Ephesians, Pt. 1 (Spiritual Blessings)
![Blessings for Believers in Christ
Ephesians, Pt. 1
By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© May 31, 2015
www.pastorkennedy.com
There are many ways we can be blessed.
• Some of us may be blessed with special gifts and talents, by which specialized work can be enjoyed, culminating in a very productive and satisfying livelihood.
• Others can be blessed with a large or extended family that brings much interaction and great joy.
• Some may be blessed with assets and financial benefit, which allow them to accomplish goals in life others might find difficult to obtain.
• There are those who are blessed with a very content attitude no matter how difficult life may be. They roll with the roughest of punches and smile at the end of every day…
Or at least they look like they smile at the end of every day :)
• Some blessings are beyond satisfaction of work, gifting and success, family and/or attitude. They are blessings, which supersede the normal things in this temporal world because they reflect a spiritual blessing from God Himself, which He bestows on His Children. These are the blessings that Paul writes about in Ephesians, and they are the blessings we are exploring together today.
In order to more fully understand these Spiritual blessings, it is worthwhile for us to take the time to observe the City and the Church at Ephesus, to more clearly understand the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
The City of Ephesus
At the time of Paul, Ephesus was probably the fourth largest city in the world, with a population estimated at 250,000. During the reign of the emperor Hadrian, Ephesus was designated the capital of the Roman province of Asia. The grandeur of the ancient city is evident in the remains uncovered by archaeologists, including the ruins of the Artemision, the civic agora, the temple of Domitian, gymnasiums, public baths, a theater with seating for 24,000, a library, and the commercial agora, as well as streets and private residences…. Today the Turkish town of Seljuk occupies the site of ancient Ephesus. (Reddish, M. G. (2003). Ephesus. In C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen & T. C. Butler (Eds.), Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (494). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.)
Paul’s Travel and Ministry to those in Corinth, before coming to Ephesus
Let’s take the time to review Paul’s life, ministry and friends in Corinth and Ephesus, as recorded in Acts 18-21.
Before moving to Ephesus, Paul met his friends, fellow believers, and work associates, Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth, because Claudius, the Roman Emperor, had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. Aquila and Priscilla were also tentmakers, so Paul stayed with them and they worked together making tents during the week. On the Sabbath, though, they reasoned with the Jews and Greeks in the Synagogue, trying to persuade them that they could not obtain salvation merely because of their heritage and obedience to the Jewish laws and ordnances. Jesus Christ died and rose again for the forgiveness of sin. He was the Messiah and that He was the Savior of the world. Belief in God’s provision of Redemption through Christ’s Sacrifice alone brought Salvation and Eternal Life. (Acts 18:1-4; Eph. 1:7; Rom. 3:21-31)
Because of the Jewish legalist’s strong hatred and opposition to the Gospel during these Sabbath meetings, one day Paul finally shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles!”
Many had come to believe in Christ in Corinth including Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, and his family. The Lord spoke to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” Because of this, Paul stayed another year and a half, teaching the word of God among them. (Acts 18:5-11)
Problems and threats rose because of Paul’s teaching, and the Jewish legalist’s made a united attack on Paul, but Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia, threw the case against Paul, out of the court. Did this clarify to Paul that his time in Corinth had come to an end? In due time he set sail for Syria encouraging Priscilla and Aquila to accompany him further on his missionary journey. When they came to Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila stayed in the city to most likely establish their tent making business while Paul continued on to preach in several other cities strengthening all the disciples. (Acts 18:12-23)
Apollos Came to Ephesus
Apollos, a native from Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker and spoke boldly about Jesus in the synagogue. He knew the Scriptures from what John the Baptist had taught him about Jesus Christ, but personally only knew the baptism of John. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Gospel of Jesus Christ more accurately. Apollos traveled on to Achaia with the full blessing of the believers.
When Apollos arrived in Achaia, he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was The Christ. (Acts 18:24-28)
Paul Teaches in Ephesus
Paul came back to Ephesus after preaching and encouraging believers in surrounding cities. He helped those who had known only John’s baptism turn to Christ and be filled with the Holy Spirit. He again boldly taught about the Kingdom of God for three months in the synagogue, but Paul changed his meeting place, because of the naysayers and revilers at the synagogue. He continued to reason daily in the Hall of Tyrannus for the next two years… “So that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” [This shows how dynamic the influx had become of people flowing in and out of Ephesus during Paul’s day.] (Acts 19:1-10)
God did extraordinary miracles through Paul in Ephesus, confirming the truth of his teaching about Christ’s Resurrection and the power of the Gospel. Many were healed and demon possessed were delivered. (Acts 19:11-12)
The Spiritual Presumption of the Seven Sons of Sceva
Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded, and this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. Fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. (Acts 19:11-17)
There was a Great Deliverance from Magic Arts
Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver (several million dollars). So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. (Acts 19:18-20)
Paul resolved in the Spirit to leave Ephesus and visit Macedonia, Achaia, Jerusalem, and eventually Rome, because after all he had been in Ephesus several years and God had accomplished many amazing things. Paul had already sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus ahead of him to Macedonia.
In the mean time, a riot was brewing.
The Riot Concerning “The Way”, begun by a disgruntled Silversmith
There arose no little disturbance concerning “The Way” – the name, which the Ephesus believers were calling themselves. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. He gathered the tradesmen together and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis (also called “Diana” by the Romans) may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”
When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel. But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky? Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly. When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia. (Acts 19:21-20:1)
Several months later, when Paul was in Miletus, he felt constrained by the Holy Spirit to return to Jerusalem, where he would face certain imprisonment and possible death, so called for the elders of the Church of Ephesus to meet with him. This shows Paul’s great love and respect for the leadership of the Church at Ephesus.
Acts 20:18–23
18 And when they came to him, he said to them:
“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.
When Paul had finished speaking, there was much weeping on everyone’s part; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all that they would not see his face again, and they accompanied him to the ship. (Acts 20:37–38)
The ship, by the way, did not sail directly to Jerusalem (it wasn’t a “direct flight”). It was a long trip with multiple stops and delays along the way where Paul stayed with old friends such as Philip the evangelist and his family. Also, at these places, those who were sensitive to God’s Voice told Paul of his coming persecution and imprisonment at the hands of those who hated Christ – and being given over to the Gentiles, but Paul was determined to return to Jerusalem, even if it meant his death. (Acts 21)
Arriving in Jerusalem, Paul and those with him visited James the Apostle, and other believers in Christ at the Church in Jerusalem. It was when Paul went to the Temple that the persecution against him began; leading to his appeal to Caesar and the long journey to Rome, filled with court appearances, defense of the Gospel, shipwreck, imprisonment, and finally, Paul’s execution.
Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus
Paul wrote this letter to the Church at Ephesus in sometime between 60-62 A.D., while he was in prison, a few short years before his execution. It was a time of considerable religious and political upheaval. Christians were being bitterly persecuted, and within 10 years or less, the Jewish nation would be dissolved, with Jerusalem and its temple totally destroyed by the Romans, disbursing the Jews to the ends of the earth for the next two thousand years!
It is interesting that Paul would write a letter outlining God’s blessing on His Children, when all of God’s Children, at that time, including himself, seemed to be, or would be experiencing such personal calamity.
Incomprehensible Spiritual Blessing
Blessings though, can come in many forms, and there are no forms of blessing, which may be more misunderstood, misperceived, or totally amazing, than Spiritual blessings.
• In some way, it may be like parents telling a young child, as they watch their child randomly playing with his or her toy cars, about a future blessing – if they did this or that they would learn how to drive a car more safely, when they become a teen…
• Or, it may be like encouraging a toddler to understand how a parent’s savings fund for their “college education” would benefit their future.
A child cannot grasp the blessings a human parent wants to bestow on them to see their future success in life. Much more so, we humans cannot seem to grasp the fullness of Spiritual Blessings that God wants to bestow on us. Paul seemed to be considerably more aware of those Spiritual blessings to be bestowed on those in Christ’s Body, as he was experiencing persecution and imprisonment, and then wrote his letter to the Church at Ephesus, which we are now reviewing.
Paul’s Letter to the Church in Ephesus
Greeting
Ephesians 1:1–2
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are Blessed!
Ephesians 1:3–14
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
A Basic Outline of Spiritual Blessing in Ephesians 1:3-14
• God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing we need – in heavenly places (v. 3)
• God Chose us to be in Christ before the foundation of the world (v. 4)
o That we should be holy and blameless before Him
• God Predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ (v. 5)
o According to the purpose of His Will
o To the praise of His glorious grace (v. 6)
o He has blessed us in the Beloved
o We have been redeemed through Christ’s blood (v.7)
o We have the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace
• God lavished His wisdom and insight on us (v. 8)
o Revealing to us the mystery of His will
o A Purpose set forth in Christ
• God’s plan is revealed for the fullness of time (v. 10)
o To unite all things under Christ…
o Things in heaven and things on earth
• God has made us part of His eternal plan (vs. 11-12)
o We are predestined according to the purpose of One whose will is always accomplished
• God has sealed us with His Promised Holy Spirit, so His will is certain to be accomplished (vs. 13-14)
o The Holy Spirit guarantees our eternal inheritance until we fully acquire it!
The book of Ephesians is not about who we are and our inadequacies, which we must deal with, but it is about God, who He is, and who His Children are in relationship to Him!
Paul outlines an understanding of God’s Blessings to us, which far exceed our natural understanding. Paul addressed these Blessings to bring Spiritual Reality into the lives of believers who were experiencing serious issues in their lives rising from the world around them.
Paul was not living in a perfect world.
• Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians while in a difficult place himself. He was in a Roman prison awaiting trial. Paul would be executed by Rome a relatively short time later.
• The government surrounding the believers in Ephesus was anti-Christian and the Roman government ruled the world with an iron fist.
• Believers in Christ were facing severe persecution with many to be thrown to the wild beasts in the Roman Coliseums for the pleasure of the crowd.
• In a few short years from Paul’s writing Ephesians, Jerusalem and the Temple would soon be destroyed by Rome, and the Jewish people would be disbursed to the ends of the world for almost two thousand years – from 70 A.D. until 1948!
We live in an imperfect world.
• We are under the curse of sin.
• We work by the sweat of our brow to provide food for our family.
• Mothers bring children into the world with great pain.
• Parents struggle while raising their young.
• Authentic Christians are seeking to mature in their faith to become like Christ, sometimes through serious testing and trial.
• We groan in this life while waiting for the redemption of our spirit and body.
• Nothing is perfect, but all things work together for good to those who love the Lord.
• Our flesh is temporal, predisposed to growing old, sickness and death.
• We are becoming more and more aware of the serious persecution of Believers in Christ in our World today…
Ah, but God has given His Children Spiritual Blessings…
• God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing we need – in heavenly places.
• God Chose us to be in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
• God Predestined us, because of His Love for us, for adoption through Jesus Christ.
• God lavished His wisdom and insight on us revealing the mystery of His Will.
• God’s plan is revealed, in the fullness of time, to unite all things in heaven and earth under the Headship of Christ.
• God has made us part of His eternal plan and His will is always accomplished!
• God has sealed us with His Promised Holy Spirit, so His will is certain to be accomplished.
Right now, we may have a difficult time processing the enormity of these heavenly gifts, but one day we will understand the full measure of these profound Blessings!
Living with an understanding of Spiritual realities, will transform how we comprehend and deal with the dilemmas facing us in this present age.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will!”
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