Ephesians (Reformed Expository Commentary) [Hardcover]

Bryan Chapell (Author)

Book Description

Series: Reformed Expository Commentary | Publication Date: August 5, 2009

In this truly homiletical commentary, Dr. Bryan Chapell unfolds Paul s glorious description of how the triumph of the church will occur and what our roles are in Christ s ultimate victory.

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About the Author

Bryan Chapell is president of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. He graduated from Northwestern University with his BSJ in journaling, English literature, and American history. He received his MDiv from Covenant Theological Seminary and obtained his PhD from Southern Illinois University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 383 pages
• Publisher: P & R Publishing (August 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596380160
• ISBN-13: 978-1596380165
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #530,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bryan Chapell (PhD, Southern Illinois University) is president and professor of practical theology at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, where he has served in various capacities since 1984. In addition to his work at Covenant, Chapell is the author of numerous books, including Christ-Centered Preaching and Holiness by Grace.

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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Glorious Display Of God's Moral Attributes, September 4, 2009

By 

Jacques Schoeman (SA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ephesians (Reformed Expository Commentary) (Hardcover)

'Thus, in His wisdom, God also grants us blessed revelation of His grace.' p 37

The early church was let in on the plan of salvation. The purpose in revealing this 'mystery' which was once hidden in the secret counsel of God's will was to create a new people in Christ, re-created by the Spirit.

God's purpose in calling Paul to be an apostle to the gentiles is 'not incidental' to the history of redemption, according to Bryan Chapell. What may be easily discerned is that for Chapell, not only the apostle, but the whole church has its origin in Christ, and, therefore, a greater contextual application is surmised. This opening round rings true and through great exposition Chapell stirs up our confidence in Pauline authorship and Paul's claim of apostleship. Chapell fearlessly solicits our reason to recognize that our own calling, as the people of God and the body of Christ, is effected by the divine will alone. 'One might think that the special calling of Paul denies similar confidence to us.' p 5 Using the apostle as initial reference, permit Chapell to let you in on a pleasant surprise, and set the tone for Reformed soteriology.

Following his advocacy of Paul, Professor Chapell looks to the majestic opening verses, 2-14, which is one sentence in the original Greek. It speaks quintessentially of redemption decreed, accomplished and applied as originating in the eternal realm within the inter-trinitarian Godhead. Vos showed a rare depth of understanding for 'In love He predestined us': 'For this reason it is impossible to maintain that the decree of predestination has no bearing whatever on the question of the love of God, as if from the totality of mankind He selected certain persons to be saved with a choice resting on ground unknown, but into which a loving preference of these persons did not enter as a motive. Nor must we regard this carrying back of the most individualized form of love into the very origin of the purpose of redemption a subordinate or accidental feature of the Pauline system.' Redemptive History & Biblical Interpretation, ed Richard Gaffin Jr pp. 454-455 Every blessing is a direct result of our union with Christ, which Paul integrates frequently into this passage of positional truth. 'In our union with Christ, we are already partakers of this spiritual reality, even though it is not fully realized.' p 21 Empathizing with the frailty of human nature, Chapell next enters into a monologue on God's covenant-faithfulness [Heb: hesed]. He thereby draws our attention to the total inability of man, and inscribes again on our hearts an awareness of a perfectly just and holy God's redeeming love whereby He deals with our faithlessness according to the demands of divine justice. This leads to one of the most uplifting sections of the commentary. 'Paul writes this epistle so that we would grasp that such a vast, intricate, and, at the same time, intimate plan is true and applies to us.' p 53

'On this ground he praises the mercy of God, meaning by its riches, that it had been poured out in a singularly large and abundant manner. The whole of our salvation is here ascribed to the mercy of God. But he presently adds, 'for His great love wherewith He loved us'. This is a still more express declaration, that all was owing to undeserved goodness; for he declares that God was moved by this single consideration.' John Calvin, Commentary on Ephesians 2:4

Reflection on God's gift of grace regularly takes center stage in the NT revelation, and here the apostle forms the pivotal classic text even as Chapell graciously reminds us of the benefit of our new spiritual life: union with Christ. The core construct denoting our incorporation into Christ appears firstly in 2:5, which intention it is to say that God is the cause of regeneration as 'God... made us alive together with Christ'. In close proximity and through a second Godward-reference in 2:6, the apostle Paul makes plain the eschatological import: 'God raised us together with Christ'. Whilst Chapell's portrayal of the same is not exhaustive, it most certainly is cause for praise.

The weight of the first two chapters invites our consideration of the implications of Paul's scope that 'runs to the past and future horizons of eternity' and forms as such its own unique subset. The second subset, from chapter 2:11 through chapter 6, locates its expression in the relationship between the spiritual formation of the church, and the outworking of her faith in her Savior's Person and work. Chapell presses ahead into the second subset, the church, and corrects individualistic interpretations of 2 Cor 5:17 and Eph 2:15b-16: 'to create in Himself one new man out of the two...and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross.' The correct contextual application for the corporate dimension of our union in Christ, the second Adam, supersedes all cultural and racial barriers to result in peace amongst the body of Christ and bound by the bond of unity. 'What we are not accustomed to thinking is that God intends for this reconciliation to occur as we are in one body.' p 112 Paul, the genealogist to the gentiles, would go on to reveal how this diverse anthropological Christian family shares a common, yet divine ancestry. Whereas before the apostle spoke of 'us' and 'you' referring to a stage of salvation history prior to reconciliation, he now revealed an instantly recognizable progression in salvation history through use of the definitive 'we both'. As we read verses 2:20-22 a superstructure begins to take shape before our eyes. With Christ the chief cornerstone, the inspired apostles and prophets are the foundation who with us will grow 'into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.' GK Beale has offered conclusive proof that an inspired process has commenced: 'The background of Isaiah 57 shows that Paul had in mind not merely the temple as a metaphor for the church, but that the church is the initial phase of the building of the final temple that will appear at the end of the age.' The Temple & The Church's Mission p 262 Commenting on the eschatological temple, Chapell encouragingly affirms that to be 'in Christ' corporately was God's objective all along: 'Through God's plan, they have become a temple for God's glory, even when human eyes would have seen little significance in what they were doing.' p 130

'It is the redemptive-historical transition, effected in Christ's death and resurrection, that is working itself out in this process. And it all rests on their being-in-Him, as the second Adam.' Herman Ridderbos, Paul: An Outline Of His Theology p 64

A definite degree of post-millennialism is discernable in the optimism Chapell frequently seeks to restore to a church struggling for relief in a perilous world. The overall tenor is invigorating and displays adequate pastoral sensitivity in the application of the Spirit's wisdom to the life of the believer.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed, April 17, 2011

By 

William D. Curnutt "Pastor Dan" (Wichita, KS, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ephesians (Reformed Expository Commentary) (Hardcover)

Dr. Bryan Chapell presents us with a wonderful commentary on the book of Ephesians. In a very readable way he will bring to the forefront the truth of the Mystery of the Gospel as revealed by the Apostle Paul in this text. That mystery is that the Gospel was not just for the chosen people of Israel but that it was also for the Gentiles and now the Gentiles are adopted sons into the family of God along with the children of Abraham.

Many themes are addressed, but the main theme is that Paul the Apostle was "chosen" by God to bring the Gospel to the Gentile world. This would no doubt confound the Jews of his day, whom he was excelling in becoming one of the most honored of their intellectuals. At least he was until the road to Damascus where the Lord confronted Paul, converted him to Christianity and instilled in him a drive to bring the Gospel to everyone he met, Jew or Gentile.

Dr. Chapell preached this series of sermons and then worked to put them in a commentary form so that we could further enjoy the study and time that he put in to learning about Paul, the Ephesians and the message. As I said earlier this text is very readable by both pastoral staff and lay people. If you are working to prepare a series of lessons for you Adult Sunday School class, or youth or even for a preaching series this book will be wonderful addition to you readings on the book of Ephesians. Of course spend most your time in the word and in prayer allowing the Holy Spirit to teach you, but then you can turn to Dr. Chapell's work and feel as though a dear friend has just guided you through a clear explanation of the book.

I very much appreciated Dr. Chapell's way of explaining to us the love that Paul has for the Lord and for his work of bringing the Gospel. In Chapter three Paul affirms that he is a 'prisoner' of Jesus Christ. In reality he was in a Roman jail. But the truth was he was in prison only because he was defending the word of the Lord. Paul was happy in all circumstances, whether in a town where he was being beaten for his message, or in a shipwreck or in a jail. In all these places Paul is comfortable and understands he is there to serve the Lord.

So while in this Roman prison he sits down and writes a letter to the churches in the area of Ephesus. He wants to remind them of their faith, remind them of their need to serve the Lord and remind them that Jew and Gentile alike are all one now in the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you have to decide on where to spend your money for a commentary on Ephesians this is a great place to start. It is more of a devotional / communication style commentary than a deep theological dig into every word and look at the original languages type of commentary. As such it is useful for everyone. Even if you aren't going to teach a series on Ephesians you would be blessed to use this book as part of your devotional time to just learn more about the background of the letter that Paul wrote to the Ephesians.

Thank you Dr. Chapell for a great collection of thoughts and insights.

Enjoy!