Short Summaries of

Sermons on Ephesians

by Rev. Ralph Allan Smith

Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians

(Eph. 1:15-17)

Paul's letters to the churches begin in a standard fashion: Paul identifies himself and his readers, he greets them, offers thanks to God for them, and prays for them. This formula is not unvarying. Any one of these elements can be expanded. In Romans, for example, Paul spends six verses identifying himself (Rom. 1:1-6). In 2 Thessalonians the thanksgiving continues for eight verses because of a theological digression (2 Thes. 1:3-10). In some cases basic elements are not included. Galatians is famous for not including the thanksgiving or a prayer, substituting in its place a stern word of reproof. 1 Corinthians appears to be without the opening prayer. In 2 Corinthians, as in Ephesians, the thanksgiving is slightly transformed by its being a word of praise. Admitting these minor variations, all of Paul's letters to churches, except Galatians, follow this standard formula.

The fact that the formula is standard does not mean, however, that it is a mere formula. Paul's letters have profound teaching even in what may be thought routine. In particular his prayers for the churches exhibit a depth of faith and understanding that provide a model of Christian maturity.

Paul's Thanksgiving

After offering praise to God for His saving grace, Paul includes a word of thanksgiving for the Ephesians: "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you" (Eph. 1:15-16a). Paul says that he "heard" of their faith and love because by the time he wrote this epistle, it had already been some time since he had visited with them. The report that he heard about them was simply that they were continuing to live as true Christians. Faith in Christ and love to the saints are the distinguishing characteristics of true Christianity. When either of these is lacking, there has been a departure from the faith.

The Ephesians were threatened with the loss of both. Their faith was threatened by false teachers, who abounded in the ancient world to such a degree that the apostles were constantly warning the churches about them. Paul had even told the Ephesians, in his last sermon to them, that "I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (Act. 20:29-30). The Ephesians took this warning seriously and became famous for their vigilance in watching out for false teachers. Christ's letter to the Ephesian church commends them: "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars" (Rev. 2:2).

They fell, however, into the opposite error. They grew cold in their love to God and to one another. In the same letter in which He commended their watchful guarding of the church, our Lord also rebuked the Ephesians: "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent" (Rev. 2:4-5).

At the time that Paul wrote, however, the church was still faithful in both her profession of faith and love to the saints. Paul was moved by that simple fact. It is remarkable that a man who had experienced so much of the worst in his ministry--apostasy on the part of churches and individuals, gross immorality among church members, slander by false teachers which his supposed friends believed--could still be moved to thanksgiving and prayer by the report of the Ephesians faith and love.

It was no mechanical business-like thanksgiving that Paul offered. The words "cease not to give thanks" point to the sincerity and earnestness of Paul's gratitude to God for the Ephesians. Paul had the kind of childlike faith that could simply rejoice in God's goodness. At the same time, Paul was discerning. He was not ignorant of the church's faults.

Prayer for Wisdom and Revelation

The substance of Paul's prayer is recorded in verses 17 through 23. Paul prays to God as the Father of glory. This is an unusual title, not used anywhere else in the Bible. The idea, however, is not unusual: God is called the King of glory, (Psa. 24:7, 8, 9, 10), and the God of glory (Psa. 29:3; Act. 7:2) and the Lord Jesus Christ is called the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8; Jam. 2:1). God is the Father of glory because all glory comes from Him. He is glorious in His nature and He is worthy of all glory and praise in His works. After a long sentence giving glory to God, it is appropriate that Paul should now pray to Him using the title "Father of glory."

Paul prays that the Ephesians may be given "the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him." The Ephesians have been given the Spirit of God as the earnest of their eternal inheritance. When Paul prays that God "may give" them the Spirit, he is praying for the Spirit's work in their hearts. This is precisely the kind of praying that our Lord had in mind when He said: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luk 11:13).

Specifically Paul asks that the Holy Spirit may work in the Ephesians so as to give them wisdom and revelation. It is possible that Paul has in mind here special spiritual gifts, as in the Corinthian church: "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:8). However, Paul does not pray for certain people here to be given gifts but for the whole church. Also, the following verses do not suggest that Paul is speaking about a special gift of knowledge, but rather the knowledge of God and the understanding of the Christian faith that is important for the maturation of any and every Christian.

When Paul here speaks of the "knowledge of God," he is not referring to the Ephesians growth in the understanding of Systematic Theology. He is speaking rather of covenantal faithfulness: "He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD" (Jer. 22:16; cf. Jer. 9:1-6). To know that God is the LORD, a frequently used phrase in the Old Testament (Ex. 6:7; 7:5, 17; 8:10, 22; 14:4, 18; 16:6, 12; 18:11; 29:46; 31:13; Isa. 37:20; 45:3; 49:23, 26; 60:16; I am not including the 73 references to this phrase in Ezekiel), may refer to a forced acknowledgment of His Lordship, but usually means to trust Him and submit to His covenant.

To have wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God, then, refers to wisdom from the Bible that enables us to properly relate to God in our daily lives. The expression "know God" implies personal relationship and is thus more appropriate and broader than "covenantal submission," but "covenantal submission" is a more accurate expression of what Paul is referring to than mere knowledge of facts. Wisdom and revelation are needed because the situations in which we find ourselves constantly change. We do not always understand our situation rightly nor how to apply the teaching of the Bible. A misunderstanding of either is a misreading of the mind of God our heavenly Father. The Spirit of God is given to us to aid us in daily walking with God, but we must pray for and seek the wisdom of the Spirit as we earnestly study His Word and meditate upon His Person. Then we will know the LORD and be instruments for the growth of His kingdom.

We need the same prayer that Paul prayed for the Ephesians, for God alone gives wisdom and knowledge, and He gives them only to those who seek in sincerity. The Church's present lack of knowledge and wisdom are a testimony not to a paucity of intellectual leaders, but to her lack of faith and love. Let us pray that God would reform His Church, giving her the wisdom and understanding that come only through the Holy Spirit.