In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul offers a brilliant account of the plan of God. He starts by laying the foundation that through the Messiah Yeshua, God chose us. “Praised be Adonai, Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who in the Messiah has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven. In the Messiah he chose us in love before the creation of the universe to be holy and without defect in his presence. He determined in advance that through Yeshua the Messiah we would be his sons – in keeping with his pleasure and purpose – So that we would bring him praise commensurate with the glory of the grace he gave us through the Beloved One.” (Ephesians 1:3-6)
“In union with him, through the shedding of his blood, we are set free – our sins are forgiven; this accords with the wealth of the grace he has lavished on us. In all his wisdom and insight he has made known to us his secret plan, which by his own will he designed beforehand in connection with the Messiah and will put into effect when the time is ripe – his plan to place everything in heaven and on earth under the Messiah’s headship.” (Ephesians 1:7-10) His grace, lavished on us.
“Also in union with him we were given an inheritance, we who were picked in advance according to the purpose of the One who effects everything in keeping with the decision of his will, so that we who earlier had put our hope in the Messiah would bring him praise commensurate with his glory.” (Ephesians 1:11-12) These verses remind us that we were chosen in advance…
…and sealed. “Furthermore, you who heard the message of the truth, the Good News offering you deliverance, and put your trust in the Messiah were sealed by him with the promised Ruach HaKodesh [Holy Spirit], who guarantees our inheritance until we come into possession of it and thus bring him praise commensurate with his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)
The phrase ‘bring him praise commensurate with his glory’ is used three times in chapter one. While God chose us, forgave and sealed us – all through his Son, Yeshua the Messiah – our purpose is to bring God praise, who “effects everything in keeping with the decision of his will.”
Then Paul prays.“…In my prayers I keep asking the God of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you will have full knowledge of him. I pray that he will give light to the eyes of your hearts, so that you will understand the hope to which he has called you, what rich glories there are in the inheritance he has promised his people, and how surpassingly great is his power working in us who trust him. It works with the same mighty strength he used when he worked in the Messiah to raise him from the dead and seat him at his right hand in heaven, far above every ruler, authority, power, dominion or any other name that can be named either in the ‘olam hazeh [this world] or in the ‘olam haba [the world to come].” (Ephesians 1:16-21) Amen! Paul reminds us what “mighty strength” is working in us when we trust, and of the authority and Lordship given to Yeshua the Messiah.
Paul then begins to introduce his next point; the Messianic Community is the body of Christ. “Also, he has put all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the Messianic Community, which is his body, the full expression of him who fills all creation.” (Ephesians 1:22-23) Paul introduced the phrase “Messianic Community” and in chapters two and three explains exactly what this means. While some Bible translations interpret the phrase ‘Messianic Community’ as ‘church’, the true meaning and intent of God’s plan becomes evident in Paul’s writings.
Paul starts by describing a hopeless state before the sacrifice of Christ. “You used to be dead because of your sins and acts of disobedience. You walked in the ways of the ‘olam hazeh [the world] and obeyed the Ruler of the Powers of the Air, who is still at work among the disobedient. Indeed, we all once lived this way – we followed the passions of our old nature and obeyed the wishes of our old nature and our own thoughts. In our natural condition we were headed for God’s wrath, just like everyone else.” (Ephesians 2:1-3)
Paul then describes God’s plan. “But God is so rich in mercy and loves us with such intense love that, even when we were dead because of our acts of disobedience, he brought us to life along with the Messiah – it is by grace that you have been delivered. That is, God raised us up with the Messiah Yeshua and seated us with him in heaven, in order to exhibit in the ages to come how infinitely rich is his grace, how great is his kindness toward us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but God’s gift. You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast. For we are of God’s making, created in union with the Messiah Yeshua for a life of good actions already prepared by God for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:4-10)
Paul directs his attention to Gentiles and describes how they fit into the plan God has for his Chosen Ones, the Israelites. “Therefore, remember your former state: you Gentiles by birth…at that time had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Israel. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God’s promise. You were in this world without hope and without God.
“But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah’s blood. For he himself is our shalom – he has made us both one and has broken down the m’chitzah [divider that separates people into two groups] which divides us by destroying in his own body the enmity occasioned by the Torah, with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances. He did this in order to create in union with himself from the two groups a single new humanity and thus make shalom, and in order to reconcile to God both in a single body by being executed on a stake as a criminal and thus killing in himself that enmity.” (Ephesians 2:11-16)
“So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s family. You have built on the foundation of the emissaries and the prophets, with the cornerstone being Yeshua the Messiah himself. In union with him the whole building is held together, and it is growing into a holy temple in union with the Lord. Yes, in union with him, you yourselves are being built together into a spiritual dwelling-place for God!” (Ephesians 2:19-22) The plan was never meant to be separation between Jews and Gentiles. The sacrifice of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus), was meant to create one body of believers.
Paul clarifies. “In past generations it was not made known to mankind as the Spirit is now revealing it to his emissaries and prophets, that in union with the Messiah and through the Good News the Gentiles were to be joint heirs, a joint body and joint sharers with the Jews in what God has promised.” “To me, the least important of all God’s holy people, was given this privilege of announcing to the Gentiles the Good News of the Messiah’s unfathomable riches, and of letting everyone see how this secret plan is going to work out. This plan, kept hidden for ages by God, the Creator of everything, is for the rulers and authorities in heaven to learn, through the existence of the Messianic Community, how many-sided God’s wisdom is.” (Ephesians 3:5-6, 8-10)
It’s unfortunate that more popular translations of scripture do not give the full meaning of what God intended. The King James Version of verse 10 states, “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.” The New International Version (NIV) of verse 10 reads: “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” These two interpretations infer that through ‘the church’ as we know it, God’s wisdom is known. It does not accurately interpret the meaning; that God’s wisdom is revealed in the joint body, with Gentiles joining Jews in building a spiritual dwelling-place for God.
Paul continues to outline the plan, describing how a person in the Messianic Community should behave. “Always be humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love, and making every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit gives through the binding power of shalom. There is one body and one Spirit, just as when you were called you were called to one hope. And there is one Lord, one trust, one immersion, and one God, the Father of all, who rules over all, works through all and is in all.” (Ephesians 4:2-6)
“We will then no longer be infants tossed about by the waves and blown along by every wind of teaching, at the mercy of people clever in devising ways to deceive. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in every respect grow up into him who is the head, the Messiah. Under his control, the whole body is being fitted and held together by the support of every joint, with each part working to fulfill its function; this is how the body grows and builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:14-16) God’s plan is that this joint body – Jews and Gentiles – would grow together, supporting each other and building itself up in love.
“Therefore I say this – indeed, in union with the Lord I insist on it: do not live any longer as the pagans live, with their sterile ways of thinking. Their intelligence has been shrouded in darkness, and they are estranged from the life of God, because of the ignorance in them, which in turn comes from resisting God’s will. They have lost all feeling, so they have abandoned themselves to sensuality, practicing any kind of impurity and always greedy for more. But this is not the lesson you learned from the Messiah! If you really listened to him and were instructed about him, then you learned that since what is in Yeshua is truth, then, so far as your former way of life is concerned, you must strip off your old nature, because your old nature is thoroughly rotted by its deceptive desires; and you must let your spirits and minds keep being renewed, and clothe yourselves with the new nature created to be godly, which expresses itself in the righteousness and holiness that flow from the truth.” (Ephesians 4:17-24)
Paul concludes the chapter with precise instructions. “Let no harmful language come from your mouth, only good words that are helpful in meeting the need, words that will benefit those who hear them. Don’t cause grief to God’s Ruach HaKodesh [Holy Spirit], for he has stamped you as his property until the day of final redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, violent assertiveness and slander, along with all spitefulness. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:29-32)
The conduct of those in the Messianic Community seems to be of great concern to Paul. Throughout chapter 5 and into chapter 6, he again discusses behaviors, both appropriate and inappropriate.
Paul concludes his letter with hope. “Finally, grow powerful in union with the Lord, in union with his mighty strength! Use all the armor and weaponry that God provides, so that you will be able to stand against the deceptive tactics of the Adversary.” (Ephesians 6:10-11) Yeshua is the full armor of God; he is truth, our righteousness and deliverance. “…May God the Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah give you love and trust.” (Ephesians 6:23)
*All scripture is from the Complete Jewish Bible unless noted otherwise.