Children and Parents
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’—this is the first commandment with a promise: ‘so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ (1-3)
And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (4)
Slaves and Masters
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free. (5-8)
And, masters, do the same to them. Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and with him there is no partiality. (9)
The Armor of God
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (10-12)
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (13-17)
Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak. (18-20)
Personal Greetings and Blessings
So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus will tell you everything. He is a dear brother and a faithful minister in the Lord. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, to let you know how we are, and to encourage your hearts. (21-22)
Peace be to the whole community, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ. (23-24)
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Ephesians 5- Andy's thoughts
Sex and Money
This chapter also begins with “therefore.” The flow of thought is that just as God in Christ has forgiven us, we also ought to forgive one another. Therefore, we should imitate God in everything we do. I think the implication is that we should not make separate parts of ourselves- our Christian self and our other self.
We are called to imitate God in our actions, our words, our thoughts, and our relationships. While we may be familiar with Christian discussions about avoiding sexual immorality, this passage also equally condemns greed. I think that God desires us to have a right relationship toward our bodies, our minds, our words, and our money.
A few years ago I read a book about sex and the Bible and there was a great quote. The author said that growing up in the church, the 2 things that she heard about sex were- first, that sex is dirty and nasty, and second, that you should save it for the one you love. What a confusing message. God created us with physical bodies and gave us physical desires. To repress all sexuality would be to deny the work of God in us.
Sex is a good thing according to the Bible- when it is in its proper context. In the wrong context it is consuming and destructive. What we are called to do is have a right attitude toward sexuality. I couldn’t fully elaborate a doctrine of Christian sexuality here. I will say a few simple guidelines.
Our sexual ethics should not be primarily defined by the shifting whims of our culture though our understanding of sexuality should be properly informed by current medical knowledge. Our sexual ethics should not be primarily defined by a vague attachment to Victorian English values (as if the pinnacle of God’s work could only be achieved 1800 years after Christ by a White imperialist nation). Lastly, our sexual ethics-like all of our ethics- should be primarily defined by Biblical truths as a means of honoring God.
I think that Paul’s words of warning about not only sexual immorality but also greed is just as relevant to us today as it was to his people then. Wouldn’t it be great if one of the first associations that non-Christians had about Christians is that we were noticeably not greedy? People often misquote the Bible when they say that money is the root of all evil. What the Bible actually says is that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
Money is not inherently good or bad. Money is simply a medium of exchange. It is a useful tool that increases the efficiency of a culture’s ability to exchange goods and services. It is only the love of money that brings evil. When we choose to love money, we choose not to focus on loving God or others. We quickly obsess over not losing the money we have and how to gain even more. This prevents us from having a right attitude toward money. The right attitude toward money should be to see it as a one of many means to do the good work to which God has called us.
“Making the most of the time…”
I think that there is urgency in this exhortation. Paul tells us to live in wisdom regarding our current situation. It is so easy to procrastinate small steps of obedience. The life of faith to which we are called should include a recognition to act now. We are told to not get drunk with wine but instead to be filled with the Spirit.
I think that the idea of getting drunk with wine is one of the reflections of how we numb ourselves to the urgency of obedience. However, alcohol is just one of the numbing agents we employ. We may grow more callous toward God and his mission by playing video games, watching TV, becoming workaholics, just to name a few. It is good to be a little raw and sensitive to the injustices in our world so that we can be moved by a holy discontent. I pray that we make the most of the time.
One of the things that Paul mentions that we should be doing to make the most of the time is to meet together and read and sing psalms together. We should give thanks together. It is a sign of the Holy Spirit’s filling that Christians don’t live in isolation from each other but are instead united together.
Healthy Relationships
This last part of the chapter is often quoted at weddings and has caused some degree of consternation to lots of people. I think a diligent reflection of the actual content should lead to a deeper appreciation for what it means to know and follow Jesus.
The main idea of this section is that to be a follower of Jesus means that we live in the daily acknowledgement that Jesus is Lord and we are not. This acknowledgement should then lead to our consistent humble obedience to Jesus as our Lord. This act of submission to him applies to both men and women.
The start of this section (verse 21) says that we all ought to submit to one another out of reverence to Christ. I believe that the act of submitting to other people whom we can see, helps us to submit to God whom we cannot see. The remainder of this chapter and the beginning of the next will elaborate on some specific ways that submission should happen.
Application:
How are we using our time? If you don’t already have a fairly detailed schedule, try making one for the week- being sure to include designated times to meet with other Christians to pray and sing and be thankful together. For bonus points- make sure that this time is not just on Sunday morning.
This chapter also begins with “therefore.” The flow of thought is that just as God in Christ has forgiven us, we also ought to forgive one another. Therefore, we should imitate God in everything we do. I think the implication is that we should not make separate parts of ourselves- our Christian self and our other self.
We are called to imitate God in our actions, our words, our thoughts, and our relationships. While we may be familiar with Christian discussions about avoiding sexual immorality, this passage also equally condemns greed. I think that God desires us to have a right relationship toward our bodies, our minds, our words, and our money.
A few years ago I read a book about sex and the Bible and there was a great quote. The author said that growing up in the church, the 2 things that she heard about sex were- first, that sex is dirty and nasty, and second, that you should save it for the one you love. What a confusing message. God created us with physical bodies and gave us physical desires. To repress all sexuality would be to deny the work of God in us.
Sex is a good thing according to the Bible- when it is in its proper context. In the wrong context it is consuming and destructive. What we are called to do is have a right attitude toward sexuality. I couldn’t fully elaborate a doctrine of Christian sexuality here. I will say a few simple guidelines.
Our sexual ethics should not be primarily defined by the shifting whims of our culture though our understanding of sexuality should be properly informed by current medical knowledge. Our sexual ethics should not be primarily defined by a vague attachment to Victorian English values (as if the pinnacle of God’s work could only be achieved 1800 years after Christ by a White imperialist nation). Lastly, our sexual ethics-like all of our ethics- should be primarily defined by Biblical truths as a means of honoring God.
I think that Paul’s words of warning about not only sexual immorality but also greed is just as relevant to us today as it was to his people then. Wouldn’t it be great if one of the first associations that non-Christians had about Christians is that we were noticeably not greedy? People often misquote the Bible when they say that money is the root of all evil. What the Bible actually says is that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
Money is not inherently good or bad. Money is simply a medium of exchange. It is a useful tool that increases the efficiency of a culture’s ability to exchange goods and services. It is only the love of money that brings evil. When we choose to love money, we choose not to focus on loving God or others. We quickly obsess over not losing the money we have and how to gain even more. This prevents us from having a right attitude toward money. The right attitude toward money should be to see it as a one of many means to do the good work to which God has called us.
“Making the most of the time…”
I think that there is urgency in this exhortation. Paul tells us to live in wisdom regarding our current situation. It is so easy to procrastinate small steps of obedience. The life of faith to which we are called should include a recognition to act now. We are told to not get drunk with wine but instead to be filled with the Spirit.
I think that the idea of getting drunk with wine is one of the reflections of how we numb ourselves to the urgency of obedience. However, alcohol is just one of the numbing agents we employ. We may grow more callous toward God and his mission by playing video games, watching TV, becoming workaholics, just to name a few. It is good to be a little raw and sensitive to the injustices in our world so that we can be moved by a holy discontent. I pray that we make the most of the time.
One of the things that Paul mentions that we should be doing to make the most of the time is to meet together and read and sing psalms together. We should give thanks together. It is a sign of the Holy Spirit’s filling that Christians don’t live in isolation from each other but are instead united together.
Healthy Relationships
This last part of the chapter is often quoted at weddings and has caused some degree of consternation to lots of people. I think a diligent reflection of the actual content should lead to a deeper appreciation for what it means to know and follow Jesus.
The main idea of this section is that to be a follower of Jesus means that we live in the daily acknowledgement that Jesus is Lord and we are not. This acknowledgement should then lead to our consistent humble obedience to Jesus as our Lord. This act of submission to him applies to both men and women.
The start of this section (verse 21) says that we all ought to submit to one another out of reverence to Christ. I believe that the act of submitting to other people whom we can see, helps us to submit to God whom we cannot see. The remainder of this chapter and the beginning of the next will elaborate on some specific ways that submission should happen.
Application:
How are we using our time? If you don’t already have a fairly detailed schedule, try making one for the week- being sure to include designated times to meet with other Christians to pray and sing and be thankful together. For bonus points- make sure that this time is not just on Sunday morning.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Ephesians 5
Walk in Love
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (1-2)
But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. Entirely out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (3-5)
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be associated with them. (6-7)
Walk in the Light
For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
‘Sleeper, awake!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.’ (8-14)
Walk in Wisdom
Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (15-20)
Walk in Selflessness
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. (21)
Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands. (22-24)
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind—yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish. (25-27)
In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, because we are members of his body. ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church. Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her husband. (28-33)
Ephesians 4- Andy's thoughts
How Should We Then Live?
The typical pattern of Paul’s letters is to spend the first half of the letter describing God and laying out a clear theological description of the work of Christ. The second half of the letter then goes on to exhort Christians to live out their theology by doing good and loving others. The common transition for these parts is identified with the word “therefore.”
Paul begins this chapter with one such “therefore.” He reminds us that his obedience has led him to be an actual prisoner for the Lord. I think this gives the impression that whatever it is that we are afraid to give up in order to be good disciples will not be as much as Paul himself has given up. He gave up his freedom in order to preach the gospel. What has God called us to give up in this chapter?
We are commanded to be humble, gentle, and patient. We are called to bear with one another in love. We are to make every effort to remain united in peace. While these may sound somewhat innocuous at first, I realize that even these commands bring with them a cost.
To be humble will cost us our pride- our right to assert our ego and importance in any given situation. To be gentle will cost us the time it takes to be careful and diligent. To be patient will cost us our ability to dwell on petty things that drive us toward intense anger. Why should we do this? Because Jesus did. And he had every right to be proud, and to demand our time instead of giving us his own. Therefore, we ought to do the same for others.
Spiritual Gifts
There are several sections of the Bible that enumerate lists of specific gifts- 1 Peter 4, Ephesians 4, Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. None of the lists are by themselves exhaustive and other parts of the Bible mention several other gifts as well.
These gifts of the Holy Spirit are sometimes described as unique abilities and other times as people acting out roles in the church. It seems that in each of these lists, the purpose of the gifts is to build up other believers. There is always a context of a gift being given to individuals who make up a community.
When people use their gifts well, then other believers are able to grow more in Christ and Christ brings his body- the Church- into a united whole body. When evangelists do their job, people become Christians. When teachers do their job, Christians grow in their understanding of God. When pastors do their job, Christians are guided in their life in the community. When prophets do their job, people are able to have a renewed vision of where they are now and where they ought to be.*
I believe that God the Holy Spirit has given every single believer at least one and sometimes several gifts. As disciples, it is then imperative for us to identify and use that gift to build up the church so that she may serve the world. I don’t believe that these gifts were meant solely for our own benefit, though they should definitely bring us a sense of satisfaction when we use them well. These are gifts given to individuals for the Church.
I believe that part of the responsibility of church leaders is to help believers identify their gifts. You may be asking, “How can I identify my gift?” I think that best way is to do a bunch of stuff with a church under the supervision of wise leaders. The hallmark of a true gift of the Spirit (as opposed to a natural talent) is the effect it has on others. A gift of the Spirit should lead people to see Jesus better and compel them to follow him more. A person who has a talent but not a gift is often appreciated for his or her performance. In short a talent points people to the performer while a gift points people beyond the performer and to Christ.
New People Live New Lives
The rest of the chapter outlines the contrast that should be evident in how we live now as disciples versus how we formerly lived as non-disciples. We are exhorted to let the Spirit of Christ renew our thoughts and attitudes. We are to put on our new nature.
I really like that it says, “be angry but do not sin.” The Greek reads something like- y’all should be indignant but y’all should not sin. Sometimes we are tempted to think all anger is wrong. Yet there are times when Jesus got very indignant. It was most often directed at the existing religious establishment that claimed to know God and yet was keeping people at arm’s length from the community of God. He also got indignant at those who used God as a means of exploiting those who didn’t yet know God.
It is okay to be indignant at that which grieves the heart of God. We are simply cautioned to not sin as we are indignant. I like that phrase “holy discontent” that I heard from Bill Hybles of Willow Creek Church. He said that we ought to stoke the flames of our holy discontent and allow ourselves to feel anger toward injustice. All too often we are taught to mollify our anger by numbing ourselves with distractions and lesser pursuits.
How to Forgive
In all of these exhortations, the one that he reminds us of last is to forgive one another just as God through Christ forgave us. What does that mean? I think it means that there is a distinctly Christ-like way to bring reconciliation. When there is a problem between two people, whom do we expect to seek reconciliation? Usually, we expect it to be the person who is more in the wrong. Yet that is not what Jesus did. He was never in the wrong.
The person who should initiate reconciliation is not the person who is more wrong but instead it is the person who is more able. And often times seeking that type of reconciliation will cost the one who initiates it. But that is exactly how God reconciled us to himself. He did not wait for us to come around to set things right. He sought us and it cost him dearly. In that same manner we too ought to seek out reconciliation with others.
Application:
Is there someone that we need to reconcile with? Let us be the initiators of reconciliation by calling them today.
(Side note)
*There has been some discussion about whether or not the office of apostle is still active today. So here is a side note about that discussion. The role of the apostle is perhaps a little different and perhaps not. Traditionally, an apostle is identified as one who has seen the resurrected Christ in the flesh. That person then proclaims the witness that he or she has seen the risen Jesus and is a unique messenger of the resurrection. In addition to the twelve disciples (with Matthias replacing Judas) and Paul (who saw Jesus on the road to Damascus years after the resurrection) there were about 500 others (according to 1 Corinthians 15:6) who saw the resurrected Jesus.
These apostles were very essential in establishing the historical validity of the actual miraculous physical resurrection of Jesus. It seems like that office of apostle would have ended when those 513 people died. There are some people today who like to use the term apostle to describe themselves. These people are using the term in a more metaphorical sense. I would agree that all believers have experienced the risen Christ present in our lives and hearts and I think that most of the so-called current apostles are using the term in that way.
Personally, I am not overly concerned about the term, but it is an interesting point of discussion that comes up with people who talk about “the five-fold ministry.” That phrase is referring to these 5 offices and is an assertion that we should embrace the term apostle still today.
The typical pattern of Paul’s letters is to spend the first half of the letter describing God and laying out a clear theological description of the work of Christ. The second half of the letter then goes on to exhort Christians to live out their theology by doing good and loving others. The common transition for these parts is identified with the word “therefore.”
Paul begins this chapter with one such “therefore.” He reminds us that his obedience has led him to be an actual prisoner for the Lord. I think this gives the impression that whatever it is that we are afraid to give up in order to be good disciples will not be as much as Paul himself has given up. He gave up his freedom in order to preach the gospel. What has God called us to give up in this chapter?
We are commanded to be humble, gentle, and patient. We are called to bear with one another in love. We are to make every effort to remain united in peace. While these may sound somewhat innocuous at first, I realize that even these commands bring with them a cost.
To be humble will cost us our pride- our right to assert our ego and importance in any given situation. To be gentle will cost us the time it takes to be careful and diligent. To be patient will cost us our ability to dwell on petty things that drive us toward intense anger. Why should we do this? Because Jesus did. And he had every right to be proud, and to demand our time instead of giving us his own. Therefore, we ought to do the same for others.
Spiritual Gifts
There are several sections of the Bible that enumerate lists of specific gifts- 1 Peter 4, Ephesians 4, Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. None of the lists are by themselves exhaustive and other parts of the Bible mention several other gifts as well.
These gifts of the Holy Spirit are sometimes described as unique abilities and other times as people acting out roles in the church. It seems that in each of these lists, the purpose of the gifts is to build up other believers. There is always a context of a gift being given to individuals who make up a community.
When people use their gifts well, then other believers are able to grow more in Christ and Christ brings his body- the Church- into a united whole body. When evangelists do their job, people become Christians. When teachers do their job, Christians grow in their understanding of God. When pastors do their job, Christians are guided in their life in the community. When prophets do their job, people are able to have a renewed vision of where they are now and where they ought to be.*
I believe that God the Holy Spirit has given every single believer at least one and sometimes several gifts. As disciples, it is then imperative for us to identify and use that gift to build up the church so that she may serve the world. I don’t believe that these gifts were meant solely for our own benefit, though they should definitely bring us a sense of satisfaction when we use them well. These are gifts given to individuals for the Church.
I believe that part of the responsibility of church leaders is to help believers identify their gifts. You may be asking, “How can I identify my gift?” I think that best way is to do a bunch of stuff with a church under the supervision of wise leaders. The hallmark of a true gift of the Spirit (as opposed to a natural talent) is the effect it has on others. A gift of the Spirit should lead people to see Jesus better and compel them to follow him more. A person who has a talent but not a gift is often appreciated for his or her performance. In short a talent points people to the performer while a gift points people beyond the performer and to Christ.
New People Live New Lives
The rest of the chapter outlines the contrast that should be evident in how we live now as disciples versus how we formerly lived as non-disciples. We are exhorted to let the Spirit of Christ renew our thoughts and attitudes. We are to put on our new nature.
I really like that it says, “be angry but do not sin.” The Greek reads something like- y’all should be indignant but y’all should not sin. Sometimes we are tempted to think all anger is wrong. Yet there are times when Jesus got very indignant. It was most often directed at the existing religious establishment that claimed to know God and yet was keeping people at arm’s length from the community of God. He also got indignant at those who used God as a means of exploiting those who didn’t yet know God.
It is okay to be indignant at that which grieves the heart of God. We are simply cautioned to not sin as we are indignant. I like that phrase “holy discontent” that I heard from Bill Hybles of Willow Creek Church. He said that we ought to stoke the flames of our holy discontent and allow ourselves to feel anger toward injustice. All too often we are taught to mollify our anger by numbing ourselves with distractions and lesser pursuits.
How to Forgive
In all of these exhortations, the one that he reminds us of last is to forgive one another just as God through Christ forgave us. What does that mean? I think it means that there is a distinctly Christ-like way to bring reconciliation. When there is a problem between two people, whom do we expect to seek reconciliation? Usually, we expect it to be the person who is more in the wrong. Yet that is not what Jesus did. He was never in the wrong.
The person who should initiate reconciliation is not the person who is more wrong but instead it is the person who is more able. And often times seeking that type of reconciliation will cost the one who initiates it. But that is exactly how God reconciled us to himself. He did not wait for us to come around to set things right. He sought us and it cost him dearly. In that same manner we too ought to seek out reconciliation with others.
Application:
Is there someone that we need to reconcile with? Let us be the initiators of reconciliation by calling them today.
(Side note)
*There has been some discussion about whether or not the office of apostle is still active today. So here is a side note about that discussion. The role of the apostle is perhaps a little different and perhaps not. Traditionally, an apostle is identified as one who has seen the resurrected Christ in the flesh. That person then proclaims the witness that he or she has seen the risen Jesus and is a unique messenger of the resurrection. In addition to the twelve disciples (with Matthias replacing Judas) and Paul (who saw Jesus on the road to Damascus years after the resurrection) there were about 500 others (according to 1 Corinthians 15:6) who saw the resurrected Jesus.
These apostles were very essential in establishing the historical validity of the actual miraculous physical resurrection of Jesus. It seems like that office of apostle would have ended when those 513 people died. There are some people today who like to use the term apostle to describe themselves. These people are using the term in a more metaphorical sense. I would agree that all believers have experienced the risen Christ present in our lives and hearts and I think that most of the so-called current apostles are using the term in that way.
Personally, I am not overly concerned about the term, but it is an interesting point of discussion that comes up with people who talk about “the five-fold ministry.” That phrase is referring to these 5 offices and is an assertion that we should embrace the term apostle still today.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Ephesians 4
Walk in Unity
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. (1-6)
Spiritual Gifts
But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said,
‘When he ascended on high
he made captivity itself a captive;
he gave gifts to his people.’ (7-8)
(When it says, ‘He ascended’, what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) (9-11)
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (11-16)
The New Man
Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. That is not the way you learned Christ! For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (17-24)
Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit
So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. (25-31)
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. (1-6)
Spiritual Gifts
But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said,
‘When he ascended on high
he made captivity itself a captive;
he gave gifts to his people.’ (7-8)
(When it says, ‘He ascended’, what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) (9-11)
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (11-16)
The New Man
Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. That is not the way you learned Christ! For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (17-24)
Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit
So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. (25-31)
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Ephesians 3- Andy's thoughts
Mysterious Plan and Mysterious Words
I think that at first reading the beginning of this chapter may be a little difficult to follow. Basically, Paul is telling this church that it is not weird that there are Gentiles in a community that was founded by Jews. In fact, it was always part of the plan of God to include the Gentiles into the family of God.
As I said in my last post, there is a very common human tendency to identify and ostracize “the other.” The other is the person or group of people who are not originally a part of our community. We find ways to recognize them and find fault with them. The bennies add to our traffic, the immigrants take our jobs, the newcomers get all the attention (that I used to get).
This is not new to our day. In Paul’s time the Jews had a very negative attitude toward their “other” whom they called the goyim. While this word in Hebrew literally meant “nations” it referred to the non-Jews whom we call the Gentiles. It was also used as a slang term meaning dogs. The Jews were calling these goyim “dogs.”
So in that time, the Jews believed themselves to be the exclusive recipients of God’s love and mercy. It was quite a shock to see God being gracious to these “dogs.” But that is the beauty of the grace of our Lord. God’s plan was not to limit his love just to one nation. His plan was to reach all the nations (goyim). What Paul is saying in these first few paragraphs is that those who were once “the other” are now our “brother.”
The reaction of the religious establishment of the Jews was to utterly freak out. So the Jewish officials had Paul arrested. They did not condone his preaching of grace to the Gentiles and so they used the Gentile government to have Paul put in chains. How telling that some people can so hate a people group and yet still be willing to use them to serve their sinister purposes. How awesome that God can love a people group that he can use them to serve his gracious purposes.
In the end, Paul encourages the Ephesian church not to worry that he is in chains. They had seen him face persecution and arrest before (when he upset the Ephesian merchants who made Artemis merchandise). I am encouraged by Paul’s contentment in the midst of unjust persecution. I believe it is because he knew that he was able to do good work even in bad circumstances.
A Prayer of Love
The first chapter had a great prayer that we can pray for others. I think that this chapter also has a great prayer that we can pray for others but also for ourselves. “I pray that you are being rooted and grounded in love.” I think we should pause to reflect on that phrase for a while. In our self help and self improvement era, we are bombarded with messages that we need to know some new thing or skill. I think this verse harkens us back to the fundamentals. We ought to be rooted and grounded in love.
So I pause to wonder what that would mean and what that would look like. I think it may include things like- praying to be filled with a heart of love before engaging in a difficult conversation, imagining the best for not only our friends but also for our enemies and those who make our lives unnecessarily difficult, coming to God in a spirit of appreciation and wonder instead of whininess and wantiness.
I think that we can do this if we also pray, as Paul prays, that we would have the power to comprehend the vast extent of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. I think that this includes not only having the eyes to see how much Christ loves us but also how much Christ loves “the other.”
Benediction
At the end of our Sunday worship services we give what is called a “benediction.” This comes from the Latin roots of bene- meaning good, and dicto- meaning word or saying. We want people to leave the corporate worship time with a good word from God’s Word. This chapter has one of the best benedictions.
The last paragraph is so powerful in that it gives God the honor that is due his name and gives us hope because that same God is at work in us. And I especially like that Paul says that this is true not just for the believers of his day 2,000 years ago. He says that this blessing is for all generations. That includes us right now in good ol’ 2010.
Application:
Let us pray this prayer for ourselves today. Let us pray that we be rooted and grounded in love and that we would have the eyes to behold the vast extent of the love of Christ.
I think that at first reading the beginning of this chapter may be a little difficult to follow. Basically, Paul is telling this church that it is not weird that there are Gentiles in a community that was founded by Jews. In fact, it was always part of the plan of God to include the Gentiles into the family of God.
As I said in my last post, there is a very common human tendency to identify and ostracize “the other.” The other is the person or group of people who are not originally a part of our community. We find ways to recognize them and find fault with them. The bennies add to our traffic, the immigrants take our jobs, the newcomers get all the attention (that I used to get).
This is not new to our day. In Paul’s time the Jews had a very negative attitude toward their “other” whom they called the goyim. While this word in Hebrew literally meant “nations” it referred to the non-Jews whom we call the Gentiles. It was also used as a slang term meaning dogs. The Jews were calling these goyim “dogs.”
So in that time, the Jews believed themselves to be the exclusive recipients of God’s love and mercy. It was quite a shock to see God being gracious to these “dogs.” But that is the beauty of the grace of our Lord. God’s plan was not to limit his love just to one nation. His plan was to reach all the nations (goyim). What Paul is saying in these first few paragraphs is that those who were once “the other” are now our “brother.”
The reaction of the religious establishment of the Jews was to utterly freak out. So the Jewish officials had Paul arrested. They did not condone his preaching of grace to the Gentiles and so they used the Gentile government to have Paul put in chains. How telling that some people can so hate a people group and yet still be willing to use them to serve their sinister purposes. How awesome that God can love a people group that he can use them to serve his gracious purposes.
In the end, Paul encourages the Ephesian church not to worry that he is in chains. They had seen him face persecution and arrest before (when he upset the Ephesian merchants who made Artemis merchandise). I am encouraged by Paul’s contentment in the midst of unjust persecution. I believe it is because he knew that he was able to do good work even in bad circumstances.
A Prayer of Love
The first chapter had a great prayer that we can pray for others. I think that this chapter also has a great prayer that we can pray for others but also for ourselves. “I pray that you are being rooted and grounded in love.” I think we should pause to reflect on that phrase for a while. In our self help and self improvement era, we are bombarded with messages that we need to know some new thing or skill. I think this verse harkens us back to the fundamentals. We ought to be rooted and grounded in love.
So I pause to wonder what that would mean and what that would look like. I think it may include things like- praying to be filled with a heart of love before engaging in a difficult conversation, imagining the best for not only our friends but also for our enemies and those who make our lives unnecessarily difficult, coming to God in a spirit of appreciation and wonder instead of whininess and wantiness.
I think that we can do this if we also pray, as Paul prays, that we would have the power to comprehend the vast extent of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. I think that this includes not only having the eyes to see how much Christ loves us but also how much Christ loves “the other.”
Benediction
At the end of our Sunday worship services we give what is called a “benediction.” This comes from the Latin roots of bene- meaning good, and dicto- meaning word or saying. We want people to leave the corporate worship time with a good word from God’s Word. This chapter has one of the best benedictions.
The last paragraph is so powerful in that it gives God the honor that is due his name and gives us hope because that same God is at work in us. And I especially like that Paul says that this is true not just for the believers of his day 2,000 years ago. He says that this blessing is for all generations. That includes us right now in good ol’ 2010.
Application:
Let us pray this prayer for ourselves today. Let us pray that we be rooted and grounded in love and that we would have the eyes to behold the vast extent of the love of Christ.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Ephesians 3
God’s Mysterious Plan Revealed
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. (1-4)
In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (5-6)
Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (7-10)
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory. (11-13)
Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (14-19)
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen. (20-21)
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. (1-4)
In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (5-6)
Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (7-10)
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory. (11-13)
Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (14-19)
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen. (20-21)
Ephesians 2- Andy's thoughts
“But God who is rich in mercy…”
There are times at our Sunday worship services when the music especially speaks to my soul. Recently, I was reflecting on the song, “Jesus, I my Cross.” I love the deep truths of which these lyrics remind me.
Destitute, despised forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition, all I’ve sought or hoped or known;
Yet how rich is my condition, God and heaven are still my own
When I read this chapter of Ephesians, I am moved by the words that God is rich in mercy. I love that I can sing “yet how rich is my condition, God and heaven are still my own.” In this world, I know that life is not always the way we want it to be. But nonetheless, I can have hope and joy and strength because God is rich in mercy. Out of his great love, he has shown me mercy. As Jeremiah writes in Lamentations, “his tender mercies are new every morning.”
Some of this chapter is very familiar to those of us who have been around churches a while. Ephesians 2:8-9 are often quoted in presentations of the gospel. What strikes me is the combination of those verses with verse 10. It is comforting to know that God has created me for a purpose, to be like Christ in doing good works.
To the person who posted the comment (jerseygirl8483), I am thankful for your comments. I am so sorry to hear about your loss and I know that no words can begin to package all of the emotion that you must feel. I am thankful that you have opened up about your experiences and am thankful that you are joining us in reading God’s words to us. Thank you. I also want to say, if it is okay, that I’m glad that I can rejoice with you in the knowledge that your brother is now enjoying his rich inheritance.
One in Christ: Haoles, Bennies, and Muggles
Some years ago, I did a talk entitled “Haoles, Bennies, and Muggles.” Some of you may recognize some or all of these words. Haole is a term that I learned when I visited Hawaii. It is the Hawaiian word for non-Hawaiian. For Jersey shore natives, we know what a Benny is (though I’ve heard various theories on the origin of the term). And in the Harry Potter world, a muggle is non-magical person.
The reason why I mention these terms is that it occurred to me that almost every culture or group has a word for non-group members. We are bombarded with a “us-them” mindset. We are taught to label the “other” or the outsider. In Paul’s culture, the Jews had a term for the non-Jew. It was Gentile or “goyim.”
What is so beautiful about God’s love is that it tears down the wall that separates Jews from Gentiles, jersey shore folk from bennies, the “in group” and the “out group.” Some of us may have felt like the “uncircumcised” (the Gentiles or the outsider). Some of us may have felt like life-long insiders. Regardless of where we have come from, in Christ we are now joined together as a big family.
I know that in ORB, we have tried to reach out to the person who is living “in-between” (I’m using a lot of quotes in this posting… hmmm). I hope that we continue to do so and that those who feel like they don’t clearly belong in any set category will feel like they do have a home in our community. The same grace and love that brought historic enemies together 2,000 years ago is still restoring broken relationships.
Application:
• If you have been around ORB a while, try to make someone who may feel like an outsider more a part of our community.
• If you are new to ORB, try to reach out to someone who has been around a while and get to know him or her.
There are times at our Sunday worship services when the music especially speaks to my soul. Recently, I was reflecting on the song, “Jesus, I my Cross.” I love the deep truths of which these lyrics remind me.
Destitute, despised forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition, all I’ve sought or hoped or known;
Yet how rich is my condition, God and heaven are still my own
When I read this chapter of Ephesians, I am moved by the words that God is rich in mercy. I love that I can sing “yet how rich is my condition, God and heaven are still my own.” In this world, I know that life is not always the way we want it to be. But nonetheless, I can have hope and joy and strength because God is rich in mercy. Out of his great love, he has shown me mercy. As Jeremiah writes in Lamentations, “his tender mercies are new every morning.”
Some of this chapter is very familiar to those of us who have been around churches a while. Ephesians 2:8-9 are often quoted in presentations of the gospel. What strikes me is the combination of those verses with verse 10. It is comforting to know that God has created me for a purpose, to be like Christ in doing good works.
To the person who posted the comment (jerseygirl8483), I am thankful for your comments. I am so sorry to hear about your loss and I know that no words can begin to package all of the emotion that you must feel. I am thankful that you have opened up about your experiences and am thankful that you are joining us in reading God’s words to us. Thank you. I also want to say, if it is okay, that I’m glad that I can rejoice with you in the knowledge that your brother is now enjoying his rich inheritance.
One in Christ: Haoles, Bennies, and Muggles
Some years ago, I did a talk entitled “Haoles, Bennies, and Muggles.” Some of you may recognize some or all of these words. Haole is a term that I learned when I visited Hawaii. It is the Hawaiian word for non-Hawaiian. For Jersey shore natives, we know what a Benny is (though I’ve heard various theories on the origin of the term). And in the Harry Potter world, a muggle is non-magical person.
The reason why I mention these terms is that it occurred to me that almost every culture or group has a word for non-group members. We are bombarded with a “us-them” mindset. We are taught to label the “other” or the outsider. In Paul’s culture, the Jews had a term for the non-Jew. It was Gentile or “goyim.”
What is so beautiful about God’s love is that it tears down the wall that separates Jews from Gentiles, jersey shore folk from bennies, the “in group” and the “out group.” Some of us may have felt like the “uncircumcised” (the Gentiles or the outsider). Some of us may have felt like life-long insiders. Regardless of where we have come from, in Christ we are now joined together as a big family.
I know that in ORB, we have tried to reach out to the person who is living “in-between” (I’m using a lot of quotes in this posting… hmmm). I hope that we continue to do so and that those who feel like they don’t clearly belong in any set category will feel like they do have a home in our community. The same grace and love that brought historic enemies together 2,000 years ago is still restoring broken relationships.
Application:
• If you have been around ORB a while, try to make someone who may feel like an outsider more a part of our community.
• If you are new to ORB, try to reach out to someone who has been around a while and get to know him or her.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Ephesians 2
Made Alive with Christ
You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. (1-3)
But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. (4-8)
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. (8-10)
Oneness and Peace in Christ
So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens 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 once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (11-13)
For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. (14-16)
So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. (17-18)
A Temple for the Lord
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God. (19-22)
You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. (1-3)
But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. (4-8)
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. (8-10)
Oneness and Peace in Christ
So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens 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 once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (11-13)
For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. (14-16)
So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. (17-18)
A Temple for the Lord
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God. (19-22)
Ephesians 1- Andy's thoughts
Introductory ideas
I realize that there may be a few things that would be helpful to know as we go through this book and that there may be a few questions that people have. So here is some preliminary information that I hope will make reading Ephesians more helpful.
• Where is Ephesus? Ephesus is a port city on the west coast of what is now Turkey. At the time it was in a region called Asia.
• When did Paul write this? Like most of the New Testament this was written in the second half of the first century A.D. Traditionally, this is grouped in what the early church called the “prison epistles.” This meant that it seems like the letter was written when Paul was in jail for his faith towards the end of his life.
• Who are the Ephesians? In Paul’s day, this was part of the Roman Empire but had significant Hellenized (Greek) cultural roots. The city was famous for its massive statue to the Greek goddess Artemis (also known as Diana in Roman mythology). This statue was one of the wonders of the ancient world and there were a lot of businesses that profited from the sale of Artemis related merchandise.
• Major themes to look for- love, God’s plan, unity, and relationships
• Ephesians in the rest of the Bible- The city of Ephesus is also mentioned in Acts and in Revelation. In Acts 18-20, we read about Paul’s time in Ephesus. He had spent over two years there establishing and building up the church there. His preaching about Jesus eventually so affected the city that a riot broke out by the tradesmen, who made Artemis merchandise because they felt threatened by this “new god.” In Revelation, Ephesus is one of the seven churches that receives a letter of warning and encouragement. They are told that they have forgotten their first love.
Spiritual Blessings
Verses 3-14 contain a great section that describes the work of God in meticulous detail. There is a definite Trinitarian structure to this description. God the Father loves us and chooses us to be his children. God the Son purchased our freedom with his own blood and has redeemed us. God the Holy Spirit seals us as a guarantee of our divine inheritance.
There are loads of ideas that could be unpackaged here- predestination and free will, redemption, the relationship of Jews to Gentiles in the eternal plan of God- just to name a few. I’m not going to elaborate much on these, but I will say a few things just as a brief introduction to these broad topics.
Predestination- This is a term that gets thrown around theological circles and is worth explaining. (Philosophers are more comfortable with the term “determinism” because it allows them to have a similar discussion without committing to a belief in God or a god.) Essentially, this term refers to the plan of God to set the world to rights. (yes I’m stealing N.T. Wright’s British-y phrase because I like how it sounds.)
In this chapter of Ephesians, Paul describes how God had planned out our place in the family of God before the creation of the world. (I’m saying “our” because I believe that what Paul said to the church in Ephesus two millennia ago is still applicable to believers today). Paul says that God’s intention to love us is something worthy of being praised.
There are some who take the discussion of predestination/ determinism much further by debating the implications of its meaning. They might discuss how can people have free will if God has already predestined us? They might discuss how can God hold people accountable if he has already predestined us?
These are truly fascinating questions to ponder, questions that I don’t really give a hoot about at this season of my life. I spent the better part of a decade trying to wrap my brain around these thoughts and have come up with some satisfying and some unsatisfying ideas. The only one I will share for now is this one. While the existence of predestination and free will may seem contradictory to us in our finite human understanding, it is entirely possible for no such contradiction to exist to God.
Consider an illustration from the fun world of math. If two lines continue forever and never touch each other and have the same slope, what do we call them? Parallel. However, there can also exist two lines that continue forever without the same slope, don’t touch and are not parallel. These would be “skew.” In order to have skew lines, I need to be working in three dimensions. If I viewed skew lines two dimensionally, they would appear to cross even though in (the fuller 3-D) reality they do not cross.
Just as there are concepts that appear contradictory to our minds now, I have to hold to the notion that I am limited by my linear movement through time and space. I trust that God is not so bound by these constraints. Therefore, concepts of predestination and free will, though seemingly paradoxical, can in theory be consistent when viewed from a perspective beyond our dimensional limitations.
Redemption- I will keep this explanation much shorter. To redeem can mean either to buy back something that belonged to you originally, or it can mean to free someone from a debt. While today redemption refers more to glass bottles that can be returned in certain states or items in a pawn shop, in Paul’s day redemption was more commonly a reference to the economics of slavery.
In the Old Testament, there are numerous uses of the words redeem or redemption or redeemer. Boaz was a kinsman redeemer for Ruth, Job declares his hopeful belief that his redeemer lives, Moses tells the Israelites that the lives of the firstborn children have been redeemed, and Isaiah points Israel to the eventual redemption of the nation.
When I think of the implications of redemption, I think about this- Jesus is telling us that we are worth something in the economy of God. He has bought us at the price of his own life thus establishing our value. And while I know that he is infinitely overpaying, that is the lavishness of grace. By telling us that he is our redeemer, God is also giving us hope. He is pointing us to a future day when all of us will be fully redeemed when Christ returns.
The role of the Jews and the Gentiles in the family of God- this is a topic that I will come back to later in the book. For now, I will just point out that the early church was a mix of Jewish Christians and Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians. As a Jew who was called to minister to Gentiles, Paul was very aware of the tension that these two groups felt. Throughout the book, there will be further discussions about the goodness of God in bringing these two formerly disparate peoples together.
Spiritual Wisdom
I love the prayer that Paul prays in verses 15-19. I think that we should all be regularly praying this same prayer for one another. I think that our culture preys upon our insecurities and teaches us to be self-loathing. Advertising makes billions of dollars so that companies can make trillions of dollars by making us feel like we are lacking those things which will make us whole, beautiful, and satisfied. Rubbish!
This prayer reminds us that we already have the riches of God’s glorious inheritance among the people of God as well as the immeasurable greatness of the power of God. I don’t think a new product from Apple is going to top that. This prayer points us toward the future so we can gain a sense of eternal perspective. From this perspective we see far down the road and see that the things in our life which seem so big and so pressing are actually not so big.
Application:
Will we commit to praying this prayer for spiritual wisdom for someone for the next seven days?
I realize that there may be a few things that would be helpful to know as we go through this book and that there may be a few questions that people have. So here is some preliminary information that I hope will make reading Ephesians more helpful.
• Where is Ephesus? Ephesus is a port city on the west coast of what is now Turkey. At the time it was in a region called Asia.
• When did Paul write this? Like most of the New Testament this was written in the second half of the first century A.D. Traditionally, this is grouped in what the early church called the “prison epistles.” This meant that it seems like the letter was written when Paul was in jail for his faith towards the end of his life.
• Who are the Ephesians? In Paul’s day, this was part of the Roman Empire but had significant Hellenized (Greek) cultural roots. The city was famous for its massive statue to the Greek goddess Artemis (also known as Diana in Roman mythology). This statue was one of the wonders of the ancient world and there were a lot of businesses that profited from the sale of Artemis related merchandise.
• Major themes to look for- love, God’s plan, unity, and relationships
• Ephesians in the rest of the Bible- The city of Ephesus is also mentioned in Acts and in Revelation. In Acts 18-20, we read about Paul’s time in Ephesus. He had spent over two years there establishing and building up the church there. His preaching about Jesus eventually so affected the city that a riot broke out by the tradesmen, who made Artemis merchandise because they felt threatened by this “new god.” In Revelation, Ephesus is one of the seven churches that receives a letter of warning and encouragement. They are told that they have forgotten their first love.
Spiritual Blessings
Verses 3-14 contain a great section that describes the work of God in meticulous detail. There is a definite Trinitarian structure to this description. God the Father loves us and chooses us to be his children. God the Son purchased our freedom with his own blood and has redeemed us. God the Holy Spirit seals us as a guarantee of our divine inheritance.
There are loads of ideas that could be unpackaged here- predestination and free will, redemption, the relationship of Jews to Gentiles in the eternal plan of God- just to name a few. I’m not going to elaborate much on these, but I will say a few things just as a brief introduction to these broad topics.
Predestination- This is a term that gets thrown around theological circles and is worth explaining. (Philosophers are more comfortable with the term “determinism” because it allows them to have a similar discussion without committing to a belief in God or a god.) Essentially, this term refers to the plan of God to set the world to rights. (yes I’m stealing N.T. Wright’s British-y phrase because I like how it sounds.)
In this chapter of Ephesians, Paul describes how God had planned out our place in the family of God before the creation of the world. (I’m saying “our” because I believe that what Paul said to the church in Ephesus two millennia ago is still applicable to believers today). Paul says that God’s intention to love us is something worthy of being praised.
There are some who take the discussion of predestination/ determinism much further by debating the implications of its meaning. They might discuss how can people have free will if God has already predestined us? They might discuss how can God hold people accountable if he has already predestined us?
These are truly fascinating questions to ponder, questions that I don’t really give a hoot about at this season of my life. I spent the better part of a decade trying to wrap my brain around these thoughts and have come up with some satisfying and some unsatisfying ideas. The only one I will share for now is this one. While the existence of predestination and free will may seem contradictory to us in our finite human understanding, it is entirely possible for no such contradiction to exist to God.
Consider an illustration from the fun world of math. If two lines continue forever and never touch each other and have the same slope, what do we call them? Parallel. However, there can also exist two lines that continue forever without the same slope, don’t touch and are not parallel. These would be “skew.” In order to have skew lines, I need to be working in three dimensions. If I viewed skew lines two dimensionally, they would appear to cross even though in (the fuller 3-D) reality they do not cross.
Just as there are concepts that appear contradictory to our minds now, I have to hold to the notion that I am limited by my linear movement through time and space. I trust that God is not so bound by these constraints. Therefore, concepts of predestination and free will, though seemingly paradoxical, can in theory be consistent when viewed from a perspective beyond our dimensional limitations.
Redemption- I will keep this explanation much shorter. To redeem can mean either to buy back something that belonged to you originally, or it can mean to free someone from a debt. While today redemption refers more to glass bottles that can be returned in certain states or items in a pawn shop, in Paul’s day redemption was more commonly a reference to the economics of slavery.
In the Old Testament, there are numerous uses of the words redeem or redemption or redeemer. Boaz was a kinsman redeemer for Ruth, Job declares his hopeful belief that his redeemer lives, Moses tells the Israelites that the lives of the firstborn children have been redeemed, and Isaiah points Israel to the eventual redemption of the nation.
When I think of the implications of redemption, I think about this- Jesus is telling us that we are worth something in the economy of God. He has bought us at the price of his own life thus establishing our value. And while I know that he is infinitely overpaying, that is the lavishness of grace. By telling us that he is our redeemer, God is also giving us hope. He is pointing us to a future day when all of us will be fully redeemed when Christ returns.
The role of the Jews and the Gentiles in the family of God- this is a topic that I will come back to later in the book. For now, I will just point out that the early church was a mix of Jewish Christians and Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians. As a Jew who was called to minister to Gentiles, Paul was very aware of the tension that these two groups felt. Throughout the book, there will be further discussions about the goodness of God in bringing these two formerly disparate peoples together.
Spiritual Wisdom
I love the prayer that Paul prays in verses 15-19. I think that we should all be regularly praying this same prayer for one another. I think that our culture preys upon our insecurities and teaches us to be self-loathing. Advertising makes billions of dollars so that companies can make trillions of dollars by making us feel like we are lacking those things which will make us whole, beautiful, and satisfied. Rubbish!
This prayer reminds us that we already have the riches of God’s glorious inheritance among the people of God as well as the immeasurable greatness of the power of God. I don’t think a new product from Apple is going to top that. This prayer points us toward the future so we can gain a sense of eternal perspective. From this perspective we see far down the road and see that the things in our life which seem so big and so pressing are actually not so big.
Application:
Will we commit to praying this prayer for spiritual wisdom for someone for the next seven days?
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Ephesians 1
Greetings
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Blessings
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.
13In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.
Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason 16I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
20God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Blessings
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.
13In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.
Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason 16I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
20God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Monday, July 19, 2010
We're Back!
Hey all,
We are restarting the Bible reading this Wednesday. We will read Ephesians 1-3 this week and chapters 4-6 next week. Please join us as we go through the Scriptures together.
As far as how to participate in this- here's how it works-
1) Read the chapter that is posted for the day (either right here on the webpage or on your own bible)
2) Post a thought or a comment about what you read (it could be a question about what is meant, it could be reposting a verse that you really liked, or a thought that hit you while you read, or a word of encouragement to the rest of the group to hear and consider)
3) That's it! Of course, there is no pressure to post your comments, it is just an open forum to let others know that you are out there too.
I'm glad to be a part of this community experience.
Love in Christ,
Andy Newberry
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16
We are restarting the Bible reading this Wednesday. We will read Ephesians 1-3 this week and chapters 4-6 next week. Please join us as we go through the Scriptures together.
As far as how to participate in this- here's how it works-
1) Read the chapter that is posted for the day (either right here on the webpage or on your own bible)
2) Post a thought or a comment about what you read (it could be a question about what is meant, it could be reposting a verse that you really liked, or a thought that hit you while you read, or a word of encouragement to the rest of the group to hear and consider)
3) That's it! Of course, there is no pressure to post your comments, it is just an open forum to let others know that you are out there too.
I'm glad to be a part of this community experience.
Love in Christ,
Andy Newberry
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16
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