Ephesians: A Letter for Living

Introduction to Ephesians

by Eugene Peterson

What we know about God and what we do for God have a way of getting broken apart in our lives. The moment the organic unity of belief and behavior is damaged in any way, we are incapable of living out the full humanity for which we were created.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians joins together what has been torn apart in our sin-wrecked world. He begins with an exuberant exploration of what Christians believe about God, and then, like a surgeon skillfully setting a compound fracture, “sets” this belief in God into our behavior before God so that the bones—belief and behavior—knit together and heal.

Once our attention is called to it, we notice these fractures all over the place. There is hardly a bone in our bodies that has escaped injury, hardly a relationship in city or job, school or church, family or country, that isn’t out of joint or limping in pain. There is much work to be done.

And so Paul goes to work. He ranges widely, from heaven to earth and back again, showing how Jesus, the Messiah, is eternally and tirelessly bringing everything and everyone together. He also shows us that in addition to having this work done in and for us, we are participants in this most urgent work. Now that we know what is going on, that the energy of reconciliation is the dynamo at the heart of the universe, it is imperative that we join in vigorously and perseveringly, convinced that every detail in our lives contributes (or not) to what Paul describes as God’s plan worked out by Christ, “a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.”

Practice Resurrection is a book by Eugene Peterson on growing up in Christ to be a mature Christian in belief and in behaviour.

 

 

The Bible Project is an excellent resource for learning more about the Bible. Check out their video overview of Ephesians on their website: bibleproject.com/explore/video/ephesians

An excerpt from the book Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans by Robert Elmer. A collection of carefully selected prayers from leading Puritans. Each entry reminds us that heartfelt prayer is central to the Christian life. This quote is called 'Our Lord's Prayer' by Philip Doddridge. Read the excerpt here.