This article is a continuation of thought and we pick up with Ephesians 2:8-9. It reads, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. The statement, “not of works” is Paul’s theme found in Galatians and…
The fullness of Christ is not distinctly different from the Spirit’s indwelling. Similarly, we are taught that Christians are baptized into Christ (cf. Gal. 3:26-27). Thus, they are in Him and He is in them, but not is some mystical or physical way. We dwell in him because we are baptized into him, while God…
In this phrase, some commentators adopt the word “age” as the translation of ἡλικίας in preference to stature. The older English versions of Wycliffe, Tyndale, and the Geneva all choose this term, and the King James places it in the margin. The original could be either meaning. John 1:16 reads, “Of his fulness, we have…
The highest point in the knowledge of Christ is, that He is the Son of God. But, this does not appear to be Paul’s point of emphasis. The point is knowing Christ. Philippians 3:8-11 emphasizes the same point. It reads: Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ…
If one applies the four phrases that follow “til we all come” to the development of the body of Christ, it must include Jews and Gentiles as fellow-heirs. If this was Paul’s meaning when he wrote this letter, then attaining to the unity of the faith is certainly accomplished by tearing down the hostilities and…
Luke 6:12-13 reads, “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles” (ESV). Immediately, I am struck by the clear and unmistakable implication of the passage. If…
Ephesians 4:17-19 and Romans 1:21,24 offer a parallel description of the Gentile world who had a sense of right and wrong but did not allow Jehovah God to rule their thoughts and actions. Following the promptings of their own desires, their decisions often led them into corrupt and vile actions as God would deem it….
Some interpreters have proposed a view of this sealing that doesn’t fit the context of Scripture. They proclaim that the sealing is the security of today’s believers that can never be altered, once they are saved. It would be similar to getting a tattoo, today. In this way, they claim that the transaction is finished…
In all the ways the word “seal” is used, at least two common elements are shared. First, the significance of the seal is only as good as the one who sealed it. In each case cited, the highest power in the land placed a seal on something to prove the presence of their hand and…
To summarize Ephesians 1: 3-11, Paul discusses how God chose Israel, predestinated them to adoption, redemption, and became the vessels through whom salvation came into the world. The personal pronouns in verses 3-11 are significant because it distinguishes the “we” from the “you” as participants. The Gentiles were being added to the promise of the…