Weds 27th September - Ephesians 6:21-24
Meditation on Ephesians 6:21-24
21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may
know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know
how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
Paul ends his amazing letter to the Christians in Ephesus on a personal note and with a prayer of blessing
on them all. These last few verses were written by Paul himself, having dictated all that came before to his
dear friend and brother in the Lord, Tychicus.
He shares the encouragement of fellowship in God’s service.
He shares the excitement of knowing the blessing of God.
A. A BELOVED BROTHER Verses 21-22
Tychicus is a ‘dear brother’ Some translations use the phrase ‘a beloved brother’.
Tychicus is ’a faithful servant in the Lord.’
Paul probably entrusted Tychicus with taking this letter personally to Ephesus. Remember that Paul is in
prison so he cannot deliver the letter in person.
We meet Tychicus in some of Paul’s other letters – for example:
Colossians 4:7 ‘Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and
fellow-servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about
our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.’
Paul uses the same phrase in Ephesians – ‘that he may encourage you.’
How valuable it is to have Christian friends who will listen, who will pray, who will encourage us.
As John Donne once said, ‘no man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part
of the main.’ We belong to each other as fellow Christians; as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are part of
the body of Christ as Paul has explained through this letter.
Christian fellowship is so very special and so vitally important for each one of us.
John Stott, in his commentary on Ephesians writes: ‘Prayer, correspondence and visits are still the three
major means by which Christians and churches can enrich one another and so contribute to the building up
of the body of Christ.’
B. A FINAL BLESSING Verses 23-24
Paul has written about our relationship with God in Christ and our fellowship with brothers and sisters in
Christ.
Now he signs off by reminding us of the vital importance of Christ-like characteristics. And, as he signs off,
he prays for four things.
1. peace
2. love
3. faith
4. grace
The source and the focus of each of these are ‘from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’
And, as we think back to all we have shared through this letter, we are reminded of the times that Paul has
written about each of these.
2:14 ‘He is our peace…’
2:17 ‘He came and preached peace…’
2:4 ‘because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ…’
‘2:18-19 ‘…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know that love that
surpasses knowledge…’
5:2 ‘walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us…’
6:16 ‘…take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.’
3:17 ‘that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith’
2:8 ‘for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith’
3:8 ‘…this grace was given me; to preach the to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ…’
As we conclude our meditations on the letter to the Ephesians, my prayer for each of us is:
‘Peace to you, brothers and sisters’
‘Grace to all of you who love our Lord Jesus Chris with an undying love.’