The keynote of the book is "spiritual blessings" and "heavenly places".
Such words as "riches", "fulness", "riches, of glory", "abounded", etc., shows that Paul is in fine humor when he writes.
The book is written around the same time Colossians is written 62-64 A.D.

OUTLINE:

I. Introduction to Ephesians
II. The Salutation of Paul (1,2)
III. Blessings from the Father (3-6)
IV. Blessings from the Son (7-12)
V. Blessings from the Spirit (13,14)
VI. Prayer for Understanding (15-23)

 

I. INTRODUCTION:

Ephesus was one of the greatest cities of Asia Minor, a Roman capital, a center of worship of the goddess Diana, The temple of Diana was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the worship of Diana was jealously guarded (Acts 19:13-41). Ephesus was the key city of that area, so it is no wonder that Paul stayed there for three years (Acts 20:31) and that from the city the the Gospel spread out to all Asia (Acts 19:10).

Paul was a prisoner when he wrote this letter (3:1; 4:1). How he became a prisoner is recorded in (Acts 21:15-40). The letter deals with church truth in general, not local problems in particular as found in some of the other epistles. In every sense, Ephesians is the church epistle, teaching us what the church is in the mind of God, and what it ought to be in practice before the eyes of men.

The Church in Ephesians

In Paul's prison letters, Paul deals with the church collectively as the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ. In the pastoral epistles, Paul deals with the church as a local body, serving Christ. In the mind of God, He sees the whole Body with Christ as the Head; but as-far as work of the ministry is concerned, He works through the local assemblies or local churches. The Universal Church into which the believer is baptized by the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) is a valid concept and doctrine; but the universal church concept is not a substitute for the local church ministry.

Ephesians has many similarities with the book of Colossians, compare: Eph. 1:7 & Col. 1:14; Eph. 1:10 & Col. 1:20; Eph. 3:2 & 1:25; Eph. 5:19 & Col. 3:16; Eph. 4:32 & Col. 3:13, etc.

 

II. THE SALUTATION - (1:1,2)

III. BLESSINGS FROM THE FATHER - (1:3-6)

B. He has adopted us (vs. 5)

C. He has accepted us (vs. 6)

"heavenly places" - is mentioned numerous times in the epistle - (1:20; 2:6 3:10; 6:12)
"Predestinated" - (Rom. 8:29) defines this predestination. We are predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son; (see verse 11).
"Adoption" - (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 3:26; 4:5)
"The beloved" - is Christ - (Matt. 3:17; 12:18)

 

IV. BLESSINGS FROM THE SON - (1:7-1-1)

B. He has forgiven us (vs. 7)

C. He has revealed God's will to us (vs. 8-10)

D. He has made for us an inheritance (vs. 11,12)

"Through his blood" - (Col 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:19; Heb. 9:12; 1 Jn. 1:7)

"Dispensation of the fullness of time" - (Acts 3:21; see Gen. 15, 22, 49; Deut. 29, 32; Jud. 5; 2 Sam. 22; Isa. 2, 11, 65, 66, etc.)

"Inheritance" - (Col. 3:24; 1 Cor. 9:16,17; 2 Cor. 1:7; Rom 8:17)

 

V. BLESSINGS FROM THE SPIRIT - (1:13,14)

B. He has given us an earnest (token or down payment)

 

VI. PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING

Paul's requests:

[1]. That God may give you spiritual understand (1:17,18)
[2]. That you might know the hope of His calling (1:18). Hope - Heb. 6:18; Tit. 2:13
[3]. That you might know the riches of His inheritance (1:18).
[4]. That you might know His power (1:19-23).

Verses 17,18 - (See Col. 1:9; 1 Cor. 2:14; Isa. 11:2; Gal. 5:22; Rev. 5:6; Deut. 34:9; Rev. 1:4;. Job 32:8; 1 Sam. 14:27; Lk. 24:31)

Verse 19 - (Eph. 3:20; Phil 3:10; Rom. 8:10,11)

Verse 21 - (Eph. 6: 12)

"The church...the body" - (Eph. 4:11-16; Col. 2:19; 1 Cor. 12:12-27)