Ephesians is so broad, so sweeping in its content, that recognizing the underlying theme is easily missed. Some view 2:8-10 as the key passage and therefore conclude that the theme is “the Grace of God.” Others are struck by 4:1 and therefore view “our Christian calling” as the theme. Many others, in view of 2:11-22, consider “unity” as the central message. Others define the theme, based on 1:3, as “the Christian’s riches in Christ,” while still others think it’s “the mystery of the church.”
But while all those subjects are vital, none of them, I believe, is the central theme of the letter. The theme is far more sweeping. To put it succinctly, The prevailing theme in Ephesians is God’s eternal purpose and the place of Christ and His people in that purpose. Chapter 1 lays the foundation by showing us the eternal purpose of God in choosing the elect who would be His people. We then see many figures of this throughout the letter: God’s children (1:2), God’s heirs (1:11), Christ’s body (1:22-23), God’s building (2:19-22), Christ’s bride (5:22-31), and the Church (1:22; 3:10, 21; etc.).
Recognizing this theme is of the utmost importance because everything begins with God. The comprehensive idea in the letter is what God is doing. God is mentioned by proper name or pronoun in every verse of chapter 1 except verses 16 and 21, but is still implied in both of those. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ exposition of chapter 1 stands as one of the greatest in church history. In it, which is appropriately titled God’s Ultimate Purpose, he writes with almost as sweeping of language as what we read in the Epistle itself: “The Bible is God’s book, it is a revelation of God, and our thinking must always start with God. Much of the trouble in the church today is due to the fact that we are so subjective, so interested in ourselves, so egocentric . . . Having forgotten God, and having become so interested in ourselves, we become miserable and wretched, and spend our time in shallows and in miseries. The message of the Bible from beginning to end is designed to bring us back to God, to humble us before God, and to enable us to see our true relationship to Him. And that is the great theme of this Epistle; it holds us face to face with God, and who God is, and what He has done; it emphasizes throughout the glory and greatness of God—God the Eternal One, God the everlasting, God over all—and the indescribable glory of God.”
That thought immediately points us to several verses in chapter 1. I would encourage you to read verses 3, 6, 7, 12, and 14. Permeating this chapter is the praise of God’s grace and glory. That is the theme.
One of the great tragedies in the church today is that it has become “purpose-driven,” “seeker-sensitive,” and “user-friendly.” The accepted approach today is more concerned with “meeting needs” than proclaiming truth. Modern ministry is “people-centered.” Many pick up a newspaper and shop for a church like they shop for a movie. Many are looking for what they can get, how they can be “ministered to.” We are starting with man instead of God. But Paul declares that this approach is wrong. We are to worship, not be entertained.
What is the appeal of Ephesians? What is its charm? What makes it so loved? After all, there are no new doctrines in it, nothing, in fact, that isn’t in other Epistles. So what is the attraction? It is this: Ephesians, unlike any other Epistle, is the best statement of basic Christian doctrine and practice in all of Scripture. I am convinced that no other Epistle is more basic to living the Christian life than Ephesians.
While troubles arose later, at the time Paul wrote this letter there were no problems in the church at Ephesus (1:15). Unlike its sister book Colossians, which was written as a “preemptive strike” to warn of and ward off the heretical teachings that threatened the Colossian church, Ephesians had no such purpose. Its purpose was to present doctrine for doctrine’s sake, to express the basic doctrines of Christianity in language unequalled anywhere else.
One might be thinking, “Wait, what about Romans? Isn’t it the greatest of Paul’s doctrinal treatises?” Indeed it is. But as commentator R. C. H. Lenski writes about this very comparison: “Ephesians is unlike any other of Paul’s letters in that it treats a great subject for the purpose of edification only. Even Romans has the special purpose of preparing for Paul’s proposed visit and in 14:1-15:13 treats a peculiar situation which had developed in the Roman church.” Indeed, while Romans is the most thorough and comprehensive presentation of Gospel doctrine, Ephesians is the most basic, the most profound, and the most awe-inspiring. Our greatest need today is doctrine and Truth. It is only this that will bring growth, depth, and maturity.
No comments:
Post a Comment