The Summary of the Book of Ephesians

The book of Ephesians is a Prison Epistle (letter written while in prison).   Paul wrote it about 60-62 A.D.

Ephesus is famous as the home of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Temple is recognized as the largest Greek temple ever built.

The key personalities of Ephesians are the Apostle Paul and Tychicus. It was written to encourage believers to walk as fruitful followers of Christ and to serve in unity and love in the midst of persecution.

Chapters 1-3 – Paul begins with the joyful truth that every believer has been chosen by God before the foundation of the world:

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will (1:4-5).

Paul then teaches about the unity of believers. These are the truths and blessings that all believers have in common. He wrote:

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace (1:7), and

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise (1:13).

Paul continues on to clear up one of the most misconceived and/or often ignored subjects even to this day, “Salvation by Grace.”

He wrote that salvation is by the “Grace” of God and that it is through “Faith”, and that no one can contribute to salvation, in any way, even with good deeds:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast” (2:8-9).

Chapters 4-5 – Paul encourages the believer to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling”. Every believer has a responsibility to live as servants of Jesus Christ.

In these chapters, Paul teaches that it takes hard work to be in unity with others:

“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children” (5:1).

Ruins of the Celsus Library in Ancient Ephesus in Modern Day Turkey.

He mentions imperative truths and advice for well-functioning families, including husbands and wives who upon the oath of marriage become as “one flesh (5:31).

Paul explains the concept of a biblical marriage. Marriage is a picture of Christ and the church (body of believers) and the way that Jesus Christ loved the church is the way that the husband must love his treasured wife:

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (5:25).

Paul doesn’t end there, he goes on to reinforce that husbands are to love their wives:

“So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself…” (5:28, 33).

When a husband learns to love his wife in this way, his wife usually has no issues fulfilling her role and even enjoys it:

“… and the wife see that she reverence her husband” (5:33).

Chapter 6 – Paul instructs believers how to prepare for spiritual battle by dressing in the full armor of God:

“Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (6:11).

Prayer is the key weapon of the Christian soldier. He emphasizes his principle with the repeated statement “stand firm.”