Ephesians 6

In verse 20, Paul calls himself an ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20). Yet even though he is an ambassador of the King of kings, Paul has ended up in chains in a Roman prison!

21-22 Tychicus was one of Paul’s colleagues, who was with him during part of his imprisonment in Rome. In addition to delivering this letter to the Ephesians, Tychicus also delivered Paul’s letter to the Colossians (Colossians 4:7-8).

23-24 Paul began this letter by expressing his desire that the Ephesians might experience the grace and peace of God (Ephesians 1:2). Now Paul ends the letter by giving to the Ephesians a benediction of peace (verse 23) and grace (verse 24). From this we are again reminded of the great theme of this great letter: Peace through grace (see Ephesians 1:2 and comment). Even though we are in the midst of a great spiritual struggle, we have peace with God, and peace within our church and within our hearts.

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who do not love the Lord have not experienced His love, His grace. Anyone who has received the grace of God will love His Son Jesus, for it is through Jesus that God’s grace has come to us. Therefore, let us love our Lord with an undying love. And let us live our lives to the praise of the glory of His grace!

¹ The words in Ephesus in verse 1 are not found in all ancient manuscripts. This suggests that this letter was meant to be read in other churches besides the church in Ephesus.

² Indeed, this same principle applies to our study of the entire Bible. The Bible is God’s own word, and He speaks to us through every verse.

³ To be adopted in a natural sense means to become the legal child of someone who is not one’s natural parent. The adopted child receives all the rights and privileges that a natural heir would receive. In the spiritual sense, to be “adopted” by God is to become entitled to all the blessings of heaven; it is to become a member of God’s own family. For further discussion, see Word List: Adoption.

⁴ The word redemption in the New Testament means the setting free or delivering of a person from the penalty of sin by paying a ransom or offering a sacrifice. It is one aspect of our salvation. For further discussion, see Word List: Redemption.

⁵ The Jews were a race of people living in the Middle East, who from the beginning worshiped the one true God. God had chosen the Jews to be His own special people. Jesus Himself was a Jew. For further discussion, see Word List: Jew.

⁶ In place of the words were chosen, some translations of the Bible say, “were made heirs.” The meaning is the same. 1he Jews were “chosen to be heirs.”

⁷ In place of the word “forms." it is more accurate to say “modes of existence." For further discussion of the Holy Spirit, see General Article: Holy Spirit.

⁸ Worldly men are those men who love the world and the things of the world more than they low God.

⁹ It is not certain whether Paul is referring to the Holy Spirit here, or only to a “human spirit” of wisdom and revelation. In the original Greek text, there is no way to distinguish between Spirit with a capital “S” and spirit with a small “s.” However, there is not much difference in the meaning either way, since all true wisdom and revelation comes from the Holy Spirit in the first place.

¹⁰ Natural man follows the natural and selfish desires of his heart. He knows of no other rule but to gratify the desires of his sinful nature. AD men by nature are sinful (see Romans 3:10-12).

¹¹ Surrounding the inner court of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, there was a wall or barrier through which Gentiles were not permitted to pass. In this verse Paul calls it a dividing wall of hostility, because that wall was, in a sense, a sign of the hostility between Jews and Gentiles. It was also a sign that the Gentiles were far away (verse 13), that they could not come near to God.

When Paul says Christ destroyed that wall, he means that Christ destroyed the significance of the wall, not the wall itself. The original purpose of the wall was to keep the unclean Gentiles from coming into the presence of a holy God. Now Christ has made it possible for the Gentiles to be cleansed through faith and thus to come into God’s presence. The wall is no longer necessary. Thus Christ has removed the barrier keeping the Gentiles away from God; through His death the Gentiles are now brought near to God (verse 13).

¹² However, Christ did not abolish the “moral law.” For further discussion, see Matthew 5:17-20 and comment.

¹³ The kind of cornerstone which Paul refers to here is a capstone which covers the right angle where two walls join together. Without such a capstone, the walls will fall down.

¹⁴ These are New Testament, not Old Testament, prophets.

¹⁵ We must remember that the Bible is not on!)’ a book of laws and prophecies; it is also a book of history. And the history written in the Bible is completely accurate.

¹⁶ Paul says that we should be humble and gentle. Gentleness always goes together with humility. The eighth fruit of the Holy Spirit is gentleness (Galatians 5:23). Indeed, some translations of the Bible call the eighth fruit of the Spirit “humility” instead of “gentleness.”

¹⁷ In another sense, however, Christians should be like children. In particular, we should have the open and trusting attitude of children. We need to have a child’s faith (see Mark 10:15 and comment).

¹⁸ In place of the word attitude, some translations of the Bible say “spirit.” In this context, the meaning is the same.

¹⁹ When we are angry with the offense, we use our anger to benefit the offender. But when angry with the offender, we desire to hurt him, not benefit him. And that is a sin.

²⁰ For further discussion of redemption, see comment on Ephesians 1:7 and footnote to comment

²¹ If our parents are not Christians and give advice that is opposed to God’s word, than we must not follow their advice in that particular matter.

²² God leads some Christians to completely abstain from any kind of alcoholic beverage (see Luke 1:15). Certainly, any believer who had a drinking problem before becoming a Christian must stop drinking altogether.

²³ In the Greek text, the words be filled mean “keep on being filled.”

²⁴ For further discussion of the role of baptism in cleansing us from sin, see General Article: Water Baptism

²⁵ After birth, mother and child become two flesh, not one.

²⁶ During their lifetime, God gives most Christians opportunities to advance. It is right for Christians to take these God-given opportunities to improve their life situation. But the main thing is this: We must accept God’s will for our lives no matter what that will turns out to be. We must never grumble against God (see 1 Corinthians 7:17-24; 10:10 and comments).