Ephesians (The IVP New Testament Commentary | IVPNTC)
Overview
For those who long to delve into the mind and purposes of God, few books are more helpful than Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Here the apostle paints in broad strokes the great plan of God for his church, centered on its head, Jesus Christ, and living out its calling in praise of God's glory. Beginning with doxology, Paul calls on the church to support its words of praise with deeds to match. Christians today will find here inspiration and insight that will confirm their allegiances and shape their lives. Written with warm pastoral insight, this commentary supplies readers with a helpful introduction, covering authorship, date, background material and a summary of theological themes. A passage-by-passage exposition follows that focuses on understanding what Paul had to say to his original readers in order to see its relevance for the church today.
Top Highlights
“The ideal is a wife who is not withholding submission selfishly and a husband who does not demand it unreasonably.” (Ephesians 5:22–33)
“Given the context, faith is the means by which God’s grace is accepted and cannot be understood as contributing to salvation in any sense.” (Ephesians 2:8–10)
“It is important to understand that Satan is not directly active in everything evil; he is not omnipresent. But where there is satanic influence, no method of resistance can possibly ‘work’ that is not grounded on a biblical understanding of spiritual warfare.” (Ephesians 6:10–20)
“It is often observed that verse 3 does not tell us to accomplish unity; that has already been done by Christ. It is now necessary to make every effort to keep that unity. This is not easy and requires diligence, but the task is supported by the Spirit who produces unity and by the encompassing bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2–3)
“In Ephesians 4 the gifts named are not abilities given to people; they are people given to the church” (Ephesians 4:11)