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| EPHESIANS ~ UNITY OF THE CHURCH JEWS AND GENTILES ONE IN CHRIST Paul spent his life teaching Gentiles that they could be Christians without becoming Jewish Proselytes. This was very displeasing to Jews generally, for they thought of the Mosaic Law as binding upon All, and were bitterly prejudiced against Uncircumcised Gentiles who presumed to call themselves disciples of the Jewish Messiah. While Paul taught Gentile Christians to stand like a rock for their Liberty in Christ , as he did in Galatians and Romans, yet he did not want them to be Prejudiced against their Jewish fellow-Christians, but to regard them as Brothers in Christ. Paul did not want to see Two Churches: a Jewish Church and a Gentile Church: but, One Church: Jews and Gentiles One in Christ. His gesture, in behalf of Unity, to Jewish elements in the Church, was the great offering of Money which he took from Gentile Churches, at the close of his Third Missionary Journey, to the Poor in the Mother-Church at Jerusalem (Acts 21). His hope was that this demonstration of Christian Love might bring Jewish Christians to feel more kindly toward Gentiles. Paul's gesture, in behalf of Unity, to Gentile elements in the Church was This Epistle, written to the leading center of his own Gentile Converts, exalting the ONENESS, UNIVERSAL, and UNSPEAKABLE GRANDEUR of the Body of Christ. To Paul, Christ was a Great Big Something, in Whom there is room, not only for people of different Races, Viewpoints and Prejudices, but He is One who has Power to solve all the problems of mankind, and bring into unity and harmony with God all earthly Social and Family life (5:22-6:9), and even the Myriads of Beings in the Infinite Unseen Universe (3:10). This is one of the four "Prison Epistles" written from Paul's Roman imprisonment, A. D. 61-62, the others being Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. Three of these were written at the same time, and carried by the same messengers (6:21; Colossians 4: 7-9, Philemon 10-12: Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon). There was another, not now extinct (Colossians 4:16~And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.) *************************************************** SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS "At Ephesus" (1), is not in some of the most ancient manuscripts. It is thought that, probably, it was intended as a Circular Letter to the Asian Churches, Tychicus bearing a number of copies, with space for each city to insert its own name. This would account for the lack of personal greetings, with which most of Paul's Letters abound. Paul had spent three years in Ephesus, and had there many devoted friends. But if this was a circular Letter to Ephesus and neighboring cities that would account for its more formal tenor. The Laodicean Letter (Colossian 4:16), possibly, may have been one of the copies. God's Eternal Purpose (3-14). A magnificent epitome of God's plans: the redemption, adoption, forgiveness, and sealing of a people for God's own possession, Determined from eternity, now beings brought to pass through the effective exercise of God's will. "Heavenly places: (3), is a key phrase of this book (10, 20; 2:6; 3:10;, 6:12). It means the unseen sphere above this world of sense, which is the Christians; ultimate home, and with which we now, in a measure, have communication. Pauls's Prayer for Them (16-23). That is the way Paul usually begins his Letters. Four such prayers are especially beautiful: This, and those in 3: 14-19; Philippians 1:9-11; and Colossians 1:9-12. The church now is universal, saved by grace (1-10). The Body of Christ is being built up out of unworthy sinful men, to be an everlasting demonstration of the Kindness of God. When God's work in us is completed we will be creatures of Unutterable Bliss in a state of heavenly glory beyond anything we can now imagine. It will be God's work, not ours; and through the ages heaven will never cease to resound with the glad halllelujahs from grateful hearts of the redeemed. Once one Nation, Now All Nations. The mystery of Christ (3:3-9), hid for ages in God (9), in this passage plainly means that the Nations are heirs to the promises which God gave to the Jews, but which the Jews hitherto had thought belonged to them exclusively. That phase of God's plan had been hid, though He had purposed it from the begginning, till the coming of Christ, not now is fully revealed: namely: that God's future world of glory will be builded, not out of Jewish nation, but from All Mankind. Grandeur of the Church. Through the Church God unites the hostile elements of the human race into One Body, and Demonstrates His wisdom to the superhuman orders of heavenly beings, actually summing up all things in Christ. ********************************************************* ONENESS OF THE CHURCH A TRUE MINISTER When God wants to drill a man, And thrill a man, And skill a man, When God wants to mold a man To play the noblest part; When He yearns with all His heart To create so great and bold a man Then all the world shall be amazed, Watch His methods, watch His ways! How He ruthlessly perfects Whom He royally elects! How He bammers him and hurts him, And with mighty blows shapes him Through testings and trials which Only God understands; While his tortured heart is crying And he lifts besearching hands! How he bends but never breaks When his good He undertakes; How he uses whom He chooses, And with every purpose fuses him; By every act induces him To try His splendor out.... God knows what He's about. HE HATH CHOSEN US IN HIM (1:4-9) Poem Author Unknown Compiled by Shirley Barr, October, 09, 2005 References: KJBible Halleys Hand Book and Worlds Bible Handbook Copyrights observed..... |
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