Love First Love: Our Calling and Conduct in Ephesians

Few documents in human history possess the theological depth and practical power of the Apostle Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians. Written from the confines of Roman imprisonment, this masterpiece presents a cosmic vision of God’s redemptive plan. Paul crafts a magnificent theological architecture that anchors human identity in the sovereign grace of God before calling believers to walk in a manner worthy of that transcendent reality. To understand the profound message of Ephesians, one must first grasp the cultural world into which it was sent, the historical foundation laid in the book of Acts, and the inseparable link between divine calling and Christian conduct.

The Crossroads of Asia: The City and Cult of Ephesus

Ephesus, located in modern-day Turkey, stood as one of the preeminent metropolises of the Greco-Roman world. Situated at the crossroads of major trade routes, with an active harbor and river access, Ephesus functioned as a vital commercial, political, and philosophical nexus. It was a cultural clearinghouse where goods, philosophies, and religious systems were continuously imported, synthesized, and exported across the Roman Empire.

This vibrant trade center was steeped in radical pluralism and pervasive occultism. Home to a pantheon of diverse deities, the city was renowned for magic, incantations, and spiritism. Towering over the city was the magnificent Temple of Artemis (or Diana to the Romans), celebrated as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Artemis, regarded as a mother goddess of fertility and cosmic protection, held immense cultural and economic sway. Her worship involved elaborate rituals, animal sacrifices, and temple prostitution. The pervasive influence of Artemis touched every facet of civic life, creating an atmosphere fundamentally hostile to exclusive monotheism.

Ephesians 1:1-2 (NASB)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and [who are] faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Apostolic Foundation: The Advance of the Gospel in Acts

Recognizing that transforming the regional hub would impact the entire surrounding territory, Paul targeted Ephesus during his missionary endeavors. The historical backdrop of this mission is chronicled in the book of Acts. After his radical conversion on the Damascus Road and an extended period of scriptural reorientation in Arabia, Paul launched outward to proclaim Jesus as the promised Messiah.

Acts 9:1-6 (NASB)

Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He [said], ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.’

During his second and third missionary journeys, Paul’s ministry converged on Ephesus. Earlier, an eloquent Alexandrian Jewish believer named Apollos had ministered there, demonstrating profound knowledge of the Scriptures but possessing an incomplete understanding of the gospel, knowing only the baptism of John.

Acts 18:24-25 (NASB)

Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John;

When Paul arrived on his third journey, he met disciples who had received John’s baptism of repentance but had not yet heard the fullness of the gospel or received the Holy Spirit. Paul instructed them concerning the finished work of Jesus Christ, baptized them into the name of the Lord Jesus, and witnessed the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit in their midst.

Acts 19:1-7 (NASB)

It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they [said] to him, ‘No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ And they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they [began] speaking with tongues and prophesying. There were in all about twelve men.

Paul subsequently began preaching boldly in the Ephesian synagogue for three months. When hardened opposition arose, he relocated his disciples to the lecture hall of Tyrannus. For two years, Paul engaged in daily theological instruction, with the result that the message reverberated far beyond the city walls.

Acts 19:8-10 (NASB)

And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading [them] about the kingdom of God. But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

The power of the gospel inevitably collided with the city’s entrenched occult practices. As demonic oppression was broken and the name of Jesus was magnified, profound conviction swept through the populace. In a dramatic demonstration of genuine repentance, newly converted practitioners gathered their esoteric texts and burned them publicly—a collection valued at fifty thousand pieces of silver. Repentance was not merely intellectual assent; it demanded the radical renunciation and destruction of former idolatries.

Acts 19:17-19 (NASB)

This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and [began] burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

This mass transformation disrupted the local economy. A silversmith named Demetrius, whose trade depended on crafting silver shrines of Artemis, incited a riot by warning that Paul’s preaching threatened both their livelihoods and the honor of their goddess. The ensuing civic uproar demonstrated the disruptive power of a gospel that refuses to accommodate syncretism.

Acts 19:23-28 (NASB)

About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; these he gathered together with the workmen of similar [trades], and said, ’Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. ’You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods [at all]. ‘Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.’ When they heard [this] and were filled with rage, they [began] crying out, saying, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’

Paul’s deep affection for this church was later captured in his farewell address to the Ephesian elders at Miletus. En route to Jerusalem and anticipating imprisonment, he urged the overseers to shepherd vigilantly the flock of God purchased with His own blood, warning that savage wolves would arise even from within their own ranks to distort the truth.

Acts 20:28-30 (NASB)

’Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. ’I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

The Theological Architecture: Calling Precedes Conduct

Writing subsequently from Roman house arrest, Paul addressed the believers in Ephesus and the surrounding network of churches across Asia Minor. The letter exhibits a deliberate, twofold structure that serves as a template for apostolic discipleship:

1. Chapters 1–3: The Divine Calling (Indicative) — Establishing the theological foundation of who the believer is in Christ by sovereign grace.
2. Chapters 4–6: The Christian Conduct (Imperative) — Outlining the practical ethics of how the believer must walk in light of that divine reality.

This sequence is paramount. Scripture never grounds human behavior in self-righteous striving or moralistic duty. True Christian ethics inevitably flow from gospel identity. Orthodoxy (right belief) must precede and produce orthopraxy (right practice). If the foundation of God’s sovereign calling is obscured, Christian conduct collapses into legalistic frustration.

Ephesians 4:1-2 (NASB)

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,

The Sovereign Foundations of Grace: Ephesians 1–2

The opening half of the epistle unfolds the lavish spiritual blessings bestowed upon the redeemed. In the first chapter alone, the focal point remains entirely on the triune God. The text repeatedly emphasizes divine initiative through the recurring phrases “He chose,” “He predestined,” and “in Him.”

Believers were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, predestined for adoption, redeemed through His blood, and forgiven of their trespasses according to the riches of His grace.

Ephesians 1:4-7 (NASB)

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Furthermore, God has revealed the mystery of His will, granted believers an eternal inheritance, and sealed them with the promised Holy Spirit as a guarantee until the redemption of His possession. Paul’s prayer for the church is that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened to grasp the boundless hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance, and the surpassing greatness of His power toward those who believe.

Ephesians 1:11-14 (NASB)

also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 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, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God’s own] possession, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 1:18-19 (NASB)

[I pray that] the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. [These are] in accordance with the working of the strength of His might

This sovereign initiative becomes all the more magnificent when contrasted with humanity’s natural condition. In Ephesians 2, Paul provides an unflinching diagnosis of the human heart apart from Christ: humanity was not merely wounded, struggling, or morally impaired, but completely “dead in trespasses and sins.” Humanity walked according to the course of this fallen world, captive to the prince of the power of the air, living in the passions of the flesh, and rightfully designated as children of wrath.

Into this absolute spiritual bankruptcy intrude two of the most magnificent words in Holy Scripture: “But God.” Being rich in mercy and driven by His great love, God made spiritually dead sinners alive together with Christ. Salvation is entirely a gift of unmerited favor, received through faith, explicitly excluding any ground for human boasting.

Ephesians 2:1-5 (NASB)

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NASB)

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

The Cosmic Mystery and the Transformed Walk: Ephesians 3–6

Having established individual redemption, Paul turns in chapter 3 to the corporate dimension of God’s eternal purpose: the mystery of the Church. Through the cross, Christ broke down the dividing wall of hostility, reconciling Jew and Gentile into one single body. This unified assembly serves as a cosmic display of the manifold wisdom of God to rulers and authorities in heavenly realms.

Ephesians 2:12-13 (NASB)

[remember] that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 3:1-6 (NASB)

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles– if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; [to be specific], that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

In chapters 4 through 6, Paul pivots from doctrine to duty, applying this cosmic reality to daily life through the metaphor of walking. Because believers have been called out of darkness, their walk must reflect their new nature:

• Believers are commanded to walk in a manner worthy of their calling (4:1).
• Believers must no longer walk in the futility and moral darkness of the unregenerate mind, but in true righteousness and holiness (4:17-24).
• Believers are summoned to walk in self-sacrificial love, imitating Christ who gave Himself up as a fragrant offering (5:1-2).
• Believers are charged to walk as children of light, bearing the fruit of goodness, righteousness, and truth (5:8).
• Believers must walk in divine wisdom, making the best use of the time in evil days (5:15-16).

Finally, recognizing that this holy walk takes place within an arena of spiritual warfare, Paul commands believers to be strong in the Lord and put on the whole armor of God, so that they may withstand the schemes of the devil and stand firm in truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and the Word of God.

Ephesians 6:10-14 (NASB)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,

Conclusion: Awakening to the First Love

The Epistle to the Ephesians remains an urgent summons to the church across every generation. It was designed not merely to inform the intellect, but to awaken believers from spiritual lethargy to active faithfulness. God’s redemptive work was never meant to be admired in passive comfort; it is a transformative power meant to animate every dimension of life.

God loved first. Before the cosmos took shape, He set His affection upon a people, redeemed them by the blood of His Son, and sealed them for eternity. When the church truly grasps the magnitude of this sovereign calling, duty ceases to be a burden and becomes a joyful overflow of gratitude. To recover this first love is to stand firm against the pressures of a pluralistic culture, walking in holiness, unity, and truth, for the eternal glory of God.