Tag: apostolos

Romans 1:1 – Our Master’s Slave

Posted on by Will

Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God

Truth to Learn

All Christians need to recognize that they are God’s slaves.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “slave” is doulos, which means, “a slave, one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another.”

The words “called an apostle” are translated from kletos apostolos. Kletos is an adjective meaning “one who is called, invited, or appointed.” The word apostolos means “one who has been sent with a message.” Hence, Paul is saying that he was specifically called out by God and sent with a message.

“Separated” is from aphoridzō, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” and horidzō, meaning “to define.” It means “to separate” or “to select to some office or work.” The Pharisees, the sect that Paul was part of before his conversion, got their name from this word. Paul is probably making a play on words here in the opening of this letter.

The word “gospel” is the Greek word euangelion, which is a compound word made up of eu, meaning “good” and a form of angellō, which means “to proclaim a message.” Hence, the word translated “gospel” really means “good news” or “a good message.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul starts off his epistle (letter) in the manner which was customary for a teacher or person of authority, that is, by identifying who the epistle is from. Usually within the opening phrase, the writer and the intended audience were both identified. Paul deviates from this, however, by giving a thorough treatise on why he is the appropriate person to be sending this doctrinal letter. He doesn’t get to who this epistle is written to until verse seven.

You will notice that he uses his Greek name (Paul) rather than his Hebrew name (Saul). This is either because he wants to show that as a result of his conversion to Christianity he is a completely new creation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), or because he is the recognized apostle to the Gentiles and he is writing to Christians in the Gentile world of Rome.

He, like other New Testament writers, refers to himself as a slave. We Christians all need to remember that we have been bought with a price and we are no longer our own, but we are the property of our Master. That’s easy to forget when we wander through this life seeking our own satisfaction, but we need to remember whose we are and constantly submit our will to His.

The thing that I want us all to take away from today’s verse is the fact that even the great Apostle Paul recognizes and makes a specific point of the fact that he is not the master but the servant. Our sin nature, along with the lustful “pride of life” stimulated so strongly by worldly advertisements, is constantly trying to make self the master, not the slave.

 

Application

Anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior not only receives salvation but, at the same time, gives Lordship to Jesus Christ. In other words, when we were saved from our sins, we became the permanent property of our Lord, and we should not be seeking our own desires and will but His. His will is that we obey Him and submit to Him.

Are you a submitted slave today?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Peter 3:2 – The Old and The New

Posted on by Will

to be mindful of the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

Truth to Learn

Christians need to allow God to speak to them from both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

 

Behind the Words

The word “prophets” is transliterated from the Greek word prophētēs. This is a compound word made up of pro, meaning “before, in place or time” and a form of phēmi, which means “to show or to make one’s thoughts known.” As used in the New Testament, the most common use of prophētēs is to refer to someone who makes proclamations before they happen, though it can refer to someone who stands before others and makes proclamations.

“Savior” is translated from sōter, which is derived from sōdzō, meaning “to rescue, to save, or to deliver.”

The word “apostles” is from the Greek word apostolos. This is made up of apo, meaning “from or away from” and stellō, meaning “to set firmly.” Hence, apostolos refers to a person who has been “sent away” with a specific commission.

 

Meaning Explained

Peter stated that he has written this second letter in order to stir up the memories of those to whom he is writing. He wants them to remember things that they have thoroughly investigated and have learned. He now gets a little more specific in today’s verse, and he will get more specific yet in the next verse.

He wants his readers to remember “the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets.” Clearly he is referring to the writings of the prophets in the Old Testament (which to his first century readers was the only testament). Peter is not asking Christians to throw out the Jewish Scriptures; rather, he is encouraging us to continue to read and study the Jewish Scriptures as well as “the command given by our Lord and Savior.”

Jesus Christ brought in a new dispensation with new revelation about the person and work of God and His desire for a personal relationship through faith. Peter is now closely tying that in with all the previous revelation about God contained in what we now call the Old Testament.

Much can be learned about how God wants us to relate to Him by studying the lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob along with other spiritual giants of the Old Testament like Noah, Moses, Elijah and David. It’s not just a book of Jewish history, it’s filled with examples of faith and obedience that we New Testament Christians can learn and grow from. Furthermore, the Old Testament contains numerous prophesies about the birth of Christ, the life of Christ, the death of Christ, and the return of Christ in His triumphal glory.

 

Application

There are many foundational truths contained in the Old Testament that are of vital importance to our understanding of God. Christians need to have a firm grasp of God’s teaching in both the Old and New Testaments. If you haven’t already done so, commit today to reading through the entire Bible. Also, commit to studying the lives of Abraham, Moses, and David. The same God who loved them and blessed them for their faithfulness also loves you, and He hasn’t changed!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 4:11 – Builders and Protectors

Posted on by Will

And He gave some to be apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

Truth to Learn

God has provided gifted men to build and protect the church.

 

Behind the Words

 “Apostles” is a transliteration of the Greek word apostolos, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of the verb stellō, meaning “to set fast” or “to withdraw from;” in other words, “to send forth.” Apostellō means “to send forth on a specific mission.”

“Prophets” is transliterated from prophētēs, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in place or time” and a form of phēmi, meaning “to tell.” Prophētēs refers to a person who is divinely gifted to proclaim God’s message, either before (in front of) people or before it takes place.

“Evangelists” is transliterated from euangelistēs, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of the verb angellō, meaning “to proclaim” or “to tell.” Euangelistē means “to proclaim the good news.”

The word “pastors” is translated from poimēn, which refers to “the person who guards and cares for a flock” or “a shepherd.”

The word “teachers” is translated from didaskalos, which refers to “one who teaches,” that is, “a teacher” or “an instructor.”

 

Meaning Explained

In verses seven and eight of this chapter, Paul told us that we were given gifts according to the measure that Christ determined. Like a conquering king, when Jesus Christ rose from the grave He conquered death and the one who previously had the power over death (Satan). As He rose from the dead, He “led captivity captive.” That is, Christ took Paradise and those in it out of Hades and raised them up to (but not into) the third heaven (see 2Corinthians 12:2-4). At that time, according to Paul, He gave spiritual gifts to men.

These spiritual gifts are described in at least four places in the New Testament; here, 1Corinthians 12:10, 1Corinthians 12:28, and Romans 12:6-8. In today’s verse Paul talks only about the gifts, and gifted men, responsible for the foundation and major construction of the church (the temple of God). The grammatical construction of this verse breaks this group of gifts into four categories; 1) apostles, 2) prophets, 3) evangelists, and 4) pastor / teachers.

Apostles are those who were sent out personally by Jesus Christ as witnesses of His ministry and His ascension (see Acts 1:15-22). Since there are no men alive today who have personally seen Christ, there are no apostles alive today. Prophets are specially gifted men who proclaim the Word of God either before events happen (Acts 11:28) or before others physically (Ephesians 3:5), and evangelists are those who are specially gifted to proclaim the Good News of salvation. The final group of specially gifted men described here are those who are pastors and teachers. From the Greek text it is evident that these men are gifted as both shepherds over God’s flock and as teachers of God’s flock.

 

Application

When Christ ascended from the dead, He did not leave us alone. Not only did he send His Spirit to indwell his church and empower us for His service, He also provided specially gifted men to build and watch over His body. We should all thank God for the gifted men He has provided for the church.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 3:5 – God’s Revealed Word

Posted on by Will

which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it now was revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit:

Truth to Learn

We have the Word of God in our possession.

 

Behind the Words

“Made known” is from gnoridzō, which we saw a couple of verses earlier. It means “to become known.” It is expressed here in the passive voice (action done to the subject). And, it is expressed here in the aorist tense, indicating action that occurred at a point in time in the past.

The words “the sons of men” are a literal translation of the Greek words, “tois huiois tōn anthrōpōn.” It is a reference to those who are men by nature. It is contrasted to the apostles and prophets to whom the mystery was revealed by the Holy Spirit.

The word translated “other” is heteros, which means “another of a different kind.” There is another Greek word, allos, which means “another of the same kind.” The use of heteros implies that the age we live in is different from previous ages.

“Generations” is from the Greek noun genea. It is derived from the verb ginomai, meaning “to become” or “to begin to be.” The original meaning of genea was that of “a generation,” but in New Testament Greek it sometimes refers simply to “a period of time.”

Apostolos is the word from which we get “apostles.” As you can see it is a transliteration (a word brought over directly from one language to another). It is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of the verb stellō, meaning “to send forth.” Apostolos means “one who is sent forth from God.”

The word “prophets” is also a transliteration. It is transliterated from the Greek word prophetēs, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in place or time” and a form of phēmi, meaning “to tell.” Thus, a prophet is “someone who declares God’s message before the people or before it happens.”

 

Meaning Explained

Previously, Paul told us that the mystery that he is talking about was revealed to him, not by a human teacher, but by God Himself. Now he informs us that through his ministry this mystery is also being revealed to us in the church age. This mystery (that Gentiles and Jews are both part of God’s chosen people) was unknown before Paul’s preaching.

If you read through the third chapter of his letter to the church in Rome, you will see that before the church age, the Jews had a great advantage over the Gentiles. Here’s what he said:

What, then is the superiority of the Jew? Or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because they were entrusted with the oracles of God. (Romans 3:1, 2)

The word translated “oracles” here is logion, which refers to “an utterance.” So, what Paul is saying is that the advantage the Jews had was that God spoke directly to them. His laws and commandments were given to them and not to anyone else.

But now, because of the preaching of the Apostles and Prophets since the time of Christ, all nations of the world can hear and understand God’s truth. And, it is through this truth, now written in the New Testament, that we all have an opportunity to hear and believe God’s promise of salvation.

 

Application

Do you recognize how precious the truths in the Bible are? Both the Old Testament and the New Testament contain information directly from God. That’s why it is often called “the Word of God.” Treasure it – and thank God for it!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:20 – Building Material

Posted on by Will

having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

Truth to Learn

Every Christian is part of God’s building.

 

Behind the Words

The words “having been built on” are translated from epoikodomeō, which is a double compound word made up of epi, meaning “upon,” oikos, which refers to “a dwelling place” or “a house,” and demō, meaning “to build.” Thus, epoikodomeō literally means “to build a dwelling upon.” It is expressed here as an aorist, passive, participle, so “having been built on” is a very accurate translation of this word.

“Foundation” is from the Greek noun themelios. This word is derived from the verb tithēmi, which means “to stand” or “to set in place.” Themelios, therefore, refers to something that has been put down in place, like a foundation.

Apostolos is the Greek word translated “apostles.” This word is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of the verb stellō, meaning “to send.” Apostolos refers to someone who is sent forth on a certain mission.

“Prophets” is translated from prophētēs, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in time or space” and phēmi, meaning “to tell.”

The words “chief cornerstone” come from akrogōniaios, which is made up of akron, meaning “the extreme” or “the one on the end” and gōnia, which refers to “an angle” or “a corner.” So, we see that akrogōniaios refers to the extreme corner. Metaphorically, it refers to the first corner stone laid.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that we are no longer strangers from the covenants of promise and we are no longer foreigners from the commonwealth of Israel. We are now fellow citizens of a holy nation and members of God’s household. The word translated “household” is oikeios, which usually refers to people who live and work under the master of the house, but it can also refer to the things which make up the building as well. We see in the previous verse that Paul’s meaning was “a person who is a member of the household.” In the current verse, however, he twists the meaning of the word and now refers to us as part of the building itself. And, in the next couple of verses Paul will twist the meaning a little further yet.

For now, Paul is telling us that not only are we part of God’s family, but we are part of his building as well. The foundation of this building consists of Jesus Christ, as the first corner stone as well as the apostles and prophets. At the time that Paul wrote this letter, buildings were built differently than they are today. The foundation was not cement poured into forms; it consisted of large square-cut stones laid next to each other. Sometimes there was a second or third course of stones laid upon the first. The placement of the initial corner stone was the most critical because it set the position for the entire structure. If it was not set level and oriented in the proper direction, the entire building could suffer.

Jesus Christ was, Himself, the initial corner stone of this building, and He sets the position and the basis for the remainder of the structure. The apostles and prophets (that is, New Testament prophets) provide the remainder of the foundation of the building. Paul’s reference is probably to the writings of these men of God. You and I are also part of the building and we depend on the foundation for our stability.

 

Application

There is no Christian who exists alone and apart from the rest of the church. We are all interdependent and each one of us is needed to make the building whole.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 1:1 – Paul’s Letter to You

Posted on by Will

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the decision of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful ones in Christ Jesus:

Truth to Learn

If you are a Christian, this letter was written to you!

 

Behind the Words

“Apostle” is transliterated from the Greek word apostolos, made up of apo, meaning “from or away from” and a form of the verb stellō, meaning “to withdraw from” or “to send forth.” Thus, apostolos, as it is used here, means “one who is sent out by Christ.”

The word translated “decision” is thelēma, which indicates “a determination or decision.” The verbs thelō and boulomai are both translated “to will” but boulomai expresses a desirous will (wish) whereas thelō expresses a determined will (decision).

“Saints” is from hagios, which literally refers to something which causes awe. Its root meaning is “that which has been set apart from common use to Godly use.” As we will learn from Paul in this letter, all Christians have been set-apart by God; that is, all Christians are saints.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul begins this letter with a typical salutation identifying himself (Paul the apostle) as the writer. He immediately sets the tone for this letter by indicating that his apostleship is a result of God’s determination (it was God’s decision). One of the key underlying themes of this letter is the complete sovereignty of God in choosing whom He determines. This doctrine of “election” has been hotly debated since the time of the Reformation in the sixteenth century; however, writings of the early church fathers indicate that the early church readily accepted it. Throughout this letter we will see that Paul clearly teaches that God chose us, not because we decided to get saved, but because He decided to save us.

The next phrase in this opening verse, “To the saints who are in Ephesus,” has been questioned by some. The reason for this is because the words “who are in Ephesus” are omitted in two key Greek manuscripts. Some scholars believe that the letter was written with these two words intentionally omitted, allowing copyists to insert the name of a particular church to make it more personal. An overwhelming number of the manuscripts, however, contain the words “who are in Ephesus;” therefore, it is reasonable for us to conclude that this letter was specifically addressed to the church in Ephesus.

The final phrase of this verse indicates that Paul intended that is should be read by more than just the Ephesians. He addresses this letter to all the “faithful ones in Christ Jesus.” This is not a reference to those who have a sense of fidelity and perseverance, but to those who are “of the faith.” In other words, this letter was sent to the Christians who lived in Ephesus and to anyone else who has professed faith in Jesus Christ. If you have accepted the blood of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins and have declared Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, then this letter was written specifically to you.

 

Application

The God of all creation, the great I AM who lead Moses and the Israelites through the wilderness, wants you to know Him completely. It’s not very often that we recognize that God had the Bible written for you and me individually. This letter called Ephesians was written to you, Christian!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Corinthians 1:1 – Commissioned Preacher

Posted on by Will

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

Truth to Learn

We have a commission from our Lord to make disciples.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “called” is the noun klētos. It means “one who is called, invited, welcomed, or appointed.” It is not a verb, that is, Paul is not saying that he is “referred to as an apostle,” but that he is an “appointed apostle.”

“Apostle” is transliterated (a word of one language spelled with the letters of another language) from the Greek word apostolos. It is made up of apo, meaning “away from” and a form of the verb stellō, meaning “to send.” Thus, literally apostolos means “one who is sent away.” It refers to those disciples of Christ who saw Him personally and were sent away to preach the gospel message.

Thelēma is the Greek word translated “will.” When used of God it expresses “what God Himself does of His own good pleasure.”

“Sosthenes” is a proper name which means “of sound strength.” He was a ruler of the synagogue in Corinth.

Meaning Explained

This letter is identified in our Bible as the first one sent to the Corinthians. It appears, however, that there was a previous letter sent to them from Paul (1 Corinthians 5:9), though it has never been found. The writer immediately identifies himself as the Apostle Paul. As pointed out in the introduction, there is little doubt that this letter was sent by him, and a number of the early church fathers have attributed this letter to him in their own writings.

Paul refers to himself as “a called apostle.” Throughout the ages there have been many who have identified themselves as apostles, but in Scripture only those who have been sent in person by our Lord are identified as apostles. In fact, Paul makes it very clear that he did not simply give himself the title of an apostle, nor was he given that title by other members in the church. He was appointed as an apostle by the determined will of God Himself. His commission from God was to preach the gospel, and he tells us later in this letter:

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16)

A careful reading of the eighteenth chapter of Acts will reveal that Sosthenes was the second ruler of the Jewish synagogue who was converted by Paul’s preaching. Crispus was converted first (Acts 18:8). Later, after Paul’s trial before the proconsul Gallio, Sosthenes (also called the ruler of the synagogue) was taken and beaten by the Jews. This man is now identified by Paul as his companion in writing this letter to the believers in Corinth, and he is identified as a brother in the Lord (a Christian).

Application

We are not all apostles, but we have all been given a commission from our Lord to make disciples, to baptize those who believe, and to teach all things concerning our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 18:19, 20). This commission binds us to our duty just as much as Paul was bound to his. Woe to us if we do not make disciples and teach God’s truth!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

Ephesians 4:11 – Builders and Protectors

Posted on by Will

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

Truth to Learn

God has provided gifted men to build and protect the church.

Behind the Words

“Apostles” is a transliteration of the Greek word apostolos, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of the verb stellō, meaning “to set fast” or “to withdraw from.” Apostellō means “to send forth on a specific mission.”

“Prophets” is transliterated from prophētēs, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in place or time” and a form of phēmi, meaning “to tell.” Prophētēs refers to a person who is divinely gifted to proclaim God’s message.

“Evangelists” is transliterated from euangelistēs, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of the verb angellō, meaning “to proclaim” or “to tell.” Euangelistē means “to proclaim the good news.”

The word “pastors” is translated from poimēn, which refers to “the person who guards and cares for a flock” or “a shepherd.”

The word “teachers” is translated from didaskalos, which refers to “one who teaches” or “an instructor.”

Meaning Explained

In verses seven and eight of this chapter, Paul told us that we were given gifts according to the measure that Christ determined. Like a conquering king, when Jesus Christ rose from the grave He conquered death and the one who previously had the power over death (Satan). As He rose from the dead, He “led captivity captive.” That is, Christ took Paradise and those in it out of Hades and raised them up to (but not into) the third heaven (see 2Corinthians 12:2-4). At that time, according to Paul, He gave spiritual gifts to men.

These spiritual gifts are described in at least four places in the New Testament; here, 1Corinthians 12:10, 1Corinthians 12:28, and Romans 12:6-8. In today’s verse Paul talks only about the gifts, and gifted men, responsible for the foundation and major construction of the church (the temple of God). The grammatical construction of this verse breaks this group of gifts into four categories; 1) apostles, 2) prophets, 3) evangelists, and 4) pastors and teachers.

Apostles are those who were sent out personally by Jesus Christ as witnesses of His ministry and His ascension (see Acts 1:15-22). Since there are no men alive today who have personally seen Christ, there are no apostles alive today. Prophets are specially gifted men who proclaim the Word of God either before events happen (Acts 11:28) or before others physically (Ephesians 3:5), and evangelists are those who are specially gifted to proclaim the Good News of salvation. The final group of specially gifted men described here are those who are pastors and teachers. From the Greek text it is evident that these men are gifted as both shepherds over God’s flock and as teachers of God's flock.

Application

When Christ ascended from the dead, He did not leave us alone. Not only did he send His Spirit to indwell his church and empower us for His service, He also provided specially gifted men to build and watch over His body. We should all thank God for the gifted men He has provided for the church.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

Ephesians 3:5 – God’s Revealed Word

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 3:5  – God’s Revealed Word

which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:

Truth to Learn

We have the Word of God in our possession.

Behind the Words

The word translated “other” is heteros, which means “another of a different kind.” There is another Greek word, allos, which means “another of the same kind.” The use of heteros implies that the age we live in is different from previous ages.

“Ages” is from the Greek noun genea. It is derived from the verb ginomai, meaning “to become” or “to begin to be.” The original meaning of genea was that of “a generation,” but in New Testament Greek it generally refers to “a period of time.”

“Made known” is from gnoridzō, which we saw a couple of verses earlier. It means “to become known.” It is expressed here in the passive voice (action done to the subject).

Apostolos is the word from which we get “apostles.” As you can see it is a transliteration (a word brought over directly from one language to another). It is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of the verb stellō, meaning “to send forth.” Apostolos means “one who is sent from God.”

The word “prophets” is also a transliteration. It is transliterated from the Greek word prophetēs, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in place or time” and a form of phēmi, meaning “to tell.” Thus, a prophet is “someone who declares God’s message before the people or before it happens.”

Meaning Explained

Previously, Paul told us that the mystery that he is talking about was revealed to him, not by a human teacher, but by God Himself. Now he informs us that through his ministry this mystery is also being revealed to us in the church age. This mystery (that Gentiles and Jews are both part of God’s chosen people) was unknown before Paul’s preaching.

If you read through the third chapter of his letter to the church in Rome, you will see that before the church age, the Jews had a great advantage over the Gentiles. Here’s what he said:

What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. (Romans 3:1, 2)

The word translated “oracles” here is logion, which refers to “an utterance.” So, what Paul is saying is that the advantage the Jews had was that God spoke directly to them. His laws and commandments were given to them and not to anyone else.

But now, because of the preaching of the Apostles and Prophets since the time of Christ, all nations of the world can hear God’s truth. And, it is through this truth, now written in the New Testament, that we all have an opportunity to hear and believe God’s promise of salvation.

Application

Do you recognize how precious the truths in the Bible are? Both the Old Testament and the New Testament contain information directly from God. That’s why it is often called “the Word of God.” Treasure it – and thank God for it!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Ephesians 1:1 – Paul’s Letter to You

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 1:1 – Paul’s Letter to You

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

Truth to Learn

If you are a Christian, this letter was written to you!

Behind the Words

“Apostle” is transliterated from the Greek word apostolos, made up of apo, meaning “from or away from” and a form of the verb stellō, meaning “to withdraw from” or “to send forth.” Thus, apostolos, as it is used here, means “one who is sent out by Christ.”

The word translated “will” is thelēma, which indicates “a determination or decision.” The verbs thelō and boulomai are both translated “to will” but boulomai expresses a desirous will (wish) whereas thelō expresses a determined will (decision).

“Saints” is from hagios, which literally refers to something which causes awe. Its root meaning is “that which has been set apart from common use to Godly use.” As we will learn from Paul in this letter, all Christians have been set-apart by God; that is, all Christians are saints.

Meaning Explained

Paul begins this letter with a typical salutation identifying himself (Paul the apostle) as the writer. He immediately sets the tone for this letter by indicating that his apostleship is a result of God’s determination (it was God’s decision). One of the key underlying themes of this letter is the complete sovereignty of God in choosing whom He determines. This doctrine of “election” has been hotly debated since the time of the Reformation in the sixteenth century; however, writings of the early church fathers indicate that the early church readily accepted it. Throughout this letter we will see that Paul clearly teaches that God chose us, not because we decided to get saved, but because He decided to save us.

The next phrase in this opening verse, “To the saints who are in Ephesus,” has been questioned by some. The reason for this is because the words “who are in Ephesus” are omitted in two key Greek manuscripts. Some scholars believe that the letter was written with these two words intentionally omitted, allowing copyists to insert the name of a particular church to make it more personal. An overwhelming number of the manuscripts, however, contain the words “who are in Ephesus;” therefore, it is reasonable for us to conclude that this letter was specifically addressed to the church in Ephesus.

The final phrase of this verse indicates that Paul intended that is should be read by more than just the Ephesians. He addresses this letter to all the “faithful in Christ Jesus.” This is not a reference to those who have a sense of fidelity and perseverance, but to those who are “of the faith.” In other words, this letter was sent to the Christians who lived in Ephesus and to anyone else who has professed faith in Jesus Christ. If you have accepted the blood of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins and have declared Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, then this letter was written specifically to you.

Application

The God of all creation, the great I AM who lead Moses and the Israelites through the wilderness, wants you to know Him completely. It’s not very often that we recognize that God had the Bible written for you and me individually. This letter called Ephesians was written to you, Christian!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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