Introduction to Ephesians
Ephesians · Bob Eckel · Jan 4, 2009
Ephesians (2009), No. 01
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/492612031482

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Well, welcome to the study of the book of Ephesians. The last slide I'm going to show you is going to kind of give you an idea of the approach to the book and also the team that's going to be involved in teaching this very relevant epistle of Paul. But the purpose of today's lesson is simply to go through the book in terms of just an introduction to what's before us. So next week, we'll be starting off with Ephesians 1. And again, at the terminus of today's lesson, we'll go ahead and look at what the plan is for the book and how we're going to lay it out.

There are four of us who are teaching it. And Jeremy Doan, Brad Mastin, and Randy Peterman will be the co-teachers here. So what I chose to do just up front is kind of get this. Let me make sure everything is wired for action here. It is on. All right. And that proves that it is. Notice the sample.

Bern would, I think, be forgiving of me using a sample because no one's going to be concerned about the copyright privileges. Anyway, these maps and charts, etc., are not part of the formal handout that people have access to outside the church. So anyway, there's no violation of copyright law here, I think, in terms of showing this. But the sample makes it sure that nobody is going to be concerned about this.

But I thought it was really relevant to kind of see kind of where Ephesus is here in relationship to Jerusalem, to Egypt, and to Rome. And this is one of those prison epistles that Paul in fact scribed when he was imprisoned in Rome in the period of estimated to be 60 to 62 AD.

So here's Paul writing the epistle to this church here. And I think we'll learn from today's introduction that Paul knew Ephesus well. I mean this was not kind of a foreign turf that he in fact just had heard about and was writing to an absentia. I mean Paul had never been to Colossae, but yet his epistle to the Colossians indicated that he knew well about Colossae, but here in his letter to Ephesus is based on a personal historical period of time of his life, perhaps three years that Paul lived in Ephesus and actually knew the people that had come to the Lord in Ephesus.

So let's go ahead now and kind of introduce this book in terms of putting it into context and then ultimately set the stage for the beginning of the text next week. Now, one thing that's come up is the question as to the authorship of the book. Maybe it's a good thing to ask right now just to kind of pause a second.

Do you like kind of the printed handouts with the screen thing sitting in a classroom style? Would you rather get around a table with no screen and just kind of... I mean, is there a preference? Well, I think that's more intimate if you do that around the table.

Fine. Well, you know, what do others feel about that? I mean, I think when the topic is one that's not a book and more topical, this is better for sure. But for a book and its discussion, I think it's sometimes more helpful to me than it is to you to have this type of format.

But we can go either way because the handout could be made available. We could sit around in a circle and discuss it. I like it over there too. I think Winnie's right. I think it's more prone for discussion and people interacting if you're over there as opposed to a classroom. I think Jeremy and Brad and Randy may choose to do it a different way.

By the way, with four teachers, you can have a wide variety of styles and ways that the materials presented. But keep in mind, this is, quote, Sunday school. This is freedom to express yourself and be flexible as you can be. The idea here is discussion. I don't look at you as my class I'm teaching. I'm facilitating a discussion by the power of the spirit. That's why we gather here. This is not a dogmatic presentation like I might be giving at the medical school. This is, in fact, the Word of God that we're here to discuss and learn from. Let's make sure we set the stage correctly.

What are the issues here? In the 19th century, there were a series of so-called biblical scholars that raised issues related to the authorship of this epistle. Here are some of the issues. These critics built a case against the Pauline authorship from these lines of evidence. One, what they called linguistic and stylistic features.

The idea here is that the style of Ephesians is not really a paradigm for his other epistles. Now you can agree or disagree, all I'm doing is pointing out that there's been some question raised as to whether Paul wrote this epistle. I don't think there's any doubt about it. We're going to come back to the first verse too Cheryl, you poised me for what's going to follow. Secondly, what was considered to be a smooth and a deep flowing style that was not as vigorous and challenging as the rest of his epistles. Now, when you think of a challenging or vigorous epistle, which ones do you think of for Paul? Corinthians?

Yeah, I would put that on my list. A couple of other ones for sure. Galatians for sure. How about another one? I think even Timothy. He's very zealous about what he's writing to Timothy. It's so important he understands. How about the one that we see that precedes all the others? I wouldn't call it harsh, but it's clearly in your face right away about the sinfulness of man.

I think this concern is a realistic one, but then you turn to the book of Philippians. And I don't know, the book of Philippians isn't that smooth and deep flowing and kind of not as vigorous. I mean, Philippians is a book that's very much like the book of the Colossians. is really the comparative text of the book of Ephesians. I'm just sharing with you this controversy only because I think it's good to set the stage for the book to say that not everyone necessarily thinks that Paul wrote this epistle. I think there's no doubt, but let's just look at these other points. The literary comparisons are chiefly with the epistle to the Colossians. So the idea is that when you look at the book that's written to the Colossians, they claim that that's more typical of the vigorous and challenging approach that Paul uses in his epistles unlike the book of Ephesians.

Now again, I'm not saying yea or nay for these. I'm just saying these are the points that have been raised. The historical evidence of interest is not really very well documented as what that concern was all about. but nevertheless it's raised as an issue. Doctrinal peculiarities, I kind of read through both books and tried to understand what that criticism was based upon and it's clear to me that the doctrinal peculiarities are not really that distinctive in terms of the two books.

In the book of Colossians, you see a little bit more that gets into the detail of the role of Christ and the formation of the earth and all the things that followed. You don't see that so much in Ephesians. I think in the book of Colossians, there's probably less application than there is in the book of Ephesians. not strong doctrinal differences. How about this one? 38 words not found elsewhere in the New Testament and 44 words not used by Paul elsewhere. I mean, does that distinguish this book as not being written by him? I mean...

Doesn't Paul, however, write so clearly to his audience that the terms that he might have used to Ephesus he might not have used Because Colossi was actually a region, is that correct? And so Ephesus being a port town, he would have used a lot of shipping terms. Whereas if this letter was going into the inner regions, the landlocked areas of Colossi, he wouldn't have used those terms. Plus what was going on there as far as the pagan gods and goddesses and their temples.

Exactly. Ephesus was known throughout the area as being I mean that was very specific to Ephesus. The map again is kind of reflecting on the port town of Ephesus as Nancy has mentioned. Alright, let's continue down this list which we're going to dismiss momentarily.

And that's to indicate that most New Testament scholars, and it doesn't really make any difference what the scholars say, I mean it's ultimately how the Spirit of God works through the Word of God to document or not to document. It's fun to pick and choose and try to dismiss, but in fact the original text gives every reason to believe that Paul wrote this epistle just like he did the other prison epistles, the book to the Colossians, the book to Philemon, and the letter to the Philippians, while imprisoned in Rome in 60-62 AD. We're going to turn now to Acts 28, because I think this sets the stage for all the prison epistles. I want you to kind of, as we read this text, reflect on the type of imprisonment that Paul was experiencing while in Rome. We've seen that prison, at least the prison that's claimed to be the prison that Paul was in. Although it has all the typical aspects you'd envision with a prison in terms of dark and kind of dungeon-like, it's a livable place where, in fact, if you read this text now, you're going to get to see that the imprisonment Paul experienced in Rome is not quite what you think about when you think of the devastating nature of the prison.

Keep that in mind while we read. Who'd like to read that? And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard. But Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with the soldier that kept him. And it came to pass that after three days, Paul called the chief of the Jews together. And when they had come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. who when they had examined me would have let me go because there was no cause of death in me.

Okay, let's just pause there just for a second. What's Paul doing here? Paul's in prison. What's he doing? He's pleading his case. To whom? The Jews. Okay, so how did the Jews get access to Paul? It sounds like they had some influence. He's obviously getting visitors.

Prison was a different story. I think it could have been, even at the time, there were differences in kinds of prisons and the degree of devastation that we reflect the prison period. In fact, some of this earlier imprisonment was kind of a house arrest situation, wasn't it? So he was actually in a home with more comfort.

Also, isn't it correct, too, that they really didn't get any food to speak of or a wrap, or a bed, or a blanket, or anything, unless someone brought it to them. They were not given those things by the prison, like we think of today. They couldn't get a law degree. Yeah, no law degree in prison.

Okay, go ahead, verse 19. Let's see. But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar, not that I had ought to accuse my nation of. For this cause, therefore, have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you, because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.' And they said unto him, We neither receive letters out of Judea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came showed or spake any harm of thee. But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest.

For as concerning this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging, to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets, from morning until evening. believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

And not only was he having visitors, he was sharing the Lord Jesus Christ with people. I mean, so this is anything but seclusion. So keep going. Just getting you, giving you a flavor of this imprisonment. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed.

After that, Paul had spoken one word. Well spake the Holy Ghost by Isaiah, the prophet, unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive. For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. And be it known therefore unto you that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves. And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

Now it's interesting that in Schofield's edition of the Bible there's a footnote under verse 30 that indicates, and I'll quote, it has been disputed whether Paul endured two Roman imprisonments from AD 60 to 68 or 1. The traditions from Clement Eusebius favors two imprisonments with a year of liberty between them. It has been pointed out that the leaving of Trophinus sick at Miletus could not have been an occurrence of Paul's last journey to Jerusalem, for then Trophimus was not left as it says in Acts 20 and 21, nor could it have been on his journey to Rome to appear before Caesar, for then he did not touch at Miletus. To make this incident possible, there must have been a release from the first imprisonment in an interval of ministry and travel. I don't know that it's historically so important to distinguish two versus one, although as pointed out there, there could have been evidences for two.

Nancy? This makes clear that he's under house arrest and later he's in the Mamertine prison. That is the dark dungeon, the hole where they drop him. Yeah, that's where we've been. It still would be a place where ultimately there could be some communication. But this, I think, would favor the house arrest kind of scenario that exists here. So perhaps two imprisonments then, rather than one. So this idea of him being imprisoned between 60 and 62 AD, do you look at that as the first or the second imprisonment? The first. So this presumably was the house arrest.

All right, so just to get in your flavor, these epistles written in imprisonment could have been a period of imprisonment that we in fact do not really relate to as we think of imprisonment and the restriction that's present in such a situation. OK? All right. OK, so let's look at the evidence now that Paul did write this. First of all, he states that it's written to the church at Ephesus. And we'll come back to that. Paul knew the church well.

He has a book here that's doctrinally quite similar to Colossians. And although there may be some differences in style, these books are very, very similar. And they often are taught together as parallel texts. because of the similarity of the content of the two books. There are differences, but the similarity is clearly evident.

So we're reminded, and we're not going to look at this, that he administered Asia Minor, the Roman province of which Ephesus was the capital. And there, in Asia Minor, Ephesus was considered the headquarters. And this period of time in Ephesus was approximately three years.

And that's stated in Acts 19.8, I believe. We'll just turn to that to document the exact verse.

But Acts 19.1, to 21 describes Paul's time at Ephesus. The description of the disciples of John the Baptist who became Christians and then his teaching there in Ephesus followed by the many miracles that were performed there and then finally that tremendous uproar with Demetrius that was about half the chapter 19 in description. So it says, let's see, where does it say three years? 19 mm-hmm Yeah, I think three years is stated somewhere in this text too.

But anyway, the idea of him spending at least substantial amounts of time in Ephesus is documented in Acts 19.1. I thought it was earlier in the book, but I... Well, in 8, it just talks about three months. It doesn't say three years, it says three months. Well, that's just his disputing and persuading, I think. And this continued for the space of two years. I'm sorry? It ends at two years. Doesn't at some point Paul say I labored day and night for three years? Yeah, I thought this was here but we, you know, don't need to spend more time looking for this.

I should have noted the verse when I saw it. Anyway, the point to be made is that Paul knew Ephesus well. So writing an epistle to the church at Ephesus really was something that was probably very well historically based. So the idea that this was written just to the Ephesians, I think, may be a little bit short-sighted in that this epistle really has tremendous value for the church as a whole. And the intent here may have been beyond simply this being shared at the Church of Ephesus, but in fact to be spread. And I think if we turn to Ephesians 6, 21 and 22, we find that Paul had such an intention. So it says in 621, But ye also may know my affairs, and how I do ticketh this, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord shall make known to you all things, whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts. So I think Paul intends this book to not only reflect his affairs but that he being a faithful minister in the Lord shall make known these things unto you. So I think the content of the book of Ephesians really was intended not only for that church but potentially for an extended ministry to those beyond. So then another question comes up, was the epistle directed to the Ephesians?

And some claim, again these are included in what's called the best manuscripts, and we're going to have an inquiry about these best manuscripts, that who are the Ephesus was not included in verse 1. Some claim that that was not part of the earlier text. In the interlinear Greek, who are at Ephesus is included in that text.

So if the interlinear Greek is the closest to the original document, that could be debated too. We in fact could say that that's stated there, but these other what's called best manuscripts are really really things that raise huh and make you wonder about best manuscripts. The Titulus and the Sinaiticus are really texts that exist within the Roman Catholic domain that ultimately are flawed with error and other documents.

These were discovered sometime in the 13th and 14th century and contain all kinds of things other than biblical text. And although there is some biblical text there and this to Ephesus was omitted from the text that was found in those documents, these documents are not called desk manuscripts and I think could be criticized on that basis. And the Chester baby papyrus is largely segments of Old Testament and New Testament scripture. These were identified in probably 300 AD. but yet also contain some documents that were not part of the Bible as we see it today. So if we're referring to these as just documents and who are at Ephesus is left out of those documents, I think we would raise some concern as to whether in fact these are reasonable documents to base a decision that this book was not written to the church at Ephesus.

Another reason was thought the impersonal nature of the epistle and I think if you let's turn to these verses Carol why don't you look at Ephesians 1 15 and and Doug Ephesians 3 2 and Laban 4 21 We'll just read this and see if you think these are impersonal For this reason I too, having heard of faith Does that sound impersonal to you? Doesn't sound impersonal to me.

Doug? The only thing is heard, you know, rather than saw, experienced, what's that? Okay, you're giving that some credibility then. Doug? 3.2. Also, if you have heard, mean to your word? Well, again, if we're going to take the same position that Carol took, it's heard, maybe not seen, but again... Why emphasize that? Okay, later? 421? Yeah. If indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him, just as truth is in Jesus. Alright, so again, these verses were listed by the critics as evidence that this book is impersonal. Again, make your own conclusions.

And the final comment is that Colossians 4.16 mentions an epistle to be also read by the Laodiceans. We don't need to turn to that verse. So the contention there is that this epistle could have been directed to the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus anywhere and could be the epistle to the Laodiceans that was never identified. All I'm doing is setting the stage with a scarecrow here that ultimately is not adequately documented to say that Paul, in fact, did not direct this book to the Ephesians.

So we spent 15 minutes on saying that there was criticism about who wrote the book and to who it was written, but I think from all evidence that we have, just knowing Paul, his style, and what is written in the Word of God, this book is written by Paul while imprisoned in a house arrest type of scenario in Rome and directed towards the people at Ephesus, a place that he knew well.

Nancy? Don't you think ultimately too that if the Holy Spirit is indeed directing what we have in our scriptures, this was included and therefore it's the Word of God? Absolutely. And ultimately that's the bottom line. Right. And again, when we find inconsistencies, and by the way, I don't think we find them here. I'm just pointing out that there are arguments against these points about this book. When we find inconsistencies, that means that we're probably inadequate in our total review of the Word of God.

How do we believe that God created the heavens and the earth in six days? What's the basis of our belief in that? Faith. What's that faith based on? Okay, so remember what Scopia, I like this, faith is very simply believing what God has revealed, but what's that faith based on? This came up in our Sunday school class here about a month ago. What is our faith in creation, the faith about everything else God has written in his word, based on?

Alright, but how do we individually come to that faith? Yeah, by the power of the Spirit. I mean, you know, you can get theological. Don't get so theological to the extent that you need to relate it to yourselves. What's your own salvation, right? Do we, each and every one of us, believe that the crucifixion, death and burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ relates to us as sinners saved by grace? Once that's farmed up, everything gets laid out and we believe it by faith.

Right? So it says this book was written to the church at Ephesus. We accept that by faith. Yes, Jeff? Along that same line with Paul, he was reading these verses a little bit ago. He was calling these Jews to come based on, not on the fact that they were Jews, but that they were sinners. Yeah, that's the appeal to each and every one of us, isn't it?

So my belief that God created the heavens and the earth in six days relates to my personal salvation, that a sinner like me would be in fact declared righteous before God. And that's entirely the message of the cross, isn't it, in Jesus Christ. Putting up the straw dog here in this series of criticisms about who wrote the book and to whom it was intended to me is totally unnecessary because the Word of God says that it's written to the church at Ephesus and written by Paul. Now let's get into really what's going to be nothing other than the distraction I've just presented you. What's the message What are we studying the book of Ephesians over nine months for? It must be, if we're going to take nine months to do this book, there must be something here worthy of our attention, correct?

And the fact that God is included is one of the 60 things. So, let's look at the two main themes. The first theme is the church. And until the book of Ephesians, we really consider the church a mystery. I believe that ultimately the order of the epistles of the New Testament are not done by mistake. I mean, I guess there are a couple of books in the Bible I'm going to be curious about asking the Lord about in terms of why Job falls where it does, and why Ezra and Nehemiah kind of fall where they're at. But, I mean, if you look at the New Testament, the order of the epistles is perfectly logical.

I mean, you've got the Synoptic Gospels, then you've got the Book of John, which sets the stage for the church and then acts the whole transition period between the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the development and ontogeny of the church age. And then Romans, the book of solid, firm, foundational truth. And what follows Romans? Okay, so we look at that really in terms of the lack of understanding of the foundation of Romans applied to the really novel and milk-drinking believer and then we see the Galatian error, and then on to Ephesians to establish the church. Maybe Ephesians should have been really after Romans to set the stage for what the church should have been about, but I think Ephesians falls perfectly in place when you see the error of the church at Corinth, followed by then the legal issues related to Galatians, and now we're ready to really say, this is what I meant in Romans when we're talking about the body of Christ. So Ephesians really unveils the mystery of the church.

Now keep in mind it's great for us here today to look at the order of the books and put them into a logical sequence and make conclusions. But at the time people didn't have all this text written the way we have it today. So in a sense it's the Lord who allowed the Bible to be put in the order that it is. It wasn't Paul that ordered the books of the New Testament or John or Peter. I mean these books are in the order they are because of the ultimate development. of the Bible when the texts were identified and placed by the power of the Spirit in the order they are. So, we're going to look at a few verses here to set the stage for the message of the book. Ephesians 1, 9, and 10.

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in parenthesis in him. So what's this gathering together all things? The church. and the mystery of his will reflected that gathering. Right, Jack?

Ephesians 2, 14 and 15, we don't need to read that, but this was for the first time really clearly stated the uniting of the Jew and the Gentile. In fact, let's go ahead and look at that. I said we didn't have to, but then I'm going to go look at it anyway. In verse 14 it says, For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments, contained in ordinances, to make in himself of two one new man, so making peace. So the church is no longer Jew and Gentile, it's the church. the Jew is now ultimately put in a position to be one before the Lord Jesus Christ and before God just as the Gentile who'd been saved by faith. Ephesians, do you have a comment there?

Not really. Go ahead. I think you go back to verse 1 there it shows more clearly both the the Jew and the non-Jew. In verse 1 and chapter 2? Oh, and you have been made alive who are dead in trespasses and sins? There's no question that that sets the stage for all of us.

Verse 11, okay. Wherefore, remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh are called uncircumcised by their which is called the circumcision of the flesh made by hands. Yeah, fine. Yeah, that sets a stage for the...absolutely. Good point. Artificians 3, 3-5 and 9-10. I've picked up a few of these verses here and parts of these verses and share it with you.

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery. So mystery again is bolded. And as I wrote before in a few words, whereby when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of this mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. to the intent that now under the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be made known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. So again the complicated series of verses but this mystery then was not made known in other ages and now is being made clear and the purpose of that really was to enhance the fellowship that surrounds the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's kind of proof that Paul wrote it right there. I think so. I think that clearly. That would definitely reveal to him that he wandered in the wilderness with the Lord. Wouldn't it have been neat to have been with Paul in that wilderness experience that's described in the Book of Galatians? The ultimate camping trip. That's true. No fires needed by night.

So Ephesians 5.32 reflects on this mystery again. It's a great mystery but I speak of the relationship between Christ and the church. So the mystery really is again the body of Christ and that's one of the major messages that we have from the book of Ephesians.

And I think that the unity is reflected by a number of aspects. Let's take a look at this. So, Wayne, could you read Ephesians 2, 19 through 22? And let's get the other three up there too. The body and then the bride. So, Cheryl, could you do Ephesians 4, 11-16, and we're not going to read all of 21-33, we can just comment on that text. Ephesians 2, 19-22.

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and and the Lord, in whom ye also are built together for an inhabitation of God through the Spirit. So there's the temple. The temple fought historically to be a structure, a place where God met the people and where God was glorified in terms of the nature and the right of the Jewish tradition. But now the temple is the body. the body of the Holy Spirit, and that's each and every one of us as we fellowship together, even this Sunday morning. The body, Ephesians 4, 11-16. Yes, Marilyn.

The word saint, in a Jewish perspective, what would that word mean to them? Is that a... I mean, that's more of a church term, I think, but I'm just curious. Well, what... I think they used it. What did it mean in the Old Testament? Well, what does a saint mean to us today? I would think the interpretation would be identical then or similar. What's a saint? I mean, we had a Catholic family from Chile who spent a week with us. Their definition of a saint would be very different than what ours would be. It would be the saint of ain't.

It's one set apart, isn't it? It really is. It comes out of the Greek word to be sanctified and sanctification is what? Is it becoming more holy? No, it's a declaration of those set apart and so the saint biblically is set apart from what? From sin? From the world, I would say. From the Old Testament. It's the body of Christ, is it not? This is the mystery. The mystery is including saints. So the saints implies those set apart into...

So in the Old Testament, were they set apart from something different? I wouldn't want to comment on the Old Testament use of the term. I'm not sure what the term would be in the Hebrew. Can anybody comment on that? Is the term saint used in the Old Testament?

It is. Psalm 16. Right, and that's all entirely based on faith, and faith is the outcome of God's grace providing an opportunity to respond by faith. So how are we as believers set apart? Right, and how's that set us apart? We're seen as righteous. By whom? By God.

Alright, so in a sense this is good for the book of Ephesians because the first three chapters of the book of Ephesians is going to establish us firmly as members of the body of Christ, firmly positioned in heavenly places, blessed with all spiritual blessings in heaven, right? And then Ephesians 4 through 6 is going to be about what that life looks like.

Remember, we don't walk where Jesus walked. We don't try to be as Jesus was. We are in fact new creations in Christ Jesus. And four through six tells us what that walk looks like. Not for us to mirror it, but us to believe that that walk is possible in each and every life by faith. So sanctification is set apart, declared righteous before God, ultimately so the life that we reveal to his glory might show us who show us and everyone else who we really are. So that gets into this whole discussion when Christians don't walk that life by faith, what does the world think? But before God, our sanctification never ends. It's eternal. So saints implies God's view of us being separated unto himself.

Everybody okay with that? Yes, Nancy. The Psalms. 16, verses 1-3, it's David speaking. He says, Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in you. I said to the Lord, You are my Lord. I have no good besides you. For the saints who are in the earth, they are the majestic ones, and He is all my delight. So he's talking about those who are his brethren who believe. And I just kind of picked something up as I read this.

And then in Daniel, chapter 7, 22, it says, until the ancients of days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the highest one. And the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. And what I'm seeing is David's of course talking about Old Testament saints. Daniel was actually talking about the Millennial Kingdom. So he's talking, and during the Tribulation Era, so he's talking about saints after the church era, and of course we are saints in the church age. So, God's set apart ones are all throughout history.

As I look at my index of the Schofield, and this is just an abbreviated index, the term saints is used in Deuteronomy and 1 Samuel multiple times in Psalms, and particularly in the later Psalms, in Proverbs, and also in Zechariah. So obviously it's well documented that the term is used in the Old Testament. I don't know the Hebrew term. I presume it relates to a similar sanctification of the believer. A lot of Psalms is prophetic. And it's God's doing. It's not determined by what the individual has done.

Well, I presume you could sanctify yourself under a certain type of behavior by your own declaration, but I mean for the believer to sanctify. Good, well, I'm glad that you asked that question, Marilyn, because it raises the issue of saints in the Old Testament. Maybe you want to go back and look at the Hebrew, the intended meaning of the word in the Old Testament and benefit from that. Okay, the body of Ephesians 4, 11 through 16, who had that? some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, and the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

As a result, we are no longer to be children, conspired in thereby ways, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness and deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the Head, even Christ, for whom the whole body being fitted is 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.

Okay, good. So the unity is reflected in the temple that we're all, the temple of the Holy Spirit. So we're all one in that temple with the unities in the body for the reasons that Cheryl just outlined in the text that we just read. And the bride, the unity in the bride, what do we think about when we think of the unity in the body as a bride? The bride description in Ephesians 5 is ultimately related to the earthly bride, to her husband, but ultimately it has much more relevance to the relationship that the body of Christ has with the Lord Jesus Christ, correct? So this theme of unity that really is a reflection of the church is really an essential text covered in detail like this only in the book of Ephesians. Now the second major theme and purpose of the book of Ephesians is love.

And I'm going to quote here a note on Ephesians that Byrne provided by Dr. Thomas Constable. which is a reasonably good overview. Many of these criticisms about where the book came from and who wrote it came out of this 2004 edition of Notes on Ephesians by Constable. And I quote, more than one-sixth of Paul's references to love in his thirteen epistles occurs in Ephesians.

This also shows that he wanted to promote Christian unity at the church. So this theme of love I think is a secondary necessary out scream of the unity we have in the body of Christ as a temple reflected by the body and its function in the bride relationship. So love is an extension of that Christ's life that is well documented positionally and then conditionally in the book of Ephesians.

So here's the plan that's ahead of us. So the approach is going to be looking at the first three chapters of Ephesians which are largely positional truth, and setting the foundation for the study of what the life looks like, which are Ephesians 4-6. Many times people jump into Ephesians 4-6 before they're well founded in Ephesians 1-3. So what we're going to do is from January 11th, next week, to April 26th, we're going to be drilling down and looking at anywhere from one to four or five verses a week. and I partitioned the book into what I thought were topics that could relate to one lesson. So those could be changed by the other teachers. Then 4 through 6, much of the time, over half of it is going to be spent on the application. But we can't go through to 4 through 6 until we're well-founded in the positional truths.

Then on the last Sunday, assuming we're going to stay on schedule, will be a summary of the book. So here's the team. Jeremy, Brad, Randy and myself. We're going to be team teaching this four of us. You're not going to get bored by one style. And Brad and Jeremy, before you guys came in this morning, we kind of decided whether this kind of classroom format would be better or getting in a big circle. And I think many favored. the circular concept without using slides. So you guys can decide. We'll leave it up to each teacher to kind of do what he wants to in terms of style. So you guys can create whatever kind of environment you want. What about ovals? Are we okay with ovals?

Yeah. You can hang from the tower if you want. I want a trapeze. Mine is you look at other people. The circle, you don't like looking at other people? That's a negative? Well, the thing I do very automatically. And I can get off to my concentration for a call. That's why it's good for me to be a front row person.

We're going to put blinders on you, Carol. You can only look at the teacher. Well, I think psychology, not that we need to bring earthly principles unto us as sanctified people, right? I mean, psychology 101 is, you know, the circular concept where everybody can have eye contact is much more freeing.

It's much more capable of enhancing the flexibility of the class structure that we all would want. I think, you know, these handouts could work equally as well, I think, in a circle. The only problem is getting the circle developed over here is going to be a little bit more difficult.

I think we have 17 here today. But let's just allow the power of the spirit to work through each one of the teachers to do what he feels is best in terms of exchanging information. The introduction today was just, I think, an opportunity for us to kind of just set the stage for what follows. We spent probably a little bit too much time on all the criticisms and really need to reflect on this book is given by God for our value and ultimately His glory. So let's firm up that truth and who's teaching next week? Is it Randy? Yeah, okay, I didn't look at the schedule. Okay, let's close in prayer.

Father, we're grateful to be gathered here and we're really honored and humbled to be able to depend on the power of the spirit to reveal the truth that's contained in this very important epistle. The body of Christ was established for your glory and for our fellowship that we might be edified through the positional truths that set the stage for the applications to follow. May the spirit lead in each of our lives and provide an atmosphere of sharing and experience that we might bring glory to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.