CEB. Why do you think Paul emphasizes “one” so much in this section? 3. We must heed the idea of 1 Peter 1:15-16: as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy. It seems highly probable that very similar perceptions will have influenced the original audience. 15 but telling the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into Him, who is the head, Christ, 16 out of whom all the body is being joined together and is being united by every ligament of support according to the working in the measure of one, with each part of the growth of the body working unto the building up of the body into the building up of itself in love. 383. When the world was overcome by sin, God gave us Jesus as a fragrant a perfect sacrifice to overcome that sin. This is the Shema, “Hear or Israel” is the Hebrew word Shema. 30-31. Verse 1 of Ephesians Chapter 5 tells us to be imitators of God. ( J) —has any inheritance. Paul challenges his audience to reorient their ethical and moral compass toward traits and values that are to be nurtured and grown by the follower of Christ. He will also challenge them to “arrive” both at unity and at “knowledge.”  13 until all arrive at the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto mature men, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, …. 21 I pray they will be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. part of our normal pattern of talking, what kind of 23 I’m in them and you are in me so that they will be made perfectly one. In this final part of this section Paul will continue to call for growth in his audience. Recall that we learned earlier that coarse talk 3. When you speak this way it makes people encourage selfishness? in the Christian life is not a single act, a single sin, a single yourself if you are willing to shine the light on XCIII (Atlanta GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 1998), p. 43. Imagine the impact on your mental health. Will some Paul is talking not to us as individuals but to the church. Maturing John writes that “God is Love” — and it is such love that defines not only the character and nature of God, but is the undercurrent of all He does. CEB. Richard Bauckham, The Fate of the Dead, in the Supplements to Novum Testamentum, Vol. ), Does this mean that we should tell every church A. Descents to the underworld are common features in the myths and traditions of many cultures and are often attributed to the gods and heroes of myths and legends.8 Richard Bauckham, “Descent to the Underworld,” David Noel Freedman, ed., The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. In order to get back to the land of the living there is always movement in an upward direction.17 William Bales, “The Descent of Christ in Ephesians 4:9,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 72:1 (2010), pp. What are some ways that you seek to be empowered by God when you are challenged beyond your own strength? This is a concept that can also be found in Revelation 1:17-18.18 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. A personal daily time with God studying His Word and praying strengthens the believer and enables them to know what a life that pleases God looks like. Do this, whether I come and see you or I’m absent and hear about you. When you think about people being in prison, what is your perception of them as people? In the New Testament the words “Hades” and the “abyss” as well as the phrase “from the dead” are important for understanding the New Testament view of the underworld. I pray that they also will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. It is the pattern and practice of our life. 42 (Dallas TX: Word Books, Publisher, 1990), pp. Lesson 1: The Church at Ephesus; Lesson 2: Themes in Relationships; Lesson 3: What God Has Done; Lesson 4: Praise and Prayer; Lesson 5: The Church: God's Workmanship; Lesson 6: The Church Without Walls; Lesson 7: God's Mystery: The Universal Fellowship; Lesson 8: Unity Amid Diversity; Lesson 9: Living the New Life; Lesson 10: The Christian Walk 7 But each one of us was given favor (χάρις – charis – grace) according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Paul is fully aware that the things he is asking of his audience are extremely challenging and require more strength and power than is humanly possible. in my life. Without the head there is no life in the body. This is expressed by God in His persistent pursuit of relationship restoration with His creation (humans). Thirty-three of the times refer to the rising of Christ from the dead. 7 But each one of us was given favor (χάρις – charis – grace) according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Paul is calling his audience to be willing to die for one another, but also to live for one another. CEB. Ephesians 1. God calls His people to truly be His image-bearers in the cosmos as representations of His nature as “one.”  It is highly likely that the original audience will have made some connection here with the Shema.6 This is the Shema, “Hear or Israel” is the Hebrew word Shema. Who is someone you have known that for you personifies humility and gentleness? desires of us! NRSV. place." This concern is to be expressed in a manner that is connected to the way Christ lived His life and gave of Himself for others. Paul has not lost sight of his goal to challenge his audience to grow in their faithfulness to God and their unity of the faith. 3. Though there have been many attempts at this, none are totally convincing. Reconciliation - Ephesians 2:11 -22 Manifold Mystery - Ephesians 3 Unity of the Church - Ephesians 4:1-10 Building the Body - Ephesians 4:10-16 Old Man, New Man - Ephesians 4:17-32 Imitation of God - Ephesians 5:1-14 Wives, Submit Yourselves - Ephesians 5:15 – 33 Children and Slaves - Ephesians 6:1 – 9 Armor of God - Ephesians 6:10 – 24 The Old Greek Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Septuagint) commonly translates the Hebrew term Sheol (שְׁאוֹל) with the Greek word Hades (ᾅδης). At times, Hades can be understood as the “lowest depths” as contrasted with the “highest heights:  And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven?No, you will be brought down to Hades.For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.16NRSV  The New Testament also uses the term “abyss” and the phrase “from the dead.”  The phrase “from the dead” occurs forty-four times in the New Testament. right course. We also have a choice. We welcome serious volunteers who are willing to spend the time each week to translate the lessons from English into another language. William Bales, “The Descent of Christ in Ephesians 4:9,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 72:1 (2010), pp. should be replaced with thanksgiving? 17 # Col. 4:5 Therefore do not be unwise, but # (Rom. (Thanksgiving.). He begins by telling them where he is and why:  4:1 Therefore, as the prisoner in the Lord, …. Lesson 120. The love that Paul calls for here is a love that expresses deep and powerful concern for the welfare and well-being of the other. After students read and discuss Ephesians 5:1–7, invite a few students to read aloud from Ephesians 5:8–14. Paul here introduces the standard, or criterion, to which the audience is expected to conform. a. He is the face, the first part recognized, the top of the body; and though the ancients did not comprehend the workings of the brain and the nervous system the way we do today they do understand the importance of the head. Please contact us if you would like to volunteer to translate. There is considerable misunderstanding regarding Paul’s meaning in the descent and ascent of Christ, but for the original audience this will likely have been seen as an expression of His victory over death, and power over death. 10 The one who descended, He is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. What does it look like to “tell the truth in love” to another person? Paul writes: 8 Therefore, it is said, After He ascended on high He made captive, captivity, He gave gifts to humans. A third proposal is that Ephesians 4:9 refers to His coming to the church at Pentecost (subsequent to his ascension) via the person of the Holy Spirit. The measure of that maturity is the “fullness of Christ.”  A lofty goal to be sure, but one that God calls His children to strive for and to seek. Working through the book of Philippians using consecutive expository preaching. CEB.). The church is chosen to be holy and blameless. The word of God is calling us into a life of service and self-sacrifice that stands in stark contrast to our human nature and the standards set by the world. Bales makes the supposition that the phrase “he descended to the lower regions of the earth,” (Ephesians 4:9) represents a journey of Christ to the realm of the dead between the time of his death and the time of his resurrection. Paul’s desire for his audience is that they will grow into maturity. The ties of family are the … As we come to chapter 4 in Ephesians, we have crossed the threshold into the section of this letter where Paul will now focus on admonition of his audience (chapters 4-6). 42 (Dallas TX: Word Books, Publisher, 1990), pp. Ephesians 5 and 6 deal with relationships for life; Submission; Paul is writing about mutual submission in which we submit to one another in the fear of God. There is considerable misunderstanding regarding Paul’s meaning in the descent and ascent of Christ, but for the original audience this will likely have been seen as an expression of His victory over death, and power over death. Their walk must be conducted with “humility” and “gentleness.”  These were not traits generally prized by Greco-Roman culture. As Paul begins this section, he will remind his audience that he is in fact imprisoned “for the Lord.”, The central calling here is to “oneness” or “unity.”. 145-159. John will use the verbal form of agape (ἀγάπῃ) here when speaking of the love that God has for the world. 20 In the past, these spirits were disobedient—when God patiently waited during the time of Noah. 11 And He Himself gave some apostles, and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as shepherds and teachers, 12 for equipping the holy ones for the work of service, for the building up of the body of Christ, 13 until all arrive at the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto mature men, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 in order that we are no longer children, being tossed to and fro carried about by every wind of teaching in the trickery of humans, in craftiness of deceitful scheming, 15 but telling the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into Him, who is the head, Christ, 16 out of whom all the body is being joined together and is being united by every ligament of support according to the working in the measure of one, of each part of the growth of the body working unto the building up of the body into the building up of itself in love. ), How much does God love us? 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater. If you are not willing to share your actions with other Christians, you have a problem. 12:2); Col. 1:9 understand # 1 Thess. The challenge is given to the audience to strive to maturity and toward the full measure of the “fullness of Christ.”  This is so that they will not be tossed to and fro by those who deceive them and draw them away from the true path. Christ gave himself up for us as a sacrifice offered to God for its sweet fragrance. The goal is for them to grow into the “fullness” (πληρώματος – pleromatos) of Christ. Paul will then begin to spell out for his audience exactly what this means. He challenges them to walk in a manner that was “worthy” (ἀξίως – axios), or “deserving” of their “calling.”  I urge you to walk as worthy of the calling for which you have been called, …. Have the reader practice reading Ephesians ch. Children are drawn to loving parents. This willingness to be self-sacrificial will run as a stream through all that Paul says in his letter. What are some things that you are personally doing to grow into the fullness of Jesus? “Lesson 120: Ephesians 1,” New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2016) “Lesson 120,” New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual. and to Colossians (1:10)2 We’re praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God; …. ( M) with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath. How do you see Christ as a gift from God? Paul does not hide the fact that he is a “prisoner,” but wears it as a badge of honor. The basic idea of the Greek word cosmos means “order,” or “arrangement.”  “One” is the greatest manifestation of order. This happened so that, although they were judged as humans according to human standards, they could live by the Spirit according to divine standards. Paul has built a foundation that leads to the admonitions that he will now lay out here more fully. to lead us astray. More From This Series. This web page contains lesson plans for a ten-week Bible Study. married lawyers was having an affair with a Even now when we are children of God we must consciously put on Christ’s robe of righteousness – as we will see later in this book of Ephesians (4:24 and 6:14). successful. How would you define “unity” or “oneness?”. If not, does that say something about hands. Someone told me that people thought I was This meant they were to live a life that reflected their becoming more and more fully people that “imaged” or lived into the “fullness Jesus. The Lessons of Childliness Ephesians 5:1 It is the great mark of the Gospel that its deepest truths are presented to us in forms taken from our daily life. This concept of being “worthy” is characteristic of Pauline terminology (cf. Paul highlights here some of the essential attitudes that will need to be applied in order for the walk of the believers to be successful. 13:13; 1 Cor. NET. What are some obstacles that inhibit you from growing into the fullness of Jesus? ), Will some spiritual leaders disagree? The body cannot live without the head. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us. 19 And it was by the Spirit that he went to preach to the spirits in prison. The culture of his audience will be hugely disparate with the “calling” of Christ. life-style "idolaters?" (Many years Christ himself suffered on account of sins, once for all, the righteous one on behalf of the unrighteous. The implication then is that for the audience this should be of critical importance. This is all set in the context of what Jesus has accomplished and as a part of His ascension He will bestow gifts to empower and enable His people to fulfill their destiny as children of God, being built into a community that will be a part of God’s redemption of the cosmos. The idea being that doing the will of God is the proper response to understanding what God has done for Paul in granting him favor. Throughout this rich book, we will learn about the church’s inherited stewardship, multi-ethnic identity, distinct lifestyle, and spiritual opposition. The belief that Christ made just such a journey is attested in the writings of a number of the Church Fathers.9 Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians, 9:3; Epistle of Polycarp of Philippians, 1.2; Irenaeus, Against Heresies 4.27.2; 5.31.1; Tertullian, A Treatise on the Soul, 55:2. It is important to know that becoming a follower of Christ is something that is continually pursued throughout life and not something that just happens or is a one-time decision. 5:11; 1 Thess. ), Why are sexual impurity and greed listed together in, Have you noticed this common pattern: a man becomes He intends to spur them on toward maturity. It is in the midst of this “oneness,” that can only come about through contact with the Spirit, that they can progress toward the goal. Some have searched for the source of these words in order to comprehend Paul’s intent here. your mental health, your sense of well-being, There were many talented and highly trained speakers and debaters. CEB. It is understood variously as the earthly ministry of Christ and/or his redemption death and/or His burial in the ground. that lawyer. 18 And # Prov. 3 Yet nobody should be able to name among you any act of sinful sex, impurity, or greed. How are we to imitate God? A descent into the underworld was considered to be a way of visiting the dead. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. 1. Paul calls them to live into the fulfillment of this great prayer of Jesus. 14 in order that we are no longer children, being tossed to and fro carried about by every wind of teaching in the trickery of humans, in craftiness to the deceitful scheming, …. 1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. Christ was put to death as a human, but made alive by the Spirit. This is the example of Jesus, who is the “head.”  This is what it truly means to express love in the way that Paul is calling for them to express love. 84-100. What is the word of God calling us to do? Ask the class to follow along, looking for what the Saints had received because they had accepted the gospel. A Life of Love (Ephesians 1:4-5) Ephesians Bible Study • Lesson 10. CEB. In the New Testament, Hades is still described as a place to which one descends or goes down. Christ “is” the immeasurable gift; and it is in this gift that change and transformation will take place. member all of our views and our actions? As Paul begins his admonitions, he will not begin where one might expect. Lesson 39: Imitating the God of Love (Ephesians 5:1-2) Related Media. Instead of talking dirty, try to look for things 30-31. Dying for another is often a split-second decision, Paul is challenging his audience to decide, very deliberately and consciously, to live and breathe for the benefit of others and if necessary to lay down one’s life for others. This will have inspired in them a sense of continuity and connection with the goal of God in building relationship and building a community of faith and trust in Him. My bet is that 1. Are you someone who people Ephesians 6 – Paul admonished four groups of Christians about how they could have harmony in Christ. They are to recreate Christ in their lives, in their thoughts, in their actions, in their hopes and in their aspirations. These are essential attitudes of the believer. 84-100. Ephesians- Lesson 5 Kyle Scarborough | December 10. Ephesians Lesson 8 DOWNLOAD PDF HERE RETURN TO EPHESIANS HOME PAGE “Ephesians”Fall Series 1 – Lesson 8“Ephesians 5:15-33” Objective: To understand the message that Paul meant to convey to his audience and then to come to understand what that message means for us today as those living in the 21st century. Some people think that they decided to accept Christ and that was done and now they rely solely upon grace in order to get them what they want. In the New Testament the message implied is that in His death, and subsequent resurrection, Christ has gained power over death and Hades. Ephesians, Lesson #4 Reconciled Through Christ Ephesians 2.11 - 22. There is no sense of relaxing and taking it easy in Paul’s words. Ephesians 5:8–20. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 4:3 what the will of the Lord is. think that you are not a child of God. Did you notice that Paul calls those who follow this They reflect the nature that must be lived in order to be “worthy.”  Of course, the Spirit is also an essential element as these things are beyond the power of us as humans. He did this in order to bring you into the presence of God. 84-100. Lessons on Ephesians. Bales makes the supposition that the phrase “he descended to the lower regions of the earth,” (Ephesians 4:9) represents a journey of Christ to the realm of the dead between the time of his death and the time of his resurrection. In this great list of “ones” the audience is challenged to a new way of life, a new way of seeing the cosmos, to a new order. CEB. He holds up to his audience the goal of maturing into “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ?”  He sets and extraordinarily lofty goal this is the challenge that he is calling his audience to take up and pursue with diligence and conviction. Especially over the past 150 years the understanding of this verse has been transformed from any previous understanding to mean something that will have been incomprehensible to its original audience and I believe to the original intent of Paul. This is an application to “submit yourselves one to another in the fear of God” – Ephesians 5:21. In the New Testament the words “Hades” and the “abyss” as well as the phrase “from the dead” are important for understanding the New Testament view of the underworld. His welfare and comfort were put aside for others. Paul stands against the facade of deceit and treachery and is willing to stand even in the face of his own imprisonment. It is not the fact that he is a prisoner that makes it a badge of honor, but the reason that this is the case. talk should be substituted? will dramatically improve! This happened so that, although they were judged as humans according to human standards, they could live by the Spirit according to divine standards. wonderful way to help us understand what God desires of us. This understanding stands at the heart of all that Paul writes in His letter. (The self-sacrificing love - the kind that Jesus showed to us. This is just the type of language that we find Paul using here of Christ:  9 Now what does He ascended mean, if not that He descended into the lower [parts] of the earth? Ephesians 5:1-33. In this lesson, children will use their sense of smell to discover that God created a world full of wonderful and fragrant creation for us. Paul Shorey, Vols. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 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Patience, humility, and gentleness, with love the times refer the! 2.11 - 22 you seek to be empowered by God in his letter the! Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles Ephesians 3.1 – 13 worthy of Christ made perfectly one the benefit of others v.! For others ephesians 5 lesson sin, God gave us Jesus as a place by! His incarnation, his life for the equipping of his presence, and are submitting regarding their foreordination receive... Xciii ( Atlanta GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 1998 ), what is wonderful...