EPHESIANS 4 vv7-10

The spoils of war        verses 7-10

Paul now turns to the rich variety in the church that reflect the victory of the risen and ascended Christ.... "Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ."   The picture is taken from Psalm 68 v18.   The Psalm begins "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered...."   The context therefore previews the victory of God in all conflicts, perhaps alluding to David's conquest of Zion, taking Jerusalem from the Jebusites as recorded in 2 Samuel5 vv6-8, and 1 Chronicles11 vv4-6, but foreshadowing the ultimate victory of God, as stated in Revelation11 v15 "..the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ."    There is no doubt that the language used here depicts the triumph of God in Christ over all opposition.   The giving of gifts to the church is set in the context of a defeated enemy.   The ascension of Christ from the lower parts of earth to the heights of heaven is presented as a victorious march through the unseen heavens to the throne of God, from whom He received gifts as the spoils of war, and gave them to His church to equip them for their earthly task.   This is the only way, I believe this wonderful portion can be understood;   it has nothing to do with "emptying Sheol", as some suggest and removing old testament saints to heaven.   "He led captivity captive" means He led those who had held others in captivity.....He led them captive!   Who had held men captive? .....well, of course, Satan and his hosts.  The phrase "captivity captive" is only used here and in Psalm68 v18, and in Judges5 v12.   In both Psalm68 and Judges5, the context is victory over the enemies of God.   The picture in Psalm68 vv17-18 is a prophecy, ultimately, of the ascension of Christ and it seems the innumerable chariots of God, bearing the angels, accompanied Him on His journey.    In the Hebrew culture the number 10000 was regarded as the highest conceivable number, the figure 20000 of the chariots of God suggests numbers way beyond any comp   utation.   Applied to Christ as it is in Ephesians 4, we conclude that when He ascended to glory, He was accompanied by myriads of angels in triumphant procession.     The biblical teaching on the ascension has been neglected, and we need to understand the issues involved.    Different writers stress varying aspects of the ascension;   Mark in chapter16 v19 records "He was received up into heaven d througand sat on the right hand of God."   This as the culmination of a perfect life of service to God, a job well done.   Luke records in chapter24 vv50-52 the place and the people involved at His ascension.   The phrase "He was carried up into heaven" suggests He was accompanied.  John emphasises that He ascended to the Father in John20 v17.   In Acts1 v9 Luke records "He was taken up.....", again hinting at an assisted passage.   The writer to the Hebrews in chapter4 v14 makes it clear that the ascension involved a definite journey through the heavens "..we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens( or passed through the heavens)..." .   The same writer underlines the journey's end "...entered into heaven itself"....chapter9 v24;   and again "...is set on the right hand of the  throne of the majesty in the heavens."...chapter8 v1.........passed through......entered into.....set down.......the language is unmistakable.    Paul says "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men."   Like the victorious Roman generals returning from the field of battle, surrounded by His entourage and parading his captives, so Christ passed through the ranks of demon spirits who occupied space, leaving them powerless to thwart His work of salvation.   The prince of the power of the air(chapter2 v2) is defeated, the strong man is bound, and now his house will be spoiled.   The ranks of spiritual wickednesses, the rulers of the darkness of this world,, have their powers curtailed, ultimately to diminish to zero.   The lowly man of Calvary who descended into death, is now ascended to the greatest heights, far above the powers He has conquered.   Praise God, it is only a matter of time until He comes again to reclaim this world for God.    When He entered into the third heaven to present His work, and to commence His high priestly ministry, He received gifts, as the spoils of war, which He has given to the church for their protection and their spiritual growth.

Every one of us has received a spiritual gift, by the measure decided by Himself.   All of us have a gift, but a unique personal gift, that is to be used for the edification of the church.   This he will expand in the next section.   The word for measure is "metron" meaning a distinct portion, a gift to fit our profile.   Paul explains this in 1Corinthians7 v7 "But every man has his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that."    We have already seen in chapter2 v21 that the ultimate temple of God will be made up of parts that are "fitly framed together."   The word is used again in the chapter in verses13&16.   We are to use our gift, we are to progress in our gift, we are to use it for the benefit of the church, the ultimate target is the perfection of all the saints, as he will expound later.   We are enjoined not to neglect the gift we have, and, indeed to stir it up.   The point is that these gifts were given in the context of a defeated enemy, and must be seen in that light.   Once, I was useless to God, now I can be useful.....the enemy who opposes me(as he describes in chapter6) is allowed to be active but his cause has already failed.   The ascended glorious Lord Jesus Christ is on the throne and He has enriched us by showering us with gifts of the spoils of spiritual warfare.   Whatever gift He has given us, He also supplies commensurate grace......"grace according to the gift."    He supplies the gift, He also supplies the power!   Now we know the meaning of the scripture "forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

EPHESIANS 4v 1-6

The Christian's walk to preserve the unity of the body of Christ

We are to "walk worthy of our vocation"....the word for worthy is axios and is translated mostly as "as becometh";   we are to match our high position with our walk, we are to order our lives commensurate with our calling, which is outlined in chapters 1-3:   individually chosen, predestinated , redeemed, sealed, enlightened, empowered, and glorified;   corporately bound together as members in the same body, as kinsmen in the family, as citizens in the kingdom, as priests in the temple.   In Christ we are heirs of heaven's riches, and sharing the same covenant blessings as Israel.   We are the instruments of angelic education, we are the vehicle of the eternal glory of God in Christ Jesus.  Chapter 2v10 says we were created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before ordained that we should walk in them"  Now says Paul, order your lives in line with your eternal predestination.   We have the resources as per chapter 3v14-21, now walk accordingly.   He begins by emphasising the need for unity.   This is the only chapter in the new testament with the word unity.   In verse 3 he speaks of the unity of the Spirit;   in verse 13 of the unity of the faith, so he is clearly appealing for unity in verses 1-16.   The unity of the Spirit is a fact that we are to guard, the unity of the faith is that for which we must strive using every available resource   There is no call for us to create anything, it is already done;   we are asked to guard what exists.   This is no fragile creation of man, this is no shambolic collection of people with differing agendas, this is the unity of the Spirit, creating what was planned for all eternity, and which now exists.   Some very powerful terms are used to encourage us in this;

• "With all lowliness"        Although exalted by Divine grace, we should never forget what we once were.   The epistle is full of reminders as to our former state;   chapter2v2 "once ye walked";   chapter 2v3 "our manner of life in times past";   chapter 2v11 " remember...in times past Gentiles in the flesh";   chapter 2v12 "..at that time ye were without Christ";   chapter 5v8 "ye were once darkness";   we are to have lowly thoughts of ourselves.
• "With all meekness"       In the interests of unity we are to accept a lowly position when given it by others, that is, not to react when others put us down.   Humility is taking the humble position, meekness is accepting the humble position from outside sources.
• "With all longsuffering"       Not everyone sees things as we see them, or at the same pace.   We must allow others to differ from us, all the while seeking their best interests.   We are to grow in the things of God "with all the saints" (chapter 3v18).   This side of eternity, none of us is perfect and we must suffer long the imperfections of our brethren.
• "Forbearing one another in love"       Allowing others to make mistakes, covering them with love which covers "a multitude of sins".    The word means to "put up with", to suffer their ways, to bear their irritations.
• "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."       Two very strong words are here;   firstly "endeavouring", which is spoudazo, calls for urgent effort, diligence, an exertion of oneself, straining every nerve and muscle, just as an athlete would to achieve a goal.   It combines the thought of maximum effort with speed to reach the desired end.  Occurs 12 times in the new testament, in 2 Timothy4v21 it is translated "do your utmost".   Next we have "keep", which is terao and is a military term meaning guard as a military fortress, to yield nothing, to defend stoutly.   We might well ask does the unity of all believers come that high in our thinking or have we succumbed to inevitable disunity?   If so we are not walking worthy.   We are not asked to make this unity, we are called to guard what the Spirit has created.   We shall see later in the chapter this does not involve compromise in doctrine, however it may demand personal grace.   We are to guard what God has created and disregard the artificial barriers raised by men.   Chapter 2 teaches that all human barriers were torn down at the cross, and we are called to honour that.   We live in very difficult times when divisions in the visible church are rife.   Care must be taken that such divisions are not perpetuated on sectarian grounds.   Every effort must be made to preserve what God has united.  

The question is....what is unity?   It is not uniformity, He made us all different naturally and so He does spiritually...   He does not want clones.   It is not conformity to any human organisation, or any set of human rules.   It is not meniality, subjecting ourselves to tyrannical leaders.   It is not structural unity, it is a dynamic spiritual unity, such as exists in the Godhead, working in us;   a  perfect harmony of counsel and operation between Father, Son , and Holy Spirit.   This dynamic unity has already been demonstrated in the letter, in the matter of our salvation, and our inclusion in the mystical body of Christ, as follows;   Chapter 1v 3-14 the Godhead united in our redemption;   chapter 1v 17-23  in our spiritual illumination;   chapter 2v 13-22   in our incorporation;   chapter 3v 14-21  in our spiritual growth.   The Godhead is one in all things and they are one in the church and it is our duty in concert with them to maintain that unity visibly.   They appear again together as the uniting bond of peace in the sevenfold unity of the church, such a unity, created and united by Divine power.   When Divine standards are raised, redeemed human beings must respond.   He now gives a description of the unity.

1. There is one body       The body of Christ, the gift of the Father to the Son, ( see chapter 1v 22 and the sevenfold reference to the love gift of the Father in John chapter 17..... interestingly in that chapter there is also a repeated call for unity).   This is the sum total of all believers in the church era, every one of them, by redemption, a member of the body.   They are vitally and indivisibly bonded to each other.   Practically speaking for us it means all who are alive in Christ.   No longer any splintered groups along racial, or cultural, or gender, or religious, or economic lines, one body in Christ!
2. One Spirit                  The Holy Spirit of God, the same Spirit who hovered over a dead planet in Genesis chapter to bring life;   illustrated in the human spirit given by God to bring to life the lifeless body of Adam in Genesis chapter 2, so the Holy Spirit gave life to the church on the day of Pentecost.   Only those indwelt by the Spirit are in the body (see Romans 8 v9).   He breathed the body into life and it continues to this day.   In James 2 v26 it says "...the body without the spirit is dead...", what is true in the physical is also true in the spiritual, and the Spirit of God is the life force of the body and this is true of every believer.   This is the baptism of the Spirit as stated by Paul the apostle in 1 Corinthians 12 v13 "..for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."
3. One hope of your calling       Every believer shares the same hope for the future, described in many ways in the bible:    Every believer is called to be saints (1 Corinthians 1v2, 2 Timothy 1v9);   called to eternal glory  (1 Peter5v10);   "begotten unto a living hope....to an inheritance... reserved in heaven..." (1 Peter 1 v3-4).   This hope is not a wish list for things we would like, but a sure hope that will not fail, based on the word of God which cannot fail.   The language of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5 v1 serves to illustrate this thought perfectly, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
4. One Lord       The first three strands of unity are objective, and refer alone to the work that God has done.   We now come to three strands that are subjective and call for a response from us.   The first of these is the Lordship of Christ over every believer and over every church.   He is Lord, and must be seen to be Lord in all our hearts.   The overall emphasis in teaching from the Acts through to Revelation is that Jesus is Lord.   The title Lord was part of Paul's favourite "Lord Jesus Christ", which he used over 100 times.   Jesus is His title in humanity, Christ is His title in ministry, Lord is His title in authority.   He is Lord of the church, He is Lord in all our lives.   Paul sums this up in 1 Corinthians 8 v6 "..but to us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through Him."   This brings a deal of responsibility on us, but the Lord will have His way.   We all answer to the same Lord, we all come under His authority.   As the head controls the body physical, so Christ controls the body spiritual, and this calls for our subjection.
5. One faith       We have seen the body of believers, now we see the body of the faith.   Jude speaks of it as "The faith which was once for all delivered to the saints", for which we have to contend.   Paul refers to it in Romans 6 v17 "..ye obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you." (or whereinto you were delivered).   The word for form is mould; when a product is moulded into shape the thing is set, there is no changing it's shape.   The new testament is clear that there is an unchangeable truth called "the faith" in our possession.   This is as laid down by the Lord of the body.   It is described elsewhere as "the form of sound words" (2 Timothy1 v13.) "Form" there is pattern or delineation, indicating a line upon line teaching in connection with the Lord Jesus Christ.   In 2 Timothy v v15 Paul calls it "the word of truth."   In 1 Timothy6 v3, Paul speaks of "wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ....the doctrine which is according to godliness."   This binds the Lordship of Christ with the one faith, and confirms words of Christ Himself when He was here;   John 14 v23 "if a man love me he will keep my words";   to Pilate He said "..every one that is of the truth heareth my voice."   To jettison any part of the truth, of the one faith given to the church, is to deny His Lordship, and disturb the unity of the Spirit.
6. One baptism       An integral part of the faith is water baptism, to which this must refer.   The baptism of the Spirit is understood in the one body and one Spirit in verse 4, so he is not repeating that.   It is as if the Spirit anticipated that this rite would become a contentious issue throughout the history of the church, and so He presents it in the context of visible church unity.    It is not the baptism of John, since Apollos, knowing only this baptism, was instructed in "the way of God more perfectly"(Acts 18 v26).   Therefore it is baptism by immersion as taught in the new testament;   it is an integral part of the great commission of Matthew28 v19(there the name of the 2trinity of Father , Son, and Holy Spirit is invoked as the absolute authority for it.)   It was practised by the early church, and, indeed, there is no concept of an unbaptised believer in the new testament.....Acts 2 v41;   Acts8 v12;   Acts8 v16;   Acts8 v38;   Acts9 v18;   Acts10 v48;   Acts 16 v15;   Acts 18 v8;   Acts 19 v5.   Paul expounds it's meaning in Romans6 vv3-11 and Colossians 1 vv12-13.   Peter explains it in 1 Peter3 v21, that although it has no moral value it is an answer of a good conscience toward God.    
7. One God and Father of all     Paul, now, reaches the pinnacle of the truth of unity by relating it to the universal Godhood and Fatherhood of God.   This should be understood as the One to whom all human beings owe homage as the one true object of worship, and the Father of all mankind as being the origin of all.   Essentially we all owe our existence to Him.   This does not suggest He has a spiritual relationship with all, for He does not because of sin, but we all exist because of Him, and are totally dependent on Him.   These things are made clear in other scriptures.....even after the fall it is recorded in Genesis5 v1 "In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him."   In Acts17 v25 "He giveth to all life and breath and all things".....again in verse 26 "hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth...".....again in verse28 "in Him we live and move and have our being......for we are also His offspring."   At the physical level, He is the God and Father of all.   He expands on this in three ways;   "He is ABOVE all..."  He is supreme, He is the Most High, even Satan acknowledges there is none superior to Him.   "He is through all..."    He is the channel through which everything comes and holds together.   "He is in you all..."    He is the life force indwelling every believer;   notice he changes the emphasis here from "all" to "you all", he now refers to those in spiritual relationship, as well as creatorial relationship.   He is higher in rank than all, He is active in all lives and life events, He indwells believers in a unique way.   All of this points to the incredible Divine governance of the universe.   The great God who controls the universe in perfect harmony, has created a new spiritual entity that will only function properly when in perfect step with Him.   The force of this is plain, that any deviation from the perfect creation of God, which is the unity of all believers in Christ through the Holy Spirit, will result in ungodly divisions which will hinder the work of salvation.   Were any of us to divide the body on sectarian grounds, were we to claim exclusive possession of the Spirit, were we to deny the hope of every believer, were we to deny the Lordship of Jesus Christ, were we to deviate from the faith, once for all delivered to the saints, were we to reject new testament baptism, we would be disturbing the unity of the Godhead, and walking contrary to His will.   Such deviations impinge on His government of the universe and His management of church affairs, and may result in undesirable consequences.   Since the benchmark of our salvation in Ephesians is the glory of God, this crucial aspect would be compromised.   Conformity will not be easy for any of us, and calls for a deal of spiritual effort, which is why Paul addresses it from the standpoint of real endeavour and real humility.    We must see things from God's perspective if we are to "walk worthy."

EPHESIANS chapters 4 -6 overview

Worthy of the calling

Paul here describes the teaching of chapters 1-3 as "the calling wherewith ye have been called", and what a high calling it is!   He finished the panoramic description of our calling with the amazing picture of the tri-une God in the human soul in power;   "..strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.."  then "..that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith..."   then  "...that ye may be filled with all the fullness of God.."   God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit within us in power, Divine beings so closely involved in our lives with unlimited prospects ahead.   All this, from a man whose liberty has been temporarily curtailed for our benefit!   He now turns his attention to Christian conduct, that must flow from the privileges granted.   Thus in chapters 4-6 the emphasis is upon our conduct in view of all that has been given to us, and that exists within us.   He presents this with four clear requests for their new way of life.....Walk......Submit.....Stand.....Pray.   The new man should be seen in action in every sphere, in the church, in society, in the home, in the workplace, and in the "heavenlies", the unseen world of the spirits, as we stand firm for God.

• Ephesians 4v1- 5v17           Our conduct measured by our walking    Chapter 4v1 "walk worthy of the calling";   chapter 4v17  "walk not as other Gentiles";  chapter 5v1  "walk in love";  chapter 5v8  "walk as children of light";   chapter5v15  "walk circumspectly".   That's a lot of walking!   Someone has said that "Christianity is not about talking, but about walking."   All this for a godly life.
• Ephesians  5v18-6v9           Our conduct is measured by our submission      Chapter 5v21 all to one another;   Chapter 5v22  wives to husbands;   Chapter 5v24  the church to Christ;   Chapter 6v1  children to parents;   Chapter 6v5  servants to masters;   Chapter 6v9  masters to the Master in heaven.   All this for an ordered society.
• Ephesians  6v10-17             Our conduct measured by our firm standing against evil      Chapter 6v11   stand against the wiles of the devil;   Chapter 6v13  withstand in the evil day;   Chapter 6v14-17  stand ready for battle.   All this to conform to universal moral government.
• Ephesians  6v18-20             Our conduct measured by our prayer concern for others       praying for all the saints, and for all the servants.

EPHESIANS 3 v14-21

The power of the day of grace               (14-21)

These closing verses of the doctrinal section of the letter are so important in every generation if God's people are to reflect the purpose of God in their lives.   To live in the high standards of the grace of God will require extraordinary power which is freely available to us.   Knowledge of Divine things is never given for intellectual ends only, but is intended to produce dynamic Christians for the grand purposes already stated, that of world evangelism and angelic education.   This is the second prayer of Paul in the letter, the first being in chapter 1v 15-23.   In the first prayer Paul requests the enlightenment of the saints, in this, the second, he requests their empowerment.   It is noteworthy that both the enlightenment and the empowerment are from the Holy Spirit who sealed us in salvation grace.... chapter 1v 17 "...the Father of glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him...." and chapter3 v16 "...to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man...".   The significance of the present day is the constant partnership of the Spirit with every believer, something that did not exist before;  His work does not cease at conversion.   Note the construction of the two prayers, which present the process and the power of grace.

The first prayer....   1v18 "..that ye may know what is the hope of His calling"

                                1v18 "..and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints"

                                1v19 "..and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us ward that believe."

The second prayer...3v16 "..that He would grant you..to be strengthened with might by His Spirit.."

                                 3v17 "..that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.."

                                 3v17 "..that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able..."

                                 3v19 "..that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

Three times what, followed by four times that.   The what we know should issue in the that we do, this is firm bible teaching.   We cannot have one without the other, we must know first then we must do.   There must be revelation then sanctification.   Notice also there is a process in the "that's"; the ultimate is the full knowledge of God, but I will only reach there through the carefully charted steps indicated here.

We consider these challenging  verses in four parts as they unfold for our learning.

• The posture of the prayer     "For this cause I bow my knees...."   Is there really a posture we should adopt when in prayer to God?   The bible indicates a variety of ways in which people prayed.   Abraham fell on his face prostrate (Genesis 17v3&17); Moses stood then sat holding up his hands (Exodus 17v10-12).; Solomon knelt before the altar, then stood before the people (1 Kings 8v54-55); Jesus knelt in the garden of Gethsemane, but stood looking up to heaven on a number of occasions.   There are a number of postures indicated, but, essentially, the primary consideration is that of humility as we approach the majesty on high, it is not the body language, more the state of heart, as we plead before Him.   A number of scriptures speak of kneeling such as Psalm 95v6, Daniel 6v10, Luke 22v41.   We will all bow the knee before Him in time and reverential demeanour is in order.
• The person to whom we are praying      "...the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.."   We do well to remember the awesome glory of the one to whom we make our requests.   He is "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (chapter 1v3& 3v14);   He is the Father of glory" (chapter 1v17); He is the sovereign holy and gracious God, who from His throne has allowed us access to His throne room (chapter 2v18);  He is the origin of all families in existence (chapter 3v15);   He is the God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (chapter 4v6);   He is the source of all peace and love and faith to those who love Him (chapter 6v23).   Here He is the very source of all families in heaven and upon earth.   Verse 15 is difficult to interpret, as there is an apparent play on Greek words, but a selection of transliterations are as follows;   Philipps "from whom all fatherhood, whether earthly or heavenly derives it's name";   Amplified " that Father from whom all fatherhood takes it's title and derives it's name";   Translators New Testament "the whole idea of family and fatherhood owes it's origin to God the Father of all".   What is being conveyed is that the whole of what we now understand as "family" owes it's existence to God the Father.   Family is the bedrock of all societies and the facets of care and control and compassion and conformity, all things within the scope of fatherhood and family, are enveloped in this wonderful description of Him.   Appreciation of this added impetus to Paul's prayers for the saints.
• The process of spiritual maturity       We tend to pray for our material needs whether medical or financial, Paul's prayers were more for the spiritual needs of the saints.   His recorded prayers reveal this in Ephesians 1v15-23, 3v14-21, Philippians 1v3-11, and Colossians 1v9-11.   This is because material needs are more easily met, spiritual needs require supernatural power, the power of the Holy Spirit.   This is the first step in our spiritual maturity, we need to be "strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man".   The term "inner man" could well be a study on it's own, suffice to say for now that there is a serious Divine work going on within every believer.   The Holy Spirit within opposes the flesh, the world and the devil, all controllers of our past, and seeks to form the character of Christ in us,   This involves the in-working of spiritual power and we must exercise ourselves toward it;   not only do we need strength, we need to be ""strengthened with might", the might of God Himself.   The outcome of this will be the real practical experience of Christ residing in our hearts.   It is one thing to have the positional status of being "in Christ", it is another for Christ to be in us, and it only happens by the power of the Spirit displacing the old man in us.   The Lord spoke of this to His disciples ("abide in me and I in you").   We do not get this by our own efforts, we get it by faith, a faith that brings Christ into every area of our lives, such that He lives within us and moves through us.   By faith in the word of God, and in the power of the Spirit, we mortify the deeds of the body, we resist the devil, we turn away from the world that rejects the Saviour.   This results in a powerful change in our character, that establishes us in the faith ("rooted and grounded"- he uses the metaphors of horticulture and construction to convey a permanent change).   Permanently changed, however, not merely in the tenets of faith but in real love, reflecting the character of Christ.   When we arrive at this point, we have only just begun, for we are introduced to dimensions of  spiritual fellowship with God that is outside of this world altogether...he mentions four dimensions, breadth, and length, and depth and height.   We live naturally in three dimensions, and so we are elevated beyond nature.   He uses the same idea next, when he speaks of "knowing the love of Christ which passes (all known) knowledge.   What is beyond  natural comprehension, becomes intelligible in our spirit of the infinite nature of the love of Christ, as every one of His attributes are infinite.   This we learn with all the saints, a subject he will develop in chapter 4.   We explore the infinite glories of Christ best, when we do it corporately.   The grand outcome of this is that we will become empty vessels, emptied of sin and self, to be filled with (the word is "towards") all the fullness of God.   Essentially we experience the fullness of God in the same measure as we comprehend the magnificence of His love to us.   It is the same thought as Romans 5v5 "..the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit...."   As we are strengthened within to displace the old nature, so we grow in the nature of God, particularly in His love.   Surely this is the high calling of God, this is dynamic Christianity, this is God reproduced in us!
• The purpose of changed lives      This, of course, is the glory of God;   "unto Him be glory in the church in Christ Jesus, throughout all ages world without end.   Amen."   This letter presents the church as;   the fullness of Christ(chapter1v22);   the instrument of God's wisdom to angels (chapter3v10);   the glorious bride of Christ (chapter 5v27);   and here the eternal residence of God's glory (chapter 3v21).   Lives, that once lived in shame, now live for His glory, and there is an inexhaustible supply of power to this end.   Again Paul brings us into the realm of the supernatural, as he has done all through this prayer.   Note the progression of thought... how much can God really do within us to make us the kind of people that will glorify Him?....all that we ask....all that we ask or think....above all that we ask or think....abundantly above all that we ask or think......exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think!!!   By what measure can he do this?   "according to the power that is working in us"......but we have to ask, and to ask we have to want it!   This is Paul's prayer for the spiritual riches of the saints.

   

EPHESIANS 3v8-13

The purpose of the day of grace

In the scope of these few verses, Paul outlines the superb purpose of the day of grace.  In verses 1-7 it was the mystery revealed to the apostles and prophets, now in verses 8-13 it is the mystery revealed to the universe.   This is in two parts a) World evangelisation; and b) Angelic education.   The second of these is not spoken of regularly, nevertheless it is clear that we,(human beings), are not the only consideration in the purposes of God.   In the light of this, Paul begins to feel the weight of this and senses a reason for his imprisonment.... he began the chapter with the words "for this cause", and repeats it in verse 14.   He understands that this is the greatest cause of all.   His stewardship weighs heavily upon him and he uses the phrase "the fellowship of the mystery", that is it must be shared as world evangelisation is vital, as is the education of angels.   The task is immense, but it is the work of God, and he feels his own insignificance, and also the huge significance of the message entrusted to him.

• a) The universal declaration of the grace of God to all mankind     He calls himself "less than the least of all saints."   This was no mock humility on the part of Paul, because he constantly belittled himself.   He called himself "the chief of sinners" (1 Timothy 1v15-16); in 1 Corinthians 15v9-10 he said he was the least of the apostles in terms of rank, and last of the apostles in terms of time.  Take away God's grace and what am I?   Says Paul, just a proud, hateful, intolerant man, motivated by self interest, and dominated by sin, in his case, the persecution of those of the opposite persuasion.   To such an one has God given this grace.   As much as he deprecates the messenger he extols the vast worth of the message he has been given.   He calls it "the unsearchable riches of Christ."   There is only one other place in the new testament this word is used in Romans 11v34; there it is translated "past finding out".....this translation perfectly describes it, there is no limit, no, end no searching out, of the unfathomable riches of Christ in the gospel.   The temple of Artemis in Ephesus was said to be "the bank of Asia" with it's fabulous wealth obtained from global trade in religious souvenirs.   Incalculable treasures were held in the vaults of the temple which was 220 years in the building, was over 400 ft. long, had 57 pillars, a magnificent structure, which was world-renowned.   Says Paul, to me has been given eternal treasures to share with all mankind!   He uses this imagery to describe the gospel (chapter 1v7, 1v18, 2v7, 3v8, and 3v18).   The spiritual riches of the gospel far outweigh the material riches of this world.   Material riches will end, riches of grace will never end, nor lose their value.   There is no limit to the wealth in the gospel of Christ.   Job 9v10 "He doeth great things past finding out; yea and wonders without number."    Again Job 5v9 " God...who does great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number."   Psalm 145v3 " Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised and His greatness is unsearchable."    These scriptures and others declare the infinite resources of God, and Paul applies them to the gospel of Christ....unsearchable riches.   His mission is to enlighten all men that God is offering grace to all on an equal footing in the person of His Son.   Legend has it that the goddess Diana descended from heaven to take up residence in the great temple, in luxurious surroundings, but with unholy practices.   The Son of God descended from heaven to build the holy temple of God with it's vast store of spiritual riches.   The temple of Diana has gone, the temple of God is in the building and will last forever.  
• b)   The revelation to angels in heaven of the manifold wisdom of God          Here we have an aspect of the present day we hear little of, probably because it doesn't affect us, nevertheless what is here is the specific statement that God created the world to further the education of angels.   This may come as a shock to many, but what is stated here is that God created all things to include the planet earth, as a stage on which He would create the church, with the express purpose, that, through the church, in the present age, He would reveal His manifold wisdom to the principalities and powers in heavenly places.   Note the clarity of the wording:

 "..to the intent that..."    A primary reason why God created all things                                                 

"...now..."                        In this present dispensation of grace.

"...unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places..."   clearly unfallen angels, He will not educate demons, although they will witness the wisdom of God.

"...might be known through the church...."   through the agency of the church, living, converted, human beings becoming object lessons in the hand of God to demonstrate to invisible creatures, greater than we are, the wisdom of God.   They cannot know the grace of God for they are sinless beings, but they can know His wisdom, and they learn it through us.
"...the manifold wisdom of God..."        Every attribute of God would be "manifold", He is a God of infinite variety.   Look at His creation, all different people, all different species, different colours, different cultures, variety, variety, variety, everywhere.   It means multi- coloured, variegated, many sided.   The church is today, and for many days already, and for however many days that are yet to come, an AUDIO-VISUAL of the wisdom of God.   The church consisting of people from every nation, from differing cultures, and with differing personalities, experiencing many different problems and challenges, demonstrates to angels in real life situations, the infinite variety of Divine wisdom.   Scripture says God's wisdom is infinite (Job 11v6-7).   Angels are intelligent beings, and, by reason of their longevity alone are wiser than men, but God is teaching them through us, aspects of His wisdom .   Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4v9, referring to his sufferings "we are made a spectacle unto the world, both to angels and to men."   In the same epistle chapter 11v10, angels are said to observe church order; Peter in chapter1v12 of his first letter says angels are intently interested in the progress of the gospel, they are spectators in the unfolding drama, and all the while they are learning more about the ways of God.
"...according to the purpose of the ages, which He made in Christ Jesus our Lord..."       all this was written into the Divine plan for the ages of time.   He created the world, in which He would bring forth the church, which would in turn reveal a part of God they had never seen.   Like the nature of the day of grace, the angels have never experienced like this.

Wonderful, wonderful truth, that underpins our faith to know that we are not only part of a great eternal plan, but that we are the means of furthering the understanding of angels!   Paul immediately turns this to practical effect by saying, therefore we should have boldness and freedom of access in confidence, knowing that we are partners in the process of Divine revelation.   In light of that he wishes them to correctly interpret his suffering on their behalf.... he said..."my tribulation for you.....your glory."   Such teaching should engender endurance and deeper knowledge of God.

EPHESIANS 3v1-7

The principles of the day of grace

Grace is the translation of the word "charis", which is understood to mean "unmerited favour", in this context the unmerited favour of God to a world which merited the very opposite.   There was nothing in us that brought this grace, we could not buy it, we could not earn it, we had no status that could claim it, it is the gift of God.   This fact alone should regulate our attitude and our actions, in the words of Paul in Titus 3v11 "....the grace of  God which bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age..."    The same grace that saved us should regulate us in relation to ourselves, our fellow man, and our God, because this is the day of grace.   Grace reigns and it should be seen to reign in all these three spheres.   Before Paul will present the practical outworking of this in chapters 4-6 he will lay the doctrinal basis, showing us the supernatural resources available to us.

• The first principle is that nothing like this was known before       This is a new revelation given to the holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit of God.   Generations past were in the dark about this, they knew that God would bring blessing to the Gentiles, but they neither knew the scale nor the scope of it.   Paul defines it as "the mystery", the secret of the ages.   This secret was "hid in God from all ages" (chapter 3v9).   There has never been a period in all of human history more enlightened as the present time, the dispensation of the grace of God.
• Secondly it involves a breath taking revelation       "..that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and fellow members of the same body, and fellow partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel".. chapter 3v6.   This astonishing statement is an exposition of the phrase in verse 4 "the mystery of Christ".   The title "Christ" in the chapter refers not only to the person of Christ, but to His indivisible union with the church as per chapter1v23.   It could be translated "the Christ" meaning the union of the person of Christ and His church.   It is in this way the new entity should be understood.   The extent of this is awesome..... Gentiles who were far from God, having no part with God, not even any ceremonial privileges, are now fellows in this new spiritual creation!   Note the progression of thought.....fellow heirs.....that is they have the same legal status as the people of true Israel, written into the title deeds of the universe, by judicial acceptance in the beloved (chapter 1v6), by eternal predestination to sonship ( chapter 1v5), and consequent beneficiaries of the future new world (chapter 1v11-14).   Next we are...fellow members of the body of Christ...that is we share the same life status.... like individual cells in a body, vitally and indivisibly united, interdependent on each other, receiving control only from the head, our lives bound up in each other and in Him.   No union of man could achieve anything like this, but it is a fact now as Paul will expound in chapter 4.   People, hitherto separated from God and each other, now forged together in an unbreakable union, so closely, it can only be described in terms of a body.   In the language of Paul to the Corinthians "Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular."   Thirdly, he says "...fellow partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel."   Now it is difficult to understand exactly what he means by this, although it is something truly wonderful.   It may be the promise of the seed of the woman in Genesis 3v15, the identity of the seed not being known until Christ came; it may be the promise to Abraham as per Galatians 3v16-18, interpreting Abraham's seed as Christ; it could also be the promise of the Holy Spirit by Christ Himself as per Acts 2v33.   I lean towards the third of these, because this is a more contemporary view as expounded by Paul in chapter1v13 where the Spirit is said to be "the Spirit of promise", as being the "earnest", the down payment, the guarantee, of our inheritance in a glorified state.   In any case the truth is that we have the same loyalty status as the saints of old, from the covenant honouring God who will keep His promises to both them and us......as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1v20 "For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen...".

The third principle is that this was brought to the world by Divinely appointed men       Paul was one of those men and he keeps reminding us that it was through himself and the apostles and prophets the gospel was revealed, this to safeguard the truth from change in successive generations.   He viewed it as a sacred deposit, and he wanted all future servants to preserve it's integrity.   In chapter3v7 he said "....the gospel whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me, according to the effectual working of His power".   He says a similar thing in chapter 3v8, chapter 6v20, 1 Timothy 1v1, 1v11, 2v7, and many other new testament passages.   It was to Paul, exclusively, that the truth of the church as the body of Christ was revealed, and it will forever remain the greatest concept of the redeemed and unified people of God.   As is stated in verse 7, the propagation of this message requires the grace of God and the power of God.