United to Christ, Walking in the Spirit: A Theology of Ephesians

New Testament Theology

by Benjamin L. Merkle, Thomas R. Schreiner (Editor), Brian S. Rosner (Editor)

Join New Testament Scholar Benjamin Merkle as He Explores the Major Themes of the Book of Ephesians Paul wrote Ephesians as instruction and encouragement for the church in Ephesus, and it has continued to influence the church for centuries. This New Testament book specifically focuses on the believer’s union with Christ and our inability to stand before God without the work of Jesus Christ and the Spirit, both of which are still essential today.  In this addition to the New Testament Theology series, scholar Benjamin Merkle offers an accessible summary of the theology of Ephesians that highlights God’s work in salvation and how Christians should respond. Each chapter focuses on a key theological theme―the plan of God, union with Christ, walking according to the Spirit, unity of the church, and spiritual warfare in the present age―and why it is relevant for the church today. 

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, Christian

144 pages, Paperback

Published August 23, 2022

About the author

Benjamin L. Merkle (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

Reviews

[Collin Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource when studying the book of Ephesians. Some very helpful insights in here.

[Billy Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in preparation for teaching a class on Ephesians and found it super fruitful. This series acts as a great combo to an exegetical commentary, as keeps the forrest in view, not just the trees. Quickly convinced me that Ephesians is my fav NT book. Union with Christ is a sweet sweet doctrine.

[Linda Galella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thematic look at the book of Ephesians and tackling tough topics head on.

Few topics are more debated by Christians than election, predestination, foreknowledge, calling, adoption - all buzz words associated with the theological topic of SALVATION, which is addressed in the first chapter, The Plan of God.

Author, Benjamin L. Merkle hasn’t written a Bible study in his new book, “United to Christ”. It’s a survey of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians that’s heavily focused on theological pillars and how Christ is intimately woven into them. The remaining four chapters include: Union with Christ, Walking According to the Spirit, Unity of the Church, Spiritual Warfare in the Present Age. Each chapter closes with a brief summary that I found very helpful. In fact, I read them FIRST, after going thru chapter 1. They gave me a frame of reference I didn’t get otherwise and made the chapter easier to work thru.

Altho’ this isn’t a big book, it has a mountain of contemplation between the covers. Some of that is because of the apostle Paul and some because of Merkle and his ability to present complicated concepts in small bites. His style is literary but not snobby, defining words and origins, adding history, politics, culture and other influences as needed.

Above all, Merkle uses scripture to support scripture and he draws from all parts as well as other texts that are footnoted at the bottom of each page. He provides a page of abbreviations for the common volumes he used in the front of the book and an index for both scripture and general topics in the back.

All things considered, best suited for pastors, teachers & serious students📚

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never really read a book like this before. I had no idea what to expect from a “A Theology of Ephesians.” How do you do a theology from one book? I get systematics, and biblical theologies. But what is a theology of a single book of the Bible. And I am not sure if this is a typical one, but from what I read the author takes the big themes of the book and traces them out in chapters. So for Ephesians it looks like five themes, five chapters. Now these chapters did not follow the book of Ephesians in order, instead, he tried to make connections throughout the book. From what I can glean a theology of a book is like like biblical theology but in one book. Make sense?

So is this book good? Yup. Very well done. I will be teaching Ephesians shortly and I will be using this book to help do it. Recommended

[Thomas Smyly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merkle briefly explains several theological themes in Ephesians, including the plan of God, union with Christ, walking by the Spirit, unity with the church, and spiritual warfare against the powers. Merkle does not have the space to adequately address opposing views, but he supports his positions well in most cases. Great introductory book to Ephesians!

[Kirk Metzger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Merkle’s EGGNT commentary and it was marvelous. This volume provides a high level overview of what I learned in that book. Would recommend this resource for diving into the greatest letter ever written!

[Jake Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm studying Ephesians with my discipleship group and this served as a helpful primer on the letter's major themes, key concepts, and overall message. Ephesians is a high level summary of Paul's theology, a theology grounded in the believer's union with Christ. It is that union that allows those that "once were far off" to be "brought near" and enables them to walk in the Spirit (Eph. 2:13).

[Jake Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple, helpful overview of the theology of Ephesians. I discovered nothing groundbreaking, nevertheless, it could be useful as an a introductory commentary.

I found it repetitive and a little boring to read at times. Overall, good biblical content.

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, like another one in the realm of biblical theology that I’ve read recently, made me question whether truth and beauty are actually coterminous. The content was fine though.

[Kelton Zacharias · Rating 4 out of 5]

The section on Union with Christ was very helpful.

[Joel Opificius · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably one of my favorite reads this year. Merkle has a great synthesis of themes in Ephesians, noting how they all connect under the theme of union with Christ. He includes sound exegesis throughout the book, referencing significant OT quotations and important cultural trends that help us to understand Paul's purpose (such as cultic practices and the temple of Artemis in Ephesus, which we can even see in Acts 19). I have come away from this book feeling as though I have a significant grasp on Paul's overall message and purpose of Ephesians as well as how all the sections in the book relate. This book will be a significant reference in my theology of Ephesians paper this semester. Highly recommend to anyone who desires to study or preach through Ephesians.

[sincerely · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been enjoying this short study on Ephesians called, "United to Christ, Walking in the Spirit" during my morning time. This is one book in a series of New Testament Theology that seeks to provide a readable treatment of the distinctive teaching of each New Testament book (or collection of books). Basically, this is a theology of Ephesians! 🙌 There are five chapters:

✝️ The Plan of God
✝️ Union with Christ
✝️ Walking with the Spirit
✝️ Unity of the Church
✝️ Spiritual Warfare in the Present Age

Thank you to Crossway Books for sending me this one in exchange for an honest review 💕 I love the book of Ephesians and this is one I'll keep on my shelf for reference 👍

[Kandace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content is theologically sound however it is not an easy read. The writing style feels like a scientific observation list. Definitely a more academic style compared to others in the series. In general, I recommend the series but I would only recommend this book to someone looking for a more scholarly overview of Ephesians. Not for the average Bible study.

[Kevin Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was simple yet rich, accurate yet not overwhelming, and helpful. It will benefit Ephesians students next year who have never studied the book, and it will help others who have studied it more.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid book. This would be good for a small group study.