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Blessed in Christ - An exposition of the letter to the Ephesians

Ephesians (Chapter 6)

Published since 04. Dec. 2024
Bible passages:
Ephesians 6
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Family and society (chapter 6:1-9)

At the beginning of chapter 6, Paul concludes his exhortations on the believer's way of life with important advice on life in the family and society. 

Children and parents

It is very encouraging for Christian parents that Paul includes the children in his teachings and exhortations without raising the question of whether they have already been converted. Did not the Lord Jesus also say: "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: For of such is the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:14)? Furthermore, we read in some places that God sees not only the individual person but also "his house." Joshua already vowed: "I and my house will serve the Lord" (Josh 24:15). Paul and Silas called out to the jailer in Philippi: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved" (Acts 16:31). Of course, no child can be saved by the faith of his parents; every person must personally turn to the Lord Jesus. But it is a great encouragement for parents to see how their children are regarded by God, at least outwardly, as belonging to the 'holy' circle of the Christian family, not to the world whose prince and god is Satan (cf. 1 Cor 7:14). The Word of God teaches us in many places that normally the holy is desecrated by something unholy. In this exceptional case, it is the other way round: Christian marriage exerts a sanctifying influence on the children based on God's grace!

Verse 1: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."

The children of believing parents, therefore, also have a responsibility from the very beginning - naturally, according to the extent of their growing understanding. According to God's Word, obedience is the most important thing for them. The natural love between children and parents is a wonderful thing, and its absence, like disobedience to parents, is a sign of the last days (2 Tim. 3:2f.). But the children are not asked to love their parents, but to obey them "in the Lord." The Lord Jesus is also the perfect example here. As a child, He was "subject" to His parents, but when it came to the things of His Father, He remained alone in Jerusalem without asking for their consent (Luke 2:41-52). The words "in the Lord" are, therefore, to be understood as both an encouragement and a restriction (cf. chapter 5:22). 

Verses 2 and 3: "Honor your father and mother," which is [the] first commandment with a promise, "that it may go well with you and that you may live long on the earth."

If God already placed such great emphasis on the obedience of children to their parents among His earthly people, Israel, that the command: "Honor your father and mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God is giving you" was included as the fifth commandment in the Law of Sinai (Ex 20:12; cf. Deut 5:16), how much more should children today give their believing parents the recognition and honor they deserve! Honoring father and mother means more than obeying them. The latter applies to children during their upbringing in the parental home; the former goes beyond the death of their parents.

The parenthesis ("which is the first commandment with a promise") points to the importance of this commandment, the observance of which has special significance for children. The second commandment already contains a promise ("who shows kindness to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments," Ex 20:6), but this is of primary importance for children. 

The promise of a long life given in the Law of Sinai did not refer to the earth in general but to the land of Canaan, into which the Lord God of Israel had brought His people out of Egypt. One of the consequences of obedience to His commandments was to enjoy the wealth and blessings bestowed by God in this land for as long and as extensively as possible (cf. Deut 28:1-14). That Paul quotes this commandment in this letter is probably because of the spiritual significance of the land of Canaan, whose New Testament counterpart is the heavenly places only mentioned in Ephesians. This is where all our spiritual blessings are located, where we have already been transferred to in Christ, and where the spiritual powers of wickedness against which we have to fight are also located (chapter 1:3; 2:6; 6:12). Just as the obedient Israelite was able to prolong his days in the land that the Lord had given him, the Christian who honors his parents can already enjoy the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places abundantly and in a special way during his life on earth. So, even in the present time of grace, the enjoyment of our blessings depends on our obedience.

Verse 4: "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord."

Fathers should not alienate their children through severity but should treat them with heartfelt love and thereby gain an influence on their tender hearts that forms a strong protection against the evil in the world. On the other hand, how easily fathers can abuse their authority and superiority and treat their children unjustly or provoke them to anger through capriciousness! They are warned of this danger. 

But then they are called upon to bring up their children according to the position in which God has placed them, in the discipline and admonition of the Lord.[1] Even if these tasks are increasingly at odds with prevailing opinion and even legislation, the Lord will not withhold His blessing. However, if believing parents allow their children to grow up without restraint and excuse themselves by saying that they are powerless and cannot convert the children, they are not fulfilling their educational responsibility. Of course, every child must decide for themselves whether they want to follow the loving call of the Savior or not, but what father or parent wants to stand in the way of their children's development through poor parenting?

Servants and masters

One of the causes of evil in the world is man's self-will, which opposes God. Instead of submitting to God, mankind has turned away from Him. Submission and obedience are, therefore, healing principles, but only if God is at the center. A father or a boss may have to give orders, but woe to him if he himself does not act in obedience to his God and Father! Our Lord is always the shining example, who said: "Behold, I come ... to do your will, O God" (Heb 10:7). When we as children of God "submit to one another in the fear of Christ" (Heb. 5:21), then we reveal the characteristics of true Christianity, and spiritual order in the assembly will be the result. 

Verses 5 to 8: "Servants obey your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, serving with good will, as to the Lord and not [to] men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive it from the Lord, whether slave or free."

Slavery was widespread in antiquity. The slave (Greek: doulos) was on the lowest rung of the social ladder. According to Roman law, slaves were not regarded as persons but as things and were the unrestricted property of their owners. However, in practice, there were also cases where educated slaves occupied a very privileged position in the family of their masters. In any case, slavery is a consequence of sin and stands in stark contrast to the thoughts of God, who created man in His image and likeness (Gen 1:26). Under no circumstances is it in accordance with His will that a person should set himself up as the owner of another fellow human being. 

Obviously, many slaves came to believe in the Lord Jesus in the early days of the preaching of the gospel. The passages in the letters of the New Testament in which believing slaves are mentioned or addressed bear witness to this (1 Cor 7:21-24; 12:13; Gal 3:28; Col 3:11, 22-25; 1 Tim 6:1, 2; Tit 2:9, 10; Phlm 16). However, they are never asked to rebel against their lot or to cast off the yoke imposed on them by force.[2] The Lord has not called His own to change the conditions in the world, but their task is to shine like "heavenly lights" in the midst of this "perverse and perverted generation" and to represent the "Word of life" (Phil 2:15).

By applying this principle to their often pitiful situation, slaves are placed on a very high level. They should obey their human masters with all due subordination, but at the same time they must be aware of the fact that they are doing it for Christ, their highest Lord! Their eyes must be fixed on Him in all their activities, not on people. Their obedience should be genuine ("in simplicity of heart"); they should not only work diligently when they are being watched to impress others ("not with obeisance, as pleasing men") but for Christ Himself. This gives every laborious work a completely different character. It is not the will of the human 'boss' that is in the foreground, but the will of God! The Lord holds out the prospect of a reward, the measure of which is determined by Him according to the faithfulness shown and without any regard to the person. When the faithful appear before the judgment seat of Christ, there will be no punishment, for He bore it once and for all on the cross. Only the good that His own have done in their life of faith will be rewarded by Him there (cf. 1 Cor 4:5).

Even if circumstances in the world of work are completely different today, the principles we have just looked at still apply and should serve to instruct and encourage every employee. We have a kind and gracious Lord for whom we may and should do our daily work.

Verse 9: "And you masters, do the same against them and refrain from threatening, knowing that both you and your Lord are in the heavens and that with him there is no respect of persons."

The masters or owners of the slaves are also admonished to be aware of the fact that they have a master in heaven to whom they must give an account for their actions. Before Him, there is no difference between "masters" and "servants"; both are equal before Him. Whoever considers this will treat his servant as he himself would like to be treated by his master, who is in heaven. The Word of God is perfect, and when we apply it to the circumstances of life, everything becomes simple and clear. If both master and servant - employer and employee - fill their place as God's Word tells them to, most problems and disputes will be avoided. May the Lord give all concerned the grace to do so. How beautiful and lovely it is when heavenly principles guide and characterize the earthly lives of believers!

Spiritual warfare (chapter 6:10-20)

No other letter in the New Testament unfolds the heavenly position and the heavenly blessings of Christians and the assembly as a whole as gloriously and clearly as the letter to the Ephesians. We have seen that not only Christ has His place in the heavenly places (chapter 1:20), but also every believer (chapter 2:6); all our blessings are waiting there (chapter 1:3), and the testimony of the assembly also corresponds to this (chapter 3:10). But there are also enemies: the principalities, the powers, the world rulers of this darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. The higher the position we occupy, the more cunning the enemy is who opposes us, and the more difficult the battle against him.

Verse 10: "For the rest, brothers, be strong in [the] Lord and in the power of his might."

Satan cannot rob us of spiritual blessings, but he can rob us of their enjoyment and pleasure. Nor do we need to fight to take possession of the blessings because they have been acquired for us through the work of redemption. Unlike the people of Israel in the land of Canaan, we are therefore not called upon to fight but to seek our strength in the Lord and in the power of His might. For this reason, the weapons mentioned below are mostly not weapons of attack but means of protection.

Our God and Father knows that we have no power of resistance in ourselves. That is why the power of the Lord and the might of His strength are available to us. We may often feel weak and incapable, but the apostle reminds us with these words of the "exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of the might of His strength, in which He worked in Christ by raising Him from the dead" (chapter 1:19, 20), as well as his second prayer, in which he pleads for the Ephesians "to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man according to the riches of His glory" (chapter 3:16).

Verse 11: "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

He also shows us the spiritual armor with which we can stand against the wiles of the devil. This armor corresponds to the customs of the time and has little in common with today's battle uniforms. First of all, it says: "Put on the whole armor of God" (cf. verse 11). If someone in those days had gone into battle without a shield or helmet, he would have been considered very reckless because he was deliberately putting his life at risk. We also need the whole armor of God, not just part of it. It should also be noted that it is the armor of God. Our own resources cannot help us.

The cross may have broken Satan's power, but his wiles are perhaps even more dangerous than his power. Even though he has fallen as the prince of angels, he is superior to us humans in many respects. One of his greatest tricks is to present himself in such a way that he is no longer taken seriously by many people. This allows him to operate with even greater impunity. To uncover his cunning, we should ask ourselves, with everything that comes our way, whether it takes us away from obedience to God. If so, then let us reject it, no matter what it is. That is why obedience is the best antidote. Obedience gives us strength, but it is "the power of His might," the power of God, that works through us (cf. chapters 1:19; 3:16).

Satan attacks us at our weakest points, which he usually knows better than we do. He uses great cunning to attack our flesh to bring us down. In this way, he tries to deprive us of the practical enjoyment of spiritual blessings. This enjoyment, this joy, is directly dependent on our practical life on earth. If the enemy of the soul succeeds in bringing us down in our daily lives, we cannot possibly enjoy the blessings. However, if we live practically in accordance with God's thoughts, we can also enjoy the spiritual blessings bestowed on us in the heavenly places undisturbed.

Verse 12: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against world rulers of this darkness, against spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]."

When the children of Israel entered the land of Canaan, the battles began against human enemies who wanted to dispute the possession given to them by God. However, the Christian battle of faith is not directed against flesh and blood, i.e., not against people. Nor do we have to fight against the flesh within us, the 'old nature.' We see this battle - if we can call it that - in Galatians 5:17, where we are not asked to fight but are taught that we are victors if we walk in the Spirit. The battle of the gospel (Phil 4:3), like that in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, is also different from the one described here because it is about the battle to spread the good news in the world and to preserve the truth among believers, against which Satan directs his resistance. 

The enemies we face are much more powerful and cunning than those with whom the people of Israel had to contend in Canaan. We are dealing with Satan and his minions. These are called "principalities" and "powers" here because they are extremely powerful (cf. Ch 2:2; Col 2:15). They are also the "world rulers of this darkness" because they rule the entire realm of the world, which stands in contrast to God, who is "light" (1 John 1:7). 

The "spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" referred to here are the angels who fell with Satan because of his arrogance (see 1 Tim 3:6; cf. Mt 25:41). They stand in complete contrast to the "elect" angels who did not fall (1 Tim 5:21). Since the angels were created as spiritual, not material creatures, their actual realm is not the visible but the invisible creation, i.e., the heavenly places. This applies to both the unfallen and the fallen angels. As we know from various passages in the Word of God, Satan still has access to God's throne (Job 1; Rev 12,10). 

The armor of God

Verse 13: "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

We should not only put on the whole armor of God when danger is imminent; then, it is usually too late. We must always wear it to "withstand in the evil day" and, after we have prepared everything, to "stand." The "evil day" is not a specific moment but refers to the whole time from the rejection of Christ until His return.

The armor of God consists of seven parts. We are, therefore, fully equipped to resist Satan's attacks. We can divide them into three groups:

  1. The characteristics of the practical state and change of the believer
    • the belt of truth
    • the breastplate of justice
    • being shod in the feet for the readiness of the gospel of peace
  2. Practical trust in God:
    • the shield of faith
    • the helmet of salvation
  3. The fundamental sources of strength of the Christian:
    • the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God
    • prayer.

First and foremost are the things that relate to our practical state and our walk. If we are not armed in this respect, Satan has an easy game with us. God cannot then occupy us with heavenly things but must bring us to repentance through His Spirit. Let us, therefore, be careful that the devil does not succeed in leading us away from our heavenly part by bringing us down in our earthly walk!

Verses 14 and 15: "Stand therefore, having your loins girded with truth and clothed with the breastplate of righteousness, and having your feet shod with [the] readiness of the gospel of peace"

  1. "Gird your loins with truth." - In God's Word, the loins are an image of outer and inner strength (cf. 1 Kings 12:10; Job 40:16; Nah 2:2), but also of our inner state (Ps 66:11; Nah 2:10). The girdle, which held together and tightened the flowing ancient oriental clothing, is often mentioned in connection with the loins (Prov 31:17; Job 40:7; Isa 11:5; Dan 10:5; Lk 12:35; 1 Pet 1:13 etc.). Our inner strength should, therefore, be girded, that is, held together and controlled by truth. Truth is the revelation of everything as God sees it. Only the Lord Jesus could say: "I am ... the truth" (Jn 14:6). But the Holy Spirit is also the truth, as is the Word of God (1 John 5:6; John 17:17). This truth protects us from all indifference and slackness of spirit. However, this is not just about knowing biblical truth but about truth and sincerity prevailing in our practical lives. When the Jews asked the Lord Jesus who He was, He replied: "By all means what I also speak to you" (John 8:25); that is, His words presented Him as who He was: the truth. Is it the case with us that we do not speak differently than we think and that our words are true in everything? That they bear witness to the truth of God's Word, but also to sincerity and honesty? How easily it happens that we are not girded with truth in our dealings with our relatives, our brothers and sisters in faith, and unbelieving fellow human beings! If our thoughts and feelings are not ordered and guided by the truth, then we cannot stand our ground in any spiritual battle. Therefore, let us make sure that our loins are always girded with truth!
  2. "Clothed with the breastplate of righteousness." - The breast is the seat of the heart, the image of our affections and will. Our decisions are made in the heart. "Guard your heart more than all that is to be guarded, for from it are the exits of life" (Prov 4:23). This protection is provided by the breastplate of righteousness. Before God, the Lord Jesus is our perfect righteousness (1 Cor 1:30). Through it, we have perfect peace with God. But there is something else we need in the face of the devil's attacks, namely practical righteousness. It gives everyone their due. How easily we fail in the area of practical justice! Even the slightest unfaithfulness in daily life, e.g., at work, counts as such. Our conscience must be clear and free in this respect so that we do not have to constantly deal with ourselves and confess our transgressions. Let us be careful to walk our way in practical righteousness so that neither our conscience nor men can accuse us, and we are free to occupy ourselves with our heavenly part and rejoice in fellowship with our Lord!
  3. "Shod in the feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace." - If we have peace with God and our hearts are filled with the peace of God through practical fellowship with Him, then our feet can be shod with the readiness of the gospel of peace. We may always radiate this inner peace, which can attract our fellow human beings and lead them to the Savior. This also means that we should not willingly place ourselves in situations or places where we cannot have this readiness of the gospel of peace, where we would be ashamed if the Lord found us there. May we always be ready to carry out the gospel of peace! Paul writes to the Romans with a quote from the prophet Isaiah: "How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim the gospel of good" (Romans 10:15).

Verses 16 and 17a: "Having taken over [all] this the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the evil one. Take also the helmet of salvation."

  • "Having taken the shield of faith over all these things." - This brings us to the second group of the armor of God; it is the practical trust in our God in our life of faith. The shield of faith, with which we can extinguish all the fiery darts of the evil one, is mentioned first. In the New Testament, the word "shield" only occurs here, whereas in the Old Testament, it is used more often, also in a figurative sense. There it is often God Himself who refers to Himself as a shield (cf. Gen 15:1; Deut 33:29). If He was a shield to everyone who trusted in Him back then, how much more so today when we can exclaim with Paul: "If God is for us, who is against us?" (Rom 8:31). The shield of faith is firm trust in our God and Father. We have been justified by faith, and in faith we stand. Without daily practical trust in Him, we are helpless and defenseless against Satan's flaming arrows. That is why it is so important that we also take up the shield of faith "over all this," that is, in addition to the first three pieces of spiritual armor. The fiery darts of the evil one are primarily doubts: doubts about the love and goodness of God in our lives, as with Job's wife, doubts about the truth of God's Word, as with Eve, and so on. They can only be extinguished and rendered harmless through unshakeable trust in our God and Father. 
  • "Take also the helmet of salvation." - The last part of the armor that serves as a defense is the helmet of salvation. Instead of the Word usually used for "salvation" or "deliverance" in the New Testament (Greek: soteria), we find here another form of the same root word (Greek: soterion), which occurs in three other places (Luke 2:30; 3:6; Acts 28:28); it is actually an adjective meaning "saving, bringing salvation." We also find the word "helmet" in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 ("as a helmet with the hope of salvation"). The fact that this part of the armor appears twice in the New Testament already shows how important it is. The head is the most sublime part of the body, which is protected by the helmet. If the shield of faith is the confidence in what God is for us every day, the helmet of salvation is the confidence in what He has done for us. It is the assurance of salvation based on the work of the Lord Jesus. A child of God can know with absolute certainty that nothing and no one can snatch him or her out of the hand of Christ and the Father (John 10:28, 29; Romans 8:16, 31-39; Ephesians 1:13, 14; 1 Peter 1:9). Perhaps a believer who has not been saved for long cannot find the right answers to all questions and arguments. But he need not doubt the certainty of his salvation. 

Verses 17b to 19: "And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying at all times with all prayer and supplication in [the] Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, and for me, that speech may be given me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel"

  • "And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." - The third group within the armor includes the two most important sources of strength for the Christian: the Word of God and prayer. In the sixth part, we have the only real weapon, the sword, which we can use both for defense and attack. Hebrews 4:12 and 13 says of the Word of God in its application to ourselves that it is "living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, both of joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart; and no creature is invisible before it, but all things are naked and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do." In Revelation 1,16, the Word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord Jesus is seen in the image of a sharp, two-edged sword (cf. Rev 19,15). Here, it is the sword of the Spirit because the Holy Spirit inspired it, and it can only be understood with His help (1 Cor 2:13; 2 Pet 1:21). Is it not significant that the Word of God is named as the only real weapon in the battle against Satan? The Lord Jesus fought with this weapon when the devil tempted him, by saying three times: "It is written," and then quoting a verse from the Word of God each time (Mt 4:4, 7, 10). To be able to use this weapon, we must, of course, know the Word of God (cf. 2 Tim 3:15). Fellowship with God is the indispensable prerequisite both for learning about and for the practical application of Holy Scripture. It is very dangerous for our souls if we read or apply God's Word apart from fellowship with Him.
  • "Praying at all times with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit." - Prayer is mentioned as the last part of the armor, even if it is not explicitly referred to as such. Not only here but also in other places, it is mentioned directly together with the Word of God (Luke 10:38-11:13; Acts 6:4; Heb 4:12-16). God speaks to us through His Word, and we speak to Him in prayer. We need prayer in our spiritual life just as much as we need air to breathe in our natural life. We can bring difficulties and needs before God in prayer, as Hezekiah did with the letter from his enemies (2 Kings 19:14); at the same time, we can ask the Lord for guidance and direction as well as for strength and perseverance. Our dependence is expressed in prayer. There is hardly a better image of weakness than someone on his knees, and yet such an attitude is the starting point of strength: "When I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12:10). The Lord Jesus is also our perfect role model in prayer. In the Gospel of Luke, which presents Him as the Son of Man, we find Him ten times in prayer (ten is the number of perfect responsibility in the Bible: Luke 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28; 11:1; 22:32, 42; 23:34, 46). From this, we see that He lived as a man in perfect dependence on His Father. Paul wanted the Ephesians to pray "at all times." We must not only have fixed times for prayer in the morning and evening but can also talk to the Lord in prayer in any situation and at any time. In this way, we are also trained to listen to His voice.
  • The expression "with all prayer and supplication" probably indicates that every kind of prayer is meant: alone, in the family, and at meetings. "In the Spirit" means in the power of the Holy Spirit and in agreement with Him. If the state of our heart is disordered, our prayers will be hindered (1 Peter 3:7). This is precisely why we are to be vigilant "in all perseverance and supplication." When we become sluggish and slack, we give the enemy the opportunity to outwit us, as we see with the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. Saddened that they were not able to watch with Him for an hour in those difficult moments before His death, the Lord said to them, "Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation" (Matt 26:41). Furthermore, prayer should not only be for ourselves but should include as intercession "all the saints" with whom we are united as members of the one body of Christ. In particular, we should pray for those who are in the preaching of the Word, including the great apostle Paul, even though he had the special task of proclaiming the "mystery of the gospel." If this chosen man asked for the intercession of the faithful so that he could speak with boldness, how much more is this true today in our times of weakness!

Verse 20: "(for whom I am a messenger in chains), that I may speak in him boldly, as I ought to speak."

At the mention of prayer, the last part of the spiritual armor, the apostle Paul's train of thought returns to his external circumstances. Although he again recalls his imprisonment (see chapters 3:1; 4:1), he does not dwell at all on his truly unpleasant fate in prison in Rome. He feels his weakness but, at the same time, knows about the power of prayer. That is why he insists so much that the believers always remember him in prayer. May all those who, like him, work in the Lord's work be filled with the same desire! May all those who love the Lord Jesus also fulfill their calling and carry all the saints, especially those who work for the Lord, on their praying hearts!

Conclusion (chapter 6:21-24)

When Paul wrote this letter, he was in prison in Rome. He assumed that the believers in Ephesus, among whom he had worked for three years under great blessing and with whom he was so closely connected, were longing to hear something about him and his unfortunate external situation. However, he used this opportunity primarily to reveal to them the heavenly position of the individual believer and the assembly of God. But he did not neglect to fulfill their understandable desire to give them news about himself.

Verses 21 and 22: "But that you also may know my circumstances, how I am, [so] Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make all things known to you, whom I have sent to you for this very reason, so that you may know our circumstances and he may comfort your hearts."

The sending of Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant, is proof of the apostle's heartfelt affection for the believers in Ephesus. Tychicus (probably also the bearer of this letter) is to inform the believers in Ephesus of his circumstances and comfort their hearts. This servant of the Lord from the province of Asia had already accompanied Paul on his journey from Corinth to Ephesus and was now sent from Rome to both Ephesus and Colosse (Acts 20:4; Colossians 4:7). He also later proved to be a reliable emissary (Tit 3:12). His last known mission took him from the imprisoned apostle Paul, who was about to die, back to Ephesus (2 Tim 4:12)! So he faithfully persevered with him to the end and probably also shared his concern for all the assemblies.

Verses 23 and 24: "Peace to the brothers and love with faith from God, [the] Father, and [the] Lord Jesus Christ! Grace [be] with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption!"

The believers in Ephesus were in such a good spiritual state that Paul did not need to reprimand them. He concludes by wishing them the peace of God and Christ as well as peace among themselves, love for God and all the saints, but also practical faith in the daily life of God, the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. He concludes with a plea for grace in all circumstances for all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption. Apparently, the wise apostle already saw the first signs of decline in the congregation at that time and therefore concludes with the remarkable reference to a genuine, everlasting love for our Lord and Savior!

[1] The Greek verb ektrepho, which is translated here as "to raise," is rendered as "to nourish" in chapter 5:29.

[2] Paul's exhortation in 1 Cor 7:21 does not contradict this, because the point there is only that an individual slave was allowed to take advantage of an obviously legitimate opportunity to be freed. In the previous verse, Paul writes: "Let each one remain in the state in which he was called."

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