I was taught that the miraculous powers of the Holy Spirit began at the first part of the last days but would end at the cross when the Old Law was nailed to it (Col. 2:14). I was conditioned to think that the Mosaic age was replaced by the Christian Age when Christ started the…
The use of the word “end” speaks of the completion of an age. That which accompanied that age, including the gift of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts, served a purpose for that age. Peter writes, “the end of all things is at hand” (1 Peter 4:7). When the New Testament refers to the end,…
The “last days” marked a time of fulfillment. It is important that we place the work of the Holy Spirit in the context of the last days of the Jewish era and the establishment of the Kingdom of Christ. The last days are referred to by Paul as the “fullness of times” (Gal. 4:4). Jesus…
This phrase is connected to attaining to the knowledge of Christ. Some commentators adopt the word “age” as the translation of ἡλικίας in preference to stature. The older English versions of Wiclif, Tyndale, Cranmer, the Geneva, and Rheims, all employ this term. The authorized places it in the margin. The original admits of either meaning. …
The Ephesian letter begins with the longest single sentence of the New Testament, in accordance with our translations (Ephesians 1:3-15). This section is introducing the addition of Gentiles into the body. That was the mystery (Ephesians:1-6). He establishes the “gathering together of all things in Christ.” Paul uses the personal pronouns. “us” thru verse…
The cross was the means by which justification could be pronounced upon the guilty Jew and Gentile, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). The condition for both was faith in Christ Jesus. Faith is not only the conditional requirement of every individual who would come into His…
Attaining to mature manhood the accomplishment of combining two groups into one “new man,” so making peace (cf. Eph 2:14-18). If it is correct to understand this description to refer to individual maturity, it would clearly seem insurmountable and unreachable in this life and must refer to the “end of time” when we are made…
The gifted men that were given to the called out people of God were given until certain things were accomplished. The first is until we attain to the unity of the faith. The second was “until we all attain to the Knowledge of the Son of God.” We attain to the knowledge of the Son…
Our last blog began a discussion on this phase found in Ephesians 4:13, “unity of the faith.” We identified “the faith” in this verse as being the teaching of the gospel that rejects justification by the works of the law in favor of justification by faith in Christ Jesus. This news is good news…
Paul tells us that all of these men that were given to the called out in those last days or the end of the age(s), were given until some things were accomplished o fulfilled. If one applies these four phrases in verse 13 to the development of the body of Christ to include Jews and…