Believed In Ephesians

As with belief in the Jailor or in John's usage, belief can depend upon the subject matter delivered,belief in Ephesians 1 is also tied to Christ's word. 

The question is whether the idea of believed includes only the general information about who Jesus is, or if it includes all of his great commission including baptism.

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

The NIV reads "when" you heard the word of truth. The word of truth being all of the plan of salvation vs one part. Consider

Luk 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

Belief here is "all", not one little part of what they spoke.

So in Ephesians the context is the entire plan of salvation.

Also, believed is past tense, and when used in past tense denotes completion of what you believe, not belief that leaves all things undone.

Certainly in obedience you are trusting in the person of Christ without that being the only subject covered.

trusted in Christ

Heard the word of truth

Believed

Sealed with the Holy Spirit (This is different than the baptism of the Holy Spirit)

If the word of truth included baptism or works of any kind, then they are included in the belief that they followed. We have examples from Corinth and others that the word did include baptism.

Act 18:8  And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. 

hearing

believed 

baptized

from Paul's preaching in Ephesus we know christian baptism was tied to the reception of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 mentions being sealed with the Holy Spirit.

We also know the Ephesians were believers on Christ, though not saved yet. They were not sealed with the Holy Spirit yet.

They were disciples of Jesus, believed on Jesus, but did not have the Holy Spirit. This contradicts evangelical usage of Acts 10, where they believe the Holy Spirit is given at belief, what actually happened there was the Holy Spirit fell on them, but did not seal them immediately.

Nevertheless, here they were simple believers with limited knowledge, and they had not received the Holy Spirit.

Act 19:1  And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 

Act 19:2  He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 

Act 19:3  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 

Act 19:4  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 

Act 19:5  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

As you can see their belief in Jesus was real but their belief in Christ's system was incomplete, they did not understand the Holy Spirit or christian baptism.

They did not technically believe on the Lord Jesus until baptized in the name of Christ.

Baptism was to be based upon believing in the christian system, not just the person of Christ himself.

We know baptism was part of the belief system preached to the ephesians. 

Being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus is an act of trusting his name, fulfilling the statement in Ephesians 1:13

In whom ye trusted

This is just one example where they clearly believed on Christ mentally but did not receive the Spirit or his gifts until after baptism.