Chapter 1

(Verses 1 and 2) "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus , and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ."

That there be no doubt as to the identity of the writer, Paul introduces himself as "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God," thus assuring the reader of two very important things. First: since he is an apostle of Jesus the Christ, he is authorized and sent forth by our Lord himself. And therefore what he writes is not his own word, but that of Christ Jesus: and second; this is not a position or authority that he has sought or taken upon himself, but is by the will of God. For witness of the truth of this declaration, see the account of his activities, given in Acts, from the time of the stoning of Stephen, until the beginning of Paul's ministry. He then addresses those to whom this letter is directed. As mentioned earlier, there is some controversy as to whether or not the particular reference, "To the saints which are at Ephesus " should be included, but there is none concerning the latter part, "and to the faithful in Christ Jesus." We often use "faithful" as a synonym for "steadfast" or "dependable," but in this instance the thought is "one who believes in Christ Jesus." Then the apostle prays that to every believer grace and peace may be continued from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus the Christ, Who are indeed the only source of either grace or true peace.

(Verses 3 through 6) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him, in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved."

The expression, "Blessed be the God and Father_ _ _," in no way indicates that we are able to confer a blessing upon Him, but rather that He is to be praised and honored as the One Who has bestowed upon us all the blessings, gifts, privileges, and other spiritual benefits in "the heavenlies," to which we have access in Christ. As will be noted, "places" is a word, which the translators added, and it was not in the Greek text. In the King James Version, such are always printed in italics. In this instance "places" is far too restrictive to be acceptable. For, in these "heavenlies" are also included such blessings as experiences of the love and fellowship of Christ, fellowship with the saints, the comfort and consolation of the Spirit, as well as many other wonderful privileges and benefits given unto us in Christ by God the Father, Who made choice of us in Christ before He laid the foundation of the world and in His love established that we shall have all guilt wiped off our accounts, and be enabled to stand before Him holy and without blame. To this end He has predestinated us to be adopted by (or through) Jesus the Christ unto Himself. All this was done, not in answer to the prayers of any who desired it, nor to appease any critic who demanded it, (for when this was done there was neither petitioner nor critic,) but all according to the good pleasure of His will. He did it all for the same reason that He hid things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes. (Matt. 11:26.) "Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight." The purpose and the result of this act of the Father are one and the same, that the glory of His grace be praised. Not only is God to be praised, or His glory, in general, to be praised, but the glory of one of His special attributes, His grace, is to be praised. This grace is that in which He has reached down, taken wicked hell-deserving sinners worthy of nothing but utter condemnation and contempt, and "in the Beloved," Christ Jesus, made them holy and without blame before Him, thus rendering them fully acceptable to Himself.

(Verses 7 through 12) "In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: that in the fullness of times He might gather together in One all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: in Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ."

"In Whom," in verse 7, obviously refers, not to the Father, but to "the Beloved" Who, of course, is the Son, Jesus the Christ: for it is His blood through which we have redemption, which is the forgiveness of sins. All of this is according to the riches of the grace of God the Father, as it was He, Who sent the Son to be the propitiation for the sins of His elect. This grace was, of course, in the Son. The Apostle John says, (John 1:14 ,) "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." And (John 1:17 ,) "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." It is in this grace that the Father has "abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence." John 1:18 says, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, Which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." The only "wisdom and prudence," or understanding, concerning the Father, that any one has ever had was given through the Son. He has both declared, and shown Him to us. (John 14:9) "Have I been so long time with you, and yet thou hast not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, shew us the Father?" Having thus revealed Himself to us through His Son, the Father made known to us the mystery, or hidden secret, of His will. How prophets and saints of the Old Testament days must have longed to know this mystery! Jesus said, (Matt. 13:17,) "For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them; and hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them." The Father had purposed in Himself that He would reveal all of this, but it was to be in the manner of His choosing, and at the time of His appointing. These two came together in the Son; and thus the Father revealed the mystery of His will, "that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in One all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him." It is abundantly clear, from the reading of the prophets, that they could see in the visions given unto them, both the suffering and the glory of our Lord. However it is equally manifest that they could not see, nor understand all the difference between His first coming and His second. Had they been permitted to see those things which He did, and hear the things He taught at His first advent, they could have understood much more clearly "the dispensation of the fullness of times," that is, the measure and scope of His first and second comings. It is in Christ that the Father will gather all things, both in heaven and on earth, together. It is also Christ in Whom we have obtained an inheritance. Our obtaining this inheritance has been altogether by the merit of Christ Jesus our Lord, and not by anything that we have done, are doing, or ever shall do. We were predestinated by the Father to the praise of His glory. This predestination is according to the purpose of God, Who works all things after the counsel of His own will. Not only does He work things as He does, because it suited Him to do so, but He works them so that they cannot be hindered, altered, or destroyed. When the matter is finished, the final result will exactly match the original purpose in every detail. Even the best laid plans of men often have to be changed to take care of contingencies; but with God there are no contingencies. The clause, "who first trusted in Christ," refers to Paul and others who were brought to Christ before those to whom he is writing, not to God the Father, as some preachers have tried to interpret it. The Greek language is much more specific in this matter than the English, and shows this in the person and number of the verb and pronoun in the expression. However, the same thing is made clear enough by comparing this clause to verse 13.

(Verses 13 and 14) "In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory."

The apostle has declared that, he and others trusted in Christ before these to whom he is writing. And he hastens to point out that this did not in any way hinder his readers. For he says, "In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation." Inasmuch as they also trusted in Christ upon hearing His gospel, there is evidence that they too are embraced in all the wonderful things said before. Then, after they believed, not before, they were "sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory." Although God's elect were chosen "before the foundation of the world," and predestinated unto the adoption of children, they are never sealed until after they believe in Christ. This sealing "with that Holy Spirit of promise" is the giving of the assurance that one belongs to Christ. One who does not yet believe "the word of truth, the gospel of his salvation" may indeed be, in covenant, one of the elect of God, but it has not yet been made known to him; and he does not, and can not, have this assurance until he does believe. When, by the grace of God it is revealed to him, he will believe the gospel (good news) of his salvation. And his believing is the earnest, or pledge, of his inheritance. And it is the sealing "with that Holy Spirit of promise;" and the apostle says that this sealing is the earnest of the inheritance "UNTIL THE REDEMPTION OF THE PURCHASED POSSESSION." That is, until all of God's saints are brought home to their eternal possession. In Philippians 1:6, Paul says, "Being confident of this very thing, that He Which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." All of this is "unto the praise of His glory," the glory of God the Father. Remember that Jesus came not into this world to glorify Himself, but the Father; and thus it will also be in His final exaltation. (Philippians 2: 9-11) "Wherefore God hath also highly exalted Him, and given Him a name Which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

The remaining nine verses of this chapter make up one sentence. So we shall not give a quotation of the whole, but try to comment on the thoughts set forth therein. The apostle testifies that, since he has heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus and the love to all the saints, which those to whom he is writing have, he constantly remembers them in his prayers. The burden of his prayer for them, in addition to his giving of thanks for them, is that the Father of glory, Who is "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ," will give unto them "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him." He does not pray that they be given great revelations of coming events that they might prophesy, as did the prophets of Old Testament times; but that they be given the spirit of wisdom, the ability to understand, and that more knowledge of God might be revealed to them. He further prays that the eyes of their understanding may be enlightened; that God will remove all blindness, or tendency thereunto, from their minds. It is a common phenomenon of humanity that if we have a prejudice against an idea, or a preconceived notion about a matter, it will partially, if not completely blind us so that we will not understand even when the subject is clearly explained to us. All such as this, the apostle prays may be removed from these brethren, that they may have clear light by which to see, and to know "what is the hope of His [God's] calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe." In this statement we should take notice of three things, in particular, which Paul prays that those whom he addresses may be enabled to know. First is the hope of the calling of God. The word here translated "hope" is the Greek word, "elpis," which, according to "Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon Of The New Testament," means, "expectation of good; joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation." Those who are enabled to know this hope can no longer be driven about with every wind of doctrine, nor can they be overwhelmed by the many threatening, and sometimes very painful, events of this life. The second thing he desires them to know is, "what [are] the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." The phrase, "His inheritance," by no means portrays God as receiving an inheritance in, or among, the saints. True enough Moses said, "For the LORD'S portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance," but that has no bearing on the present subject. The word order in the Greek language at the present instance is, "the inheritance of Him," and is what is known in Greek grammar as "the genitive of source," thus meaning only that God is He, of Whom the saints receive the inheritance. So Paul's prayer is that we might know and experience this wonderful inheritance which God has so graciously bestowed upon the saints. Then the third thing for which he prays is that we might know "the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe." Since the word, in verse 18, that is translated "know," can also mean "experience," it seems better in this instance to so consider it instead of as translated. Thus the apostle prays that we may experience the hope of the calling of God, the riches of the glory of the inheritance He has bestowed upon the saints, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward believers. Would it not be wonderful to have such a glorious experience?

The apostle continues, "according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places." This obviously refers to the experiencing of these things already discussed. That is, Paul prays that we may be brought to experience these things by, or "according to," the working of the power of God, the very same power by which He raised up our Lord from the dead. Not only did God raise Jesus from the dead, (this He had done for others, at least two examples in the Old Testament and three in the New,) but He also set Him at His own right hand in "the heavenly places." Thus God the Father has demonstrated His official approval of the work of Jesus the Christ in offering Himself "as a lamb without spot, and without blemish" as the sacrifice for the sins of His elect. Therefore, as He is at the right hand of the Father, He has been elevated to the seat of highest honor, and is "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come." Not only is He set above any king, emperor, or other ruler, but far above all of them together. Solomon's wisdom, power, riches, and glory, were so great that the queen of Sheba said, (I Kings 10:6-7,) "It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard." Yet, all of that was nothing when compared to the glory of the Christ as He sits on the right hand of the Father. His name is above "every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come." Sometimes men try to interpret the two worlds mentioned here as the present being the "Jewish," or "law" world, and that which is to come, as the gospel church. This is immediately disproved by two witnesses. First, this epistle is written to the gospel church, "the faithful in Christ Jesus," which is already in existence at the time of the writing. Second, the next two verses tell us exactly where the church fits into this picture. "And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all". He is presently, "head over all things to the church," which now exists, and though not of the world, is in the present world. One day this present world will be no more, as the Apostle Peter tells us, (II Peter 3:10 -11,) "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens being on fire shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” The name of our Lord is above every name named in both of them.

(Verses 1 through 3) “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

In this quotation we are immediately greeted by a phrase that was not in the original but has been added by the translators. Although it is certainly true that Paul addressed this letter to persons, whom God had quickened into spiritual life, the addition of the phrase, “hath He quickened,” changes considerably the thrust of the message. Let us read it without the added words. “And you who were dead in trespasses and sin; wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world.” This shows the emphasis to be, not upon what God has done for us, but upon our condition before He did it; and it seems obvious that this is what the apostle had in mind, for he continues in the same vein through verse 3. He, later, takes up the work of God in this matter. Here he calls attention to the wretchedness of our previous condition, saying, “And you who were dead in trespasses and sins.” In that condition, we were totally incapable of doing, saying, or even thinking any good thing. We walked, or lived, according to only one thing, “the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now (yet) worketh in the children of disobedience.” “The prince of the power of the air,” is a title never applied to anyone but Satan. He is the spirit, which still holds sway over “the children of disobedience.” He does not say, “disobedient children,” but “children of disobedience;” and the meaning given in the Lexicon for the word translated, "disobedience," is, in New Testament usage, "obstinate opposition to the divine will." There can be no doubt that Paul's reference is to those who have not been quickened, but are still in the same condition as we all were formerly, "dead in trespasses and sins." In verse 11, he will pick up this subject again, but before that he presents several other thoughts. Lest we begin to think ourselves better than the Ephesians, let us consider what Paul says in verse 3. "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." In short, our condition was no better than theirs. We were among those same children of disobedience; and we, just as they, were engaged in living in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the lustful desires of our fleshly nature, our natural mind. Our nature was such that had God left us as we were, there would be nothing left for us but the wrath of God. We were just like the rest, by our very nature the children of wrath; and we would still be in the same condition, were it not for the grace of God, which He bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Verses 4 through 10) "But God Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved:) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

Having so forcefully reminded the Ephesians of the terrible condition that, not only they, but we also, were in, Paul presents the only hope that any of us will ever have, "But God Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved)." We were without hope. We were dead. Yet there is One, Who is rich in mercy. He also loved us with a great love. It would not be amiss to say that the love wherewith He loved us is as great as He Himself, for John says, (I John 4:8,) "_ _ _God is love." Only one reason is ever given for God's showing His mercy to us in quickening us "even when we were dead in sins." That reason is: that He loved us. We were dead, by nature the children of wrath, walking according to the prince of the power of the air, and fulfilling the lustful desires of the flesh. We were, in fact, about the most unlikely candidates for the love of anyone that could be imagined. Yet, while we were in that condition, God loved us. That love is the moving cause of our salvation. Let us look back at the apostle's statement. "But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ." He quickened Christ, and since, as Paul has abundantly taught in other places, we are crucified with Christ by being made partakers of His death, God has also quickened us together with Christ by making us partakers of His life. Since we had no merit whereby to deserve any good thing from God, there can be only one conclusion, "By grace are ye saved." Not only has God quickened us, [made us alive,] but He has also raised us up and made us sit together with Christ Jesus in "the heavenlies." Sometimes the words added by the translators clarify the meaning of the text, but their addition of "places," in verse 6, could be a little misleading. Obviously, what is under consideration is fellowship with Christ, not the place where it is experienced. One would hardly call the jail at Philippi a heavenly place, but there Paul and Silas had a heavenly experience, see Acts 16:25-34. Surely, no one would call the cross, upon which the penitent thief was crucified, a heavenly place, but there he had a heavenly experience of fellowship with our Lord. No doubt, we can also remember heavenly experiences in our own lives in places that we would not consider heavenly. When we feel the presence of our Lord Christ Jesus, we forget about the place, wherever it may be. In continuing, the apostle tells us that all this which God has done for us is to bring about one thing which He has purposed, which is that, "in the ages to come," He may "shew the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." Whether the phrase, "in the ages to come," be considered as the continuation of time until the return of our Lord in glory, or the span of both time and eternity may be debated by some, but there seems to be no reason to doubt that "the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" will shine forth even brighter after our Lord's return than it does now. Then all things will be made new. The word, which, in verse 8, is translated, "are saved" is the same as that so translated in verse 5. It can mean, "rescued from destruction," and it can also mean, "kept from destruction." Perhaps this will give us a clearer understanding of the apostle's meaning in both verses. In verse 5 the expression is, "By grace ye are saved." Since before that statement, Paul has proved conclusively that there is no merit on the part of those receiving salvation, not even any faith, or life, for that matter, he declares, as a parenthetical expression, "By grace ye are saved," clearly meaning, "By grace you have been rescued from destruction." Faith is not mentioned, for, as he has already shown, it was totally absent. So, in our being brought from death into life, faith has no part. In verse 8 he says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith." At this point he has just declared God's purpose "in the ages to come," and he uses the expression, "For by grace are ye saved through faith_ _ _," as showing the means by which God will bring this about, "For by grace you are kept from destruction through faith_ _ _." This is in perfect harmony with the Apostle Peter's declaration, (I Peter 1:3-5,) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who ARE KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD THROUGH FAITH unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." Also Paul, in Ephesians 1:13-14, says, "In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory." In all this we see that faith has its work, not in the initial rescuing of the soul from eternal destruction, but in the keeping that rescued soul safe until "the redemption of the purchased possession", or "unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." Even so, Paul continues thus: "And that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Many times we hear it said, "All you have to do is to have faith," or "You must have faith before God can do anything for you." This is totally contrary to the apostle's teaching. He clearly declares that there is no way in which you can produce faith, "and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Not even all the good works you can do, assuming that you could do good works without faith, could produce it. If we could do anything to produce faith, we might have room to boast, not in the rescuing of ourselves from destruction, for faith is not even mentioned there, but in the keeping of ourselves after we were rescued; but we are brought up short in that also, by the apostle's declaration that we can not have any "bragging rights" in that either, since the faith also is the gift of God, just as is the grace. This brings us to Paul's conclusion of this matter: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Not only can we not claim any part in the great work of salvation, whether the being quickened together with Christ, or the being kept until the revealing of that great salvation at the last time, but we have to acknowledge that our only access to it is that we are the workmanship of God, created by Him, in Christ Jesus; and He has set good works before us, and has before ordained that we shall walk in them. The word here translated "before ordained," literally means, "prepared beforehand." So God has beforehand made the preparation that we shall walk in these good works. Thus there is a difference between the life one lived while "dead in sins" and the life he lives after being quickened together with Christ. Lest anyone try to use the foolish argument that some have tried to bring up against this, viz., "When the word, `should,' is used, it means not that the thing mentioned shall be done, but only that it ought to be done," let us look at a very well known verse, John 6:39, "And this is the Father's will Which hath sent me, that of all which He hath given me I SHOULD lose nothing, but SHOULD raise it up again at the last day." Certainly, no one who believes in our Lord Jesus the Christ would say that He ought to "lose nothing," but that He may, nor that He ought to "raise it up again at the last day," but he may fail. Grammatically we have exactly the same thing in both places, a simple purpose clause. Just as, in John 6:39, it is the Father's purpose that the Son lose nothing, but raise it up at the last day, so here it is His purpose that we walk in the good works unto which He has created us. To be sure, Paul does not, either here or elsewhere, claim that we will walk in absolute sinless perfection while in this present life, but he always maintains that there is a difference in the life of a man before and after the birth of the Spirit of God.

(Verses 11 through 18) "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world; but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father."

Notice that Paul again reminds us from whence we came. Since all the good that we have, or can ever have, is by the grace of God, we are to remember that we were "Gentiles," or as the word can be rendered, "pagans," or "heathen." In this condition we were despised by the Jews, who called us "the Uncircumcision," as opposed to themselves, whom they proudly called "the Circumcision." All of this Paul is setting forth as the contrast between Gentile and Jew before the coming of our Lord Jesus into the world. He uses, concerning both Jew and Gentile, the phrase, "in the flesh." First he says, "Ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh," and then "that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh," thus showing the reason for the enmity that existed between the Jew and the Gentile. The Jew was circumcised "in the flesh," signifying that he was a descendant of Abraham, had access to the covenants of promise, was a citizen of the commonwealth of Israel, had hope of blessings to come, and was one of God's chosen people. At the same time we Gentiles "were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel , and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." It is no wonder that there was enmity between Jew and Gentile. Human nature being what it is, the Jew was always boasting himself as far better than the Gentile by reason of the blessings he enjoyed; and the Gentile hated the Jew for his arrogance. The apostle having shown this contrast, and its resulting enmity, between Jew and Gentile before the coming of Christ, continues, "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Until His coming the Gentiles were without any access to the covenants of promise, to the commonwealth of Israel , (that is, to the fellowship of the worship of God at the altar of Israel ,) or to the laws of God. So we were without hope. But in Christ Jesus we are brought near by His blood. It is only by the efficacy of His blood that either Jew or Gentile is given a real nearness to God. By reason of this there is no more excuse for enmity between Jew and Gentile. Our Lord Christ Jesus is our peace. Not only is He our salvation and our peace with God, but He is also our peace in that He has brought Jew and Gentile together in peace. If we are in Christ, we are in peace, for He has broken down the "middle wall of partition" between us, and we are no more Jew and Gentile, but Christians. He has made of both one new man. There is no more a divider between us; and although this was purposed of God from eternity before the creation of the world, it was not fully revealed to men until Jesus was crucified, and rose from the grave. The writer says, in Hebrews 10:5-7, "Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offerings Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, ‘Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do Thy will, O God.’" So in this body that God prepared for Him, or as Paul said, in verse 15, "in His flesh" Jesus abolished "the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances." All the commandments contained in ordinances (these are not what we refer to as "The Ten Commandments," but ordinances of the law service to God, including circumcision, and all sacrifices and offerings,) were only shadows of things to come. They were, of themselves, not pleasing to God. Only that to which they, as types, pointed was pleasing to Him. For this reason, "A body hast Thou prepared Me." So in that body were fulfilled all these ordinances which had been the source of so much enmity between Jew and Gentile, and by His fulfilling them in His flesh, He rendered them no longer serviceable, because, when the reality has come, the types and shadows have no more place. They are therefore taken away and abolished. Those who are in Christ are no longer Jew and Gentile, but Christians, and therefore they are one, since all are members of the same body, the spiritual body of Christ. By His dying on the cross, Jesus has now made "in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace," and He has reconciled "both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." Since He has abolished the enmity, He has also preached peace both "to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh," that is, both Gentile and Jew, and all on the same basis. "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." Although, according to the flesh, we are Gentiles, we have the same access to the Father that the Jew has. That access is the Holy Ghost sent by our Lord to comfort and guide us until the day of His return.

(Verses 19 through 22) "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in Whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in Whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."

Because of what Jesus has done we are no longer strangers and foreigners, pushed aside and shut away from the service of God by a wall, or divider, but now we are fellow-citizens [equal citizens] with the saints, and of the household, or family, of God. (Notice the change of terminology. He speaks no more of "the commonwealth of Israel " and the "covenants of promise," but of "fellow-citizens with the saints" and "the household of God.") In addition to this we are built upon a foundation that can not fall. That foundation is no other than the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself the chief corner stone. This expression leads us back to something that our Lord said to Peter, (Matt. 16:17 -18,) "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father Which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art, Peter, ["PETROS" - a rock, or stone] and upon this rock [" PETRA " -the mother lode, or generic term for stone] I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." There have been many arguments among men about what Jesus meant by His statement concerning the rock, Look at what He said just before that. He declares that Simon is a blessed character because the knowledge to which he has just testified was not revealed to him by flesh and blood, "but My Father Which is in heaven." He follows this with an additional statement, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter." [PETROS, a small stone, or boulder.] He is a rock because the Father in heaven has made him so by revealing to him that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God." Then our Lord says, "And upon this rock I will build My church," using the generic term " PETRA ." Just as an architect will select a particular species, and even a particular color of stone for a building, and say, as he shows us a small sample of this stone, "This is the stone I am going to use for this building," so Jesus said, "And upon this stone I will build My church." The architect would by no means plan that the one little stone he keeps on display in his office should be the entire building. Neither did Jesus plan that Peter would be the whole foundation of His church, nor, as some seem to think, "The head of it." Paul tells us that we "are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets_ _ _." Each and every one of them was the same kind of stone as was the Apostle Peter, because to each of them God revealed His truth. He then adds, "Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone." Unquestionably it is the church that is under consideration; for he continues thus: "In Whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." Then, lest anyone think that the matter is just turned over to us to carry on the growth unto that holy temple, he says, "In Whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." So the building is altogether the work of the Holy Ghost.

(Verses 1 through 7) "For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel: whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power."

This is a somewhat long, and a slightly complicated sentence. We shall try to break it down into segments. First, verses 1 and 2, "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward." Paul identifies himself as the prisoner of Jesus the Christ for [for the sake of] these Gentiles to whom he is writing, if they have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which God has given him on their behalf. Oftentimes we find those who will argue that what Paul means by the phrase, "prisoner of Jesus Christ," is that he is imprisoned to Christ because Christ has called him and sent him forth as an apostle, and in this capacity he is, as he said in another place, "an ambassador in bonds" which they interpret as being a prisoner. Then they will try to stir up a little sympathy for themselves by trying to compare themselves to Paul as being called of God to preach the gospel, thus "being in bonds," all of which is utterly ridiculous. The fallacy of this is that, for point one, Paul never considered this an imprisonment, but rather a wonderful privilege, as is witnessed by his statement in verse 8 of this chapter and, at the time of this writing, he is actually a prisoner in Rome, which is exactly what he means by speaking of himself as "the prisoner of Jesus Christ." It is for the sake of the gospel of Christ that he is imprisoned at Rome . He is Christ's prisoner for the sake of these Gentiles, because to him has been given of God a "dispensation of the grace of God" toward them. This does not mean that to Paul was given the power to dispense to them the grace of God as he might see fit. In almost all of his letters he prays that those whom he addresses may be given, by God the Father and our Lord Jesus the Christ, grace and peace, thus clearly declaring that not he, but God is still the only One Who has that authority. Paul is only the one, to whom is committed the duty and authority of dispensing the gospel and the necessary precepts for the church according to the grace of God which has been given him of God. His expression, "if ye have heard_ _ _," seems to indicate that it is his assumption that they have heard of it, and that there is therefore no necessity to discuss or describe it any further than the mention he made of it, that it is a dispensation that is "to you-ward," that is, it is for their benefit, and because of it he is in prison. He is not complaining about his being a prisoner, but is only stating the fact that they may understand his care for them. Remember his address to the elders of this church, Acts 20:22-24, "And now, behold, I go bound in spirit unto Jerusalem , not knowing the things that shall befall me there: save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." So although bonds, or imprisonment, and afflictions are to be expected in every place he goes, his expectation in Christ Jesus our Lord is to finish his course with joy. There is therefore no place for complaints; and this is the outlook Paul maintains in all his writings. Through his suffering of bonds and afflictions, to these Gentiles who have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God given to him for their benefit, he bears witness that Christ Jesus, in Whose cause he suffered these things, is able to strengthen, comfort, and uphold His people so that they are able through Him to endure and overcome all things. The next segment of this sentence tells us how Paul, as well as the other apostles and prophets, came to the knowledge of this wonderful mystery. Since, by the rules of grammar, a parenthesis can be left out of a sentence or placed in a different order without changing the meaning of the sentence, we shall rearrange this segment to keep continuity of thought. (v. 3-5) "(as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) how that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." Here Paul is evidently referring to that which he has written in Chapter II, when he says, "as I wrote afore in few words." He wrote those few words that we might, by reading them, understand his knowledge in the mystery of Christ. A mystery is something that is hidden, or kept secret, and so it was with this great truth of God's eternal purpose; but in the coming of our Lord Jesus this mystery is unveiled. So the apostle says, "By revelation He made known to me the mystery." It is now no longer a mystery, but the direct opposite, a revelation. That great secret of God which, in all ages past, has been kept hidden from "the sons of men", all the human race, the Spirit has now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets, among whom stands the Apostle Paul, the writer of this epistle.

In verses 6 and 7 Paul tells us what is this mystery, or secret, which has so long been kept from men, and how he was put into the work of spreading the wonderful news of this no longer hidden purpose of God. "That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel: whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power." Although some of the Old Testament prophecies, such as, Isaiah 9: 1-2, 11:10, 42:1-4, and 49:6, among others, hint at this great eternal purpose of God, it was never revealed clearly until our Lord came. Now by His revelation to the apostles we know that Jew and Gentile are made one in Christ Jesus, and are "fellow-heirs," or equal heirs of God. They are of the same mystical body of Christ just as both are redeemed by the suffering of the same body, that of our Lord. Paul was made a minister [servant] of this gospel, that is, he was appointed to spread its testimony to the Gentiles, not at his own volition, nor by reason of any special qualifications or abilities he may have possessed, but, as he says, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power."

(Verses 8 through 12) "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, Who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places [the heavenlies] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: in Whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him."

Paul declares his feeling of amazement that God would take one so unworthy as he, and commit to him such a glorious mission as that of preaching "among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." In another place, Paul attributes his unworthiness to the fact that, before the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus , he was a persecutor of the church. He, no doubt, would have had the same feeling of unworthiness, however, if he had never been a persecutor. It is always true that the greater the gift with which God blesses a man, the greater also is the man's humility as he considers the magnitude of the blessing. One without humility is likely to have a much less important gift than he thinks. Here Paul sees the riches of Christ to be unsearchable, that is, beyond the ability of man to comprehend or search out; and he sees himself blessed with the privilege and responsibility of telling of them to a people from whom, since the beginning of the world, these things had all been hidden, and showing to them that they have a part and a fellowship in this great mystery of Christ Jesus, which is now revealed by His coming and bringing to light that secret that was hidden in God from the beginning of the world. What a wonderful, yet humbling, consideration for any man, especially in view of the fact that this same Jesus the Christ, Whom he has been appointed to preach, is the One by Whom God created all things in the beginning. The purpose of his being thus appointed is that the church, not the Jew nor the Gentile, but the church, the "ekklesia," those called out by the Spirit of God, might know the manifold wisdom of God even unto the heavenlies. Our K. J. V. reads, "in heavenly places." It seems evident from the context that more than places are under consideration here, so it seems a better reading to omit the added word. This great revelation of the mystery which God had kept hidden in Himself from the beginning of the world does not signify a changing of His mind concerning the matter, no sudden decision to try a new experiment, as some seem to think He is always doing. Instead it is "according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Not only so, but it is also in Christ Jesus that "we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him," not the faith that He has, but the faith of which He is the source.

In verse 13 Paul says, "Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory." Because God has blessed him with such a glorious assignment as he has just described, and because, as he said, (Romans 8:18,) "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us," Paul says that it is his desire that we not faint at his tribulations for us. His use of the word, "faint," is not as we most often think of it. It usually brings to mind the picture of one's becoming limp, and losing consciousness. This is not his meaning. His meaning is that we are not to weaken in our resolve to follow our Lord, nor become cowards and give up lest we also suffer. After all, although no one desires tribulation or suffering for its own sake, Paul tells us, (Romans 5:3-5,) "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience, and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Instead of losing our courage and letting down our guard because of these tribulations, we should rejoice in them. They are our glory.

(Verses 14 through 19) "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God".

The apostle says, "For this cause," that is, in summation of, and because of the already stated truths, among which are, the so long hidden mystery of God, that Jew and Gentile are made one in Christ, that in Him we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith which He has given us, and that this is all according to God's eternal purpose and not some new experiment, he now prays to "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" that He will by His Spirit make us strong, not necessarily with strength of the physical body, but in the inner man which is our spirit. He reminds us that the whole family of God, both in heaven and earth, is named of Him, that is, with Him as the head of the family, we all count our lineage from Him. This includes all saints, both those who have already been called home and those who are still on earth. Notice how strongly Paul ties this strength of the inner man to one principle, love. First he prays that that same faith which is of Christ, and gives us confidence in our access to the Father, may be the means whereby Christ may dwell in our hearts, not just occasionally visit us, but dwell there. His next petition is that we may be rooted and grounded in love. He is thus likening us to plants that have been transplanted, as indeed we have if we have been brought out of the way of sin and planted in the garden of our master. The two most important things for a plant that it may not only survive, but grow and flourish, are that it develop a strong root system and that it be properly set, or grounded. Certainly, for the Christian plant there can be no better medium than the love of God for making a strong root system and making a proper growing bed. Being thus rooted and grounded in love, we will be able to understand "with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge" and be filled with the fullness of God. The expression, "which passeth knowledge," does not signify that the love of Christ is beyond our ability to know, or experience. Rather, the word used here means that it overcomes, or excels knowledge. This is in perfect harmony with Paul's statement, (I Cor. 8:1,) "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." For this reason charity, or love, surpasses knowledge. Paul uses the same word here for "love" that he does in I Cor.13, and although it is there translated, “charity,” it still means "love." When God enables us to experience the love of Christ which is greater than knowledge, to the point that we can comprehend the dimensions of God's love, we will indeed be "filled with the fullness of God.”

(Verses 20 and 21) "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

Not only is God able to answer our prayers, but He is also able to go far beyond anything that we can even think of; and He does it by that same power that works in us. That power is His Holy Spirit. So unto Him the apostle ascribes glory in the church, not an organized body, such as the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc., but the saints of God, the "ekklesia", those called out by the Holy Ghost, whether Jew or Gentile, whether in Old Testament days, or even times yet to come. This glory is to be manifested in the church by Christ Jesus, not only through ages of time, but also in eternity when this world shall be no more -- "world without end." To God the Father be all glory for ever and ever.

(Verses 1 through 3) "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Again Paul reminds us that he is a prisoner for the sake of the gospel of our Lord. So, because of the wonderful truths with which God has entrusted him, and because his heart has been burdened with such a great desire for our spiritual welfare, he beseeches [begs] us to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, and at the same time, to reinforce this plea, he reminds us that it is for the preaching of the gospel that he has been imprisoned, and is therefore the Lord's prisoner; and if we recognize the lengths to which he has gone for the testimony of the Lord, it will add to our zeal in walking worthy of this calling. Perhaps some might think this too strong a statement, "Walk worthy of the vocation_ _ _." Certainly if we consider it from the viewpoint of trying to attain to worthiness, through our efforts, that we might merit such a wonderful blessing as being called of God out from death in sin into the light and joy of life in Christ Jesus, it is a total impossibility. Nevertheless, those who walk in the light of our Lord, and live a life that bears witness of His work in their hearts are judged of God to be walking worthy of the vocation into which He has called them. Paul then sets forth exactly how this can be done, "in all lowliness [humility] and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love." Is it not strange that, since all the instructions given by our Lord and His apostles for our Christian living are so simple, we seem to have such great difficulty knowing what to do? When asked, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" our Lord's answer was extremely simple, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang [depend] all the law and the prophets." The apostle says, "with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love." First of all, the heart must be filled with the love of God, as Paul has already said is the height of his prayer for us. Then he begs us to exercise such love for one another that we would be humble, meek, and patient in our conduct one with another. He declares that this is the way "to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." How sad it is when we lose sight of this plea of the apostle! Instead of being humble, we see ourselves as a little greater or wiser than our brother; we, instead of being meek, become arrogant; and instead of being patient, we want "our rights," and we want them NOW. When the situation develops thus, where is the "unity of the Spirit?" and what has become of the bond of peace? Remember Paul's statement, (Romans 15:4,) "For whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." So far as we of today are concerned that will also apply to what he has written here. It is in every way as important for us as it was for the Ephesian Christians.

(Verses 4 through 6) "There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

No matter whether one be Old Testament saint or New Testament saint, Jew or Gentile, being in Christ makes him a member of the body of Christ, of which Christ Jesus is the head. He is a stone of the temple of which Christ Jesus is the "chief corner stone." Thus as there is only one body, all the redeemed are of that body. Similarly there is only one Spirit, the Holy Ghost. Just as there is only one body and one Spirit, so there is only one hope of the calling of those who are in Christ Jesus. The Greek word here translated, "hope" also means "expectation." The final expectation of every saint is to be raised in the likeness of our Saviour, Christ Jesus. There is only one faith, that is, only one true faith. That faith is the one whose source is Christ Jesus our Lord; and it holds Him as its object. It starts with Him and ends with Him. He is "the author and finisher" of it. Also there is only one baptism. Paul is not here speaking of water baptism, but the same baptism of which John the Baptist spoke, (Matt. 4:11 ,) "but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." Water baptism is only a sign by which we testify to the world that we believe that we have been baptized "with the Holy Ghost and with fire," and have thus been killed to sin, and raised up to newness of life. There is one more "One" to be considered, the "God and Father of all." He is sometimes spoken of in scripture as "The God and Father of Jesus Christ." He is also our God and our heavenly Father. Since we are, by adoption, His children, (see Eph. 1:5,) we are all of the same family, the family of God; and there is only one God and Father. He is "above all, and through all, and in you all." If you have "Christ in you, the hope of glory," then you have the Father in you; because Jesus said, "I and My Father are one." (John 10:30)

(Verse 7) "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ."

Not only is salvation initially by the grace of God, but we are continuously kept by that same grace. It is not given to us according to our works or merits, neither is it according to our desires or our will. It is given to each of us separately and individually according to the measure of the gift of Christ. He, Christ, is completely sovereign in this matter, and He gives grace as He sees fit to accomplish His will.

(Verses 8 through 10) "Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.)"

The apostle tells us here that the prophecy, "When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men," has been fulfilled, and that the purpose of this prophecy was that "unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ," for it is He Who ascended up on high. When He ascended, He did it as the conqueror over death, Hades, and the grave. These three had from the beginning of man's sojourn on earth, held all men captive: the living, by fear; and the dead, by force. Death and the grave held the bodies, and Hades held the souls of those who had departed this life. When Jesus arose from the dead, they could no longer claim to hold men captive, but they who had been the captivity of all men were now taken captive by Him. (Rev. 1:18) "I am He that liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [Hades] and of death." Therefore, "according to the measure of the gift of Christ," that is, according to His will, He has given grace to "every one of us," fulfilling the prophecy, "_ _ _and gave gifts unto men." Paul here inserts a parenthesis to assure us that He, Who made the ascension is the same One Who first descended "into the lower parts of the earth," Christ Jesus our Lord. The phrase, "into the lower parts of the earth," has been a point of controversy among men for a very long time. Some argue that it only has reference to the fact that Jesus died and was buried, as He Himself at one point spoke of His being buried, "so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Others take the expression to mean His going into Hades, the abode of departed souls, which the Jews, as well as the Romans, and some others, thought to be somewhere in the "lower parts of the earth." I see little reason to quibble over this matter. The important point is not whether He arose from Hades and the grave, or just from the grave, but in what manner He came forth. For the answer to this, review Rev. 1:18. "I am He that liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [Hades] and of death", and Eph. 4:10, "And He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things". Wherever He may have been "in the lower parts of the earth," He is no longer there, but "far above all heavens, that He might fill all things." In this elevated position He is able to give gifts unto men according to His will.

(Verses 11 through 16) "And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect [mature] man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, Which is the head, even Christ: from Whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

Since our Lord has "given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ," it is clear that whatever the gift we have received, we have also received the necessary grace for that gift to function properly. Also, since He is the One, Who has given the gifts, it is totally out of place for me either to envy someone who has a greater gift than I, or to consider my gift of no value because someone else has a greater one. And certainly it is out of place for me to consider my gift better than that of another. They are all given by the same Lord; and we are to use them for His glory, not ours. The apostle mentions some of those gifts here. Of course, this is by no means all the gifts that are given. In other places in Paul's writings we find more gifts noted. There are also some, which he never lists. James tells us that, "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights_ _ _." The ones here mentioned are sufficient for the apostle's purpose; for here he is concerned with those which are for a specific purpose, which he also sets before us. Notice that our Lord did not give to everyone the same gift. Instead "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers." This by no means indicates that there is no one to whom more than one gift were given; nor does it mean that none of these gifts even overlap, as it were. Certainly the apostles, at least, had multiple gifts. They, in addition to being apostles, were evangelists and teachers, among other things. We may even find some today, who have more than one gift. Nevertheless some may be found who have received one gift, but would be totally out of place trying to fulfill the office of one of the other gifts. Paul is simply showing that all spiritual gifts are given by our Lord as He sees fit, and not according to what we may desire. Furthermore, all are given for the same purpose, "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." As before pointed out, "The body of Christ" is all the redeemed of God; and it is for the edification of this body that every gift is given. This edifying is done by the work of the ministry. We sometimes jump to the conclusion that "the ministry" means the preachers. It includes them, but is by no means limited to them. The word here translated, "ministry," according to THAYERS GREEK ENGLISH LEXICON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, means "service_ _ _ the ministration of those who render to others the offices of Christian affection." This could very well include some, who would never attempt to preach. What is done by "the work of the ministry" is "for the perfecting of the saints." The purpose of all these gifts is to bring the saints to a full knowledge of the things of God. Sometimes this is done through the public ministration of the word, the preaching of the gospel. At others it may be done privately, as in Acts 18:26 , "And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue; whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of the Lord more perfectly." Sometimes, by quietly living a life of witness for God, one may do more than he realizes toward "Perfecting the saints." Since this is the purpose of all the gifts, they are to be exercised "till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, (that is, a mature, or complete man,) unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Notice that the goal is "unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God". In verse 3 of this chapter, Paul begs us to endeavor "to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Here he tells us that these gifts which Christ has bestowed upon us are for the purpose of bringing us "in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man _ _ _." We are to be brought to the point of completion, or maturity, but it will have to be done in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God. There is no other way. "Unity" is simply another word for "Oneness," the being as one. As long as we are not in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, we can never come to "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" The entire focus of Psalms 133 is on unity. We will quote only the first verse: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" When, in the "unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God," we come to the level of a complete, or fully informed, man, concerning the things of God, we reach the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We then are no longer "children, tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." But we are by that faith and knowledge made able to discern the fallacies of these winds of doctrine, and all the cunning devices that deceivers try to put off on us. So we can remain firmly anchored in Christ, and "speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, Which is the head, even Christ." We must pay particular attention to the phrase, "speaking the truth in LOVE." Surely it is important that we always speak the truth; but if we do, and do not speak it in love, very little is accomplished. How sad it is to hear someone preaching the truth, or even privately speaking the truth, in some manner other than in love. All his effort is a complete waste, because without love, more harm than good will likely be accomplished. On the other hand, when it is done in love, we “grow up into Him in all things, Which is the head, even Christ." That is, we mature in Him in all things; and He is the head. We are only members of the body. As Paul continues, he tells us what takes place as we are brought to the proper state of maturity in unity and love, with Jesus Christ as our head, and with one another as the members of the body. We are then matured in Him, "from Whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Thus, with Jesus as the head, and all the members joined together in "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," the work of every gift causes the whole body to grow "unto the edifying of itself in love." Too much emphasis can not be put upon love. Love of our Lord and love to one another overcome all things that would otherwise separate us, and together are the moving cause of the unity which has been so many times mentioned.

(Verses 17 through 19) "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."

The word translated, "testify," in verse 17, is defined by the lexicographer, Thayer, as, "1. to cite a witness, bring forward a witness, call to witness, to affirm by appeal to God, to declare solemnly, to protest. 2. to conjure, beseech as in God's name, exhort solemnly." So, as Paul says that he does this in the Lord, it is obviously, something that is not to be disregarded or taken lightly. What he said to the Ephesians, he also says to us, since we too are Gentiles, as were they. His plea, or warning, or, since it is in the Lord that he speaks, his commandment, is that we, from this time forward, forsake the way of living that other Gentiles [pagans or heathen] follow, which is in, or according to, the vanity [emptiness or worthlessness] of their minds. This is the same "lifestyle" that is described in Chapter 2, verses 2 and 3. The apostle extends the description of that conduct, first telling why they follow it and then how totally they abandon themselves to it. The cause of such conduct is that their understanding is darkened, causing in them such ignorance that they are alienated, (or shut out, as the word can be rendered,) from the life of God, by the blindness of their hearts. Since God has not enlightened their hearts by His Spirit, they have no desire for "the life of God," that is, a life that is according to His will and commandments, and are still "dead in sin," as were we all before God shed His grace upon us, and "quickened us together with Christ." So, being "past feeling," that is, having neither any feeling of nor desire for a godly life, they turn themselves over to the working of, or practicing of, whatever evil or unclean thing that may come into their minds; and they do it with greediness, as if they cannot get enough of whatever evil they may be engaged in.

(Verses 20 through 24) "But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation [manner of living] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

Notice that Paul did not say, "If you have heard about Christ, and have been taught about Him." Instead, he says, "If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus." Any man, although gifted with great ability of oratory, can tell people about Christ as long as he can hold out to speak, and still all he can do is to teach about our Lord. Until Jesus Himself, through the Holy Ghost, speaks to the heart of a man, that man will not "Have heard Him, and been taught by Him." But those who have had this experience have not learned Him to be One, Who is pleased with such lives as these "other Gentiles" live. "But ye [those who have had this experience] have not so learned Christ." Since the truth is in Jesus, that which we learn in hearing Him, and being taught by Him, must, of necessity, be true. So the message, or commandment, if you will, is that we "put off the old man," and "put on the new." The analogy is that, as, if we were attired in a suit of clothes which we thought, until now, was the finest available, but have discovered that it is so tattered and filthy that we would be embarrassed to be seen in it, we would make every effort to take it off, and put on one of better quality and appearance. The "old man" is the old manner of living which Paul has just described, and the "new man" is the new life of righteousness and true holiness which is "after God," that is, it consists of following Him. Certainly no one, especially not the Apostle Paul, would claim that laying aside the old manner of living, and putting on the new is as easy as changing a suit of clothes, but with the renewing of the spirit of our minds we are able to work toward that end. So he tells us what to do that we may accomplish this.

(Verse 25) "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another."

This is, without doubt, the first step for any of us to take. Put lying away. Forsake the practice of it, and even the consideration of it. Then, having done this, "speak every man truth with his neighbor;" and, while doing this remember verse 15, "speaking the truth in love." Sometimes even the truth itself can be used to cause trouble; but never when spoken in love. We are also to remember that "we are members one of another." Sometimes we get into a frame of mind, which makes it difficult to remember that my neighbor and I are members of the same body, and therefore members one of another. Then we have to call to mind verse 3, "Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

(Verses 26 and 27) "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath: neither give place to the devil."

Paul is not here encouraging or commanding us to be angry. But, on the contrary, he is telling us that when we do become angry, as we all do, at one time or another, we must not let that anger lead us into sin, as it surely will if we hold on to it. So he says, "Let not the sun go down on your wrath." If for any reason we become angry, we should make sure that we overcome that anger, and lay it aside before the end of that day. Just as surely as we hold on to that wrath, or, what is more to the point, let it hold on to us, and carry it over to another day, we have opened the door for the devil to come in. Then ANY KIND of trouble can result. We, as far as God will enable us, are to close every door through which Satan can attack us, "neither give place to the devil."

(Verse 28) "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his own hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."

The fact that one has been a thief does not make it impossible for God to change him. We have the Lord's promise to the dying thief on the cross. Yet those thieves whom He pardons, and to whom He gives a continuation of life are commanded to "steal no more," just as He said to the woman who was brought before Him, accused of adultery, "Go, and sin no more." Whatever may be our prevailing sin, as well as any other of which we are guilty, it is to be forsaken when we are brought to Him. Notice, however, that Paul did not tell the ex-thief to restore those things, which he had stolen. Some might wonder why he gave no such commandment. Perhaps, one reason might be that those things he had formerly stolen may no longer be available to him for restoration. Then too as long as he worked at trying to restore those things, he would be constantly reminding others that he had been a thief. And although from Chapter II on Paul has been reminding us of what we all were before the Lord shed His grace upon us, and although it is right that each of us remember from whence he has been brought, we are to forget the past of our brother and sister, and look only at their present and future. Thus, in working "with his own hands" that which is good in order that he may have that with which to relieve the needs of others, the ex-thief may be constantly reminding himself of his former sins, but his brethren will only see a servant of the Lord helping those in need, and they will glorify God for him. In reality, when the Lord puts away the sins of anyone, those sins are not to be remembered nor counted against him by others, no matter how heavily they may weigh upon the mind of the one forgiven. Witness Paul's statements from time to time concerning his unworthiness by reason of his having persecuted the church. Yet this was never called in question by others after they saw that God had changed him, and made him an apostle.

(Verse 29) "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."

Sadly, there are some among us who evidently think that this applies only to preachers, and that only while they are in the pulpit, or at the farthest, on the churchyard. In I Cor. 15:33, Paul says, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners". Without any controversy, the meaning of this statement is that, evil doctrine, the use of evil or foul language, or the constant discussion of evil things will surely lead on to the doing of evil. So we are to refrain from the use of evil or filthy language, and from talking about evil and filthy subjects. Let our speech, even in private be such that it will minister grace to the hearers, or hearer, if only one is present.

(Verse 30) "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

Whatever of evil we do or say, or even think, is grieving to the Holy Spirit of God. Therefore we are to strive to lay aside all evil, separate ourselves from it, and cease to practice it. Otherwise we do grieve the Holy Ghost, by which we are sealed unto and until the day of redemption. In Chapter I, verses 13 and 14, Paul says, "_ _ _in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession." This Holy Spirit of promise is the earnest, or pledge, of our inheritance, even until the time when we shall receive that inheritance in full. So let us be careful not to grieve Him. When we do grieve Him we are not able to feel the full assurance of our salvation that we would like to enjoy.

(Verses 31 and 32) "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

This is a concise summation of verses 20 through 30. As Christians, we are to lay aside, put completely away from us, all these evil things of which Paul has already told us; and while we are at it, we should be sure to cast out all malice. While we are considering the word, "malice," it may be well to look at the dictionary definition of it. "Malice: enmity of heart; a disposition to injure others for mere personal gratification, or from a spirit of revenge; spite; ill will". With this definition we can readily see that malice must be cast out if there is ever to be "unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Then he says, "be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Show kindness to one another. To be tenderhearted is to be able to feel the distress of another as one's own distress. This is to be our attitude toward one another. Further, he says, "forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." This is the hill that seems hardest for most of us to climb. So often we say, or hear someone else say, "I would be glad to forgive him (or her), but he (or she) will have to apologize to me first." Did God say, "I will be glad to forgive you, but before I do it, you will have to apologize to me first?" Absolutely, NOT. He forgave you for Christ's sake, not yours; and that before you either knew or cared anything about your having offended Him. Had He waited until you apologized, He would still be waiting. We are to forgive, not for the sake of him who has  offended, but for Christ's sake, because both he and we belong to Christ, and that immediately upon remembering that our sins have been forgiven by God for Christ's sake. Otherwise, regardless of what we say, we will not forgive him though he apologize a hundred times. Forgiveness is not a matter of saying, “I forgive you". It is a matter of taking your blame upon myself, thus "giving myself for you." The word is made up of two words, and in making the compound word the two original words were reversed in order. It is always best to keep in mind that those words are "give for"; and if we keep this before us, we will indeed practice true forgiveness; and thus we will be filled with and surrounded by "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

In this chapter, Paul continues his instructions as to how we ought to live, telling us what we are to do and what we are to refrain from doing, and finally setting forth the relationship of husband and wife as a type of Christ and the church.

(Verses 1 and 2) "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour."

After reminding us in the preceding chapter that God has forgiven us for Christ's sake, Paul tells us to be "followers of God, as dear children." We are to follow God's commandments and instructions just as children who hold their parents in love and great respect obey them. This we are to do in love, not in fear of punishment, nor under a feeling of distaste, as if it were a great burden; but in the same manner as Christ, for the great love He had for the Father, and the love He had for us, was obedient even unto the death on the cross, whereby He gave "Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour." "Savour," or as it is spelled in our modern dictionary, "savor," means "flavor, taste, or smell," and in the present case, the whole expression signifies that it might be well pleasing to God. So just as Jesus gave Himself for us, we are to give ourselves for one another, thus giving ourselves for Him.

(Verses 3 and 4) "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, [joking] which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks".

The apostle here sets out six things that saints are not even to speak of as ever acceptable to them, since they certainly are not acceptable to God. These things are fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, filthiness, talking foolishly, and jesting, or joking. Surely none of these things need to be explained. We all know very well what he is talking about. None of these are acceptable to God, and so they cannot be acceptable to His saints. The fact that he lists covetousness along with fornication and all uncleanness, and foolish talking and jesting along with filthiness seems to indicate that the first three have to do with conduct, and the last three have to do with talking. The fact comes through very clearly that all are forbidden. Notice that foolish talking and jesting, which, as we all know, is joking, are just as unacceptable as filthiness. The Greek word, "eutrapelia," which is here translated, "jesting," is defined thus: "pleasantry, humor, facetiousness." Paul says that these things are "not convenient," the Greek word's meaning, "unbecoming or discreditable." Since all these things are unbecoming or discreditable to a Christian, they are to be avoided; and those who will not leave them off should themselves be avoided. It is particularly annoying that some, who c