Alive in Messiah
2: 4-5

Alive in Messiah DIG: In what sense is “spiritually dead” an accurate description of life without faith in Messiah? How does accepting Messiah signal a change in who has authority over you? What changes should occur in a person’s life as a result of this new allegiance? What changes have occurred in your life? What does it mean that you were “deserving of God’s wrath?” Why do you think believers sometimes perceive that their salvation relates to their own efforts? What does Paul have to say about that in vs 10?

REFLECT: How does the image of a prison cell describe your life before coming to Messiah? What would your life be like if ADONAI hadn’t extended mercy to you? When was the last time you had the opportunity to show mercy but didn’t. Why didn’t you? What is an act of mercy you have seen recently from another person? What is the danger of a faith based solely on works? How do you tell the difference between works-based faith and faith-based works? How can you show the great riches of God’s grace to others?

Our present position in Messiah.

Paul has laid the foundation for the new life and resurrection power that we receive when we come to faith in Messiah. Now he turns to discussing the actual transformation that takes place when we make this decision – how God brings us back to life from a place in which we were spiritually dead (to see link click Av – Salvation from Sin); raises us up, gives us power, and enables us to do good works for Him. In this way, Paul distills the relationship between our faith and Messiah, God’s grace to us, and the actions that should then flow out of our salvation.

But God, who is rich in mercy (not getting what we deserve), because of His great love that he had for us . . . (2:4) . There is no better soundbite of the Gospel than the first two words of verse 4. But God summarizes exactly what He has done in salvation as well as the great debt that we, as believers, owe Him. And the word “But” highlights the contrast between our plight and God’s provision. There was nothing that warranted this divine favor and blessing. While we don’t deserve it, we can’t deny that ADONAI extends His mercy, evidenced in the new life given and prompted by His great love.

. . . made us alive with Messiah even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace (getting what we don’t deserve) you have been saved (2:5 NIV). Having waited until verse 5 to write the main verb of the entire passage (see Aw – Our New Position in Messiah), Paul exploded with words of praise: God has made us alive in Messiah! This takes us to the book of Romans. Don’t you know that those of us who have been immersed into the Messiah Yeshua (by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh) have been immersed into His death? Through immersion into his death we were buried with Him; so that just as, through the glory of the Father, the Messiah was raised from the dead, likewise we too might live a new life (Romans 6:3-4). This newness of life is a new life given through our identification with Messiah in His resurrection. Our identification with Messiah in His death broke the power of our old sin nature (see the commentary on Romans Bm – The Consequences of Adam). And our identification with Him in His resurrection resulted in the impartation of eternal life (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). This is what Paul meant when he said: But God made us alive in Messiah.

As Paul explained: But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Deliverer was revealed, he delivered us. It was not on the ground of any righteous deeds we had done, but on the ground of his own mercy. He did it by means of the mikveh of rebirth and the renewal brought about by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, whom he poured out on us generously through Messiah, our Deliverer. He did it so that by his grace we might come to be considered righteous by God and become heirs, with the certain hope of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7).

As Yeshua explained to Nicodemus (see The Life of Christ Bv – Jesus Teaches Nicodemus), the kingdom of salvation cannot be earned through human effort or self-righteousness. Only those who are born from above can be saved. Even someone as highly respected and externally religious as Nicodemus – one of the most well-known Bible scholars in Isra’el – could not contribute anything to his salvation. From God’s perspective, the sinner’s best efforts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 84:6).

All the sinner can do is cry out to God for mercy, like the tax collector of Luke 18:13-14. He cannot save himself, so he must rest completely in the grace and compassion of the Savior. The promise of Scripture is that all who come to Messiah in genuine faith – turning from sin and turning to Him – will be saved (Romans 10:9-10). As the Lord Himself promised: Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will certainly not turn away (John 6:37).

The Spirit’s work of regeneration gives a sinner a new heart (Eze 36:26-27), one in which he is capable of genuine love for God and heartfelt obedience to Messiah (Jn 14:15). The fruit of that transformation will be evidenced in a changed life, manifest in fruits of repentance (Mt 3:8) and the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Thus, Of His own will He brought us forth by the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures (James 1:17-18). At the moment of salvation, God used His Word to convict our hearts and made us alive, such that we are now new creatures in Messiah (see Second Corinthians Bd – A New Creation).

The life that YHVH gives to us through Messiah provides us with purpose. As a “before and after” testimony to the power of the truth, our renewed life becomes the means by which the Lord’s redemptive mission is accomplished in this world. If Messiah’s only purpose in our salvation was to get us into heaven, it stands to reason that He would take us to be with Him at the moment of salvation. But He didn’t, leaving us here to witness to His mercy and love.

In an imperfect world, we tend to think our rewards are somehow connected to our performance. Those who don’t try or don’t work hard shouldn’t get the same benefits as those who try and work hard. But when we apply this thinking to a perfect God with absolute standards, our meager efforts don’t make the grade. Without God’s mercy and grace, we’re all stuck in imperfect. We’re stuck without hope. We’re just plain stuck. But God’s mercy comes and gets us unstuck. His mercy saves us through Yeshua Messiah. And since we continue to live in an imperfect world where we continue to experience falling short, God’s mercy continues to get us unstuck.

Dear Heavenly Father, You are so wonderful! Words cannot express the love and deep appreciation we have for You! You are so wise to use being united together with Messiah as the means to be able to raise me from death to life! Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Messiah as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Eph 1:9-10). Your purpose was always the same, from before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4), Your plan was to unite “in Messiah” those who love You. United ”in Messiah” also provided the way for You to raise in victory all of Your family along with Messiah.

As Messiah rose victoriously from the dead, so also those united in Him will also rise victoriously from death to life! Or do you not know that all of us who were immersed into Messiah Yeshua were immersed into His death? Therefore we were buried together with Him through immersion into death – in order that just as Messiah was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become joined together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also will be joined together in His resurrection (Romans 6:3-5). It is a great joy and privilege to worship You, our Awesome and Mighty heavenly Father! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection Amen

Our New Position in Messiah
2: 4-10

Ephesians 2:1-3 presents a hopeless picture of an unregenerate person who deserves nothing by God’s wrath (to see link click Av – Salvation from Sin). The wrath of Ha’Shem, however, is not the entire story. Its dark background contrasts with the glorious display of God’s grace toward those alienated from Him because of their sin. This next section describes our new position in Messiah, and the grace of ADONAI which works on some unbelievers and gives them eternal life (see Ax – Alive in Messiah), raises them up (see Ay – Raised in Messiah), and seats them in heaven with Yeshua Messiah (see Az – Seated in Messiah).

Salvation from Sin
2: 1-3

Salvation from sin DIG: What does it mean to be “dead because of your sins?” How is the flesh different from the body? Why does this distinction matter? How does our experience support the way Paul described life without Yeshua to understand where they stand without Him? Why is it important for believers to remember what life is like without Yeshua?

REFLECT: Spiritually, how alive do you feel? Trying to find a pulse? In intensive care? Out-patient care? Feeling extremely healthy? Being able to run a spiritual marathon? Are you more alive than the unbelievers you know? How does God make dead people alive? How does Paul’s description of life without Messiah serve as motivation to share Yeshua with others?

Our past position in the world.

Salvation is from sin, which characterizes life before coming to a personal relationship with Yeshua Messiah. In these three short verses, there is perhaps no clearer statement in Scripture on the sinfulness of mankind apart from the Savior.⁹²

You used to be dead because of your sins and acts of disobedience (2:1). Of course, this means spiritually dead; that is, he is unable to understand and appreciate spiritual things. He possesses no spiritual life, and he can do nothing of himself to please God. Just as a person physically dead does not respond to physical stimuli, so a person spiritually dead is unable to respond to spiritual things. A corpse does not hear the conversation going on in the funeral parlor. He has no appetite for food or drink; he feels no pain; he is dead. Just so with the inner man of the unsaved person. His spiritual faculties are not functioning, and they cannot function until God gives them life. The cause of this spiritual death is sins and acts of disobedience. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). In the Bible, death means separation, not only physically, as the spirit is separated from the body (James 2:26), but also spiritually, as the spirit is separated from God (Isaiah 59:2).

The unbeliever is not sick; he is dead! He does not need resuscitation; he needs resurrection. All lost sinners are dead, and the only difference between one sinner and another is the state of their decay. The lost derelict living on the street may be more decayed outwardly than the unsaved bank president, but both are dead in their sin – and one corpse cannot be more dead than another! This means that our world is one big graveyard, filled with the walking dead (First Timothy 5:6).⁹³

The lifestyle of a spiritually dead person follows the pattern of the surrounding culture, described as the ways of the world. Paul did not mean physical creation, but rather the human value system and structures that are opposed to ADONAI. This fallen world is in direct contrast with the Kingdom of God. Therefore, Paul instructs us: Do not love the world or the things of the world. If someone loves the world, then love for the Father is not in him; because the things of the world – the desires of the old sin nature (see the commentary on Romans, to see link click Bm – The Consequences of Adam), the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life – are not from the Father but from the world (First John 2:15-16).

Not only are spiritually dead people living in conformity to the world, but they also unwittingly obey the universe’s most wicked creature, Satan. He is depicted as the Ruler of the Powers of the Air. The Evil One is a spiritual creature, invisible to the physical eyes but not to the eyes of faith in the inspired revelation of God, the Bible. who is still at work among the disobedient (2:2). Encouraged by the devil himself, the prevailing tendency of a lost person is disobedience. The essence of sin is willfulness, a stubborn resistance to the authority of Messiah and to the recognition of His glorious nature. This attitude or spirit is at work in the hearts of the lost, prompting their behavior and maintaining their bondage.⁹⁴

In addition to their own love of sin, unbelievers reject the Good News because Satan has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe, and the veil remains (see the commentary on Second Corinthians Aw – Veiling and Unveiling) as long as they do not turn to ADONAI (Second Corinthians 4:4a). The Serpent of Old controls the ideologies, opinions, hopes, aims, goals and viewpoints currently in the world (Second Corinthians 10:3-5). He is behind the world’s faulty systems of philosophy, psychology, education, sociology, ethics, and economics. But perhaps his greatest influence is in the realm of false religion. Of course, the Adversary is not a god, but a created being (with a choice). He is called a god because his deluded followers serve him as if he were one. The Evil One is the archetype of all the false gods in all the false religions he has spawned (see the commentary on Revelation Dd – I Saw a Woman Holding a Golden Cup).

It is that massive and pervasive influence over society by which the Deceiver deludes the unregenerate so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Messiah, who is the exact likeness of God (Second Corinthians 4:4b NLT). Except in rare cases, the Ruler of this world and his demons do not directly indwell individuals. They don’t need to. The Old Serpent has created a system that panders to the depravity of unbelievers and drives them deeper into darkness. In addition to being dead in their sins and acts of disobedience (Ephesians 2:1); veiled from the truth (Second Corinthians 3:15); loved the darkness rather than the light (John 3:19-20); unbelievers follow the ways of this world and of the Prince of the Power of the Air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient . . . [living] in the lusts of the flesh, gratifying the cravings of [their] sinful nature and are by nature objects of wrath (Ephesians 2:2-3). They are of [their] father the devil, and [they] want to do the desires of [their] father (John 8:44). All the evil of the human heart – crime, hatred, bitterness, anger, injustice, immorality, and conflict between nations and individuals – is pandered to by the agenda of the Lawless One. The world system he has created inflames the evil desires of people, causing them to be willfully blind and to love their darkness.

Indeed, we Jews too, just like you Gentiles, once lived this way (2:3a). Thus, Paul introduces the topic of how Jews and Gentiles have been joined together into a single people through Messiah. This discussion dominates Chapters 2 and 3, having already hinted at the mystery (1:9) of God’s plan of redemption through the coming of Messiah, and the mention of “we” Jews and “you” Gentiles in 1:11-14. Earlier, in his letter to the Romans, which occupies that same topic, Paul in turn singled out for special attention both Jews (see the commentary on Romans Au – The Religious Jew’s Lack of Obedience), and the Gentiles (see Romans Cy – The Jealousy of the Gentile Believers).⁹⁵

This spiritual deadness described by Sha’ul of Tarsus does not result in lack of activity, as would be true of a physical corpse. Rather, those who are spiritually dead are very active, although in a sinful and destructive manner. Their lives are marked by the passions of their old nature and obey the wishes of their old nature and their own thoughts (2:3b). Sha’ul of Tarsus points out that we have all missed the mark, coming short of earning God’s praise. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Every unconverted sinner is headed for God’s wrath, just like everyone else (2:3c). We shouldn’t see His wrath as something like human anger, which can be petty and unpredictable. Instead, the wrath of God is His constant and unyielding opposition to sin. Surely, this shocking description of the human condition should prompt believers in Messiah toward a vigorous communication of the Gospel and the way of salvation. The very notion of divine wrath should tender our hearts toward the lost and fuel a desire for their salvation. The stronghold of sin is entrenched in the lives of the lost, reinforced by culture and the Enemy, but the power of the Gospel is greater. On a daily basis, let us all be quick to recognize an opportunity for a Gospel conversation and be courageous enough to seize it.⁹⁶

Dear Father, Praise You for your being both totally holy and completely loving. Your holiness cannot cancel out Your love, nor can your love cancel Your holiness. It is such a comfort to know that Your love invites all to come to Your eternal rest in heaven. Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and “you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

Your holiness extends to Your holy home in heaven and requires that any who enter there must also be holy. And nothing unholy shall ever enter it, nor anyone doing what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Book of Life (Revelation 21:27). The only way possible for anyone to be holy, is to have the righteousness of Messiah. He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21, also see Isaiah 53: 4-6, 10). Thank You that You give your holiness (Romans 5:17) to those who hear Your word of truth and believe in You (Ephesians 1:12).

What a joy it is to know that You planned from before the foundation of the world (Messiah 1:4) for those who love/trust in Messiah to be redeemed/ brought into a relationship of love with You by Messiah’s blood. In Him we have redemption through His blood – the removal of trespasses – in keeping with the richness of His grace (Ephesians 1:7). Knowing about Your love is wonderful, but before You can give salvation, the heart must believe/trust in You. After you heard the message of truth – the Good News of your salvation – and when you put your trust in Him, you were sealed with the promised Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Ephesians 1:13).

The flip side of eternal life is eternal death. How it must grieve your loving heart to have to send anyone into an eternity of fiery hell; but You did all You could by giving what cost You the most to open the path for them to come to heaven, and they refused to bend the knee in worship of You. These shall go off to everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life (Matthew 25:46, Daniel 12:1-2, Isaiah 66:24, Revelation 14:10-14, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Mark 9:48, Luke 16:19-31).

The Amazing Grace of God
2: 1-10

In Ephesians 2:1-10 Paul clarifies what it means to receive salvation and to be a part of the Body of Messiah. Here, the apostle moves from eternity past into time. He describes the act and process of salvation, the miracle that draws men into the eternal plan portrayed in Chapter One. In context, this section builds on the thought on 1:19, where Paul introduces the great power of Messiah toward us who believe and then digresses to discuss the power in Messiah’s life. He returns now to the power of our salvation. In the first ten verses, Paul presents the past, present, and future of the believer: what he was (to see link click Av – Salvation from Sin); what he is now (see Ax – Alive in Messiah) and (see Ay – Raised in Messiah); and what he will be (see Az – Seated in Messiah). Therefore, in these verses, Sha’ul tells us how sinners who deserve nothing but God’s wrath can become trophies of His grace:

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I was lost, but now I’m found,
Was blind, but now I see.

The Reason for Godly Wisdom
1: 18b-23

The reason for Godly wisdom DIG: What are the three facts that Rabbi Sha’ul wanted the Ephesians to know? How did God demonstrate His power to us? In what ways are you using the power that God has given you to advance His purposes? Why do we need God’s power? Since God is over all authorities and powers in this world, why do you think evil still exists?

REFLECT: Which is a greater temptation for you: to live as if you are powerless and no power is available, or to live as if you have plenty of power without relying on God? Why should having faith in Messiah make a difference in your life? The same power that raised Yeshua from the dead works through your faith. How should you be using this power?

What a glorious inheritance God has given to His children.

Having prayed that the Ephesians might know God personally (to see link click As – The Request for Godly Wisdom), Rabbi Sha’ul now gave the reason: so that you will know three facts, which are spelled out in 1:18b-23. The Greek word know is epignosis, meaning knowledge that is true, accurate, thorough and full. It was the knowledge of God Himself. Paul was praying in effect, “God, give them a keen, deep, rich, strong understanding of their inheritance in Messiah.” The apostle prayed that the Ruach Ha’Kodesh would give their spirits the right spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they would have a fuller, deeper knowledge of Him. This knowledge goes beyond intellectual knowledge or worldly wisdom (see the commentary on First Corinthians An – The Foolishness of Worldly Wisdom). It is far richer, and Paul desired that the Ephesian believers, like those in Colossae, would keep seeking the things above, where Messiah is sitting at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1).

The first fact to be established pertained to the past (1:18b): So that you will know the hope to which He has called you. A believer’s present hope has its source in the past when he was called to salvation (Romans 1:6 and 8:30; Ephesians 4:1 and 4; Second Timothy 1:9). The word hope in Scripture is the absolute certainty of a believer’s victory in ADONAI (Romans 8:23-24; Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 1:5; First Thessalonians 1:3 and First Peter 3:15).

The second fact Paul wanted his readers to know refers to the future (1:18c): The riches of His glorious inheritance He has promised His people. At the time of the resurrection of believers (see the commentary on Revelation Ff – Blessed and Holy are Those Who Have Part in the First Resurrection), Ha’Shem will inherit those whom He has purchased at a great price according to the riches of His grace (1:7). In 1:14 Paul wrote that the believers’ inheritance is their final redemption from the presence of sin. Here in 1:18 he wrote about God’s inheritance, the believers themselves! Because of the glorious grace (1:5) of the glorious Father (1:17), He will receive His glorious inheritance (1:18).⁸⁶

The moment you were spiritually born into God’s family, you were given some astounding birthday gifts: the family name, the family likeness, family privileges, family intimate access, and the family inheritance (First Corinthians 2:23). The B’rit Chadashah gives great emphasis to our rich spiritual inheritance (Philippians 4:19). As children of God we get to share in the family fortune. Here on earth we are given the riches . . . of His grace . . . kindness . . . patience . . . wisdom . . . power . . . and mercy (Romans 2:4, 9:23, 11:33; Ephesians 1:7, 3:16 and 24). But in eternity we will have even more.

Paul said: I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance God has given to His people (1:18 NLT). What exactly does that inheritance include? First, we will get to be with ADONAI forever (First Thessalonians 4:17 and 5:10). Second, we will be completely changed to be like Messiah (First John 3:2 and Second Corinthians 4:17). Third, we will be free from all pain, death, and suffering (Revelation 21:4). Fourth, we will be rewarded and reassigned to positions of service (Mark 9:41 and 10:30; First Corinthians 3:18; Hebrews 10:35; and Matthew 25:21 and 23). Fifth, we will get to share in Messiah’s glory (Romans 8:17; Colossians 3:4; Second Thessalonians 2:14; Second Timothy 2:12; First Peter 5:1). What an inheritance!⁸⁷

The third fact Rabbi Sha’ul wanted believers to know concerns the present (1:19-23): How surpassingly great is His power working in us who have faith (1:19a). The word power (Greek: dynamis) means a spiritually dynamic and living force. This is the power of God directed toward believers. Paul then mentions three manifestations of God’s power seen in Messiah.

First, the energetic power according with the working (Greek: energeken, where we get our word energy) of the strength (Greek: ischyos, which He provides of His might (Greek: kratous, meaning the power that overcomes resistance, as in Messiah’s miracles and is only used of God, never of believers) in Messiah when God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heaven (Ephesians 1:19b-20 and Psalm 110:1). All these words have the general meaning of power, and taken together they underscore God’s great power available to believers.⁸⁸

These verses also introduce the theme of spiritual warfare, which returns in 2:2, 3:9-10, and 4:26-27, culminating in 6:10-18 (see Ca – The Spiritual Battle). Messiah is above every ruler, authority, power, dominion or any other name that can be named either in the present age or in the world to come (1:21). It should be noted that the matter of the cosmic war between Ha’Shem and His angels, and the Adversary and his demons is a matter of great importance in the Bible. Redemption is a demonstration of God’s power before the angels (3:10). Our conflict is with these fallen angels, who endeavor to halt our efforts for God (Ephesians 6:12; First Peter 3:18-22, which shows Messiah’s triumph over those fallen angels, accomplished by His death). Satan and his demons have tried to thwart the plan of God from the beginning (see the commentary on Genesis Ba – The Woman Saw the Fruit of the Tree and Ate It), and are the constant enemy of the work of the Kingdom, but they are destined to be overthrown and eternally banished (see the commentary on Revelation Fl – When The Thousand Years Are Over).⁸⁹

The second manifestation of God’s power in Messiah is seen in His placing all things under his feet (see the commentary on Hebrews Am – The Proof of Messiah’s Sovereignty). (1:22a). Whereas Adam lost his headship over creation when he sinned, Messiah was made Head over all creation (see Ap – Redeemed in Messiah). This will be fully realized in the future (see the commentary on First Corinthians Dt – Messiah: The Firstfruits of Those Who Have Fallen Asleep).

The third manifestation of God’s power in Messiah is His making the Kosher King Head over everything for the Church, which is His Body, the full expression of Him who fills all creation (1:22b-23). Though the final manifestation of Messiah’s headship over all creation will be in the future, He is now Head over the fellowship of believers. He is also called the Head of the Church in Ephesians 4:15, 5:23 and Colossians 1:18. Though the Church is implied in Ephesians 1:10, it is specifically mentioned for the first time here in 1:22b. His Body is the unseen, universal Church consisting of all true believers.⁹⁰

That ends Paul’s speech. The power of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, through the resurrected and ascended Messiah is available to all believers – by faith. His power is in us who believe (1:19). It is grace that supplies our inheritance, but it is faith that lays hold of it. We are saved by grace through faith (2:8-9), and we live by grace through faith (First Corinthians 15:10). In the four Gospels, we see God’s power at work in the ministry of Yeshua Messiah, but in the book of Acts, we see that same power at work in ordinary men and women, members of the Body of Messiah. What a transformation took place in Peter’s life between the end of the Gospels and the beginning of Acts. What made the difference? The resurrection power of Yeshua Messiah (Acts 1:8). The greatest power shortage today is not in our generators, or our gas tanks. It is in our personal lives. Will Paul’s prayer be answered in your life? Will you, starting today, begin to know by experience God and His calling, and inheritance, and power?⁹¹

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for the rich and glorious inheritance that You have given to me (Ephesians 1:18). How awesome that I will be able to live with You eternally! Our relationship is a close family relationship (John 1:12). When neighbors pass by, people say hello and may chat for a bit; but when father comes, they run up to and give a big greeting of love and warmth. I also heard a loud voice from the throne, saying: Behold, the dwelling of God is among men, and He shall tabernacle among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them and be their God. He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:1-4).

What a comfort to have You there with me in all Your holiness and purity. I never have to worry about any sin or deceit or anything wrong ever entering my life ever again for heaven is totally Your holy home! What a fantastic thought to never worry about sin ever again! And nothing unholy shall ever enter it, nor anyone doing what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Book of Life (Revelation 21:27).

I long to please You in my earthly life now, that I may bless You by throwing any crowns I may receive at your feet in worship of You, as the elders do. The twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. And they throw their crowns down before the throne, chanting, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power” (Revelation 21:10-11a). I love You, for You are so Worthy! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Request for Godly Wisdom
1: 15-18b

The request for Godly wisdom DIG: How does Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian believers compare to most prayers today? How might prayer habits change if the main focus were on spiritual growth? Is there a difference between Yeshua as Savior and Lord? Why? Why not? Paul prayed for the Ephesians to know ADONAI better? How well do you know Him?

REFLECT: What practical steps could believers take in their daily routines that would help them increase their focus on others for the purpose of praying for them? What part of your life are you not allowing Yeshua to be Lord over? What is hope? How is it related to your calling? What does it look like for you to live with hope rather than hopelessness?

Paul’s request went beyond intellectual knowledge or worldly wisdom.

Paul addressed ADONAI in 1:3-14, now he turned his attention to the recipients of his letter. Two things characterized those believers in Ephesus: (1) their trust in the Lord Yeshua, and (2) their love for all believers. But in addition, Paul prayed for their wisdom. In Galatians, Paul described the life of a believer as faith working through love (5:6). Yeshua had also taught the same truth – that love was evidence of true faith (John 13:35). We shouldn’t read into Paul’s words any insinuation that the Ephesian believers had mastered these two crucial virtues. Though they loved one another, Paul would encourage them to continue working on their unity and to bear with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2-3).

The apostle’s prayer for the Ephesian church was characterized by two important qualities: persistence and gratitude. The consistent practice of prayer will never result solely from a sense of obligation, but only out of a deep sense of thankfulness for all that God has done. The same is true of a regular ministry of intercessory prayer. While we are commanded to pray for one another (Ephesians 6:18), obedience to this mandate will not flow out of a begrudging spirit. It isn’t so much that we have to pray for others, but rather that we get to do so. To pray for others is to remember them. To remember someone in prayer involves specific prayer. Paul’s prayer was both persistent and specific. As we keep others in mind, rather than just thinking about ourselves, we will be more faithful in intercessory prayer.⁸¹

Praise for their trust: Ever since I heard about your trust in the Lord Yeshua . . . (1:15a). Paul pauses at this point of the letter to reflect on some of the amazing blessings from God. This would naturally include the obvious point of the opening paragraph, such as the plan of the Father (to see link click Ao – Chosen in Messiah), the provision of Messiah (see Ap – Redeemed in Messiah), and the power of the Spirit (see Aq – Sealed with the Ruach). But the apostle was especially thankful that this group of Jews and Gentiles actually trusted in this Great Plan and appropriated its riches! The message is the Good News of God, yet that Good News only becomes effective as a person puts their faith to work in the Redeemer.⁸²

The emphasis here is on true saving faith, with the lordship of Yeshua as the object of that belief. This cannot be overstated. Some today would like to accept the term Lord only as a reference to deity, not sovereignty. But such a separation is artificial, because deity implies sovereignty. The One who alone is God rules alone. The B’rit Chadashah doesn’t separate Yeshua as Savior and Yeshua as sovereign Lord. He is both, or He is neither. Rabbi Sha’ul declares: If you confess with your mouth Yeshua as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved (Romans 10:9; Acts 16:31). Yeshua becomes Savior when He is accepted as Lord. To this end, Paul explains later in Romans, Messiah died and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living (Romans 14:9). Believers say, in fact, only believers can say: Yeshua is Lord, because they possess the Ruach Ha’Kodeah (First Corinthians 12:3), who was given to them when they were saved (Romans 8:9). To receive Yeshua as Savior, but not as Lord would divide His nature in two. When we receive Him, we receive Him wholly as He is.

Praise for their love: . . . and your love for all God’s people (1:15b). This kind of love is indiscriminate; it doesn’t pick and choose which believers it will love. Messiah loves all believers; and they are precious to Him. By definition, then, our love should extend to all believers. Paul calls on believers to maintain a common love (Philippians 2:2b), which is to love all believers the same. True salvation produces true love, and true love does not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth (First John 3:18). When the Lord had washed the feet of the proud, self-seeking apostles, He told them that what He had done for them was an example of how they were to love each other (John 13:34). John emphasizes the same truth: The way that we have come to know love is through his having laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers! If someone has worldly possessions and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how can he be loving God? Children, let us love not with words and talk, but with actions and in reality (First John 3:16-18)! That was the sort of love the Ephesians initially had for all God’s people. Sadly, however, their love did not last. In His letter to the seven churches of Asia Minor the Lord said to the church at Ephesus: I have this against you, you have left your first love (Rev 2:2-4). They had lost the great love for Messiah and their fellow believers for which only a few decades earlier Paul had so warmly praised them.⁸³

In my prayers I have not stopped giving thanks for you, petitioning the God of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the glorious Father (1:16-17a). Sha’ul distinguishes God the Father from Yeshua without contradicting his view that in the Lord, bodily, lives the fullness of all that God is (Colossians 2:9). Aside from that, two features of the apostle’s prayer life can be seen in this verse. First, we see steadfastness. Paul urged others to pray constantly (First Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18; Romans 12:12; Colossians 4:2). And from all his letters we can form a clear impression of his earnest, unwavering prayer for all the churches. Secondly, we see the place of giving thanks in his prayer. He taught others that praise should always accompany intercession (Ephesians 5:19-20; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 3:15-17; First Thessalonians 5:18), and this we also see from the prayers in his letters.⁸⁴

Praise for a spirit of wisdom: I keep asking God to give you a spirit (Greek: pneuma) of wisdom and revelation (1:17b). The spirit of wisdom is given through the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. But this spirit does not refer to the Spirit of God Himself, as some interpreters suggest, meaning that it has no Greek definite article before it. In such cases it is usually translated as a spirit. Believers already possess the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (see the commentary on Romans Ch – The Indwelling of the Ruach), for whom their bodies are temples (First Corinthians 6;19). How could YHVH give us something we already have? Nor does it seem that Paul was speaking of the human spirit, which every person already possesses: For who knows the inner workings of a person except the person’s own spirit inside of him (First Corinthians 2:11a)?

The basic meaning of the word pneuma (from which we get such English words as pneumatic and pneumonia) is breath or air. But like our English word spirit, pneuma sometimes is used of a disposition, influence, or attitude, as in “He’s in high spirits today.” Yeshua used the word in that same sense in the first beatitude: Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). He was not referring to the Ruach Ha’Kodesh or to the human spirit, but to the spirit, or attitude, of humility. What Paul was praying for is that God might so work in the lives of the Ephesian believers that they would have the spiritual wisdom and revelation (used as a synonym for wisdom here) from Him that is a result of the Holy Spirit’s work of energizing their human spirit. That they would be characterized by a spiritual outlook.

This spiritual wisdom and revelation was given so that the Ephesians would have a fuller, deeper knowledge of Him (1:17c). The Greek word knowledge is epignosis, meaning knowledge that is true, accurate, thorough and full. It was the knowledge of God Himself. Paul was praying in effect, “God, give them a keen, deep, rich, strong understanding of their inheritance in Messiah.” The apostle prayed that the Ruach Ha’Kodesh would give their spirits the right spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they would have a fuller, deeper knowledge of Him. This knowledge goes beyond intellectual knowledge or worldly wisdom (see the commentary on First Corinthians An – The Foolishness of Worldly Wisdom). It is far richer, and Paul desired that the Ephesian believers, like those in Colossae, would keep seeking the things above, where Messiah is sitting at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1).

I pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened (1:18a). This is not a new sentence in the Greek, it is a continuation of the previous verse. These words are a perfect participle in the Greek text, referring to a past complete act having present results. It was the Rabbi’s way of saying that while most things are observed with the physical eyes, there is another realm of the Ruach much deeper and not naturally observable. In most modern cultures, the heart is thought of as the seat of emotions and feelings. But most ancients – Jews, Greeks, and many others – considered the heart to be the center of knowledge, understanding, thinking, and wisdom. So, Paul prayed for ADONAI to enlighten the Ephesian believers about the wonderful truths of election, predestination, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, wisdom, insight, inheritance, and the sealing of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh as a downpayment on their eternal home with YHVH, about which he had just been teaching them (see An – The Basis of Spiritual Blessing in Messiah).⁸⁵

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your gracious loving heart that has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah (Ephesians 1:3). We so thank You that the blessings are not given out by the first come get the most, nor by who is prettiest, nor who sings best; rather all Your blessings are offered “in Messiah.” As in Your beautiful allegory of the vine and the branches, You want me to be constantly connected to You, drawing from You so I can grow strong in Your wisdom and being conformed to Your likeness. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing (John 15:5). As a baby is born and then grows to act and think like his father, so you desire your children to abide in you, “in Messiah” and so grow to bear fruit by acting like you.

To act and think like You means that we also need to have a passionate heart to share Your great love so that all may hear of how wonderful You are and come to accept You as their Savior. As Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers to keep others in mind, rather than just thinking about themselves, so we will rejoice in faithfully interceding for family and friends who do not yet know You. May You open the eyes of the hearts of those I am thinking of right now, neighbors, family, and friends that they may move beyond knowing “about you,” into a connected relationship like the vine and its branches. They think they can live for themselves and you will still take them and everyone else into heaven. How wrong and selfish is their selfish thought of all going to heaven. You desire all to enter heaven but you are a Holy God and only those who come with a repentant heart that has turned away from sin to follow You in love, are welcomed into heaven. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some consider slowness. Rather, He is being patient toward you – not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance (Second Peter 3:9).

Messiah Yeshua graciously offers for all to come to Him for eternal rest.  Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). What a wonderful offer! Yoked together with Messiah means spending time with You, giving You control of all we do, say and think. What a joy to trust our all to You for You always guide Your children in what is the very best. May these family, friends and neighbors that I have brought before you, find the greatest of joys by trusting you as their Lord and Savior and placing their lives in your loving hands. In Messiah Yeshua’s Holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Rabbi’s Prayer for Godly Wisdom
1: 15-23

Insight comes from understanding the relationship between cause and effect. Scientists propose theories based on cycles and predictable observed patterns. Sir Isaac Newton posed the theory of gravity based on an apple falling straight down to the ground. The effect revealed the cause. In our lives as believers, we see the realities of cause and effect. Rabbi Sha’ul prayed that the Ephesian believers would realize the effect salvation through faith in Messiah had in their daily lives. It is generally understood by Bible commentators that Paul wrote Ephesians to both the church in that city as well as to other churches within the vicinity and influence. Therefore, when he referenced a report he heard about their faith (1:15), this applied to both those believers with whom he was familiar (Acts 20:17-18), but also to others whom he did not know personally. So, with a pastoral concern for some of his audience with whom he was not familiar, it was entirely appropriate for Sha’ul to pray that they would be enlightened in their faith.

In writing this letter, Paul followed a fairly standard approach to letter writing in the Greek-speaking world. The writer would begin with some type of thanksgiving and then follow with a prayer. However, the content of Paul’s thanksgiving was not typical, but as he counted the great blessings of ADONAI (to see link click An – The Basis of Spiritual Blessing in Messiah), a single sentence made up 203 Greek words. Following his anthem of praise to the Lord for His spiritual blessings, the rabbi shared his prayer for those to whom he wrote. This was a logical spiritual progression. The apostle prayed for his hearers that God might grant them the realization of Messiah’s great work on their behalf. Paul never got over the amazing grace of YHVH that was revealed to him. He was amazed at God’s greatness as well as the riches of His goodness.⁸⁰

Sealed with the Ruach
1: 13b-14

Sealed with the Ruach DIG: What activities and descriptive words relate to the Father, Yeshua, and the Ruach Ha’Kodesh? How does the sealing of the Spirit of God give you confidence to fulfill God’s purposes in your life? What four ways does ADONAI mark us?

REFLECT: In what way is the Ruach Ha’Kodesh’s mark of ownership on you? How does it affect you to know that you are valued and chosen by God? How does the Gospel of grace build assurance into your life? Why does a works-based religion always lead to uncertainty?

The seal of the Ruach is a down payment on our future inheritance of eternal glory.

People have always wanted assurances. Because the promises of the world are so often unreliable, we demand oaths, sworn affidavits, surety bonds, guarantees, warranties, and many other such means of trying to assure that what is promised is received. As believers, God’s simple Word should be sufficient for us, but in His graciousness, He makes His promises even more certain – if that were possible – by giving us His own guarantees. Here, the Lord guarantees His promises with His seal and with His pledge. This is reminiscent of Hebrews 6:13-18, in which ADONAI gives His promise to all who hope in Messiah and then confirms it with an oath to take hold so that we may be greatly encouraged (Hebrews 6:18b).

Because we do not directly and immediately receive the fullness of all God’s promises when we first believe, since it is reserved in heaven for us (First Peter 1:3-4), some may be tempted to doubt their salvation and wonder about the ultimate blessings that are supposed to accompany it. While we are still in this life our redemption is not complete, because we still await the redemption of our body (Romans 8:23). Because we have not yet received the full possession of our inheritance, some question its reality, or at least its greatness. As one means of guaranteeing the promises of ADONAI to those who have received Yeshua Messiah as their personal Lord and Savior, the Ephesians were sealed in Messiah with the promised Ruach Ha’Kodesh (1:13b).⁷⁵

The word sealed originally referred to a seal placed on a document (see above), typically a signet ring or stamp into a soft material like wax or clay, as a way to prove authenticity. It was a mark of ownership as well. Believers are marked by the Spirit of God. His presence is both an inward and outward sign of the true profession of faith. Yeshua promised His apostles that He would not leave them alone but would send another comforting Counselor like Himself, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever (see The Life of Christ, to see link click Kr – The Holy Spirit Will Teach You All Things). The gift of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh came to the Ephesians when they heard the Gospel, the Word of Truth, and when they responded in faith. The grammar in this verse indicates that the hearing and believing preceded the sealing. Another function of a seal was to ensure that the item sealed, such as a letter, was delivered and unopened. Believers are sealed in the sense that no power of evil will thwart their ultimate arrival into eternal glory with God in heaven.

Who is a down payment (Greek: arrabon, an earnest, or part payment in advance for security) . . . The term down payment demonstrates that though the Spirit is given at the moment of faith (1:14a), His complete work of transformation in us is not completed until later (see the commentary on Second Corinthians Bb – Going Home). We receive the Ruach at salvation (see The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does for Us at the Moment of Faith) and He begins to work in us to make us like Messiah. In other words, the receiving of the Ruach is a down payment guaranteeing that God will finish what He has started (Philippians 1:6).⁷⁶ The seal of God’s Spirit in the life of the believer signifies: security, authenticity, ownership, and authority.

Security: In ancient times the seal of a king, prince, or noble represented security and purity. When Dani’el was thrown into the lion’s den, King Darius, along with his nobles, placed their seals on the stone placed over the entrance to the den so that nothing might be changed in regard to Dani’el (Dani’el 6:17). Any person but the king who broke or disturbed the seal would have forfeited their life. In a similar way, the tomb where Yeshua was buried was sealed. Fearing that Yeshua’s apostles might steal His body and falsely claim His resurrection, the Jewish leaders obtained Pilate’s permission to place a seal on the stone and to guard it with soldiers (see The Life of Christ Ly – The Guard at the Tomb of Jesus). In an infinitely greater way, the Ruach secures each believer (see The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer), marking us with His own Seal.

Authenticity: When King Ahab tried unsuccessfully to get Naboth to sell or trade for his vineyard, Queen Jezebel volunteered to get the vineyard her way. So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal and sent the letters to various nobles who lived in Naboth’s city, demanding that they arrange false accusations of blasphemy and treason against him (First Kings 21:6-16). Despite the deceptions contained in the letters Jezebel sent, the letters themselves were authentically from the king, because they were sent with his approval and marked with his seal. The seal was his signature. When God gives us His Spirit, it is as if He stamps us with a seal that reads, “This person belongs to Me and is an authentic citizen of My divine Kingdom and member of My divine family.”

Ownership: While Jerusalem was under siege by Nebuchadnezzar and Jeremiah was under arrest by King Zedekiah for prophesying against the king and nation, the LORD gave special instructions to His prophet. Jeremiah was told to buy some land in Anathoth for which he had redemption rights. The contract was agreed on, and the stipulated payment was made in the court of the palace guard before the required number of witnesses. In the presence of those witnesses the deed was signed and sealed, establishing Jeremiah as the new legal owner of the property (see the commentary on Jeremiah Fs – Jeremiah Buys a Field). When the Spirit of God seals believers, He marks us as God’s divine possessions, and from that moment on we entirely and eternally belong to Him. The Ruach’s seal declares the transaction of salvation as divinely official and final.

Authority: Even after Haman had been impaled for his wicked plot to defame and execute Mordacai, Queen Esther was distressed about the decree that Haman had tricked King Ahasuerus to make, that permitted anyone in his kingdom to attack and destroy the Jews. Because the king could not revoke the decree himself that was marked with his own seal, he issued and sealed another decree that permitted (and even encouraged) the Jews to arm and defend themselves (see the commentary on Esther Bi – Now Write a Counter-Decree in the King’s Name on Behalf of the Jews). In both cases, the absolute authority of the decrees was represented by the king’s seal. Those who possessed the seal of the king had the king’s delegated authority set forth in the decree. When believers are sealed with the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, we are delegated to proclaim, teach, minister, and defend God’s Word and His Gospel with the Lord’s own authority.⁷⁷

. . . of our inheritance, with the view to the redemption of God’s own possession (1:14b). The gift of the Spirit, then, is the guarantee of our coming immortality. This is Paul’s distinctive contribution to the B’rit Chadashah doctrine of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. Another term which he uses to express the same thought is first fruits in Romans 8:23 the Spirit is the firstfruits of the eagerly awaited transformation, the redemption of our bodies, where the resurrection of the people of God at His Second Coming is meant. The same word for redemption is used there as it is used here, and the same future hope is in view. The word translated possession occurs in the same sense in First Peter 2:9, where believers are called a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God’s possession. Language is there deliberately applied to Gentile believers which in the TaNaKh is used of God’s people Isra’el, notably in Exodus 19:5, were YHVH calls Isra’el My own possession.⁷⁸

For His glorious praise (1:14c). As Paul has already stated twice in 1:6 and 12, ADONAI’s ultimate goal in our redemption is for His glorious praise. We are not saved and blessed for our own glory but for God’s. Isaiah declares: The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I put water in the desert, rivers in the wasteland, for My chosen people to drink, the people I formed for myself, so that they would proclaim my praise (Isaiah 43:20-21). When we glorify ourselves we rob the LORD of that which is exclusively His. He saved us to serve Him and to praise Him. We are saved to be restored to the intended divine purpose of creation – to bear the image of God and bring Him greater glory. This will be fully accomplished at the believer’s glorification, when we receive full glory and redemption and are made the perfect possession of YHVH.⁷⁹

Dear Heavenly Father, You are so Awesome! Praise You for Your glorious sealing of all who love You by Your gift of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh to those who hear and trust in You as their Savior. To think that You don’t just put the name on a list, or jot down a note to check in on the person when You have a moment – No way! Instead You graciously promise to live within each of Your children — always being right there to help and to guide! Wow! Receiving any gift calls for a thank you, but receiving this gift that is so incredibly wonderful calls for an incredibly great praise and thank You! I do not want to just say thanks with words, but I desire to live out my thanks in all we do, say and think. We, as your children, desire to give you glory so that even in our hard times, we lift up our love to you by keeping Your Word. Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). Our trials will be over soon, but thanks to Your sealing by the promised Ruach Ha’Kodesh, Your children can look forward to being with you and praising You for all eternity in heaven. We love You! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Redeemed in Messiah
1: 7-13a

Redeemed in Messiah DIG: How are redemption (ransomed) and forgiveness related? How does the truth that Yeshua is the only way to gain redemption serve as motivation to share the Gospel with others? Who in your life has exemplified God’s grace to you? How did the person do this for you? How have you given grace to someone else? What did you do?

REFLECT: How do the blessings in Messiah relate to praising Him? What does Paul say that God makes known to His people? What does that mean to you? God offers the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Messiah. What difference should that make in your daily life?

Faith is man’s response to God’s elective purpose.
God’s choice of men is election; men’s choice of God is faith.
In election, God gives His promises, and by faith men and women receive them.

In Messiah, through the shedding of his blood (1:7a): One of the Hebrew words corresponding to the Greek word lutrosis, meaning redemption or ransom, is padut, of which another form is pidyon, as in pidyon-haben, redemption of the firstborn son (Luke 22-24). Pidyon has in it the idea of exchange, of substitution. In the Torah the redemption of the firstborn is stated in Exodus 13:13-14. In Numbers 3 22,000 Levites became substitutes for 22,000 of Isra’el’s firstborn males, and the remaining 273, for whom there were no Levites, were ransomed by 1,365 shekels. In First Samuel 14, Jonathan came under sentence of death for transgressing a public oath his father had made in his absence. Yet, although King Sha’ul condemned him to die, the sentence was not carried out, because the people objected. But law is law, and not to be ignored. Therefore, the people ransomed him, and thus legally prevented his being put to death.

We too, like Jonathan, have come under the sentence of death. Jonathan was condemned to death even though he had been unaware of King Sha’ul’s oath and order. We are condemned to death, even though we have not sinned after the manner of the first Adam (see the commentary on Romans, to see link click Bm – The Consequences of Adam). Like Jonathan, we must either die or be ransomed. Jonathan and the Israelite firstborn were ransomed with money. Money equals blood. One of the names of money in Hebrew is damim, plural of dam, blood, because it represents man’s labor and risks. But money cannot redeem anyone from eternal death. Man has nothing with which to ransom himself or others (Psalm 49:7-8); ADONAI Himself must redeem him from the power of the grave (Psalm 49:15). But God has said: I have found a ransom (Job 33:24), and that ransom is the blood of the Messiah.⁶⁶

We are set free (1:7b): The original word evokes the idea of redemption, that is, the purchase of a person for a new relationship. As Rabbi Sha’ul seems to be thinking of the ancient Torah ritual of redemption of the firstborn. After the Egyptian Passover (see the commentary on Exodus Bv – The Egyptian Passover), all first-born sons of Isra’el were the priests of their families (see Exodus Cd – Consecrate to Me Every Firstborn Male). Later, it was the Levites who were given this holy responsibility by God, and all non-Levite families were instructed to redeem their own first-born son with five shekels (Num 18:15-17). As with all biblical customs given by God, redemption of the first-born has a higher spiritual meaning. It is actually all mankind that is in need of spiritual redemption. It is only through the blood of Messiah that people are set free.⁶⁷

Our sins are forgiven (1:7c): Judaism teaches the concept of sin using two Hebrew words. One is chet, meaning to miss the target, a description of the human condition. People need not be criminals to be “sinners,” as the biblical definition means missing the mark and thus falling short of God’s standards. All of the Temple sacrifices, especially the purification offering (see the commentary on Leviticus Al – The Purification Offering: Purified by the Blood), speak of this need for all people, Isra’el and all the Gentile nations included. One of the key purposes of the work of Messiah is the removal of sin from God’s people (Dani’el 9:24-25). The B’rit Chadashah is not proclaiming a new religion, but simply the fulfillment of this Messianic promise (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Dg – The Fulfillment of the Torah).⁶⁸

The enormity and breadth of our forgiveness is seen in Paul’s statement that this accords with the wealth of the grace that He lavished upon us (1:7d-8a). The grace of YHVH, like His love, holiness, power, and all His other attributes – is boundless. It is far beyond our ability to comprehend or describe, yet, we know it is according to the wealth of that infinite grace that He produces forgiveness. This is a small picture of God’s generosity. His forgiveness is not only given according to the wealth of His grace, but it is lavished on us. We should never worry that our sin will surpass ADONAI’s gracious forgiveness. Where sin increased, Paul assures us, grace increased all the more (Romans 5:20). Our heavenly Father does not simply give us skimpy forgiveness that will barely cover our sins if we are careful not to overdo. We cannot sin beyond God’s grace, because as wicked and extensive as our sins might be or become, they will never approach the greatness of His grace. His forgiveness is infinite, and He lavishes it without measure upon those who trust in His Son. We therefore not only can enjoy future glory with God but present fellowship with Him as well.⁶⁹

In all His wisdom and insight (1:8b), he has made known to us the mystery (Greek: musterion) of His will, which by His own will He designed beforehand in Himself (1:9). The benefits and blessings of salvation would be unknown to us if God had not revealed them. He gives us the truth of His Word and grants us the enlightenment to understand it. This was part of His purpose and plan. In the Bible, a mystery means something that was once hidden, but now is revealed. In this case, the plan of redemption through the coming Messiah, previously predicted in the TaNaKh, is now fully realized in the coming of Yeshua.⁷⁰

God’s plan for our salvation was revealed over time, coming to light at just the right time. And will put into effect when the time is ripe. The essence of God’s plan is to unite everything in Messiah, to bring every part of creation under the lordship of Yeshua. His plan to bring everything together (Greek: anakephalaiosasthai) in heaven and on earth under the Messiah’s headship (1:10). Paul used a word for to bring everything together that was somewhat uncommon in the Greek language. It carries three ideas: (1) to restore something to its original purpose, (2) to unify, and (3) to put all things under their proper head and master. Nothing is catching the God of the universe by surprise. The entire plan of God is putting everything in creation under the lordship of Messiah.

The TaNaKh was not far from Rabbi Sha’ul’s mind as he (under the inspiration of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh) wrote Ephesians. He described how those who believe in Messiah were given an inheritance (1:11a). Literally, the verb he used can be translated chosen by lot. This paints the picture of the tribes of Isra’el being assigned their lands by lot (Numbers 26:52-55). In the Hebrew vocabulary, an inheritance was anything that was given and generally means to take possession of. Sha’ul emphasized that salvation came through divine initiative. The Jewish believers in Ephesus could claim a physical inheritance from YHVH, including the Land promised in the Torah (Exodus 6:8 and Deuteronomy 33:4). Messianic Judaism and many Christian denominations today affirm that God will still fulfill the Land promise to the Jewish people. Something unusual started when the Jewish people returned to the Land of their forefathers with the immigration of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. For Messianic Jews, the physical rebirth of the State of Isra’el is not just about man made resolutions, but is a sign that Ha’Shem still intends to fulfill His Word in a literal way.

While the present-day controversy over the Jewish State, it should be noted that these land promises do not exclude the modern Arab cousins. There is plenty of land in the Middle East and certainly a way to accommodate the co-existence of both a Jewish state and an Arab Palestinian state if there is a proper recognition of both states. So, irrespective of the world politics, UN resolutions and anti-Isra’el sentiment, we know that ADONAI will fulfill His promises in His own way and timing. We look forward to the return of King Messiah to establish His peace plan!

As Rabbi Sha’ul speaks of the inheritance, it becomes clear that he is also speaking of an inheritance that is focused on spiritual promises. The promise of physical land is not given to Gentiles, but the greater spiritual reality of redemption and relationship with YHVH is. The mixed membership of the Messianic congregation in Ephesus shared this common experience. The Gentile believer does not replace the Jewish believer, but is invited to share the same spiritual promises found in Yeshua and the Messianic redemption (see the commentary on Jeremiah Eo – The Days are Coming, declares the LORD, When I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el: The Church’s Relationship to the B’rit Chadashah).

We who were picked in advance (see Ao – Chosen in Messiah: The plan of God was determined in advance) according to the purpose of the One who works (Greek: energeo, from which we get such English words as energy, energetic, and energize) everything in keeping with the decision of His will . . . should bring Him praise commensurate with His glory (1:11b and 12b). God’s creating and energizing are one in His divine mind. When He spoke each part of the world into existence, it immediately began to operate exactly as He had planned it to do. Unlike the things we make, God’s creations do not have to be redesigned, prototyped, tested, fueled, charged, and the like. They are not only created ready to function, they are created to function.

Energizing is an indispensable part of His creative plan and work. Because in His wondrous grace ADONAI chose us to be His children, citizens of His Kingdom, and joint heirs with His Son, He will bring all of that to pass. For I am confident of this very thing, Paul declared, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Messiah Yeshua (Phil 1:6). God works out what He plans. He energizes all believers with all the power necessary for their spiritual completion. It is not sufficient to think that YHVH only makes His plan. He also fulfills His plan, and brings it to completion.⁷² So that we who earlier had put our hope in the Messiah (1:12a). In the Greek text, this passage is continuous, that last part of verse 12 leading into the first part of verse 13. Verse 12a emphasizes that the Jewish believer is not joining a new Gentile religion. This is clear in Sha’ul’s mind, because it is the Jewish believers who were the first fruits of the Messianic movement (see the commentary on Acts Al – The Ruach ha’Kodesh Comes at Shavu’ot). People may debate the details of God’s plan, but Paul emphasizes that this is all by the divine purpose and plan of God the Father.⁷³

Therefore, Paul continues, in Him, after you who heard the message of the truth, the Good News offering you deliverance, you trusted (1:13a). As the apostle Paul explains in his letter to the Romans: Faith comes through hearing, and hearing by the word of Messiah (Romans 10:17). Faith comes from a positive response to the message of the Gospel (see the commentary on Galatians Aj – No Other Gospel), the Good News that ADONAI has provided a way of salvation through the atoning work of His Son Yeshua Messiah. To as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name (John 1:12). Man-made systems of religion, which rely on ritual or works or both, not only don’t lead to God but can become great barriers to finding Him. The only way to come is through His Son. For with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says: Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed” (Romans 10:10-11). Faith is man’s response to God’s elective purpose. God’s choice of men is election; men’s choice of God is faith. In election, God gives His promises, and by faith men and women receive them.⁷⁴

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You, for You are Awesome Always! Praise You that in Your great wisdom and love, Your plan from before creation, was a plan to unite Your children in Messiah. In this way they not only are united in His death, but also in His glorious resurrection! Or do you not know that all of us who were immersed into the Messiah were immersed into His death? Therefore we were buried together with Him through immersion into death – in order that just as Messiah was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become joined together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also will be joined together in His resurrection . . . Now if we have died with Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with Him (Rom 6:3-5, 8).

Messiah Yeshua prayed the same idea about the glorious plan of unity when He prayed His High Priestly prayer: I pray not on behalf of these only, but also for those who believe in Me through their message, that they all may be one. Just as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, so also may they be one in Us, so the world may believe that You sent Me.  The glory that You have given to Me I have given to them, that they may be one just as We are one – I in them and You in Me – that they may be perfected in unity (John 17:20-23a). Your purpose has always been a wonderful relationship by uniting Your children with You, in Messiah. Thank You for Your gracious love and plan to unite all in your family in Messiah. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Chosen in Messiah
1: 4-6

Chosen in Messiah DIG: As you read these opening verses of Ephesians, notice each occurrence of the phrase “in Messiah.” What is the significance of being “in Him?” In your own words, describe the blessings in Messiah. How does being adopted by the God of the universe relate to our believing? Who is the “we” mentioned here? What conclusions can you draw from the statement that God chose you before all creation? Who can you tell?

REFLECT: Why did God choose you for His blessings? When were you adopted? What excites you most about your relationship with ADONAI? How do you know that you are chosen? What is special about the fact that God deliberately chose to adopt you into His family? For what reason did God choose to make you a member of His family? How many ways are you “in Messiah?” How does living “in Messiah” affect who you are and how you live?

As an adopted child of God, you have a fresh start, a new beginning, a totally new life.

In Messiah, He chose us in love before the creation of the universe to be holy and without defect in His presence (1:4). The plan of God was determined in advance that through Yeshua the Messiah He would adopt us into His own family – in keeping with His pleasure and purpose (1:5). So that we would bring Him praise in accordance with the glory of the grace He gave us through the Beloved One (1:6).

In Messiah (1:4a): Believers possess every spiritual blessing in heaven (1:3b) because we are in Messiah. This phrase expresses the supreme idea that permeates the entire letter. When we trust Him as our Lord and Savior, we are placed in a marvelous union with Yeshua Messiah, so that what is true of Messiah becomes true of us, minus His deity (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Kt – I AM the True Vine). All that the Lord has, those in Messiah have. The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children of God; and if we are children, then we are also heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Messiah (Romans 8:16-17a). Messiah’s riches are our riches, His resources are our resources, His righteousness is our righteousness, and His power is our power. His position is our possession: what He has, we have. His practice is our practice: what He does, we do. We are those things and have those things and do those things by the grace of God, which never fails to do His will in those who trust Him (First Cor 15:10).⁵⁷

In Messiah is the most frequent phrase used in the book of Ephesians, and the point is clear: If you’re in Messiah, you have everything. For example, believers are blessed in Messiah (1:3); chosen in Messiah (1:4); adopted in Messiah (1:5); redeemed and forgiven in Messiah (1:7); participants in God’s good plan in Messiah (1:11); glorified in Messiah and sealed with the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (1:12-13); made alive in Messiah (2:5-6); created in Messiah (2:10); brought near to God in Messiah (2:13); growing in Messiah (2:21); built in Messiah (2:22); and sharers in God’s promise in Messiah (3:6). Get the picture? Everything in the universe is centered in Messiah, and we are in Him (1:10).⁵⁸

He chose us before the creation of the universe (1:4b): First among God’s spiritual blessings is the fact that followers of Yeshua have been chosen by ADONAI in a special way. The word for chose here is actually the Greek word eklego, meaning to pick or select. Used here in the middle voice, it means to choose someone for oneself. The Bible teaches that God chose us before the creation of the world. This implies that He did not chose others. This agrees with where it is written, “Jacob I loved [chosen], but Esau I hated [not chosen]” (see the commentary on Romans Cq – The Explanation of Isra’el’s Past Paradox). The Bible also teaches that we have the free will to believe in Yeshua Messiah and be saved from our sins. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John3:16). Yet, the Bible is just as clear that no person receives Yeshua Messiah as Savior who has not been chosen by God (Romans 8:29 and 9:11; First Thessalonians 1:3-4; First Peter 1:2). Yeshua gives both truths in one verse: Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will certainly not turn away (John 6:37).⁵⁹ So, is the Bible double-minded? Heaven forbid! Then how can we reconcile these two doctrines?

This is called an antinomy. An antimony in the Bible is two truths, both of which are capable of being demonstrated in Scripture, but cannot be reconciled from a human perspective. In other words, both are true. We don’t have to choose one or the other. For example, the Trinity is an antinomy. God is one (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Bw – Sh’ma Isra’el), yet the Bible consistently teaches that there is a plurality in the Godhead from Genesis to Revelation. It is hard to reconcile this in our finite minds. So, picture a house with its roof slanted on two sides. We are standing on one side looking up at the roof and there is a sign that says: You have the free will to choose or reject Yeshua (Romans 10). That is election viewed from our standpoint. We can’t see the other side of the roof. But YHVH stands on the other side of the house, and as He looks up and His side of the roof says: Chosen before the creation of the world (Romans 9). That is election from God’s standpoint. Both are true, and like the Trinity, we must accept it as such.

Isra’el’s election is a central doctrine of the TaNaKh as well as present Jewish liturgy. From the days of Abraham, ADONAI has confirmed that He had a particular calling upon him and his descendants (see the commentary on Genesis Dt – I Will Bless Those Who Bless You and Whoever Curses You I Will Curse). The blessing read before the chanting of the Torah says, “Who has chosen us from among the peoples.” Sha’ul applies this concept to the Ephesian believers in Yeshua, both Jews and Gentiles. It could be said that for the Messianic Jews of Ephesus they would appreciate the fact that they were in some way “twice chosen!” The first time was the national call to all Isra’el, and the second time was as one called to be a disciple of Yeshua.

Although these believers of Ephesus had responded to God’s call, please note that it is God who initiated the covenant call (see the commentary on Jeremiah Eo – The Days are Coming, declares the LORD when I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el). It is not enough to know the fact of this calling in Messiah. It will only be effective as each person responds in personal faith to receive that call. This election, unlike Isra’el’s national call, actually took place before the creation of the world. Plus, this calling would result in Messianic beliefs being holy and without defect. Of course, believers are not perfect and still struggle with sin in our personal lives. That is why Paul does not call us “sinless” but without defect because of our response to this calling. The Good News of Yeshua is that YHVH looks at us, Jew and Gentile, through the work of His Son. He has us covered!⁶⁰

And as Rick Warren relates in his book The Purpose Driven Life . . . you are no accident. Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, He expected it. Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. He thought of you first. It is not fate, nor chance, nor luck, nor coincidence that you are breathing at this very moment. You are alive because God wanted to create you! Not only that, God planned every single detail of your body. He deliberately chose your race, the color of your skin, your hair, and every other feature. He custom-made your body just the way He wanted it. He also determined the natural talents you would possess and the uniqueness of your personality. The Bible says: For You fashioned my inmost being, You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank You because I am awesomely made, wonderfully; your works are wonders – I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of [my mother’s womb] (Psalm 139:13-15).

Because ADONAI made you for a reason, He also decided when you would be born and how long you would live. He planned the days of your life in advance, choosing the exact time of your birth and death. The Bible declares: Your eyes could see me as an embryo, but in Your book, all the days [of my life] were already written; my days had been shaped before any of them existed (Psalm 139:16).

Most amazing, YHVH decided how you would be born. Regardless of the circumstances of your birth or who your parents are, God had a plan in creating you. It doesn’t matter whether your parents were good, bad, or indifferent. God knows that those two individuals possessed exactly the right genetic makeup to create the custom “you” He had in mind. They had the DNA the LORD wanted to make you.

While there are illegitimate parents, there are no illegitimate children. Many children are unplanned by their parents, but they are not unplanned by God. His purpose took into account human error and every sin. God never does anything by accident, and never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything He creates. Every plant and every animal was planned by God, and every person was designed with a purpose in mind. God’s motive for creating you was in His love. The Bible says: In Messiah He chose us in love before the creation of the universe to be holy and without defect in His presence (1:4).

God was thinking of you even before He made the universe. In fact, that’s why He created it! ADONAI designed this planet’s environment just so we could live in it. We are the focus of His love and the most valuable of all His creation. The Bible proclaims: Having made His decision, He gave birth to us through a Word that can be relied upon, in order that we should be a kind of firstfruits of all that he created (James 1:18). This is how much God loves and values you!⁶¹

The plan of God was determined in advance (1:5a): We may define this as His eternal decision, making certain all things that are in Him come to pass. There are several analogies which, though necessarily insufficient, may help us to understand this concept. The plan of God is like the architect’s plans, drawn first in His mind and then on paper, according to her intention and design, and only afterward executed in an actual structure. Or ADONAI may be thought of as being like an athletic coach who has a carefully conceived game plan which his team seeks to carry out. Or He may be likened to a business executive planning The strategy and tactics for his firm. YHVH is like the student who carefully plans her schedule of work for the term, so that she is able to do a good job on all her required assignments and to complete them on time.⁶²

Some translations use the word predestined (Greek: proorisas, meaning to predetermine or foreordain) here, which has led to all sorts of theological debate in both Jewish and Christian circles. Joesphus, the first century Jewish historian, notes that this was a hotly debated topic within the various sects of Judaism of his day. “As for the Pharisees, they say that certain events are the work of Fate, but not all; as to other events, it depends upon people, themselves, as to whether they take place or not. The sect of the Essenes, however, declares that Fate is the mistress of all things and that nothing befalls men unless it is in accordance with her decree. The Sadducees do away with Fate, holding that there is no such thing and that human actions are not achieved in accordance with her decree, but through personal decisions. Thus, humans are responsible for their own thoughtlessness (Antiquities 13:171-173).

Later Christian theology reflected some of these same discussions. An extreme view, called Unconditional Election, believes that God makes the determination without any assistance from the person, a concept that seems closely tied to the concept of foreknowledge. While I agree that “God does not foresee an action or condition on our part that induces Him to save us” (Romans 3:23), I also believe that because of our free will, we have a choice in the matter. Those who believe that we have no choice point to Romans 9:13 and Jacob and Esau. While it is undeniable that Jacob was loved (chosen) and Esau was hated (not chosen), I don’t believe this applies to salvation in general, but rather through whom would the Seed of the Messiah come. ADONAI chose that the line of the Messiah would come through Jacob and not come through the line of Esau. In the final analysis, God’s choosing never cancels or eliminates the necessity for personal faith. If there were no free will to choose, then it would appear that Ha’Shem is unfair and that we would be no more than spiritual robots. But there are too many bible verses stating that “whoever believes” will find the wonderful gift of redemption. Once again this is an antimony (1:4b). As the Torah says, some secret things belong to ADONAI (Deuteronomy 29:29).⁶³

To adopt us into His own family (1:5b): The result of God’s election is our adoption into the personal family of God. Even those born Jewish, who have a covenant with God, must enter into a deeper level of relationship. Yeshua even urged a famous rabbi to be born again by the Spirit of God (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bv – Jesus Teaches Nicodemus). In Jewish law, an adopted child has their original bloodline, but their legal status changes. This concept would apply well to both Jewish and Gentile followers of Yeshua in the city of Ephesus. People retained their cultural identity, but through the work of Messiah, their legal status had changed to become the spiritual children of God (John 1:12b).⁶⁴ When adopted, we are transferred from Satan’s family to God’s family. In addition, we are transferred from slavery to sonship, from being completely cursed to utter shalom. And adoption implies our eternal security in Messiah if you look at ADONAI as the perfect parent (see The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer).

To be saved is to have the very life of God in our souls, His own Spirit enlivening our spirits. Human parents can adopt children and come to love them every bit as much as they love their natural children. They can give an adopted child complete equality in the family life, resources, and inheritance. But no human parent can impart their own distinct nature to an adopted child. Yet, that is exactly what God miraculously does to every person whom He has chosen and who has trusted in Yeshua out of their own free will. YHVH makes them sons and daughters just like His own divine Son. Believers not only have all of the Son’s riches and blessings, but also all of the Son’s nature, minus His deity.

In accordance with the glory of the grace He gave us (1:6): Why did YHVH do all of that for us? Why did He want us to be His children? We are saved and made the children of God in accordance with the glory of the grace He gave us. Above all else, He saves and adopts us for His own glory. The apostle Paul interceded for the Thessalonians, praying that our God may count you worthy of your calling . . . in order that the name of our Lord Yeshua may be glorified in you, and you in Him (Second Thessalonians 1:11-12). Even the beasts of the field will glorify the Lord, Isaiah tells us (Isaiah 43:20), and the heavens declare God’s glory (Psalm 19:1). The only rebels in the universe are fallen angels and fallen mankind. Everything else glorifies its Creator. The fallen angels have already been eternally removed from God’s presence, and those fallen men and women who will not bend the knee to Yeshua Messiah will join those fallen angels in that eternal separation.

The plan of God chose the Body of Messiah before the foundation of the universe in order that no human being could boast, or take that glory personally, but that all the glory might be the LORD’s. Salvation is not partly of God and partly of man, but entirely of God (see Az – Seated in Messiah). To guarantee that, every provision and every detail of salvation was accomplished before any human being was ever born or before a planet was formed. This leaves no room for the theory of evolution, which holds that the things that are seen today were made of pre-existing material. The ultimate reason for everything that exists is the glory of His grace. That is why, as God’s children, we should do everything – even such mundane things as eating and drinking – to the glory of God (First Corinthians 10:31).⁶⁵

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your Awesome love to bless me with every spiritual blessing “in Christ”! Your gracious love is so big that You promise me. Every spiritual blessing that You promise is based on being “in Messiah”. His sacrificial death and resurrection opened the path to heaven. You chose the path to be “in Christ”. The path to heaven is not in any person but only thru the one sinless and spotless Lamb of God (John 1:29). All other people died and are still dead. Only Messiah Yeshua has conquered/defeated death and only Messiah Yeshua was without sin. Before You created the universe You knew that mankind could never be good enough to save itself. Since You are holy, the only way for You to fellowship with anyone is if they are holy and so You planned for Holy Messiah Yeshua to bear the sins of mankind. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world (Revelation 13:8). All who choose to love and trust Messiah Yeshua, get on His path of holiness by being adopted as God’s children. Thank You for my adoption, giving me the right to enter Your holy heavenly home and live with you eternally! Praise You for Your Awesome Love! I want to thank You for Your love and blessings by blessing You back by living our lives in loving obedience, sharing Your greatness with others and making time to talk with You daily in prayer. In Messiah Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Basis of Spiritual Blessing in Messiah
1: 4-14

The unconditional love and acceptance of ADONAI is the basis for each and every blessing we experience as the children of God. There are no illegitimate children of God; none of us were unwanted or unexpected accidents. For in Messiah He chose us in love before the creation of the universe to be holy and without defect in His presence (1:4). Peter confirms this truth when he says: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10). We are not castoffs in an orphanage acting on our best behavior so someone might finally adopt us. Titus 3:4-5 tells us: But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Deliverer was revealed, He delivered us. It was not on the grounds of any righteous deeds we had done, but on the grounds of His own mercy. He did it by means of the mikveh of rebirth and the renewal brought about by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. Where once we had not received mercy, now we have mercy. So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s family (Eph 2:19).⁵⁶ As you read Ephesians 1:4-14, notice each time the phrase “in Messiah” occurs. What is the significance of being “in Messiah?”

The Provision of Spiritual Blessing in Messiah
1: 3

The provision of spiritual blessing in Messiah DIG: What is the problem with comparing ADONAI, your heavenly Father, with your earthly father? How do we get “every spiritual blessing?” What can you do to gain all that Messiah has for you as you study Ephesians?

REFLECT: What are some situations in your life where you have vividly felt you didn’t belong? How did you discover you were highly regarded by someone? What did that feel like? How did it affect you? What are some of the spiritual blessings you have in Messiah?

We receive our heavenly blessing by living in the power of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh.

As Rabbi Sha’ul begins his letter to these followers of Yeshua, it is not surprising that his first thought is to recount some of the blessings that have come from our Father in heaven. This also explains why verses 3-14 are actually one long Greek sentence. Praised be ADONAI, Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who in the Messiah has blessed us with every spiritual blessing . . . in the heavenly places.

Praised be ADONAI: This is another common Jewish phrase seen in such central prayers as the Amidah or the blessing before any meal (Baruch Atah ADONAI – Blessed are You, O LORD our God). There is an entire Tractate of the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ei – The Oral Law) that teaches the details and importance of saying such blessings (Tractate Berachot). Among the interesting suggestions is that the lover of God should say at least a hundred blessings per day in thanks to God, a custom said to have been started by King David (Tractate Menachot 43b; Numbers Raba 18:21).⁵⁴

Long before Yeshua’s day, the word ADONAI had, out of respect, been substituted in speaking and in reading aloud for God’s personal name, the four Hebrew letters yod-heh-vav-heh, variously written in English as YHVH. The Talmud (Pesachim 50a) made it a requirement not to pronounce the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of the LORD, Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey, since the ancient manuscripts do not give any vowel sounds, and this remains the rule in most modern Jewish settings. In deference to this tradition, which is unnecessary but harmless, I will be using ADONAI where YHVH is meant. In ancient times when the scribes were translating the Hebrew Scriptures, they revered the name of YHVH so much that they would use a quill to make one stroke of the name and then throw it away. Then they would make another stroke and throw that quill away until the name was completed. His name became so sacred to them that they started to substitute the phrase the Name, instead of writing or pronouncing His Name. Over centuries of doing this, the actual letters and pronunciation of His Name were lost. The closest we can come to is YHVH, with no syllables. The pronunciation has been totally lost. Therefore, the made-up name “Yahweh” is only a guess of what the original name sounded like. Both ADONAI and Ha’Shem are substitute names for YHVH. ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, while Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir. Therefore, Jews, being respectful of the Third Commandment, use these words as replacements. The Talmud explains, “In the Sanctuary, the Name was pronounced as written; but beyond its confines a substitute Name was employed (Tractate Sotah VII.6). God has only one name, YHVH. All His other “names” like ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot, ADONAI Elohim, ADONAI Nissi, ADONAI Tzidkenu, and ADONAI-Tzva’ot, merely reflect His attributes.

Contrary to what some religious groups say today, no one can say with confidence how to pronounce God’s Name. The “name” Jehovah, for example, is a made-up word by a Franciscan monk in the dark ages. He took YHVH, and inserted vowels between the known letters to invent a new word: YeHoVaH. Jews never, NEVER, use this made-up word. The last book of the B’rit Chadashah tells us that when Yeshua returns to the earth, He will reveal the Name that no one knew but Himself (Revelation 19:12). It seems best to leave this lost pronunciation unresolved until the Messiah comes.

Every spiritual blessing: God has done so much for His children, yet some seem discontented, as if the Father is holding out on them. Some believers are always looking for a new blessing or experience to validate their faith in Messiah. Sha’ul emphasizes here that we already have every blessing available through the work of Yeshua. True, we may not always be experiencing all those blessings, but the problem is not that God is withholding from us but that we are not fully appropriating those spiritual blessings. Evidently, we do not need more of God, but He needs more of us.⁵⁵

In the heavenly places: The abundant, unlimited blessings from God are in the heavenly places. More than heaven itself is included. The heavenly place (Ephesians 1:20, 2:6, 3:10) encompass the entire supernatural realm of ADONAI, His complete domain, the full extent of His divine operation. Therefore, believers have a paradoxical, two-level existence – a dual citizenship. While we remain on the earth, we are citizens of the earth. Yet, in Messiah, our primary and infinitely more important citizenship is in heaven. But we are citizens of heaven, and it is from there that we expect a Deliverer, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah (Philippians 3:20). That is why we are to seek things above, where the Messiah is sitting at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1). Because we are members of God’s domain, unlike the worldly (Luke 16:8), we are able to understand the supernatural things of God, things which the natural man does not accept and cannot understand . . . because they are spiritually discerned (First Corinthians 2:14).

As citizens of God’s heavenly dominion, believers hold all the rights and privileges that citizenship grants, even while we are living in the “foreign” and sometimes hostile land of earth. Our true life is in the supernatural, the heavenly places. Our Father is there, our Savior is there, our saved family members and loved ones are there, our name is there, and our eternal dwelling place and throne are there. But we are presently trapped in the tension between the earthly and the heavenly. Paul reflected this tension when he said: We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed . . . as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things (Second Corinthians 4:8-9 and 6:10). The key to living as a heavenly citizen while living in an unheavenly situation is walking by the Ruach. Rabbi Sha’ul declares that we should walk by the Ruach (see the commentary on Galatians Bv – Walk by the Ruach, and Not the Desires of the Flesh). When we walk in His power, He produces fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). We receive our heavenly blessing by living in the power of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your Awesome love to bless me with every spiritual blessing “in Messiah”! Your gracious love is so big that You promise me Every spiritual blessing and You deliver that promise “in Messiah.” His sacrificial death and resurrection opened the path to heaven. You chose the path to be “in Messiah”. The path to heaven is not in just anyone, but only thru the one sinless and spotless Lamb of God (John 1:29). All those outside of Yeshua died and are still dead. Only Messiah Yeshua has conquered/defeated death and only Messiah Yeshua lived a perfect life without sin.

Before You created the world, You knew that mankind could never be good enough to save itself. Since You are holy, the only way for You to fellowship with anyone is if they are holy and so you planned for Holy Messiah Yeshua to bear the sins of mankind. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world (Revelation 13:8). All who choose to love and trust Messiah Yeshua, get on His path of holiness by being adopted as God’s children. Thank you for my adoption, giving me the right to enter Your holy heavenly home and live with You eternally!

Praise You for Your Awesome Love! I want to thank You for Your love and blessings by blessing You back by living my life in loving obedience as best I can, sharing Your greatness with others and making time to talk with You in prayer. In Messiah Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Blessing in Messiah
1: 3-14

These four paragraphs form a single sentence in the Greek text and it is possibly the longest sentence of connected dialogue in existence. Here we have some of the most important doctrinal words, the most profound and richest truths regarding what ADONAI has done for believers in all of Paul’s writings. Their form is that of a Jewish b’rakhah, or blessing. This is signaled by the first words: Praised be ADONAI, Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, which echoes the initial phrases of the ‘Amidah, the central prayer of the synagogue liturgy, recited three times daily. Other expressions are also reminiscent of the synagogue prayers. Two examples, first, He chose us in love, resembles the close of the ‘Amidah blessing immediately preceding the recital of the Sh’ma (see the commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Bw – Sh’ma Isra’el). And secondly, the words: In all His wisdom and insight, He has made known to us, recalls the fourth blessing of the ‘Amidah, “You favor humanity with knowledge and teach people understanding and insight from Yourself. Praise be You, ADONAI, the gracious Giver of knowledge.”⁵²

Praised be ADONAI, Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who in the Messiah has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven. In Messiah He chose (adopted) us in love before the creation of the universe to be holy and without defect in His presence. He determined in advance that through Yeshua the Messiah we would be His sons – in keeping with His pleasure and purpose – so that we would bring Him praise commensurate with the glory of the grace He gave us through the Beloved One.

In Him, through the shedding of His blood, we are set free – our sins are forgiven; this accords with the wealth of the grace He has lavished on us. In all His wisdom and insight, He has made known to us His secret plan, which by His own will He designed beforehand in connection with the Messiah and will put into effect when the time is ripe – His plan to place everything in heaven and on earth under the Messiah’s headship.

Also in Him we were given an inheritance, we who were picked in advance according to the purpose of the One who affects everything in keeping with the decision of His will, so that we who earlier had put our hope in the Messiah would bring Him praise commensurate with His glory.

Furthermore, you who heard the message of the truth, the Good News offering you deliverance, and put your trust in Messiah were sealed by Him with the promised Ruach Ha’Kodesh, who guarantees our inheritance until we come into possession of it and thus bring Him praise commensurate with His glory.

From Max Lucado’s book The Great House of God, he writes: And you thought God adopted you because you were good looking. You thought He needed your money or your wisdom. Sorry. God adopted you simply because he wanted to. You were in his good will and pleasure. Knowing full well the trouble you would get yourself into and the price He would have to pay, He signed His name next to yours and changed your name to His and took you home. Your Abba adopted you and became your Father.

May I pause here just for a minute? Most of you are with me . . . but a couple of you are shaking your heads. I see those squinty eyes. You don’t believe me, do you? You’re waiting for the fine print. There’s got to be a catch, a gimmick. You know life has no free lunch, so you’re waiting for the check.

Your discomfort is obvious. Even here in God’s living room, you never unwind. Others put on slippers, you put on a front. Others relax, you stiffen. Always on your best behavior, ever anxious that you’ll slip up and God will notice and out you’ll go.

I understand your anxiety. Our experience with people has taught us that what is promised and what is presented aren’t always the same. And for some, the thought of trusting a heavenly Father is doubly difficult because your earthly father disappointed or mistreated you.

If such is the case, I urge you: Don’t confuse your heavenly father with the fathers you’ve seen on earth. Your Father in heaven isn’t prone to moodiness and temper tantrums. He doesn’t hold you in His arms one day and hit you the next. The man who fathered you may act that way, but the God who loves you never will.⁵³

Sha’ul’s Greeting
1: 1-2

Sha’ul’s greeting DIG: Who was Sha’ul, what was his background, and where did he come from? Who did he study under? As an apostle, who was he sent to minister to? Why is that important to understand? What does “hagios” mean? What was the city of Ephesus like?

REFLECT: What does the word shalom mean? To whom would you like to give that message? Why does Sha’ul address his readers as “the people of God?” Explain. Is it helpful to think of yourself as a “hagios?” Why or why not? When were you justified for all time?

Sha’ul was a Jewish follower of Yeshua, or in modern terms, a Messianic Jew.

All Sha’ul’s letters begin in a similar way. Following the style of the letter-writing of the day, he mentions first the writer, then the readers, and then comes to the greeting. But the conventional manner of the time is lifted to a higher level. Writer and reader are described from the standpoint of their relationship to Messiah Yeshua; and the conventional greeting became a blessing for all believers.⁴⁷ There are seven important points in Sha’ul’s greeting. From: Sha’ul, by God’s will an apostle of the Messiah Yeshua. To: God’s people living in Ephesus, that is, those who are trusting in the Messiah Yeshua: Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

1. Sha’ul: This is the Hebrew name of the writer commonly called Paul. He was born to a traditional Jewish family outside of Isra’el in the city of Tarsus in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). As a young rabbinical student, he was invited to study in Jerusalem with the top Pharisaic Rabbi of the day, Gal’liel (Acts 22:1-3). He must have been a promising and charismatic leader, as he was on the forefront of opposing the new Yeshua movement within the Jewish community (Acts 9:1-2). Sha’ul comes to personal faith in Yeshua as the Messiah through a dramatic encounter on a journey to Damascus (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Bc – Sha’ul Turns from Murder to the Messiah). From there, he received his new calling to be a leader in the Yeshua movement, not only among his Jewish brothers, but he would be especially instrumental in taking that message of the Messiah to the Gentile world of the first century.

As with any Jew of his time (and still today), Sha’ul received two names at birth: a Hebrew name plus a name of the common language of his community. Sha’ul was clearly his given Hebrew name that he would have used in the Jewish community, especially in Jerusalem. Some commentators believe in Acts 13:9 that Sha’ul took the name of Paul (Greek Paulos) to prove his “conversion” to a new religion and as a rejection of his previous Jewish life. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sha’ul did not look up his Messianic faith as a conversion to a new religion, but as a fulfillment of the Jewish hope in the Messiah. In Acts 23:6, Sha’ul proclaims (in the present tense): I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead.” He thus affirmed that he still lived as a traditional Jew even with his new faith perspective. Simply put, Sha’ul was a Jewish follower of Yeshua, or in modern terms, a Messianic Jew. It is important to note that the switch of names in Acts 13 from Sha’ul to Paul is therefore not a statement of conversion, but simply reflects the use of the Greek name as he is embarking on his First Missionary Journey (see Acts Bm – Paul’s First Missionary Journey) among the Gentiles.

2. An apostle: The Greek word used here is apostolos, meaning, one sent out for a particular purpose. In Sha’ul’s case, he was designated as one sent out to share the message of Yeshua as the Messiah. However, the foundational Hebrew word, shaliach, has a stronger emphasis. A shaliach is a person sent out, but is considered “equal to the sender himself” (Tractate Berachot 34). It is an amazing statement of Sha’ul that he considered himself called to directly represent Yeshua Himself. Yeshua, having ascended to the Father, delegated His Kingdom work to His hand-chosen sh’lichim (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mo – The Great Commission). The allusion to his apostleship was for the purpose of giving the letter an official character. Sha’ul was chosen a bit later to help fulfill this Messianic mission (First Timothy 2:7). By using the word apostle to describe his calling, Sha’ul was also emphasizing that he spoke the very words that Yeshua had given him. There are those today who believe that the words of Yeshua are truth and that somehow Sha’ul deviated away from His message. Many times people compare the teachings of Yeshua to some apparently contrary teachings of Sha’ul. But these questions are resolved when one remembers the original context of the writers. Yeshua’s focus was on the Jewish community of Isra’el, while Sha’ul’s focus was on the Gentile communities abroad. A careful study of both Yeshua and Sha’ul will confirm that they are in complete agreement on the message of the Good News and the broader B’rit Chadashah. Sha’ul’s claim to be an apostle underscores this perspective.

3. Messiah Yeshua: Both of these words are key to a Jewish understanding of Sha’ul’s writings. The original Hebrew, Mashiach, or Aramaic, Messiah, was translated by the Greeks as Christos. That is why the English word Christ often seems foreign or confusing to the average Jew. It seems to speak of a Greek religion or even a foreign god. By using the Anglicized term Messiah, we are putting the world back closer to the original understanding of all that is implied to the Jewish reader. Certainly, the phrase Messiah Yeshua would hold special significance to Sha’ul as a traditional Jew who embraced Yeshua as the Promised One.

The second term, Yeshua, is the Hebrew personal name for Jesus and means salvation. This was the original name given to Him, as Hebrew names in biblical times were considered descriptive or even prophetic. This One is to be called Yeshua because of His mission to His people and ultimately the entire world (Matthew 1:21). As the message of Yeshua went international, it is to be expected that the name would be translated into various languages. The name Yeshua became Yesus in Greek primarily because the Greek language has no shin/sh sound, but only a sigma/s. Also European languages often wrote their “y” sound with a “j” that ultimately led to the spelling “Jesus” in English. All these transliterations are acceptable, as ADONAI is certainly multi-lingual! Yet, while it is acceptable, it is preferable that His original Hebrew name be used as a witness to the Jewish people who hear the name “Yeshua” in their synagogue prayers. Also, the name Jesus has negative connotations to Jews because of the persecution they have endured in that name.⁴⁸

4. God’s people: Paul addresses his letter to God’s people. The Greek word is hagios. He took it right out of the terminology of the pagan Greek religions. He had to. There were no other terms that he could have used in the Greek language. There it meant devoted to the gods. The term was also used for persons who were devoted to the service of a god. This is the genius of the Greek word that many Bibles translate as “saints” in the B’rit Chadashah. The parallel words in the TaNaKh are “the kedoshim” and “the righteous of the TaNakh” meaning holy ones. Here, the Complete Jewish Bible translates hagios as God’s people.

The words “saint, sanctify, sanctification, hallow, holy, and holiness in the B’rit Chadashah are all translations of the same Greek root hagi. The verb means to set apart for God, and refers to the act of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh setting apart for ADONAI the sinner who has been adopted in the family of God to salvation, taking him out of the first Adam and placing him in the Last Adam (see Ao – Chosen in Messiah). This is where the new believer is justified, an act performed once for all time at the moment the sinner places his faith in the Lord Yeshua Messiah as his Savior. This is followed by progressive sanctification, a process that goes on all through the earthly life of the believer, in which that person is being gradually conformed into the image of Messiah. That person is called a hagios.⁴⁹

5. In Ephesus: The city was a thriving harbor of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Being far from Isra’el, both in distance and in religious lifestyle, Ephesus was primarily a pagan city (see Ah – The Church at Ephesus). It even boasted one of the wonders of the ancient world: the Temple of Diana. While that pagan influence was very observable in the biblical accounts, many forget that the earliest followers of the Yeshua movement were from the significant Jewish community of the city. We are told that Sha’ul visited the local synagogue there for one week as his introduction to the city (Acts 18). Subsequently, he was invited to spend three months in the Jewish community teaching in the synagogue. As a byproduct, the Gentile community was up in arms, as this religious rival was bad for their pagan businesses (see Ag – Idol-Makers Start a Riot in Ephesus).

But Sha’ul was encouraged by the open doors at Ephesus and later spent three full years teaching and mentoring those growing Yeshua followers (Acts 20). It is ironic that as Sha’ul made his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, it was some of the Jewish community of Ephesus who would stir up a riot leading to his arrest (see Acts Co – Paul’s Arrest in Jerusalem). It seemed to be poetic justice, as Sha’ul, serving out his prison sentence in Rome, wrote this letter to the Yeshua followers in Ephesus.⁵⁰

6. Grace: Now we come to one of the most important words in this letter, and indeed in the entire B’rit Chadashah – grace (Greek: charis). In short, grace means getting what we don’t deserve, opposed to mercy, meaning not getting what we do deserve. Both Luke, in Luke 19:9, and Sha’ul in Romans 6:17 and Second Corinthians 8:16 use grace in its classical meaning of thankfulness. But how this purely classical meaning of the word describes the crucifixion (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ls – Then They Brought Jesus to Golgotha, the Place of the Skull). All the human race could expect in view of its sin, was the righteous wrath of a holy God, that and eternal banishment from His glorious presence. But instead, that holy God stepped down from His judgment seat and took upon Himself the guilt and penalty of human sin, thus satisfying His justice and making possible to bestow His grace to all who would believe in Him.

Thus, the word charis comes to its highest and most exalted meaning in the B’rit Chadashah. It means that there is no room for good works on the part of the sinner as a means of obtaining his salvation. Sha’ul sets grace over works as things directly in opposition to one another so far as the means to salvation is concerned (see the commentary on Romans Bd – Justification in the TaNaKh). But Sha’ul is very careful to make plain that good works naturally flow from grace (Titus 2:11-12). Furthermore, he shows that this grace is unlimited in its resources. In Romans 5:20 he says: Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. The word increased is from a different Greek word than that which is translated abounded. It is a compound word made up of a verb which means to exist in superabundance, and a prefixed preposition which means above. Therefore, the translation could read: Where sin increased, grace existed in superabundance, and then more grace was added to this superabundance.

7. Shalom: The word is, of course, a common greeting among Jews, but it is more than that. The root word shalem means wholeness, health, well-being, and tranquility. The Greek noun is eirene the verb eiro. The latter means to join. That is, when things are disjointed, there is a lack of harmony and well-being. But when they are joined together, there is both. Our Lord made shalom through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20) in that He, by His death, satisfied the demands of the Torah, which we broke, thus making it possible for a righteous and holy God to bestow mercy upon the believing sinner and to do so without violating His justice. ADONAI thus bound together against the believing sinner and YHVH, thus making shalom. There is therefore, a state of untroubled and undisturbed well being for the sinner who places his faith in the Savior. The Torah of God has nothing against him, and he can look to the Father unafraid and unashamed. This is justifying shalom.

But Sha’ul, in writing to the Ephesian believers, was writing to those who were already enjoying this kind of shalom. Therefore, the shalom he is speaking about is sanctifying shalom, that state of untroubled, undisturbed tranquility and wellbeing produced in the heart of the yielded believer by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (see the commentary on Galatians Bv – Walk by the Ruach, and Not the Desires of the Flesh). We have this shalom to the extent that we are yielded to the Spirit and are conscious of, and dependent on, His ministry for us. ⁵¹ Sha’ul wishes his readers the shalom that can only come from the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, God the Father, and Yeshua, the Prince of Peace (see the commentary on Isaiah Ck – He Will Be Called the Prince of Peace).

Dear Heavenly Father, Your grace is absolutely fantastic! Praise and worship from the depths of our hearts for Your gracious offer of adoption as Your sons/redemption thru the blood of Messiah Yeshua (Ephesian 1:4-7) and your purpose to unite all things “in Messiah” (Ephesians 1:10). Your Great Grace and Mercy causes me to humbly bow and lift up my heart to worship You with all we have! We praise You for being Holy (Isaiah 6:3), Almighty – Red Sea crossing for Isra’el while Egyptians drown (Exodus 14:21-30), All-Powerful – You helped young David defeat the giant Goliath (First Samuel 17:33;51), All wise – God knowing how to get Jonah to serve You when he ran away. Your children delight in praising You for Your marvelous grace and for how wonderful You are always! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Doctrinal Section
1:1 to 3:13

All knowledge may be divided into two categories: pure or theoretical knowledge and applied or practical knowledge. In most of his letters, Paul begins with the pure doctrinal knowledge and ends with applied or practical knowledge. In Rabbi Sha’ul’s letter to the Ephesians, from Chapter 1 verse 1 to Chapter 3 verse 13, the apostle deals with doctrine (the calling of the Church), and from Chapter 3 verse 14 to Chapter 6 verse 24, he deals with the application of those doctrines (the conduct of the Church).

The One New Man Movement
Ephesians 2: 14-15

For Messiah Himself is our shalom – He has made us both one and has broken down the middle wall of hostility that separated us. By setting aside in His flesh and the legalized interpretation of the Torah with its statutes and ordinances, His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace.

Messianic congregations must be appealing to unsaved Jews.

This is my position on the One New Man movement. I believe that the dividing wall of hostility which had marked radical alienation and enmity between Jews and Gentiles was divinely obliterated by Yeshua’s accomplishment on the cross. Gentile believers are now grafted onto Isra’el’s Olive Tree (see the commentary on Romans, to see link click Cz – The Illustration of Isra’el’s Future), enjoy membership in God’s New Covenant with Isra’el and spiritually function as full and equal team members in the household of ADONAI (see the commentary on Jeremiah Eo – The Days are Coming, declares the LORD, When I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el: The Church’s Relationship to the B’rit Chadashah).

I believe that the Jewish New Covenant body of Messiah is composed of both Jews and Gentiles who have accepted Yeshua Ha’Mashiach as the promised Redeemer and are now at liberty to worship God together. Here are additional scriptures that support my position.

This mystery is that the Gentiles are joint heirs and fellow members of the same body and co-sharers of the promise in Messiah Yeshua through the Good News (Ephesians 3:6).  

For in one Ruach we were all immersed into one body – whether Jew or Greek, slave or free – and all were made to drink of one Ruach (First Corinthians 12:13).  

And do not neglect meeting together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another – and all the more so as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:25).

However, there are problems within the movement. A Jewish rabbi named Curt Landry started a ministry dedicated to the biblical one new man concept. But, he, and others in this movement, has encouraged Jewish and Gentile believers alike to be Torah observant, creating a negative ripple effect throughout the entire movement. The original vision of the Messianic Jewish Movement (MJM) was designed for Jewish believers with accommodations for Gentile believers. In time, however, many more Gentiles flocked to Messianic congregations than Jews. As a result, it is common today for there to be more Gentile believers in Messianic congregations than Jewish believers. Nothing is inherently wrong with that, but the resulting problem is that it’s increasingly difficult to reach unsaved Jews.

Unfortunately, many Gentile Messianic believers could care less about winning unsaved Jews, whether it be secular or religious, to their Messiah. They have their fantasy Messianic personas and support groups that seem to have attracted the likes of people who are Seventh Day Adventist’s or affiliate with the Hebrew Roots movement (see the commentary on Galatians Ak – The Hebrew Roots Movement: A Different Gospel). Shockingly, there are congregations totally composed of Messianic Gentiles with the full support of MJM organizations.⁴⁶ And the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship even recognizes Gentile rabbis.

Therefore, I believe that the One New Man movement is basically good as long as it keeps its focus on reaching unsaved Jews for Messiah, approaching the Scriptures from a Jewish perspective, and doesn’t insist that Gentiles be Torah observant (see the commentary on Galatians Ag – Who Were the Judaizers?). Messianic congregations must be appealing to unsaved Jews, and not be merely a bunch of Gentiles wearing yamaka’s and prayer shawl’s. Men need to be men; women need to be women; Jews need to be Jews; and Gentiles need to be Gentiles. In other words, stay in your lane and be the person God created you to be.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your love and wisdom that had Messiah Yeshua break down the wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles. It was not Torah observance but Messiah’s blood, sacrificed as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), that is the access point to bring us near to God. But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah . . . for through Him we both have access to the Father by the same Ruach (Ephesians 2:13,18). Messiah fulfilled all the Torah by his righteous life for Messiah is the end-goal of the Torah as a means to righteousness for everyone who keeps trusting (Romans 10:4). Thank You Father that Messiah Yeshua was willing to suffer great pain and shame to reach the goal of perfectly fulling the Torah’s requirements. Messiah was slain as the Lamb of God (Revelation 5:6-8) then rose/conquering death – so You could offer His righteousness to all who would love and follow You as their Lord and Savior (Rom 10:9-10). Thank You for our redemption being thru Messiah’s blood (Eph 1:7). In Messiah Yeshua’s holy name and His resurrection. Amen

The Church at Ephesus
Revelation 2: 1-7

The church at Ephesus DIG: What do you know about the church at Ephesus (see Acts 18:23-28 and 19:1-41)? What good characterized these believers? How might the strengths of the church have been the cause of its failure? What do you think their worship was like? Who were the Nicolaitans? What is repentance? Why was it necessary for the Ephesian church? How do you think unbelievers viewed the church? Do you think they were saving souls?

REFLECT: Of the positive qualities mentioned about this church, which best describes you? Your church? Your messianic synagogue? Is there anything that can be substituted for Yeshua’s love in your life? Is He still number One? Or two? Or three? Is there any way in which you have left your first love for Him? Has something or someone else taken His place? Has God removed your testimony? What secrets have you found to keep that love alive?

You have persevered and have endured hardships for My name,
but you have left your first love.

Today, believing in ADONAI can mean just about anything. It has been reduced to believing in practically everything, yet at the same time, it means nothing . . . because it means so little. But though the world may be confused about what a believer in Yeshua is, the Bible is clear. They are those who are united to God through Messiah. They have repented of their sins and are saved by faith alone in Yeshua Messiah. As a result, ADONAI has forgiven their sins and made them His children and transformed them into new creatures indwelt by God the Holy Spirit.

Many things characterize a believer in Messiah, but the foremost characteristic is the love of God. When challenged to name the single greatest commandment of the Torah, Yeshua replied: Love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37). Those who love Yeshua Messiah are blessed (Ephesians 6:24), and those who do not are cursed (First Corinthians 16:22). But while the love of God will always be present in true believers, it can fluctuate in its intensity. Believers will not always love Yeshua Messiah with all their heart, soul and mind, which is a sin. There is no better illustration in Scripture of the seriousness of allowing love for Yeshua to wane than this letter to the church in Ephesus.³⁶

1. The description of Messiah: Although He is not specifically named, it is obvious that this is Yeshua Messiah as He was depicted in the vision of Revelation 1:9-20. It could only be the Messiah who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands (Rev 2:1c). In fact, Messiah identifies Himself to each of the first five churches by using a phrase from that vision (Rev 2:8 with 1:18; 2:12 with 1:16; 2:18 with 1:14-15 and 3:1 with 1:16). That reinforces the truth that He is the author of the letters. They are His direct word, through the John, to those local congregations, to other churches like them in years beyond, even all the way down to us today. The Messiah walked among the seven churches in Asia Minor at that time. He was in full control, and those first century believers had nothing to fear. Not even Domitian.

2. The church: To the angel of the church in Ephesus write (Revelation 2:1a). Perhaps no church in history had as rich a testimony and heritage as this one. The name Ephesus means desired one. The balance of authority and ministry had shifted from Jerusalem to Ephesus after Jerusalem had been destroyed in AD 70. Ephesus was then the primary center of Church teaching and practice. It was a great church that began in the home of Aquila and Priscilla who had come there with Paul (Acts 18:18-19). Actually the churches at Corinth, Ephesus and Rome all began in the home of Aquila and Priscilla. Paul spent about three years in Ephesus (Acts 20:31) and it became the center of evangelism for all of Asia Minor (Acts 19:10). There is little doubt that the other six churches in Asia Minor were founded as a result of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus. Later, the ministry there was carried on by Paul’s companion Timothy (First Timothy 1:3), and according to the fathers of the faith, Irenaeus and Eusebius, after Paul’s death, by the apostle John. No doubt John was leading the Ephesian community of believers when he was arrested and exiled to Patmos.

3. The city: While not its capital (Pergamum was the province’s official capital), Ephesus (2:1b) was the most important city in Asia Minor. In fact, since the Roman governor lived there, it could be argued that Ephesus was the de facto capital. Its population in New Covenant times was estimated between 250,000 and 500,000 people. Situated at the mouth of the Cayster River on a gulf of the Aegean Sea, it had a great seaport on its harbor. From its elevation of 450 feet it dominated the view, the most striking and picturesque feature of the city.³⁷ Four great trade routes converged on Ephesus, as a result, it was called the metropolis of Asia and the Romans felt it was the greatest center of trade east of Rome. The city’s theater, where Rabbi Sha’ul and his companions were dragged (Acts 19:29), seated some 25,000 people. Athletic events, rivaling the Olympic games, were held in a stadium there. As a free city, it was granted self-government by Rome and no Roman troops were stationed there. It also served as a legal city in which the Romans tried important cases and dispensed justice on a regular basis.³⁸

It was also a religious center. The cult of emperor worship was very strong there, and temples were built for Claudius, Hadrian and Severus. No matter what gods they worshiped, each individual was required to swear allegiance to Cesar as the supreme lord over all. It was also known for its magical arts and was one of the centers of occultism. It had long been the home of the Mother Goddess, who was identified by the Greeks as Artemis, or Diana in Latin (Acts 19:35). To this goddess was dedicated a huge temple that was known as one of the wonders of the ancient world with a tree of “salvation” in the midst of it. About four times the size of the Parthenon, it was 425 feet long, 200 feet wide, and 60 feet high. It had 127 marble pillars, 36 of them overlaid with gold and jewels. Because its inner shrine was supposedly sacred, this temple served as one of the most important banks in the Mediterranean world. The temple also provided sanctuary from criminals. Further, the sale of little idols used in the worship of Artemis provided an important source of income for the city (Acts 19:24). Every spring a month-long festival was held in honor of the goddess, complete with athletic, dramatic and musical events.³⁹

The worship of Artemis was unspeakably evil. Sexual immorality was rampant in Ephesus, and it was one of the most immoral cities of the ancient world. This temple also became the site of the worship of the goddess Roma and of the Roman Emperor.⁴⁰ Thousands of priestesses, who were little more than ritual prostitutes, played a major role in the worship of Artemis. The temple grounds were a chaotic scene made up of priests, prostitutes, bankers, criminals, musicians, dancers and frenzied, hysterical worshipers. The philosopher Heraclitus was called the weeping philosopher because he said no one could live in Ephesus and not weep over its immorality. Huddled in the midst of such pagan idolatry that characterized Ephesus, was a group of faithful believers. It was to them that the Messiah addressed the first of His seven letters.⁴¹

4. The commendation: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. The Greek word for hard work is kopos, which means toil that exhausts. Perseverance means endurance. Despite their difficult circumstances, they were faithful to ADONAI and had toiled long and hard for the Gospel. But hard work can never be substituted for the love of the Lord in their lives, in my life or in your life. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false (Revelation 2:2). Apparently the Ephesian church had the ability to discern spiritual truth. They could recognize false teachers and teachings. Many years earlier Paul had told them: I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears (Acts 20:29-31). False doctrine would be on its way and they fought against it. They believed in theological truth and sound doctrine. They tested the spirits to see if they were from God (First John 4:1-3). The Ephesian church did not tolerate wicked men. But as great as its doctrinal stand was, there was something fundamentally wrong with them.

In the second commendation, Yeshua says: You have persevered and have endured hardships for My name, and have not grown weary (Revelation 2:3). This problem with false teachers was not a temporary one; the problem had been ongoing. Because they refused to bow-the-knee to the goddess Diana or the images of the emperor, they found themselves maligned, slandered, boycotted, and abused. Like the Jew merchants in Berlin in the 1930s, the believers in Ephesus would have been objects of physical violence, social ostracism, and economic repression. Nonetheless, they endured; they bore up under the load and had persevered and endured hardships for Messiah’s sake for over thirty-five years. Now you would think that it would have been an expression of love. Yet according to this, Revelation 2:4 it was not. It was a strange paradox, but they had left their first love even though they had endured hardships for the sake of the Lord. Nothing can substitute for our relationship with Yeshua. Absolutely nothing.

Messiah’s third commendation related to doctrinal discernment. The Ephesians sniffed out, rejected and put those so-called “apostles” to the test. They took their stand against a group of false teachers active in Asia Minor in the late first century. Yeshua said: You have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate (Rev 2:6). The word Nicolaitans comes from two Greek words, one laos, meaning the people, and the other, nikao, meaning to conquer. We get our word laity from the last part of that word. It seemed to be an effort to usurp the authority of the church leaders and to rule over the people.

John had sent out itinerant teachers to his converts in Asia Minor and they were rebuffed by a dictatorial leader named Diotrephes, who even excommunicated believers who showed hospitality to John’s messengers. So, John communicated: I wrote to you, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome his brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church (3 Jn 9-10). The Nicolaitans were false prophets who came into these early churches with the purpose of usurping the authority of Paul and even Messiah Himself. To accomplish this, they claimed to have divine powers, even working pseudo-miracles. The Nicolaitans were eloquent and persuasive men. Peter said they would introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord, being able to exploit the flock with stories they had made up by mouthing empty, boastful words (Second Peter 2:1, 3, 18). By such means these conquerors of the people tried to change the grace of our God into a license for immorality (Jude 4). But the Ephesians were well taught in doctrine, by Paul, by Timothy, and then by John. They recognized those false prophets and they hated their practices. Thus, Yeshua commended them for it.

This danger was not unique to the early churches, and Yeshua desires that all believers watch for, and reject, the practices of the Nicolaitans. The dangers are just as real today. False prophets, pseudo-miracles, people conquerors, false teachers who deny the deity of Messiah, antinomian teachers who say that God’s grace covers deliberate immoral behavior, men and women who take authority to themselves that the Messiah never intended, are at least as great a problem in the Church today as it was then. The glimpse of Messiah’s stand against the sin and the embrace of the sinner should give us confidence to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), while letting ADONAI alone judge the world (First Corinthians 5:9-12).⁴²

5. The concern: Like an unexpected twist in the road during a pleasant drive through the countryside, Messiah interrupted His commendations of the Ephesians with one abrupt word: But. The small Greek word alla indicates a sharp contrast, and in the case of Ephesus, it was very significant: But I hold this against you . . . You have left your first love (Revelation 2:4). There was something missing in their lives. They got busy with other things. How did this happen? Martha could certainly be commended for her faithfulness in the kitchen. But the Lord told her that she had left out the very best thing. Mary sat at the feet of Yeshua in relationship with Him, and Yeshua said that was better than all of Martha’s busy work. She had settled for something good, instead of something better. The first thing that goes in the believer’s life is their first love. You can still be active and accomplish a great deal for ADONAI. But the first thing that goes is the love for Messiah Himself. We are all grateful for what He has done. We love Him for His death on the cross. We love Him that He rose from the dead. We love Messiah in the sense that one day He is going to come back and we are going to see Him. However, there is more here than loving Him for what He has done . . . past tense. You have left your first love. Was Yeshua your first love? If anything gets in the way of your love for Him, He wants it out of the way.

We are not told why this happened to the Ephesians. Some have said they were too busy heresy hunting. They were very interested in orthodoxy. However, I have known people who are very orthodox, but they hold their theological views with less than a loving attitude. To them, it is more important to win their theological argument than anything else. Maybe they were just careless. This happens sometimes, we can become careless about our faith if we are not careful. This erosion doesn’t happen overnight. No one suddenly wakes up one day and says, “I don’t love Yeshua anymore. I’m tired of Yeshua and I’m finished with Him.” We wake up one day and find ourselves somewhat distant in our relationship with Messiah. It doesn’t happen like that. It happens over the years – after hardship, questions you can’t answer, trials that don’t seem to have any purpose, the loss of hope, or the loss of a loved one. To avoid this we need to constantly remind ourselves of what Yeshua Messiah has done for us. That is to say, every day we need to renew our faith.

In the midst of the Ephesians’ hard work and perseverance for Messiah, their love for Him began to fade. Thirty-five years earlier, Paul had written the church in Ephesus, commending them for their love (Ephesians 1:15-16, 6:23-24). Ephesus means darling. Think of the love between two newlyweds. The effort to set up a household, adjust to one another’s habits, and develop a new work schedule often occurs under difficult situations, yet first love causes the couple to remember these early times with humor and tenderness. The Ephesians had lost that kind of love. It wasn’t enough that they continued through the motions. Yeshua wanted more than their doctrinal discerning deeds. He wanted the devotion and adoration of their hearts.

Don’t we all know “religious” people who seem burdened and grim as they try to please ADONAI? They are so busy doing the King’s business, that they have no time for the King. Perhaps they have lost some of that first love that brings joy into even difficult tasks. Maybe they need to make some adjustments in the way they live, in order to renew and nurture their love for God. King David said it best: Restore to me the joy of Your salvation (Psalm 51:12a).

What about you? Are there moments when you can pursue and allow Yeshua’s presence to fill your heart? It might be a reflective moment after services, or prayer, or a brief moment of quiet that gives you a chance to rest in the Lord’s loving embrace. Do you need to repent of a sin? Seek forgiveness, and know the joy that comes from a heart made light by Yeshua’s love. Be attentive to the Spirit, and come back to your first love!

6. The command: After charging the Ephesians with abandoning their first love, Messiah pointed out three simple ways to swing a U-turn and reestablish their walks in the right direction: remember, repent and rekindle. First, they were to remember the height from which they had fallen! The Ephesians had wandered far from the roots of love, and Messiah was calling them to come to their senses and return home. They were told to remember because they had forgotten. The love that they had for the Lord had grown cold. As believers, sometimes remembering the way life used to be can be the first step on our way back to our first love for Yeshua and an energetic love for others.

Secondly, they were told to repent, that is, turn around and go in a different direction, and do in obedience the things you did at first. A new attitude must be the first step in any authentic change of actions. Repentance is a true inward change, not a fake outward modification of behavior. It is a work of grace created by God the Holy Spirit, which involves a deeply personal decision. This would suggest that the cooling off in our love for Messiah is a sin, something to be repented of. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your menorah from its place (Revelation 2:5). If they did not repent, it would lead to the destruction of the witness, the testimony, and the effectiveness of that church in the world. Its angel would be removed and the Messiah would no longer dwell in their midst. Yes, a group of people did continue to meet in Ephesus for many years afterwards, even calling themselves a church. But it would no longer belong to Yeshua. Eventually the city of Ephesus became a ruin. This correction to the Ephesian church represents every other person whose love for Messiah has grown cold. This warning still applies to us today.⁴³

Thirdly, an unspoken response by the Ephesians was to rekindle their love relationship with the Lord. After remembering and repenting, believers who had left their first love needed to rekindle it again. How is that done? You have to work at it. You have to do the things that you did when you first came to know and love Yeshua. Emotions are the caboose on this and not the engine. Once you have committed yourself to action and are faithful, after a time, the feelings will inevitably follow.

7. The counsel: Listen! This is for you! He who has an ear, let him hear what the Holy Spirit says to the churches then and now. It is a spiritual principle that only those who desire to know God’s will can know it (John 7:17). Only those who have spiritual ears can hear what the Holy Spirit says. This is a promise from Yeshua. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life (Genesis 3:22-24), which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7). Believers are overcomers. For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only those who believe that Yeshua is the Son of God (First Yochanan 5:4-5).

This would have been especially comforting to those believers living in Ephesus because they knew full well of a tree-shrine in the center of the temple of the goddess Artemis. That tree-shrine was supposed to be a place of salvation for the criminal, a place of refuge, surrounded by a wall. But that “salvation” had corrupted the city. The Ephesian who had to live in that immoral city understood well the contrast to the Holy City, where nothing impure would ever enter it, nor would anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:10 and 27). To those Ephesians, the salvation of the cross stood out in marked contrast to the “salvation” of Artemis, which gave the criminals immunity to continue their crimes even if they were about to die.⁴⁴ It is the same for us today. If you have overcome the world by faith in Yeshua the Messiah, you will have eternal life. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life (First John 5:12).

Lord of my salvation, perfect Lover, fill me with more of Your love and presence. May I never forget that You are the source of life. In the name of Him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden menorahs. Amen.

The Ephesian messianic community is a picture of believers during the Apostolic Church Age from AD 30 to 96. When this letter was written, the church in Ephesus was then in its second generation, those who had come into that church in the thirty years since Paul had ministered in their midst. Though they continued to labor faithfully as those who had preceded them, the love of God that had characterized the first generation was missing. This cooling of heart was a dangerous forerunner of spiritual apathy and eventual removal of their menorah from its place. Unfortunately, this became the pattern of the Church from then on: First a cooling of spiritual love, then the love of God replaced by a love for the things of the world, with resulting compromise and spiritual corruption. This was followed by departure from the faith and loss of effective spiritual testimony.⁴⁵ Believers during the Apostolic Church Age preached the gospel around the world, but with successive generations, it left its first love.

The right response when receiving a gift of love, is to love the person back, and not to selfishly keep the gift. That does not work. Neither does it work to do good things, but not to do them with love. Love is most important. The church of Ephesus was commended for testing those who claimed to be apostles, and finding out which ones were false, and they were also praised for enduring patiently. But because they had left their first love, Messiah cautioned that if they did not return to their first love – their menorah would be removed. Let us respond in love to God for all that He has given to us in uniting us with His Son. Love for God’s love is unconditional, but He disciplines those who He loves. God is so willing to pour His love on all who will love Him and open their hearts to Him. It is a joy to love You Awesome Heavenly Father. In Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Idol-Makers Start a Riot in Ephesus
Acts 19: 23-41

54-56 AD

Idol-makers start a riot in Ephesus DIG: Why would Demetrius rally people against Paul (see Acts 17:29)? Since this temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, what businesses would be affected by Paul’s teachings? What do you think the crowd was seeing and hearing? Why are they there? Why are the Jews trying to get a speaker to represent them? Why would Paul be shouted down? How is the concern of the town clerk unlike that of Demetrius?

REFLECT: Success, money and independence are some cultural “idols” (values most people accept without question). What others come to mind? How has your faith affected your relationship to these idols? Could Demetrius have become a believer and kept his business? Can you think of situations today where someone in a “respectable” trade would be forced to choose between that trade and Messiah? How have you seen religious and patriotic loyalties used as a cover for economic concerns? What does it mean to follow Yeshua in those times? What originally started as Artemis-worship became Artemis-business. How might believers fall into the same trap?

Whenever the Church boldly and faithfully proclaims the Gospel it faces Satanic opposition.

One lesson that history teaches is the paradoxical truth that the Church thrives under persecution. Effectiveness and persecution usually go hand in hand, since an effective church is a bold church, and a bold church is often a church made strong through suffering. The Lord Yeshua Messiah called His Church to be salt and light in the world (Matthew 5:13-14); salt stings when rubbed in wounds, and light reveals the evil deeds done in darkness. Both can provoke a hostile reaction.

The early Church faced persecution from its inception. In Yerushalayim, that persecution came from pharisaic Judaism (Acts 4:1-31, 5:17-42, 6:9-15, 8:1-4). In Pisidian Antioch, it stemmed from prejudice and envy (Acts 13:44-52). In Lystra, it was the result of ignorant paganism (Acts 14:8-19). In Philippi, it was the reaction to a victory over the demonic realm (Acts 16:16-40). In Thessalonica, it came from an unruly mob, urged on by jealous religious leaders (Acts 17:1-9). In Athens, the Gospel faced the opposition of worldly philosophy (Acts 17:16-34). In Corinth, as in Jerusalem, it came from pharisaic Judaism, not a Roman court (Acts 18:5-17). Whenever the Church boldly and faithfully proclaims the Gospel it faces Satanic opposition. It comes as no surprise that persecution also arose in Ephesus, stemming from a pseudo-religious materialism.²⁷

1. The cause of the riot: Luke informs us that around that time – before Paul left Ephesus as he had planned (Acts 19:21-22) – there arose no small uproar concerning the Way (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 22:4, 24:14-22). This is probably the context that Paul refers to figuratively in First Corinthians 15:32 when he said: For I fought wild beasts in Ephesus. She was not only the capital of the Izmir province, but also the capital of occultism, witchcraft and idolatry. The city’s greatest claim to fame was the temple of Artemis, the goddess of love, fertility, and nourishment. This temple was larger than a football field. It was an impressive building, some 165 feet by 345 feet in dimension and built on a platform 240 by 420 feet. Its roof supported by 127 sixty-foot-high stone columns. The entire edifice was elaborately adorned in brilliant colors and gold leaf. The altar was 20 feet square and contained a massive image of the goddess with a veiled head, with animals and birds decorating her head.²⁸

While the Diana of the Romans corresponded to the Artemis of the Greeks, the Artemis of the Ephesians was a totally distinct deity. The original Ephesian image was said to have fallen from heaven (Acts 19:35). The temple statue of Artemis also wore a zodiac necklace indicating her power over the control of the stars (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Lw – The Witness of the Stars). She was a multi-breasted goddess who was supposed to be the goddess of fertility in mankind, animals and nature. She was known as the Great Mother. Every year in May there was a great festival in her honor.

Artemis worship was not confined to Ephesus. Scores of priests and prostitute-priestesses served worshipers and tourists from all over the world. There was a sanctuary in Rome also and a similar festival there every April. All told there were at least thirty-three shrines to the mother goddess throughout the Roman Empire. Ephesus, however, was considered to be the center of the cult, and pilgrims flocked from all over the empire to worship at its famous temple, which was the center of everything in Ephesus, including religion and the arts.²⁹ The temple of Artemis was also a major treasury and bank of the ancient world, where merchants, kings, and even cities made deposits, and where their money could be supposedly kept safe under the protection of their deity.³⁰

The “lusty month of May” brought the annual month-long Festival of Artemis, honoring the goddess. The highlight of the festival was a solemn processional in which the image of the goddess was carried through the streets between the theater and the temple. Nearly the whole province converged on Ephesus to “worship,” and indulge in sin of every imaginable kind . . . and spend money. Souvenir salesmen and merchants depended on the festival for their yearly prophets. Tens-of-thousands bought trinkets and such to remember the occasion. Especially popular were wooden, silver, or gold images of the goddess and the temple.³¹

The instigator of the riot was a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, a maker of silver shrines of Artemis – was providing no small amount of business to the craftsmen (Acts 19:23-24). These silver shrines were miniature representations of the most sacred portion of the pagan temple; that part of it where the statue of the goddess stood. They were set up in homes and worn as good luck charms.

Concealing his real motive, which was greed, Demetrius concealed this with the appearance of civic pride. Being the leader of the silversmith guild, he gathered these together, along with those of related occupations, and he said, “Men, you know that our wealth is from this business, thus revealing that it wasn’t a religious issue, but an economic issue. They had become wealthy because of idolatry. You see and hear that not only in Ephesus but also throughout all Asia (Acts 19:10), Paul has persuaded and perverted a considerable crowd, saying that handmade gods are not gods at all (Acts 17:29). Not only is there a danger that this trade of ours might come into disrepute, but to also seem that it was a religious issue, he said that the temple of the great goddess Artemis might be considered as nothing. She whom all Asia and the world worships might even be thrown down from her majesty (Acts 19:25-27). All this was going to be set aside by only one man . . . and a Jew at that.³²

2. The characteristics of the riot: Demetrius’ scheme worked. The specter of financial disaster, the challenge to their fervently held religious beliefs, and the threat to their civic pride were too much for the mob to bear.

The first characteristic is anger: When they heard his lies, they were filled with anger and began shouting and kept yelling, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians for hours (Acts 19:28)!” Demetrius had accomplished his goal and whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Inflamed by his incendiary speech, the people surged into the streets, invoking the name of their goddess. Like Jeremiah’s far eschatological prophecy of the end times, people will go mad as a result of their own hand made idols (see the commentary on Jeremiah Fc – Babylon’s Enemy and Isra’el’s Redeemer). This is the typical response to the Gospel. When the Jewish leaders heard Stephen’s speech in defense of the Good News, they were cut to the heart (literally sawed in half). And began gnashing their teeth at him (Acts 7:54). The Gospel makes people angry because it confronts them with their false religion, and their sin, and it forces them to recognize the inadequacy of their world view, exposing the emptiness of their lifestyle.

The second characteristic is confusion: As the frenzied rioters swarmed through Ephesus, the city was filled with confusion. Then surging through the main streets, they came down the hill where the mob rushed into the open-air theater, which could seat 25,000 people. Many didn’t have any idea what all the confusion was about, but they joined the mob. They didn’t want to miss whatever was happening. Unable to find Paul, they dragged with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were travel companions of Paul (Acts 19:29). This the theater in Ephesus where Paul faced the mob.

When he heard what was happening, Paul wanted to enter among the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. He wanted to face that howling mob even though it could mean certain death. This is the background of Paul’s comment in his letter to the Corinthians, “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our trouble that happened in Asia. We were under great pressure – so far beyond our strength that we despaired even of living. In fact, we had within ourselves the death sentence – so that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead” (2 Cor 1:8-9). But some of the high-ranking government officials of Asia, being his friends, sent a message to him and insisted over Paul’s protest, begging him not to surrender himself in the theater. In doing so, they probably saved Paul’s life. Now some of the mob continually cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in utter confusion. Most did not know why they had come together (Acts 19:30-32). 

The third characteristic is closed-mindedness: Some of the unbelieving Jews, fearing that the mob might turn on them as well, solicited Alexander to try and explain that they didn’t believe in Yeshua. He motioned with his hand to the crowd because he wished to offer a defense to the crowd, but never got a chance. The mob might have recognized that he was Jewish, but it made little difference. To the pagan crowd, Messianic believers worship an invisible God and reject idolatry. Their minds were closed to whatever Alexander might have said.³³ Instead, they drowned him out and for about two hours they all with one voice cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians,” not letting him speak (Acts 19:33-34)!

3. The calming of the riot: Finally, after two hours of riotous confusion, order was restored by the town clerk. As the chairman of the city government (the equivalent of the mayor of a modern city) and liaison between the city council and the Roman authorities, he was the leading citizen of Ephesus. As such, he knew the Romans would hold him personally responsible for what happened. After quieting the crowd because his presence demanded respect, he said: Men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple keeper of the great Artemis and of her image fallen from heaven?  Since these things are undeniable, you must be calm and do nothing reckless. For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor revilers of our goddess. Even this pagan official testified to the character of Paul and his Macedonians traveling companions (Acts 19:29), they were not thieves, nor did they use insulting language. Despite the claims of Demetrius, they had not acted improperly. Having reassured the crowd, he next criticized Demetrius and the craftsmen for sparking the riot. Rather than resorting to mob violence, they should have followed the due process of the law.³⁴ After all, he reminded them, if they had a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them accuse them. But if you seek anything further, it will be settled in the lawful assembly. This assembly was clearly an unlawful one. Ephesus was permitted by Rome to exist as a “free city” with its own elected representatives. But if riots were to occur, Rome would move in and reestablish order and with it, Roman taxes. Therefore, the town clerk concluded his speech with a sobering warning: For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, there being no reason which we are able to give to justify this mob. Upon saying this, he dismissed the assembly and they went quietly (Acts 19:35-41). The same tactics that the silversmiths used to arouse the mob, the town clerk used to quiet and reassure them – the greatness of their city and their goddess.

Luke records the official statement that the believers were innocent of any crime, either public (Acts 19:27) or private (Acts 19:38). Paul had this same kind of “official approval” in Philippi (Acts 16:35-40) and in Corinth (Acts 18:12-17), and he would receive it again after his arrest in Jerusalem. Throughout the book of Acts, Luke makes it clear that the persecution of the Church was incited by unbelieving Jews, not by the Romans. In anything, Paul used his Roman citizenship to protect himself, his friends, and the local congregations of God.

The crowd was dismissed, and no doubt the people went home congratulating themselves that they had successfully defended their great city and their famous goddess. It is doubtful that any of them questioned the truthfulness of their devotion to Artemis or were determined to investigate what Paul had been preaching for three years. It was much easier to believe a lie and follow the crowd.

But Ephesus is gone, and so is the worldwide worship of Artemis of the Ephesians. The city and the temple are gone, and the silversmith’s guild is gone. Ephesus is a place visited primarily by archeologists and people on Holy Land tours. Yet the Gospel of God’s grace and the Church of Yeshua Messiah are still here! We have four inspired letters that were sent to the believers in Ephesus – Ephesians, First and Second Timothy, and Revelation 2:1-7. The name of Paul is honored, but the name of Demetrius is forgotten (were it not for Paul, we would have never heard of Demetrius in the first place)! The Church ministers by persuasion, not propaganda. We share ADONAI’s truth, not mankind’s religious lies. Our motive is love, not anger; and the glory of God, not the praise of mankind. We have an audience of One. This is why the Church goes on, and we must keep it so.³⁵

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise and thank You for Your great wisdom that uses percussion to Your glory to refine me and to honor Your holy name by standing for You in the midst of life’s trials. You never waste anything that happens in my life, but as I yield to Your touch, You use the trial to draw me closer to You, increasing my trust in You and leaning on You for Your wisdom on how to handle each and every situation. You are the Master of refining! You get rid of the dross and make me of purer gold. These trials are so that the true metal of your faith (far more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire) may come to light in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Messiah Yeshua (First Peter 1:7).

You place greater value on giving an Eternal reward, than giving me a comfortable life on earth that will be over in a blink. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). You are so wise to value my eternal happiness over a momentary pleasure which I will quickly forget. I know that I will be rewarded for my patience and love for You.

You love to bless me and trials are one means that You use to bring my eternal reward. You allow trials in my life where my positive attitude of love and trust in You will open the door for you to give me eternal joy in a reward that lasts forever! For no one can lay any other foundation than what is already laid – which is Yeshua the Messiah.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear. For the Day will show it, because it is to be revealed by fire; and the fire itself will test each one’s work – what sort it is. If anyone’s work built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward (First Corinthians 3:11-14).

Thank You for being with me in my trials and in turning the hardness of the trial into an eternal joy as you reward me for my steadfast love and trust in Your steadfast love for me -even in trials. In the midst of David’s great trial of being sought after by King Sha’ul, he focused his attention on God’s steadfast love for him and praised God. David knew God’s love for him was real, even in the midst of a trail. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. For you have been my help . . . and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy (Psalms 63:3, 7). In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

God’s Power Displayed in Ephesus
Acts 19: 1-22

54-56 AD

God’s power displayed in Ephesus DIG: Since Paul had to teach these people about Yeshua, they apparently had not heard about him or the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. From Acts 2:38 and 10:43-44, as well as this section, what do you learn about the relationship between faith in Yeshua and receiving the Ruach? What seems to be the signal throughout Acts for Paul to stop teaching in the synagogue? Why? What do these “stop and go” signals teach you about ministry in general? From the reaction of the crowd, how would you describe the general response to Yeshua prior to verses 13-16? Why would those events change people’s ideas?

REFLECT: How do people today try to use Yeshua for their own purposes? What is the difference between that and real faith in Messiah? What did you have to change in your lifestyle when you first began to follow Yeshua? Are there still some things you’re reluctant to do away with in order to be really honest with God? What would it cost you to do away with them? How has God personalized His revelation of Himself to you? Think of an example when He met you at a particular point of need, showing His complete knowledge of both you and your situation. What are some things this tells you about Him?

God was doing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands.

After the interlude describing Apollo’s conversion and ministry, Luke returns to the story of Paul for his final example of transition. While Apollos was at Corinth (to see the link click Ae – The Founding of the Church of Ephesus), Paul traveled through the upper region and came to Ephesus (Acts 18:27-28). The upper region is a term used for the highlands of the Ephesian area. This meant that Paul didn’t travel on the usual Roman road, but took the more direct route through Colossae and Laodicea (Colossians 2:1). And he came to Ephesus in fulfillment of his promise in Acts 18:21. He found some disciples and said to them, “Did you receive the Ruach Ha’Kodesh when you believed?” Paul recognized them as believers of some sort. But there was something obviously lacking in their faith. They replied to him, “No, we’ve never even heard that there is a Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Acts 19:1-2).

As soon as Paul heard their response, he began to probe. Then he asked, “Into what were you immersed?” They said, “Into John’s back to God immersion” (Acts 19:3). Like Apollos, these were disciples of John-the-Immerser, and had been immersed as Apollos had been. But Apollos was with John long enough to know that Yeshua was the Messiah. He was with John when he declared: Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). These disciples of John, however, had left the Land beforehand and never even heard of Yeshua. In other words, they had even less knowledge about the Gospel than Apollos. But they were remnants of the righteous of the TaNaKh, still hanging on, still looking for their Messiah twenty years after John-the-Immerser had died.

After Paul recognized who those men were, he spoke about Yeshua Messiah, not the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. He said: John immersed with an immersion of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the One coming after him – that is, in Yeshua (Acts 19:4). Because they had identified with John’s back-to-God movement, they were also committing themselves to accepting whomever John pointed out as the Messiah. But then Paul taught them concerning the One John identified – Yeshua Messiah.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for the wonderful gift of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh for all believe in Yeshua as their Messiah. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Ruach – if indeed the Ruach-Elohim dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Ruach of Messiah, he does not belong to Him (Romans 8:9).

Thank you that Your great gift of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh lives in me helping, guiding and declaring to me what Messiah has said. But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; but whatever He hears, He will tell you. And He will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you.  Everything that the Father has is Mine. For this reason I said the Ruach will take from what is Mine and declare it to you (John 16:13-15). Thank You for Your abiding Presence in me and that You can always be counted on to be there when I need You. For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5c).

What a comfort it is that the Ruach Ha’Kodesh never is too busy, nor falls asleep. He is always right there with me, ready for action, and works in the most loving way for me. Even in David’s great trial of being sought after by King Saul, David did not give up hope but he focused his attention on God’s steadfast love for him and he praised God. David knew God’s love for him was real, even in the midst of a trail. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. For you have been my help . . . and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy (Psalms 63:3, 7). Thank You for the abiding Presence of your Ruach Ha’Kodesh in me. In Messiah Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

When they heard the Gospel, they were immersed in the name of the Lord Yeshua. They had been immersed in John’s immersion, but they had not immersed themselves in believer’s immersion in the name of the Lord Yeshua. They served as a mini-Shavu’ot for this pocket of Jewish believers who had not yet heard that Yeshua, the Messiah, had come. When Paul, an apostle, laid hands upon them, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh came upon them. And the evidence that they had received true Spirit immersion was that they began speaking in different languages (nowhere does the Bible teach that the gift of tongues is anything other than known human languages)¹⁵ and prophesying, receiving direct revelation from God.  In all, there were about twelve men (Acts 19:5-7). The historical situation makes this a unique experience during the transitional period of Acts.

As we proceed through the book of Acts we will be comparing the way salvation comes to the Jews, the Samaritans and the Gentiles, showing, as was the case with the way Yeshua healed, there is no set order. Acts is a transitional book and a historical book, and you can’t establish doctrine based upon history. You base doctrine on clear theological statements. The historical facts can illustrate the doctrine but they cannot develop doctrine on their own.

The development of the opposition to the Gospel within the synagogue was relatively slow in coming – it took three months. But when it did come it grew strong enough to cause Paul to strategically withdraw to Tyrannus’ yeshivah. The Hebrew word yeshivah comes from the word that means sit and it signifies a place for learning Torah. The Greek word schole, which gives us the English word school, means lecture hall. No English word really comes close to the real meaning of yeshivah, but the Yiddish word shul, or school, comes the closest.¹⁶

This section gives a brief summary of Paul’s long period of ministry in Ephesus, covering both his testimony to Messiah (19:8-10) and the miracles accomplished through him (Acts 19:11-12). Paul went into the synagogue for three months and continued to speak boldly, debating and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when they were hardening and refusing to believe, speaking evil of the Way (Acts 9:2, 19:23, 22:4, 24:14-22) before the whole group, Paul withdrew from the synagogue, taking his new Jewish believers with him. Thus, the church at Ephesus was planted. They moved to the public lecture hall (Greek: schole, meaning a school) of Tyrannus, who was probably a God-fearing Gentile (see the commentary on Acts Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53). There, Paul set up a yeshivah in Tyrannus’ school and continued teaching them daily. He evangelized all who would listen for two years, so that all the residents of Asia Minor heard the word of the Lord – Jewish as well as Greek people (Acts 19:8-10). Yet later when addressing the elders of Ephesus in 20:31, Paul comments that he ministered to them for three years. But there is no real discrepancy between the two accounts. Paul arrived in Ephesus in the spring of 53 AD and remained there until the spring of 56 AD, a period of three years. The two years mentioned here refers to the period of his teaching in the yeshivah in the home of Tyrannus.¹⁷

Therefore, without ever leaving Ephesus, Paul, through his converts, evangelized the entire province of Asia Minor. During that time the churches of Colossae, Hierapolis, and probably also the seven churches of Revelation 2-3 were founded, and First and Second Corinthians were written. Paul’s very effective strategy for evangelism was to teach the Word . . . make disciples . . . and then let them spread the Gospel.¹⁸

It is important for modern Messianic Judaism to have available the concept of a Messianic yeshiva. Restoring the Jewishness of the Gospel should involve presenting it in a Jewish religious, cultural and social environment. While today the word yeshivah, to most Jewish people, means a school for Jewish studies, particularly Torah, Talmud, halakhah, and so on, it is right for Messianic Judaism to adopt this term and apply it to Messianic Jewish institutions of learning that relate to Jewish and New Covenant materials. This is the way to meet the challenge of Matthew 13:52: Therefore, every Torah-teacher who has been instructed about the kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.

To provide undeniable evidence that the message was true, God was doing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands (Acts 19:11). Such miraculous confirmation was a standard feature of the preaching of the apostles. In the absence of a written B’rit Chadashah by which to measure someone’s teaching, God used signs and wonders to authenticate His message and authority as an apostle (Second Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3-4; Acts 2:22). One goal of Acts is to show that in every way Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, had a ministry equal to that of Peter, the leading apostle to the Jews. These extraordinary miracles compare to Peter’s healing miracles in Acts 5:15-16. That shows that these powers were limited to the apostles. There are no examples in the book of Acts where regular believers are able to do these types of miracles. In fact, Paul himself did not even possess those powers (Second Corinthians 12:8; Philippians 2:27; First Timothy 5:23; 2 Timothy 4:20).¹⁹

Paul healed like Yeshua healed – with a word or a touch, he healed organic diseases from birth, he healed instantly and completely, and he raised the dead. Strangely those who claim the gift of healing today rarely, if ever, come out of their television studios. They always seem to exercise their “gift” only in a controlled environment, staged their way, and run according to their schedule. Why don’t we hear of the gift of healing being used in hospital hallways? Why aren’t more healers using their gift on the streets in India or Bangladesh? Why aren’t they in the leper colonies and AIDS hospices where masses of people are racked with disease? Why? Because those who claim the gift of healing do not really have it.²⁰

Steeped in superstition and failing to understand that Paul was merely the human channel for God’s power, the Ephesians did some amazing things. The handkerchiefs, or sweatbands, and aprons Paul wore during his tent making labor were carried from his body to the sick. The idea that healing power could be so magically transmitted was prevalent in the ancient world (Matthew 9:21; Acts 5:15). The fact that the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them through those means does not commend the method (as some today would have us believe). It must be viewed as nothing more than God’s accommodation to the mentality of those people at that time. And further proved that Paul was from ADONAI and thus spoke for Him (Acts 19:12). As a doctor, Luke carefully distinguishes between diseases and afflictions caused by evil spirits to make clear that not all illness comes from demonic causes. The miracles YHVH performed through Paul were essential to convince the Ephesians that he was from God. Impressed with him as the messenger of Ha’Shem, their hearts were prepared to hear his message of salvation.²¹

The example of Paul’s miracle-working is followed by two episodes that involve false attempts to accomplish the miraculous. The first relates the unsuccessful attempt by a group of Jewish exorcists to use the name of Yeshua in their practice (Acts 19:13-16). The second shows the triumph of the Gospel over magic and the occult (Acts 19:17-19). There were imposters who went around making a living by various kinds of pseudo-scientific or clairvoyant powers, including the practice of exorcism. They were ready to call on the names of any and every god or divinity in their chants – and often they recited long lists of the names so as to be sure of including the right god in any particular case. Even pagans used the various names of God.²² These Jewish exorcists (Luke 11:19) now proceeded to use the name of Yeshua in an effort to match Paul’s powers. But some traveling Jewish exorcists also tried to invoke the name Yeshua, by using the formula: I charge you by the Yeshua whom Paul preaches. Unlike Paul, they did not know the Person they named nor have His power delegated to them. Seven sons of a Jewish ruling kohen named Sceva were doing this. Sceva was a Latin name. He was a Jew but had perverted Judaism in Ephesus because any acting high priest would be ministering in the Temple, not Ephesus.²³ Like Simon (see Acts Ba – Simon the Sorcerer), he was power hungry. But the attempted formula failed. The evil spirit answered them, “I recognize Yeshua and I am acquainted with Paul, but you, who are you to give me this order” (Acts 19:13-15)?

The result may be described as the comic relief in an otherwise serious narrative. The evil spirit realized that those phony exorcists had no real power or authority, so they turned the tables on them, driving them out! Then the man who was controlled by the evil spirit sprang at them, subduing and overpowering all seven of them, so that they fled out of that house naked and traumatized. This became known among both Jews and Greeks who lived in Ephesus, and the effect among superstitious people was to cause both fear and the name of the Lord Yeshua to be magnified. As a result, many also of those who had believed kept coming one after another confessing and recounting their practices. So even some believers had been caught up in the occult practices of Sceva and his sons. It took time for the Church to purify the concept of God from their pagan ways of thinking. In fact, this is still true today. We still have the tendency to let our ideas of God be influenced by contemporary thinking.²⁴

The demonstration of the futility of pagan attempts to master evil spirits led many of those who practiced magic arts to bring their books together in a heap (Ephesus was the great center of sorcery in the time of Paul) and burn them completely before everyone. The books mentioned were probably made up of directions for producing magical results and were of great value to all who practiced sorcery. They totaled the value of the books and found it to be about fifty thousand pieces of silver, or the equivalent to fifty thousand days’ wages for an average laborer (19:16-19). The destruction of these books was one of the best investments believers have ever made. Not only did they publicly give up their pagan ways, but the demonic contents of those books went up in flames, never to poison the minds of anyone again.²⁵

This is a transition statement that provides reasonable clues to the development of Luke’s material that follows, the Gospel is declared in Europe (but with a return to Ephesus). So the word of the Lord kept on growing in power and prevailing (19:20). On this high note Luke ends the account of Paul’s successful ministry in Ephesus, although the story of what happened there is not yet complete (see Ag – Idol-Makers Start a Riot in Ephesus).

Now after the three years of ministry in Ephesus, Paul resolved in the Ruach to go to Jerusalem after passing through Macedonia and Achaia. Many in the Messianic community in Yerushalayim were poor and in need of financial assistance. To meet that need, Paul wanted to take to Tziyon a collection from the largely Gentile churches that he had founded. So before returning to Jerusalem, he revisited Macedonia and Achaia to collect that offering (Romans 15:25-27; First Corinthians 16:1-4; Second Corinthians 8-9). By contributing to the financial needs of the Jewish believers at Jerusalem, those Gentile believers would emphasize the unity of the Church (First Corinthians 12:26).

But the City of David was not Paul’s ultimate goal, saying: After I have been there, I must also see Rome (19:21). This is a major turning point in the narrative of Acts. From here on, Rome becomes the major focal point. In keeping with his desire to proclaim the Good News not where Messiah was already named, lest I build on another man’s foundation (Romans 15:20b), he had not yet visited the imperial capital. Rome was so strategic, he could not stay away indefinitely. As he explained to the believers there: I long to see you, so I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you (Romans 1:11). Paul’s brief mention of his desire to visit Rome marks a turning point in Acts. From this point on until the end of the book, the target in his mind was Rome. He would eventually get there, although not by the means he envisioned.²⁶

So after sending Timothy and Erastus ahead of him so that the collection could be gathered before he arrived in Jerusalem, Paul himself stayed in Asia for a while (19:22). Paul delayed all his travel plans temporarily because as he wrote at this time to the Corinthians, “But I will stay on at Ephesus until Shavu’ot, for a great door has opened wide for me, though many are in opposition (First Corinthians 16:8-9). Those opposing Paul would soon make themselves known in the next file, as a riot erupted in Ephesus over the success of Paul’s ministry.

I receive Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians as my own today, asking that You give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened so I may know what is the hope of Your calling, what are the glorious riches of Your inheritance among the believers everywhere, and what is the immeasurable greatness of Your power to us who believe, according to the working of Your vast strength. You demonstrated this power in Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at Your right hand in the heavens – far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age, but also in the age to come (Ephesians 1:17-21).

The Founding of the Church of Ephesus
Acts 18: 23-28

52-53 AD

The Founding of the church of Ephesus DIG: These verses sum up a lot of traveling. How far did Paul travel at this time? What do you make of his companions Priscilla and Aquila? What kind of a man was Apollos? What type of influence did Apollos have in Achaia, specifically Corinth (see verses 27-28)? How effective would he be in the intellectual circles?

REFLECT: Who was very helpful to you when you were young and enthusiastic about your faith? How did this person help? Who are you helping now? How? Where do you sense God has equipped you to serve? How can you do so this week? How does your place of worship balance evangelism with the strengthening and equipping of believers? What makes one preacher or Bible teacher more “popular” than another? And which of these attributes should have little or nothing to do with how accepted their teaching is?

Ephesus was a commercial center, a legal center, and a religious center.

After spending some time in Antioch, probably from the early summer of 52 AD to the early spring of 53 AD, and having doubtless given his church a full account of his Second Missionary Journey (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Bu – Paul’s Second Missionary Journey), Paul departed from there, on what proved to be his Third Missionary Journey (see Acts Ce – Paul’s Third Missionary Journey). His ultimate destination was Ephesus. He had been prevented from going there before (16:6). He had to cut his first visit there short (Acts 18:20) and was eager to begin his mission in the city. Nevertheless, his desire for the new ministry did not prevent him from neglecting the old.⁶ Paul returned to his former fields and further ministered from one place after another throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, and discipled all the believers (Acts 18:23). In this one verse Luke summarizes about 1,500 miles of travel. Luke does not give us all the cities Paul visited, but what he does tell us is that when traveling through this region Paul discipled all the churches that were planted during the First Missionary Journey (see Acts Bm – Paul’s First Missionary Journey). In any case, this trip through the Cilician gates and on to Ephesus would have happened during the summer of 53 AD when the passage through the gates was possible.

Ephesus was a deceptively beautiful metropolis. The magnificent temple to the fertility goddess Artemis – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – dominated the skyline and religious social and economic life (see Acts Ch – Idol-Makers Start a Riot in Ephesus). No sensual pleasure was denied. It was a world financial center. Dreams of material success and affluence captured the minds and consumed the energies of its populace. All the happiness money could buy was at their fingertips.

But when the early believers looked at Ephesus, they saw something very different. They saw a culture of fear barely veiled by the architectural, artistic, and sensual beauty on display. Messiah’s followers saw a half a million souls trapped in a Satan-dominated world of necromancy, occultism, witchcraft, and useless worship of a lifeless, powerless goddess. Magic symbols and incantations failed to give them control over their world. Their false worship failed to connect them to the One True God. Nearly the entire population lived on a treadmill of superstition, confusion and terror. Into this environment walked Paul.⁷

With the knowledge that Paul was making his way towards Ephesus, Luke fills in the background to the events that had been taking place in his absence. Now a Jewish man named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, Egypt, where a million Jews lived, came to Ephesus. Highly educated, he was well-versed in the TaNaKh. A skilled speaker, he was a fiery, courageous preacher. A student of John the Baptist, Apollos knew the basics about Yeshua, but he lacked some important facts needed to effectively communicate the Gospel.

While not its capital (Pergamum was the province’s official capital), Ephesus was the most important city in Asia Minor. In fact, since the Roman governor lived there, it could be argued that Ephesus was the de facto capital. It had a natural harbor situated at the mouth of the Cayster River on a gulf of the Aegean Sea.⁸ Located on the main highway, Ephesus connected the Four great trade routes in the east, and as a result, it was the main commercial center of Asia. In fact, no better site could have been picked for the evangelization of all of Asia Minor than Ephesus. The seven churches there (see the commentary on Revelation Ay – Write, Therefore, What Is Now) may well have owed their origin to Paul’s Ephesian ministry.⁹

The city’s theater, where Paul and his companions were dragged (Acts 19:29), seated some 25,000 people. Athletic events, rivaling the Olympic games, were held in a stadium there. As a free city, it was granted self-government by Rome and no Roman troops were stationed there. It also served as a legal center in which the Romans tried important cases and dispensed justice on a regular basis.¹⁰

It was also a religious center. The cult of emperor worship was very strong there, and temples were built for Claudius, Hadrian and Severus. No matter what gods they worshiped, each individual was required to swear allegiance to Cesar as the supreme lord over all. It was also known for its magical arts and was one of the centers of occultism. It had long been the home of the Mother Goddess, who was identified by the Greeks as Artemis, or Diana in Latin (Acts 19:35). To this goddess was dedicated a huge temple that was known as one of the wonders of the ancient world with a tree of “salvation” in the midst of it. About four times the size of the Parthenon, it was 425 feet long, 200 feet wide, and 60 feet high. It had 127 marble pillars, 36 of them overlaid with gold and jewels. Because its inner shrine was supposedly sacred, this temple served as one of the most important banks in the Mediterranean world. The temple also provided sanctuary from criminals. Further, the sale of little idols used in the worship of Artemis provided an important source of income for the city (Acts 19:24). Every spring a month-long festival was held in honor of the goddess, complete with athletic, dramatic and musical events.¹¹

The worship of Artemis was unspeakably evil. Sexual immorality was rampant in Ephesus, and it was one of the most immoral cities of the ancient world. This temple also became the site of the worship of the goddess Roma and of the Roman Emperor.¹² Thousands of priestesses, who were little more than ritual prostitutes, played a major role in the worship of Artemis. The temple grounds were a chaotic scene made up of priests, prostitutes, bankers, criminals, musicians, dancers and frenzied, hysterical worshipers. The philosopher Heraclitus was called the weeping philosopher because he said no one could live in Ephesus and not weep over its immorality. Huddled in the midst of such pagan idolatry that characterized Ephesus, was a group of faithful believers. It was to them that the Messiah addressed the first of His seven letters (see Revelation Az – The Church at Ephesus).¹³

Apollos (a shortened form of Apollonius) was a learned man, well versed in the Scriptures. He had been orally instructed in the way of the Lord in general as far as the TaNaKh was concerned. With a fervent spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the facts about Yeshua – while only being acquainted with the immersion of John. This fervent scholar exploded like a bombshell on Corinth’s unconverted Jewish community. But what was his message? First, John was the forerunner of the Messiah; Secondly, John has pointed out that Yeshua was the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bm – John Identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God); and thirdly, he knew that Yeshua was the Messiah. So, Apollos did not have believers’ immersion, only John’s back to God immersion. However, this man began speaking out boldly in the synagogue (Acts 18:24-26a). In other words, he was faithful in what he knew. His error was not understanding about believers’ immersion.

Priscilla and Aquila had remained in Ephesus to carry on the ministry until Paul returned (Acts 18:18ff). Evidently the ministry there had not yet extended beyond the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos’ preaching, they immediately took him aside privately and explained the way of God concerning immersion more accurately (Acts 18:26b). The fact that both Priscilla and Aquila instructed Apollos is significant. Both men and women can have the New Covenant gift of teaching. When Paul writes: I do not permit a woman to teach (First Timothy 2:12a), he uses the present infinitive, and is not forbidding a woman to teach universally. In other words, he does not forbid all teaching, but because the present tense is used, Paul is saying, don’t become the teacher. Priscilla was not Apollos’ sole teacher, she taught alongside her husband (even though it seems counterintuitive, see the commentary on Genesis Lv – Women and Spiritual Gifts). Additionally, Luke wishes to show the variety of roles women played in the early Church. Luke presents five cameos of important believing women in a variety of roles they assumed (see Acts Bd – Signs and Miracles Follow Peter: A closer look at Luke, Women and Ministry), and Priscilla was one of them. After that, Apollos was an unstoppable apologist for Messiah.

Once he understood about believers’ immersion, Apollos wanted to cross over the region of Achaia on his way to where Corinth (19:1) and Athens were located. The brothers in Ephesus encouraged him and wrote a letter of recommendation to the believers in Corinth to welcome him. Upon arrival, he greatly helped those who by grace had believed (1 Cor 3:5-6 and 4:6). Apollos’ power in scriptural interpretation (Acts 18:24) suited him for debate with the Jews of Corinth. Much like Peter with the Jews of Jerusalem (see Acts An – Peter Speaks to the Shavu’ot Crowd), he would have used the TaNaKh to demonstrate that the Messiah must suffer and be raised from the dead, which was, in the final analysis, the fulfillment of the Jewish Scriptures.¹⁴ And he also powerfully refuted (Greek: diakatelencheto, meaning to overwhelm someone in an argument) the Jewish people in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Messiah was Yeshua (Acts 18:27-28).

God is wooing people to His table for the meat of His Word like never before. He is joyfully using many different methods and styles to accomplish His goal of equipping His Church to be effective and holy during difficult days. God has raised up many fine teachers and preachers for our day. Let’s reap the benefit of as many as possible and value their contributions whether they are magnetic like Apollos, analytical like Luke, forthright like Paul, or warm like Priscilla and Aquila.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for You are Awesome Always! You wisely sent John the Baptist as the forerunner of Messiah to prepare people’s hearts for the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. The first step of drawing near to God is to turn from our sins, there is so much more to life than turning away from sin. There is also a drawing near into the intimate relationship with God as our Lord and Savior. How wonderful that when someone turns from loving themselves as first in their lives to trusting Messiah as first place in their lives – You adopt them as your child (Ephesians 1:4-5). Children have special places in families. They are loved and cared for and watched over. You love, watch over and care for Your children. John’s baptism was good and important to show people that they needed to turn away from wrong and then be united to God as his child when they believed/ trusted in him (John 1:12, Romans 10:9-10).

Wow! What a privilege to be God’s child! Being a child of God means being united into the family of God and also united to Messiah in his glorious resurrection! John could only immerse people as a turning from their sins, but Messiah’s immersion is an immersion of unity. Or do you not know that all of us who were immersed into Messiah Yeshua were immersed into His death? Therefore we were buried together with Him through immersion into death – in order that just as Messiah was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become joined together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also will be joined together in His resurrection. . . Now if we have died with Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with Him (Romans 6:3-5, 8). To have had only John’s baptism of remission of sins is a good start, but God has so much more in your offer to adopt as your sons thru the blood of Messiah (Ephesians 1:7) those who love/ believe in You. You are an awesome father! In Yeshua Messiah’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen