antagonists in his proclamation of the Mystery. It was as though they said to Paul, “If you keep teaching that Gentiles are going to have a better place in heaven than Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we’ll kill you!” In their estimation, someone who would go to the Gentiles proclaiming such things was not fit to live (Acts 22:21-22). The Jews succeeded in doing this very thing by stirring up the Romans against Paul, who eventually killed him. Had he preached a gospel that gave the Gentiles a lower place of blessing than the Jews, he would not have been so bitterly assailed.
What the Jews needed to understand was that Paul’s teachings in no way upset God’s promises for Israel when their Messiah would reign in the world to come. God has not forgotten Israel, and will take up with them again to bring them into blessing according to the promises in the Old Testament. What Paul was teaching did not set aside that hope in the least. He was teaching that in the meantime God was calling believers out from among the Jews and the Gentiles to have a special, heavenly blessing and destiny with Christ in the Church when Christ reigned in a coming day. The key to this enigma is to understand that God is not substituting the call of the Church for the promises to Israel—an erroneous doctrine called “Replacement Theology.” Nor is He instituting the Church’s call to heavenly glory and Israel’s call to millennial blessing on earth at the same time. Israel’s call is presently in suspension, because the nation had rejected its Messiah, while the heavenly call of the Church is going out (Rom. 11). This necessitated some further explanation, hence the need for this digression.
Paul’s Authority for Teaching the Truth of the Mystery
Chap. 3:1-6—The chapter begins with Paul speaking of the price he paid to bring the truth of “the mystery” to the Gentiles. The immediate effect of ministering it brought him into reproach with the religious world, which resulted in his being put in prison. Even though he was in bonds, he didn’t call himself the prisoner of Nero (the Roman emperor); he saw himself as a “prisoner of Christ Jesus” (vs. 1). This expresses a conscious dignity and understanding of the importance of the doctrines he taught, and that the suffering he incurred was unavoidable.
In a parenthesis (vss. 2-21), Paul explains where he got the truth of the Mystery—God Himself gave it to him “by revelation” (vs. 3). This was his authority to teach it. The objection the Jews had with Paul’s teaching was that he had no Scripture for it. And they were quite right! The truth of the Mystery was not in the Old Testament Scriptures; it was an altogether new revelation from God. “In other ages” it was “not made known unto the sons of men” (vs. 5), but was “hid in God” (vs. 9; Rom. 16:25; Col. 1:26). It was only now being “revealed.” If the Jews considered this logically, they shouldn’t have had a difficulty with this explanation, since Moses couldn’t produce Scripture for the revelations God gave to him when He introduced the old covenant which gave the foundation of everything that they believed. It was also something new when Moses gave it to Israel.
The fact that this truth was revealed “unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit” shows that it was not some private interpretation of Paul—other apostles and prophets had been given these revelations too (vs. 5). While it was revealed to them, it was not announced by them. It was Paul’s special commission to bring out this heavenly truth. He is the only New Testament writer by whom God made it known.
The Unique Character of Blessing the Gospel of God's Grace Presents
Paul goes on to explain that what God is presently doing in the call of the gospel is entirely different from what was made known by the Old Testament prophets concerning the Gentiles. In verse 6, he mentions three unique things that characterize the present calling of God in grace by the gospel:
Firstly, verse 6 says, “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs.” This quote from the KJV unfortunately is not the best translation. A more accurate rendering is, “That they who are of the nations should be joint heirs.” This present calling of God by the gospel is not the bringing of the Gentile nations to Jehovah en masse as announced in the Old Testament, whereby they would have a place in the Messiah’s kingdom under Israel (Zech. 2:11; 8:22-23; Isa. 11:10; 14:1; 56:3-7; 60:1-5; Psa. 22:27; 47:9; 72:10-11). That is an outward conversion of the Gentile nations when they see Christ in His kingdom glory. They will join allegiance to Israel's God out of fear of judgment; there will not necessarily be a work of faith in their hearts (Psa. 18:44-47; 66:1-3; 68:28-31; Isa. 60:14), though very many will be real (Rev. 7:9-10). However, what Paul was announcing was a special calling out from the nations certain believers whom God has predestined to share a place with Christ in His body. It was “the conversion of those of the nations” (Acts 15:3 – J. N. Darby Trans.); it was not the conversion of the nations as a whole, which will happen in the future. In the present call of the gospel, God is visiting the Gentiles to “take out of them a people for His name” (Acts 15:14). He is also taking certain believing Jews out of their former place in the nation of Israel for the same purpose. Paul was an example of this. The Lord said to him, “Taking thee out from among the people [Israel] ... ” (Acts 26:17 – J. N. Darby Trans.).
Jews and Gentiles, as distinct entities, still remain on earth today as the gospel call goes out, and they will continue to exist in the coming day. But now there is also a third entity—“the Church of God” (1 Cor. 10:32). This is something distinct and separate from the other two, and should not be confused with them. Hence, in this present dispensation of grace, God is calling believing Jews and Gentiles out of their former positions and forming them into something new in the Church. The very meaning of the word Church (“ecclesia” in Greek) is, “the called out ones.” It very aptly expresses this special calling by the gospel today. Believers from the Jews and Gentiles are now pre-trusting (chap. 1:12-13) before the day when a remnant of Israel and the Gentiles nations are brought to God.
Secondly, verse 6 indicates that believers from among the Gentiles would be in a “joint body” with believers from among the Jews. The Mystery reveals that Jews and Gentiles who believe the gospel are formed into one living organism (a joint body) that would function for the pleasure of God, in which the very life and features of God’s own Son would be manifested. This “one body” would be a result of the Spirit of God dwelling in these believers and linking them together to Christ the Head in heaven (1 Cor. 12:13). The mystical body of Christ is an entirely new thing of God’s making and is nowhere found in the Old Testament. Christ will reign over Israel and the Gentile nations (Psa. 93:1; Isa. 32:1), but nowhere is it said that He reigns over the Church, which is His body.
Thirdly, this company of select Jews and Gentiles are “joint partakers of His promise in Christ Jesus.” This promise has no connection with that which was made to the fathers in Old Testament times. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were given during their lifetimes, but this was made “before the ages of time.” This is the promise of “eternal life,” which is distinctly a New Testament blessing (Titus 1:2). Eternal life, which is to have a conscious relationship with the Father and the Son (John 17:3), was not known by the Old Testament saints. Old Testament saints did not know of the relationship of the Father and the Son in the Godhead, and only looked forward to living forever on earth under a reigning Messiah (Psa. 133:3; Dan. 12:2). Eternal life is a special character of life that the Father and Son enjoyed in a past eternity that Christians have been brought into by the indwelling Spirit (John 4:14). It was first seen when Christ came into the world and manifested it; prior to that it was “with the Father” in heaven (1 John 1:2).
We see from these three things that Paul’s teachings were something altogether different from the promises made to the fathers. It was not a fulfillment in some way of the Old Testament prophecies—the error of Reformed “Covenant” Theology. As mentioned, these heavenly things did not interfere with God’s plan to bless Israel on earth with the Gentiles under them during the reign of their Messiah. The conversion of the Gentiles will take place in a coming day, but a conversion of those out of the Gentiles is happening today by the gospel call.
In saying that these things disclosed in the Mystery concerning the Church are ours “by the gospel” (vs. 6), we learn that gospel truth and assembly truth are linked. All gospel work should be conducted with the assembly in view. In the gospel we present Christ the Saviour; in teaching the truth of the Church we present Christ the Center. Both are intimately connected. God intends that when a person is saved, he would be found thereafter functioning in the body as God has set him.
The great stones that were brought for the purpose of building the temple (1 Kings 5) were not only cut from the place where they were found; they were brought to the temple site and fitted into the house (1 Kings 6). To get the stones out of the pit was not an end in itself. Similarly, the living stones that compose God’s house today have been saved for the purpose of functioning in His house for His glory. Later in this epistle Paul speaks of this connection again (chapter 4:11-16). The “evangelists” were to work with the “pastors and teachers” with “a view to the edifying of the body of Christ.” Wanting souls to be saved without seeing them functioning in their place in the body is falling short of God’s purpose for them. The purpose of the gospel is to bring in the material that would compose the Church.
Paul’s Responsibility to Make the Mystery Known
Chap. 3:7-13—Knowing these wonderful things and realizing that God chose to use him to communicate them to the saints did not make Paul proud of himself. Quite to the contrary, it humbled him. He saw himself as “less than least of all saints.” This shows the proper effect that the truth should have on us—it should take the pride right out of us! We dare say that God can use a man like that; and that’s exactly what God did with Paul.
Since Paul had been given these special revelations concerning the Mystery, his burden was to make these things known. He was not satisfied in knowing it personally; he wanted everyone to know it. He had a two-fold commission: firstly, to “preach [announce] among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,” and secondly, “to enlighten all with the knowledge of what is the administration of the mystery” (vss. 8-9). See also Romans 16:25 and Colossians 1:23-28. Hence, Paul had a preaching and a teaching commission from the Lord (1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11).
The “unsearchable riches of Christ” refers to the many individual blessings that are ours in Christ. Before they were revealed they were “unsearchable” by man (1 Cor. 2:9; 1 Peter 1:11-12).
The “mystery” discloses the corporate truth of the assembly, being Christ’s body and bride.
Christ’s Two Administrations in Ephesians
In verse 9 we have the second of Christ’s two administrations in the epistle. The first is a future administration in the world to come (chap. 1:10); the second is a present administration of the Mystery (chap. 3:9). As Head of the Church and Master Administrator, He is presently conducting the operations in regard to its construction. The Lord said, “I will build My church” (Matt. 16:18). As Solomon built the temple using his workmen, Christ by the Spirit is building the Church, and the members of His body are engaged in the work. He is sending out His evangelists in the work of the gospel to bring in the material (believing Jews and Gentiles), and He is using His pastors and teachers to build up those new converts in the most holy faith.
Paul’s great burden was to “enlighten all with the knowledge” of this present administration so that they could accord themselves properly with what God is doing at this present time. This would include the practical ordering and functioning of the assembly on earth. The word “men” in verse 9 (in the KJV) is not in the original Greek text and makes Paul’s point in the verse too narrow. The enlightenment of these things extends to all creation—including angelic beings, as verse 10 indicates. These exalted spiritual beings have never seen anything like this before. They have witnessed the creation rise and expand before their eyes. They have seen the ways of God in other ages and have observed His dealings with men in government, providence, and mercy, but this is something altogether new to them. Not only are they learning of the grace of God in the calling of the Church, but through careful observation they are learning from those in the Church who are governed by the Spirit of God and the Word of God as they meet together for worship and ministry (1 Cor. 11:10; 1 Peter 1:12).
Paul does not enter into the details of the practical ordering of the Assembly here (which are found in 1 and 2 Corinthians, 1 Timothy, and Titus), but he passes on to tell us that God’s “intent” is that all would learn “the manifold wisdom of God” through this present administration of Christ. Sad to say, the Church as a whole has failed to apprehend it and is not moving under the direction of the Head. As a result, many Christians are found doing things in the service of the Lord that are not in keeping with the practical working out of the truth of the Mystery. Nevertheless, through God’s overruling power the great “purpose of the ages” is being “carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord” (vs. 11).
Paul’s Prayer that the Saints Would Know the Heart of the Blesser and be Filled With His Fullness
Chap. 3:14-21—It is God’s intention that the truth of the Mystery should have a practical bearing on our lives, as seen in the exhortations in chapters 4-6. However, before we are exhorted to walk worthy of this great calling (chap. 4:1), the Apostle prays for the Church a second time. He knew that there would be great opposition from the enemy to the practice of this great truth (Col. 1:27-29) and reminds us again that to act in the light of it will bring a person into reproach and suffering (vs. 13). For that reason he bowed “his knees” in prayer to “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” that the glory and love of Christ, and the fullness of God would be formed in the saints by His Spirit. The objective here is that this vessel would be competent to display the glory of Christ, not only in the world to come but now in this world. By adding, “Of whom every family in heaven and earth is named,” Paul uses the broadest possible expression which embraces all of God’s blessed creatures. It includes Old Testament saints, Christians, millennial saints (Jews and Gentiles), infants who have not reached the age of understanding, elect angels, etc. It is significant that, among all these, Paul prays for those who have been blessed in the special place in which the Mystery unfolds.
The characteristic difference between the two prayers in this epistle is that in the first he prays that we would know God’s great PLAN to glorify His Son and our associated blessings in Him; in the second he prays that we might know the heart of the PLANNER and be filled with His fullness. The second prayer is occupied with forming capacity in the saints so that they could be filled with the fullness of God. It would result in praise and thanksgiving and also would impart moral courage and conviction to act on what we have laid hold of in a practical way.
There are four parts to the Apostle’s request in this second prayer, predicated on the word “that.” Like a chain, each one of these things builds on the previous one.
1) “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might [power] by His Spirit in the inner man” (vs. 16). This strengthening has in view the saints being enabled to walk according to the present administration. It is not an outward strength that he requests for us, but strength “in the inner man” (the soul) that would lay hold of the Person who is the center of all God’s counsels.
2) “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” (vs. 17a). The great aim of the soul being strengthened in this way is that Christ would have His proper place in the seat of our affections. The first prayer had to do with us apprehending our place in Christ, whereas this second prayer has to do with Christ dwelling in us. The One who is the center of all God’s counsels should be the center of all our thoughts and affections. If Christ dwells in the center of our moral beings, He will control the inward springs, the thoughts, and the desires of our hearts.
3) “That ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend [apprehend] with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge” (vss. 17-19). Christ, having His proper place in our affections, leads to our being rooted and grounded in His love, and this produces the enlargement of our capacity for divine things. This is because we apprehend through our affections. As we enjoy His love, our capacity for divine things increases. The word “comprehend” is not the best translation. “Comp” in Latin is to grasp something by encompassing it. We can hardly do that when it comes to the things of God, since we only “know in part” now (1 Cor. 13:9). It should read, “apprehend,” which is to have a pick of the thing without necessarily grasping it all.
The “breadth and length,” etc., is not of Christ’s love (as many have thought) because Christ’s love has no length or breadth. It is immeasurable. He is speaking of the breadth and length of the vast scope of God’s glory that is centered in Christ. After launching us into the infinitude of God’s glory, he brings us back to a known center—“the love of Christ.” Though it is something we know, we cannot fathom its magnitude—it “passes knowledge.”
Note: “love” surpasses “knowledge.” God’s will concerning Christ and the Church revealed in the Mystery is knowledge, but there is something that surpasses that—the love that planned it! If we get hold of these things, or rather, they get hold of us, we will be ready to practice the truth as found in chapter 4.
4) “That ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (vs. 19). The grand result of all this is that we will be filled with God’s fullness. This is not the fullness of deity; it would be blasphemy to think that we could be filled with deity. Deity is beyond creature knowledge and subsists in light unapproachable, and will not come out in display, now or in the millennial day. The subject here is what is formed in the Assembly for the purpose of display. It is all that God is in character. In Colossians, the fullness of God fills and dwells in Christ, but here the Apostle desires that it would fill us! Only of Christ is it said that all the fullness of God dwells (Col. 1:19; 2:9), but it is possible for us at least to be “filled with all the fulness of God.” A child can take his bucket to the edge of the ocean and fill it. He could say that he has his bucket full of the ocean, but he couldn’t say that he had the ocean in his bucket. It is the same with us when it comes to the fullness of God.
Vss. 20-21—In this, we have come to the highest point in the epistle; the Spirit can take us no higher. Paul appropriately breaks off in a doxology of praise. Being filled with the fullness of God leads us to worship and prepares us to act on the exhortations in the following chapters. Like David when he blessed God, saying, “Of thine own have we given Thee” (1 Chron. 29:14), Paul realized that all these things had their source in the heart of God, and it is befitting that they would return to Him in the way of glory and praise.
He speaks of God being “able to do” all that we could ever “ask or think” in bringing to fruition His all-wise plan to publicly glorify His Son through the Church. Some have mistakenly thought that this is referring to God answering our prayer requests. It is certainly true that God can and does answer our prayers in a better way than we often ask, but that is not what the Apostle is speaking of here. He is saying that if God had asked us to choose the best thing that could ever happen to us, it would never have entered our minds to ask or think of something so blessed as this. So God took the initiative and planned it all before the world began. And He did it all for His own good pleasure and our great blessing.
In deep, eternal counsel,
Before the world was made,
Before its deep foundations
On nothingness were laid;
God purposed us for blessing,
And chose us in His Son,
To Him to be conformed,
When here our course was run.
All that God has purposed will be brought to pass “according to the power that worketh in us.” In the first prayer the Apostle spoke of God’s power working for us, but in this second prayer He speaks of His power working in us. This is because the emphasis here is on God’s work of forming capacity in those who would compose this special vessel of testimony.
Hence, we see in this chapter the Apostle’s ministry involved preaching, teaching, and praying for the saints. Similarly, our preaching and teaching should be followed up with prayer that the things which we have presented would be made good in the hearts of God’s people.
Some Differences Between the Prayers in Chapters 1 and 3
The prayer in chapter 1 is to "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ;" the prayer in chapter 3 is to "the Father our of Lord Jesus Christ."
The prayer in chapter 1 is that we might know the plan that God has for the display of His Son in the world to come; the prayer in chapter 3 is that we might know the heart of the Planner.
The prayer in chapter 1 focuses on our place in Christ; the prayer in chapter 3 focuses on Christ having a place in us.
The prayer in chapter 1 speaks of God's power toward us; the prayer in chapter 3 speaks of God's power in us.
God’s Riches as Presented in Ephesians
The riches of His grace (chap. 1:7)—emphasizes how far down God reached to save us.
The riches of the glory of His inheritance (chap. 1:18)—emphasizes the great privileges that are ours in reigning with Christ.
Rich in mercy (chap. 2:4)—emphasizes the depth of the compassion of God’s heart.
Exceeding riches of His grace (chap. 2:7)—emphasizes the display of His grace toward us before the world.
The unsearchable riches of Christ (chap. 3:8)—emphasizes the many distinctive blessings that are our in Christ.
The riches of His glory (chap. 3:16)—emphasizes the greatness of the glory that surrounds Christ, the great Blesser of the universe.
Summary of Chapters 1-3
Chapter 1—The revelation of God’s eternal purpose for Christ and the Church. It discloses God’s ultimate plan to glorify His Son in two spheres (in heaven and on earth) in the world to come, through a specially formed vessel of testimony—the Church, which is His body and bride.
Chapter 2—God’s work in time calling and forming that vessel of testimony in view of the coming day of display. Every obstacle to accomplishing His objective is overcome by His love, His power, and His grace.
Chapter 3—Paul’s responsibility in making known the truth of the mystery, discharged in his preaching, his teaching, and his praying for the saints.
Walking Worthy of Our Calling as Members of the Body of Christ: Ephesians 4:1-16
As mentioned in the introduction, the last three chapters of the epistle are exhortations based on the doctrinal truth in the first three chapters. It was necessary for the Apostle to digress in the 3rd chapter to establish his authority for ministering the truth of the mystery, so that the exhortations that are now given in this 4th chapter would come to us with force.
Having explained the truth of the mystery, and having prayed for the saints, Paul now continues from the point where he broke off in chapter 3:1. As “the prisoner of Christ Jesus” (chap. 3:1) he unfolds the truth of the Mystery; as “the prisoner in the Lord” (chap. 4:1) he exhorts us to walk worthy of that great truth.
Note: the first verse should read, “I, the prisoner in the Lord ... ” The phrase “in Christ,” which characterizes the first three chapters, disappears in the latter half of the epistle, and “in the Lord” becomes prominent. This is significant; it is a phrase that refers to Christ’s Lordship authority. It is not difficult to see the reason for this change. When it comes to practicing the truth, the recognition of Christ’s Lordship is essential. It simply means to own His claims over us in redemption by submitting to His right to tell us what to do in all areas of our lives.
Moreover, we find the word “walk” mentioned a number of times in the last three chapters of the epistle (chap. 4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15; 6:15). It implies living out the truth practically in the whole course and conduct of our lives.
Three Spheres of Christian Responsibility
God would have our walk to be consistent with our calling. Therefore, we are enjoined to “walk worthy” of our calling in three spheres. They are:
The sphere of the assembly (chap. 4:1-16). In these verses we are seen as members of the body of Christ and are responsible to manifest that fact collectively.
The sphere of Christian profession in the world (chap. 4:17-5:21). In this series of verses we are seen as members of society and are responsible to manifest the character of the new man in Christ.
The domestic sphere of the household (chaps. 5:22-6:9). In these verses we are seen as members of households and are to recognize and respect God’s order in creation in our natural relationships.
Members of the Body of Christ
Chap. 4:1-16—The exhortations in the first sixteen verses of chapter 4 pertain to the first sphere—the assembly, the body of Christ. These verses present a beautiful picture of what the Church, as the body of Christ, should be in this world according to the mind of God. It does not factor in the failure of the Church in testimony, but gives us God’s ideal.
Vss. 1-3—It begins by exhorting us to “walk worthy” of our “calling.” We might well ask, “How are we to do that?” The Mystery reveals that we have been called into a privileged place as members of the mystical body of Christ. To walk worthy of such a calling is to manifest that fact in this world. God intends that the vessel of testimony He is forming for the display of His Son in the world to come should give expression to the truth that it is one body even now while it is here in this world. Paul does not go into detail in this epistle as to how the Church is to do this, but simply mentions that we are to manifest a practical unity that exhibits the union that we have in the body. It is the first thing the Lord looks for on the part of the members of His body as befitting the union which they have in “the Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12-13).
To express, in practice, the truth of the one body requires the members to be in a right state of soul, which is the fruit of nearness to the Lord. This is alluded to in the opening verse of the chapter. It involves giving the Lord His rightful place in our lives—His Lordship (vs. 1). Then, there is also a need of “lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering,” and “forbearing one another in love” (vs. 2). To walk together in practical oneness will require the exercise of these things in the members of the body.
“Lowliness” keeps self down, and “meekness” gives place to others. “Longsuffering” is exercising patience in the presence of another’s shortcoming, and “forbearing one another in love” is to overlook personal offences. The first two things are what we need in ourselves; the second two are what we need toward others when they are not exercising the first two. In short, we are to use longsuffering and forbearance in the presence of others who are not meek and lowly.
These practical things are to be exercised with a view to keeping “the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace” (vs. 3). We might ask, “What is the unity of the Spirit? It is a practical unity among believers that the Spirit of God is forming to give expression to the truth of the one body. Simply put: God desires that there would be a practical manifestation of the one body in this world. He would have us to put into practice what is true in fact, and the Spirit of God is working to that end with the various members of Christ’s body.
This unity finds its center in Christ. To talk of unity and work toward it without recognizing Christ’s authority in it is a work of the flesh. Also, keeping the unity of the Spirit involves being in fellowship with that divine Person who is called “the Spirit of holiness” and “the Spirit of truth” (Rom. 1:4; John 14:17). This means that the members of the body not only must recognize Christ’s authority in all things, but they also must walk in “holiness” and “truth.” This involves separation from everything that is inconsistent with His Person. If divine principles are sacrificed to achieve unity, it is not the unity of the Spirit. Modern ecumenicalism, for example, is a man-made unity; it is not the unity of the Spirit. The “uniting bond of peace” that Paul refers to here is not a peace at any price, but peace that results from Christ having His rightful place and believers being subject to the Spirit of God. Therefore, the unity of the Spirit is a unity that recognizes the Lordship authority of Christ and is separate from all that is unholy in doctrine and practice.
Note: we are not called to keep the unity of the body; that union God Himself keeps, for only He can. Nothing can break the bond that the members have with Christ, the ascended Head, by the indwelling Spirit. “The unity of the Spirit,” on the other hand, is a practical thing that the members of the body are responsible to keep. Hence, while all Christians have union with Christ, all Christians may not walk in the unity of the Spirit.
The unity of the Spirit is not merely an exhortation to unity in a local church fellowship; it is more than that. This unity has in view the one body, as the next verse states—“there is one body.” Since the members of the body of Christ are not in any one locality or in any one fellowship of Christians, this unity should be seen wherever Christians are found on earth. Hence, God intends Christians universally to move together in this unity, giving expression to the fact that they are one body. The act of breaking bread is a practical confession of this truth (1 Cor. 10:16-17), but the Church should also manifest the oneness of the body in practical matters of fellowship and discipline. The Corinthian epistles develop this side of the truth.
In the early days of the Church this unity was kept. The saints were “all with one accord” (Acts 2:1; 4:32), but sad to say, it didn’t remain that way very long. C. H. Brown said, “Evidently, the unity of the Spirit must have been broken.” J. N. Darby said, “Ananias and Sapphira were the first to interrupt it (Acts v); after that, you find the Hellenists murmuring against the Hebrews (Acts vi).” The fact that we are told to “endeavour” or use “diligence” means that there will be difficulty doing it. The flesh is against it. Therefore, to keep this unity will require energy on our part.
Three Concentric Circles
Vss. 4-6—The Apostle makes reference to three spheres of Christian responsibility. As mentioned, the exhortations in the rest of the epistle flow from the respective responsibilities in these three spheres. They are best understood if seen as three concentric circles.
The innermost circle is the sphere of Christian reality. “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling” (vs. 4). True believers (Christians) are the only ones in this circle. A person is introduced to this circle by the sealing of the Spirit, which happens when he believes the gospel of his salvation (Eph. 1:13).
The second circle is the sphere of Christian profession where there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (vs. 5). This is a larger circle including all in the first circle and all who make a profession of faith in Christ, whether they are real or not. A person is formally introduced to this circle by water baptism.
The third circle is the sphere of natural relationships, where there is “one God and Father of all” (vs. 6a). This circle includes all in the other two circles, but goes beyond that to take in every living person on earth. The fatherhood of God here is not His fatherhood in the Christian family but His fatherhood of all creation. In this sense, all men are “the offspring of God” (Acts 17:29). A person is introduced to this circle by natural birth. In adding, “And in you [us] all” (vs. 6b), Paul reverts back to the first circle. God is only “in” true believers (1 John 4:12, 15).
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The Function of the Gifts for the Edification of the Body
Vss. 7-16—Since it is the mind of God that the Church would visibly manifest that it is “one body,” Christ has ascended on high to make full provision for the members to move together collectively in this way. There has been given to each member “grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” The Lord has imparted to each of us a gift of spiritual powers (1 Cor. 12), and He has also given us the needed “grace” to use that gift ably in the place in the body where He has put us.
The Apostle borrows from Psalm 68:18, which celebrates the Lord’s victory over His enemies in a coming day (at His Appearing), and applies the principle of it to His victory over Satan at the cross. Having defeated Satan in death (Heb. 2:14), the Lord has brought believers into subjection to Himself who were once slaves of Satan. Just as when a conqueror returns victoriously from battle bringing with him the spoil taken from the enemy as proof of the victory, similarly, Christ has flaunted His victory by bestowing “gifts” on those who were once Satan’s captives (vs. 8). These gifts are spiritual powers, and have been given for the purpose of helping the saints walk together and thus manifest the glory of Christ.
Vss. 9-10—Before Christ ascended victoriously to the heights of glory, He first descended into the grave (“the lower parts of the earth”) to vanquish the enemy by rising from it. Having taken His place on high “far above all heavens,” as Head of the new creation He fills “all things” in the sense that everything in the new creation takes its character from Him and bears His stamp (Col. 3:11b). Christ has had to first take His place in heaven as the Head of the Church before gifts could be given. The Apostle’s point here is that all Christian ministry flows from Christ the ascended Head in heaven. We do not look on earth for any human organization from which the gifts take their direction, but to Christ in heaven. Human agencies, set up to send gifted persons to certain works in the service of the Lord, are well meaning, but they are foreign to Scripture.
Vs. 11—From His place on high Christ has given “some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some pastors [shepherds] and teachers.” These men possess distinctive spiritual powers for the public ministry of the Word and they have been given as gifts from Christ to the Church. The point here is not that Christ gives apostleship, but that He gives apostles, etc. The passage is not focusing on their spiritual powers but on the fact that they themselves are a gift from Christ to the Church.
“Apostles and prophets” were given to help lay the foundation of the Church in the first century through their ministry (chap. 2:20). Now that the foundation has been laid, these gifts are no longer being given, though we still profit from their ministry, which the Spirit of God has inspired them to write in the Holy Scriptures. We still have the exercise of prophecy in the sense of one telling forth the mind of God for the occasion in a word of ministry (1 Cor. 14:1, 31), but not in the sense of one having special revelations and foretelling the future—as was the case with Agabus (Acts 11:27-28; 21:10-11).
The Lord has also given “evangelists,” “pastors [shepherds],” and “teachers” to the Church. Again, this is not referring to the spiritual powers of evangelism, etc., but the men themselves have been given as gifts to the Church. Such men are still being raised up of the Lord to help the Church.
First Corinthians 12 speaks of the actual spiritual powers the Spirit of God conveys to, or deposits in, men such as these. For instance, the “word of wisdom” is the spiritual power or gift a “pastor [shepherd]” would have, and the “word of knowledge” is the spiritual gift a “teacher” would have. The emphasis in 1 Corinthians 12 is not on their wisdom or knowledge—for all the saints are to possess wisdom and knowledge—but that they have a special capacity to communicate their wisdom and knowledge. This is why it is called “the word of wisdom,” and the “word of knowledge.” Note: there is no mention here, or anywhere else in Scripture, that men possessing a spiritual gift for teaching or preaching, needing to be ordained by some human organization in order to function in the Church.
Vs. 12—These gifts have not been given for their own personal profit, but for the enrichment of the body of Christ. It’s true that he that waters shall be watered (Prov. 11:25), but what they have from the Lord is primarily for their brethren—the other members of the body. The purpose of these gifts is to help in “the perfecting of the saints.” Perfection, in the sense that it is used here, is “full growth.” Hence, these gifts are to help the saints grow spiritually. Furthermore, this “perfecting” is “with a view to the work of the ministry.” This shows that it is God’s desire that the members of the body would grow spiritually through the help of the gifts, so that they could be involved in “the ministry” too, and thus they would be useful in furthering the Christian testimony. Ministry is simply the exercise of our gift in the body. Since we all have a gift, we are all to be engaged in the ministry. There are no drones in Christianity; all the members of the body are to be involved in this work. All may not have a distinctive gift and be given to the Church as mentioned in verse 11, but all should be involved in “the work of the ministry” in some way. Each member can do his part in “edifying the body of Christ.” God did not intend for some of the members of the body to be mere spectators while the others were engaged in the work.
This work is to go on “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect [full-grown] man” (vs. 13). This will not be reached in a collective sense until Christ comes again (the Rapture). Therefore, “the work of the ministry”—the calling, caring, and building up of the saints—will go on until the Lord comes for us. This means that these gifts for edification (vs. 11) will continue to be given until the Church is complete. However, there is no mention in Scripture that the sign gifts of tongues and healing, etc., will continue. History confirms that they have not.
Verse 13 gives us the ultimate objective of the gifts in ministry, but verses 14-16 give us their immediate objective. The immediate objective of “the work of the ministry” is to get the saints out of the state of spiritual babyhood. Paul says, “That we may be no longer babes, tossed and carried about by every wind of doctrine [teaching].” There is a pressing and immediate need of the saints getting established in the truth so that the enemy wouldn’t lead them astray. If this happens, the saints will not be able to properly fulfill their role in the body and be a positive help in the edifying of the other members. Paul speaks of these erroneous doctrines introduced by the enemy as “systematized error.” It will usually be found that behind certain wrong doctrines, there is a whole system of erroneous teaching.
Vs. 15—Our safeguard against the error is found not in knowing the error better so that we can refute it, but in “holding the truth in love.” This goes beyond knowing the truth and implies being affectionately attached to it—that we hold the truth in our affections and value it dearly. The Psalmist exemplifies this, saying, “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psa. 119:11). The KJV translates this verse, “speaking the truth in love,” but this is misleading and implies that we are to present the truth to others in a loving and kind way. This is certainly something we should do, but the context has to do with being preserved from the doctrinal errors that are adrift. Speaking the truth to others in a loving and kind way is not what will keep us from these subtle errors; it is having a love for the truth itself. Paul’s point is that the truth must be held in our affections. It is then, and only then, that it will be a safeguard against the errors that are on every side. When the truth has its proper place in our affections, we will “grow up to Him in all things, who is the Head.”
Vs. 16—Not only will we grow spiritually and be preserved, we will also grow in our usefulness in the body as a “joint of supply.” We will contribute effectively to the edifying of the body in love. His desire is that “every joint” would have something to supply to the benefit of “the whole body.”
Summary of the Exercises Needed to Walk According to the Truth of the One Body
The practical recognition of Christ’s Lordship authority in our lives (vs. 1).
A personal exercise to walk humbly with our brethren (vs. 2).
Submission to the Spirit of God who leads to the unity He has formed (vss. 3-6).
Availing ourselves of the gifts given to the Church who will help us to function in our place in the body (vss. 7-16).
The Truth of the “One Body” Can Only be Practiced in a Remnant Testimony Today
Because the Christian Testimony at Large is in Ruins
Looking back over the first sixteen verses of chapter 4, we see God’s ideal for the Church as the body of Christ. His desire is that there would be a practical manifestation of unbroken unity among the members of the body as they function under the direction of the Head in heaven. If the members of the body heed these exhortations, there will be a happy community of saints on earth dwelling together in harmony and joy, functioning for the pleasure of God and the glory of Christ, and also for the edification of one another. There would be no denominational sects and divisions in the public testimony of the Church. What a wonderful thing this would be! It is what God intends for the Church.
As mentioned earlier, the truth presented in Ephesians does not factor in the ruin and failure of the Christian testimony because the Apostle’s focus is on God’s purpose and desire for the Church. Today, on account of the irremediable ruin that has come into Christendom, it is not possible to practice the truth of the “one body” with all the members of the body of Christ. Most of the members do not even know about God’s order for Christians meeting together for worship and ministry on the ground of the one body. They are quite happy in their denominational and non-denominational fellowships in the divided state of Christendom, and if they were enlightened to these things, they probably would not want to leave their ecclesiological positions. Therefore, it is simply not possible to practice the truth of the one body with the whole Church on earth today.
When this fact comes home to a person for the first time, it can be devastating. But there is no need for us to despair. God has fully anticipated the ruined state that would develop in the testimony of the Church and has made provision for these days of failure, so that Christians who are exercised about this truth are able to practice it. The Scriptures indicate that when wholesale failure comes in, a great principle which God falls back on is that He lets go of the public testimony as a whole (as He originally set it up) and works with a remnant. When what He has committed into the hands of men in testimony fails, He reduces its size, strength, glory, and numbers, and carries it on in a remnant testimony (Isa. 1:2-9). The word “remnant” signifies, “the residue” or “that which remains” of anything of what the original was set up for. God has acted on this principle in the history of Israel (1 Kings 11-12; Ezra 1-6), and now with the Church (Rev. 2:24-29), and will do it again in a coming day with the Jews in the Tribulation (Isa. 8:11-18; 10:21-22; 11:11; Joel 2:32; 3:1-2; Mic. 4:7; Zeph. 3:13; Rev. 12:17).
In divine prerogative and grace, God is taking one here and one there, and He is gathering them to the Lord’s name in a remnant position apart from the confusion and disorder in Christendom, where the truth of the one body can be practiced (Matt. 18:20). Those "gathered" to the Lord’s name are not the remnant. Properly speaking, all true believers among the mass of mere professors in Christendom are God's remnant, but ecclesiastically, the gathered saints occupy a remnant position in testimony, and are where the remnant (all true believers) should be, as gathered to the Lord’s name.
Since ruin now pervades the public testimony of the Church, we must look at the truth of the one body, as presented in Ephesians 4, through the porthole of 2 Timothy. This helpful little epistle gives the believer light for this difficult day in which we live.
Walking Worthy of Our Calling Under the Lordship of Christ: Ephesians 4:17-5:21
The exhortations in this section of the epistle correspond with chapter 4:5, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism”—the second circle of Christian privilege and responsibility. In the previous section we have seen that it is God’s desire that the body of Christ would visibly manifest an unbroken unity among its members under the ascended Head in heaven. In this division, we learn that it is the mind of God that the members of the one body would also visibly manifest the moral beauty of Christ in this world during the time of His absence. Throughout this whole section of the epistle, separation is insisted on, for without it, these moral beauties will surely be marred in their display.
Various aspects of the believer’s “walk” come before us in this section of the epistle (chaps. 4:17; 5:2, 8, 15).
Walking in “righteousness and true holiness” (chap. 4:17-32).
Walking in “love” (chap. 5:1-7).
Walking in “light” (chap. 5:8-14).
Walking in “wisdom” (chap. 5:15-21).
Walking in Righteousness and True Holiness
Chap. 4:17-32—If the moral beauties of Christ are to be seen in the saints, they must undergo a complete character change in their lives from what they once were. The salvation of God has brought about a tremendous change in our souls. We have passed “from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God” (Acts 26:18). Now God would have this to be seen in the lives of the saints in a practical sense. The things that characterize man in the flesh must be put out of our lives, and a whole new lifestyle that is characterized by “righteousness and true holiness” must be adopted.
A Character Change
Vss. 17-21—To begin, Paul describes briefly the fallen, corrupt character of the Gentile world out of which the Ephesians had been saved (Eph. 4:17-19).
“Vanity.”
The “understanding darkened.”
“Alienated” from God.
“Blindness.”
Having “cast off all feeling” of conscience.
Given over to “lasciviousness,” “uncleanness,” and “greediness.”
Such is what characterizes the normal order of life among those who do not know God. This is what the Ephesian saints, who were predominantly Gentile, once were. Since they were saved, Paul tells them that such a lifestyle is now wholly inconsistent with their calling in Christ. He says, “Ye have not so learned the Christ” (vs. 20 – J. N. Darby Trans.). As mentioned earlier, “the Christ” is a term used in Paul’s epistles to denote the spiritual union of the members of Christ’s body to Him who is the Head in heaven (1 Cor. 12:12-13). Then he goes on and says, “If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus” (vs. 21). “Jesus” is the Lord’s manhood name. When it is used alone, without His usual titles of Lord and Christ, it refers to Him as a Man in this world. By speaking of learning “the Christ” before being taught the truth in “Jesus,” Paul was indicating that we must first know our calling in the Christ (which the first three chapters unfold) before we can properly walk as Jesus did in this world. We are thus “taught by Him” by viewing His perfect example.
The order in verses 20-21 is, therefore, important to note. We see many earnest Christians who do not know their calling in “the Christ” trying to live as “Jesus” did in places and positions in this world that are wholly inconsistent with their calling. As a result, the Spirit of God does not identify with it in any significant way. A Christian trying to behave like Jesus, while holding an office in government, is an example.
The “Old Man” and the “New Man”
Vss. 22-24—In order that we would manifest the moral features of Christ in this world, we also must understand certain truths in regard to the “old man” and the “new man.” Hence, the Apostle speaks of this before exhorting them to a life consistent with their calling.
The “old man” is a term that is found in three places in Paul’s epistles—Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:9. It is an abstract term that describes the corrupt state of the fallen race of Adam. The old man is the embodiment of every ugly feature that marks the fallen human race.
Romans 6:6 says, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed [annulled], that henceforth we should not serve sin.” We learn from this that God has passed judgment on the old man at the cross of Christ (Rom. 8:3). Not only has our old man been judged at the cross, but these verses in Ephesians 4 tell us that, as part of our Christian confession, we have put off the old man and put on the new man. By making a profession of being a Christian, we have by our profession confessedly dissociated ourselves from everything to do with the old man and have identified ourselves with everything of the new man.
Unfortunately, the KJV translates verses 22-24 as if the putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new is something that we are to do in our lives. However, it is not a Christian exercise; it is something we have done in taking our stand with Christ. Verse 22 should read, “Having put off according to the former conversation, the old man ... ” And verse 24 should read, “Having put on the new man ... ”
To add to the misunderstanding that comes from the faulty translation in the KJV, the “old man” is a term that is often used synonymously with “the flesh” (our fallen sin-nature) by most Christians. But this is incorrect. J. N. Darby remarked, “The old man is being habitually used for the flesh incorrectly.” When we look carefully into the Scriptures, it will be abundantly clear that the old man and the flesh are not the same, and therefore, cannot be used interchangeably. If the “old man” were the flesh, then this passage is saying that we have put off the flesh—that we no longer have the sin-nature in us, which clearly is not true. Moreover, the “old man” is never said to be in us, but the flesh most certainly is. F. G. Patterson said, “Nor do I find that Scripture will allow us to say that we have the old man in us—while it teaches most fully that we have the flesh in us to the end.”
Nor is it correct to speak of the “old man” as having appetites, desires, and emotions, as does the flesh. Oftentimes Christians will say things like, “The old man in us desires those things that are sinful.” Or, “Our old man wants to do this or that evil thing ... ” Such statements are confusing the old man with the flesh. H. C. B. G. said, “I know what a Christian means who loses his temper, and says it is ‘the old man,’ yet the expression is wrong. If he said it was ‘the flesh,’ he would have been more correct.”
We would also add that the “old man” is not Adam personally, but what is characteristic of the fallen race under him. To see the old man more clearly we must look at the fallen race as a whole, for it is unlikely that any one person would be marked by all the features that characterize that corrupt state. Taking the race as a whole, we see all the ugly features that compose the old man.
The “old man,” therefore, is not a living thing in the believer with sinful appetites, desires, and emotions, but rather, it is an abstract term that describes the corrupt state of the fallen race of man, which God has judged at the cross, and the believer has professedly put off in identifying himself with the Christian testimony.
The “new man” is also an abstract term. It denotes the new order of moral perfection in the new creation race under Christ. Perhaps we could say that the new man is the new state that characterizes the new race of men under Christ. The old man is characterized by being “corrupt” and “deceitful,” but the new man is characterized by “righteousness” and “holiness.”
The “new man” is not Christ personally, but it is Christ characteristically. This new moral order of manhood first came into view in “Jesus” when He walked here in this world (vs. 21), and now marks all in the new creation race under Christ who walk in the Spirit. The new race under Christ did not have its beginning until He rose from the dead to be its Head. As “the Firstborn from among the dead” (Col. 1:18), He has sent the Spirit of God into the world to link believers (“many brethren”) to Himself (Rom. 8:29). They are now of the same order of manhood as Himself (of the same “kind” – Gen. 1:21, 24-25). In this sense, we are “all of one” with Him in this new race (Heb. 2:10-13). The “new man,” therefore, is a term that denotes the moral characteristics of the new race of men under Christ.
Since the “new man” is patterned after the image of Him who created him (Col. 3:10), being part of the new creation race, we are fully able to now represent Christ here in this world. As Christians, the features of the new man are to be seen in us, and they will be when we walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16). In Colossians 3:12-15 Paul mentions ten moral characteristics of the new man that should be seen in the saints, as they exhibit the truth of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).
Exhortations Based on the Fact that the “Old Man” Has Been Put Off and the “New Man” Has Been Put On
The “old man” has been put off and the “new man” has been put on, but this does not mean that we don’t need to be exercised about these things. Every doctrinal truth should have a practical bearing on our lives. The verses that follow in this chapter show that the believer is no longer to manifest the characteristics of the old man in his life but rather those of the new man. This is the point of the exhortation.
While we are no longer “in the flesh” (Rom. 7:5; 8:8-9), the flesh is still in us and will operate if we don’t walk in the Spirit. If it operates, it will manifest the ugly features of the old man. This means that we most definitely need to be exercised about displaying the characteristics of the new man which requires walking in the power of the ungrieved Spirit of God (vs. 30).
The emphasis of Paul’s exhortation in the remaining verses in Ephesians 4 is that we would put into practice what is true in fact. If we have put off the “old man” and put on the “new man,” then let us be done with that old corrupt lifestyle and live after what characterizes the new man. Paul mentions a number of transitions that should naturally result in the life of the believer as he walks in “righteousness and true holiness.” If we study the life of the Lord, we will be “taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus.” Each one of these features that mark the new order of manhood was seen in Him in perfection.
Honesty Instead of Falsehood
Vs. 25—There should be honesty instead of falsehood. The KJV translates this as “lying,” but this word is too narrow. It should be translated “falsehood,” which includes everything that is untrue and dishonest—not just our words. It is just as easy to live a lie with our lives, as it is to tell a lie with our tongues. Ananias and Sapphira illustrate this. He lived a lie, but his wife told a lie (Acts 5:1-10).
This transparency of honest character was seen throughout the Lord’s life. He could rightfully say that He was “even the same that I said unto you from the beginning” (John 8:25). J. N. Darby’s translation footnote says, “His speech presented Himself, being the truth.”
Righteous Anger Against Evil Instead of Indifference to It
Vss. 26-27—There should be unabating righteous anger against evil instead of indifference to it. There are two kinds of anger in these verses: one is right and proper, and the other is not. Verse 26 is speaking about righteous anger, which is not sin, but verse 31 is speaking about fleshly anger, which is nothing but sin.
We are told in verse 26 to be “angry.” This couldn’t be something sinful, for God would never tell us to do something evil. God Himself is said to be angry in this way. Psalm 7:11 Says, “God is angry with the wicked every day.” (See also 1 Kings 11:9.) This kind of anger is, of course, righteous indignation against evil. Similarly, the Psalmist said, “Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate Thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against Thee? I hate them with perfect hatred” (Psa. 139:21-22). The Lord Jesus, who is perfect and sinless, was angry when He saw blessing to needy people being hindered (Mark 3:5; 10:14). Paul adds, “and sin not,” because we need to be on guard that what starts out in righteous anger doesn’t turn into fleshly anger.
Since it says, “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath,” some have thought that Paul was saying that we shouldn’t go to bed angry, but get things cleaned up in our souls with the Lord in self-judgment the same day that it happens. However, it is not speaking of the sun going down literally; it is figurative language that speaks of keeping righteous anger alive. We are not to let our righteous anger against sin wane or else we’ll become indifferent to evil. The figure is taken from Joshua 10:12-14, when he called on God to keep the sun up until the armies of Israel had finished judging their enemies. The point of the exhortation is that we should never become complacent about evil. We should always have a healthy, undying, righteous anger against evil. Again, the Lord Jesus is an example of this. He showed righteous anger in the temple toward the merchants. Twice He drove the merchants out: once at the beginning of His ministry (John 2:14-17) and again at the end of His life (Matt. 21:12-13). His attitude toward this sin had not abated.
In verse 27 Paul adds that we need to be careful to not “give place to the devil.” This happens when we let our anger against sin abate. Indifference toward evil of any kind opens the door for the devil to work in our lives.
Giving to Others Rather Than Stealing From Them
Vs. 28—We are to give to others rather than steal from them. Stealing may have been a way of life with some in their unconverted days, but now they were to be concerned about not just not taking from others, but giving to them. In Christianity we are to work with our hands, not merely to meet our daily needs but to exceed our daily needs, so that we have something to give to others. This shows that one of the features of the “new man” is a genuine care and concern for others, proved in sacrificial giving. The Lord Jesus perfectly exemplified this in His life. He has taught us by example that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
Speaking With Grace to Others Rather Than Using Corrupt Communication
Vss. 29-30—What characterizes the world through which the believer passes is “corrupt [filthy] communication.” Some people can hardly speak a sentence without using corrupt language. As a marked contrast, Christians are to speak with gracious words to all with whom they interact. The Lord again is our example. All who heard Him “wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth” (Luke 4:22).
The things we say and do should most definitely not “grieve” “the Spirit of God” who dwells in us (vs. 30). He is a divine Person with feelings, and when we do something that He hasn’t led us to do, He is grieved. Verse 31 gives us examples of what would grieve Him. Elsewhere we are told to not “quench” the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19), which is not allowing Him to work through us as He would. Grieving and quenching, therefore, are opposites. Grieving the Spirit is doing something He has not led us to do, and quenching the Spirit is not doing something that He would lead us to do. Since the Spirit has “sealed” us “for the day of redemption” by His indwelling presence, we must be very careful to walk according to the divine Guest within. Everything that God is doing is heading toward the day when we will be set free (the meaning of redemption) from the presence and power of sin so that we can be used to display the glory of Christ.
Kindness and Compassion Rather Than Bitterness and Anger
Vss. 31-32—We are also to “remove” from our lives “all bitterness, wrath, anger,” etc. All such is to be replaced with kindness and tenderness. No one exemplified this better than the Lord Himself. When the poor leper came to Him, He was “moved with compassion” and “put forth His hand and touched him” (Mark 1:41). This may have been the first time someone had touched that man for years.
Forgiving One Another Rather Than Being Wrathful, Injurious, and Malicious
Vs. 32—Another feature of the “new man” is that we don’t hold grudges. Being receivers of God’s “grace,” it becomes us to act toward others as He has acted toward us. Having received eternal forgiveness from God, we are to manifest that same forgiving spirit toward others who have acted toward us in a bitter and wrathful way (vs. 32). Again, the Lord Jesus perfectly manifested this spirit. When the nation rejected Him and nailed Him to the cross, He said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
Walking in Love
Chap. 5:1-7—The exhortations that follow in chapter 5 continue the line of thought in chapter 4 of the saints manifesting a total character change that would become the saints of God.
Since we are now part of the family of God, we are to be “imitators of God, as dear beloved children.” In chapter 4 we were to imitate the perfect ways of “Jesus.” Now in chapter 5 we are to imitate the moral attributes of God. Normally a child will imitate its parents in mannerisms and speech. Likewise, as children of God, we are to imitate God our Father. As mentioned, this would be referring to His moral attributes, for we cannot imitate God’s attributes in deity. The two great moral attributes of God in particular in this chapter are “love” and “light.” Love is the activity of His nature; light is the essence of His being.
Walking as “dear [beloved] children” means that we should walk as ones who are loved of God. The emphasis here is not on us loving God, but rather living in the enjoyment of His love for us. We are “dear” to Him. If we walk with a sense of that, we will “walk in love” toward others.
The great example of walking in love is Christ Himself. In the Old Testament the children of Israel were to love their neighbour as themselves (Luke 10:27). But in the New Testament, love is put on a substantially higher plane—we are to love “as” Christ has loved us. And how did He love? He submitted Himself—even to enduring death—in unswerving loyalty and love to His Father’s will. It was a love that manifested complete submission and obedience, and it was “a sweet-smelling savour” to God. It was a sacrificial love of obedience. This is the character of love that we are to have.
Vs. 3—Our walk, therefore, is to be as what “becomes saints.” A saint literally means, “a sanctified one” or “a holy one.” Not only is “fornication and all uncleanness or unbridled lust” not to be found among the saints—it should “not be even named” in our conversation. These things are not to be topics of discussion because there is contamination connected with thinking and talking about them, even if it is to condemn them. If we dwell on these things and they become common in our conversation, they could creep into our lives. Similarly, the children of Israel were warned to not look into how the heathen nations practiced idolatry because there was a danger of falling into it themselves (Deut. 12:29-32). The old adage that you can get just as dirty hugging a chimney sweep as you can fighting him is certainly true. Those who frequently talk about these corrupt things don’t seem to be very far away from it in their souls. It is dangerous ground.
Vs. 4—Moreover, as “saints,” we are not to descend from the dignity of our position as sons of God to engage in “foolish talking” or “jesting” (vs. 4). The Apostle is not condemning humor here; the rebuke is against frivolous talk that makes light of sacred things and of sin. The Christian is to be filled with love and gratitude and the “giving of thanks.” Such becomes those who have been called to the lofty position we have in Christ. Buffoonery only mars the manifestation of Christian love.
Vss. 5-6—The Apostle goes on to denounce any complicity of the saints with the sins of the age. He draws a very sharp distinction between those who are in the “kingdom of Christ and of God” and those who are not. He speaks of those who are not believers as being characterized by various sins, who surely have no part in the kingdom. He adds, “Let no man deceive you with vain words.” He anticipated that there would be those who would rise up and attempt to excuse these sins in professing believers, by putting forth plausible arguments that in certain cases it would be permissible. The Apostle settles this immediately by telling us that all such arguments are false. He makes it clear that “because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.” The KJV says, “children of disobedience,” but “sons” is the correct word. It implies that these people are fully developed in their moral corruption and disobedience. It is true that a believer may fall into any one of these sins, but no true believer is characterized by them.
His point in mentioning this is to show that there is to be a marked distinction between believers and unbelievers. If we are to properly manifest the moral attributes of God in this world, and “walk in love as Christ” did, separation is imperative. Consequently, he says, “Be not ye therefore fellow-partakers with them” (vs. 7).
Walking in the Light
Chap. 5:8-14—In the first seven verses the moral attribute the Apostle would have the children of God to manifest is “love.” In this next series of verses the moral attribute he focuses on is “light.” He employs the figures of “light” and “darkness” to emphasize the importance of the believer walking in separation from evil.
Vss. 8-10—He says, “Ye were once darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.” Darkness implies the absence of the knowledge of God—gross ignorance of the divine will. The Ephesian saints were not only in the dark in their unconverted days; they were “darkness” itself. Now that they were saved, there was to be a striking contrast in their lives to all that they were. The truth of the gospel had penetrated their souls and transformed their lives. The light of God had illuminated them morally and spiritually. Not only were they in the light; they were now “light in the Lord.”
Paul employs these figures of light and darkness to show that our new life in the Lord is completely opposite to our old life. The two are opposites and cannot exist together. If light comes in, darkness vanishes. Since these two things are incompatible, to be consistent with what we are, the Apostle insists on separation in our lives. We are “light in the Lord,” therefore, we are to “walk as children of light” (vs. 8). We are to practice what we are in actual reality. This is one of the great differences between the Law and the gospel. The Law demands of men that they should be what they are not; the gospel exhorts believers to be what they are. To leave no doubt about what the light produces in the lives of the saints, he says in a parenthesis, “The fruit of the light (not “Spirit” as in the KJV) is in all goodness and righteousness and truth” (vs. 9). When these things are manifest in our lives, we will prove by experience “what is acceptable unto the Lord” (vs. 10).
Vss. 11-13—In verse 7 we are warned of having fellowship with the evil workers of this world, but in verse 11 we are warned against having fellowship with their evil works. Again, separation is enjoined upon the believer. We are told to have “no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.” By separating from it all, our lives as light will “expose” those evil things. The KJV translates “expose” as “reprove,” which implies admonishing and rebuking evil people and evil things. But that is not exactly what the Apostle is referring to here. It is not the testimony that we speak, but the testimony we live that he is emphasizing here. Exposing the unfruitful works of darkness is not denouncing every evil practice in the world by talking about it. It is, rather, to walk in separation from it, whereby the light in us shines more brightly and distinctly. It will expose all that we come in contact with. To talk about the corruption, even if it is to rebuke it, will defile us. For this reason Paul says, “For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret” (vs. 12). Paul’s point here is that we don’t have to talk about evil to expose it. He says, “All things having their true character exposed by the light are made manifest; for that which makes everything manifest is light” (vs. 13). Our responsibility is to let the light shine, and it will expose everything.
Vs. 14—This, however, was the concern of the Apostle. There was a danger of the Ephesian saints not walking in separation, and there wouldn’t be any power in their testimony for the Lord. Therefore, he gives the needed exhortation, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from [among] the dead, and Christ shall shine upon thee.” The imagery of someone sleeping among the dead is an apt picture of a believer living in fellowship with those who are lost. A sleeping man and a dead man look almost the same. Though one is living and the other is not, from all outward appearances they look the same. It speaks of a breakdown in practical separation in the life of a believer. In that state he surely will not manifest the light. It is only by arising from among the dead that we have the promise that “Christ shall shine upon thee.” The Lord will not identify Himself with us in testimony while we lie among the spiritually dead. But when we separate and arise from among them, He shines on us, and we will manifest our true character as a powerful, shining light.
Walking in Wisdom
Chap. 5:15-22—The Apostle then passes on to speak of the need of walking in wisdom. He says, “Walk circumspectly [carefully], not as fools, but as wise.” Our wisdom will be seen in “redeeming the time [opportunity]” and walking in “the will of the Lord.” Paul gives the reason why—“because the days are evil.” Wisdom would behoove us to seize every opportunity to gain an understanding of what “the will of the Lord is,” which essentially is the truth, and is disclosed in the mystery in its practical application. He would have us to know His will so that we would intelligently “further God’s dispensation” at this present time (1 Tim. 1:4 – J. N. Darby Trans.). Not only should we seize opportunities to learn the truth but also opportunities to serve the Lord. Since such opportunities of turning men to the light are few, we must seize every occasion that comes along and use it wisely.
Vs. 18—Paul warns that if we carelessly let opportunities pass us by, our lives could be quickly wasted in the pursuit of earthly and worldly things. There is a real danger of getting intoxicated with those things to the point where we lose our discernment. The extreme case of worldliness is to be “drunk with wine, in which is debauchery.” In contrast to this, he exhorts us to be “filled with the Spirit.” The Apostle would have us to note that just as an intoxicated person is totally under the control of the alcohol in him, and it is evident by his actions, so also should the believer be under the control of the indwelling Spirit of God—and it will be evident in his life.
Being “filled” with the Spirit (chap. 5:18) is not the same as being “sealed” with the Spirit (chap. 1:13). All Christians are sealed with the Spirit, but not all Christians are filled with the Spirit. This is because it is one thing to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and quite another for Him to be filling us. A believer is sealed once when he believes the gospel of his salvation, but he can be filled many times. There is no exhortation in Scripture to be sealed with the Spirit, but there is this exhortation to be filled with that divine Person. It doesn’t mean that we need to have more of the Spirit (because God does not give His Spirit “by measure” – John 3:34), but rather that the Spirit needs to have more of us. We need to be more yielded to Him, and let Him fill and control every aspect of our lives. This involves a condition of supreme surrender to Christ as Lord.
We get instances of the disciples in the early Church being filled with the Spirit as recorded in the book of the Acts (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 7:55; 13:9), and we might be inclined to think that it is an experience that is exceptional and beyond anything we could hope for. But it is evident from this 18th verse that is something to be desired, aimed at, and is within the reach of every Christian—otherwise there wouldn’t be the exhortation.
Vss. 19-21—When a Christian is “filled with the Spirit,” he will be found rejoicing and speaking to others with “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (vs. 19). These are three different kinds of Christian compositions that express spiritual thoughts and feelings in regard to the Lord, the truth, and the path in which we tread.
“Psalms” are not, as some Christians think, the Old Testament Psalms. If they were, the Spirit of God would have added the article “the” before the word “Psalms,” which He does in other passages of Scripture when referring to them (Luke 24:44; Acts 13:33). These psalms are compositions that are based on Christian experiences, which we have gained through walking with the Lord in the light of the truth.
The Old Testament Psalms are Jewish compositions expressing Jewish sentiments and experiences; they do not have a Christian setting and do not properly convey Christian knowledge and sentiments. For instance, the name of the Father, which is characteristic of Christianity, is not known to them. Hence, eternal life is not known. Moreover, the knowledge of Christ’s finished work is not known, nor is the believer’s acceptance in Christ before God through the indwelling Spirit. The Old Testament Psalms do not portray the feelings of one who has a purged conscience and knows peace with God. Consequently, they are composed with an element of fear of the judgment of God, even though they have faith. Furthermore, the hope in the Psalms is not heaven, but to live on earth in the kingdom of Israel’s Messiah. The worship is also of a Jewish order in an earthly temple; the place of a Christian worshipping within the veil is entirely unknown. The cry in many of the prayers in the Psalms is for vengeance on their enemies, which is not the attitude of a Christian who blesses those who curse him and prays for those who despitefully use him. The Old Testament Psalms are not to be read as giving expression to normal Christian thoughts and experiences. We can read them to gain an understanding of the circumstances of the Jewish remnant in the coming Tribulation, and we can also gather God’s moral principles from them, which are applicable to saints of all ages.
“Hymns” are compositions that express worship and address God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ directly. These may take the form of prayers.
“Spiritual songs” are compositions that contain spiritual truths in accord with the Christian revelation by which we are instructed and exhorted in the Christian pathway. They may be in the form of “teaching” us some aspect of the truth, or “admonishing” us as to some practical point of Christian living (Col. 3:16).
Being “filled with the Spirit” will not only be evidenced in Christians “singing and making melody” with their hearts (vs. 19), but also in “giving thanks” in all circumstances in which they find themselves (vs. 20). It will also manifest itself in happily “submitting” to one another and walking together in unity (vs. 21).
A Threefold Evidence of Being Filled With the Holy Spirit
We have a joyful spirit in the “Lord” (vs. 19).
We have a thankful spirit to “God the Father” (vs. 20).
We have a submissive spirit to “one another” (vs. 21).
In conclusion, if we are to manifest a character change in our lives, we must have the two things that Paul mentions at the beginning and end of this section. We need to be “taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus” (chap. 4:21) and be “filled with the Spirit” (chap. 5:18). In other words, we are to have the perfect life of the Lord Jesus before our souls as our model and walk in the power of the ungrieved Spirit of God (chap. 4:30). The first concerns the need for having a right object for our hearts and the second is in regard to having a moral exercise to walk in the Spirit.
Walking Worthy of Our Calling in Our Households: Ephesians 5:22-6:9
The exhortations in chapter 5:18-21 were directed to all believers, but in this next part of the epistle we have exhortations regarding those in special relationships in the Christian household. The exhortations that are now before us correspond with the third circle of Christian responsibility in chapter 4:6—“one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all.” These exhortations have to do with our walk in connection with our natural and earthly relationships in the household setting. God established these relationships long before Christianity came into this world. In this epistle the Apostle Paul gives them a Christian significance and meaning.
Submission is the theme throughout this whole passage. This is why wives are exhorted before husbands, and children before parents, and servants before masters. The Spirit of God has purposely put it in this way to attach importance to this great and important principle of submission. J. N. Darby said, “Submission is the healing principle of humanity.” It is good for us to keep this in mind as we look at these various relationships in the household.
Wives
Chap. 5:22-24—In regard to husbands and wives, Hamilton Smith said, “These special exhortations always have in view the particular quality in which the individual addressed is likely to fail. The woman is liable to break down in submission, and is therefore reminded that the husband is the head of the wife, and that her place is to be “subject.” The man is more prone than the woman to fail in affection. Therefore, husbands are exhorted to “love” their wives.
To emphasize the character of submission, Paul points to “Christ and the church” as the model (vs. 32). In Christianity, our earthly relationships are formed after the pattern of our heavenly relationships. We see from this that God intends that the practical effect of the truth of the mystery should come right down into the personal relationships in our households.
“Wives” are to “submit” to their husbands “as unto the Lord.” They are not told to obey, as is the case with children (chap. 6:1), because they have a different relationship to the head of the house. It may be argued that Sara “obeyed” Abraham, but she was not on Christian ground in that old economy (1 Peter 3:6). She also called him “lord,” but again, it doesn’t mean that Christian wives are to call their husbands “lord.” Sarah is brought before us in Peter’s epistle to illustrate the reverence that Christian wives should have for their husbands.
As the Church is to be “subject to Christ,” so the wife is to be subject to her husband. It must be kept in mind that the truth given here, regarding the husband and wife, is in keeping with what is found throughout the epistle, in that it is God’s ideal. As mentioned earlier, the epistle does not factor in the ruin of the Christian testimony, whether it is in carrying out the truth of the one body in practice, or our personal walk with the Lord through this world, or in our earthly relationships in our households. All is given according to God’s intentions. We mention this because the Church in this day of ruin is not in subjection to Christ. If sisters are to behave toward their husbands “as” the Church does toward Christ in this day, they should be insubject and rebellious! But that would be missing the point.
A wife may complain that her husband is a lout of a man, and quite incompetent. And it may be so, but that does not give her license to set aside the divine order in the household. It is important that she remain subject to him because her place illustrates the position in which the Church stands in relation to Christ. An insubject wife spoils the picture of Christ and the Church.
Some wives may understandably have difficulty with Paul’s comment about being subject to their husbands “in everything” (vs. 24). What if He tells her to do something that is clearly wrong—perhaps to lie or steal something? We again would point out that Ephesians does not view the church in failure, and therefore, does not suppose the husband or the wife doing anything but what is normal to Christianity—which is completely above sin. Colossians 3:18 qualifies the wife’s submission, saying, “As it is fit in the Lord.” She is to do all that he asks, but as it is fitting in the Lord. To sin because her husband tells her to do so is out of the question.
Husbands
Chap. 5:25-33—As mentioned, men are more prone than women to fail in affection, therefore, husbands are exhorted to “love” their wives.” The initiative rests on the husband. Christ is the example. He took the initiative in a most wonderful way. It says, “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it.” He didn’t give money or possessions; He gave “Himself” (Gal. 1:4; Eph. 5:2, 25; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Titus 2:14). He could not give more. This is the greatest display of self-sacrifice there could ever be. Since husbands are to love their wives “as” Christ loved the Church, they are to express their love not only in words, but also in sacrificing their own interests for the good and help of their spouse.
A marriage may be "made in heaven" (as people say), but the maintenance of it must be done on earth—and it begins with husbands loving their wives. The word “love” here, in the Greek, is “agapé.” It is a love that emanates from a settled disposition; it is a choice or a settled decision. The word used here for “love” is not “phileo,” as we might have thought, which is a love of affection and emotion. Agapé is the kind of love that is needed for a lasting marriage. Surely the husband should love his wife with emotion and affection, but the agapé love is what is needed to take the marriage the distance of a lifetime. The wife may change as she grows older, but the choice of her husband to love her will continue as always.
Agapé is the kind of “love” the Lord has for us. He chose to set His love on us when there was nothing in us naturally to love (Rom. 5:8). It was a sovereign choice of His. (Compare also the Lord’s love for Israel—Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Ezekiel 16:6-14.) Note: He didn’t make the Church worthy to be loved, and then love it and give Himself for it—His loving and giving was before we were saved! The purpose of the sacrifice of Christ was not to secure the love of God for men. It was God Himself who was acting in love toward men, and it was proved by the sacrifice of Christ. This is the kind of love that is needed for a lasting marriage.
Christ’s “love” for the Church is threefold. There is what His love did in the past (vs. 25), what His love is doing in the present (vs. 26), and what His love will do in the future (vs. 27). His love for us in the past has led Him to give Himself in death to make atonement for our souls. At the present time, He is patiently working with the members of His body to “sanctify” and “cleanse” them through “the washing of water by the Word.” Shedding His blood in death has cleansed us in a judicial sense (1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5-6), but the water of the Word is cleansing our walk in a practical sense. The “Word” discovers to us what we are and leads us to judge ourselves (John 17:17), and it also occupies us with Christ in glory (John 17:19). These two things are the power for our practical cleansing. Then, in the future, the Lord will “present” the Church to Himself. This will take place at “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:7-9). He will present the Church to Himself before He presents her to the world at His appearing (2 Thess. 1:10).
We are not to take from this that husbands are to undertake a project of cleansing and sanctifying their wives, in the sense of trying to change and mold them into something they are not. The model of Christ and His love is presented here as an example to husbands of the depth of His devotion to the Church. We, as husbands, are to have that same love and care for our wives.
The Lord will not be satisfied until the Church is perfectly suited to Himself. Paul mentions four things that His work has done and will produce in us (vs. 27). In the end, we will be “a glorious church:”
“Without spot”—stainless. Spots in Scripture refer to failures. In that day, no trace of failure will be seen in the Church.
“Without wrinkle”—ageless. There will be no signs of decay. We will all be “like” the Lord morally (1 John 3:2) and physically (Phil. 3:21). He will be in “the dew” of His youth, and we will be too (Psa. 110:3).
“Holy”—sinless. The fallen nature will be eradicated, and we will never sin again.
“Without blemish”—blameless. The world will not be able to justly point a finger of accusation at us, for we will be perfect through His matchless grace.
Vss. 29-30—Nourishing has the thought of feeding and building up, and this might suggest that we are to enjoy the truth with our wives as we study the Word of God together. Cherishing implies thoughtful care, love, and consideration. These things make for a happy marriage. It is easy to see that if the husband gives to his wife the love that is due to her, she will not have much trouble yielding submission to him.
A Sevenfold Summary of Christ’s Great Work of Securing the Church For Himself
Christ’s sevenfold initiative toward the Church, indicating His complete devotion to her welfare, is a progressive thing:
He “loved” (vs. 25).
He “gave” (vs. 25).
He “sanctifies” (vs. 26).
He “cleanses” (vs. 26).
He “nourishes” (vs. 29).
He “cherishes” (vs. 29).
He will “present” the Church to Himself (vs. 27).
Children
Chapter 6:1-3—Since the epistle does not view the Christian testimony in ruin, it views the Christian home in a godly order. The place of children in the home is to “obey” their parents. It is held out as the way of practical blessing in their lives. Note: it says, “parents” (plural); this supposes that both the father and the mother are of one accord in their directions in the household. There is a tendency for children to obey their father (perhaps out of fear), but not their mother; therefore, they are enjoined to obey both parents. The fact that it adds the words “in the Lord,” supposes that he is addressing believing children who naturally want to please the Lord.
“Honour thy father and thy mother” is an injunction that extends beyond a child in his father’s home. Honour for our parents should continue throughout our lives, even when we may not be living directly under their authority any longer. There is a practical reward for honouring our parents, in the sense of God working providentially in our lives for good. Paul is not saying that every Christian child who obeys his parents will live long on earth, but he refers to the principle of God’s government in the Mosaic law that promises His providential favour in the lives of those who honour their parents. God still works on this principle today in Christian homes.
Three Reasons for Obedience and Honour to Parents
It is right (vs. 1).
It is according to Scripture (vs. 2).
There is a promise of governmental blessing (vs. 3).
Parents
Chapter 6:4—“Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath.” Fathers particularly have to be careful to not frustrate their children by imposing extreme injunctions on them, and thus destroy their influence for good and lose their affection. The children can get “discouraged” and give up (Col. 3:21). When they get older, their frustration could manifest itself in rebelling against everything their parents have sought to instill in them.
The parents’ work is to encourage their children, not discourage them. They are to “bring them up in the nurture [discipline] and admonition of the Lord” (vs. 4). There are two things here. “Discipline” and “admonition.” One is positive and the other negative. Discipline in this verse is not punishment, but the idea of training or discipling the children. Parents are to work with them, bringing them up to be disciples of the Lord Jesus. Admonition has the thought of correcting, but it is to be “of the Lord.” That is, in the same character as the Lord admonishes and corrects us. This sets things in the Christian home on a very high level and is in keeping with the character of the epistle.
Servants
Chapter 6:5-8—“Servants” should be translated “bondslaves.” The instructions here are for those of that class who had gotten saved. Hence, they were Christian slaves. While the previous relationships of wives and husbands, and children and parents are ordered of God, this station in life is not an institution of God. It has come about through the fall of man. It was an institution of man forced on his fellow man for unjust reasons. He never intended that one man should be the slave of another.
It is significant that Paul does not try to set right this man-made relationship of masters and slaves. Christianity is not an attempt to reform society with a revolution of this terrible institution of man. Paul does not tell the saints to campaign against it, or dissolve all such relationships if they were in them. This is because the gospel is not a force to set the world right; it calls all who have faith out of it before the judgment of God falls on it. The gospel proclaims emancipation, not from the injustices of society, but from sin and judgment. It promises the working of the “power of God” in the lives of those who believe by delivering from the dominion of sin (Rom. 1:16).
We might wonder how a passage like this could have any relevance to us in North America in the 21st century where slavery has long been abolished. However, the exhortations here do have their application to Christians in the workplace. When we are at work as an employee, in principle, we are in the place of a servant, serving our employer. Therefore, these instructions apply when we are in that relationship.
The underlying point of the Apostle in these instructions is that both servants and masters are to regulate their conduct by Christian standards and Christian principles in the workplace. Christianity encourages glorifying God and the serving of the Lord in the place where we have been called (1 Cor. 7:17-24). The workplace is a tremendous opportunity to bear witness for Christ by our work habits, our manner of life, and our obedience to our earthly employers. Therefore, Paul would have us serve under our masters in the workplace “as the servants of Christ.” Labour is immeasurably dignified by considering our work in this way. The task of the humblest worker can be ennobled by understanding that we are really “doing service as unto the Lord.”
Proper attitude in the field of labour among Christians requires, on the part of servants and masters, the recognition of constituted authority. The duty of servants is obedience. They are not to use “eyeservice” or be “menpleasers.” Eyeservice is to work when being watched, but otherwise to be idle or careless when the master is absent. Men-pleasers defines those who seek to curry favour with their masters for selfish gain. These things, of course, only spoil our Christian testimony before the world.
Masters
Chapter 6:9—The Apostle has a word of caution for Christian “masters.” They are to remember that they have a “Master” in heaven who is observing all things, and will, if necessary, move in a governmental way against an unjust master on earth. Philemon would be an example in Scripture of a Christian master.
As mentioned, the exhortations here can have their application to those who are employers. A tremendous testimony can be rendered for the Lord when people see a Christian master treating his servants with love and care and dignity. The attempt to get increased production out of workers by “threatening” is not a Christian principle, and they are to forbear using such a tactic. Christian employers need to remember that they, too, are under authority and ultimately will have to answer to God as to how they have treated their employees. If they behave wrongly, it redounds to a bad testimony for the Lord.
The Christian Warfare: Ephesians 6:10-20
Before closing the epistle, the Apostle reminds us that we have a spiritual enemy in the same realm as our spiritual blessings—“the heavenlies” (chap. 1:3; 2:2; 6:12). Satan and his emissaries are there in that realm of spiritual activity doing all they can to spoil our enjoyment of Christ and our spiritual blessings in Him. A formidable enemy indeed is arrayed against us, but God has made a full provision for us against that wily foe in the “the whole armour of God.” If we wear it, we will be enabled by the power of God to live in uninterrupted enjoyment of those things that are ours.
The Lord’s Power
Vs. 10—The Apostle first directs our thoughts to the power that is for us before he tells us of the power that is against us. To combat these wily deceptions, we are to be “strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” If we are to be overcomers in this spiritual battle, we must understand that it can only be in and through the Lord’s strength. It is “His might,” not our own, that will give us to prevail. Human strength will not avail in this battle (1 Sam. 2:9). “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of Hosts” (Zech. 4:8). We are very thankful to know that God’s power is greater than the enemy’s (1 John 4:4).
We will only be “strong in the Lord” when we live practically under the Lordship of Christ. This means we are to recognize the Lord’s authority in every aspect of our lives. We cannot expect to have His power in our lives if we live without reference to Him. We fall prey to the deceptions of the enemy because we under estimate Satan’s power, and we over estimate our own (Psa. 118:8; Luke 14:31). Consequently, we don’t use the armour as we should and get duped into something that ultimately distracts us from our spiritual portion in Christ. This is illustrated typically in Joshua 7 in the battle at “Ai.”
The Spiritual Character of the Conflict
Vs. 11—This conflict is not a fleshly battle with literal bombs and guns, but a spiritual battle against “wicked spirits in high places” (2 Cor. 10:4-5). The conflict described here is not what a believer experiences when he struggles with the lusts of the flesh because he is not walking in the Spirit. Such is described in Galatians 5:17. Though a struggle with the flesh can be a very real thing in the life of a believer, it is not a normal Christian experience, because the Bible presents Christian living from the perspective of the believer having put the flesh in the place of death, and it is not asserting itself in his life. The conflict here in Ephesians 6 is what a believer encounters when he is walking in the Spirit. When we judge ourselves, and set our focus on heavenly things, and seek to walk in the practical enjoyment of those things, we will at once find the power of Satan arrayed against us, as described in this chapter. Hence, Galatians 5:17 describes a conflict that results from not walking in the Spirit, whereas Ephesians 6:10-12 describes a conflict that results when a believer does walk in the Spirit.
As “the prince of the power of the air,” Satan moves in the heavenlies. In chapter 2:2 we saw him there opposing the counsel of God and attempting to hinder it from being brought to fruition in regard to the building of the Church. In this chapter he is in the heavenlies to hinder the saints from enjoying Christ and their blessings in Him. It is important to understand that this conflict is not to possess our spiritual blessings, but to walk in the enjoyment of them. Satan is not trying to take away our salvation or our blessings because he knows he can’t. His intent, rather, is on spoiling our enjoyment of our portion in Christ.
Since the believer is seen in this epistle going on well and walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25), he is not as likely to respond to fleshly things as a person in a poor state would. Knowing this, the devil comes at him on a different line of attack. He tries to introduce things into his life that are not necessarily sinful, and use them to distract him from his occupation with Christ. He often uses the cares and duties of this life to get us away from enjoying the Lord. Sometimes he will use people to do his work unknowingly—even well-meaning Christians. Hence, we may be introduced to something as simple as a project, a hobby, a recreation, etc., but behind it is a wile of the devil designed to distract and entangle us in something other than Christ. The result is that we are pre-occupied with it rather than with our portion in Christ. Importing temptations of a fleshly nature into this passage is to misunderstand the context and character of this conflict. Lot’s struggles in Sodom do not depict this conflict in Ephesians 6.
“The wiles of the devil” are things that he presents to us that look fair and innocent, but by them our souls are deceived. The fact that it is in the plural (“wiles”) tells us that Satan has many deceptive lines of attack. What he might use on one Christian he may not use on another. He knows by observation the tendencies of each one of us, and will use a particular line of attack aimed at the place where we are the weakest and most likely to be deceived. Mr. Kelly translates this verse, “the stratagems of the devil.” Stratagem comes from the word strategy and refers to the science of military warfare. What this means is that Satan is planning a special strategy to assault the saints of God. He has designs on our lives! It is not a haphazard attack but a carefully planned out thing. This is a sobering thought.
There is a type in Joshua 9 that illustrates the devil’s work in this way. In the book of Joshua, the Lord led the children of Israel into their inheritance—the land of Canaan (Josh. 5:13-15). Canaan is a type of our heavenly portion in Christ. The Lord had given them the land (Josh. 1:2), but they had to fight to practically possess it and dwell in it. The inhabitants of the land (the Canaanites) are a type of the wicked spirits in the heavenlies who are arrayed against the saints to hinder them from enjoying their portion in Christ. In the 9th chapter some of the inhabitants of the land (the Gibeonites) came to the children of Israel in a wily way and deceived them into making a non-aggression pact with them (vss. 4-15). Not long after, the Israelites discovered that they had been deceived by the Gibeonites. Since Israel had sworn that they would not destroy the Gibeonites, they acquired a problem of their our making. They couldn’t get rid of the Gibeonites, who thereafter became a burden and a distraction to the children of Israel. It all happened because Joshua and the people didn’t seek counsel of the Lord (vs. 14).
The Whole Armour of God
Our responsibility here is to be found wearing “the whole armour of God.” It is not enough to know about each piece of the armour. Being able to explain the meaning and function of them will not give us of the benefit of their protection; we have to wear it—to “put” it on. That is, we have to apply the principles that each piece of armour represents in our lives practically before we’ll get the benefit of them. Note: we have to put it on; God does not do this for us. The “best robe” was put on the prodigal when he came to his father; it depicts the blessings of God in salvation. Hence, the garments of salvation are something that God puts on us when we get saved. But when it comes to “the whole armour of God,” it is something that we must put on—it is our responsibility. Note also: the act of putting it on is in the aorist tense in the Greek. This means we are to be in a state of having done it once and for all. Therefore, it should read, “Having put on ... ” This means that it is not something that we repeatedly put on and take off, as the need arises, but something that is put on once and for all.
In saying, “the whole [complete] armour of God,” he is indicating that it will not be enough for us to wear part of it. It is given to us as a whole, and must be worn in its entirety. Note also that there is no armour for our back. God never intends for us to turn our backs to the enemy and run. In fact, we are told to “resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). If we are found wearing the armour, the devil will be thwarted in his attempt to preoccupy us with other things and take away our enjoyment of our portion in Christ.
The Powers of Evil
Vs. 12—There is a whole gamut of evil emissaries arrayed against us in the conflict; and they are all trying to deceive and beguile us. The battle is not only against the “devil” (vs. 11); it is “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness [wicked spirits] in high places” (vs. 12). It is a coalition of five kinds of wicked beings. These wicked beings denote different aspects of spiritual evil arrayed against the believer. There is a type of these five enemies in Joshua 10. A coalition of five Canaanite kings gathered to fight against Joshua and the children of Israel in an attempt to stop them from taking the land. “Adonizedek” was the coalition leader, and he stands as a type of Satan who is the chief commander of the wicked beings in heavenly places. He had four other kings under him—“Hoham,” “Piram,” “Japhia,” and “Debir” (Josh. 10:3-4).
The battle in Joshua 10 took place in “Gibeon,” which means “a great hill.” It literally took place on top of a hill, and this speaks of the heavenly places where our spiritual conflict occurs. The children of Israel came from “Gilgal” to meet this enemy. This speaks of self-judgment (Josh. 10:9). At the time of the sun going down, Joshua commanded it to stand still for another whole day. He did this so that they could finish the battle victoriously (Josh. 10:11-14). Since a day with the Lord is as 1000 years (2 Peter 3:8; Psa. 90:4), this speaks of the lengthened-out day of grace, which is now almost 2000 years! It suggests that we will have this conflict with Satan and his emissaries until the Lord comes—the Rapture.
The Evil Day
Vs. 13—We are not living in a time of peace but in a time of war—spiritual war! The Christian life is a continual conflict, and there is no discharge in this warfare. Peter tells us that we need to be “sober” and “vigilant” on account of the movements of our adversary (1 Peter 5:8). Since we never know when or where he will attack, we must live in a state of high alert at all times.
In one sense “the evil day” covers the whole period of Christ’s absence from this world. In another sense it refers to when the enemy makes a special attack on us. These are occasions when the seductive power of the enemy presses on us more closely, as he tries to take us out of communion and away from enjoying our portion in Christ. It is in view of such times that we are to have put on the armour. It is only then we will be able to “stand” against this enemy. Note: it is “stand,” not advance, because there is no advance on the position in which this epistle sees the Christian.
Seven Pieces of Armour
A number of expositors indicate that there are seven pieces to this “panoply of God,” if we include prayer. They are:
THE GIRDLE OF TRUTH—A girdle is a belt, which a man would use to tie back his flowing garments that were worn in those days. This was done so that he could work without hindrance (vs. 14a). In this spiritual battle our “loins” are to be “girt about with truth.” The loins are the hip area of our bodies that move in all our physical activities. To have our loins girded with truth implies that all our movements in life are governed by the principles of the truth of God. This was perfectly exemplified in the Lord Jesus when He was tempted by the devil. The Word of God governed His every movement. He would not take one step that the Word of God and the Spirit of God did not justify (1 Tim. 3:16). Consequently, the devil’s tactics were defeated. Similarly, the principles of God’s Word are to govern all our activities, and the result will be the same—the devil’s ruses that are designed to turn us aside to other things will be thwarted.
THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS—The breastplate is a piece of armour worn over the heart for the protection of our affections (vs. 14b). It is called the breastplate of “righteousness” because we need to be on guard against our affections being influenced by something that is not characterized by practical righteousness. The devil is going to purposely aim at our hearts things that are calculated to displace Christ in our affections. Let us be careful then not to love some thing or activity to the point where it lodges in the seat of our affections, and we become engrossed with it. When we become passionate about something, though it may not be intrinsically sinful, there is a great danger of us getting drawn away by it. Knowing this, Satan will try to introduce some innocent-looking thing into our lives that will climb into our hearts. In view of this, we are warned in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
SHOES (Feet Shod)—This is protection for our feet (vs. 15). There are unforeseen circumstances that are beyond our control that touch our daily walk with the Lord (of which the feet speak). The devil will use these circumstances in everyday life to disturb our peace and communion, and thus spoil our enjoyment of our portion in Christ. Having our feet “shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” meets this attack. It does not refer to being prepared to give the gospel to people we meet—that will not protect us from the subtle attacks of the enemy. The verse is not speaking of what the gospel imparts to others, but what it affects in us. The gospel has brought “peace” to us, and thus prepares us to walk in peace in a world of unrest. It lays a foundation of stability in our souls (which is the meaning of the word “preparation” in the Greek) whereby we are filled with peace. This arms us for the trying circumstances in life that we will surely meet, and the enemy will surely use to gain a point of attack, and thus spoil our enjoyment of the Lord. If we walk with this inner peace that the gospel has brought to us, we will be able to meet those circumstances in the spirit of calmness and not allow them to frustrate us and take us out of communion.
THE SHIELD OF FAITH—This is protection against the enemy’s attempts to disturb our faith and confidence in the Lord (vs. 16). We must not let the “darts” of doubt find their mark in our hearts whereby we let our hands hang down in discouragement. These darts may be questions that we have concerning the Lord’s ways with us in regard to some trouble, disappointment, or sorrow in our lives. If we allow these things to penetrate the recesses of our hearts, we will get discouraged and lose the enjoyment of what is ours in Christ. A fiery dart of the devil is not a sudden desire to gratify some lust within—which is more the conflict in Galatians 5:17. The conflict in Ephesians supposes that the believer is going on in communion with the Lord, and the flesh is not asserting itself in his life. A fiery dart is some diabolical suggestion that the enemy hurls at us that would raise a doubt in our hearts as to the goodness of God. To lift “the shield of faith” is to maintain our confidence in God, believing that everything He allows in our lives is for our ultimate good (Rom. 8:28), because His ways are perfect (Psa. 18:30).
The “fiery darts” may also be the devil’s judgmental accusations aimed at our consciences. Since we have all failed in some way, the enemy will attempt to get us occupied with our shortcomings and failures. In doing so, our eyes will again be taken off Christ. When we lift “the shield of faith,” and believe that God is for us, these attacks are quenched.
THE HELMET OF SALVATION—This is protection for our thoughts (vs. 17a). When things other than Christ occupy our minds, the enemy can introduce distractions that will work to draw us away from enjoying our heavenly portion. When we keep our thoughts fixed on Christ and what we have in Him, it works as a practical deliverance from all kinds of things that the devil would introduce. This is why this piece of armour is called a helmet "of salvation." Satan does not know what we are thinking; he is not omniscient. However, he can bring certain things before us that are calculated to produce certain responses in our hearts, and such suggestions can get us thinking on lines that will draw our thoughts away from Christ. He is very subtle; if a person is going on in communion, as Paul supposes here, Satan will not use evil and wicked things to distract us. Again, this conflict in Ephesians 6 is not about evil that the enemy stirs up in our flesh (as in the conflict in Galatians 5:17), but extraneous things that appear harmless and innocent, but nevertheless, take us on a journey in our thoughts away from Christ. It may be things that concern our career, politics, sports activities, friendships, etc. All such things can be distracting if allowed an undue place in our thoughts. An old brother used to say, “Watch what you think about, and let it be Christ.” “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee” (Isa. 26:3).
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT—This is protection against false motives in our hearts. We may have hidden and ulterior motives in our hearts, of which we are not aware, that the enemy can pick up on and use to draw us out of the path (vs. 17b). “The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,” is able to discern “the thoughts and intents” of our hearts, and thus expose any wrong motive that might be there (Heb. 4:12). If we let the Spirit of God apply the Word of God in its full weight to our hearts and consciences, He will reveal any deep-rooted and hidden motive that may be there, so that we can judge it in the presence of God (Job 34:32; Psa. 139:23-24). This preserves us from taking false steps through evil motives.
We may have thought that the mention of “the sword of the Spirit” here is our call to attack the devil in an offensive way. However, we are not told anywhere in Scripture to fight, speak to, or run from the devil. But we are told to “resist” him, and if we do, he will flee from us (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9). In the context of this chapter, the sword is not to be used on the enemy, but rather, on ourselves! Similarly, upon entering the land of Canaan, the children of Israel were to sharpen their knives, and then use them on themselves (Josh. 5:2).
PRAYER—Finally, we are to meet the enemy on the battlefield on our knees (vs. 18). This speaks of a daily expression of dependence on the Lord for preservation. The armour would not be complete without this. Naturally speaking, in a physical battle this would be a vulnerable position, but it is a place of protection and strength in this spiritual battle in the heavenlies. There is a protective element in “prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Luke 22:40). The enemy cannot touch us when we are in the presence of the Lord in earnest prayer (Deut. 33:12; 2 Kings 6:13-17; 2 Chron. 22:10-12).
The Apostle adds, “Watching thereunto with all perseverance.” The Lord would have us to watch for the answers to our prayers. This points to the exercise of faith. Our tendency is to give up too soon. Our prayers should not only be for our preservation in this battle, but also for the preservation of “all saints” because the enemy is going to assault every one who seeks to go on for the Lord.
As great a servant of God that Paul was, he did not think himself to be beyond the need of the saints’ prayers. He desired their prayers that the work of the Lord might continue and prosper. He understood that there was, and still is, a “great conflict” regarding the truth being ministered to the profit of the saints (Col. 1:28-2:1). Therefore, he asks for the prayers of the Ephesians that he might open his mouth boldly “to make known the mystery of the gospel” (vss. 19-20). The gospel is not the mystery, but it brings us into the blessing of the mystery. The gospel is the means by which a believer participates in what the mystery discloses. Hence, the mystery is the appropriate sequel to the gospel (Rom. 16:25). Note: he did not ask them to pray for his release from prison, or that his circumstances be alleviated. Thus we see in him a lovely picture of submission to what the Lord allowed in his life.
Summary of the Spiritual Meaning of the Armour
Loins girded—moving on right principles in our lives.
Breastplate—having a good conscience with right affections.
Feet shod—walking in a right state of peace and calmness.
Shield of faith—having real confidence in God.
Helmet—having right thoughts.
Sword of the Spirit—having right motives.
Prayer—having a right posture of dependence (on our knees).
Closing Salutations
(Chap. 6:21-24)
In Paul’s closing salutations, “Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord” is mentioned. His name appears five times in the New Testament (Acts 20:4; Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:12; Titus 3:12). His two-fold mission at this time was to inform the saints at Ephesus of the state of the Apostle and also to encourage their hearts.
Paul closes with his usual greetings. “Peace,” “love,” and “grace” is wished on their behalf.