Paul’s Final Words
EPHESIANS 6:18-24
THERE ARE 6 CHAPTERS AND 155 VERSES IN THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS. Our study this week covers the final 7 verses of this great book; they comprise “Paul’s Final Words”…
NAS Ephesians 6:18-24 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 21 But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you. 22 And I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with a love incorruptible.
VERSE 18 IS A CONTINUATION OF THE PREVIOUS PASSAGE, WHICH, as you’ll remember from two last two blogs, concerns “The Full Armor of God.” Some scholars include prayer as another of the pieces of armor that Paul lists, but I humbly believe it is more accurate to see prayer as the means by which the armor is put on…
NAS Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
“PRAYER IS THE VERY SPIRITUAL AIR THAT THE SOLDIER OF CHRIST BREATHES. It is the all-pervasive strategy in spiritual which warfare is fought. In the battle with Satan, it is either pray or faint.” – MacArthur/TAR
ONE COMMENTATOR CALLS VV. 18-20 “THE STRATEGY.” “A soldier may have the best of equipment and still be of no help in the battle unless he sis deployed at the right place and at the right time. He needs direction as to his particular function in the conflict. Likewise the Christian also must be aware of the spiritual battle strategy so as to contribute his part to the victory.” – Kent
“’PRAYING ALWAYS WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION IN THE SPIRIT.’ The believer must keep in constant communication with his Commander in every season of conflict. Only in this way is he enabled to follow the leading of the Master closely.” – Kent
“’PRAYER’ IS THE MORE GENERAL TERM for man’s worshipful approach to God; ‘supplication’ emphasizes requests or petitions.” – Kent
“WE CAN OFFER MANY KINDS OF PRAYERS. One is the prayer of adoration. Another is the prayer of confession. Two other kinds of prayer are thanksgiving and supplication.” – Garner
“NOTE THAT PAUL SAYS OUR PRAYER IS TO BE ‘IN THE SPIRIT.’ A good interpretation of what this means is “praying in the energy and with the purposes which the indwelling Holy Spirit prompts within the believer. Such praying will always desire the will of God and will trust Him for the victory.” – Kent
PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT DOES NOT REFER TO SPEAKING IN TONGUES, as many today insist. “Paul was referring to prayer directed to God that is motivated by and in the power of the Spirit. Prayer in the Spirit is always offered in harmony with God’s will and is certain to have God’s answer.” – Garner
“TO ‘PRAY AT ALL TIMES’ DOES NOT MEAN to pray around the clock, without stopping to eat or sleep. Paul meant believers are never to take a vacation from prayer. Christians are to be people of prayer. Pray when things go bad. Pray at difficult times. Pray in sticky situations. If you are happy, pray. If you are sad, pray. When you are with family and friends, pray. When you are with enemies, pray. And when you are alone, pray. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians…
NAS 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing;
PAUL GOES ON IN VV. 19 AND 20 OF EPHESIANS 6 TO ASK THAT PRAYER be offered also in his behalf…
NAS Ephesians 6:19-20 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
“IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT PRAYER IS NOT just something we do for ourselves. We must always remember to support others in the spiritual battle. We cannot put on the armor for another person, but we can pray for that other person.” – Steadman…
PRAYING FOR OTHERS IS CALLED “INTERCESSION.”
BUT AREN’T PAUL’S WORDS BEAUTIFUL HERE? Paul is asking for prayerful intervention that he might be able to witness for Christ with boldness. That should be our prayer as well. I pray that you might be able to share the gospel with clarity and courage, and ask that you pray the same prayer for me.
“FOR I AM AN AMBASSADOR IN CHAINS.” Paul, as you remember, was in jail in Rome when he wrote this letter. He was in jail because of his faith. Notice that he does not ask his readers to pray that he would be released, but rather that he wanted to be able to receive from God words to express himself boldly. When you think this through, Paul’s request can have a profound and convicting effect on us.
“AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE EARLIEST CHRISTIANS in Jerusalem, we know from Scripture, continually devoted themselves to prayer.” – MacArthur…
ESV Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
“THERE IS NO TIME WHEN WE DO NOT NEED TO PRAY and no time when God will not hear our prayers. In many ways prayer is even more important than knowledge about God.” – MacArthur
AS ONE COMMENTATOR SO APTLY SAID, “ALL OF LIFE IS TO BE PRAYED, not just lived.” – Snodgrass
IN VV.2 1-24 WE HAVE PAUL’S FINAL MESSAGE AND GREETING… These are personal words from Paul: a personal message and a personal greeting. Note how the words express his love and compassion for others…
NAS Ephesians 6:21-22 But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you. 22And I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts.
TYCHICUS WAS PAUL’S MESSENGER. Tychicus is also the bearer of Paul’s letter to the Colossians and Philemon too…
THERE FOLLOWS THEN IN V. 23-24 A PERSONAL GREETING. It’s really a prayer. …
NAS Ephesians 6:23-24 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
WHAT STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL FINAL WORDS, ARE THEY NOT? “No other letter of Paul’s closes like this one. All of Paul’s letters end with grace bestowed on the readers, and several of them extend peace or love. The benediction here, however, is fuller and more liturgical than most, which is not surprising, given the liturgical character of the whole letter. And note especially the double occurrence of the expression ‘Lord Jesus Christ’ and the four major themes of the letter brought back to mind: peace, love, faith/faithfulness, and grace.” – Snodgrass
BEAUTIFUL, SO VERY BEAUTIFUL…
PAUL ENDS HIS MAGNIFICENT LETTER IN MUCH THE SAME WAY THAT he began it. Listen to v. 2 of chapter 1…
NAS Ephesians 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
VERSES 23-24 OF CHAPTER 6 AGAIN: “Paul’s Final Words”…
NAS Ephesians 6:23-24 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
MAY WE ALL ZEALOUSLY LOVE JESUS WITH A LOVE THAT IS “INCORRUPTIBLE.” The Greek word (ἀφθαρσία [af-thar-see-a]) means the state of not being subject to decay/dissolution/interruption, incorruptibility, immortality [BDAG]. I must confess that it is difficult to know for certain just what Paul’s meaning was in his use of this word. One excellent source (BDAG) referred to the word in v. 24 as expressing a love that is incapable of dying. While there is a variety of interpretation, most seem to favor this view. For example…
NET Ephesians 6:24 Grace be with all of those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
NIV Ephesians 6:24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
CSB Ephesians 6:24 Grace be with all who have undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.
WE CERTAINLY HAVE LEARNED A LOT FROM OUR 50-WEEK STUDY of the great book of Ephesians! I hope you all share my view that it has been a wonderful experience to study this great book in the depth we have. “No New Testament book so fully delineates the resources and blessings of the believer as does Ephesians.” – Mac Arthur
IN CLOSING, LET ME REVIEW SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS for us all. Please know that this is not an exhaustive list…
WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING!…
NAS Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
WE HAVE BEEN PREDESTINED AS SONS OF GOD!…
NAS Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
WE HAVE BEEN REDEEMED!…
NAS Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,
WE HAVE BEEN PERMANENTLY AND PROTECTIVELY SEALED by the Spirit of God!…
NAS Ephesians 1:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation– having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
WE HAVE BEEN SAVED BY GOD’S GRACE!…
NAS Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
WE ARE GOD’S WORKMANSHIP, SOMETHING HE HAS MADE, like a poet makes a beautiful poem; a poem is something that is made…
NAS Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship (ποίημα [poi-a-ma] that which is make, creation, work), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
AND BECAUSE OF ALL GOD’S UNMERITED GOODNESS TOWARD US, as poetically enumerated in the first three chapters, we are given in chapters 4-6 magnificent commands so that we might live as the privileged people we are in Christ. It is such a blessing to be directed by God, who never makes a mistake, who is always truthful, loving, and faithful to us…
NAS Ephesians 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
NAS Ephesians 4:24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
NAS Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
NAS Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
NAS Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
NAS Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
NAS Ephesians 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
NAS Ephesians 5:8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light
NAS Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
NAS Ephesians 5:21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ
NET Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power.
NAS Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
WELL, WE ARE AT THE CLOSE OF OUR LONG AND WONDERFUL STUDY of the great book of Ephesians. Fifty-one messages. If we could roll it all up into one statement, it would most probably be this: Because God has provided us with all we need in Christ, we must therefore live worthy of that indescribable gift! Thanks be to God for His grace and for the book of Ephesians!
– Professor Thomas A. Rohm
