Christ in Ephesians -- The Head of the Church

During the two years when Paul was under house arrest in Rome, probably 60 – 62 A.D., he was allowed to have visitors and to send with them letters he had written to the churches he had helped to plant, as well as to his friends.  Among those letters are the books we now know as Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.  Today we will look at the letter to the church at Ephesus.  It may have been a “circulating letter,” one that was circulated among several churches in the city of Ephesus, since it has none of the personal references that we see in some of Paul’s other letters.  Also missing from this letter was correction to specific beliefs or practices in the church.  It is primarily doctrinal teaching, intended to mature the believers’ faith and to equip the growing church with very practical tools they would need to fulfill their calling as Christ-followers.  These are tools we still need today.  When some people hear the word “doctrine” they moan and groan, thinking, “Oh, this is going to be dry and boring.”  Nothing could be further from the truth when it applies to this wonderful book.  Until we have a clear grasp of doctrine, it is hard to apply God’s teaching to our everyday lives, and that is just what Paul was attempting to do in this heartfelt letter.

Paul begins his letter by praising God who, before the earth was even created, chose us to be a part of His holy family through Jesus Christ:

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure (Ephesians 1:3-5).

He has a plan for his family which will come to completion when Jesus returns to rule in eternity:

God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth (Ephesians 1:9-10).

While we wait for that wonderful time when we are in His presence forever, united in Him, He has established His church which is to be a picture of what eternity will be like – united under the authority of Jesus Christ:

Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself (Ephesians 1:21-23).

In the second chapter of Ephesians, Paul goes into depth to explain how the Jews and the Gentiles are united in Christ into one family, the family of God, the church:

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups (Ephesians 2:14-15).

 

Through faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to live in the heart of every believer.  And when we are united in Christ we are His family, His temple, built on the foundation laid by the apostles and the Old Testament prophets, with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone:

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord (Ephesians 2:20-21).

Beginning in Chapter 4, Paul gives some very practical advice about how to live united in Christ:

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace (Ephesians 4:1-3).

When God designed His church, His family, He created structure.  He made us all equal, but He gave us all different gifts and talents:

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ . . .  He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. (Ephesians 4:11-12, 16).

Paul also reminded these new Christians that they are to live differently than they did before they came to know Jesus.  He gave them a long list of very practical things to do and not to do:

Throw off the old sinful nature and former way of life
Let the Holy Spirit renew thoughts and attitudes
Put on a new nature of holiness and righteousness
Stop telling lies
Quit being controlled by anger
Quit stealing
Use their hands and feet for good hard work
Give generously to those in need
Don’t use foul or abusive language
Use your words to encourage others
Get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander
Do away with all types of evil behavior
Be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving to each other
Imitate God by living a life filled with love
Do not tolerate sexual immorality, impurity, or greed
There are to be no obscene stories, foolish talk, or coarse jokes
Be thankful to God
Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins
Be careful how you live, not like fools, but like those who are wise
Use your time wisely
Don’t be thoughtless, but understand what God wants you to do
Don’t be a drunkard
Be filled with the Holy Spirit
Make music to the Lord in your heart
Give thanks to God for everything

As you read the book of Ephesians, notice how many times the words “authority,” “head,” and “plan,” are used in relation to God and to Jesus Christ.  These words are always used in a very positive way.  In God’s plan there is blessing.  In His plan there is peace.  In His plan there is unity and harmony.  In the next section of Paul’s letter, he explained that the family structure, as designed by God, is a picture of the way the church is structured.  The man is to be the head of the family, just as Christ is head of the church.  Notice that NO WHERE does Paul say the man is to be the boss, the ruler, or the dictator.  NO WHERE does Paul say the wife is to be a doormat, a servant, or a “little woman.”  We are ALL EQUAL in Christ.  Paul begins this section by saying that husbands and wives are to submit to each other:

And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21).

 

Please do not let anyone deceive you by quoting only, “For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). Go on and read the very next verses:

For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word . . . In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body (Ephesians 5:23-26, 28-30).

If a husband loves his wife as Christ loves the Church, and if he demonstrates his love to his wife as Christ demonstrates His love to the Church, any woman would naturally return that love in submission to her husband.  In our modern language, submission is probably not the most perfect word for this love relationship, since it does not reflect the mutual respect that this passage indicates.  I am not a linguist, and I would never attempt to translate or re-interpret God’s word.  But I do know that when you read the entire text, not taking one verse out of context, any modern woman should be thrilled to be in this kind of love relationship with her husband, and it would be easy to respond to him as I believe Paul taught in this passage.

As Paul continues with his practical advice about the family, he speaks to children and to parents.  He says that children are to obey their parents, but that the parents are not to provoke their children to anger by the way they treat them.  We are to treat our children with love, understanding their capabilities and limitations, and to instruct them about every area of life, teaching them all we have learned about living in obedience to God:

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do . . . Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord (Ephesians 6:1, 4).

Paul goes on to talk about how slaves and slave owners should relate to each other.  He was neither condoning nor prohibiting slavery.  Slavery was common in those days.  Many people sold themselves into slavery when they could not pay a debt.  Others became slaves when their country was being occupied by a foreign ruler.  We may not be able to thoroughly grasp the concept of slavery, but we can relate this section to ourselves as employees and/or employers.  The same principles apply.  We are to obey, with respect, those in authority over us.  We are to do our jobs sincerely, as though we are working for Christ, not just when we are being watched, but all the time:

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free (Ephesians 6:5-8).

 

If we are employers or supervisors, we should treat those under our authority with respect.  God does not see us any differently than He sees the lowliest worker:

Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites (Ephesians 6:9).

Finally, Paul warned the church in Ephesus (and us) to stand strong, clothed with God’s armor, ready to resist the devil in all the ways he will attack us:

 

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:10-12).

My prayer for you and for me this week is the same as Paul’s prayer for his friends at the church in Ephesus, found in Ephesians 1:17-23 –

Glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . give (us) spiritual wisdom and insight so that (we) might grow in (our) knowledge of (You). I pray that (our) hearts will be flooded with light so that (we) can understand the confident hope (You have) given to those (You) called—(Your) holy people . . . I also pray that (we) will understand the incredible greatness of (Your) power for us who believe (You). This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at (Your) right hand in the heavenly realms. Now (Christ) is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. (You have) put all things under the authority of Christ and (have) made Him Head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself.

All scripture is from the New Living Translation.