This Sunday we began our systematic exposition of the Epistle to the Ephesians. In reality, I have been ensconced in this epistle for a month and a half, savoring its substance, and in the first verses of the first chapter for several days, which shows the richness of this marvelous letter. Someone had the good idea, when I was taking my first steps in faith, to advise me to meditate diligently on the epistles to the Colossians, the Ephesians and the Philippians, and I have never regretted it.
Excellence, glory, beauty—this is the Epistle to the Ephesians. You barely begin reading and you are completely overwhelmed; struck by the overflowing passion and enthusiasm that emanate from the very first verses. And you are left speechless upon discovering this long and complex proposition, riddled with parentheses over more than ten verses, which presents the happy condition that is ours in Christ Jesus; a proposition that in the original is only one sentence but inevitably split in our translations to make it readable.
And here one is forced to take out paper and pencil, because it is necessary to break it down into corresponding equations, to see the common thread and deduce the internal logic. And when this is done, what a marvel. There before you is a vision of the heart of God, of His eternal plan, conceived before anything that is was, and of the believer's place in this spectacle of glory. Ah!
Ephesians is one of the letters written during Paul's imprisonment in Rome where he was probably in chains
to a Roman soldier. He could, however, receive visitors and several did visit him. This is a letter which, unlike others, does not answer any question posed about a specific difficulty within the church but consists simply of a glorious presentation of the gospel.
This is carefully thought-out good news, proclaimed with heart, conviction, and wonder. It declares the greatness of God's work in Christ, its impact on those in Christ, and the ultimate purpose of Christ's coming. Here again, the apostle Paul manifests this astonishing marriage of reason and revelation, with the keenest intelligence and all-consuming passion. Ephesians transports us into both profound contemplation and joyful celebration. A life-changing letter.
Some of the most sublime truths of our faith are contained in these few hundred verses—redemption, Christ's victory and heavenly glory, election, holiness, new life in Christ, the Christian's position in Christ, and not forgetting the practical side—how to live that faith. It is theology that continually triggers the doxology; prayers and praise overlap as God's plan is revealed. In this, it is the demonstration of the wonder and worship that can only accompany the revelation and understanding of God's heart. In short, it is the good news.
Shalom!
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