Ephesians | An Overview

The books in the New Testament that end in -ians are letters from Paul to Christians who live in these areas — the book of Ephesians is a letter from Paul to the Christians who lived in a place called Ephesus. (Galatians is to the people of Galatia, Philippians is to the people of Philippi…get it?) Now, as we read through the book of Ephesians and study the scripture together, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Remember it’s a letter, a note from Paul to a group of people who already have a relationship with Christ. The people of Ephesus are actually a lot like the people of America today — we have a solid “understanding” of the story of Jesus Christ (meaning, we know the Christmas story, we know the Easter story and we know that we should live a life that honors him). And the people of Ephesus had a lot of distractions — sound familiar?

• Think of this letter as if Timmy and I were shooting you a note saying,“Hey, we have seen how much you love God and the awesome ways you have made Him known! The evidence of Christ is all over you. As you move into new seasons of life and as you continue growing, we want to remind you of some really awesome truths about God and how much He loves you. Take your faith seriously and be on guard against the tricks of the enemy.” 

• Read Ephesians from the perspective of receiving the letter. Just like above — when the scripture says 'you,' don’t think of the ‘you’ as someone else. It’s YOU! Receive these scriptures as if they were written specifically for YOU — because they were. If they were just for the Ephesians 2k years ago, they wouldn’t be in the Holy Bible for YOU to read today. God’s word is alive — that means that it is always applicable and always at work. God’s word is literally God’s voice speaking to you. Ever wanted God to tell you something? He’s telling you through the Bible. Promise.
  

• Paul is really in love with Jesus. Throughout the entire book of Ephesians, he is going to constantly — like in every breath — point back to Jesus. Every time he says “in him,” “for him,” “because of him,” the HE/HIM is always JESUS. It’s an obsession really, so don’t miss it. If it sounds like a broken record, it is. ALL things in life come from Jesus. And ALL things point back to Jesus. He’s the point — not better behavior of more self love — that doesn’t defeat death or give hope for eternity or satisfy the holy wrath of God. Only Jesus. And Paul doesn’t want you to miss the point. The point is Jesus. Always.

Here are a few more things to know about the book of Ephesians that will bring a little more context to our approach for studying it:

• On Paul's missionary journeys, he spent time ministering in several cities and helped establish many healthy 'churches,' as in -- bodies of believers who were committed to the ways of Jesus. He wrote this letter to the believers in Ephesus while he was in a Roman prison. As you read the book, you will hear his passion for the work of Jesus Christ, and his love for the people.
  

• Ephesus was home to a famous temple to the Greek goddess Artemis, so the spiritual warfare was pretty significant and false gods were literally everywhere. It was an easy time to worship gods -- very similar to today, even though our gods aren't just made of silver or bronze.
  

• Throughout the book of Ephesians, we will read about our position in Christ as a result of His finished work on the cross (who we were before Christ, what Christ did and who we are as a result). Our position is: chosen child of God. Living out of that position is where the application comes in. Because of what Christ has done for us, how then should we live -- how is our practice of Christianity rooted in our position. Paul will teach us about this from start to finish. Remember this: holy living is about so much more than good behavior. Holy living is the practice of living from a position of being chosen by God.