Where Geeks Find Their Significance (In Search Of Truth, Ephesians Intro & 1:1-2)

EPHESIANS INTRODUCTION & 1:1-2

(Ephesians 1:1-2, ESV) Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul for the churches around the city of Ephesus. Paul had briefly stopped in Ephesus during his first missionary journey, and during his second journey he stayed there for over 3 years (about A.D. 54-57) and had an impact on both Ephesus and the surrounding area, over which the city had a large potential influence. Ephesians was written by Paul while imprisoned (probably in Rome) around 3-6 years after his extended stay in Ephesus(A.D. 60-63).

The focus of this letter is to highlight what God has done for us through Christ, to reveal the ramifications of that for our identity and purpose, and then tell us what relationships in our Christian communities can and should increasingly look like in light of that.

Compared to some other letters from Paul, Ephesians isn't as focused on solving sin problems or providing instruction for life. Instead, he is aiming to help us remove our blinders regarding who we are and what life is about, revealing the true nature of things so we can see reality as it is. It's a book that calls us to celebrate and rest in what God has done for us, and then allow that reality to affect how we think, feel about, and approach our normal daily lives.

v.1

Although not exclusive to the introduction of this letter, Paul's opening greeting immediately speaks about identity. He first identifies himself as an "Apostle of Christ Jesus", meaning that he is a representative of Jesus. He adds that his status came about "by the will of God", making it clear that this was not a role he assigned or earned for himself.

He identifies the recipients of the letter as "saints"(sacred, pure, blameless) and "the faithful"(meaning both loyal to God and trusting in him). These weren't terms reserved for the "super-Christians" in the Ephesian community. They were words that described all believers.

v. 2

Paul desires both grace (undeserved favor) and peace (tranquil contentment and security) for his readers, and clarifies in his wording that these things come from God the Father and Jesus Christ. This lays the foundation for the rest of the letter. We might ask at this point, "How can I experience grace and peace from the Father and Jesus? Those are nice thoughts, but how does that actually happen in my life?"

In these first verses, a logical flow is already established that partially answers those questions and will continue on a larger scale going forward: God reveals what he has done and who we are now because of it, and then describes what we can experience as a result. We believe in what he has said and done and then experience transformation and rescue through that.


SO WHAT'S IN THIS FOR GEEKS?

There is a TON coming up in this letter that I need to be reminded of and that I hope will be a blessing to you, too. And a major theme of the book is already foreshadowed here.

As believers in Jesus, we are who God makes us.

Even as I say that I struggle to believe it with the same certainty I have that there's a seat underneath me. In geek fiction, actions are what define people. The default view of humanity is that we are defined by our deeds and accomplishments, or by the way we look or how interact with others.

So much of the Bible isn't about teaching new concepts but reminding God's people about what he has already said before. So if you have trouble remembering that you have immense significance and worth because of Jesus, if that feels like just a nice idea with no relevance to your daily life, you're not alone. We all need constant reminding of the truth, because we are immersed in falsehood all day long.

I want to encourage you to take 15 minutes this week and read through the entire book of Ephesians. It's not a long book and may not even take you more than 10 minutes. You'll likely run into a lot of lofty, churchy-sounding phrases that you don't understand or have trouble relating to, but don't slow down to pick those apart yet, we'll get to that together. For now, just read the entire book in one sitting and get an overview of Paul's thoughts. This is a book about seeing what Jesus has done for us and then having our day to day experiences of life genuinely transformed because of that.

After reading the whole book, maybe a day or two later, consider going back and reading just chapter 1 one day, and then chapter 2 the next. As you do that, make note of what God is saying about you and who you are. Maybe even choose a verse or a phrase to memorize or write on a sticky note on your computer monitor or dashboard.

Truly remembering who we are in light of Jesus, on a moment-by-moment basis, will free us of so much burden, stress and relational conflict. Taking the time to remind ourselves of the truth and then keeping truth in mind throughout the day is one of the most powerful tools God uses to rescue us. It's how truth sets us free. And we'll begin to see more of what that all looks like as we continue next time.