EPHESIANS LESSON 1

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EPHESIAN BELIEVERS
Ephesians 16
Jesus Christ appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus to tell him that he had been chosen to carry My
name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel (Acts 9:15). He was also told
he would suffer much for Christs name. He fulfilled his prophesied mission during three very success-
ful but stressful missionary journeys. He did suffer much, but he also accomplished much. Paul would
have been remembered as the greatest of all Christian missionaries and a faithful servant of his Lord if
he had never penned even one letter, but he was a prolific writer. He is credited with writing 13 of the 27
books of the New Testament; Ephesians is generally regarded as his greatest epistle (letter).

Some of the oldest Greek manuscripts do not include the designation the saints in Ephesus in Ephe-
sians 1:1. This leads many scholars to believe that the letter was originally a circular epistle intended for
believers in several churches throughout Asia Minor. Because Ephesus was the capital of the province,
the letter eventually carried that name. It is generally agreed that most of the intended recipients were
Gentiles. The place of writing is unanimously considered to be Rome, probably around AD 63 when the
apostle Paul was under house arrest.

EPHESUS AND ITS PEOPLE In Pauls day, Ephesus was a strategically located metropolis of the Roman
province of Asia in modern-day Turkey. Located on the Cayster River, about three miles from the Aege-
an Sea, Ephesus acquired tremendous wealth from the crowded, bustling harbor traffic. The city was
well known for its mixture of oriental (Eastern) and occidental (Western) cultures. In the 6th century BC,
it was captured by the Persians. When Alexander the Great came to power in the 4th century BC, Ephesus
became the possession of the Greeks. In 133 BC, it was annexed to the Roman province of Asia. People
from all three conquering nations still inhabited the city.

CULTURE AND RELIGION The Ephesians were idolatrous and superstitious. Many paid homage to Arte-
mis/Diana. A glorious Hellenistic Temple of Artemis was built; the shrine was 340 feet long by 160 feet
wide, supported and adorned by 100 columns, each over 50 feet tall. As one of the seven wonders of the
ancient world, it received abundant revenue from tourists and worshipers. Ephesian craftsmen prospered
by selling silver shrines and images of Artemis. The silversmith Demetrius, in particular, became
wealthy from his miniature reproductions. Deeply disturbed when the rapidly multiplying number of
Christians began to negatively impact his business, he provoked riotous protests against Paul, forcing his
exit from the city. In addition to the worship of this goddess, the Ephesians read magical texts in the
form of small scrolls or leaflets called Ephesia gramata (Ephesian Writings). The newly converted
Ephesians courageously burned their books on sorcery (Acts 19:19-20), which were valued at 50,000
drachmas of silver (a drachma was approximately a days wage). They could have sold them to pagans
for a profit, but realizing how detrimental they were, they chose to bear the financial loss
THINK ABOUT how there are times when obedience to Jesus Christ may cause us to take sacrificial ac-
tions like the Ephesian book burning. In our day, an equivalent action might be to give up business
practices that, although legal, are morally indefensible and non-Christian. The world is generally indiffer-
ent to Christians; however, seeing a Christian willing to suffer financially because of Christian principles
awakens their awareness. Sometimes hostility is the only observable result, but sometimes taking a
stand is an effective evangelistic tool. Taking a stand can be difficult and costly, but giving up financial
blessing acquired in the wrong way will bring spiritual blessing.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LETTER This letter emphasizes the eternal purpose of God in
Jesus Christ and the high purpose to which we have been called as His followers. Because
of that noble calling, we are to live in a certain style, which Paul makes plain throughout the
Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
LESSON 1 2 EPHESIANS

letter. Popular mystery religions in Ephesus presented the concept of salvation through participation in
secret rites and mysteries that only the initiated knew. Paul showed the fallacy of these heresies in this
letter. His hearts desire was to have these early churches rooted and established (Ephesians 3:17) so
they could not be shaken. Ephesians is first and foremost a statement of what the church is and what it is
to do; it is typically Pauline: first doctrine, then duty. The emphasis is on the unity of all true believers
regardless of racial, gender, financial, or social differences. Clearly, the key phrase of the book is in
Christ (1:1).

THE FIRST BELIEVERS IN EPHESUS For a long time, the apostle Paul had wanted to introduce the gospel
of Christ to the citizens of Asia, particularly to those in Ephesus. His effort was systematically directed
to convey the gospel in the most strategic citiesAntioch, Ephesus, Corinth, Athens, Philippi, and
Rome. Because of his great knowledge of Greek and Roman cultures and his compelling love of Christ,
the former Saul of Tarsus was well equipped to share the transforming power of the gospel in areas
where wealth and learning were concentrated. At the end of his second missionary journey, Paul visited
Ephesus. His promise, I will come back if it is Gods will (Acts 18:19-21), shows his intent to estab-
lish a relationship with the Ephesians. On his third journey, God paved the way for him to stay in
Ephesus almost three years.

God used Apollos, an Alexandrian Jew who spoke eloquently, to prepare the hearts of the first disciples
in the city. Their acceptance of mixed cultures and religions in the past allowed them to readily accept a
combination of Old Testament teaching and the baptism of John. By the time Paul returned to Ephesus,
12 disciples were there. Through this handful of people who faithfully studied the gospel of Jesus Christ,
and through Pauls leadership, the church grew. In the power of God, Pauls many miracles signified the
validity of his ministry and message. Some itinerant Jewish exorcists as well as the sons of the Jewish
high priest tried to duplicate his God-enabled works by casting out demons in the name of Jesus, whom
Paul preaches (Acts 19:13), but the evil spirits turned on them. The resulting fear brought about the
public book-burning already mentioned and a confession of evil by many, and the name of the Lord
Jesus was held in high honor (Acts 19:17). Since that was the name Paul sought to lift up, he must
have been pleased despite the problems.
PERSONALIZE this lesson. In Ephesians, Paul emphasizes Gods grace, power, and purpose. He wrote as one
who knew the futility of trying to make it on his own apart from Christ. Before his conversion, Paul had been a
devout Jew, so committed to living up to the Law of God that he could afterward write of himself, as for legalistic
righteousness, [I was] faultless (Philippians 3:6). However, after he met the risen Christ and saw that only in Him
could he be reconciled to God, Paul was adamantly against anyone who taught the false doctrine that a person
can do anything to add to what God has already done to provide salvation.

The apostle Peter exhorted, Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason
for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). Paul commanded the Ro-
mans, Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). The implications for our own
lives are plain. Our faith in Jesus Christ means that we will be against all that contradicts that faith. But we must
never be merely negative. The best way to combat false doctrine is to clearly speak and live the truth. Gods
grace and power that are in Jesus Christand in us when we are in Himwill enable us as we take our stand
against falsehood, and thus we will fulfill His purpose.

REVIEW: EPHESIAN BELIEVERS

1. Share thoughts or observations from the Commentary that provided you with:
a. enthusiasm about this study of Ephesians

b. encouragement for your life

c. enrichment in your walk with the Lord