April 19, 2015

Countless Blessings

LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS

VOLUME I (1-3):OUR RICHES IN CHRIST

• Our spiritual possessions in Christ • Our spiritual position in Christ

In chapters 1-3, …the main idea is that God’s wisdom, glory, and

power are displayed in His eternal purpose for the church, made up of both Jews and Gentiles, reconciled

in Christ.

P.W. BrandelNorth Park Theological Seminary

Chicago

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the

will of God…

1. Writer Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,

2. Recipient To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

3. Greeting Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. Thanksgiving/Prayer

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…

5. Body And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins…(2:1)

6. Farewell 23 Peace to the brethren, and love with faith…

Ephesians and First Century Letter Format

Letter Format

Ephesians

THE GOSPEL AND CULTURE

• The Gospel defines how Christians live in the world. We must separate the heart of the Gospel from our cultural expression of the Gospel

THE GOSPEL AND CULTURE

• The Gospel defines how Christians live in the world. We must separate the heart of the Gospel from our cultural expression of the Gospel

• The primary ingredient for Christians relating to culture surely is authenticity.

THE GOSPEL AND CULTURE

• We should not try to communicate Paul’s experience of Christ, we must communicate our own – we cannot live out a theology that we do not know firsthand

THE GOSPEL AND CULTURE

• We should not try to communicate Paul’s experience of Christ, we must communicate our own – we cannot live out a theology that we do not know firsthand

• Our expression of the Gospel in our culture must be a natural flow of the depth of our relation with Christ – NOT the borrowing of mere words we have labeled religious

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ…

APOSTLE (apostolos)• Had seen the risen Christ

APOSTLE (apostolos)• Had seen the risen Christ

• Had received their commission directly from the Lord

APOSTLE (apostolos)• Had seen the risen Christ

• Had received their commission directly from the Lord

• Exercised a special inspiration

• Exercised supreme authority

• Exercised supreme authority

• Worked miracles as a badge of their authority

• Exercised supreme authority

• Worked miracles as a badge of their authority

• Given a commission to found churches

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the

will of God…

3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and

heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul,

why are you persecuting Me?”

5 And he said, “Who are You,

Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus,

whom you are persecuting. It is

hard for you to kick against the

goads.”6 So he, trembling and

astonished, said, “Lord, what do

You

want me to do?”

Acts 9:3-6

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the

will of God, to the saints…

1. NKJV …to the saints who are in Ephesus,

2. NIV …to God’s holy people in Ephesus

3. New Living …to God’s holy people in Ephesus

4. Common English

…to the holy…people in Christ Jesus in Ephesus.

5. The Message I, Paul, am… writing to you faithful believers in Ephesus.

Ephesians – Paul’s Audience

Translation Audience

Just as Paul had been appointed by

God to be an apostle, so too

Christians

in Ephesus – and today – had/have

been separated by God unto God

for the sole use of God

for His service .

“There are only two kinds of people today: the saints and the aints.

If you’re a saint, then you aint an aint.

If you’re an aint, then you aint a saint.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the

will of God, to the saints who are:

in Ephesus, and

faithful

We live both in Goodlow and in Christ.

We can neither avoid the place where

we live NOR betray the Christ in whom

we live.

We are in Christ both for salvation

and for life in the community.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the

will of God, to the saints who are:

in Ephesus, and

faithful

in Christ Jesus:

Ephesians 1:1

The Christian faith is not a set of ideas

or a nice road to follow. Rather, it is so

deep an engagement with Christ, so

deep a union with our Lord, that Paul

only describes it as living in Christ.

K. Snodgrass

There is therefore now no

condemnation to those who are in

Christ Jesus,

who do not walk according to the

flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:1

We are not saints because of how we act

– saints because of our position in

Christ.

To live in Christ is to be shaped by Him.

A person cannot be conscious of being

enveloped by Christ and behave in ways

totally out of keeping with His character.

2 Grace to you and peace from God

our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:2

Paul takes these two words – common greetings of the day – and gives them a powerful and elevated

new meaningPaul always puts them in that order

– grace before peace.

Paul takes these two words – common greetings of the day – and gives them a powerful and elevated new meaningPaul always puts them in that order – grace before peace.

The grace of God is the means through which He saves us.

Paul takes these two words – common greetings of the day – and gives them a powerful and elevated new meaningPaul always puts them in that order – grace before peace.

The grace of God is the means through which He saves us.

The peace of God is the result of casting all our cares upon Him

3 Blessed be [is] the God and Father

of our Lord Jesus Christ…

Prayers that open letters:• Provide information about the

concerns of and/or topics in the letter

• Occasion to express Paul’s love and concern for his Christian friends

• Opportunity for Paul to, in absentia, enter into the worship experience of the readers as they gathered together

The prayer in Ephesians is unique:

• long, one-sentence,

• doxology (3-14)

• thanksgiving (15-16)

• intercessory prayer (17-29)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of

our Lord Jesus Christ, who has

blessed us with every spiritual

blessing…

He blessed us,We praise Him with our lips because He first made us blessed

He blessed us,We praise Him with our lips because He first made us blessed

Our blessing is a declarationHis blessings are deeds

He blessed us,We praise Him with our lips because He first made us blessed

Our blessing is a declarationHis blessings are deeds

We pronounce Him blessedHe makes us blessed

He blessed us,We praise Him with our lips because He first made us blessed

Our blessing is a declarationHis blessings are deeds

We pronounce Him blessedHe makes us blessed

ALL OF THIS – in Christ

3 Blessed be the God and Father of

our Lord Jesus Christ, who has

blessed us with every spiritual

blessing in the heavenly places in

Christ,

Ephesians 1:3

We were crucified

with Him,

buried

with Him,

raised

with Him…

Now we are seated

in Him

in the very presence

of God.

“There are only two kinds of people today: the saints and the aints.

If you’re a saint, then you aint an aint.

If you’re an aint, then you aint a saint.

WHAT NEXT?

Just as Paul had been appointed by

God to be an apostle, so too

Christians

today have been separated

by God unto God

for the sole use of God

for His service .

WHAT NEXT?