Away

I will be away for the next couple of weeks. I've been babysitting with my four grandsons for the last several days and will be here for a few more days, so I was away from my computer and study materials. This Thursday I am having shoulder replacement surgery, so I doubt that I will be able to finish next week's study before next Monday. So we will try to pick up with our study of Phillipians two weeks from today.

Christ in Ephesians -- The Head of the Church

During the two years when Paul was under house arrest in Rome, probably 60 – 62 A.D., he was allowed to have visitors and to send with them letters he had written to the churches he had helped to plant, as well as to his friends.  Among those letters are the books we now know as Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.  Today we will look at the letter to the church at Ephesus.  It may have been a “circulating letter,” one that was circulated among several churches in the city of Ephesus, since it has none of the personal references that we see in some of Paul’s other letters.  Also missing from this letter was correction to specific beliefs or practices in the church.  It is primarily doctrinal teaching, intended to mature the believers’ faith and to equip the growing church with very practical tools they would need to fulfill their calling as Christ-followers.  These are tools we still need today.  When some people hear the word “doctrine” they moan and groan, thinking, “Oh, this is going to be dry and boring.”  Nothing could be further from the truth when it applies to this wonderful book.  Until we have a clear grasp of doctrine, it is hard to apply God’s teaching to our everyday lives, and that is just what Paul was attempting to do in this heartfelt letter.

Paul begins his letter by praising God who, before the earth was even created, chose us to be a part of His holy family through Jesus Christ:

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure (Ephesians 1:3-5).

He has a plan for his family which will come to completion when Jesus returns to rule in eternity:

God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth (Ephesians 1:9-10).

While we wait for that wonderful time when we are in His presence forever, united in Him, He has established His church which is to be a picture of what eternity will be like – united under the authority of Jesus Christ:

Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself (Ephesians 1:21-23).

In the second chapter of Ephesians, Paul goes into depth to explain how the Jews and the Gentiles are united in Christ into one family, the family of God, the church:

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups (Ephesians 2:14-15).

 

Through faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to live in the heart of every believer.  And when we are united in Christ we are His family, His temple, built on the foundation laid by the apostles and the Old Testament prophets, with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone:

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord (Ephesians 2:20-21).

Beginning in Chapter 4, Paul gives some very practical advice about how to live united in Christ:

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace (Ephesians 4:1-3).

When God designed His church, His family, He created structure.  He made us all equal, but He gave us all different gifts and talents:

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ . . .  He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. (Ephesians 4:11-12, 16).

Paul also reminded these new Christians that they are to live differently than they did before they came to know Jesus.  He gave them a long list of very practical things to do and not to do:

Throw off the old sinful nature and former way of life
Let the Holy Spirit renew thoughts and attitudes
Put on a new nature of holiness and righteousness
Stop telling lies
Quit being controlled by anger
Quit stealing
Use their hands and feet for good hard work
Give generously to those in need
Don’t use foul or abusive language
Use your words to encourage others
Get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander
Do away with all types of evil behavior
Be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving to each other
Imitate God by living a life filled with love
Do not tolerate sexual immorality, impurity, or greed
There are to be no obscene stories, foolish talk, or coarse jokes
Be thankful to God
Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins
Be careful how you live, not like fools, but like those who are wise
Use your time wisely
Don’t be thoughtless, but understand what God wants you to do
Don’t be a drunkard
Be filled with the Holy Spirit
Make music to the Lord in your heart
Give thanks to God for everything

As you read the book of Ephesians, notice how many times the words “authority,” “head,” and “plan,” are used in relation to God and to Jesus Christ.  These words are always used in a very positive way.  In God’s plan there is blessing.  In His plan there is peace.  In His plan there is unity and harmony.  In the next section of Paul’s letter, he explained that the family structure, as designed by God, is a picture of the way the church is structured.  The man is to be the head of the family, just as Christ is head of the church.  Notice that NO WHERE does Paul say the man is to be the boss, the ruler, or the dictator.  NO WHERE does Paul say the wife is to be a doormat, a servant, or a “little woman.”  We are ALL EQUAL in Christ.  Paul begins this section by saying that husbands and wives are to submit to each other:

And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21).

 

Please do not let anyone deceive you by quoting only, “For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). Go on and read the very next verses:

For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word . . . In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body (Ephesians 5:23-26, 28-30).

If a husband loves his wife as Christ loves the Church, and if he demonstrates his love to his wife as Christ demonstrates His love to the Church, any woman would naturally return that love in submission to her husband.  In our modern language, submission is probably not the most perfect word for this love relationship, since it does not reflect the mutual respect that this passage indicates.  I am not a linguist, and I would never attempt to translate or re-interpret God’s word.  But I do know that when you read the entire text, not taking one verse out of context, any modern woman should be thrilled to be in this kind of love relationship with her husband, and it would be easy to respond to him as I believe Paul taught in this passage.

As Paul continues with his practical advice about the family, he speaks to children and to parents.  He says that children are to obey their parents, but that the parents are not to provoke their children to anger by the way they treat them.  We are to treat our children with love, understanding their capabilities and limitations, and to instruct them about every area of life, teaching them all we have learned about living in obedience to God:

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do . . . Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord (Ephesians 6:1, 4).

Paul goes on to talk about how slaves and slave owners should relate to each other.  He was neither condoning nor prohibiting slavery.  Slavery was common in those days.  Many people sold themselves into slavery when they could not pay a debt.  Others became slaves when their country was being occupied by a foreign ruler.  We may not be able to thoroughly grasp the concept of slavery, but we can relate this section to ourselves as employees and/or employers.  The same principles apply.  We are to obey, with respect, those in authority over us.  We are to do our jobs sincerely, as though we are working for Christ, not just when we are being watched, but all the time:

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free (Ephesians 6:5-8).

 

If we are employers or supervisors, we should treat those under our authority with respect.  God does not see us any differently than He sees the lowliest worker:

Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites (Ephesians 6:9).

Finally, Paul warned the church in Ephesus (and us) to stand strong, clothed with God’s armor, ready to resist the devil in all the ways he will attack us:

 

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:10-12).

My prayer for you and for me this week is the same as Paul’s prayer for his friends at the church in Ephesus, found in Ephesians 1:17-23 –

Glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . give (us) spiritual wisdom and insight so that (we) might grow in (our) knowledge of (You). I pray that (our) hearts will be flooded with light so that (we) can understand the confident hope (You have) given to those (You) called—(Your) holy people . . . I also pray that (we) will understand the incredible greatness of (Your) power for us who believe (You). This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at (Your) right hand in the heavenly realms. Now (Christ) is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. (You have) put all things under the authority of Christ and (have) made Him Head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself.

All scripture is from the New Living Translation.

Christ in Galatians -- Our Freedom

Paul wrote this letter to the churches in the Roman province of Galatia that he had established during his first missionary journey.  He wrote the letter from Antioch in Syria, probably in about 48 – 49, or perhaps even as late as 53 A.D.  The believers in Galatia were primarily Gentile and had never been a part of the Jewish society and so were not accustomed to the old Jewish traditions.  Like the Corinthians, they had come out of a pagan belief system.  They were so excited about the Good News that Paul preached they were anxious to listen to anyone who claimed to want to teach them more about this Good News.  However, some of the teachers were sadly misinformed and undisciplined in their teaching.  Even Peter and James did not fully understand the freedom that Jesus brought to us who accept His sacrifice for our sins.   In this letter, Paul addressed the issue of false doctrine that was infiltrating the Galatian church.

Paul began his letter by reminding his dear friends that he was not appointed by any group or panel to preach the Good News.  He was appointed by Jesus and by God the Father when He confronted him while he was on the road to Damascus:

This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead (Galatians 1:1).

As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” . . . But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel (Acts 9:3-4, 15).

He quickly gets to the point of his letter, warning them about those who would distort the Good News that he had preached to them:

I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ (Galatians 1:6-7).

The false teachers Paul referred to were saying that these new Gentile believers must also adhere to the old Jewish laws, rites, and traditions, primarily circumcision.  Paul forcefully confronted that false teaching by using several very simple, logical arguments --

• Very pointedly, he asked how they had received the Holy Spirit:

Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ (Galatians 3:2).

• Then he told them that Abraham trusted God in the very same way, many, many years before the law was given to Moses:

In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith”. . . Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:6, 14).

• The promise God gave to Abraham was that the Messiah, the Savior, would be his child.  That promise could not be cancelled by the law:

Dear brothers and sisters, here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ. This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise (Galatians 3:15-18)

• Through faith, we are made children of God, therefore heirs of God and heirs of the promise He made to Abraham:

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you (Galatians 3:26-29).

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir (Galatians 4:4-7).

• Paul made it very clear that, through faith in Jesus Christ, the Galatians had become children and heirs of God.  Christ had bought their freedom with his blood on the cross, however they were in danger of falling back into the slavery of tradition from their old pagan lifestyle and legalism of the Jews:

Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws (Galatians 4:8-12a).

• Finally, Paul summed up his letter by reinforcing the principle that Jesus brought freedom from the law:

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law (Galatians 5:1).

You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom (Galatians 5:7-8).

Paul then warned his friends to use this new-found freedom in service to others, not to satisfy their old sinful desires:

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives (Galatians 5:24-25).

Even though this letter was written by Paul almost 2,000 years ago, I continue to be fascinated with how fresh and how relevant his words are to us today.  Many of today’s churches and many individual believers are still in bondage to tradition, rituals, and legalism.  It saps our strength, it causes divisions within the church, and it causes us to judge those who don’t adhere to our particular brand of tradition or ritual.

My prayer for myself and for you this week, and throughout this New Year, is from the closing verses of Paul’s letter, Galatians 6:14-16 –

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter whether we have (followed man-made laws, rituals, and traditions) or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.

All scripture references are from the New Living Translation.