exegetical guide

to the

greek new testament

Ephesians

Nashville, Tennessee

Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament: Ephesians

© 2016 Benjamin L. Merkle

B&H Academic

Nashville, Tennessee

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-1-4336-8025-0

Dewey Decimal Classification: 227.5

Subject Heading: BIBLE. N.T. EPHESIAN—STUDY / BIBLE. N.T. EPHESIAN—CRITICISM

The Greek text of Ephesians is from The Greek New Testament, Fifth Revised Edition, edited by Barbara Aland, Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, and Bruce M. Metzger in cooperation with the Institute for New Testament Textual Research, Münster/Westphalia, © 1993 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. Used by permission.

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Contents

Acknowledgments

Publisher’s Preface

General Introduction to the EGGNT Series

Abbreviations

Introduction

I. Address and Greeting (1:1–2)

II. Understanding God’s Gracious Calling (1:3–3:21)

A. God’s Blessings in Christ (1:3–14)

B. Thanksgiving and Prayer (1:15–23)

C. From Death to Life (2:1–10)

D. Remember Your Past Situation and Your Present Status (2:11–22)

E. Paul’s Stewardship and Service of God’s Mystery (3:1–13)

F. Paul’s Second Prayer (3:14–21)

III. Walk Worthy of Our Calling (4:1–6:20)

A. Walking in Unity (4:1–6)

B. Walking in Maturity Through Diversity (4:7–16)

C. Walking According to the Renewed Self (4:17–24)

D. Walking in Love (4:25–5:2)

E. Walking As Children of Light (5:3–14)

F. Walking Carefully (5:15–21)

G. Walking With Spirit-Filled Lives in Relationships (5:22–6:9)

H. Standing Firm With the Full Armor of God (6:10–20)

IV. Commendation and Benediction (6:21–24)

Exegetical Outline

Grammar Index

Scripture Index

Acknowledgments

I am grateful for the opportunity I had to dedicate countless hours thinking about God’s word, particularly Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. This book has been a great source of encouragement and joy to me especially over the past several years. I would like to thank (1) the team at B&H Academic for their continual support and guidance in this project, (2) Andreas Köstenberger for inviting me to contribute to this series, and (3) Billie Goodenough for helping proofread the manuscript. I am also indebted to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary for granting me a sabbatical during which I wrote a significant portion of the manuscript. My wife has been a constant support and makes the writing of books possible for me. With the apostle Paul I declare, “Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Eph 1:3 HCSB).

Publisher’s Preface

It is with great excitement that we publish this volume of the Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament series. When the founding editor, Dr. Murray J. Harris, came to us seeking a new publishing partner, we gratefully accepted the offer. With the help of the coeditor, Andreas J. Köstenberger, we spent several years working together to acquire all of the authors we needed to complete the series. By God’s grace we ...