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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | What is Ephesians all about? | Ephesians | songbird | 19349 | ||
In short, can anyone give a "commentary" on the book of Ephesians? What is it all about and what message is Paul trying to give the church? | ||||||
2 | What is Ephesians all about? | Ephesians | C.S.M. | 154521 | ||
Paul an Apostle (sent one) of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints...and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Eph 1:1 is inclusive of the saints that then existed, and includes all those after that point in time that are "the faithful in Christ Jesus." We realize that God is outside of what we call time, he is eternal, from forever to forever, therefore the only one who is on a time frame is mankind. We understand, beginning, middle and end, but we don't truly understand "eternal" except in it's broadest sense and as it applies to God himself. Paul explains to all believers in Eph 3:3 that God had revealed to him his "plan of all ages", the mystery, in regards to mankind, from before the foundation of the world. This book, then, for the church is vital to our understanding of what God provided for us "before" he created the world in which we live. How do we know this? Jesus told a story in Luke 14:28-30 that reveals how God does things...For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it. Lest after ha has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish.... We realize that Jesus is our example and what he tells us is things he and God the Father do themselves. Therefore that information tells me that before God created the earth and said, "let us make man", us being plural and God talking to Jesus and the HOly Spirit, that they had taken everything into account "before" they even started the earth. Wouldn't it be hypocritical for God to expect mankind to do what he doesn't do himself? Paul then iterates what God revealed to him about his original plan for all believers in Christ for all ages. It is helpful to understand that in the old testament there were only two kinds of people in God's eyes, Jews and Gentiles,(all other nations who were not born Jewish, in the natural sense). God had covenant agreement with the Jewish people, and no agreement with the Gentiles (also called the nations). After Jesus came and defeated satan by complete obedience to God Heb 4:15 without sin, yet tempted just like all of mankind. Heb 2:14 says, because we had to come as natural human beings to resist the temptations of satan, he also came as a natural human and yet he was able, through complete obedience to God and his word, to "destroy the devil" and deliver mankind, while he was in the form of a man, a servant. Phil 2:7-11. Now what was "one" of the things Jesus came to create from the pool of all the folks from God's viewpoint. there were only two kinds in the old testament Jew and Gentile. Where was God going to get the third class of people, called "the church?" Of course we know he took people out of the pool of both Jew and Gentile to create the church. I Cor 12:32 Give none offence, neither to "the Jews", nor to the "Gentiles", nor to the "church of God", that's three kinds of groups, classes or people. Where did God get the Church? From the only two classes he recognized...Jew and Gentile. With that understanding, many of the scriptures in Ephesians will come alive to you. Back to the original premise. God wanted us to know through Paul, that he had already made provisions for believers in Christ..before the foundation of the world...I call that pre-planning don't you? Eph 1:4 Provision as follows: Eph 1:2 Grace and peace from God and Jesus Eph 1:3 blessed with ALL spiritual blessing in Christ (all not just a part or scrap) Eph 1:4 God chose us in Christ before he created the world to be holy and blameless before him Eph 1:5 God's will is to adopt us by Jesus Eph 1:6 God's grace is: he accepts us in Christ Eph 1:7 God's grace is: forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ, aka redeemption.. Eph 1:8 God ran toward us in ALL wisdom and prudence..(excellent judgement when we were able to handle it.) Eph 1:9 God made know to mankind his will Eph 1:10 God is going to gather all things together in Christ Eph 1:11 God's inheirtance for us is in Christ, and he has a purpose for each of us according to his own will...you're special. Eph 1:12 Our trust in Christ is praise to God's glory. Eph 1:13 The gospel is the means by which we learned of God's provision for us, and God sealed us with the HOly Spirit of promise. Eph 1:14 The HOly Spirit is our down payment of our inheritance until God purchases our natural physical bodies at the rapture of the church. Eph 1:15 faith and love is our breastplate Eph 6:14, and it is called righteousness, it is made out of faith and love I Thes 5:8, so when you see the combination of faith and love together you know it's talking about God's righteousness. The armour God tells us to put on belongs to him.. Eph 6:11 Put on the whole ARMOUR OF GOD.... it's his, but one size fits all! |
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