Ephesians 6

Christian Belief and Behaviour

Ephesians

Les Painter (Bible text by Cynthia Green)

Chapter 6

6:1-4 ~ Children and parents

v1 Children, you must obey your parents. This is because the *Lord has given them authority to look after you. And this is the right thing for you to do. v2 ‘Respect your father and your mother’. (This was the first *commandment with a promise.) v3 God promised to give us a long and *blessed life if we kept this promise.

v4 Fathers, you must not make your children think that you are not fair to them. Instead, you must look after them. And you must correct them. You must do this as the *Lord has taught us.

Verse 1 Paul has finished teaching about husbands and wives. He now starts to teach children and parents. It is good to see children and older people together. Especially when they all come together to praise God. It is good, too, that the children have teachers. Jesus himself said, ‘let the children come to me’ (Matthew 19:14). The *Lord commands us to *submit to each other (5:21). Children are also included in this. But there is more than that. The instruction for children is, ‘Children, you must obey your parents.’

• First, it is because ‘the *Lord has given them authority to look after you’. The fifth *commandment is to ‘Respect your father and your mother’. To respect is to obey. Colossians 3:20 tells us why children should obey their parents. It is, ‘because this pleases the *Lord’. If the children love the *Lord, they will want to please him.

• Next, ‘it is the right thing for you to do’. This means that it is the right and natural thing to do. It is for all children everywhere. It is right and natural in any society.

Verses 2-3 Paul now refers to the fifth *commandment. It is, ‘Respect your father and your mother’. He adds that it was ‘the first *commandment with a promise’ (Exodus 20:12). In those days, a child might refuse to obey his parents. If he continued like that, it was a very serious matter. The authorities could kill him or her. That was the old law. Paul, however, refers to a promise. It follows the *commandment. If we obey this *commandment, God promises us ‘a long and *blessed life’.

In most things, children should obey their parents. But this command could be difficult for some children. It could be difficult if their parents do not believe in Jesus. Their parents might refuse to allow their children to attend *church. Or they might not allow *baptism. The children should still obey them. However, there are some things that parents should not stop their children from doing. It would be wrong to tell them not to believe in Jesus. It would be wrong to tell them not to praise him.

There are different ages at which children need no longer to obey this command. In *Roman society, it was as long as the father lived. While he was still alive, his children had to obey him. In other societies, it could be when a child becomes an adult. The laws of each country would decide what this age should be. It could be when the law allows marriage. It could be when the children leave home to marry. The age would be different for each country. Each country will have its own customs.

Verse 4 A *Roman father could do anything that he wanted with his children. He could make them work in the fields. He could even put chains on them. He could sell them as slaves. He could punish them, as he liked. He could even kill them. When a girl was born, the father might throw her away.

Paul now gives instructions to parents and children. The Christian father must love his children. He should love them as God loves him. Do not make your children angry. Your children will do many wrong things. But most of those things will not be very important. Do not always be telling them that they are wrong. Decide on what is important and what is not. Decide on the things that you should not approve of. Do not be cruel to them. Do not always tell them that they are bad. If you do, they might stop trying to be good. Always try to say good and helpful things to your children.

Parents must help their children. Father’s ‘must look after’ their children. And they ‘must correct’ them. They should train them in the ways of Christ. The *Greek word that Paul used here is the same as in 5:29. It referred there to a man who looks after his own body. To look after their children should be the parents’ most important duty.

Sometimes education is hard and difficult. The child may not like this. The book of Proverbs has many words about this. But parents must always remember one thing. They should not be too hard or cruel to their children. A child is a person and not a thing. ‘Train a child in the way that he should go. Then, when he is old, he will not turn from it’ (Proverbs 22:6). Discipline at times may be hard. But we should always praise the child when he or she has done well.

6:5-9 ~ Slaves (servants) and masters

v5 Slaves, respect and obey your masters in this world. Be loyal to them, as you would be to Christ. v6 You must not obey them only when they are watching you. You might do this only to make them think that you are good. But, because you are servants of Christ, you should be obeying God sincerely. v7 You must work well and responsibly, as if you served Christ, not men. v8 The *Lord will reward every man for anything good that he does. You know this. He will reward both slaves and free men.

v9 Those of you who are masters must also be fair to your slaves. You must not frighten them by saying that you will hurt them. Remember that you and your slaves have the same master in heaven. God is fair and you are all his slaves. He does not think that masters in this world are more important than their slaves.

Verse 5 In Bible times many families had slaves. They did all the work in the house. They were the property of their master. They had no rights. Their owner could buy or sell them. He could punish his slave if he wanted to. He could whip him or put him in prison. He could even kill him. A slave might escape. If the master caught him, he would whip him. Or he might kill him. Some slaves would kill themselves. They did this because they were so unhappy.

A slave did not always have an unpleasant life. It was certainly better for the master if he dealt well with his slave. The slave would then work harder. He would try to please his master.

Paul writes, ‘Slaves, respect and obey your masters in this world. Be loyal to them, as you would be to Christ.’ These instructions are right for any time in history. They are a benefit in the home or at work. A slave or worker should obey his master or manager. He does this as he would obey Christ. He obeys his master on earth. Then he remembers that he has a greater master. His greater master is the *Lord.

Also, servants should ‘respect’ their masters. This whole passage is about the way that we live with each other. Paul teaches that we should *submit to each other because of respect for Christ (5:21). This means that we should respect and value other people.

These instructions are for workers today. We work for our employers. We should do it as if we are working for God. It was more difficult in those days than it is today. We should be ‘loyal’. We should do it as we would do it ‘to Christ’.

Verses 6-7 Next Paul writes, ‘you should be obeying God sincerely’. God wants us to do our work well. And that is why we should do it well. Christians are servants and even slaves of the *Lord. Therefore, they do their work for him and not for men. We can cook a meal as if Jesus is going to eat it. We can clean the house as if Jesus will be the visitor. Shop workers sell goods to people. Nurses look after people. They should do it as if they are doing it for Jesus Christ. The desire to do the work must be sincere. We do it to please the *Lord. The work must be good enough to show to him.

Verse 8 Paul also teaches this in Colossians 3:24-25. The *Lord sees everything that we do, whether good or bad. We will receive a reward from him. God will give us a good reward if we do good things. And he will punish us if we do evil things. Here Paul mentions only good things. This is to help the Christians and to encourage them. Paul tells them that God sees every good thing that they do. There may be no one to thank them on earth. But God will reward them for service that they do well.

This is not about our *salvation. No amount of good work will give us that. Our *salvation is not a reward for good work. It is God’s gift of *grace. We will receive a reward from God for what we have done. But we receive it only by God’s *grace. Some people think only about themselves. That is *sin. They need to *repent of it. They may give service to other people. But if they do not give it sincerely and to the *Lord, God cannot reward it.

Paul now talks to masters. Therefore, he adds the words, ‘both slaves and free men’. Paul’s words apply to everyone. They apply to those who are rich. And they apply to those who are poor. They apply to slaves and to free people. They apply to servants and masters, to workers and managers (bosses).

Verse 9 Masters must remember that ‘you and your slaves have the same master in heaven. God is fair and you are all his slaves. He does not think that masters in this world are more important than their slaves.’ God, who is master of both slaves and servants, is in heaven. There are no favourites with him. All are equal in front of God. But people may not be equal in the world. God has no favourites. He considers everyone the same. Masters must remember that they too are servants. They are under the authority of their master in heaven. It is the same for both masters and servants. They both have the same master and judge in heaven. When they remember this, they will behave well towards other people.

People allowed *slavery in those days. But now we believe that *slavery is wrong. It is wrong for one person to buy and sell another person. It is wrong to do as you please to another person. This is what the Bible teaches. All people are equal in front of God. Christians are like brothers and sisters in Christ. The letter of Paul to Philemon tells us about a slave called Onesimus. He had escaped from his master, Philemon. He had come to Paul and he had become a Christian. Paul then wanted to return him to Philemon. So Paul writes to Philemon. He asks him to be kind to Onesimus when he returns. He asks Philemon to receive Onesimus both as a man and as a brother (Philemon 1:16). Paul taught that a slave could become a Christian brother.

For the *Jews, there were laws about slaves. These laws were very generous. They are in Exodus chapter 21. Slaves should serve for 6 years. Their masters freed them in the seventh year. They would not need to pay their masters anything (Exodus 21:2). A slave might have a good master. If he did not want to leave him, they had a ceremony. The slave stood by a door. His master would make a hole through the slave’s ear with a sharp tool. The tool would go into the door and fix the slave to the door. After that, there would be a hole in the slave’s ear. This was to show that the slave wanted to stay with his master. He wanted to stay with him always (Exodus 21:6). This is an example of the Christian. He wants to be with his Master Jesus for ever. He will never want to be free from being a servant of Jesus.

The principles that Paul taught are true for today. Both workers and bosses have duties. The worker should give good work. And the boss should pay a proper wage. It is the worker’s duty to give good work. It is the right of the boss to expect it. It is the duty of the boss to pay a fair wage. It is the worker’s right to expect it. Sometimes things do not work out well at work. This is the reason. One side thinks only about its own rights. Or it urges the other side to do its duty. Paul tells each side to concentrate on their responsibilities, not their rights. That would lead to an improvement for everyone.

Later, this teaching led to the end of *slavery in many countries. It happened in one country after another.

6:10-20 ~ The Christian life as a war

6:10-17 ~ Be strong in the *Lord

v10 Finally, you must be strong in the *Lord. He will give you his great power so that you can do this. v11 You must wear all the *armour that the *Lord gives to protect you. Then you can stand against the evil attacks of the *Devil. v12 We are not fighting a human army, but we are fighting against the powers of this dark world. We are fighting against the rulers, authorities and evil *spiritual forces in the heavens. v13 So, wear God’s whole *armour to protect yourself. Then you will be able to stand firm on the evil day when they attack you with their great power. And, when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm. v14 So, stand with the belt of truth round you. And wear the *breastplate of *righteousness. v15 On your feet, put on the *gospel of peace like shoes that are ready to use. v16 Always carry *faith like a *shield. This *faith will protect you from any attack of the *Devil. His attacks are like burning arrows. v17 You know that God has *saved you by the love of Christ. Use this knowledge, like a hard hat that protects your head. Attack the *Devil with the word of God. This word is like a sword. It cuts with the power of the *Holy Spirit.

Verse 10 Paul knows from his own experience that he is in a war. His enemy is the *Devil (*Satan). *Satan will fight against all that God has done by Jesus Christ. He will work as hard as he can to destroy God’s work. The new Christians now enjoy unity and peace. The *Devil will try to destroy that. We would all like to live peaceful lives. We would all like a life with no worries. But this is not possible in the world as it is. We need to know that we are in a battle. We need to know our enemy. We need to know how strong he is.

We have one important need as we fight this war. It is the power of God. We ‘must be strong in the *Lord’. You cannot make yourself strong. God must give you strength. He must give it to you more than once. He must give it to you all the time. The *Greek word means ‘continue to let God make you strong’. Then Paul says ‘in the *Lord’, not ‘by the *Lord’, although that would be true. The strength comes from being united with Jesus. It comes from being ‘in Christ’. This is what Jesus taught (John 15:1-5). Apart from Jesus, the Christian can do nothing. So the strength that we have is in ‘his great power’. You could also say, ‘in the strength of his great power’.

Verse 11 In Ephesians 1:19, Paul talks about God’s great power. It was the power that God used to raise Jesus from death. With that power, he defeated his enemies. Paul uses the same words here - power, strength and might. We are at war against our enemy, the *Devil (*Satan). We therefore need all these qualities. But we need something more. ‘You must wear all the *armour that the *Lord gives to protect you. Then you can stand against the evil attacks of the *Devil.’

When Paul was in prison, they chained him to a *Roman soldier. Therefore, he could always see the soldier’s *armour. But our *weapons for war are not *weapons with sharp points like a sword. They are *weapons of the Spirit. You need these so that ‘you can stand against the evil attacks of the *Devil’. The word used here is ‘stand’. It is as if you are in a castle. It is the castle of the *church of Jesus Christ. You are guarding the castle against all the clever and evil plans of the enemy.

Verse 12 This war is different from a war with *weapons like guns. This battle is not against people. It is against all kinds of ‘*spiritual forces’. They are in a world that you cannot see. ‘We are not fighting a human army, but we are fighting against the powers of this dark world. We are fighting against the rulers, authorities and evil *spiritual forces in the heavens.’ These evil forces will use people to do their evil work. The war is against the *Devil and his armies. These armies consist of many different kinds of *spirits.

In 2:2, Paul speaks about ‘the king who rules the *spiritual forces in the air. He is a *spirit.’ This means *Satan. He is the head of all the evil *spirits. We cannot see them. But they are working in this world. These *spirit forces are very real. We see this all through the *New Testament. Jesus fought and won against all these evil forces. He did this when he died on the *cross.

‘Rulers’ refers to world rulers. This does not mean human rulers. This refers to those who rule the whole world. And the chief ruler is *Satan. Jesus said that this ruler is *Satan. Jesus said that *Satan is ‘the ruler of this world’ (John 12:31; John 14:30). John says that ‘the whole world is in the control of the *devil’ (1 John 5:19). Paul calls him ‘the god of this age’ (2 Corinthians 4:4). The world is in the power of the *devil. The *New Testament often states this.

The fight is against the evil rulers. They are part of the ‘dark’ world that you cannot see. They are powerful *spirits of *Satan. They are great evil princes of darkness. They rule this world. We fight against large numbers of wicked *spirits. These are in the *spirit world. We cannot see them, but they are real. They hate the light. They try to get away from it. Darkness is where they live. They have no rules of right behaviour. They have no kind, pleasant feelings. They know nothing about right. They know only about wrong things.

Only the power of God can keep us safe from the evil actions of the *devil. The *spiritual powers are strong, but the power of God is stronger. That power raised Jesus from death. God caused him to sit on the *throne in the *heavenly places (the *spiritual world) (1:20). He has also raised us up into ‘the *heavenly places’. We sit there on the *throne with Christ (2:6). The *spiritual world is where this *spiritual war takes place. These powers attack us there and Christ defends us. Christ defeated these powers at the *cross. They are under his authority and under ours. This *spiritual world is where Christ has *blessed us (1:3). This is where these *spiritual forces will try to steal our *blessings.

Verses 13-14 These *spiritual forces are fighting against the Christians. The power of these forces is very strong. So Paul tells the Christians to ‘wear God’s whole *armour’. Paul encourages them. The evil day will come. They will have done everything possible. Then, after that, they will be able to stand. They will stand firm against the devil’s attacks. He will not be able to knock them down.

Paul writes about a ‘whole’ suit of *armour. It was all the equipment of a soldier ready for battle. Our ‘whole *armour’ is from God. It is important to understand this. We find this in the *Old Testament. God himself wears things like *armour as he fights. ‘He put on goodness like a *breastplate. He put *salvation like a hard hat on his head’ (Isaiah 59:17). Now God gives these same *weapons to his people. It is to help them in the war against *Satan.

Notice how often Paul uses the word ‘stand’. The first time it means, ‘stand against’ or ‘stand firm’. It is because your enemy is very strong. A time will come, when the fight will be very hard. It will be in two places. It will be both inside and outside the *church. The fight will get more and more difficult. This will be as ‘the day of the *Lord gets near’ (Mark 13:4-23). Every day can be such an evil day. So the Christian should be ready for it. So Paul says, ‘And having done all, you will still stand firm’. Then, ‘when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.’

Paul would have watched the soldier who was always near him. He would have seen him put on his *armour. The soldier put on each piece in the right order. So Paul tells his readers: Wear your *armour as the soldier does. The belt is first before any of the outer pieces. The clothes underneath must first be in place. Then the soldier can put on the outer pieces. The belt will hold all the pieces together. Then the soldier will be ready for action.

‘Truth’ can be everything that God has told us about himself and Jesus Christ. We read about this in the Bible. Jesus said, ‘then you will know the truth and the truth will make you free’ (John 8:32). The Bible speaks about ‘truth in the inner parts’ (Psalms 51:6). If we know truth, the inner part of us will be right. If we are not right inside, we will not feel right. We will have no inner *peace. We will not feel comfortable with people. We will not be right with God and with other people. We will lose our peace. This will stop us from doing the things that we ought to do. It will stop us saying the things that we ought to say. So, we must make the belt of truth firm round us.

The second piece to be put on is ‘the *breastplate of *righteousness’. We read about this piece of *armour in Isaiah 59:17. It is God’s *righteousness. God himself puts it on us (Romans 3:21-22). This is our *justification. It makes us right with God. It is as if we had never *sinned. It is goodness on the inside of us. A soldier wears the *breastplate at the front of the body. It will not be of much use if there is a hole in it. The purpose of all the *armour is to stop the enemy hurting you.

Verse 15 The third piece of *armour is for the feet. We should ‘put on the *gospel of peace like shoes’. Paul is now thinking about the shoes of the *Roman soldier. They must fit well and they must be ‘ready to use’. It could be about speaking the *gospel to other people. This is the good news about the *peace of God. We should always be ready to tell this to other people. The *apostle Peter said this too. He said, ‘always be prepared to give an answer to everyone. Be ready when they ask you. Be ready to give the reason for the hope that you have’ (1 Peter 3:15).

The *Roman soldier’s shoes were short leather boots. These would grip the ground and they would keep his feet firm on the ground. They would prevent him from falling. The idea is that we should stand firm in the war. But this is not all. We should also tell the good news to other people. Our *gospel boots should be a proper fit. We fight the war. But we send out the good news about *peace at the same time.

Verse 16 Next comes the ‘*shield’. This protects all the rest of the *armour. It was a large object in the shape of a door. The *Greek word for ‘*shield’ is from the *Greek word for ‘door’. The *shield is ‘*faith’, which is trust in God.

Before a soldier shot an arrow from his bow, he could set fire to the point of the arrow. The burning arrow would hit the *shield. So the wooden *shields needed a leather cover. They would also put the *shields into water. Then the wet shields could put out the fire quickly.

The evil plans of the enemy, *Satan, are like these ‘burning arrows’. They could be angry words. They could be doubt. They could be fear, or they could be love of ourselves. They could be lies. The enemy puts these into our minds. One of these lies would be that God does not *forgive us. Then the enemy might remind us about all the *sins that God has *forgiven. God has forgotten them too. The enemy will try to use all these ‘arrows’ to destroy our *faith. God himself is ‘a *shield to those who take shelter in him’ (Proverbs 30:5). Only one thing can put out the ‘fire’ of these ‘burning arrows’. It is a strong *faith in God.

The *Romans would fix their *shields together. That would make a larger wall. It would cover more soldiers. It is the same with the Christian *church. Christians can join together. Then they can be safe from the attacks of the enemy.

Verse 17 ‘You know that God has *saved you by the love of Christ.’ Such knowledge is a gift from God. The gift is *salvation from *sin and the results of *sin. Romans 6:23 says, ‘*sin pays a wage and the wage is death. But the gift of God is *eternal life in Jesus Christ our *Lord.’ We receive this gift from God. God rescues us from all the *sin in the past. God *saves us from the power of *sin today too. He also gives us hope to be free from *sin in the future. Such knowledge protects us, like wearing a ‘hard hat’. Otherwise *Satan can hurt us. It is wonderful to know that God has *saved us. It makes us very happy. We can have confidence in our *salvation.

The hard hat covers the head. This is where we have our thoughts. We need something that will protect us from wrong and unpleasant thoughts. We should keep remembering that God has *saved us. Then we can enjoy good and pleasant thoughts (Philippians 4:8).

The last piece of *armour is the ‘sword’. That is the word of God. The sword is the only piece of *armour that they used for attack. The other pieces are for protection. In the Bible, words are often like a sword (Psalms 57:4). The word of God is itself is like a ‘sword’ (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible is like a sword. We must hold it in a strong hand. The enemy, *Satan, attacks us. We must then use our *weapon. A good example of this is our *Lord himself. *Satan attacked him in the desert. *Satan put thoughts into his mind. These were not God’s thoughts (Matthew 4:1-10). Jesus used the word of God against *Satan. When *Satan attacked him, Jesus said, ‘it is written’. We should hold the word of God in our minds (Psalms 119:11).

There is another kind of word. This is any word (or message) that comes from the *Holy Spirit. But any such word must be in agreement with the Bible. Enemies of the *disciples would bring them to the courts. Jesus gave them this promise. He told them not to worry. The *Holy Spirit would tell them what to say. He would tell them how to say it. ‘It will not be you who are speaking. It will be the Spirit of your Father. He will be speaking by you’ (Matthew 10:20).

6:18-20 ~ A prayer for everyone

v18 At all times, pray in the Spirit. Then you can ask God for anything. So remember to be always ready, like a guard with his eyes open. And continue to pray for all Christians. v19 And pray for me too. Pray that God will give me his words. And pray that I will speak boldly, whenever I open my mouth. I want to tell everybody about Christ’s wonderful good news. v20 God has appointed me as his special *messenger, although I wear chains. Pray that I will declare the message bravely, as I should do.

Verse 18 As we put on each piece of our *spiritual *armour, we need to pray. Four times Paul uses the *Greek word for ‘all’. This is what he is saying. Christians should be praying at all times. They should pray about everything that happens. They should pray on all occasions (‘at all times’). Life should be one great prayer to God.

But there is another kind of prayer. It is to pray when we do not really want to pray. We all know about this. Then we need to speak to ourselves. We should say, ‘Yes, I do not feel that I want to pray. But still I will pray.’

Then Paul adds, ‘Then you can ask God for anything.’ We should pray with all kinds of prayers and requests. There are many kinds of prayers. In one kind of prayer, we tell God how good and great he is. There is the kind of prayer when we thank God. We thank him for who he is. Or, we thank him for what he does for us. There is the kind of prayer for other people. There is the kind of prayer for ourselves and about the events in our lives. We must ask God to guide us. And there is the kind of prayer for kings and our rulers (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Then Paul adds ‘continue to pray for all Christians’. Prayer should become a habit. Paul writes, ‘So remember to be always ready, like a guard with his eyes open.’ Jesus himself told his *disciples to ‘watch and pray’ (Matthew 26: 41).

Verse 19 Last, Paul asks for prayers for himself. He is still in prison. He wants to be free. He could ask people to pray that God would free him. That would have been a natural thing to ask. But he does not ask for that. He knows how important he is in God’s plan. Even in prison, he works to spread the *gospel. Yes, he is in prison. But he knows that he is in God’s war.

Paul asks for two things.

First, he asks them to pray ‘that God will give me his words’. This is for whenever he is able to speak. Paul wants God to give him the right words and the right message each time that he speaks. Then everyone that he speaks to will clearly understand God’s message.

Next, Paul always needs God’s power to speak. He needs to ‘speak boldly’ and bravely. This is how he is asking the Christians to pray. He will *preach the *gospel. But he wants to do this without fear. He wants everyone to understand Christ’s wonderful good news.

All the early *apostles were like this. They did not pray to be free from danger. They did not pray to be free from injury or even death. They prayed that they would be brave. Whatever happened, they had to *preach the *gospel of Jesus Christ.

Every Christian is in the war against *Satan. But a Christian prays not only for himself. He prays not only for his own part in the war. He prays also for the whole *church of Christ. He prays ‘for all Christians’ (verse 18).

Verse 20 Before this, Paul has not said much about himself. Twice he reminds his readers that he is in prison. But there is an advantage in that. He is God’s ‘special *messenger, although I wear chains’. An *ambassador (or special *messenger) represents his king in another country. He has a job to do in that country. It is to show all the good things about his king and country.

Paul thinks that his work is far more important than a *Roman *ambassador’s work. He is the *ambassador of the King of kings. He brings a message from his Royal Master. It is a message with very great value. He speaks to people who are God’s enemies. And he tells them how they can become God’s friends.

Paul is in prison. But he does not tell the Christians to be sorry for him. They should not pray that God would free him. No, he wants them to pray that he will continue to *preach the *gospel. He must not stop. So this is how he is really asking them to pray. ‘Do not ask God to free me from these chains. Instead, pray that God will free my mouth to speak. Then I will be able to *preach the *gospel.’ He knows that God has given him this one main purpose. So far in his life, everything has been for this purpose. So, he asks his readers, ‘Pray that I will declare the message bravely, as I should do.’

6:21-24 ~ Final greeting

v21 Tychicus is a dear Christian brother and he is a loyal servant of the *Lord. He will tell you everything. Then you will know how I am. And he will tell you what I am doing. v22 This is why I am sending him to you. He will give you my news and he will encourage you.

v23 I am asking God the Father and the *Lord Jesus Christ to send *peace and love with *faith. I am asking them to send these things to all the brothers and sisters. v24 Some people love our *Lord Jesus Christ with a love that will never end. I want God’s *grace to be with all those people.

Verses 21-22 Paul has been dictating this letter. Now he takes the pen in his own hand. He writes these last few sentences himself. The writer may have been Tychicus. Now Paul mentions him by name. Tychicus is a Christian and he is a friend of Paul. He will take this letter to the Christians at Ephesus. Paul chose him also to deliver another letter. It was the one that he wrote to the Christians in Colosse (Colossians 4:7).

We see Tychicus’s name also in Acts 20:4; Titus 3:12 and 2 Timothy 4:12. Paul wanted to give the Christians recent news. That is why he sent Tychicus with the letter. Also, Tychicus would ‘encourage’ them and make them strong.

The Christians probably worried that Paul was in prison. Paul has told them before that he is God’s servant. This is by the gift of God’s *grace (3:7). So Paul reminds them again about this. God is using all the events of his life. Everything would therefore bring *glory to God.

Verse 23 Now, we go back to the first words of Paul’s letter. There, he wrote about ‘*grace and *peace’ from God and from Christ (1:2). Here, Paul ends with the same two words, ‘peace’ in this verse and ‘*grace’ in verse 24.

Paul has spoken often about three *blessings in his letter. The first *blessing is ‘peace’. This peace is the peace of God. We can have it in our *spirits. It is peace ‘to the brothers and sisters’. That means that it is for all the Christians.

Then comes ‘love with *faith’. We have love from our *faith in Christ. We have this only by unity with him. ‘*Faith’, or to be full of *faith, is a fruit of the Spirit. All these *blessings come from ‘God the Father’. Everything comes from him in the first place. These *blessings also come from ‘the *Lord Jesus Christ’. He brings us all the *blessings of the Spirit of God (1:3).

Verse 24. And Paul prays for all the people who really love the *Lord Jesus Christ. They love him ‘with a love that will never end’. He prays that God’s *grace will be with all of those people. As in the beginning of this letter, the final prayer is for ‘*grace’. In the *Greek language, it is ‘the *grace’. This could mean the *grace that Paul has spoken so much about. The *grace is for all those who ‘love our *Lord Jesus Christ’. They love him ‘with a love that will never end’. *Grace is for everyone. But we need to receive it in love. Only such people can experience it completely. It is *grace that will never fail or end. The love of God never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).

lord ~ someone with authority.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus; it means that he is head over all.
commandment ~ a command that God gave; the ten important commands or rules that God gave to Moses on Sinai mountain.'blessing, blessed ~ the good things that God does for us; a blessing can be a prayer that God will bless someone.
bless ~ to cause good things to happen to someone.'submit, submitting ~ to give in to another person.
church ~ a group of people who follow and believe in Jesus Christ; a group of Christians who meet together. It can also mean all the Christians in the world.'baptise, baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show the way that Christ makes us clean; when the Holy Spirit comes into a person who knows Christ; the way we show to everyone that we belong to Christ and his church.

holy, holiness ~ description of God, set apart, perfect, wonderful; completely good, with nothing bad in it; belonging to God; separate from sin, pure, clean.
church ~ a group of people who follow and believe in Jesus Christ; a group of Christians who meet together. It can also mean all the Christians in the world.

sin, sinner, sinful ~ when people do things against God; when we do not do the commands of God; the evil nature that is in us that we were born with.

'Rome, Roman ~ Rome was the most famous city in the world at the time of Jesus. Their soldiers fought and defeated many countries. They made the people obey the rules of Rome. They made them pay taxes to Rome. The people could not rule themselves, but they had to obey the laws of Rome.
Greek ~ the language of Greece. Paul wrote his letter in the Greek language.
salvation ~ rescue from the punishment and power of sin.

sin, sinner, sinful ~ when people do things against God; when we do not do the commands of God; the evil nature that is in us that we were born with.
grace ~ a gift, from God or from people, that we do not deserve and cannot earn; what God or people give because they are generous; the help and protection that comes from God.'sin, sinner, sinful ~ when people do things against God; when we do not do the commands of God; the evil nature that is in us that we were born with.
repent ~ to turn from sin to God’s ways; to change from past evil ways; a change of mind when we turn away from wrong things.

sin, sinner, sinful ~ when people do things against God; when we do not do the commands of God; the evil nature that is in us that we were born with.
slavery ~ when one person owns another person.'Jew, Jewish ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ the belief in someone or something; to agree with and to do the things that God teaches; to obey his commands even when they seem difficult; belief and trust in God and in Jesus his Son; belief that the Bible is true; ‘the faith’ means the things that Christians believe about Jesus.
armour ~ equipment that protects a soldier.
devil ~ another name for Satan, the chief evil spirit.
Satan ~ a name for the chief bad spirit; the top devil; he is also called the devil.
spirit ~ evil spirit(s) from the devil; part of a person when they are alive, which we cannot see; it decides what to do – good or bad; God’s Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to send to all who know him as the Son of God.

holy, holiness ~ description of God, set apart, perfect, wonderful; completely good, with nothing bad in it; belonging to God; separate from sin, pure, clean.

sin, sinner, sinful ~ when people do things against God; when we do not do the commands of God; the evil nature that is in us that we were born with.
spiritual ~ life that relates to the spirit.
spirit ~ evil spirit(s) from the devil; part of a person when they are alive, which we cannot see; it decides what to do – good or bad; God’s Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to send to all who know him as the Son of God.
devil ~ another name for Satan, the chief evil spirit.

holy, holiness ~ description of God, set apart, perfect, wonderful; completely good, with nothing bad in it; belonging to God; separate from sin, pure, clean.
Satan ~ a name for the chief bad spirit; the top devil; he is also called the devil.

sin, sinner, sinful ~ when people do things against God; when we do not do the commands of God; the evil nature that is in us that we were born with.
breastplate ~ a piece of armour that protects the upper part of the body.
armour ~ equipment that protects a soldier.

'righteous, righteousness ~ to be right with God; people that God sees as clean and not his enemies.
gospel ~ the good news that God has helped people who love Jesus; he has helped them by the life, death and raising from death of Jesus Christ; the good news about the things that Jesus has done for us; the message from God to us; one of the four books at the beginning of the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus.
faith ~ the belief in someone or something; to agree with and to do the things that God teaches; to obey his commands even when they seem difficult; belief and trust in God and in Jesus his Son; belief that the Bible is true; ‘the faith’ means the things that Christians believe about Jesus.
shield ~ a piece of armour that you hold to protect the front of the body.
armour ~ equipment that protects a soldier.
save ~ to rescue someone from the results of their sins

sin, sinner, sinful ~ when people do things against God; when we do not do the commands of God; the evil nature that is in us that we were born with.

'holy, holiness ~ description of God, set apart, perfect, wonderful; completely good, with nothing bad in it; belonging to God; separate from sin, pure, clean.

sin, sinner, sinful ~ when people do things against God; when we do not do the commands of God; the evil nature that is in us that we were born with.
Satan ~ a name for the chief bad spirit; the top devil; he is also called the devil.
spirit ~ evil spirit(s) from the devil; part of a person when they are alive, which we cannot see; it decides what to do – good or bad; God’s Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to send to all who know him as the Son of God.
devil ~ another name for Satan, the chief evil spirit.

holy, holiness ~ description of God, set apart, perfect, wonderful; completely good, with nothing bad in it; belonging to God; separate from sin, pure, clean.

sin, sinner, sinful ~ when people do things against God; when we do not do the commands of God; the evil nature that is in us that we were born with.
weapon ~ a tool of war for attack or defence in war or fighting.
spirit ~ evil spirit(s) from the devil; part of a person when they are alive, which we cannot see; it decides what to do – good or bad; God’s Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to send to all who know him as the Son of God.
devil ~ another name for Satan, the chief evil spirit.

holy, holiness ~ description of God, set apart, perfect, wonderful; completely good, with nothing bad in it; belonging to God; separate from sin, pure, clean.
Satan ~ a name for the chief bad spirit; the top devil; he is also called the devil.

sin, sinner, sinful ~ when people do things against God; when we do not do the commands of God; the evil nature that is in us that we were born with.

'New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus.
cross ~ two pieces of wood that someone has fixed together. The Romans punished people by fixing them to a cross to die. Jesus died on this; the cross is now the sign of the church of Christ; not to put yourself first but to put Jesus and other people first in your life.

Rome, Roman ~ Rome was the most famous city in the world at the time of Jesus. Their soldiers fought and defeated many countries. They made the people obey the rules of Rome. They made them pay taxes to Rome. The people could not rule themselves, but they had to obey the laws of Rome.
church ~ a group of people who follow and believe in Jesus Christ; a group of Christians who meet together. It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
devil ~ another name for Satan, the chief evil spirit.
Satan ~ a name for the chief bad spirit; the top devil; he is also called the devil.
spirit ~ evil spirit(s) from the devil; part of a person when they are alive, which we cannot see; it decides what to do – good or bad; God’s Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to send to all who know him as the Son of God.

holy, holiness ~ description of God, set apart, perfect, wonderful; completely good, with nothing bad in it; belonging to God; separate from sin, pure, clean.

sin, sinner, sinful ~ when people do things against God; when we do not do the commands of God; the evil nature that is in us that we were born with.
throne ~ a chair for a king or a god.
heavenly ~ in or about heaven.'blessing, blessed ~ the good things that God does for us; a blessing can be a prayer that God will bless someone.
bless ~ to cause good things to happen to someone.

'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before the life of Jesus.
peace ~ when we are friends with God and with other people; freedom from mental troubles or troubles in the spirit; a friendly attitude towards other people.
spirit ~ evil spirit(s) from the devil; part of a person when they are alive, which we cannot see; it decides what to do – good or bad; God’s Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to send to all who know him as the Son of God.
devil ~ another name for Satan, the chief evil spirit.

holy, holiness ~ description of God, set apart, perfect, wonderful; completely good, with nothing bad in it; belonging to God; separate from sin, pure, clean.
Satan ~ a name for the chief bad spirit; the top devil; he is also called the devil.

sin, sinner, sinful ~ when people do things against God; when we do not do the commands of God; the evil nature that is in us that we were born with.

'justification, justify, justified ~ the act of God when he says that he sees us as good; this happens at the moment when we trust Jesus; the state of being right with God.
apostle ~ a man that God has chosen to lead his church; one of the 12 men that Jesus chose to be his helpers and to teach about him.
church ~ a group of people who follow and believe in Jesus Christ; a group of Christians who meet together. It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
forgive ~ when someone stops being angry with another person who has done bad things.
eternal ~ things that have always been and will continue for all time; a thing which has no beginning or end; a thing which never changes.
disciple ~ someone who follows another person and learns from him; a person who obeys what Jesus taught.
messenger ~ a person who brings messages.
preach ~ to tell and explain the good news about Jesus Christ to a group of people.
ambassador ~ a person that a king of one country employs to act for him in another country.'glory, glorious ~ the power and great importance of God; great beauty and like a great king; a bright light that comes from God or Jesus.
faith ~ the belief in someone or something; to agree with and to do the things that God teaches; to obey his commands even when they seem difficult; belief and trust in God and in Jesus his Son; belief that the Bible is true; ‘the faith’ means the things that Christians believe about Jesus.
grace ~ a gift, from God or from people, that we do not deserve and cannot earn; what God or people give because they are generous; the help and protection that comes from God.