Ephesians
Ephesians front
Introduction to Ephesians
Part 1: General Introduction
Outline of Ephesians
- Greeting and prayer for the spiritual blessings in Christ (1:1-23)
- Sin and salvation (2:1-10)
- Unity and peace (2:11-22)
- Mystery of Christ in you, made known (3:1-13)
- Prayer for riches of his glory to make them strong (3:14-21)
- Unity of the Spirit, building up the Body of Christ (4:1-16)
- New life (4:17-32)
- Imitators of God (5:1-21)
- Wives and husbands; children and parents; slaves and masters (5:22-6:9)
- Armor of God (6:10-20)
- Final greeting (6:21-24)
Who wrote the Book of Ephesians?
Paul wrote Ephesians. Paul was from the city of Tarsus. He had been known as Saul in his early life. Before becoming a Christian, Paul was a Pharisee. He persecuted Christians. After he became a Christian, he traveled several times throughout the Roman Empire telling people about Jesus.
The Apostle Paul helped start the church in Ephesus on one of his trips. He also lived in Ephesus for a year and a half and helped the believers there. Paul probably wrote this letter while he was in prison in Rome.
What is the Book of Ephesians about?
Paul wrote this letter to the Christians in Ephesus to explain God’s love for them in Christ Jesus. He described the blessings that God was giving them because they were now united with Christ. He explained that all believers are united together, whether Jew or Gentile. Paul also wanted to encourage them to live in a way that pleases God.
How should the title of this book be translated?
Translators may choose to call this book by its traditional title, “Ephesians.” Or they may choose a clearer title, such as “Paul’s Letter to the Church in Ephesus” or “A Letter to the Christians in Ephesus.” (See: How to Translate Names)
Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts
What was the “hidden truth” in the Book of Ephesians?
The expression translated in the ULT as “hidden truth” or “hidden” occurs six times. By it Paul always meant something that God had to reveal to human beings because they could not know it on their own. It always referred to something about how God planned to save mankind. Sometimes it was about his plan to cause peace between himself and mankind. Sometimes it was about his plan to unite Jews and Gentiles through Christ. Gentiles are now able to benefit from the promises of Christ as equals with the Jews.
What did Paul say about salvation and righteous living?
Paul said much about salvation and righteous living in this letter and in many of his letters. He said that God has been very kind and saved Christians because they believe in Jesus. Therefore, after they become Christians, they should live in a righteous way to show that they have faith in Christ. (See: righteous, righteousness, unrighteous, unrighteousness, upright, uprightness)
Part 3: Important Translation Issues
Singular and plural “you”
In this book, the word “I” refers to Paul. The word “you” is almost always plural and refers to the believers who may read this letter. The three exceptions to this are: 5:14, 6:2, and 6:3. (See: Forms of You)
What did Paul mean by the “new self” or the “new man”?
When Paul spoke of the “new self” or the “new man,” he meant the new nature that a believer receives from the Holy Spirit. This new nature was created in God’s image (See: 4:24). The phrase “new man” is also used for God causing peace between Jews and Gentiles. God brought them together as one people that belong to him (See: 2:15).
How are the ideas of “holy” and “sanctify” represented in Ephesians in the ULT?
The scriptures use such words to indicate any one of various ideas. For this reason, it is often difficult for translators to represent them well in their versions. In translating into English, the ULT uses the following principles:
- Sometimes the meaning in a passage implies moral holiness. Especially important for understanding the gospel is the use of “holy” to express the fact that God views Christians as sinless because they are united to Jesus Christ. Another use of “holy” is to express the idea that God is perfect and faultless. A third use is to express the idea that Christians are to conduct themselves in a blameless, faultless manner in life. In these cases, the ULT uses “holy,” “holy God,” “holy ones,” or “holy people.” (See: 1:1, 4)
- Sometimes the meaning in a passage indicates a simple reference to Christians without implying any particular role filled by them. In these cases, the ULT uses “believer” or “believers.”
- Sometimes the meaning in a passage implies the idea of someone or something set apart for God alone. In these cases, the ULT uses “set apart,” “dedicated to,” or “reserved for.” (See: 3:5)
The UST will often be helpful as translators think about how to represent these ideas in their own versions.
What did Paul mean by the expression “in Christ,” “in the Lord,” etc.?
This kind of expression occurs in 1:1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 20; 2:6, 7, 10, 13, 15, 16, 18, 21, 22; 3:5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 21; 4:1, 17, 21, 32; 5:8, 18, 19; 6:1, 10, 18, 21. Paul meant to express the idea of a very close union with Christ and the believers. Please see the introduction to the Book of Romans for more details about this kind of expression.
What are the major issues in the text of the Book of Ephesians?
- “in Ephesus” (1:1). Some early manuscripts do not include this expression, but it is probably in the original letter. The ULT, UST, and many modern versions include it.
- “because we are members of his body” (5:30). Most modern versions, including the ULT and UST, read in this way. Some older versions read, “because we are members of his body and of his bones.” Translators might decide to choose the second reading if other versions in their area have it that way. If translators choose the second reading, they should put the additional words inside square brackets ([]) to indicate that they are probably not original to the Book of Ephesians.
(See: Textual Variants)
Ephesians 1
Ephesians 01 General Notes
Structure and formatting
“I pray”
Paul structures part of this chapter like a prayer of praise to God. But Paul is not just talking to God. He is teaching the church in Ephesus. He also tells the Ephesians how he is praying for them.
Special concepts in this chapter
Predestination
Many scholars believe this chapter teaches on a subject known as “predestination.” This is related to the biblical concept of “predestine.” Some scholars take this to indicate that God has, from before the foundation of the world, chosen some people to eternally save. Christians have different views on what the Bible teaches on this subject. So translators need to take extra care when translating this chapter. (See: predestine, predestined)
Ephesians 1:1
Paul names himself as the writer of this letter to the believers at the church at Ephesus. Except where noted, all instances of “you” and “your” refers to the Ephesian believers as well as all believers and so are plural. (See: Forms of You)
Παῦλος, ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ
Your language may have a particular way of introducing the author of a letter and its intended audience. Alternate translation: “I, Paul, an apostle…write this letter to you, God’s holy people Ephesus”
τοῖς οὖσιν…καὶ πιστοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ
“In Christ Jesus” and similar expressions are metaphors that frequently occur in the New Testament letters. They express the strongest kind of relationship possible between Christ and those who believe in him. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 1:2
χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη
This is a common greeting and blessing that Paul often uses in his letters.
Ephesians 1:3
In this book, unless otherwise stated, the words “us” and “we” refer to Paul, the believers in Ephesus, as well as all believers. (See: Inclusive and Exclusive “We”)
Paul opens his letter by talking about the believers’ position and their safety before God.
εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
This can be stated in an active form. Alternate translation: “Let us praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (See: Active or Passive)
ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς
“for God has blessed us”
πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ
“every blessing coming from the Spirit of God”
ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις
“in the supernatural world.” The word “heavenly” refers to the place where God is.
ἐν Χριστῷ
Possible meanings 1) the phrase “in Christ” refers to what Christ has done. Alternate translation: “through Christ” or “through what Christ has done” or 2) “in Christ” is a metaphor referring to our close relationship with Christ. Alternate translation: “by uniting us with Christ” or “because we are united with Christ” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 1:4
ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους
Paul uses two similar words to emphasize moral goodness. (See: Doublet)
Ephesians 1:5
The words “his,” “He,” and “he” refer to God.
προορίσας ἡμᾶς εἰς υἱοθεσίαν
The word “us” refers to Paul, the Ephesian church, and all believers in Christ. Alternate translation: “God planned long ago to adopt us” (See: Inclusive and Exclusive “We”)
προορίσας ἡμᾶς
“God chose us ahead of time” or “God chose us long ago”
εἰς υἱοθεσίαν
Here “adoption” refers to becoming part of God’s family. Here the word “sons” refers to males and females. Alternate translation: “to be adopted as his children” (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)
διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
God brought believers into his family by the work of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:6
ἐχαρίτωσεν ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ
“he has kindly given to us by means of the One he loves”
τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ
“the One he loves, Jesus Christ” or “his Son, whom he loves”
Ephesians 1:7
τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ
Paul speaks of God’s grace as if it were material wealth. Alternate translation: “greatness of God’s grace” or “abundance of God’s grace” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 1:8
ἧς ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς ἡμᾶς
“He gave us this great amount of grace” or “He was extremely kind to us”
ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει
Possible meanings are 1) “because he has all wisdom and understanding” 2) “so that we might have great wisdom and understanding”
Ephesians 1:9
κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν αὐτοῦ
Possible meanings are 1) “because he wanted to make it known to us” or 2) “which was what he wanted.”
ἣν προέθετο ἐν αὐτῷ
“he demonstrated this purpose in Christ”
ἐν αὐτῷ
“by means of Christ”
Ephesians 1:10
εἰς οἰκονομίαν
A new sentence can be started here. Alternate translation: “He did this with a view to a plan” or “He did this, thinking about a plan”
τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν
“for when the time is right” or “for the time that he has appointed”
Ephesians 1:11
ἐκληρώθημεν
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: “God chose us to be heirs” (See: Active or Passive)
προορισθέντες
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: “God chose us ahead of time” or “God chose us long ago” (See: Active or Passive)
ἐκληρώθημεν, προορισθέντες
By means of these pronouns “we,” Paul is referring to himself and the other Jewish Christians, those who trusted Christ before the Ephesian believers did. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive 'We')
Ephesians 1:12
εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς
Again, the word “we” refers to the Jewish believers who first heard the good news, not the believers at Ephesus. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive 'We')
εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς, εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ
“so that we would live to praise him for his glory”
εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς, εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ
Once again, the pronouns “we” refer to Paul and the other Jewish believers, not to the Ephesian believers. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive 'We')
Ephesians 1:13
Paul has been speaking in the previous two verses about himself and the other Jewish believers, but now he begins speaking about the Ephesian believers.
τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας
Possible meanings are 1) “the message about the truth” or 2) “the true message.”
ἐσφραγίσθητε τῷ Πνεύματι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, τῷ Ἁγίῳ
Wax was placed on a letter and stamped with a symbol representing the person who wrote the letter. Paul uses this custom as a picture to show how God has used the Holy Spirit to assure us that we belong to him. Alternate translation: “God has sealed you with the Holy Spirit that he promised” (See: Metaphor and Active or Passive)
Ephesians 1:14
ἀρραβὼν τῆς κληρονομίας ἡμῶν
Receiving what God has promised is spoken of as though one inherits property or wealth from a family member. Alternate translation: “the guarantee that we will receive what God has promised” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 1:15
Paul prays for the Ephesian believers and praises God for the power that believers have through Christ.
Ephesians 1:16
οὐ παύομαι εὐχαριστῶν
Paul uses “not stopped” to emphasize that he continues to thank God. Alternate translation: “I continue to thank God” (See: Litotes)
Ephesians 1:17
πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως, ἐν ἐπιγνώσει αὐτοῦ
“spiritual wisdom to understand his revelation”
Ephesians 1:18
πεφωτισμένους τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας
Here “heart” is a metonym for a person’s mind. The phrase “eyes of your heart” is a metaphor for one’s ability to gain understanding. Alternate translation: “that you may gain understanding and be enlightened” (See: Metonymy and Metaphor)
πεφωτισμένους τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας
This may be stated in the active tense. Alternate translation: that God may enlighten your heart” or “that God may enlighten your understanding” (See: Active or Passive)
πεφωτισμένους
“made to see”
τῆς κληρονομίας
Receiving what God has promised believers, is spoken of as if one were inheriting property and wealth from a family member. (See: Metaphor)
ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις
“all those whom he has set apart for himself” or “all those who belong completely to him”
Ephesians 1:19
τὸ ὑπερβάλλον μέγεθος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ
God’s power is far beyond all other power.
εἰς ἡμᾶς, τοὺς πιστεύοντας
“for us who believe”
τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ κράτους τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ
“his great power that is at work for us”
Ephesians 1:20
ἐγείρας αὐτὸν
“made him alive again”
ἐκ νεκρῶν
From among all those who have died. This expression describes all dead people together in the underworld. To come back from among them speaks of becoming alive again.
καθίσας ἐν δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ, ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις
The person who sits “at the right hand” of a king sits at his right side and rules with all the authority of the king at whose right hand or side he sits. This is a metonym of location that represents the authority that the person in that location possesses. Alternate translation: “gave him all authority to rule from heaven” (See: Metonymy)
καθίσας ἐν δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ
To sit at the “right hand of God” is a symbolic action of receiving great honor and authority from God. Alternate translation: “seated him in the place of honor and authority beside him” (See: Symbolic Action)
ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις
“in the supernatural world.” The word “heavenly” refers to the place where God is. See how you translated this in Ephesians 1:3.
Ephesians 1:21
ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς, καὶ ἐξουσίας, καὶ δυνάμεως, καὶ κυριότητος
These are different terms for the ranks of supernatural beings, both angelic and demonic. Alternate translation: “far above all types of supernatural beings”
παντὸς ὀνόματος ὀνομαζομένου
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: Possible meanings are 1) “every name that man gives” or 2) “every name that God gives” (See: Active or Passive)
ὀνόματος
Possible meanings are 1) title or 2) position of authority. (See: Metonymy)
ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ
“at this time”
ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι
“in the future”
Ephesians 1:22
πάντα ὑπέταξεν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ
Here “feet” represents Christ’s lordship, authority, and power. Alternate translation: “all things under Christ’s power” (See: Metonymy)
κεφαλὴν ὑπὲρ πάντα
Here “head” refers to the leader or the one who is in charge. Alternate translation: “ruler over all things” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 1:23
τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ
Just as with a human body, the head (verse 22) rules all things pertaining to its body, so Christ is the head of the church body. (See: Metaphor)
τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν πληρουμένου
“Christ fills the church with his life and power just as he gives life to all things”
Ephesians 2
Ephesians 02 General Notes
Structure and formatting
This chapter focuses on a Christian’s life before coming to believe in Jesus. Paul then uses this information to explain how a person’s former way of living is distinct from a Christian’s new identity “in Christ.” (See: faith)
Special concepts in this chapter
One body
Paul teaches about the church in this chapter. The church is made of two different groups of people (Jews and Gentiles). They are now one group or “body.” The church is also known as the body of Christ. Jews and Gentiles are united in Christ.
Important figures of speech in this chapter
“Dead in trespasses and sins”
Paul teaches that those who are not Christians are “dead” in their sin. Sin binds or enslaves them. This makes them spiritually “dead.” Paul writes that God makes Christians alive in Christ. (See: die, dead, deadly, death,, sin, sinful, sinner, sinning and faith and Metaphor)
Descriptions of worldly living
Paul uses many different ways to describe how non-Christians act. They “lived according to the ways of this world” and are “living according to the ruler of the authorities of the air,” “fulfilling the evil desires of our sinful nature,” and “carrying out the desires of the body and of the mind.”
Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter
“It is the gift of God”
Some scholars believe “it” here refers to being saved. Other scholars believe that it is faith that is the gift of God. Because of how the Greek tenses agree, “it” here more likely refers to all of being saved by God’s grace through faith.
Flesh
This is a complex issue. “Flesh” is possibly a metaphor for a person’s sinful nature. The phrase “Gentiles in the flesh” indicates the Ephesians once lived without any concern for God. “Flesh” is also used in this verse to refer to the physical part of man. (See: flesh)
Ephesians 2:1
Paul reminds the believers of their past and the way they now are before God.
ὑμᾶς ὄντας νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν καὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν
This shows how sinful people are unable to obey God in the same way a dead person is unable to respond physically. (See: Metaphor)
τοῖς παραπτώμασιν καὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν
The words “trespasses” and “sins” have similar meanings. Paul uses them together to emphasize the greatness of the people’s sin. (See: Doublet)
Ephesians 2:2
κατὰ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου
The apostles also used “world” to refer to the selfish behaviors and corrupt values of the people living in this world. Alternate translation: “according to the values of people living in the world” or “following the principles of this present world” (See: Metonymy)
τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος
This refers to the devil or Satan.
τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ νῦν ἐνεργοῦντος
“the spirit of Satan, who is working”
Ephesians 2:3
τὰ θελήματα τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῶν διανοιῶν
The words “body” and “mind” represent the entire person. (See: Metonymy)
τέκνα…ὀργῆς
people with whom God is angry (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 2:4
Θεὸς πλούσιος ὢν ἐν ἐλέει
“God is abundant in mercy” or “God is very kind to us”
διὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἀγάπην αὐτοῦ, ἣν ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς
“because of his great love for us” or “because he loves us very much”
Ephesians 2:5
χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι
This can be stated in an active form. Alternate translation: “God saved us because of his great kindness toward us” (See: Active or Passive)
Ephesians 2:6
συνήγειρεν
Here to raise up is an idiom for causing someone who has died to become alive again. Possible meanings are 1) because God has caused Christ to come alive again, God has already given Paul and the believers in Ephesus new spiritual life. Alternate translation: “God has given us new life because we belong to Christ” or 2) because God has caused Christ to come alive again, the believers in Ephesus can know that after they die they will live with Christ, and Paul can speak of the believers living again as if it has already happened. Alternate translation: “We can be sure that God will give us life as he has caused Christ to come alive again” (See: Predictive Past and Idiom)
ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις
“in the supernatural world.” The word “heavenly” refers to the place where God is. See how this is translated in Ephesians 1:3.
ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ
“In Christ Jesus” and similar expressions are metaphors that frequently occur in the New Testament letters. They express the strongest kind of relationship possible between Christ and those who believe in him.
Ephesians 2:7
ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσιν, τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις
“in the future”
Ephesians 2:8
τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ πίστεως
God’s kindness to us is the reason he made it possible for us to be saved from judgment if we simply trust in Jesus. Alternate translation: “God saved you by grace because of your faith in him” (See: Active or Passive)
τοῦτο οὐκ
The word “this” refers back to “by grace you have been saved by faith.”
Ephesians 2:9
οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται
You may want to start a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “Salvation does not come from works, so that no one may boast” or “God does not save a person because of what that person does, so no one can boast and say that he earned his salvation”
Ephesians 2:10
ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ
“In Christ Jesus” and similar expressions are metaphors that frequently occur in the New Testament letters. They express the strongest kind of relationship possible between Christ and those who believe in him.
ἐν αὐτοῖς περιπατήσωμεν
Walking on a path is a metaphor for how a person lives his life. Here “in them” refers to the “good deeds.” Alternate translation: “we would always and continually do those good deeds”
Ephesians 2:11
Paul reminds these believers that God has now made Gentiles and Jews into one body through Christ and his cross.
τὰ ἔθνη ἐν σαρκί
This refers to people who were not born Jewish. (See: Metaphor)
ἀκροβυστία
Non-Jewish people were not circumcised as babies and thus the Jews considered them people who do not follow any of God’s laws. Alternate translation: “uncircumcised pagans” (See: Metonymy)
περιτομῆς
This was another term for Jewish people because all male infants were circumcised. Alternate translation: “circumcised people” (See: Metonymy)
τῆς λεγομένης περιτομῆς ἐν σαρκὶ χειροποιήτου
Possible meanings are 1) “Jews, who are circumcised by humans” or 2) “Jews, who circumcise the physical body.”
ὑπὸ τῆς λεγομένης
This can be translated with an active form. Alternate translation: “by what people call” or “by those whom people call” (See: Active or Passive)
Ephesians 2:12
χωρὶς Χριστοῦ
“unbelievers”
ξένοι τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας
Paul speaks to the Gentile believers as if they had been foreigners, kept out of the land of God’s covenant and promise. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 2:13
νυνὶ δὲ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ
Paul is marking a contrast between the Ephesians before they believed in Christ and after they believed in Christ.
ὑμεῖς οἵ ποτε ὄντες μακρὰν, ἐγενήθητε ἐγγὺς ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ
Not belonging to God due to sin is spoken of as being far away from God. Belonging to God because of the blood of Christ is spoken of as being brought near to God. Alternate translation: “you who once did not belong to God now belong to God because of the blood of Christ” (See: Metaphor)
ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ
The blood of Christ is a metonym for his death. Alternate translation: “by Christ’s death” or “when Christ died for us” (See: Metonymy)
Ephesians 2:14
αὐτὸς…ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν
“Jesus gives us his peace”
ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν
The word “our” refers to Paul and his readers and so is inclusive. (See: Inclusive and Exclusive “We”)
ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἓν
“He made the Jews and Gentiles one”
ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ
The words “his flesh,” his physical body, are a metonym for his body dying. Alternate translation: “By the death of his body on the cross” (See: Metonymy)
τὸ μεσότοιχον…τὴν ἔχθραν
“the wall of hatred” or “the wall of ill will”
Ephesians 2:15
τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας
Jesus’ blood satisfied the law of Moses so that both the Jews and Gentiles can live at peace in God.
ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον
a single new people, the people of redeemed humanity (See: Metaphor)
ἐν αὑτῷ
It is union with Christ that makes reconciliation possible between Jews and Gentiles.
Ephesians 2:16
ἀποκαταλλάξῃ τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους
“Christ brings the Jews and the Gentiles together in peace”
διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ
The cross here represents Christ’s death on the cross. Alternate translation: “by means of Christ’s death on the cross” (See: Metonymy)
ἀποκτείνας τὴν ἔχθραν
Stopping their hostility is spoken of as if he killed their hostility. By dying on the cross Jesus eliminated the reason for Jews and Gentiles to be hostile toward each other. Neither are now required to live according to the law of Moses. Alternate translation: “stopping them from hating one another” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 2:17
Paul tells the Ephesian believers that present Gentile believers are also now made one with the Jewish apostles and prophets; they are a temple for God in the Spirit.
εὐηγγελίσατο εἰρήνην
“announced the gospel of peace” or “declared the gospel of peace”
ὑμῖν τοῖς μακρὰν
This refers to the Gentiles or non-Jews.
τοῖς ἐγγύς
This refers to the Jews.
Ephesians 2:18
ὅτι δι’ αὐτοῦ ἔχομεν τὴν προσαγωγὴν, οἱ ἀμφότεροι
Here “we both” refers to Paul, the believing Jews, and the believing non-Jews. (See: Inclusive and Exclusive “We”)
ἐν ἑνὶ Πνεύματι
All believers, both Jewish and Gentile, are given the right to enter into the presence of God the Father by the same Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19
ἐστὲ συνπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων καὶ οἰκεῖοι τοῦ Θεοῦ
Paul is again speaking of the spiritual condition of Gentiles after they become believers as he would speak about foreigners becoming citizens of a different nation. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 2:20
ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ
Paul speaks of God’s people as if they were a building. Christ is the cornerstone, the apostles are the foundation, and the believers are the structure. (See: Metaphor)
ἐποικοδομηθέντες
This can be stated in the active tense. Alternate translation: “God has built you” (See: Active or Passive)
Ephesians 2:21
πᾶσα οἰκοδομὴ συναρμολογουμένη, αὔξει εἰς ναὸν
Paul continues to speak of Christ’s family as if it were a building. In the same way a builder fits stones together while building, so Christ is fitting us together. (See: Metaphor)
ἐν ᾧ…ἐν Κυρίῳ
“In Christ…in the Lord Jesus” These metaphors express the strongest kind of relationship possible between Christ and those who believe in him. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 2:22
ἐν ᾧ
“in Christ” This metaphor expresses the strongest kind of relationship possible between Christ and those who believe in him. (See: Metaphor)
καὶ ὑμεῖς συνοικοδομεῖσθε, εἰς κατοικητήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν Πνεύματι
This describes how believers are being put together to become a place where God will permanently live through the power of the Holy Spirit. (See: Metaphor)
καὶ ὑμεῖς συνοικοδομεῖσθε
This can be stated as active. Alternate translation: “God is also building you together” (See: Active or Passive)
Ephesians 3
Ephesians 03 General Notes
Structure and formatting
“I pray”
Paul structures part of this chapter as a prayer to God. But Paul is not just talking to God. He is both praying for and instructing the church in Ephesus.
Special concepts in this chapter
Mystery
Paul refers to the church as a “mystery.” The role of the church in the plans of God was once not known. But God has now revealed it. Part of this mystery involves the Gentiles having equal standing with the Jews in the plans of God.
Ephesians 3:1
To make clear the hidden truth about the church to believers, Paul refers back to the oneness of Jews and Gentiles and the temple of which believers are now a part.
τούτου χάριν
“Because of God’s grace to you”
ὁ δέσμιος τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ
“the one whom Christ Jesus has put in prison”
Ephesians 3:2
τὴν οἰκονομίαν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῆς δοθείσης μοι εἰς ὑμᾶς
“the responsibility that God gave me to bring his grace to you”
Ephesians 3:3
κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν ἐγνωρίσθη μοι
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: “according to what God revealed to me” (See: Active or Passive)
καθὼς προέγραψα ἐν ὀλίγῳ
Paul refers to another letter he had written to these people.
Ephesians 3:5
ὃ ἑτέραις γενεαῖς οὐκ ἐγνωρίσθη τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: “God did not make these things known to people in the past” (See: Active or Passive)
ὡς νῦν ἀπεκαλύφθη…ἐν Πνεύματι
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: “But now the Spirit has revealed it” or “But now the Spirit has made it known” (See: Active or Passive)
τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις αὐτοῦ καὶ προφήταις
“the apostles and prophets whom God set apart to do this work”
Ephesians 3:6
εἶναι τὰ ἔθνη, συνκληρονόμα…διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου
This is the hidden truth Paul began to explain in the previous verse. The Gentiles who receive Christ also receive the same things as the Jewish believers.
σύνσωμα
The church is often referred to as the body of Christ. (See: Metaphor)
ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ
“In Christ Jesus” and similar expressions are metaphors that frequently occur in the New Testament letters. They express the strongest kind of relationship possible between Christ and those who believe in him.
διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου
Possible meanings are 1) because of the gospel the Gentiles are fellow sharers in the promise or 2) because of the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs and members of the body and fellow sharers in the promise.
Ephesians 3:8
ἀνεξιχνίαστον
unable to be completely known (See: Metaphor)
πλοῦτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ
Paul speaks of the truth about Christ and the blessings he brings as if they were material wealth. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 3:9
τοῦ μυστηρίου, τοῦ ἀποκεκρυμμένου ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων ἐν τῷ Θεῷ, τῷ τὰ πάντα κτίσαντι
This can be stated in active form. “God, who created all things, kept this plan hidden for long ages in the past” (See: Active or Passive)
Ephesians 3:10
γνωρισθῇ…ταῖς ἀρχαῖς καὶ ταῖς ἐξουσίαις ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις…ἡ πολυποίκιλος σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ
“God will make his great wisdom known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places through the Church”
ταῖς ἀρχαῖς καὶ ταῖς ἐξουσίαις
These words share similar meanings. Paul uses them together to emphasize that every spiritual being will know God’s wisdom. (See: Doublet)
ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις
“in the supernatural world.” The word “heavenly” refers to the place where God is. See how this is translated in Ephesians 1:3.
ἡ πολυποίκιλος σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ
God’s complex wisdom (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 3:11
κατὰ πρόθεσιν τῶν αἰώνων
“in keeping with the eternal plan” or “consistent with the eternal plan”
Ephesians 3:12
Paul praises God in his sufferings and prays for these Ephesian believers.
ἔχομεν τὴν παρρησίαν
“we are without fear” or “we have courage”
προσαγωγὴν ἐν πεποιθήσει
It may be helpful to state explicitly that this access is into God’s presence. Alternate translation: “access into God’s presence with confidence” or “freedom to enter into God’s presence with confidence” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
πεποιθήσει
“certainty” or “assurance”
Ephesians 3:13
ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, ἥτις ἐστὶν δόξα ὑμῶν
Here “your glory” is a metonym for the pride they should feel or will feel in the future kingdom. The Christians in Ephesus should be proud of what Paul is suffering in prison. This can be stated as a new sentence. Alternate translation: “for you. This is for your benefit” or “for you. You should be proud of this” (See: Metonymy)
Ephesians 3:14
τούτου χάριν
You may need to make explicit what the reason is. Alternate translation: “Because God has done all this for you” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
κάμπτω τὰ γόνατά μου πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα
Bowed knees are a picture of the whole person in an attitude of prayer. Alternate translation: “I bow down in prayer to the Father” or “I humbly pray to the Father” (See: Synecdoche)
Ephesians 3:15
ἐξ οὗ πᾶσα πατριὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ὀνομάζεται
The act of naming here probably also represents the act of creating. Alternate translation: “who created and named every family in heaven and on earth” (See: Active or Passive)
Ephesians 3:16
δῷ ὑμῖν κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, δυνάμει κραταιωθῆναι
“God, because he is so great and powerful, would allow you to become strong with his power”
δῷ
“would give”
Ephesians 3:17
Paul continues the prayer he began in Ephesians 3:14.
κατοικῆσαι τὸν Χριστὸν διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐρριζωμένοι καὶ τεθεμελιωμένοι
This is the second item for which Paul prays that God will “grant” the Ephesians “according to the riches of his glory.” The first is that they would “be strengthened” (Ephesians 3:16).
κατοικῆσαι τὸν Χριστὸν διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν
Here “heart” represents a person’s inner being, and “through” expresses the means by which Christ lives within the believer. Christ lives in the hearts of believers because God graciously allows them to have faith. Alternate translation: “that Christ may live within you because you trust in him” (See: Metonymy)
ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐρριζωμένοι καὶ τεθεμελιωμένοι
Paul speaks of their faith as if it were a tree that has deep roots or a house built on a solid foundation. Alternate translation: “that you will be like a firmly rooted tree and a building built on stone” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 3:18
ἵνα ἐξισχύσητε καταλαβέσθαι
These words can be combined with the words that begin with “faith, that you will be rooted and grounded in his love” in verse 17 in two ways. Possible meanings are 1) “faith. I pray that you will be rooted and grounded in his love so that you have strength and can understand” or 2) “faith so you will be rooted and grounded in his love. I also pray that you will have strength so you can understand”
καταλαβέσθαι
This is the second item for which Paul bends his knees and prays; the first is that God will grant that they be strengthened (Ephesians 3:16) and that Christ may live in their hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17). And “understand” is the first thing that Paul prays that the Ephesians themselves will be able to do.
πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις
“all believers in Christ” or “all the saints”
τὸ πλάτος, καὶ μῆκος, καὶ ὕψος, καὶ βάθος
Possible meanings are 1) these words describe the greatness of God’s wisdom, Alternate translation: “how very wise God is” or 2) these word describe the intensity of Christ’s love for us. Alternate translation: “how much Christ loves us” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 3:19
γνῶναί…ἀγάπην τοῦ Χριστοῦ
This is the second thing that Paul prays that the Ephesians will be able to do; the first is that they “understand.” Alternate translation: “that you can know how great Christ’s love for us is”
ἵνα πληρωθῆτε εἰς πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ Θεοῦ
This is the third item for which Paul bends his knees and prays (Ephesians 3:14). The first is that they would “be strengthened” (Ephesians 3:16), and the second is that they “can understand” (Ephesians 3:18).
Ephesians 3:20
The words “we” and “us” in this book continue to include Paul and all believers. (See: Inclusive and Exclusive “We”)
Paul concludes his prayer with a blessing.
τῷ δὲ
“Now to God, who”
ποιῆσαι ὑπέρ ἐκ περισσοῦ ὧν αἰτούμεθα ἢ νοοῦμεν
“to do much more than all that we ask or think” or “to do things that are much greater than all that we ask him for or think about”
Ephesians 4
Ephesians 04 General Notes
Structure and formatting
Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with verse 8, which is quoted from the Old Testament.
Special concepts in this chapter
Spiritual gifts
Spiritual gifts are specific supernatural abilities that the Holy Spirit gives to Christians after they come to believe in Jesus. These spiritual gifts were foundational to developing the church. Paul lists here only some of the spiritual gifts. (See: faith)
Unity
Paul considers it very important that the church is united. This is a major theme of this chapter.
Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter
Old man and new man
The term “old man” probably refers to the sinful nature with which a person is born. The “new man” is the new nature or new life that God gives a person after they come to believe in Christ.
Ephesians 4:1
Because of what Paul has been writing to the Ephesians, he tells them how they should live their lives as believers and again emphasizes that believers are to agree with each other.
ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ
“as someone who is in prison because of his choice to serve the Lord”
ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως
Walking is a common way to express the idea of living one’s life. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 4:2
μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ πραΰτητος
“to learn to be humble, gentle, and patient”
Ephesians 4:3
τηρεῖν τὴν ἑνότητα τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐν τῷ συνδέσμῳ τῆς εἰρήνης
Here Paul speaks of “peace” as if it were a bond that ties people together. This is a metaphor for being united with other people by living peacefully with them. Alternate translation: “to live peacefully with one another and remain united as the Spirit made possible” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 4:4
ἓν σῶμα
The church is often referred to as the body of Christ. (See: Metaphor)
ἓν Πνεῦμα
“only one Holy Spirit”
ἐκλήθητε ἐν μιᾷ ἐλπίδι τῆς κλήσεως ὑμῶν
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: “God called you to have one confident hope in your calling” or “there is one thing that God also chose you to be confident in and expect him to do” (See: Active or Passive)
Ephesians 4:6
Πατὴρ πάντων…ἐπὶ πάντων…διὰ πάντων…ἐν πᾶσιν
The word “all” here means “everything.”
Ephesians 4:7
The quote here is from a song that King David wrote.
Paul reminds believers of the gifts that Christ gives believers to use in the church, which is the whole body of believers.
ἑνὶ…κάστῳ ἡμῶν ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις
This can be stated using an active form. Alternate translation: “God has given grace to each one of us” or “God gave a gift to each believer” (See: Active or Passive)
Ephesians 4:8
ἀναβὰς εἰς ὕψος
“When Christ went up into heaven”
Ephesians 4:9
ἀνέβη
“Christ went up”
καὶ κατέβη
“Christ also came down”
εἰς τὰ κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς
Possible meanings are 1) the lower regions are a part of the earth or 2) “the lower regions” is another way of referring to the earth. Alternate translation: “into the lower regions, the earth”
Ephesians 4:10
ἵνα πληρώσῃ τὰ πάντα
“so that he might be present everywhere in his power”
πληρώσῃ
“complete” or “satisfy”
Ephesians 4:12
πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων
“to prepare the people he has set apart” or “to provide the believers with what they need”
εἰς ἔργον διακονίας
“so they can serve others”
εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ
Paul is speaking of people who grow spiritually as if they were doing exercises to increase the strength of their physical bodies. (See: Metaphor and Idiom)
οἰκοδομὴν
“improvement”
σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ
The “body of Christ” refers to all of the individual members of Christ’s Church.
Ephesians 4:13
καταντήσωμεν…εἰς τὴν ἑνότητα τῆς πίστεως, καὶ τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ
The believers need to know Jesus as the Son of God if they are to be united in faith and mature as believers.
καταντήσωμεν…εἰς τὴν ἑνότητα τῆς πίστεως
“become equally strong in faith” or “become united together in faith”
τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ
This is an important title for Jesus. (See: Translating Son and Father)
εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον
“become mature believers”
τέλειον
“fully developed” or “grown up” or “complete”
Ephesians 4:14
ὦμεν νήπιοι
Paul refers to believers who have not grown spiritually as if they were children who have had very little experience in life. Alternate translation: “be like children” (See: Metaphor)
κλυδωνιζόμενοι καὶ περιφερόμενοι παντὶ ἀνέμῳ τῆς διδασκαλίας
This speaks of a believer who has not become mature and follows wrong teaching as if that believer were a boat that the wind is blowing in different directions on the water. (See: Metaphor)
ἐν τῇ κυβίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐν πανουργίᾳ πρὸς τὴν μεθοδίαν τῆς πλάνης
“by crafty people who trick believers with clever lies”
Ephesians 4:15
εἰς αὐτὸν…ὅς ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλή
Paul uses the human body to describe how Christ causes believers to work together in harmony as the head of a body causes the body parts to work together to grow healthy. (See: Metaphor)
ἐν ἀγάπῃ
“as the members love one another”
Ephesians 4:16
ἐξ οὗ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα…τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ σώματος ποιεῖται εἰς οἰκοδομὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐν ἀγάπῃ
Paul uses the human body to describe how Christ causes believers to work together in harmony as the head of a body causes the body parts to work together to grow healthy. (See: Metaphor)
διὰ πάσης ἁφῆς τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας
A “ligament” is a strong band that connects bones or organs in place in the body.
Ephesians 4:17
Paul tells them what they should no longer do now that they as believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God.
τοῦτο οὖν λέγω καὶ μαρτύρομαι ἐν Κυρίῳ
“Because what I have just said, I will say something more to strongly encourage you because we all belong to the Lord”
μηκέτι ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν, καθὼς καὶ τὰ ἔθνη περιπατεῖ ἐν ματαιότητι τοῦ νοὸς αὐτῶν
“stop living like the Gentiles with their worthless thoughts”
Ephesians 4:18
ἐσκοτωμένοι τῇ διανοίᾳ
They no longer think or reason clearly. Alternate translation: “They have darkened their thoughts” or “They are not able to understand” (See: Metaphor and Active or Passive)
ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ, διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν τὴν οὖσαν ἐν αὐτοῖς
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: “Because they do not know God, they cannot live the way God wants his people to live” or “They have cut themselves off from the life of God by their ignorance” (See: Active or Passive)
ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι
“cut off” or “separated”
ἄγνοιαν
“lack of knowledge” or “lack of information”
διὰ τὴν πώρωσιν τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν
Here “hearts” is a metaphor for people’s minds. The phrase “hardness of their hearts” is a metaphor that means “stubbornness.” Alternate translation: “because they are stubborn” or “because they refuse to listen to God” (See: Metonymy and Metaphor)
Ephesians 4:19
ἑαυτοὺς παρέδωκαν τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ
Paul speaks of these people as if they were objects that they themselves were giving to other people, and he speaks of the way they want to satisfy their physical desires as if it were the person to whom they give themselves. Alternate translation: “only want to satisfy their physical desires” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 4:20
ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἐμάθετε τὸν Χριστόν
The word “that” refers to the way the Gentiles live, as described in Ephesians 4:17-19. This emphasizes that what the believers learned about Christ was the opposite of that. Alternate translation: “But what you learned about Christ was not like that”
Ephesians 4:21
εἴ γε αὐτὸν ἠκούσατε καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐδιδάχθητε
Paul knows that the Ephesians have heard and been taught. (See: Irony)
ἐν αὐτῷ ἐδιδάχθητε
Possible meanings are 1) “Jesus’ people have taught you” or 2) “someone has taught you because you are Jesus’ people.” (See: Active or Passive)
καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ
“as everything about Jesus is true”
Ephesians 4:22
ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν
Paul is speaking of moral qualities as if they were pieces of clothing. Alternate translation: “to stop living according to your former manner of life” (See: Metaphor)
ἀποθέσθαι…τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον
Paul is speaking of moral qualities as if they were pieces of clothing. Alternate translation: “to stop living as your former self did” (See: Metaphor)
τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον
The “old man” refers to the “old nature” or “former self.”
τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης
Paul speaks of the sinful human nature as if it were a dead body falling apart in its grave. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 4:23
ἀνανεοῦσθαι…τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ νοὸς ὑμῶν
This may be translated with an active form. Alternate translation: “to allow God to change your attitudes and thoughts” or “to allow God to give you new attitudes and thoughts” (See: Active or Passive)
Ephesians 4:24
ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ὁσιότητι τῆς ἀληθείας
“truly righteous and holy”
Ephesians 4:25
ἀποθέμενοι τὸ ψεῦδος
“stop telling lies”
ἐσμὲν ἀλλήλων μέλη
“we belong to one another” or “we are members of God’s family”
Ephesians 4:26
ὀργίζεσθε, καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε
“You may get angry, but do not sin” or “If you become angry, do not sin”
ὁ ἥλιος μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ἐπὶ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν
The sun going down represents nightfall, or the end of the day. Alternate translation: “You must stop being angry before night comes” or “Let go of your anger before the day ends” (See: Metonymy)
Ephesians 4:27
μηδὲ δίδοτε τόπον τῷ διαβόλῳ
“Do not give the devil an opportunity to lead you into sin”
Ephesians 4:29
λόγος σαπρὸς
This refers to speech that is cruel or rude.
πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν
“for encouraging others” or “for strengthening others”
τῆς χρείας, ἵνα δῷ χάριν τοῖς ἀκούουσιν
“their needs. In this way you will help those who hear you”
Ephesians 4:30
μὴ λυπεῖτε
“do not distress” or “do not upset”
ἐν ᾧ ἐσφραγίσθητε εἰς ἡμέραν ἀπολυτρώσεως
The Holy Spirit assures believers that God will redeem them. Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit as if he were a mark that God puts on believers to show that he owns them. Alternate translation: “for he is the seal that assures you that God will redeem you on the day of redemption” or “for he is the one who assures you that God will redeem you on the day of redemption” or (See: Metaphor and Active or Passive)
Ephesians 4:31
Paul finishes his instructions on what believers should not do and ends with what they must do.
πᾶσα πικρία, καὶ θυμὸς, καὶ ὀργὴ…ἀρθήτω
“Put away” here is a metaphor for not continuing to have certain attitudes or behaviors. Alternate translation: “You must not allow these things to be part of your life: bitterness, rage, anger” (See: Metaphor)
θυμὸς
intense anger
Ephesians 4:32
γίνεσθε…χρηστοί
“Instead, be kind”
εὔσπλαγχνοι
being gentle and compassionate towards others
Ephesians 5
Ephesians 05 General Notes
Structure and formatting
Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the words of verse 14.
Special concepts in this chapter
Inheritance of the kingdom of Christ
This is difficult to understand. Some scholars believe those who continue to practice these things will not inherit eternal life. But God can forgive all the sins listed in this verse. So immoral, impure, or greedy people can still receive eternal life if they repent and believe in Jesus. A more natural reading is “No person who is sexually immoral or indecent, or who is greedy (for this is the same as worshiping idols) will be among God’s people over whom Christ rules as king.” (UST) (See: forgive, forgiven, forgiveness, pardon, pardoned, eternity, everlasting, eternal, forever and life, live, living, alive and inherit, inheritance, heir)
Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter
Wives, submit to your husbands
Scholars are divided over how to understand this passage in its historical and cultural context. Some scholars believe men and women are perfectly equal in all things. Other scholars believe God created men and women to serve in distinctly different roles in marriage and the church. Translators should be careful not to let how they understand this issue affect how they translate this passage.
Ephesians 5:1
Paul continues to tell the believers how they should and should not live as God’s children.
γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ
“Therefore you should do what God does.” Therefore refers back to Ephesians 4:32 which tells why believers should imitate God, because Christ forgave believers.
ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητά
God desires us to imitate or follow him since we are his children. Alternate translation: “as dearly loved children imitate their fathers” or “because you are his children and he loves you dearly” (See: Simile)
Ephesians 5:2
περιπατεῖτε ἐν ἀγάπῃ
Walking is a common way to express the idea of living one’s life. Alternate translation: “live a life of love” or “always love each other” (See: Metaphor)
προσφορὰν καὶ θυσίαν τῷ Θεῷ εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας
“like a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God”
Ephesians 5:3
πορνεία δὲ, καὶ ἀκαθαρσία πᾶσα, ἢ πλεονεξία, μηδὲ ὀνομαζέσθω ἐν ὑμῖν
“Do not do anything that would let anyone think that you are guilty of sexual immorality or any kind of impurity or greed”
ἀκαθαρσία πᾶσα
“any moral uncleanness”
Ephesians 5:4
ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εὐχαριστία
“Instead you should thank God”
Ephesians 5:5
κληρονομίαν
Receiving what God has promised believers is spoken of as if it were inheriting property and wealth from a family member. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 5:6
κενοῖς λόγοις
words that have no truth to them
Ephesians 5:8
ἦτε γάρ ποτε σκότος
Just as one cannot see in the dark, so people who love to sin lack spiritual understanding. (See: Metaphor)
νῦν δὲ φῶς ἐν Κυρίῳ
Just as one can see in the light, so people whom God has saved understand how to please God. (See: Metaphor)
ὡς τέκνα φωτὸς περιπατεῖτε
Walking on a path is a metaphor for how a person lives his life. Alternate translation: “Live as people who understand what the Lord wants them to do” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 5:9
ὁ…καρπὸς τοῦ φωτὸς ἐν πάσῃ ἀγαθωσύνῃ, καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ ἀληθείᾳ
“Fruit” here is a metaphor for “result” or “outcome.” Alternate translation: “the result of living in the light is good work, right living, and truthful behavior” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 5:11
μὴ συνκοινωνεῖτε τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς ἀκάρποις τοῦ σκότους
Paul speaks of the useless, sinful things that unbelievers do as if they are evil deeds people do in the dark so no one will see them. Alternate translation: “Do not do useless, sinful things with unbelievers” (See: Metaphor)
ἔργοις τοῖς ἀκάρποις
actions that do nothing good, useful, or profitable. Paul is comparing evil actions to an unhealthy tree that produces nothing good. (See: Metaphor)
ἐλέγχετε
Speaking against the works of darkness is spoken of as bringing them out into the light so that people can see them. Alternate translation: “bring them out into the light” or “uncover them” or “show and tell people how wrong these actions are” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 5:13
It is unknown if this quotation is a combination of quotations from the prophet Isaiah or a quotation from a hymn sung by the believers.
πᾶν…τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστιν
“people can clearly see everything that comes into the light.” Paul makes this general statement in order to imply that God’s Word shows people’s actions to be good or bad. The Bible often speaks of God’s truth as if it were light that could reveal the character of something. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 5:14
ἔγειρε, ὁ καθεύδων, καὶ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν
Possible meanings are 1) Paul is addressing unbelievers who need to wake up from being dead spiritually just as a person who has died must come alive again in order to respond, or 2) Paul is addressing the Ephesian believers and using death as a metaphor for their spiritual weakness. (See: Apostrophe and Metaphor)
ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν
From among all those who have died. This expression describes all dead people together in the underworld. To arise from among them speaks of becoming alive again.
ὁ καθεύδων…ἐπιφαύσει σοι
These instances of “you” refer to the “sleeper” and are singular. (See: Forms of You)
ἐπιφαύσει σοι ὁ Χριστός
Christ will enable an unbeliever to understand how evil his deeds are and how Christ will forgive him and give him new life, just as light shows what actually is there that darkness hid. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 5:15
βλέπετε…ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατεῖτε, μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι, ἀλλ’ ὡς σοφοί
Unwise people do not guard themselves against sin. Wise people, however, can identify sin and flee from it. Alternate translation: “Therefore you must be careful to live as a wise person rather than a foolish person” (See: Double Negatives and Parallelism)
Ephesians 5:16
ἐξαγοραζόμενοι τὸν καιρόν
Using time wisely is spoken of as if it were redeeming the time. Alternate translation: “Do the best things you can with your time” or “Use time wisely” or “Put time to its best use” (See: Metaphor)
ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί εἰσιν
The word “days” is a metonym for what people do during those days. Alternate translation: “because the people around you are doing all kinds of evil things” (See: Metonymy)
Ephesians 5:18
Paul ends his instructions on how all believers should live.
καὶ μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ
“You should not get drunk from drinking wine”
ἀλλὰ πληροῦσθε ἐν Πνεύματι
“Instead, you should be controlled with the Holy Spirit”
Ephesians 5:19
ψαλμοῖς, καὶ ὕμνοις, καὶ ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς
Possible meanings are that 1) Paul is using these words as a merism for “all sorts of songs to praise God” or 2) Paul is listing specific forms of music. (See: Merism)
ψαλμοῖς
These are probably songs from the Old Testament book of Psalms that Christians sang.
ὕμνοις
These are songs of praise and worship that may have been written specifically for Christians to sing.
ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς
Possible meanings are 1) these are songs that Holy Spirit inspires a person to sing right at that moment or 2) “spiritual songs” and “hymns” are doublets and mean basically the same thing. (See: Doublet)
τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν
Here “heart” is a metonym for a person’s thoughts or inner being. The phrase “with all your heart” means to do something with enthusiasm. Alternate translation: “with all of your being” or “enthusiastically” (See: Metonymy)
Ephesians 5:20
ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
“because you belong to our Lord Jesus Christ” or “as people who belong to our Lord Jesus Christ”
Ephesians 5:22
Paul begins to explain how Christians are to submit themselves to one another (Ephesians 5:21). He starts with instructions to wives and husbands on how they should act toward each other.
Ephesians 5:23
κεφαλὴ τῆς γυναικὸς…κεφαλὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας
The word “head” represents the leader. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 5:25
Here the words “himself” and “he” refer to Christ. The word “her” refers to the church.
ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας
Here “love” refers to unselfish serving or giving love to wives.
ἑαυτὸν παρέδωκεν
“allowed people to kill him”
ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς
Paul speaks of the assembly of believers as though it were a woman whom Jesus will marry. Alternate translation: “for us” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 5:26
καθαρίσας τῷ λουτρῷ τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι
Possible meanings are 1) Paul is referring to God making Christ’s people clean by God’s word and through water baptism in Christ or 2) Paul speaks of God making us spiritually clean from our sins by the message as if God were making our bodies clean by washing them with water. (See: Metaphor)
αὐτὴν ἁγιάσῃ, καθαρίσας
Paul speaks of the assembly of believers as though it were a woman whom Jesus will marry. Alternate translation: “make us holy…cleansed us” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 5:27
μὴ ἔχουσαν σπίλον, ἢ ῥυτίδα
Paul speaks of the church as though it were a garment that is clean and in good condition. He uses the same idea in two ways to emphasize the church’s purity. (See: Metaphor and Doublet)
ἁγία καὶ ἄμωμος
The phrase “without fault” means basically the same thing as “holy.” Paul uses the two together to emphasize the church’s purity. (See: Doublet)
Ephesians 5:28
ὡς τὰ ἑαυτῶν σώματα
That people love their own bodies may be stated explicitly. Alternate translation: “as husbands love their own bodies” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Ephesians 5:29
ἀλλὰ ἐκτρέφει
“but feeds”
Ephesians 5:30
μέλη ἐσμὲν τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ
Here Paul speaks of the close union of believers with Christ as if they were part of his own body, for which he would naturally care. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 5:31
The quotation is from the writings of Moses in the Old Testament.
The words “his” and “himself” refer to a male believer who marries.
Ephesians 6
Ephesians 06 General Notes
Special concepts in this chapter
Slavery
Paul does not write in this chapter about whether slavery is good or bad. Paul teaches about working to please God whether as a slave or as a master. What Paul teaches here about slavery would have been surprising. In his time, masters were not expected to treat their slaves with respect and not threaten them.
Important figures of speech in this chapter
Armor of God
This extended metaphor describes how Christians can protect themselves when spiritually attacked. (See: spirit, spiritual and Metaphor)
Ephesians 6:1
The first word “your” is plural. Then Paul quotes Moses. Moses was talking to the people of Israel as though they were one person, so “your” and “you” are singular. You may need to translate them as plurals. (See: Forms of You)
Paul continues to explain how Christians are to submit themselves to each other. He gives instructions to children, fathers, workers, and masters.
τὰ τέκνα, ὑπακούετε τοῖς γονεῦσιν ὑμῶν ἐν Κυρίῳ
Paul reminds children to obey their physical parents.
Ephesians 6:4
μὴ παροργίζετε τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν
“do not make your children angry” or “do not cause your children to be angry”
ἐκτρέφετε αὐτὰ ἐν παιδείᾳ καὶ νουθεσίᾳ Κυρίου
The abstract nouns “discipline” and “instruction” can be expressed as verbs. Alternate translation: “teach them to become adults by making sure that they know and do what the Lord wants them to do” (See: Abstract Nouns)
Ephesians 6:5
ὑπακούετε
“obey.” This is a command.
φόβου καὶ τρόμου
The phrase “deep respect and trembling” uses two similar ideas to emphasize the importance of honoring their masters. (See: Doublet and Idiom)
καὶ τρόμου
Here “trembling” is an exaggeration used to emphasize how important it is that slaves obey their masters. Alternate translation: “and fear” or “as though you were shaking with fear” (See: Hyperbole)
ἐν ἁπλότητι τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν
Here “heart” is a metonym for a person’s mind or intentions. Alternate translation: “with honesty” or “with sincerity” (See: Metonymy)
Ephesians 6:6
ὡς δοῦλοι Χριστοῦ
Serve your earthly master as though your earthly master were Christ himself.
ἐκ ψυχῆς
Here “heart” is a metonym for “thoughts” or “intentions.” Alternate translation: “with sincerity” or “enthusiastically” (See: Metonymy)
Ephesians 6:7
μετ’ εὐνοίας δουλεύοντες
Here “heart” is a metonym for “thoughts” or “inner being.” Alternate translation: “Serve with all of your being” or “Be completely dedicated when you serve” (See: Metonymy)
Ephesians 6:9
τὰ αὐτὰ ποιεῖτε πρὸς αὐτούς
“you also must treat your slaves well” or “just as slaves must do good to their masters, you also must do good to your slaves” (Ephesians 6:5)
εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ αὐτῶν καὶ ὑμῶν ὁ Κύριός ἐστιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς
“You know that Christ is the Master of both slaves and their masters, and that he is in heaven”
προσωπολημψία οὐκ ἔστιν παρ’ αὐτῷ
“he judges everyone the same way”
Ephesians 6:10
Paul gives instructions to make believers strong in this battle we live for God.
τῷ κράτει τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ
“his great power.” See how “the strength of his power” is translated near the end of Ephesians 1:21.
Ephesians 6:11
ἐνδύσασθε τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, πρὸς τὸ δύνασθαι ὑμᾶς στῆναι πρὸς τὰς μεθοδίας τοῦ διαβόλου
Christians should use all the resources God gives to stand firmly against the devil just as a soldier puts on armor to protect himself from enemy attacks. (See: Metaphor)
τὰς μεθοδίας
“the tricky plans”
Ephesians 6:12
αἷμα καὶ σάρκα
This expression refers to people, not spirits who do not have human bodies. (See: Synecdoche)
πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου
Here it is implied that “the powers” refers to powerful spiritual beings. Here “darkness” is a metaphor for things that are evil. Alternate translation: “against the powerful spiritual beings that rule over people during this present evil time” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information and Metaphor)
Ephesians 6:13
διὰ τοῦτο, ἀναλάβετε τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ
Christians should use the protective resources God gives them in fighting the devil in the same way a soldier puts on armor to protect himself against his enemies. (See: Metaphor)
ἵνα δυνηθῆτε ἀντιστῆναι ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ πονηρᾷ
The words “stand firm” represent successfully resisting or fighting something. Alternate translation: “so that you may be able to resist evil” (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 6:14
στῆτε οὖν
The words “stand” represents successfully resisting or fighting something. See how you translated “stand firm” in Ephesians 6:13. “So resist evil” (See: Metaphor)
τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ
Truth holds everything together for a believer just as a belt holds the clothing of a soldier together. (See: Metaphor)
ἀληθείᾳ…δικαιοσύνης
We are to know the truth and act in ways that please God.
τὸν θώρακα τῆς δικαιοσύνης
Possible meanings are 1) the gift of righteousness covers a believer’s heart just as a breastplate protects the chest of a soldier or 2) our living as God wants us, gives us a clear conscience that protects our hearts the way a breastplate protects a soldier’s chest. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 6:15
καὶ ὑποδησάμενοι τοὺς πόδας ἐν ἑτοιμασίᾳ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τῆς εἰρήνης
Just as a soldier wears shoes to give him solid footing, the believer must have solid knowledge of the gospel of peace in order to be ready to proclaim it. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 6:16
ἐν πᾶσιν ἀναλαβόντες τὸν θυρεὸν τῆς πίστεως
The believer must use the faith that God gives for protection when the devil attacks, just as a soldier uses a shield to protect him from enemy attacks. (See: Metaphor)
τὰ βέλη τοῦ πονηροῦ πεπυρωμένα
The attacks of the devil against a believer are like flaming arrows shot at a soldier by an enemy. (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 6:17
τὴν περικεφαλαίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου δέξασθε
Salvation given by God protects the believer’s mind just as a helmet protects the head of a soldier. (See: Metaphor)
τὴν…μάχαιραν τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ῥῆμα Θεοῦ
The writer speaks of God’s instructions to his people as if they were a sword that his people could use to fight an enemy, (See: Metaphor)
Ephesians 6:18
διὰ πάσης προσευχῆς καὶ δεήσεως, προσευχόμενοι ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ἐν Πνεύματι
“Pray at all times in the Spirit as you pray and make specific requests”
εἰς αὐτὸ
“For this reason” or “Keeping this in mind.” This refers to the attitude of taking God’s armor.
ἀγρυπνοῦντες ἐν πάσῃ προσκαρτερήσει καὶ δεήσει περὶ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων
“persevere in being alert, and pray for all God’s holy people” or “pray with constant alertness for all the believers”
Ephesians 6:19
In his closing, Paul asks them to pray for his boldness in telling the gospel while he is in prison and says he is sending Tychicus to comfort them.
ἵνα μοι δοθῇ λόγος
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: “that God might give me the word” or “God might give me the message” (See: Active or Passive)
ἐν ἀνοίξει τοῦ στόματός μου, ἐν παρρησίᾳ γνωρίσαι
“when I speak. Pray that I boldly explain”
ἀνοίξει τοῦ στόματός μου
This is a metonym for speaking. Alternate translation: “speak” (See: Idiom)
Ephesians 6:20
ὑπὲρ οὗ πρεσβεύω ἐν ἁλύσει
The words “in chains” are a metonym for being in prison. Alternate translation: “I am now in prison because I am a representative of the gospel” (See: Metonymy)
ἵνα ἐν αὐτῷ παρρησιάσωμαι, ὡς δεῖ με λαλῆσαι
The word “pray” is understood from verse 19. Alternate translation: “so pray that whenever I teach the gospel, I will speak it as boldly as I should” or “pray that I may speak the gospel as boldly as I should” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Ephesians 6:21
Τυχικὸς
Tychicus was one of several men who served with Paul. (See: How to Translate Names)
Ephesians 6:22
ἵνα…παρακαλέσῃ τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν
Here “hearts” is a metonym for people’s inner beings. Alternate translation: “so that he may encourage you” (See: Metonymy)
Ephesians 6:23
Paul closes his letter to the Ephesian believers with a blessing of peace and grace on all believers who love Christ.