Coachlight Bible Study – Ephesians Chapter 5
Revealing The Mystery of Christ and the Church
The book of Ephesians teaches who the church is, and how its members should conduct their lifestyles.
Chapter one began teaching the work of the Godhead from the “Foundations of the World.” The Father planned everything by choosing His people to walk holy and predestinating His people to be adopted by His Son. This is referred to in chapter four as God’s people’s vocation. The Son paid the price and will take possession of the Father’s plan, and the Holy Spirit seals God’s peoples’ inheritance until that possession by dwelling inside each individual member of the Church. After the teaching, Paul then prayed for God’s revelation to come to the people at Ephesus.
Chapter two and three then teaches the mystery of the Church. This is accomplished by explaining the condition of the person before salvation, calling it being dead in trespasses and sins. The new condition is described as being made alive by God’s grace, so that the riches of God’s grace will be seen in the ages to come by His kindness to His people. This new condition only comes about by grace, not by works. God’s people are called His workmanship, however, because they will be doing the good works that was impossible for them to do before. This can all come about because God has already foreordained it. These chapters then remind us that in the Old Testament, the Gentile did not have much hope. It was the Jew who was in charge of the Oracles of God (Romans 3:2). But Christ took care of all this on the cross, and now the Gentiles are fellow-heirs with the Jew. This combination of Jew and Gentile is called the Mystery of the Church, because people didn’t understand this concept in the Old Testament, but is now revealed by God through the apostles and prophets. A Building metaphor is then used, comparing the individual members of the Church to building blocks of a building, with Christ as the chief cornerstone, and the apostles and prophets as the foundation. What is the purpose of this building? It is for an habitation of God, through the Spirit. Paul then prays that the realization of this teaching will come upon the Ephesians.
Chapter four is a plea for God’s people to conduct their lifestyle so as to be worthy of the vocation to which God called. What is the vocation? God choose His people to walk holy, and predestinated His people to the “adoption of sons” by Christ. This is carried out by endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Gifts are given to everyone of us, to some he makes apostles, some He makes prophets, some He makes evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. These gifts are given for the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ. Another metaphor is used comparing The Church to the human body. The individual members of the Church are the organs working together for the performance of the body, with Christ as the Head. The total supply for the Church comes from Christ.
The way to walk worthy is to be “renewed in the spirit of the mind.” This is explained with a metaphor of putting off old, worn-out clothes, and putting on new clothes. The Church has a new lifestyle, and it grieves the Holy Spirit if the Church reverts back to its old ways. Chapter five goes deeper into the concept of the Mystery of Christ and the Church. When each member of the Church is walking in the Light being filled with the Spirit, each one is acting out the Mystery that God “foreordained before the foundation of the world.”
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The Book of Ephesians |
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FOCUS |
Who Is The Church |
The Walk Of The Church |
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REFERENCE |
1:1-2 |
1:2-23 |
2:1-22 |
3:1-21 |
4:1 |
5:1-21 |
5:22-33 |
6:1-24 |
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DIVISION |
Salutation |
The Church’s Standing With God |
The Church’s Access To God |
The Fellowship Of The Mystery |
Walk Worthy Of The Calling |
Walk In Love As Children Of Light |
The Mystery Of Christ And The Church |
The Walk For The War |
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TEMPLE METAPHOR |
The Foyer |
King’s Audience Chamber |
King’s Throne Room |
The Wardrobe Room |
Psalm And Worship Room |
The Armory |
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TOPIC |
Revelation |
Lifestyle |
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PURPOSE |
The Purpose Of God |
The Purpose Of The Church |
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INTENSION |
T reveal the Mystery of the Church, called by God, and walking worthy of the calling. |
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I. Be Followers or Imitators of God – By Walking in Love
Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers<3402> of God, as dear children;
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
Ephesians 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient:<433> but rather giving of thanks.
Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. {disobedience: or, unbelief}
Ephesians 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Ephesians 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Ephesians 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Ephesians 5:12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
3402 mimhthv mimetes mim-ay-tace’ - from 3401; TDNT-4:659,594; n m
follower 7; 7
1) an imitator
433 anhkw aneko an-ay’-ko - from 303 and 2240; TDNT-1:360, *; v
be convenient 2, be fit 1; 3
1) to have come up to, arrived at, to reach to
2) to pertain to what is due, duty, as was fitting
A. Be Imitators of God as children
1. Walk in Love – As Christ loved us and made the sacrifice pleasing God
2. Romans 12:1-3 deals with this same subject
B. Do Not Let These Be Named Among You
1. Fornication
2. Uncleanness
3. Covetousness
4. Filthiness
5. Foolish talking
6. Jesting, that is not suitable – Instead give thanks
C. Who Will Not Have Any Inheritance In The Kingdom?
1. Whoremonger
2. Unclean person
3. Covetous man
D. Don’t Listen To False Teachers
1. Those that teach their own words not God’s Words
2. The above things bring on the wrath of God
E. Don’t Be Partakers With Them
1. You used to be in darkness
2. Now you are in the Light – Walk like it
F. Exhibit The Fruit of the Spirit
1. Goodness
2. Righteousness
3. Truth
G. Reprove The Works Of Darkness
II. Conduct Your Lifestyle as Children of the Light
Ephesians 5:13 But all things that are reproved<1651> are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. {reproved: or, discovered}
Ephesians 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. {he: or, it}
Ephesians 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
1651 elegcw elegcho el-eg’-kho - v
reprove 6, rebuke 5, convince 4, tell (one’s) fault 1, convict 1; 17
1) to convict, refute, confute
1a) generally with a suggestion of shame of the person convicted
1b) by conviction to bring to the light, to expose
2) to find fault with, correct
A. The Light Exposes Those Things Done In The Dark – What is the Light?
Let’s Look at the Text Paul is Quoting:
Isaiah 59:21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.
Isaiah 59:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. {shine…: or, be enlightened; for thy light cometh}
Isaiah 59:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Isaiah 59:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Isaiah 59:4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
Isaiah 59:5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. {abundance…: or, noise of the sea shall be turned toward thee} {forces: or, wealth}
B. The Light Is God’s Word
C. Isaiah prophesied about This age and the Kingdom – Law of double reference
D. Have a lifestyle that is wise – Not Foolish
E. The Wise Know What The Will of God Is. – That His People Walk Circumspectly
III. Be Filled With The Spirit
Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
A. Don’t Excessively Use Wine – Instead Be Filled With The Spirit
B. How?
1. Make Melody in your heart to the Lord
a. Psalms
b. Hymns
c. Spiritual songs
2. Give thanks always to Father in the name of Christ
3. Submit to one another in the fear of God
IV. Acting Out The Mystery of the Church
Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Ephesians 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Ephesians 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Ephesians 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Ephesians 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
A. Here we have a simile – Comparing Christ & the Church to A Husband & Wife
1. Wives submit to husbands as head of household – As Christ is Head of Church
2. Husbands love wife – As Christ loved the Church
3. This is so Christ can present His Church spotless, washed by Word – But be holy
4. Men love wife as their own body – As Christ cherishes the Church
B. Here we have a quote from Adam As God Presented The Bride To Adam
1. Genesis 2:23-24
Genesis 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
C. But Paul Wasn’t Really Talking About Adam – An Extended Simile
Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Ephesians 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
1. God desired the Church As Adam desired his bride
2. When the Husband loves his wife & When The Wife honors her husband
They Are Acting Out God’s Plan From The Very Foundations of the World