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April 19, 2015
Countless Blessings
LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS
VOLUME I (1-3):OUR RICHES IN CHRIST
• Our spiritual possessions in Christ • Our spiritual position in Christ
In chapters 1-3, …the main idea is that God’s wisdom, glory, and
power are displayed in His eternal purpose for the church, made up of both Jews and Gentiles, reconciled
in Christ.
P.W. BrandelNorth Park Theological Seminary
Chicago
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the
will of God…
1. Writer Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
2. Recipient To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
3. Greeting Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. Thanksgiving/Prayer
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…
5. Body And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins…(2:1)
6. Farewell 23 Peace to the brethren, and love with faith…
Ephesians and First Century Letter Format
Letter Format
Ephesians
THE GOSPEL AND CULTURE
• The Gospel defines how Christians live in the world. We must separate the heart of the Gospel from our cultural expression of the Gospel
THE GOSPEL AND CULTURE
• The Gospel defines how Christians live in the world. We must separate the heart of the Gospel from our cultural expression of the Gospel
• The primary ingredient for Christians relating to culture surely is authenticity.
THE GOSPEL AND CULTURE
• We should not try to communicate Paul’s experience of Christ, we must communicate our own – we cannot live out a theology that we do not know firsthand
THE GOSPEL AND CULTURE
• We should not try to communicate Paul’s experience of Christ, we must communicate our own – we cannot live out a theology that we do not know firsthand
• Our expression of the Gospel in our culture must be a natural flow of the depth of our relation with Christ – NOT the borrowing of mere words we have labeled religious
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ…
APOSTLE (apostolos)• Had seen the risen Christ
APOSTLE (apostolos)• Had seen the risen Christ
• Had received their commission directly from the Lord
APOSTLE (apostolos)• Had seen the risen Christ
• Had received their commission directly from the Lord
• Exercised a special inspiration
• Exercised supreme authority
• Exercised supreme authority
• Worked miracles as a badge of their authority
• Exercised supreme authority
• Worked miracles as a badge of their authority
• Given a commission to found churches
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the
will of God…
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and
heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul,
why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You,
Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus,
whom you are persecuting. It is
hard for you to kick against the
goads.”6 So he, trembling and
astonished, said, “Lord, what do
You
want me to do?”
Acts 9:3-6
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the
will of God, to the saints…
1. NKJV …to the saints who are in Ephesus,
2. NIV …to God’s holy people in Ephesus
3. New Living …to God’s holy people in Ephesus
4. Common English
…to the holy…people in Christ Jesus in Ephesus.
5. The Message I, Paul, am… writing to you faithful believers in Ephesus.
Ephesians – Paul’s Audience
Translation Audience
Just as Paul had been appointed by
God to be an apostle, so too
Christians
in Ephesus – and today – had/have
been separated by God unto God
for the sole use of God
for His service .
“There are only two kinds of people today: the saints and the aints.
If you’re a saint, then you aint an aint.
If you’re an aint, then you aint a saint.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the
will of God, to the saints who are:
in Ephesus, and
faithful
We live both in Goodlow and in Christ.
We can neither avoid the place where
we live NOR betray the Christ in whom
we live.
We are in Christ both for salvation
and for life in the community.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the
will of God, to the saints who are:
in Ephesus, and
faithful
in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 1:1
The Christian faith is not a set of ideas
or a nice road to follow. Rather, it is so
deep an engagement with Christ, so
deep a union with our Lord, that Paul
only describes it as living in Christ.
K. Snodgrass
There is therefore now no
condemnation to those who are in
Christ Jesus,
who do not walk according to the
flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1
We are not saints because of how we act
– saints because of our position in
Christ.
To live in Christ is to be shaped by Him.
A person cannot be conscious of being
enveloped by Christ and behave in ways
totally out of keeping with His character.
2 Grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:2
Paul takes these two words – common greetings of the day – and gives them a powerful and elevated
new meaningPaul always puts them in that order
– grace before peace.
Paul takes these two words – common greetings of the day – and gives them a powerful and elevated new meaningPaul always puts them in that order – grace before peace.
The grace of God is the means through which He saves us.
Paul takes these two words – common greetings of the day – and gives them a powerful and elevated new meaningPaul always puts them in that order – grace before peace.
The grace of God is the means through which He saves us.
The peace of God is the result of casting all our cares upon Him
3 Blessed be [is] the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ…
Prayers that open letters:• Provide information about the
concerns of and/or topics in the letter
• Occasion to express Paul’s love and concern for his Christian friends
• Opportunity for Paul to, in absentia, enter into the worship experience of the readers as they gathered together
The prayer in Ephesians is unique:
• long, one-sentence,
• doxology (3-14)
• thanksgiving (15-16)
• intercessory prayer (17-29)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us with every spiritual
blessing…
He blessed us,We praise Him with our lips because He first made us blessed
He blessed us,We praise Him with our lips because He first made us blessed
Our blessing is a declarationHis blessings are deeds
He blessed us,We praise Him with our lips because He first made us blessed
Our blessing is a declarationHis blessings are deeds
We pronounce Him blessedHe makes us blessed
He blessed us,We praise Him with our lips because He first made us blessed
Our blessing is a declarationHis blessings are deeds
We pronounce Him blessedHe makes us blessed
ALL OF THIS – in Christ
3 Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places in
Christ,
Ephesians 1:3
We were crucified
with Him,
buried
with Him,
raised
with Him…
Now we are seated
in Him
in the very presence
of God.
“There are only two kinds of people today: the saints and the aints.
If you’re a saint, then you aint an aint.
If you’re an aint, then you aint a saint.
WHAT NEXT?
Just as Paul had been appointed by
God to be an apostle, so too
Christians
today have been separated
by God unto God
for the sole use of God
for His service .
WHAT NEXT?