Now we come to the contents of the book of Ephesians. The first item of the contents is the blessings received by the church in Christ (1:3-14). Not many know the real meaning of the word “blessing.” It is not such things as a new car or modern home. The Apostle Paul prayed that the church would have a revelation to see all the blessings it has received. Material blessings such as cars and houses do not require revelation to be seen. But all the blessings received by the church need revelation. Many Christians simply have not seen the blessings with which the church has been blessed.
After the revealing of the blessings to the church, the Apostle Paul prayed that the saints may have a spirit of wisdom and revelation to know the issue of all these blessings and the power to carry them out, so that the church may become the Body of Christ, the fullness of the One who fills all in all (1:15-23).
Following the mention of the church at the end of chapter one, chapter two shows us the producing, nature, position, building, and function of the church.
In 3:1-13 we have the revelation of the mystery and the ministry of the stewardship concerning the church. Not many Christians know what the ministry of the stewardship is. There is such a thing that is called the stewardship, and this stewardship has a ministry. The ministry of this stewardship is related to the church. Thus, not only the mystery concerns the church, but also the stewardship. In order to know the church, we must know the revelation of the mystery and the ministry of the stewardship. We shall cover these matters in detail when we come to chapter three.
Realizing that the matters of the mystery and the ministry of the stewardship are so profound, the Apostle immediately prayed that the church would have the practical experience of Christ (3:14-21). The church as revealed in the mystery and as ministered by the stewardship needs the experience of Christ. The Apostle Paul prayed for this.
In chapters four through six we have the walk and responsibility of the church in the Spirit.
If we have a clear view of the contents of the book of Ephesians, the entire book will be set before us. We shall see the blessings: God’s selection, predestination, sonship, holiness, redemption, sealing, pledging, and much more. Then we shall see the prayer of the Apostle for a spirit of wisdom and revelation to know the hope of God’s calling, to see the glory of God’s inheritance among His saints, and to realize the greatness of the power that has been wrought in Christ to produce the Body. Then in chapter two we shall see the production of the church, the nature of the church, the vision of the church, the building of the church, and the function of the church. In chapter three we shall see the revelation of the mystery and the ministry of the stewardship concerning the church. Following this, we shall see Paul’s prayer for the strengthening of our inner man so that Christ may make His home in our heart, that we might be filled with all the fullness of God. This causes us to have the practical experience of Christ. Then, as revealed in the last three chapters, we shall know how to walk on earth, to bear responsibility, and to fight the battle for God’s purpose. This is the content of the book of Ephesians.