Ephesians (Program #41) – The Growth of the Members for the Building Up of the Body

There is a well known verse in Ephesians Chapter 4 that has troubled Bible translators for years. The King James Version and most modern Version, such as the NIV, the New American Standard, says something like in verse 15 “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all things into Him, Who is the Head, Christ.”  Though this certainly is not a wrong translation, it only conveys part of the actual meaning of the verse. Other versions like Darby’s and the Recovery Version use another phrase, “But holding to truth in love..”

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Ephesians (Program #40) – Babyishness and the Winds of Teaching

In Ephesians Chapter 4, the apostle Paul speaks of three things that we are to arrive at.  First, is that we, the believers in Christ arrive at the oneness of the faith. Then number two, we arrive at the full knowledge of the Son of God. And finally we arrive at a full-grown man. Compares this now to verse 14, the very next verse, which says,  verse 14 “That we may be no longer little children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error.”  A big contrast, little children or babes, as some version render it or a full grown man brought to the full knowledge of the Son of God.

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Ephesians (Program #39) – Arriving at Three Things

Oneness is a critical matter in the book of Ephesians. This book which has the Church as the Body of Christ as its’ subject stressed oneness in a number of places. In Chapter 4 we’re told in verse 3, to be diligently to keep the oneness of the Spirit then in verse 13, we have a marvelous expression concerning oneness. “Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of  the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

Yes, our oneness surely is the oneness of the Spirit but we must not overlook the destination of our oneness, a three fold destination.

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Ephesians (Program #38) – The Way to be Perfected

When Christ ascended to the heaven after His resurrection, He brought with Him a train of former captives and presented them to God the Father. Then receiving them back from the Father, He gives them again, this time to His Body, the Church as specific gifts for them to do a particular work.

Listen to Ephesians 4:8 “… Having ascended to the height, He led captive those taken captive and gave gifts to men.’  verse 11 “And He Himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as shepherds and teachers.”

As we look at the gifts given to men and their proper function according to Ephesians 4.

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Ephesians (Program #37) – The Gifts Perfecting the Saints

There is a wonderful passage in the 68th Psalms that says : when Christ ascended to the Father after His resurrection, He took with Him an offering of all the redeemed sinners, those that had previously been held captives to sins, Satan even death. These redeemed ones were His offering to the Father

Listen to Psalms 68:18 “You have ascended on high; You have led captive those taken captive; You have received gifts among men, Even the rebellious ones also, That Jehovah God may dwell among them.”

The apostle Paul quoted from this verse in Ephesians 4, but he adds to it, making clear that the Son has now given these ones back to the Body, the Church, even to mankind as gifts.  The gifts that Christ had given to His Body that is our topic today.

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Ephesians (Program #36) – The Base of Our Oneness

In Chapter 4 of Ephesians there is a strong word by the apostle Paul regarding the oneness of the Body of Christ and how we as Christians need to keep this oneness diligently.  Verse 3 “Being diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace:”

But Paul does not then leave it to our imagination as to what this oneness actually means or how we are to keep it. Because he go on to say 3:4-6 “One Body and one Spirit, even as also you were called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism;  One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.“

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Ephesians (Program #35) – Keeping the Oneness of the Spirit

The book of Ephesians is all about the Church as the Body of Christ. With this as its’ topic, it’s no surprise then that the oneness of the believers become an important aspect of this book.  Yet the apostle Paul mentioned nothing about been willing to compromised, to negotiate, even agreeing to disagree as it’s often heard today.

In fact the oneness that Ephesians describes is genuine and inward. And the experience of it in reality requires quality that go far beyond anything we can do in and by ourselves. Listen to Ephesians Chapter 4: 2-3 “With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing one another in love, being diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace“

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Ephesians (Program #34) – God Glorified in the Church and in Christ

In Ephesians Chapter 3, the apostle Paul offers a marvelous praise to God. Now that in itself may not seems so remarkable. But what is remarkable? Is that this praise is the highest praise in the New Testament.

3: 20-21 “But to Him who is able to do super abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power which operates in us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all the generations forever and ever. Amen.”

The other remarkable feature is that this praise is offered in the midst of Paul’s unveiling of the Church in its’ highest aspect. To Him be glory in the Church and this highest aspect is as the fullness of God.

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Ephesians (Program #33) – To be Filled unto All the Fullness of God

The church means a variety things to different people.  Its’ lowest perception is that of a building on the corner. Higher yet is there is the gathering of the people of God.  Then to more enlightened students of the Bible is the Body of Christ. This is a more abstract term but certainly a higher understanding.

But finally we come to Ephesians especially Chapter 1, 2 and 3 where we see the highest definition of the Church. The Church which is His Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all and to know the knowledge surpassing love of Christ that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God. To see it in this light as the fullness of God requires more than simply Bible study.  As we study today, it requires a vision even revelation.

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Ephesians (Program #32) – To Apprehend the Dimensions of Christ and to Know the Love of Christ

Here is an interesting question for you. What are the dimensions of Christ?  Well, you say, I don’t know, the Bible does not tell us how big or small He was. We don’t know if He was tall or short, lean or heavy. That’s right, in His earthly we don’t know. But in resurrection it tells us.

In Ephesians 3 tells us that His height is the height and His depth is the depth and His breadth and length are the breadth and length. This means the dimensions of Christ equals the dimensions of the whole universe.

What about your Christ? How big is your Christ?  Join us for this marvelous fellowship on the unsearchable, immeasurable Christ.

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