We're leading this week's study, which covers Ephesians 2:1-10. Here's the text:
1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[g] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
This is the stuff that Martin Luther split the church over back in 1517. Salvation by grace, not by works.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
A "Glorious Inheritance"
We attend a couples Bible study group, and for the last few quarters we've been going through various topical studies that apply Biblical principles to relationships. While these studies do contain a lot of great material, there's also a lot of fluff. So we were glad that the group decided to spend this quarter going through an inductive study of Paul's letter to the Ephesians.
We missed the first session because of family commitments, but we attended the second session, which covered Ephesians 1:15-23. Here's the NIV version of the text:
15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
It's been a long time since I last read this passage, but two things in particular struck me this time around.
First, in verse 18, Paul desires the Ephesians to know "the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints". Greg, who was leading the discussion, pointed out that Paul isn't merely saying that the saints possess a glorious inheritance. Rather, Paul wants the Ephesians to know that, from God's perspective, they themselves are a glorious inheritance. The "his" in this verse refers to God. It goes without saying that this idea underlies all of Christianity; why else would God have sacrificed his son? But the challenge, for me at least, is to view others with God's eyes -- to see each person as having the same inherent value as Paul suggests here.
Second, in verse 23, Paul states that the church is the "fullness of [Christ] who fills everything in every way." We ran out of time and didn't get to discuss these last verses. I would have enjoyed getting others' views on 22-23, particularly the meaning of "for the church" in 22. But in 23 it seems to me that Paul is placing a clear obligation on those who call ourselves Christians to execute on God's desires throughout the world. And a large part of that execution must be seeing and treating each person as a child of God.
We missed the first session because of family commitments, but we attended the second session, which covered Ephesians 1:15-23. Here's the NIV version of the text:
15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
It's been a long time since I last read this passage, but two things in particular struck me this time around.
First, in verse 18, Paul desires the Ephesians to know "the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints". Greg, who was leading the discussion, pointed out that Paul isn't merely saying that the saints possess a glorious inheritance. Rather, Paul wants the Ephesians to know that, from God's perspective, they themselves are a glorious inheritance. The "his" in this verse refers to God. It goes without saying that this idea underlies all of Christianity; why else would God have sacrificed his son? But the challenge, for me at least, is to view others with God's eyes -- to see each person as having the same inherent value as Paul suggests here.
Second, in verse 23, Paul states that the church is the "fullness of [Christ] who fills everything in every way." We ran out of time and didn't get to discuss these last verses. I would have enjoyed getting others' views on 22-23, particularly the meaning of "for the church" in 22. But in 23 it seems to me that Paul is placing a clear obligation on those who call ourselves Christians to execute on God's desires throughout the world. And a large part of that execution must be seeing and treating each person as a child of God.
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