Podcasts about ephesians paul

Ephesians 5:15-21 Throughout the book of Ephesians Paul uses the language of “walk” eight times to describe how Christians ought to go about their daily life and faith. In Ephesians 5:15-21 Paul exhorts his readers for the eighth and final time to walk by the Spirit with Spirit filled lives.

Scripture: 1 Cor 1:9, Lamentations 3:22-23, Ephesians (Paul's goodbyes to the Ephesians),

Title: Qualities of an Elder Text: Acts 20:13-27 FCF: We all struggle when our leaders are ungodly. Prop: Because an Elder must be and continue to be blameless, so all Elders and would be Elders must endure in these same qualities. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 20. In a moment we'll read from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse 13. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week we noted Luke's shift in focus as his book hastens toward its close. Since the remainder of the book is concerning Paul's travels to Jerusalem, his imprisonment, his travel to Rome, and imprisonment there – Luke now shifts his attention to the character, person, and instructions of Paul. He began this last week by focusing on Paul's top priority. To the expense of himself, Paul desired greatly to instruct God's people in His ways. This was his primary objective. Such clarity in purpose reveals to us how all church leaders should prioritize the spiritual instruction of God's people. Today we will lean even more into the discussion of what godly church leaders should be, as Paul summons the Elders of Ephesus to himself to give them parting words of instruction before he goes on to Jerusalem. Let's see what he has to say. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Most Holy God, we come to You as Your children seeking wisdom and instruction from Your Word. We praise You Father for giving through Your Son and empowering through Your Spirit, undershepherds who care for the flock that You have claimed as Your own. We praise You for sending watchmen among us to watch out for wolves and to feed and to guide us. We pray that You would use this text this morning to equip us to understand and pursue all that You have given us regarding godly Elders. And we pray desperately that You would continue to bless us with men who love You and are called to serve. We ask this in Jesus' name amen. Transition: Let's get right to the text this morning. I.) Paul demonstrated the qualities necessary for all church leaders, so all Elders and would be Elders must endure in these same qualities. (13-21) a. [Slide 2] 13 – But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos (AH-sohs), intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land. 14 - And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene (my-tell-EEE- knee). 15 - And sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios (KEY-ohs); and the next day we crossed over to Samos (SAM-ahs); and the day following we came to Miletus (my-LEE-tuhs). 16 - For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. 17 - Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. i. [Slide 3] On the screen behind me is the travel map of Paul and his 8 companions. ii. Luke records that by the plan of Paul, he desired to go by land from Troas to meet them in Assos. iii. Since this was Paul's plan all along, and we aren't told why, it is likely some unknown-to-us reason that Paul desired to travel by land on the first leg of the journey to Assos (AH-sohs). iv. More than likely, this took a couple days for Paul to catch up. v. Then they all sailed to Mitylene (my-tih-LEE-knee). Then the next day they came to what Luke calls the opposite of Chios (KEY-ohs). By this he probably intends the eastern side of the island of Chios as the map depicts. vi. Then the next day they came over to Samos (SAM-ahs), which is the unnamed island on the bottom. vii. Then the following day they came to Miletus (my-LEE-tuhs). viii. Miletus is about 25 miles south of Ephesus. ix. It has probably been about two years since Paul was in Ephesus at this point. x. Here Paul is faced with a dilemma. He loves the church of Ephesus and the Elders whom he helped to appoint and guide in that city. But he knew that if he stopped in to Asia to meet with them, he would be held up there. Most likely because of the love they had for him and he for them. xi. But, Paul is being led by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem and to make it before Pentecost. xii. Most likely, Pentecost is only a few weeks away when he lands in Miletus. xiii. Nevertheless, Paul cannot ignore the church in Ephesus completely. He had spent 3 years ministering to them. So, what is he to do? xiv. Paul decides to send for the Ephesian Elders to come and meet him. b. [Slide 4] 18 - And when they had come to him, he said to them, i. From verse 18 through verse 35 we have recorded for us one of the fullest expressions in the scriptures of what Elders are to be and what Elders are to do. ii. We will take half of his exhortation this week and next week we will look at the rest. iii. The first half is mostly Paul instructing them from his own example. c. [Slide 5] “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, i. The very first thing Paul exhorts them with is his own example of how he ministered in the city of Ephesus. ii. From their own observation and experience, they know that Paul was with them the whole time. iii. This probably is not referring to Paul staying with someone, or not leaving the city. iv. More likely this is Paul indicating that he lived his life before them. They observed him in the most basic functions of human existence all the way to worship services, and evangelism, and discipleship, and preaching, and prayer, and everything in-between. v. He was not separated from them but was with them. vi. But what did they observe of him while he was with them? d. [Slide 6] 19 - serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; i. They saw Paul under pressure. ii. [Slide 7] And the first pressure they observed Paul endure was his own flesh battling against his pedigree. 1. Paul had every reason to be proud. He began a successful church in the city of Ephesus. He taught for three years avoiding persecution from the Ephesians for almost the entire stay. 2. He was a good speaker. He was wise. He was followed by many. 3. Not only that but he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, a Roman citizen, and well-respected by many powerful people. 4. But in the midst of this the Ephesian Elders observed that Paul served the Lord in all humility. 5. Paul put the needs of others above the needs of himself. 6. He was meek, he was lowly. He was a servant to all. 7. He did not demand that others wait on him, instead he became the servant to them for the sake of Christ, his Lord. 8. He did not expect due compensation for all his work like the traveling philosophers and preachers of his time. Instead, he was content with whatever he had. 9. In this way, Paul served the Lord, as merely a slave to His master's will. iii. [Slide 8] The second pressure they observed Paul endure was the weight of his mission. 1. Paul served the Lord with tears. 2. Paul was passionate about the mission and the message that he was sent by Christ to give. 3. Paul wept with them and plead with them to follow the Lord. 4. Paul cried with tears of joy as they came to Christ and turned from their sin and their idols. 5. Paul no doubt shed many tears when many of them confessed their former dalliances with magic and as they burned their books in rejecting their former ways, never to go back. 6. Paul mourned the tragedy of those who denied Christ, many of whom were his own kinsmen. 7. Paul wept over believers who chose to continue in sin and did not desire to be corrected, like with the Corinthians. 8. Paul sobbed tears of joy when the Corinthians repented and returned. 9. Paul cried over false teachers making shipwreck of believers' faith. 10. Truly Paul's mission was weighty. iv. [Slide 9] The third pressure they observed in Paul was the persecution from the Jews. 1. Paul served the Lord even with his trials. 2. He rejoiced in suffering at the hands of the Jews. For His own Savior had suffered also at the hands of the Jews. 3. He endured the many plots from them all over the empire and even in Ephesus, to destroy him and the message he taught. 4. Through it all, Paul's eyes were on Christ, knowing that he could endure all of it and more through Christ who gives him strength. v. Paul did not bow to the pressures he faced. He had excellent moral character and spiritual strength. He was blameless. vi. But what did he do with such noble character? e. [Slide 10] 20 - how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, i. Against secret societies, hidden knowledge cults, Gnosticism, free masonry, scientology, Mormonism and any other religious group that trickles out secret knowledge to those who are loyal… ii. Paul did not withdraw or shy away from sharing with them everything he knew that was profitable for them. Everything that was expedient to them, he told them. iii. These mystery cults and philosophical and religious gurus ensure that you will continue to support them or their faith by holding back information you need, until you have sufficiently paid for it. iv. Not Paul. v. Paul gave them everything he knew that could help them. vi. He knew a good deal more about the law and about Judaism and about being a Pharisee. But this was not expedient to them. It was not profitable. But the things of Christ? The way of faith? The grace of God? vii. Of these, he told them everything he could. viii. And he didn't do it privately to only a few wealthy people, as if to peddle this gospel for personal gain. ix. Instead, he shared all this publicly, teaching in the hall of Tyrannus. And when those discussions continued, he went to houses and taught too. x. There was no membership fee, no subscription model, no downloadable content. xi. He passionately pursued any who desired to be taught the ways of the Lord. f. [Slide 11] 21 - solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. i. Finally, we see Paul say that they observed the undeniable fact that he, with great seriousness and sincerity, bore witness to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. ii. Paul shared the gospel, even after the church was founded there in Ephesus. iii. And he shared the gospel to every person he came in contact with regardless of their heritage or lineage. iv. We know that the Jews were despised and mocked in Ephesus. We know from the letter to the Ephesians Paul emphasizes the church being one made of both Jews and Gentiles. v. Paul passionately and sincerely bore witnesses to all men about the command of God for all men to repent toward God and receive faith in Jesus. g. [Slide 12] Summary of the Point: Luke dutifully records Paul's exhortation to the Elders of Ephesus as he commends them to continuing the work there in their city. Paul's opening point is the track record that he exemplified while he was among them. He was a man who selflessly served the Lord by serving them, through tears and trails. He taught them in season and out of season. He reproved, rebuked, corrected and instructed them in all that was helpful to them, and he did the work of an evangelist calling all kinds of men to repentance toward God and faith in Christ. But they knew all this. They observed him for three years being this kind of man. So, what is Paul's message? What is Luke telling us? Quite simply – the church needs this caliber of man to be Elders. In fact, for every Elder or would be Elder, it is safe for us to conclude that this should be our character profile. Transition: [Slide 13 (blank)] Paul leaves the past and now looks to the uncertainty of the future. Will he be the same man? Will he make changes? If the pressure increases, will he break? II.) Paul will continue to demonstrate these qualities despite the cost, so all Elders and would be Elders must endure in these same qualities. (22-27) a. [Slide 14] 22 - And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 - except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that chains and afflictions await me. i. Paul leaves the past and now looks to the future. ii. He knows that he must go to Jerusalem. We saw before how he resolved to go to Jerusalem and now, we see that this was by direct leading of the Holy Spirit. iii. Paul has no idea what to expect when he arrives. It has been about 5 years since he last went to Jerusalem. He went there after his second missionary journey and before heading to Ephesus. iv. In fact, the only thing he does know is what the Holy Spirit continues to remind him of in every city he visits. v. Really it is the prediction that Christ gave to Ananias at Paul's conversion. Jesus said, “I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.” vi. The Holy Spirit has revealed that many afflictions and imprisonments await Paul in the near future. vii. So, he doesn't know what will happen in Jerusalem, but he does know that he is going to suffer imprisonments and afflictions for the name of Christ. viii. What is the moral fiber of Paul? What is his outlook here? b. [Slide 15] 24 - But I do not make my life of any account nor dear to myself, i. Paul is holding his life loosely. ii. He is not fighting to stay alive at all costs. He is not striving to avoid all pain and anguish. iii. If the Holy Spirit has revealed that this is God's will for him – it would be foolish to resist and to fight against it. iv. Paul will not flee like Jonah. v. Why? c. [Slide 16] so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. i. Jesus gave Paul a job to do. ii. He is to go and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to Jews, to Gentiles, and to Kings. iii. Well, so far, he has not proclaimed the gospel to kings. iv. He has certainly had audiences with many powerful and wealthy people. Some of them have even come to Christ. v. But, to date, Paul has never stood before any rulers to preach the gospel. vi. So, his mission is not complete. vii. Here we see again his desire to sincerely or solemnly testify to the gospel of the grace of God. viii. There are many perspectives on soteriology. For the last four hundred years the church has been enamored with the discussion of Arminianism vs. Calvinism. ix. I'm not going to talk about either right now. x. But one thing is for sure. If the gospel you believe is not a gospel of God's grace, then it is not the gospel at all. xi. So, what is grace? 1. We have all memorized the quick definition – unmerited favor. 2. And that is a fine definition of the word grace. 3. But if we are talking about God's grace and specifically God's grace in salvation, which is what Paul is talking about here, I do not believe the definition “unmerited favor” is sufficient. 4. So, how would I define God's grace in salvation? 5. It is simply this. God accomplishes 100% of our salvation. 6. There is no step that God has left to us in order to be saved. 7. According to Romans 3:24, we are justified as a gift by His grace through Christ's redemption. 8. [Slide 17] Another way to remember what grace is, is by the acronym for GRACE 9. God's 10. Riches 11. At 12. Christ's 13. Expense 14. God delivers the gift of all his riches, indeed sonship and becoming heirs to His throne, at the expense of Christ. 15. Notice that this still has nothing to do with us. Our response isn't factored in yet, for God has given His riches because of the redemption of His Son. 16. Now this isn't denying that there are necessary responses flowing out of that gift of justification by grace through Christ's work. 17. In fact, in the other instance in this text in which Paul talks about sincerely testifying about the gospel he explains the command and the responsibility of Jews and Greeks to respond in repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. 18. But God uses our repentance and faith, both of which the scriptures teach us are ALSO gifts He gives to us, God by grace uses this gifted repentance and faith as means to unite us to our gifted justification. 19. [Slide 18] To suggest that God has accomplished even 99.9% of our salvation and waits on us to do the other .1% - is to make another gospel… one that is not GRACE - God's Riches At Christ's Expense, but is in fact, God's Riches Awaiting Mankind's Submission. I know that spells GRAMS which isn't great… 20. [Slide 19] but My point is not for you to remember GRAMS but GRACE! 21. Call yourself an Arminian. Call yourself a Calvinist. Refuse to take a title. It matters very little. 22. But if your gospel is not ALL of God – then it isn't the gospel of the Grace of God that Paul preached. And that means… it isn't the gospel at all. d. [Slide 20] 25 - And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. i. Now Paul laments the fact that most likely, he will never see any of the Ephesian Elders again. ii. Is Paul being overly dramatic here? iii. No. Paul knows that his future will be full of all kinds of difficulties. iv. And as far as we know, Paul never did return to Ephesus. Paul will go to Rome as a prisoner. He will be release and then spend time in and around the Adriatic Sea between Italy and Greece, and potentially even going as far as Spain. But eventually he will be imprisoned for the last time and beheaded by Emperor Nero. v. So no, Paul isn't being dramatic. vi. He went among them and preached the Kingdom of Christ- of which they were now a part and working to do the same. vii. But never again will he see them. viii. In light of this, Paul wants to say one more thing about the future… and specifically their future. Then he will move to exhorting them. ix. We won't get to the exhortation this week, but let's look at what Paul says about their future… e. [Slide 21] 26 - Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all. 27 - For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. i. Much like God commanded Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3:17 and 18 warning him to be a watchmen for the people and warn them when God tells him to warn them, Paul recuses himself from any guilt that might be placed on him for the spiritual futures of any of these Elders present with him, and for any of the church in Ephesus. ii. Why? iii. Because he did not hesitate to tell them all that God had revealed. iv. If any of these Elders bring a different teaching or slip away from the teaching Paul gave either by adding to it or taking from it – it is not a charge that can be laid on Paul. v. And if they lead any of the Ephesian church members into apostasy or heresy – it cannot be blamed on Paul. vi. Why? vii. Paul did not hesitate to tell them everything God had given him. The whole purpose or counsel of God was available to them through him. viii. Again, this goes back to his statement that he didn't withdraw from telling them everything that was profitable or expedient to them. f. [Slide 22] Summary of the Point: As Paul looks to the future and understands that there is no hope for things to improve. In fact, things will most certainly get worse, for the Holy Spirit has revealed as much to him. But Paul's intention is to continue to exemplify these qualities and these passions. He desires to continue to be used up, to be emptied out, all for the sake of the gospel of God's grace. His desire is to leave no one's blood on his hands, but like a good watchman, he has told everyone all that they must hear to participate in the kingdom of Christ. Despite a bleak future – Paul intends to continue to exemplify these qualities, until he is extinguished. My friends… Elders and those who would be Elders someday… Is this us? It must be. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today and how then shall we live? Doctrinal Takeaway: [Slide 23] All of our truth points come from Paul's example. This may be challenging for us to receive because Paul is merely a man, but when we understand that these qualities in this text are merely a reflection of who Jesus is and what He demonstrated, we then understand that the qualities Paul has demonstrated are simply those he has received from Christ. But if we were to look at the two letters Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus concerning the qualifications for Elders, we would see a remarkable but unsurprisingly similar 1 to 1 connection between those qualifications and the qualities Paul demonstrated to the Ephesians. Paul is blameless, temperate, sensible, respectful, apt to teach, not a brawler but considerate, peaceable, free from the love of money, he had a good reputation with those outside the church, he was not selfish, nor a liar to cheat people of money, he loved what was good, he was righteous, holy, self-controlled, and he held fast the faithful teaching of the gospel, proving to be able to exhort others in sound doctrine, doing the work of an evangelist, and was able to reprove those who contradicted the gospel. In that sense, Paul's life becomes an illustration of what qualities we must look for in men who are or desire to be Elders. And if we are Elders or desire to be Elders, Paul's example becomes a good template to compare ourselves to. But let me seek to apply this text today, primarily to Elders and would be Elders, but also to the congregation as a whole. 1.) [Slide 24] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that blamelessness is the chief qualification of an Elder. a. All the qualities Paul puts forward in this text are summarized in the basic qualification of blamelessness. b. Blamelessness is the quality one possesses in which it is impossible to find fault with someone. c. This does not, of course, speak to perfection. All men continue to battle and kill off their sin in this life. If the standard were perfection and true sinlessness, then only Christ could be given the title of Elder. d. Instead, blamelessness takes on a legal quality. In the law of moses it took two or three witnesses to bring someone to trial and find them guilty. e. Similarly, we see in I Timothy 5, Paul outlines the process for the discipline of an Elder. If two or three witnesses are not available to substantiate an accusation of sin against an Elder, then the accusation is not even to be heard. But if two or three witnesses confirm that an Elder is in sin, the Elder must be rebuked. f. This again instructs us as to the exact nature of the qualification of blamelessness. g. In order for a man, who desires the office, to be qualified for it, it must be impossible to achieve the necessary quorum among the body to accuse the man of living in sin. In fact, being blameless would imply that any such accusation would be hard to fathom considering the character of the man in question. h. Blamelessness does not mean sinlessness, but it does mean that there is no sin that is cherished, nurtured, encouraged, or befriended by this Elder. They desire the death of sin in their hearts and keep their accounts short. i. Looking at the rest of the qualifications we can see how all of them flow out of or into this one quality of blamelessness. j. Why must the man be blameless? k. Think about an Elder's responsibility. He is to guard the souls of the little lambs of God, serving as an undershepherd below the Great Shepherd. l. Such a place, such a responsibility, such a position given to a man who no one really trusts, or who when a rumor floats around people say, “well that does sound like a sin he would be doing.” Such a man cannot possibly watch for the souls of others… for others much watch out for his soul instead. He would be a liability to the children of God and the rest of the leadership. m. How can an Elder teach or lead someone in holy and Christlike lifestyles when he himself is ensnared and overcome by sin? n. So, by way of application for us this morning, we diverge into a few groups of people. i. First, if you are a man in this congregation, you need to consider blamelessness to be your command. 1. Whether you are an Elder or not, as a man in our congregation we still possess the innate headship of our home meaning that we are in essence an Elder of our family. 2. We have the responsibility of watching out for the souls of our wife and children or future wife and/or future children. 3. Such a role requires us to be the spiritual leader of our family. Setting the example in thought, word, and deed. Exemplifying Christlikeness. And pursuing Christ before our family and leading them to Him. ii. Second, if you are a man in this congregation who desires the office of an Elder, you must first be blameless. 1. No amount of biblical knowledge can make up for lacking blamelessness in your character. 2. No amount of teaching prowess can make up for lacking blamelessness. 3. No amount of kindness, gentleness, rule following, leadership, or charisma can make up for lacking blamelessness. 4. If a man is perfect in every way, and gifted as Paul was for ministry but was known for indulging in a specific sin… such a man is still unqualified to be an Elder. 5. And it is not enough to be blameless until you become an Elder… now you must live blamelessly not only before your family and the church, but before the other Elders as well. iii. Third, if you are an Elder in this church, let this be a healthy reminder to us that we must continue to be blameless. 1. We must continue to serve the Lord in humility. We must continue to serve Him and His church with tears and with endurance through persecution. 2. We must continue to declare the whole counsel of God to His people, sparing no teaching that is profitable and expedient to them. 3. We must continue to solemnly testify to all men the gospel of God's grace and implore them to turn from their sin and to God through faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. 4. My friends, we must be blameless. And we must make sure we hold each other to that standard. iv. Finally, if you are none of the above, you must pray for and seek out leaders who are blameless. 1. It is the congregation's responsibility to only seek out and receive Elders who are blameless. 2. And if a Prospective Elder is put forward for consideration, who you do not consider to be blameless, you must make your concerns known to the Elder Board. 3. Although we have only been Elder led for a few years now, there may come a time in the future where the Elders put forward another man we have considered to be qualified to be an Elder in our church. 4. You have a solemn responsibility to make your concerns known to us. Perhaps you know the man in a way we do not. o. For the sake of the church and the purity of the gospel message, Elders must be blameless. 2.) [Slide 25] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that Elders can hold others to a standard they do not meet. a. Nothing Paul will charge these men to do next week are things that Paul has not already demonstrated and done himself. b. Paul is not instructing the Elders in Ephesus to do something he would not or could not do. Instead, he is instructing them to be like him and continue doing what he was doing. c. There is a common saying in ministry and it is something like, “the spiritual maturity of the body can never exceed the average spiritual maturity of its leaders.” d. If such a thing could be measured mathematically, we could conclude that if the spiritual maturity of the Elder board was averaged to be 50% conformity to Christ (again, these are very crude numbers – just follow me for the sake of the illustration) – If this were so, then the church body cannot possibly be expected to exceed that maturity. e. Thus, if the Elders are a group of power-hungry little kings vying for their own slice of the church pie – imagine what such a church would be? f. Regardless of whether you are an Elder, a would be Elder, or a member of this body – this is still further incentive to find men who are blameless to lead. g. Because if they are not blameless, the church won't be anywhere close to blameless. h. An Elder can only preach and teach that which he has repented of and submitted to in His own life. i. Elders must practice in example what they intend to preach from the scriptures. 3.) [Slide 26] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must pray for godly leaders. a. This works out in two specific ways. b. First, we must pray for God to give more godly leaders to us. i. Unfortunately, Jerry Gunst isn't going to live forever. Neither is Nick, or CJ, or Justin - and even though I am not even 40 yet, I have already begun praying for and looking for a young man who could potentially replace me as the Primary teaching Elder of the church. ii. Our lives seem so long in some ways – so long that we procrastinate on things that go beyond our lifetime. iii. And yet life is so short in other ways. So short that by the time we do realize we need to plan for the future beyond our lives, it is too late. iv. Even now, we can be in prayer for the future Elders of Columbus Baptist Church. v. We can pray that God would give grace to save and shape and mold young men to rise up to the challenge of blamelessly shepherding God's people. vi. You can start that today. Every week I pray through our membership directory. And when I come to a name of a boy – I pray that God would raise him up to be godly and that he might become a future Elder or Deacon of this church. vii. Be in prayer for the future leaders of our church. Even if you will be long gone before they take office… be in prayer. c. Second, we must pray for the leaders we currently have to be godly. i. Occasionally some of you get a sneak peek into the lives of we Elders. ii. Occasionally you are exposed to the trials, the tears, the pains, the hardship, the difficulties we face in leading this church. And that is all in addition to the normal trials and troubles we face in our families and in our personal lives… And most of your Elders actually have ANOTHER job that they do that has its own set of difficulties. iii. My point is, that we… NEED.. your prayers. iv. I would even say that we are desperate for them. v. And don't just pray that we be healthy, that our kids are healthy, that our bodies are healthy… no… please… pray especially that God would protect us from the schemes of the devil and the principalities and powers that seek to destroy us to get to you all. Pray for that first. vi. I'd rather die of cancer having lived a godly life, than live forever having rejected my Lord's commands. And I can confidently say that that is true for all the Elders. vii. Pray for our physical needs – but not at the expense of praying for our spiritual protection and godly wisdom. 4.) [Slide 27] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” Elders, we must be Watchmen for these people. a. Notice how Paul twice emphasized that he declared the whole plan of God and all that was profitable to the Ephesian Elders when he was with them. He did this to the extent that if any of them walked away from this truth and their faith failed and they were cast into the lake of fire… then he would not be to blame for it. b. We too are watchmen of these people. c. May none here have the luxury of saying in that final day, “But that Elder didn't tell me everything. He never told me the fullness of your plan or the teachings that were of great expediency to me.” d. May we teach with our words and our lives all that is necessary to be known so that in the final day we are innocent of all blood, having watched out for all the souls in our charge. e. Let us not grow weary in our labor. But let us press on brothers. 5.) [Slide 28] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” A plurality of biblically qualified Elders is one of the greatest gifts Christ has given His church. a. Who wouldn't want a bunch of little Paul's looking out for them? b. Who wouldn't want a bunch of little Christ's guarding them? c. God has called and equipped men to lead His church. They are mere men, which means they are not perfect. But they are equipped by God, blameless, so that even when they fail, they humbly seek forgiveness and make appropriate changes. d. Who else would we want leading our church? e. What a great comfort it is to have godly men leading. f. May they remain godly so that we may thrive as the church of Christ. [Slide 29 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Reformer Thomas Becon Lord Jesus Christ, you are the true and everlasting Bishop, the mirror and pattern for all faithful pastors both in life and doctrine. You came down from God your Father not only to be our Redeemer, but also our teacher, to open and declare to us the mysteries of the holy Scriptures. We humbly pray now that in your mercy you would look upon your poor and scattered flock, whom you have purchased with your most precious blood. Send us shepherds who will diligently seek the lost sheep, lovingly carry them on their shoulders, and faithfully bring them home again. Lord, you see how great the harvest is, and how few the workers. You are Lord of the harvest. Send us into the harvest! And take away from us those false prophets who come to us in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. Take away those false anointed and false preachers, who by their subtle doctrine would bring us into error. Grant also, O Lord, that these true shepherds may accurately and reverently minister your holy mysteries to us… [that we may have] our faith … established, confirmed, and strengthened. And may we be comforted and made strong against the gates of hell, the devil, the world, the flesh, the curse of the law, sin, death, desperation, and all that is hostile to us. May their shepherds hands not be stretched out to receive, and slow to give. But establish in them a mind that is content, and willing to spend for the relief of the poor, that they may feed the flock both in word and deed. You commanded your apostle Peter three times to feed your flock. And you gave this command not only to Peter, but to all your apostles-even to all pastors who follow. Deal with your flock, most faithful Shepherd, according to your promise. Raise up faithful and diligent shepherds who may feed their flocks with your life-filled word, lead a good life, and maintain hospitality for the comfort of the poor. And in all things may they behave according to your will and commandments. So when you, the most high Bishop and chief Shepherd, appear, may they receive the pure and spotless crown of glory. In Jesus' name we pray this. Amen. Benediction: May the Lord grant you The love that leads the way, The faith that nothing can sway, The hope no disappointments can dismay, And the passion that burns like fire. Until we meet again, go in peace.

In this first episode of our series on Ephesians, Rob and Vinnie explore why Ephesians might be the greatest of all Paul's letters. We dive into Paul's powerful use of “In Christ” language, unpacking its significance for understanding the message of Ephesians. We also provide an overview of Paul's argument in the letter, setting the stage for deeper exploration in future episodes. This is a great starting point for anyone wanting to grasp the richness of this classic epistle!   Please "follow" this podcast and give a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Your review will go a long way toward helping others find this podcast. Then share it with others so that we can get the word of the Gospel of the Kingdom to more people!   We continue to refuse to hide these podcasts behind a paywall. We can only do this if those of you who have been blessed by them and can afford to give ($5, $10, $25, or $1million or more/month) do so. You can give a tax-deductible contribution by following this link.  

Ephesians: Paul An Apostle

 In this week's readings we see very different examples of encountering Jesus. The Gospel, Matthew 2:1-12.  tells of the Wise Men from the east, kneeling before a baby in a manger with their precious gifts of great value. We imagine the scene each Christmas as we gaze at our Nativity. But in Ephesians Paul tells us we may approach the throne of Jesus with freedom and confidence. What a different picture! Not only is Jesus now seated on a throne, He is to be approached confidently- like one who we love and know well. Someone we can share our intimate secrets with, because there is a bond of love between us that knows no bounds. How amazing is the gift of God's grace, poured out for us through His Son! May you feel the same confidence as you approach Jesus this week. The message was written and presented by Dr. Wendy Mayer.Support the show

Over the past six weeks, we have been in the book of Ephesians – Paul's rich and edifying letter to the church at Ephesus. This morning, we wrapped up this series with a message from Senior Pastor David Dwight reminding us to remain awake and alert in Christ. In Ephesians 6, Paul reminds us to honor each other in the closest relationships in our lives - our families and our colleagues - and to value each other despite our differences and shortcomings. He also writes about the need to prepare ourselves to stand strong against the devil. David reminded us that evil exists in the world, but we can prepare ourselves to stand firm by staying near to God in prayer and to pursue community with each other. God's strength will protect us when we remain near to him and we will be able to resist temptations that pull us away from encouraging relationships. Watch all messages from this series online at / hopechurchrva or click the link in our bio!

Many of us tend to think that it is external factors that make us angry.  At this time, the political tension and online discourse will be at an all time high.  Many of us feel this tension and have an internalized anger because of it. Jesus quoted the 10 commandments during this portion of teaching.  By doing so, he was showing that many at this time, even religious leaders and cultural elites, seemed to be content to uphold the literal meaning of the law while ignoring how they were violating it in their hearts. Anger, in scripture, is not viewed as a sinful emotion.  In fact, in Ephesians Paul tells us to “be angry and do not sin”.  The anger that Jesus talks about is not just a momentary feeling, but the ongoing nurture of it. Jesus is warning about the kind of anger that lives in us that leads to viewing and treating others with contempt.

The church at Corinth was not functioning very well.  Today's chapters (12 & 13) are about their misuse of the gifts of the Spirit that the first generation or two of believers were privileged to possess – it gave added impetus in the establishment of the church. The word church means the body of believers, not the building.  However, God was in control, but they largely failed to realize this.  After listing all the areas of special ability the Gifts created, for example it gave to one “the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge …” [12 v.8], Paul says, “all these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, which apportions to each one individually as it wills.” [v.11] The point is made again in v.18, “God arranged the members of the body, each one of them, as he chose” – just as he chose Paul. The verses before are a reprimand to some of the members for trying to get the Gifts that appealed to them – and tomorrow's chapter 14 makes it clear that the gift of speaking in other tongues (languages) was sought after – and misused. It was essential then – and is no less essential today – that true believers have a spirit of teamwork: they must blend their various talents together and become a team, seeing Christ as their “head” .  To the Ephesians Paul wrote, “speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in every way to him who is the head, unto Christ” [4 v.15] Today there are no supernatural gifts, but God's inspired messages have now been written down for all to read and absorb into their minds, but the same principles of teamwork will always apply and Paul's advice is as valid as ever. “But God has so composed the body, giving greater honour to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, that the members may have the same care for one another.  If one member suffers, all suffer together, if one member is honoured, all rejoice together.” [v.24-26]  The first church (ecclesia in Gk) in Jerusalem did this, it is wonderful when it still happens among true believers today.. The chapter concludes, “and I will show you a still more excellent way.”  The next chapter (13) should be familiar to us with its words about “love” as the more excellent way – it is the cement which binds the body together.   It is by acts of love that we show we have “the same care for one another” because “love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends.” [v.7,8] If we really can do that, then what also will never end – will, by his grace, be our lives in God's kingdom.

There have been men in my life whose influence had such a profound effect upon my life that had they not been a part of it, I would not be the man that I am today. These men include men whose lives continue to shape my life, men like Ralph Robinson and Ed HardestyRalph is home with Jesus and Ed is still faithfully teaching the Bible at a Bible college and faithfully preaches and shepherds at the church he planted years ago. There are others who I will leave unnamed who started out in ministry so well, but were derailed from ministry due to sexual immorality, some are out of the pastorate due to their own arrogance, and others have walked away from the faith all together. There are multiple examples of the way men and women of faith made a mess of their lives throughout the Bible, of all that have done so, none are more notable than King Solomon who turned his heart from God by chasing after the idols of his heart. As an old man, Solomon reflected upon his sins and his reflections are recorded for us in Ecclesiastes, a book that begins with these words: And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom about everything that has been done under heaven. It is a sorry task with which God has given the sons of mankind to be troubled. I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is futility and striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted (Eccl. 1:1315). Here is how Solomon concluded in Ecclesiastes: Remember your Creator before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. (Eccl. 12:6-7, 1314) You, dear Christian, have something that Solomon did not have. You have Christ! You have been chosen before the foundation of the world by God the Father for Jesus the Son to be holy and blameless (1:4-6). You have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins (1:7-12). You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit through Christ as a child of God (1:13-14). You who were once dead in your sins, are now alive with Jesus and have been raised up with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places all because of Christ! You are, His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (2:10). Therefore, you are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called (4:1). How do you walk in a manner worthy of your calling? You do it within community as a member of the body of Christ who has been gifted to, encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near (Heb. 10:24-25). By doing this, we are better prepared to engage Gods mission to redeem the nations with the Gospel as His Church. We Live Rightly Under the Guiding Light of the Word of God How do we guard against the kinds of dangers we are warned about in the Bible such as apostatizing, which is a turning away from the one faith that unifies us that is the one faith in Jesus the Christ. In Christians circles the word apostasy has been sanitized and rebranded with a new word known as deconstructing. This is the very thing the apostle John warned about in his epistle: They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be evident that they all are not of us (1 John 2:19).[1] So, how do we guard against falling away? How do we protect ourselves from the dangers of apostasy? The answer is before us in Ephesians 4:11-16. We already looked at verses 11-13 but let me briefly remind you why these verses are so helpful. Last week, I pointed out to you that the list in verse 11 is a list of five offices that Christ gifts to His Church, these offices are filled by those who are spiritually gifted persons, whose sole purpose has to do with the administration and distribution of the Word of God to the people of God. I explained why I believe the offices of Apostle and Prophet are offices no longer being filled today for they ceased with the death of the apostles. I showed you that based on what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:19-22, the offices of apostles and prophets are gifts we still benefit from through the foundation of the Word of God in the Old Testament (prophets) and New Testament (apostles and prophets). The offices of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are still being filled by Jesus with spiritually gifted people, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ (v. 12). For how long are those called to administer the Word of God to the People of God? The answer is in verse 13: until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. The goal is that the people of God would become full of the true and incomparable Jesus, and it is done through the faithful teaching and preaching of the Word of God! On this point, Sinclair Ferguson said of the ministry of the Word of God: Its goal is not merely educational but transformational; it informs the mind in order to touch the conscience, mold the will, cleanse the affections and sanctify the whole life. The Word is thus allowed to do its own sanctifying work, as our Lord himself prayed: Sanctify them in the truth; your Word is truth (John 17:17). This requires intensive treatment.[2] We Live Rightly When We Grow into Maturity in Christ I believe what I am going to say next may be the most important thing you will hear today regarding your life as a Christian. The reason why Jesus has gifted His Church with Apostles (New Testament), prophets (Old Testament), evangelists, pastors, and teachers is so that you will not remain, children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming (v. 14). The apostle Paul warns of the great danger we all face related to your growth and maturity as a Christian. The Greek word that Paul uses for children is nēpios, which is used to describe a nursing infant. When you become a Christian, you are what Jesus described as born again (see John 3:1-21). In Hebrews 5:13, the same Greek word Paul used in Ephesians 4:14 is used, For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant (nēpios). But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil. (Heb. 5:1214) When you were made alive with Christ (2:5), you were born again. Like any newborn child, the only food that can be digested at first is milk, but if you never mature and move on to other types of food you will become sick and weak.According to Hebrews 5, the elementary principles of the actual words of God are the fundamentals of the Christian faith, necessary for a person to receive the good news of the gospel such as: The belief in Jesus Christ, as Gods only Son as our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.[3] However, if you do not grow up as a Christian and you continue to remain an infant that cannot handle anything other than spiritual milk you will be at severe risk of: 1) being carried about by every wind of doctrine, 2) the trickery of people, and 3) the craftiness in deceitful scheming. Infant Christians are gullible and unstable on their own feet. They can be easily knocked over, easily distracted, and are easily deceived because they lack discernment. Cults and false teachers will prey on the immature and will waste little time on the Christian who understands and knows the word of God. The Christian who remains an infant in his/her faith is usually unable to see through the deception of false teachers who pride themselves on things they claim have never been seen before or things in the Bible that have been long covered due to some crazy conspiracy. Behind every false teaching is the great deceiver of whom Jesus said, was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). To the Corinthian church, Paul warned the immature Christians: But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2 Cor. 11:3). Now listen to 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 in the New Living Translation, it does not comparatively do the best job with translating these verses, but it does really help us understand the danger that faces Christians who never grow beyond infancy: But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed (2 Cor. 11:34, NLT). Later in Ephesians Paul tells the Ephesian Christians to put on the full armor of God to stand against the same scheming that threatens Christians still in their infancy: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:1012). The focus of the enemy is deceive you into believing in a different Jesus and to isolate you from those within Jesus Church who can help you grow in the hope of your calling, which is, one body, one Spirit, one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all (4:4-6). The only way you will be able to stand on your own two spiritual feet is through a maturity that can only come by understanding the truth of Gods word within the community of Gods people. The goal in verse 13 is that we all attain the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. This is why Jesus gifts through the Holy Spirit apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to the body of Christ so that we will grow as His body: The unity of the faith: That you, Christian will continue to grow in your knowledge and understanding that Jesus is both redeemer and Lord of His Church. The knowledge of the Son of God: That you, Christian will continue to grow in your knowledge and understanding that Jesus is all that He is as the Son of God, and any other Jesus presented outside of the scriptures is a Jesus who cannot save. Maturity as a follower of Jesus: That you, Christian will grow into a mature follower of the King of kings and Lord of lords and see Him for who He really is: The Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Rev. 22:13). The head of the Church has declared: I am the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades (Rev. 1:18). To become full of Christ: That you, Christian, will grow in such a way that you will become full of Christ, so that you are able to say with John the Baptist: He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30). So how do we grow up in one faith? You do it by truthing in love together. Let me explain what I mean. Notice what Paul writes in verses 15-16: but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ, from who the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. If we are going to grow up as Christians, we must be people of the truth of Gods word! You will not grow as a Christian apart from the truth of His word as it is read, studied, and received from the foundation of the apostles and prophets (the Bible) and administered through the faithful preaching and teaching of Gods word by evangelists, pastors, and teachers (4:11). However, the goal is not to fill your head with knowledge, but for the knowledge of Gods word to shape the way you live your life! There is one Greek word used for speaking the truth (alētheuō), and it literally means, be truthful. A better way to translate is, but truthing in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head. What is the point? The point is that the goal of understanding the Word of God is not only to grow in your understanding of the Bible but to live out that truth through your life as a follower of Jesus within the community of the body of Christ. According to verse 16, this is the ONLY way to grow as a Christian! Every person in the body of Christ has been called by God, redeemed by Jesus, and empowered by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of living within the community of those God has called, those whom Christ has redeemed, and those whom God has sealed with His Holy Spirit, and we live within the community of the redeemed while truthing in love. Listen, there is coming a day when the Church will be gathered in glory when every tribe and every tongue who experienced redemption through the precious blood of Jesus as the Lamb of God will celebrate Him not only as the Head of the Church, but the triumphant Lion of Judah, and we will celebrate His song that all of heaven will sing: And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth. Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing. And I heard every created thing which is in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, or on the sea, and all the things in them, saying, To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever. (Rev. 5:9-13) What other way is there to live in light of the reality of that truth but to do it by truthing in love together as His people and as the body of Christ? [1] See also 1 Tim. 1:18-20; Hebrews 6:1-8; 10:26-31; Matt. 7:21-23. [2] Sinclair B. Ferguson, Lets Study: Ephesians (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust; 2021), p. 110-11. [3] Adapted from The Apostles Creed.

There have been men in my life whose influence had such a profound effect upon my life that had they not been a part of it, I would not be the man that I am today. These men include men whose lives continue to shape my life, men like Ralph Robinson and Ed HardestyRalph is home with Jesus and Ed is still faithfully teaching the Bible at a Bible college and faithfully preaches and shepherds at the church he planted years ago. There are others who I will leave unnamed who started out in ministry so well, but were derailed from ministry due to sexual immorality, some are out of the pastorate due to their own arrogance, and others have walked away from the faith all together. There are multiple examples of the way men and women of faith made a mess of their lives throughout the Bible, of all that have done so, none are more notable than King Solomon who turned his heart from God by chasing after the idols of his heart. As an old man, Solomon reflected upon his sins and his reflections are recorded for us in Ecclesiastes, a book that begins with these words: And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom about everything that has been done under heaven. It is a sorry task with which God has given the sons of mankind to be troubled. I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is futility and striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted (Eccl. 1:1315). Here is how Solomon concluded in Ecclesiastes: Remember your Creator before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. (Eccl. 12:6-7, 1314) You, dear Christian, have something that Solomon did not have. You have Christ! You have been chosen before the foundation of the world by God the Father for Jesus the Son to be holy and blameless (1:4-6). You have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins (1:7-12). You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit through Christ as a child of God (1:13-14). You who were once dead in your sins, are now alive with Jesus and have been raised up with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places all because of Christ! You are, His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (2:10). Therefore, you are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called (4:1). How do you walk in a manner worthy of your calling? You do it within community as a member of the body of Christ who has been gifted to, encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near (Heb. 10:24-25). By doing this, we are better prepared to engage Gods mission to redeem the nations with the Gospel as His Church. We Live Rightly Under the Guiding Light of the Word of God How do we guard against the kinds of dangers we are warned about in the Bible such as apostatizing, which is a turning away from the one faith that unifies us that is the one faith in Jesus the Christ. In Christians circles the word apostasy has been sanitized and rebranded with a new word known as deconstructing. This is the very thing the apostle John warned about in his epistle: They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be evident that they all are not of us (1 John 2:19).[1] So, how do we guard against falling away? How do we protect ourselves from the dangers of apostasy? The answer is before us in Ephesians 4:11-16. We already looked at verses 11-13 but let me briefly remind you why these verses are so helpful. Last week, I pointed out to you that the list in verse 11 is a list of five offices that Christ gifts to His Church, these offices are filled by those who are spiritually gifted persons, whose sole purpose has to do with the administration and distribution of the Word of God to the people of God. I explained why I believe the offices of Apostle and Prophet are offices no longer being filled today for they ceased with the death of the apostles. I showed you that based on what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:19-22, the offices of apostles and prophets are gifts we still benefit from through the foundation of the Word of God in the Old Testament (prophets) and New Testament (apostles and prophets). The offices of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are still being filled by Jesus with spiritually gifted people, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ (v. 12). For how long are those called to administer the Word of God to the People of God? The answer is in verse 13: until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. The goal is that the people of God would become full of the true and incomparable Jesus, and it is done through the faithful teaching and preaching of the Word of God! On this point, Sinclair Ferguson said of the ministry of the Word of God: Its goal is not merely educational but transformational; it informs the mind in order to touch the conscience, mold the will, cleanse the affections and sanctify the whole life. The Word is thus allowed to do its own sanctifying work, as our Lord himself prayed: Sanctify them in the truth; your Word is truth (John 17:17). This requires intensive treatment.[2] We Live Rightly When We Grow into Maturity in Christ I believe what I am going to say next may be the most important thing you will hear today regarding your life as a Christian. The reason why Jesus has gifted His Church with Apostles (New Testament), prophets (Old Testament), evangelists, pastors, and teachers is so that you will not remain, children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming (v. 14). The apostle Paul warns of the great danger we all face related to your growth and maturity as a Christian. The Greek word that Paul uses for children is nēpios, which is used to describe a nursing infant. When you become a Christian, you are what Jesus described as born again (see John 3:1-21). In Hebrews 5:13, the same Greek word Paul used in Ephesians 4:14 is used, For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant (nēpios). But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil. (Heb. 5:1214) When you were made alive with Christ (2:5), you were born again. Like any newborn child, the only food that can be digested at first is milk, but if you never mature and move on to other types of food you will become sick and weak.According to Hebrews 5, the elementary principles of the actual words of God are the fundamentals of the Christian faith, necessary for a person to receive the good news of the gospel such as: The belief in Jesus Christ, as Gods only Son as our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.[3] However, if you do not grow up as a Christian and you continue to remain an infant that cannot handle anything other than spiritual milk you will be at severe risk of: 1) being carried about by every wind of doctrine, 2) the trickery of people, and 3) the craftiness in deceitful scheming. Infant Christians are gullible and unstable on their own feet. They can be easily knocked over, easily distracted, and are easily deceived because they lack discernment. Cults and false teachers will prey on the immature and will waste little time on the Christian who understands and knows the word of God. The Christian who remains an infant in his/her faith is usually unable to see through the deception of false teachers who pride themselves on things they claim have never been seen before or things in the Bible that have been long covered due to some crazy conspiracy. Behind every false teaching is the great deceiver of whom Jesus said, was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). To the Corinthian church, Paul warned the immature Christians: But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2 Cor. 11:3). Now listen to 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 in the New Living Translation, it does not comparatively do the best job with translating these verses, but it does really help us understand the danger that faces Christians who never grow beyond infancy: But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed (2 Cor. 11:34, NLT). Later in Ephesians Paul tells the Ephesian Christians to put on the full armor of God to stand against the same scheming that threatens Christians still in their infancy: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:1012). The focus of the enemy is deceive you into believing in a different Jesus and to isolate you from those within Jesus Church who can help you grow in the hope of your calling, which is, one body, one Spirit, one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all (4:4-6). The only way you will be able to stand on your own two spiritual feet is through a maturity that can only come by understanding the truth of Gods word within the community of Gods people. The goal in verse 13 is that we all attain the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. This is why Jesus gifts through the Holy Spirit apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to the body of Christ so that we will grow as His body: The unity of the faith: That you, Christian will continue to grow in your knowledge and understanding that Jesus is both redeemer and Lord of His Church. The knowledge of the Son of God: That you, Christian will continue to grow in your knowledge and understanding that Jesus is all that He is as the Son of God, and any other Jesus presented outside of the scriptures is a Jesus who cannot save. Maturity as a follower of Jesus: That you, Christian will grow into a mature follower of the King of kings and Lord of lords and see Him for who He really is: The Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Rev. 22:13). The head of the Church has declared: I am the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades (Rev. 1:18). To become full of Christ: That you, Christian, will grow in such a way that you will become full of Christ, so that you are able to say with John the Baptist: He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30). So how do we grow up in one faith? You do it by truthing in love together. Let me explain what I mean. Notice what Paul writes in verses 15-16: but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ, from who the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. If we are going to grow up as Christians, we must be people of the truth of Gods word! You will not grow as a Christian apart from the truth of His word as it is read, studied, and received from the foundation of the apostles and prophets (the Bible) and administered through the faithful preaching and teaching of Gods word by evangelists, pastors, and teachers (4:11). However, the goal is not to fill your head with knowledge, but for the knowledge of Gods word to shape the way you live your life! There is one Greek word used for speaking the truth (alētheuō), and it literally means, be truthful. A better way to translate is, but truthing in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head. What is the point? The point is that the goal of understanding the Word of God is not only to grow in your understanding of the Bible but to live out that truth through your life as a follower of Jesus within the community of the body of Christ. According to verse 16, this is the ONLY way to grow as a Christian! Every person in the body of Christ has been called by God, redeemed by Jesus, and empowered by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of living within the community of those God has called, those whom Christ has redeemed, and those whom God has sealed with His Holy Spirit, and we live within the community of the redeemed while truthing in love. Listen, there is coming a day when the Church will be gathered in glory when every tribe and every tongue who experienced redemption through the precious blood of Jesus as the Lamb of God will celebrate Him not only as the Head of the Church, but the triumphant Lion of Judah, and we will celebrate His song that all of heaven will sing: And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth. Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing. And I heard every created thing which is in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, or on the sea, and all the things in them, saying, To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever. (Rev. 5:9-13) What other way is there to live in light of the reality of that truth but to do it by truthing in love together as His people and as the body of Christ? [1] See also 1 Tim. 1:18-20; Hebrews 6:1-8; 10:26-31; Matt. 7:21-23. [2] Sinclair B. Ferguson, Lets Study: Ephesians (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust; 2021), p. 110-11. [3] Adapted from The Apostles Creed.

Featuring Eric Middleton. Recorded live at Freedom Fellowship Church in Tontitown, Arkansas on Sunday, February 18, 2024.   Visit us online at freedomfellowship.com

Pastor Kirk Hall continues his study through the book of Ephesians. Today is the fourteenth lesson in Ephesians entitled "Ephesians - Paul's Prayer for the Saints" and covers Ephesians 3:14 - 21.

Pastor Kirk Hall continues his study through the book of Ephesians. Today is the twelfth lesson in Ephesians entitled "Ephesians - Paul the Prisoner" and covers Ephesians 3:1 - 2.

In this study through Ephesians Paul shares with us this amazing truth of how to live our lives as soldiers of Christ. Join us as Matt Klingenburg makes some great remarks one what God would have us know regarding our identity in this age of spiritual warfare.

Isaiah - Israel's taunt. Judgement own Assyria. Judgement on Philistia. Judgement on Moab.  Ephesians - Paul's stewardship. 

Have you ever struggled with sin even after surrendering to Jesus. We all have, but here in Ephesians Paul lays out the formula to successful Christian living. Stay tuned as Pastor Jim shares with us this amazing truth that the old self is dead and the new man in Christ Jesus is here for us to put on.

I once read a quote that said, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is the power to choose our response. In that response lies our growth and our freedom.” You may be wondering what peace has to do with pausing. Well let me ask you this. How many times have you given your peace away or broken peace by being reactive? Something happens or someone says something that you do not like or agree with, and you fire back in a not so calm and peaceful way. You shoot an arrow or throw a grenade with your words. I see a lot of this on social media platforms. It's embarrassing really. Especially between people who say they love and follow Jesus. What a terrible witness we give to the world when we cannot even get along with each other. Unity amongst believers matters to God. And that does not mean we will always agree with each other on everything, but it does mean instead of letting our fangs come out in the heat of moments we steward our words and actions to bear the spiritual fruit of peace. “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3). In his letter to the Ephesians Paul is calling believers up to a higher standard when disagreements surface. Romans 12:17-18 admonishes, “Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” Do all you can. This will take humility and Holy restraint! But you have it in you fellow believer. Better yet, you have him in you who is greater than your rapid fire words of retribution. Galatians 5:16 reminds us of this, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.” So, bite your tongue and usher in the presence of Jesus. Practice the pause and make the choice to tap into your source of peace, the Holy Spirit, who will guide you to speak in the tongues of angels, divine love, and not in destructive words like a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. We can respond thoughtfully and passionately disagree without being hateful. The world is watching how we treat one another. Show them who you believe in by the way you love. Before your lips leap, practice a holy pause. And from the very mouth of Jesus, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34a-35).

I once read a quote that said, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is the power to choose our response. In that response lies our growth and our freedom.” You may be wondering what peace has to do with pausing. Well let me ask you this. How many times have you given your peace away or broken peace by being reactive? Something happens or someone says something that you do not like or agree with, and you fire back in a not so calm and peaceful way. You shoot an arrow or throw a grenade with your words. I see a lot of this on social media platforms. It's embarrassing really. Especially between people who say they love and follow Jesus. What a terrible witness we give to the world when we cannot even get along with each other. Unity amongst believers matters to God. And that does not mean we will always agree with each other on everything, but it does mean instead of letting our fangs come out in the heat of moments we steward our words and actions to bear the spiritual fruit of peace. “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3). In his letter to the Ephesians Paul is calling believers up to a higher standard when disagreements surface. Romans 12:17-18 admonishes, “Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” Do all you can. This will take humility and Holy restraint! But you have it in you fellow believer. Better yet, you have him in you who is greater than your rapid fire words of retribution. Galatians 5:16 reminds us of this, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.” So, bite your tongue and usher in the presence of Jesus. Practice the pause and make the choice to tap into your source of peace, the Holy Spirit, who will guide you to speak in the tongues of angels, divine love, and not in destructive words like a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. We can respond thoughtfully and passionately disagree without being hateful. The world is watching how we treat one another. Show them who you believe in by the way you love. Before your lips leap, practice a holy pause. And from the very mouth of Jesus, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34a-35).

Cath Carter continues our series on Ephesians, looking at Paul's prayer in chapter three.

Byron Beck | Fellowship Church | Poplar Bluff, MO | July 9, 2023

Ready for a journey through Paul's letter to the Ephesians? Join me and Dr. David Klingler as we explore the mystery of Christ and the unity of Jews and Gentiles in one body. Uncover the powerful language and imagery Paul uses to explain this concept, and gain a deeper understanding of the context and pronouns in these letters.In this engaging discussion, we delve into Paul's mission to the Gentiles, the ministry of the Spirit, and how the Father gave Christ as head over all people to the Church, which is his body. Discover how the Church is the body of Christ and how the Spirit works to fill members of the Church with true knowledge and understanding. Plus, we get into the plural passive imperative and Paul's encouragement for the Gentiles to let the Word of God richly dwell in them.Finally, we investigate the Spirit's work within us, within Christ, and how the word of the Apostles and Prophets is taught through Pastors, Teachers, and Evangelists, ultimately leading us to a full understanding of the knowledge of God. We also emphasize the importance of recognizing the Lord through the scriptures and how it's through His special and specific revelation that we come to know Him. Don't miss this fascinating conversation as we marvel at the incredible power of God to do what we ask and even more than we could ever imagine.Stay engaged with new and up-to-date content, including devotionals, articles, podcasts, etc. Download the Teach Me the Bible App from any app store or Apple TV/Roku device.

In episode 211, “Joseph's Perspective", Brooke & Faren discuss the meaning of Genesis 45:5 when Joseph comforts his brothers who betrayed him. Hear how this Bible story helps us learn to have a spiritually mature outlook on life's highs and lows. We use our © Read Pray Talk Tell Method to discover ways we can practically live this scripture out in everyday life. The Kid Classics mini series begins on episode 209 and goes through episode 218 of the Witty & Gritty podcast. CLICK FOR FULL SHOW NOTES Links From the Show Kid Classics Mini Series Witty & Gritty on IG Paul's letter to the Galatians Paul's letter to the Ephesians Paul's letter to the Philippians Paul's letter to the Colossians Casey Coat's Episode 91 Check Yo Tech Episode 10

in the book of Ephesians Paul makes a rich comparison between the husband and Christ as married to His bride the church. this comparison is filled with rich word pictures which are used to illustrate the function of the husband when fulfilled properly and the great benefit that is gain. in this message we see how Christ willing sacrifice gives his bride both safety and security, so that she can stand before him confident. we see how when we willing sacrifice those things precious to us for the sake of our wives, it in like manner provides things which only enrich the marriage.

In his letter to the Ephesians Paul prays that the “God of our Lord Jesus Christ may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you.“ What is that hope to which we've been called? For that matter, what is hope?

In this section of Ephesians Paul shares a prayer, which is focused on the love of God, the power of God, and the glory of God. His prayer begins with the relationship between knowing and growing in the love of God within the Christian community. While God's love in Jesus Christ “surpasses knowledge,” it is also

Life is full of different battles, but in the book of Ephesians Paul is talking to the church and teaching them how to battle in the spiritual realm. Fear is spiritual, wisdom is spiritual, and peace is spiritual too. Dive into the message and hear how you can apply the armor of God into your daily life. Support the show

Ephesians 1:1-14 Often, there is a gap between knowing what is true about us as followers of Jesus and living out of that truth. In this first part of our study of Ephesians Paul tells us who we are "in Christ". But we often have competing truths calling for our allegiance. We have to decide which is truer? View the entire service here https://youtu.be/QluylrJQEww

Ephesians 1:1-14 Often, there is a gap between knowing what is true about us as followers of Jesus and living out of that truth. In this first part of our study of Ephesians Paul tells us who we are "in Christ". But we often have competing truths calling for our allegiance. We have to decide which is truer? View the entire service here https://youtu.be/QluylrJQEww

Introducing a series of sermons on the book of Ephesians. 

Acts 7:51-8:3 & Ephesians 1:1

RG AUDIO 081322   Ephesians 1:1-10 “Blessed” used to be mostly a church word. Today it used in a variety of contexts meaning “fortunate or pleasing circumstances.” Few seem to give thought to where, or from whom, those blessings might come. In his letter to the Ephesians Paul refers to “spiritual blessings” God has bestowed […]

Ephesians 2:1-4 John Stott (1921-2011) writes in his commentary on Ephesians: "Paul first plumbs the depths of pessimism about man, and then rises to the heights of optimism about God.  It is this combination of pessimism and optimism, of despair and faith, which constitutes the refreshing realism of the Bible. For what Paul does in this passage is to paint a vivid contrast between what man is by nature and what he can become by grace."

Episode 167 – Paul’s Places – Part 8: Ephesians and Colossians 2 Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, … taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 14 thru 16, New American Standard Bible ******** VK: Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re grateful to be with you today. We are currently doing a series on Anchored by Truth that we are calling “Paul’s Places.” By “Paul,” of course, we’re referring to the Apostle Paul who wrote at least 13 of the books out of the 27 books that comprise the New Testament. In this “Paul’s Places” series we are taking a look at Paul’s letters to the churches that are identified in our Bibles by the names of the cities, or the region, to which they were sent. This is our 8th episode in this series. So, for anyone who has missed any of the previous lessons we would strongly encourage you to go to our website, crystalseabooks.com, and check out the earlier episodes as well as any of our series. Today we’re going to continue our look at Paul’s letters to two churches that were located in modern-day Turkey. Last time on Anchored by Truth we began our look at Ephesians and Colossians. In the studio today we have RD Fierro, an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, why don’t you remind us of the reason we wanted to do this Paul’s Places series? RD: Well, I’d like to start by thanking our listeners for joining us here today. When many, perhaps most, people read the Bible they tend to read the books individually. By that I mean when people read books like Ephesians or Colossians they tend to read or study that one book. And, while of course we’re pleased when anyone is reading the Bible, if we isolate on just one book at a time we tend to miss some of the patterns and connections that are present in scripture. And that means we don’t always develop a full appreciation for the richness of scripture and for the glorious message of redemption that it contains. So, one of the things we wanted to do with this “Paul’s Places” series is help people see a couple of things. First, that the content of the letters that Paul sent to the various churches to which he wrote corresponds to the character of culture of the places where those churches were located. Second, that the letters that Paul wrote make sense from a human and church history standpoint. Paul’s letters are both consistent with both the history and events of the Roman Empire in which Paul ministered, but they are also consistent with the phase of development that the early church was in. But to develop a good sense of all this fits together it’s necessary to sometimes look across Paul’s epistles and not just within them individually. VK: It’s not that people can’t learn and grow from studying books individually but it is important to remember that the entire Bible is God’s Word. And long before video games put “Easter eggs” in the games to reward especially diligent gamers, God put treasures in His Word that are only seen by diligent students of the Bible. Now, we want to make it clear. We are not talking about some sort of “secret wisdom” that some spiritual traditions focus on. We are not saying that there is anything in the Bible that isn’t available to everyone. To the contrary, we strongly believe God wrote the entire Bible for everybody. But as with anything, people who make the Bible a priority in their lives will derive things from studying it that casual readers will miss. RD: Amen. And a simple example of that was one we mentioned last time. Both the letter to the Ephesians and the letter to the Colossians contain the name of Tychicus. Tychicus was one of Paul’s traveling companions and ministry partners. Tychicus probably carried the letters to the churches in Ephesus and Colossae but strictly speaking it wasn’t necessary for Paul to have sent the letters with Tychicus. If Paul had just wanted to have someone carry the letters he could have used Onesimus who is mentioned in Colossians, chapter 4, verse 9. VK: Colossians, chapter 4, verses 7 through 9 say, “Tychicus is the dear friend, who faithfully works and serves the Lord with us, and he will give you the news about me. I am sending him to cheer you up by telling you how we are getting along. Onesimus, the dear and faithful follower from your own group, is coming with him. The two of them will tell you everything that has happened here.” That’s from the Contemporary English Version. RD: Right. So, if you just read Colossians you might wonder why Paul sent Tychicus and Onesimus to carry two letters. Certainly, either one could have handled the task. VK: But if you realize that the pair of them were also carrying another letter to Colossae, Tychicus’ likely role becomes clearer. In addition to the letters to the Ephesians and the Colossians the pair was also carrying a letter to Philemon [phi-lee-mon]. Philemon either lived in Colossae or the vicinity and Onesimus had either been a servant or a slave of Philemon’s. Paul wrote a letter to Philemon to essentially tell Philemon to be kind to Onesimus when he returned. Paul went out of his way to be as forceful as he could, given the delicacy of the situation. RD: Why don’t you read a section from Paul’s letter to Philemon from verses 10 through 20? Philemon is only one chapter so this is going to be an extract from the Amplified Bible’s version of that section. VK: “I appeal to you for my [own spiritual] child Onesimus, whom I have fathered [in the faith] while a captive in these chains. Once he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you as well as to me. I have sent him back to you in person, that is, like sending my very heart. I would have chosen to keep him with me, so that he might minister to me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I did not want to do anything without first getting your consent, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. … So if you consider me a partner, welcome and accept him as you would me. But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; I, Paul, write this with my own hand, I will repay it in full (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). Yes, brother, let me have some benefit and joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.” RD: So, we see from that section that Paul was intensely interested in seeing that Onesimus was well treated. VK: And you think that it’s possible that is one of the reasons Paul sent the two of them together? RD: I certainly think that might have been in Paul’s mind when he made his decision not just about writing the three letters but in deciding how to get them to their destinations. Tychicus was, in effect, a senior member of Paul’s group so his presence in Colossae would have added weight to Paul’s request to Philemon that he treat Onesimus kindly. At a minimum it would have made the trip from Rome, where Paul was imprisoned at the time, a lot more bearable for Onesimus. So, that is a simple example of how we learn more about what was going on when we read them together than if we never looked at the total context. But it is also true that each letter always contains evidence that Paul was always fully aware of the individual cultural conditions of the churches to which he was writing. VK: Can you give us an example of what you’re thinking about right now? RD: Sure. Let’s take a look at some of what is mentioned in the letter to the Ephesians. The most famous architectural feature of Ephesus in the time of Paul was the temple of the Roman goddess Diana. VK: Diana was the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Artemis. Both were often labeled the “goddess of the hunt” although their sphere of control went beyond just hunting. They both were considered to have special influence over the countryside, vegetation, and wild animals – and, interestingly enough, childbirth. RD: The temple of Diana was so magnificent and famous that it was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. So, the goddess Diana was especially important to the town of Ephesus in Paul’s time. VK: And that’s consistent with what we know about the cultures of cities within the Roman Empire. Each city tended to have a god or goddess that was particularly important to them. In this series we noted that Venus was especially worshipped in the Greek city of Corinth and Athena or Minerva in the Greek city of Athens. RD: Right. The local god or goddess were thought to provide special protection to their city and Diana’s temple was so magnificent that it was a tourist attraction. The temple brought a lot of visitors to Ephesus so there was a flourishing trade in Ephesus for making souvenirs that tourists could take home with them – especially ones made out of silver. So, just like with many major cities of today the culture and economy of Ephesus were tied together. VK: The temple and worship of Diana were so important to Ephesus that in Acts, chapter 19, verses 23 through 41 we hear about a riot that occurred that was led by a silversmith named Demetrius during the time Paul was ministering in Ephesus. Demetrius was so concerned about how many people were being converted to Christianity by Paul’s teaching that he was concerned the souvenir and silver trades were going to suffer. RD: Yes. The riot was bad enough that shortly after it occurred Paul had to leave Ephesus for his own safety and the safety of the church. But years later when Paul wrote to the Ephesians he could not help but contrast the difference in the relationship between Christ and His church with how the Ephesians viewed Diana. In Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 29 Paul says, “None of us hate our own bodies. We provide for them and take good care of them, just as Christ does for the church.” That’s from the Contemporary English Version. The believers in Ephesus would have appreciated the contrast that Christ provides for his people rather than the people having to provide for the gods and goddesses. The non-Christians in Ephesus saw themselves being “nurturers” of Diana. We know that from an inscription found in the city. Diana, in turn, is said to make Ephesus “the most glorious” city in Asia. So, in Ephesians Paul reminds the church that Christ makes His church “glorious and holy.” VK: So, in effect, what Paul is saying to the Ephesian church you are not giving up anything by belonging to Christ instead of worshipping Diana like most of your neighbors. Christ does everything for you that your neighbors believe Diana does for them – and even more. Christ, in fact, provides you with every possible spiritual blessing. Ephesians, chapter 1, verse 3 in the New International Version says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” RD: Yes. Again, we have to remember that the churches in Paul’s day would be relatively small by comparison to today. Most believers met in house churches – individual gatherings of, say, 10 to 30. And they were surrounded by a culture that was at best skeptical and at worst openly hostile. VK: Sounds kind of like today. RD: Well, we’re headed that way but thankfully we’re not there. And I pray the church can become the witness our culture needs to never get there. At any rate, it would have been easy for believers in Ephesus to think they were missing out. At a minimum they probably weren’t attending public feasts and festivals like their neighbors because attending them would have meant worshipping or celebrating the false gods and idols prevalent throughout their culture. To us, the fact that Paul promises us spiritual blessings and that we will be made holy and glorious is good news. But to those early believers, who didn’t even have the Bible for comfort, the messages Paul brought were food for starving souls. VK: And that’s part of what we want listeners to understand through this “Paul’s Places” series. In writing the epistles that are the books of our New Testament Paul wrote scripture but first and foremost he was pastoring his flock. He was trying to impart not only doctrinal and instructional information but also comfort and encouragement. And he had to do so in a way that didn’t set off automatic claims that his letters were seditious. People living within the Roman Empire were expected to pledge allegiance to the emperor. And in the first century the Roman state had begun to practice a form of emperor worship. That was a relatively recent development in their history and was a change from the earlier days when Rome’s government was a more republican form of government. But under the first Caesars the emperor came to be viewed in the way some of their conquered entities, such as Egypt or Persia, had viewed their royalty – as god’s on earth. So, to not be willing to profess Caesar as Lord, not just a civic leader, was tantamount to sedition. RD: Yes. So, when you read Paul’s letters you see that he is both bold but also careful. He straightforwardly proclaims Christ as God but in Paul’s letters you don’t see him demeaning the local gods or the state’s leaders. He lets the truth of the gospel push away the idols but he minimizes the impediments believers will face by not calling out the local belief systems by name. For instance, in writing to the Ephesians he does not demean Diana by name. Rather he proclaims the superiority of Christ over all perceived spiritual and celestial powers. VK: And Ephesians actually contains one of the most famous of the Bible’s discourses on the reality of spiritual warfare in Ephesians chapter 6. Surely, one of the most famous verses in all the Bible is Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 12. “We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.” That’s from the Contemporary English Version. RD: And in the verses that follow Paul provides another of the best known passages in the Bible where he talks about spiritual armor. VK: You’re referring to Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 14 through 17. “Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” That’s the New Living Translation. RD: So, let’s take a closer look at one part of that section – the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The Greek word that Paul used that is translated “sword” is “machaira.” Like most Greek words it is very precise. It refers to a relatively short sword that could be up to 19 inches long. One commentator, Patricia Holbrook has said this about the machaira. “Of all the swords that a Roman soldier could use, this one was the deadliest. Indeed, the “machaira” could be as long as 19 inches, but it was often shorter, resembling a dagger, therefore it was usually used in close combat. It was razor sharp on both sides of the blade and its very end turned upward, causing the point of the blade to be extremely sharp and deadly.” VK: Sounds pretty dangerous! RD: It was – to the enemy - but that is only part of the reason I want to draw attention to Paul using that particular word. The machaira was the sword that was most often used by the ordinary Roman infantryman of his day. So, now I’m going to go into a bit of military trivia for a moment. VK: Oh boy. Well, you did go to West Point. But let’s keep it family friendly. RD: We will. Military historians will often talk about how it’s always necessary to study tactics and weapons together. Without wanting to dwell on it too much successful armies have always had to combine the right tactic with the right weapon. Ancient Greece armies were known for using the phalanx as a military formation. It was a formation where the warriors were extremely close together, often interlocked shields, and carried an 8 foot, or longer, spear. That long spear enabled them to engage the enemy at a distance. But, for all its effectiveness, the phalanx had a downside. VK: Which was? RD: The coin of the realm in infantry combat in ancient times was how many warriors you needed to cover a particular amount of frontage. The job of the infantry is typically to seize and hold ground. So, men tightly packed together in a phalanx is good for mutual protection but you need a lot of warriors to cover much ground. One of the fighting formations used by the Romans was the square. In a square on an open battlefield the Romans didn’t interlock shields but left a small gap between soldiers. This sounds dangerous but wasn’t when the soldiers each new their role. They kept the formation intact by slashing anyone or anything like a spear head that came through a gap. VK: So, in that kind of fighting a short sword was more effective than a longer sword. The soldier could hold his shield with one arm while keeping the other arm free for deploying his sword cutting down anything that began to penetrate the formation. A sword that was too long in that situation couldn’t have been used as effectively. RD: Right. And needless to say the Roman army trained their infantry in how to fight in such formations on open terrain. It allowed them to cover more frontage with fewer men while preserving their lethality. The square was a very effective offensive formation and it was also effective at defense when the various units maintained the appropriate distances. It would allow archers or javelin throwers to go in front to launch their missiles and then quickly move behind the infantry by going through spaces between squares. The Roman military training, discipline, and effectiveness was legendary and that’s one of the reasons they were so effective and building and maintaining their empire. VK: And this short sword carried by the ordinary Roman soldier was an important part of that system. I see what you’re saying. The tactics and the weapon had to go together. But how does that fit in with the lessons we’re learning from the letter to the Ephesians? RD: In Ephesians 6:14 – 17 we have the Apostle Paul doing something good writers routinely do – using a metaphor to teach important principles to his readers. Paul used images that were common in his day. They would have been images familiar to his audience. Well, it is easily confirmed that the images Paul used were historically consistent with what we know about the time and place that the epistle to the Ephesians was written and read. Everyone in that day knew the common parts of an ordinary Roman soldier’s armor and armament. So, the fact that Paul used the correct term to define the “sword of the spirit” not only imparted additional meaning to his teaching but also confirms the authenticity of the letter. VK: What you’re saying is that we see no anachronisms in Paul’s letters to the churches. If Paul had said, “take up the musket of the spirit” we would instantly be alerted that the letter wasn’t genuine. Even if he had said the “sarissa” of the spirit we would be alerted to a problem. The “sarissa” was the extremely long spear carried by Greek warriors but it would have not been part of a Roman soldier’s normal arms. In other words, we have confirmation that Paul was writing during a period when people were well familiar with how a Roman soldier was equipped for battle. Paul’s metaphor would have made far less sense if he weren’t writing in the 1st century AD and he wasn’t writing to people who knew the Roman army well. RD: Exactly. Another quick illustration. Roman shields were most often wood frames covered by layers of dried animal hides. These shields were strong enough to provide an effective defense but light enough to be maneuvered in battle. Well, it was common for soldiers to dip their shields in water before a battle. We all know what happens to leather when it gets wet. It gets hard and stiff – but it would also be helpful for shedding flaming arrows or darts of the kind we heard about in our opening scripture. VK: In a way these are small, incidental details – so small you almost think they weren’t important. But the point of noticing them is that they illustrate the main point of this Paul’s Places series. The epistles Paul wrote to the churches are not, and do not read, as some critics assert, like myths or fairy tales. Instead, they are straightforward letters of encouragement to readers who lived within the Roman Empire during the latter half of the 1st century AD – which of course was the period immediately following the life of Jesus on this earth. RD: Amen. When we realize that Paul was being accurate in such small details as correctly identifying the Roman soldier’s normal sword we can be sure that when Paul writes about the resurrection, ascension, and intervention of Christ he is not any less accurate. The mundane information Paul provides, without a second thought, confirms the reliability of the supernatural mysteries that Paul was conveying. Christians live their lives in the here and now but we are already connected to the spiritual plane by virtue of the indwelling Holy Spirit and the intercession that Christ makes for us with the Father. Paul’s letters to the various churches illustrate that connectivity superbly. In chapter 1 Paul is telling us about the supernatural redemption we have through Christ and in chapter 6 Paul is telling us how to make that redemption real in our own lives by using an illustration of military equipment with which all of his readers were familiar. VK: This reinforces the big point that we are making in this “Paul’s Places” series. The epistles, the letters, Paul sent to the various churches we know in our Bibles by geographic labels are consistent not only with geography and culture but also with the history of the latter part of the 1st century AD. In the very first verse of the first book of the Bible it connects heaven and earth. Properly read every book after that reinforces that same connection. Paul could use the armor of an ordinary Roman soldier to accomplish an eternal purpose. We should do the same. This sounds like a great time to go to prayer. Since we are so close to anniversary of the day that America declared her independence, today let’s listen to a prayer for God’s blessings to remain with this nation. ---- PRAYER FOR RESTORATION OF THE WORSHIP OF THE ONE TRUE GOD VK: Before we close we’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes in this series or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Opening Bible Quotes from the New American Standard Bible) Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 14 thru 16, New American Standard Bible

Episode 166 – Paul’s Places – Part 7: Ephesians and Colossians Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: I want you to know how I am getting along and what I am doing. This is why I am sending Tychicus to you. He is a dear friend, as well as a faithful servant of the Lord. He will tell you how I am doing, and he will cheer you up. Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 21 and 22, Contemporary English Version Tychicus is the dear friend, who faithfully works and serves the Lord with us, and he will give you the news about me. I am sending him to cheer you up by telling you how we are getting along. Colossians, chapter 4, verses 7 and 8, Contemporary English Version ******** VK: Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re grateful to be with you today. We are in the midst of a series on Anchored by Truth that we are calling “Paul’s Places.” By “Paul,” of course, we’re referring to the Apostle Paul who wrote at least 13 of the books out of the 27 books that comprise the New Testament. Some Bible commentators believe Paul also wrote the book of Hebrews but we cannot be certain about that because the author of the letter to the Hebrews did not name himself. In this “Paul’s Places” series we are taking a look at Paul’s letters to the churches that are identified in our Bibles by the names of the cities, or the region, to which they were sent. So far we have looked at the letters to the churches in Rome and Corinth, which are cities, and Galatia which was a Roman Province in what would be modern day Turkey. Today we’re going to look at Paul’s letters to two other churches that were located in modern-day Turkey – Ephesus and Colossae. In the studio today we have RD Fierro, an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, why don’t you remind us of the reason we wanted to do this Paul’s Places series? RD: Well, I’d like to start by thanking our listeners for joining us here today. We launched this “Paul’s Places” series because in our day and age many people have lost sight of the fact that the New Testament documents are extraordinarily reliable as historical records. And one of the ways we can be sure about that is by looking at the geography, history, and cultural information contained within those records. When we do that we see that this information, which is almost incidental to the main purpose of the book or letter, corresponds perfectly with what we know about the geography and history from many other extra-Biblical sources. This amplifies the confidence that we may place in those records – and, of course, it is from those records that we get the most information about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. VK: In other words if we are confident about the geographic and historical information contained in Paul’s records we may be confident about the validity of the reports Paul makes. And in every report Paul made he affirmed the central element of the Christian faith – that Jesus rose from the dead. Christianity is distinguished from all other religions because Christianity affirms that our founder and central figure is still alive. Jesus died but he did not remain dead. Jesus rose and now sits at the right hand of God. That is why we may justifiably worship Him. Only God has power over life and death. Jesus demonstrated that He had that power when He rose out of the tomb on Easter and appeared to hundreds of His followers over the next 40 days. RD: Amen. It would be impossible for anyone today to personally testify that they were a witness to the resurrection of Jesus. We base our trust in the historicity of the resurrection in the records given to us by the Apostles and their representatives like Luke. So, it is helpful for our own faith to take a little time and see how we can confidently establish the historical reliability of the records that teach us about Jesus. That’s what this “Paul’s Places” series is, hopefully, doing. VK: Now you said that today you want to actually begin a study of two of Paul’s epistles: Ephesians and Colossians. Why are we tackling these two books together? RD: Well, you might call this portion of “Paul’s Places” a tale of two cities. But it is actually a tale of 3 cities. The New Testament contains, as the books of Ephesians and Colossians, the letters that Paul sent to the churches in Ephesus and Colossae. But in the epistle to the Colossians Paul mentions a sister city of Colossae called Laodicea. So, during the next couple of episodes I want to look at all three of these cities and see the role they play in the New Testament. To do that properly we are going to have to not only look at the books of Ephesians and Colossians but we are also going to have to look at the very last book of the Bible which is Revelation. So, let’s take a quick look at the first portion of Revelation, chapter 1, verse 4. VK: The first part of that verse says, “This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia…” You know I don’t think most people realize that when John wrote the book of Revelation he actually had a specific group of churches in mind. Revelation is the subject of so much sensationalism that I think people often miss that the opening part of the book has very specific messages for very specific churches. RD: I agree with that observation. The seven churches that John addressed his communication to were churches in these 7 cities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. So, one fact leaps out right away. The city of Ephesus was the only city that received an individual letter from Paul that is mentioned in the list of the 7 churches mentioned in Revelation. And a second fact that also leaps out is that Laodicea, which again is mentioned several times in the epistle to the Colossians, also is part of the group of seven. None of the other cities to which Paul addressed an epistle are mentioned in Revelation. And while the city of Colossae is not mentioned by name in Revelation, I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that Colossae and Laodicea were both located in a region of Asia called the Lycus Valley. It was called the Lycus Valley because in ancient times the Lycus River ran through the valley. VK: So, how far away was Laodicea from Colossae? RD: Colossae was about 10 miles east of Laodicea. VK: And how far away was Ephesus from Colossae? RD: Colossae was about 100 miles east of Ephesus. VK: So, let’s make sure the dots are connecting as we move along. We’re studying the books of Ephesians and Colossians together because they share a number of connections in the Bible. Both Ephesus and Colossae are located in modern-day Turkey as is Colossae’s sister city, Laodicea. But Colossae and Laodicea are a lot closer together than Colossae and Ephesus. So, one fact leaps out right away that confirms the accuracy of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. In Colossians, chapter 4, verse 16 Paul said, “After this letter has been read to your people, be sure to have it read in the church at Laodicea. And you should read the letter that I have sent to them.” That’s from the Contemporary English Version. But Paul did not include a similar admonition in his letter to the Ephesians even though all of these cities were located within the Roman province of Phrygia. It made sense for Paul to tell the Colossians and the Laodiceans to share letters with each other because they were only 10 miles apart – but Ephesus was 100 miles away from them. 100 miles was a long distance to travel in those times. RD: Yes. And as long as we’re on the subject of how the geographic references within Colossians make sense let’s take a look at one more. Colossians, chapter 4, verses 12 and 13 say, “Your own Epaphras, who serves Christ Jesus, sends his greetings. He always prays hard that you may fully know what the Lord wants you to do and that you may do it completely. I have seen how much trouble he has gone through for you and for the followers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.” So, in Colossians besides mentioning Laodicea Paul also mentions another city from the Lycus Valley: Hierapolis. That also makes sense geographically. Colossae was about 10 miles east of Laodicea. Hierapolis was about 6 miles north of Colossae. VK: So, it makes sense that this believer named Epaphras would have had concerns for the churches in all three of those cities – Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis. All three of them were located in the Lycus Valley fairly close together. RD: Right. And even though Epaphras was with Paul at the time Paul wrote the epistle to the Colossians most scholars believe that Epaphras probably founded the church in Colossae and possibly also in Laodicea and Hierapolis. In Colossians Paul seems to indicate that he had never personally visited Colossae or Laodicea. VK: You are thinking of Colossians, chapter 2, verse 1 which says, “I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally.” That’s from the New Living Translation. RD: Right. But we do know that Paul had spent a considerable amount of time in Ephesus. From the book of Acts, chapter 19, verses 1 through 10 we know that Paul spent over two years and possibly close to 3 years in Ephesus. VK: Verse 10 says, “This [teaching] went on for two years, so that all the people who lived in the province of Asia, both Jews and Gentiles, heard the word of the Lord.” RD: Yes. So, it is quite likely that sometime during this two to three year period Epaphras came into contact with Paul while Paul was in Ephesus. Before Paul’s time Colossae had been a thriving and prosperous town. It was the center of an important wool industry and it was located on a very important overland trade route. It had declined somewhat and in Paul’s day it was a fairly modest market center. Laodicea, by contrast, was a wealthy and important center for banking and textiles and it had a bit of a medical industry. It had a medical school that had developed an ointment that was used to treat eye problems. It is entirely reasonable that Epaphras may have been connected to one of the businesses that thrived in and around the Lycus Valley and had occasions to travel to Ephesus. VK: Ephesus was an important trade center in Paul’s day. It was on the west coast of Asia and was an important gateway that linked the Mediterranean world and the inland part of Asia. In Paul’s time Ephesus was one of the 5 most important cities in the entire Roman Empire. Rome was, of course, the most important city but Ephesus was ranked in the same category as cities such as Corinth, Antioch of Syria, and Alexandria of Egypt. I guess we might liken Ephesus to Miami which is the connecting city between North and South America. RD: That’s a good analogy. Ephesus was an important place to do business. So, even though it would have been a several day journey from Laodicea and Colossae a merchant, trader, or banker might have had occasion to go there regularly. Scripture does not tell us what trade or occupation Epaphras practiced but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to believe he was financially successful. He was prosperous enough to later leave Asia and travel to Rome to be with Paul while Paul was imprisoned there from around 60 AD to 62 AD. VK: Ephesians and Colossians are two of the four epistles that are sometimes referred to as the “prison epistles.” Again, epistle is just another word for letter. These epistles are called the “prison epistles” because scholars think wrote them during that period of imprisonment that is described in Acts, chapter 28, verses 16 through 30. The four prison epistles are Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon. Philemon was a believer who lived in or around Colossae. RD: Yes. Paul wrote to Philemon to request that Philemon be kind to a believer named Onesimus. At one time Onesimus was either a slave or a servant of Philemon but Onesimus had run away from Colossae to Rome. In Rome Onesimus came into contact with Paul and became a Christian. Paul convinced Onesimus he needed to do the right thing and return to Philemon and reconcile with him. But Paul did not send Onesimus back empty handed. He wrote one of the most compelling appeals you will ever read for why Philemon should be gracious to Onesimus and it is quite likely that one of Paul’s closest associates, Tychicus, also accompanied Onesimus. VK: We heard about Tychicus in our opening scriptures. Tychicus is mentioned in both Ephesians and Colossians as the person who is bringing Paul’s messages to those churches. For instance, in Ephesians Paul wrote, “This is why I am sending Tychicus to you. He is a dear friend, as well as a faithful servant of the Lord. He will tell you how I am doing, and he will cheer you up.” RD: And in Colossians Paul wrote, “Tychicus is the dear friend, who faithfully works and serves the Lord with us, and he will give you the news about me. I am sending him to cheer you up by telling you how we are getting along.” VK: The language Paul used in both of those greetings is very similar. In both Paul says that Tychicus is a faithful servant of the Lord, that he will give the churches updates about Paul, and that he will “cheer you up.” Apparently, Paul had a lot of confidence in Tychicus. But the similarity in this language does give you the strong impression that Paul wrote both of the letters at or near the same time. RD: And that’s one of the reasons we wanted to tackle these two epistles together. Obviously, if these two letters were written at the same time one question is which letter did Paul write first? VK: Why is that relevant? RD: Because when people write multiple similar documents it’s sometimes possible to see the progression of their thoughts as they go along. And we get to see the writer imparting nuances that are important to understanding the content. School teachers used to tell us to “compare and contrast” things to better understand similarities and differences. That same thought process can be helpful as we come to Paul’s epistles. In other words, we can learn more by looking at all of the documents than if we just look at each document in isolation. VK: I see what you’re saying. If we look at one document by a writer – assuming it’s a competent writer - we can certainly see what the writer wanted to communicate. But we can’t necessarily pick up patterns or progressions in thought from a single document as well as we can if we have multiple documents from the same hand. And that is especially true if we can look at several documents that were prepared around the same time. RD: Exactly. Paul, of course, varied the content of his letters based on many different considerations. Each of the churches he wrote to had individual concerns and issues and often Paul needed to address those local situations. VK: We saw that in the first letter to the Corinthians. If Ephesus was the Miami of its time, Corinth was the Las Vegas. Sexual temptation abounded in Corinth. So, Paul spent more time addressing sexual temptation in 1 Corinthians than in any of his other epistles. RD: Exactly. Another consideration that affected the content of Paul’s various epistles was the state of development of the church. As we saw in Galatians Paul had to address the issue of certain agitators who were trying to tell the church members in Galatia they had to accept Jewish customs and laws before they could become Christians. This assertion struck at the heart of the gospel which clearly says that salvation comes by faith alone in Christ alone. Paul forcefully rebutted this contention in his epistle to the Galatians. Well, in Colossians Paul apparently had to deal with a peculiar form of angelic worship. Colossae was located in a region in which a particular form of pagan worship had developed. This religion was the worship of the goddess Cybele. [sib-ah-lee] VK: The New Geneva Study Bible has this to say about Phrygia, the region in which Colossae was located, and the worship of the goddess Cybele. [sib-ah-lee]. “In ancient times, the region had given birth to the worship of the goddess Cybele, whose cult … was characterized by ritual cleansing in the blood of a bull, ecstatic states, prophetic rapture, and inspired dancing. … Within a few years of the inception of Christianity among these Phrygians , Epaphras and Paul found that an appetite had emerged for something more than the crucified and risen Christ. … Cybele and her lover Attis were transformed at some time by popular pagan piety into astral and cosmic powers.” RD: Right. And I would add that at this point in history it was often thought in the pagan religions present in the Roman Empire that stars and planets, and even physical elements (earth, wind, water, fire) were thought to control the destinies of people. Remember that at the time Paul wrote Colossians Epaphras is with him. So, Epaphras has reported to Paul that a form of syncretism – combining the elements of two different religions – was starting to take place in Colossae. This, again, is not surprising given the religious history of the region in which Colossae is located. So Paul had to address this local issue in the letter to the Colossians. VK: In Colossians you see phrases such as “See to it, then, that no one enslaves you by means of the worthless deceit of human wisdom, which comes from the teachings handed down by human beings and from the ruling spirits of the universe, and not from Christ. For the full content of divine nature lives in Christ, in his humanity, and you have been given full life in union with him. He is supreme over every spiritual ruler and authority.” That’s Colossians, chapter 2, verses 8 through 10 of the Good News Translation. RD: And while you do see Paul addressing the supremacy and necessity for Christ in Ephesians you don’t see him addressing the specific concern of pagan angelic worship. Now, I want to add here that the Colossians do not seem to have been worshipping the angels themselves but it is more as if they were trying to worship alongside the angels who in ancient times were often associated with astral or celestial powers. But that issue was apparently not present in the Ephesian church. VK: Possibly because Paul had spent close to 3 years in Ephesus ministering directly. It may be that the Ephesian believers’ extensive contact with Paul himself meant that they were far better grounded doctrinally. RD: Quite possibly. What you do see in Ephesians is more of a spirit of awe, prayer, and praise along with the very famous discussion of spiritual armor present in chapter 6 of Ephesians. We’re going to talk more about that in our next episode of Anchored by Truth. In Ephesians you actually don’t see Paul addressing any particular local issue with respect to the content of the Christian faith the way he did in Galatians and Colossians. That freed him up to spend more time expounding on subjects of general interest such as the unity of Christ with His church and the relationship between our lives before Christ with our life after we are saved. VK: Ephesus was obviously a very special place to Paul so it is natural that he would want to provide some last bit of encouragement to the believers who were there. In Acts, chapter 20, verses 17 through 35 we have a record of Paul’s last meeting with the Ephesian elders. At that time he said, “I have gone from place to place, preaching to you about God's kingdom, but now I know that none of you will ever see me again. … Look after yourselves and everyone the Holy Spirit has placed in your care. Be like shepherds to God's church. It is the flock he bought with the blood of his own Son. I know that after I am gone, others will come like fierce wolves to attack you. Some of your own people will tell lies to win over the Lord's followers. Be on your guard! Remember how day and night for three years I kept warning you with tears in my eyes.” That’s from the Contemporary English Version. RD: That meeting between Paul and the elders was about 3 or 4 years before Paul wrote his epistle to the church. But his warning to the elders helps us see the genuine warmth Paul was expressing when he wrote at the beginning of his letter, “I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people. So I never stop being grateful for you, as I mention you in my prayers.” That’s chapter 1, verses 15 and 16 from the Contemporary English Version. Somebody told Paul that at least up to that point that the Ephesians believers were remaining faithful and it genuinely pleased him. The other thing that is missing from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is any extensive defense of his own ministry of the type that is present in the letters to the Corinthians and Galatians. He didn’t have to provide a defense because the Ephesians knew him so well. VK: All of this goes to reinforce the major point that we are making in this “Paul’s Places” series. The epistles, the letters, Paul sent to the various churches we know in our Bibles by geographic labels are consistent not only with geography and culture but also with the history of the early church. Paul had apparently never been to Colossae or at least there were a lot of people there who had never seen him. But Paul had spent 3 years ministering personally in Ephesus. So, the tenor of the two letters is different even though they were obviously written about the same time. The religious traditions present in Colossae meant Paul put a special emphasis on the supremacy of Christ to any and all perceived celestial powers in Colossians. But Paul didn’t have to do that in Ephesians. But in Ephesians we do see a spirit of gratitude that probably resulted from the fact that - even though Paul hadn’t seen any of them for a while – someone had told him they were still remaining faithful. This sounds like a great time to go to prayer. Since we are so close to anniversary of the day that America declared her independence, today let’s listen to a prayer for God’s blessings to remain with this nation. ---- PRAYER FOR FOURTH OF JULY VK: Before we close we’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes in this series or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Opening Bible Quotes from the Contemporary English Version) Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 21 and 22, Contemporary English Version Colossians, chapter 4, verses 7 and 8, Contemporary English Version

Tyson finishes off our series on, "How to be a Church." After journeying through the first 4 chapters of Ephesians Paul finally gives us something to do. "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Tyson unpacks this verse and then finishes off the series with a Q/A.

Pastor Tate Throndson wraps up Ephesians chapter 3 by showing us Paul's prayer for the Ephesian church.

Pastor Tate Throndson continues the Renew series in Ephesians 1:15-23 — Paul's prayer for the Ephesian church.

This week we continue our series called "Ephesians".  This weeks message is named "It's Ephesians - Paul's Prayer " is given by pastor EJ Tena. If you would like to support this ministry please text "Give" to (479) 777-4264.

Ephesians 1:1-2

I always love this part of the bible when we can read Paul's letters to various groups of believers. He is encouraging, convicting, and a great teacher. Enjoy the episode! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Acts 19:1-20

In the third chapter to the Letter to the Ephesians Paul offers a most amazing prayer. Essentially he prays that everyone might fully know the reality of the Divine Within. Too often we think of God as some type of external object or thing. But the infinite love that is God is interfused with our soul. God is in whom we live move and have our being. Join us this weekend as we pray with Paul for a deep oneness of spirit.

In this episode we are going to learn why in Ephesians Paul says that "above all" we need to take the Shield of Faith as one of our pieces of armor. It is because it is the protecting piece of armor that is going to quench all the fiery darts of the adversary. Come join us to see what those fiery darts look and sound like, and how you can arm yourself with this valuable shield!

Ephesians 5:11 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. We as overcoming Sons & Daughters of God are being developed in God's darkroom to be His portrait & Masterpiece that he will show or Expose to the World In Glory to dispel darkness {1:46-2:08} Ephesians is such a timely book, for the trials we are experiencing today & parallels what the Ephesians & Paul were going through as he was in prison as he penned this epistle. {2:22-3:50} The reading of the text 'Eph. 5:1-11' {3:50-4:40} Last episode which covered vs. 3-7/8,10 showed a contrast between worldly vs. Christian behavior, it examples of what we DO NOT want to be like as Christians. {4:40-4:58} Then as I was re-reading this passage again God really Highlighted for me Verse 11...Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.....Today I want to talk to you about "The Great Exposure" {5:08-5:13} You must begin to have courage to let your light shine {5:18-5:38} EXPOSURE DEFINED...from the root word 'Expose' = is a condition or fact of 'being exposed' meaning to be open, vulnerable,uncovered,disclosed, put on exhibition, to be manifested, to divulge, To be revealed.. a 'REVELATION' {5:40-5:57} In Photography EXPOSURE is a very important element...literally is means the amount of LIGHT per unit area reaching a frame of photographic film that is determined by shutter speed,lens aperture & scene luminance {5:57-7:20} The story & example of Ansel Adams , the famous black & white photographer {7:20-7:47} Of course in this passage it speaks of exposing sin as we are light in the Lord, & yet there is so much more TRUTH we can realize on this topic of EXPOSURE. {7:47-8:28} Looking again at the definitions for Expose/Exposure & bringing in parallel (metaphoric) Truths from The story of Ansel Adams {8:28-8:41} Colossians 3:3 We have been hid with Christ in God & when HE shall appear (meaning Christ) with all His Glory we shall appear alongside Him in Glory. {8:41-9:15} Today you may be hidden away in the darkroom with Christ as HE is determined to work on you & with you to craft the PERFECT picture(portrait) of you..That is the IDENTITY of Who you are & How you will SHOW OUT..BE EXPOSED to the world {9:15-9:46} Ephesians 2:8-10 By grace are you saved through Faith, it is the GIFT of God, lest any man should boast...(remember many forget vs. 10:-)) For we are HIS WORKMANSHIP created in Christ Jesus for GOOD WORKS which God hath foreordained that we should walk in them......WORKMANSHIP is translated MASTERPIECE or POETRY in some translations! {9:46-10:09} He may be in the Darkroom right now with you PERFECTING your perfect PORTRAIT to put on display to the world. {10:09-11:11} You must begin to SEE & Grasp the VISION he has of you..NOT YOUR VISION, BUT HIS VISION of YOU!!....Too many times our vision has been cloudy & we are unable to SEE ourselves as He sees us, because our doubtful hearts/minds trip us up...HE"S desiring to 'SHOW YOU OUT" Son & Daughter to the world! {11:11-11:37} The example of Jeremiah..Jeremiah 1:4-5 {11:37-13:42}  Psalm 139:13-16 {13:50-15:42} WHAT it Means to be "THE LIGHT"...Eph. 3:8...POINT: The Great Exposure is birthed or developed in LIGHT {15:42-16:51} Reading Ephesians 1:17-21 {16:51-19:13} APOKALYPSIS (Revelation) is a synonym to Exposure..we could say that the Father wants to give us a "Spirit of Exposure"...HOW!? IN the Knowledge of Him, that is through Intimacy in the darkroom(prayer closet)...Just as Paul prayed for the Ephesians to have FULL APOKALYPSIS...I Pray for all those who hear this message to also receive that REVELATION!...Sometimes just like Jeremiah we are AFRAID to be exposed & offer excuses to God ( Jeremiah said he was too young)..Jer. 1:6-10...However Because He is calling us HE WILL PROTECT US! {19:13-21:56} ...POINT 1 = He is developing us as a Portrait...POINT 2 = LIGHT is essential to develop us the correct way...POINT 3 = He will Protect us in the Process because we are HIS INHERITANCE. Eph. 1:12-21 {21:56-24:08} TWO EXAMPLES of TREASURES  a) 'Monuments Men'..b) Our 'winnings'...note just like with the monuments men recovering priceless Paintings from Hitler/Goering...God will work through His Ministers to free us from the enemy who will attempt to keep our treasures hidden....Also when we won our Treasure people TOOK NOTICE....Others will TAKE Notice of the Portrait (US)/His Bride He will display {24:08-25:40} Reading Eph. 1:13-21 again {25:40-26:58} Episode recap of 3 main points + preview of PART 2 for next week FOR More Information/ resources: My book can be found Here: https://amzn.to/35mta57 also HERE with a 20% discount www.Lazarustribe.media Here is a course based on my book where you can get a special rate for the book + the course www.significanceacademy.com      

In his letter to the Ephesians Paul tells believers that they have “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” Do you feel this way in your family situation? A pillar of Stonebrook's ministry is “strengthening families”. Marriage, parenting, being a kid, being a member of a household, we want these relationships to be strong and thriving. The Gospel is the power source for the kind of strength we are after. Lets find out how together as we continue our Pillars series and walking through Ephesians together.

Ephesians: Paul's Prayer