Paul opens with a greeting and a blessing of God, who has blessed believers with “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” God chose us in Christ before time began for adoption as His children through Jesus, to the praise of His glory. In Christ we have redemption through His blood and forgiveness of sins. God has made known His will: to unite all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. Those who hear and believe the gospel are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, the guarantee of our inheritance. Paul prays that God would open believers’ eyes to know their calling, their inheritance, and the immeasurable greatness of His power, displayed in raising Christ and exalting Him above every authority as head of the church, His body.
The first three chapters of Ephesians express doctrinal truths about the work of Christ and the unity of the church. God’s eternal purpose is cosmic reconciliation in Christ—uniting heaven and earth, Jew and Gentile—fulfilled in the risen and reigning Lord (Psalm 8:6; Daniel 7:14).
7: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.
Humanity begins life alienated from God—spiritually dead and obedient not to Him but to the desires of the world. Yet God, rich in mercy, has restored life to us through Christ’s resurrection, granting believers a share in His victory and authority. Salvation comes entirely by grace, received through faith, so that our lives themselves become God’s workmanship and testimony. Gentiles, once outside God’s covenant and Israel’s hope, have now been brought into the same household of faith. Christ’s death dismantled every barrier between Jew and Gentile, creating one new humanity at peace with God and with each other. The church is that new creation: citizens of the same kingdom, joined on the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone aligning every stone of the structure. God’s Spirit dwells among His people as in a living temple.
Ephesians 2 reveals the full scope of reconciliation. Christ doesn’t merely save individuals; He builds a single people from every background, displaying His peace and grace through their unity.
8: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.
Paul explains that by God’s revelation he was appointed to proclaim the “mystery” once hidden: that Gentiles are now fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise of Christ. Though imprisoned, he rejoices that this divine secret has been unveiled through the Spirit to the apostles, so that God’s manifold wisdom might be displayed even to heavenly beings through the unity of the church. Paul urges the Ephesians not to lose heart over his suffering, for it serves their glory. He prays that they, now part of God’s household, would be strengthened by the Spirit, rooted in love, and able to grasp the vast dimensions of Christ’s love, so that the whole church may be filled with the fullness of God. God, whose power exceeds imagination, can bring this unity to completion.
The “mystery” is the long-hidden plan now revealed: in Christ, God unites divided peoples and fills His church with His presence. The church’s unity displays divine wisdom in heaven and divine love on earth.
19: And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now that Jews and Gentiles share one body, Paul urges believers to live lives worthy of this calling—with humility, gentleness, patience, and love, maintaining the unity given by the Spirit. There is one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God. Yet within this unity, Christ—who descended to earth and ascended above the heavens—gives varied gifts to His people so that the church may grow strong and mature under Him, its Head. Maturity means casting off the old self, corrupted by sinful desires, and being renewed in mind and spirit after the likeness of God. This new life replaces anger and falsehood with honesty, generosity, kindness, and forgiveness.
This chapter forms the hinge of Ephesians: chapters 1–3 explain what God has done in Christ; chapters 4–6 call believers to live it out. The church, united under Christ its Head, becomes the visible expression of God’s reconciling plan—one body reflecting one Lord.
1: I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Paul continues his call to a “worthy walk,” urging believers to imitate God and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us. That love rules every relationship, replacing impurity, greed, and coarse speech with thanksgiving. Believers, freed from sin’s darkness, must now walk in light and wisdom, discerning what pleases the Lord and letting the Spirit fill them with joy and song. Paul then applies this walk of love to marriage: just as Christ sacrificed Himself for the church’s holiness, so husbands must love their wives sacrificially, and wives, in reverent trust, respond with willing submission. From creation, marriage was designed as a reflection of this mystery—two becoming one flesh as Christ and His church are united.
As Chapter 4 turned doctrine into personal holiness, Chapter 5 turns doctrine into relationship. Christian love is not sentiment but sacrifice; our unity and purity in community and marriage reveal to the world the reconciling love of Christ.
2: And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Continuing his call to a Christlike walk, Paul applies it to family and work: children obey parents, and parents nurture their children in the Lord with both discipline and gentleness. Bondservants and masters alike must serve one another as they would Christ, knowing He is the true Master of all. Finally, believers must stand firm against spiritual evil, clothed in God’s own armor—truth, righteousness, readiness for peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. Prayer in the Spirit keeps this armor active and unites believers in strength and perseverance.
The letter closes where it began—with strength in Christ. The unity forged in chapters 1–3 and lived out in chapters 4–5 must now be defended. Drawing on Isaiah’s image of the divine warrior, Paul shows that holiness, faith, prayer, and the Word of God are the church’s true weapons. Together, God’s people stand firm until Christ’s final victory.
13: Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Want to try the Chapter By Chapter approach for yourself?