Overview
- We Are Blessed with Every Spiritual Blessing (1:3)
- We Are Saved by God’s Grace (2:8-9)
- We Are Heirs of God’s Promises (3:6)
- We Are Part of God’s Family (4:4-6)
- We Are Enlightened by God’s Spirit (5:8-10)
- We Are Empowered by God’s Armor (6:10-11)
More To Consider
Ephesians, like so much of Paul’s writing, underscores the truth that salvation is by faith alone and not through works or human striving. The first half of the epistle (chs. 1–3) addresses the central doctrines of the Christian faith, while the second half of the letter (chs. 4–6) describes how those spiritual truths should be reflected in a Christian’s behavior. Some would divide the second half of the letter into two sections—first the Christian’s conduct and then spiritual conflict with the forces of evil. Such a division highlights the familiar passage describing the spiritual armor of a Christian.
Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 1529). T. Nelson Publishers.
Several years ago, two students graduated from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. The highest ranking student in the class was a blind man named Overton and, when he received his honor, he insisted that half the credit should go to his friend, Kaspryzak. They had met one another in school when the armless Mr. Kaspryzak had guided the blind Mr. Overton down a flight of stairs. This acquaintance ripened into friendship and a beautiful example of interdependence. The blind man carried the books which the armless man read aloud in their common study, and thus the individual deficiency of each was compensated for by the other. After their graduation, they planned to practice law together.
Gary Inrig, Life in His Body.
She had gone down in history as “America’s Greatest Miser,” yet when she died in 1916, “Hetty” Green left an estate valued at over $100 million. She ate cold oatmeal because it cost to heat it. Her son had to suffer a leg amputation, because she delayed so long in looking for a free clinic that his case became incurable. She was wealthy, yet she chose to live like a pauper.
Eccentric? Certainly! Crazy? Perhaps—but nobody could prove it. She was so foolish that she hastened her own death by bringing on an attack of apoplexy while arguing about the value of drinking skimmed milk! But Hetty Green is an illustration of too many Christian believers today. They have limitless wealth at their disposal, and yet they live like paupers. It was to this kind of Christian that Paul wrote the Epistle to the Ephesians.
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 8). Victor Books.
