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Ephesians focuses heavily on discipleship: how we should live in light of the grace that has been given to us in Christ Jesus. The author of Ephesians, whose identity is a source of great scholarly debate, spends much of this circular letter to the churches counseling the churches on the ethics that follow from the … Continue reading “Ephesians 5:8-14 Commentary by Margaret Aymer”

To understand the thrust of this text it helps to understand the broad structure of the letter to the Ephesians written by an unknown author using Paul’s name a decade or two after Paul’s death. Chapters 1-3 of Ephesians serve as an identity reminder. That is, in the first half of the letter the author … Continue reading “Ephesians 5:8-14 Commentary by Richard Carlson”

The opening word of the passage (in Greek, dio, “for this reason”) is a reminder to situate these instructions in their context in Ephesians. The immediate context recalls the transformation of those who are in Christ: “You were taught to put away your former way of life… and to be renewed in the spirit of … Continue reading “Ephesians 4:25-5:2 Commentary by Susan Hylen”

Introduction Our passage contains a lot of moral advice that can be found in many places in the ancient world. In that sense, there is nothing “original” in this text. However, the wealth of moral instruction does not mean the Bible is simply “moralizing” its readers. The key difference lay in the motivation for the … Continue reading “Ephesians 4:25-5:2 Commentary by Mark Tranvik”

A traditional part of the baptismal liturgy is the renouncing of all the forces of evil, the devil, and all his empty promises. As we enter into the new life in Christ, we enter into a new community and a new culture with a particular way of living with one another. Though this text does … Continue reading “Ephesians 4:25-5:2 Commentary by Brian Peterson”

This passage forms the hinge between the theological statement of Ephesians 1-3 and the exhortatory material that follows (4:17-6:20). It provides a theological rationale for the behavior that is required of the church. The primary call is to unity. The recipients of the letter should make “every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit … Continue reading “Ephesians 4:1-16 Commentary by Susan Hylen”

Introduction Our passage begins the so-called “moral” section of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. In other words, commentators often remark that in chapters 1-3 the focus is on doctrine while chapters 4-6 highlight implications for the personal and social life of Christians. But the truth is a little more complicated. These verses contain a number … Continue reading “Ephesians 4:1-16 Commentary by Mark Tranvik”

This section of Ephesians begins a series of ethical instructions firmly based on the preceding three chapters. In those early chapters, the author has laid out the new reality, that in Jesus God has broken down the “wall” between Jew and Gentile, now offering through the blood of the new covenant, salvation and koinonia to … Continue reading “Ephesians 4:1-16 Commentary by Sarah Henrich”

This section of the letter offers a bit of relief from the heavy theological portions that have been read up to this point. It presents a moment of tenderness, in which the author speaks directly to his readers about his care for them. He speaks of his prayer for his readers, which he does on … Continue reading “Ephesians 3:14-21 Commentary by Arland J. Hultgren”

The first seven words of this text — “I bow my knees before the Father” — make it clear that we are overhearing prayer. The question that leaps to mind is, “How do you preach on an overheard prayer? Should I?”  I remember as a child tiptoeing past the living room where my parents, faithful … Continue reading “Ephesians 3:14-21 Commentary by Sally A. Brown”