Ephesians

Tuesday, 22 November 2016

…and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, Ephesians 6:19

In the previous verse, Paul had asked for prayer and supplication to be made “for all the saints.” Now he makes a specific, personal, extra request by saying, “and for me.” He felt that he needed their additional and explicit prayers so “that utterance may be given to me.”

He wanted prayers for the very words he would speak, desiring that they would be in accord with his calling and as led by the Spirit. This then would be a confirmation of what Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 10:19, 20 –

“But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; ²⁰ for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

Jesus’ words were directed to those who would speak on His behalf in the transmission of the gospel message. This certainly included Paul. Though his commission came later, he was still an appointed apostle of Jesus Christ, and he desired prayers that his words would not be of him, but rather given to him by the Spirit. This utterance is then further explained by the words, “that I may open my mouth.” In Scripture, the idea of opening one’s mouth indicates an intentional and authoritative utterance for direction, teaching, and instruction. For example, it is used to show this when Jesus spoke out the Beatitudes –

“And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. ² Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:” Matthew 5:1, 2

Paul’s desires in the opening of his mouth was “boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.” Vincent’s Word Studies indicates that the word “boldly” is tied to “make known” rather than “open my mouth.” Anyone can open their mouth and proclaim something, but it was Paul’s desire that he do so in order to boldly impart the mystery of the gospel.

This was his passion and his great desire. Until Christ completed His work, the gospel was not fully realized. And even after His work, the mystery of it being open to the Gentile people was still not fully realized. Peter got a glimpse of this in Acts 10, but it is Paul who makes known the full scope of what the church age indicates. This is what he desired to proclaim, and this is what he was asking for concerning prayer.

Life application: Do we suppose in our Christian walk that we can do without prayer? Paul didn’t. He asked for prayer openly, understanding that God does hear and respond to them. Likewise, we should not refrain from praying, or refrain from asking for prayers when the need arises.

Lord God, our precious Heavenly Father – thank You for being attentive to our prayers and searching out our hearts as we walk in this troubled world. You are there, listening and responding according to Your great wisdom. It may seem that at times our prayers are unheard, but this isn’t the case. Certainly you are listening and responding according to a wisdom that we don’t always see or understand. But in the end, every need is met and every prayer is responded to in accord with Your will. Thank You for such great attention to our heartfelt words which are lifted to You in our times of need. Amen.

Monday, 21 November 2016

…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— Ephesians 6:18

Paul is still referring to the “whole armor of God” in these words. Though they are not being described with a metaphor as the previous verses were, they still follow the same thought. We know this with certainty, because it follows in the same admonition which was given in verse 10. There he instructs us to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” In order to accomplish this, we are to be “praying always.”

This fits with the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “Pray without ceasing.” This does not mean that we get on our knees and stay there all day without accomplishing anything else. There are many types of prayers and the admonition fits any of them at any given time. There are formal prayers and informal prayers. There are silent prayers of the heart given in our times of distress or deep need, and there are vocal prayers which are given to build up others for courage, comfort, or edification. There are secret prayers, given between oneself and God which reveal the innermost soul of the one praying. There are public prayers offered for gatherings of God’s people as they meet to worship or petition Him. There are prepared prayers which are meticulously worded in order to inspire deep conviction, reverence, or courage. And there are sudden prayers which leap out of our souls as we come upon a moment of need.

Paul’s admonition to be “praying always” is one which should be taken literally. There is never a time that we can simply talk to God and it not be considered a “prayer.”

We are also to pray always with “supplication.” Prayer is more general, whereas supplication is more specific. When one has a family member suffering with illness, he will petition God through supplication, begging for relief for his loved one.

But whether it is through prayer or supplication, it is to be “in the Spirit.” This means that the heart is to be directed to God, and the prayers are not to simply be rote repetitions. The idea of “praying the rosary” is never hinted at in Scripture. We aren’t to just mindlessly repeat things in our prayers, but we are to rather use our minds and hearts to join with God in our prayer life.

Next he tells us that we are to be “watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Paul’s admonition to be watchful means that we are to look around us, observe what is going on, determine a need in others, and then to offer our prayers for that need. We aren’t to simply have our eyes closed to the world around us, but to be aware of what is happening in order to make effective prayers. These prayers then are to be “with all perseverance and supplication.”

When the need is seen, we don’t just pray once and cease, but we should rather pray frequently and specifically (supplication) for that which is before us. This is to be done “for all the saints” as well. We may not all agree in life, but if we are chosen by God because of having received Jesus Christ as our Savior, we should not withhold our prayers for our brothers and sisters. Color of skin, nation of origin, social status, and the like… none of these things should be a barrier to our offering of prayers for others.

Life application: Much is written about prayers and prayer life, books in fact. We can spend so much time reading about how to pray, and yet we can completely ignore the simple admonition that we are to be “praying always.” We don’t need to read books about how to pray. We need to simply pray. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, and our hearts focused on our relationship with God. In so doing, prayers will come naturally through simple and heartfelt communication.

Lord God, sometimes we might feel that our prayer life is weak and ineffective, but this doesn’t mean we need to attend a seminar on how to pray. Your word gives us all we need to know on the subject. We can just look at the prayers recorded there and emulate them. And if we followed the simple admonition which says to “pray without ceasing” we would probably find that our prayer life is really an extension of our daily interactions with others. Just as we speak to our friends and associates, so we can also speak to You. Help us to remember this, and to keep our channels of communication open to You at all times. Be with us in this, and be our close and personal prayer Receiver! Amen.

Sunday, 20 November 2016

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; Ephesians 6:17

Paul now admonishes the Christian to “take the helmet of salvation.” Charles Ellicott notes that “There is a break here. We are said not to put on, but to “take” (or rather, receive)—a word specially appropriate to “salvation.”

The Greek word for “salvation” is not what is more commonly used. It gives the sense of “tending towards salvation.” In other words, it would be our hope of salvation. The thought is “And take the hope of your salvation, and put it on your head like a helmet.” It is an adornment for all to see, and it is a protection against anything which could come against our reason. We are not to intellectually surrender our hope. Rather we are to contemplate the hope of our salvation, knowing that it is our great protection for that time to come. It is a wonderful picture of eternal salvation. One cannot take on a hope of something that is not going to surely come about.

Vincent’s Word Studies describes the helmet in use at Paul’s time –

“The helmet was originally of skin, strengthened with bronze or other metal, and surmounted with a figure adorned with a horsehair crest. It was furnished with a visor to protect the face.”

We can look to the future with confidence, because we have a helmet of salvation which adorns us, and even our face is protected from harm. 1 Thessalonians further explains this helmet for us –

“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” 1 Thessalonians 5:8

We are then to also take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The sword was the only offensive weapon chosen by Paul. It was a most important part of the soldier’s armament. They were trained in, and carried, other weapons, but without a sword, they could not be considered as properly armed. Close-in fighting required this implement, and it is this which Paul has in mind – direct contact fighting. The sword was a short sword with both edges highly sharpened.

Here, and at all times, the term, “sword of the Spirit” is not to be separated from the term, “the word of God.” Charismatics and others who claim “spiritual gifts” err if they think that they are granted a special “anointing” which makes them super-warriors of Christ without knowing and applying the word of God properly. Verses need to be taken in context, dispensations in time need to be considered, and our theology is to be Christ centered. When we fail to apply the word of God in this manner, we have no “sword of the Spirit.” Instead, we have parts of God’s word ripped out of intended context, but having no true power. To misuse Scripture is to be without our one offensive weapon which has been described by Paul.

Life application: From this verse, we should be comforted in the knowledge that we are saved. We are to take up that knowledge, and we are to adorn ourselves with it. Let us not waiver in this precept. And further, we are to stand fast on the word of God, using it as our main means of engaging the enemy. God wrote it, and so it is the most effective weapon we can employ. Let us never fail to keep it handy, apply it properly, and stand fast on its eternal precepts.

Lord God, You have adorned us with salvation through the work of Christ. Help us to take up the helmet of our salvation and wear it as a sure hope in that which we already profess. And Lord God, help us to take up the sword of the Spirit, which is Your word in order to engage the enemy in the spiritual battle we are in. You are the One who fashioned this word, and so it is surely capable of cutting through all that the enemy sends our way. Thank You for the helmet of our salvation, and the sword of the Spirit! Surely they are mighty implements of battle. Amen.

Saturday, 19 November 2016

…above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Ephesians 6:16

Concerning the “whole armor of God,” Paul continues his list with the words “above all.” The words carry an ambiguity in them and could mean either “over all,” or “in addition to all.” The latter is the proper sense. He is not stating this as a matter of importance, but of “covering all.” In other words, just as a soldier covers himself with a shield, we are to take up “the shield of faith.”

This shield in Greek is a thureos. The word comes from thura, meaning “door.” This is because of its shape which was oblong, about 4 feet by 2 ½ feet. It was sometimes curved on the inner side so that one could almost completely enclose themselves in it during an incoming salvo. It was held with the left arm by straps affixed to the inside. Such a shield was usually made of a light wood with a brass rim around it. After that, several layers of skins would cover it. It was slightly curved, and it was kept smooth, being polished with oil so that arrows and darts would glance off of it. Though a different style of shield was used by Israel, the curved shape of their shields would also allow for complete coverage as is referred to in the 5^th Psalm –

“For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.” Psalm 5:12

As this shield covered all of the other armor, so “the shield of faith” is intended to cover all of the other “armor of God.” Its intent is that “you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

The thought of the shield being a part of the “armor of God” goes all the way back to the great man of faith, Abraham. In Genesis 15, the Lord states to him –

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Genesis 15:1

Just a few verses later, Abraham’s declaration of righteousness based on his faith was announced. This same “shield of faith” is available to us. But, it should be noted that this is not the active faith which is often referred to in the Bible. It is almost a passive one. It is that of endurance. A shield is a defensive item. It is meant to protect from something. Thus it reflects the covering of God, just as was promised to Abraham. As the fiery darts come in, we can stand behind the promises of God and remain protected. These fiery darts are well described by David in the 120^th Psalm –

“What shall be given to you,
Or what shall be done to you,
You false tongue?
⁴ Sharp arrows of the warrior,
With coals of the broom tree!” Psalm 120:3, 4

The lies of the enemy, his verbal attacks through his workers of iniquity, the tempting words of a seductress, and the like are such fiery darts. They come in and we are to allow the Lord to shield us from them, letting them glance off by His protection. In turn, the 7^th Psalm says that the Lord will then send back His fiery shafts of judgment –

“God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
¹² If he does not turn back,
He will sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow and makes it ready.
¹³ He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.” Psalm 7:11-13

We are to trust the Lord by relying on the promises of His word. In so doing, the darts coming in will not harm us, and the Lord will take care of those who so attack. Vincent’s Word Studies states the following concerning the use of this armor –

“Temptation is thus represented as impelled from a distance. Satan attacks by indirection – through good things from which no evil is suspected. There is a hint of its propagating power: one sin draws another in its track: the flame of the fire-tipped dart spreads. Temptation acts on susceptible material. Self-confidence is combustible. Faith, in doing away with dependence on self, takes away fuel for the dart. It creates sensitiveness to holy influences by which the power of temptation is neutralized. It enlists the direct aid of God.”

Life application: Let us exercise faith, just as those faithful of God in the past. Let us trust that what God offers is far better than whatever the devil can hurl in our direction. Temptations of sex, money, drugs, moral perversion of all kinds… these things need to be kept from us by God’s protective shield. Let us hide ourselves in the Lord through faith, and He will win the battle for  us while keeping us safe from the enemy.

Lord God, Your word says that You have granted us a shield of faith by which we can enclose ourselves from the incoming fiery darts of the enemy. No matter what he throws at us, our faith in You can stand, if we simply continue to trust. The darts of enticement, the darts of temptation, the darts of boastfulness, pride, and haughtiness… these can be quenched if we hide ourselves in You as a shield. Help us in this Lord. Give us wisdom to secure Your word in our hearts, and to secure ourselves in the promises that word holds. Be our safe and sure covering, O God. Amen.

Friday, 18 November 2016

..and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  Ephesians 6:15

The words of this verse have caused a great deal of variety in commentary. But what one simply needs to do is remember that Paul is in prison, probably looking at a Roman soldier, and he is using the military wardrobe of his guard to make spiritual applications for the believer in Christ.

The Roman army was the preeminent power and it was a great and conquering force. This was because its soldiers were well trained and their uniforms were designed for waging war. This included their feet as well. A soldier whose feet hurt, or which were either not protected or which were inappropriately protected, would be at a significant disadvantage.

The feet are the base of the body, and they are that upon which everything else is supported. For this reason, the Roman soldier’s shoes were carefully designed for use in both offense and defense. Vincent’s Word Studies describes their footwear –

“The Roman soldier substituted for the greaves of the Greek (metal plates covering the lower part of the leg) the caligae or sandals, bound by thongs over the instep and round the ankle, and having the soles thickly studded with nails. They were not worn by the superior officers, so that the common soldiers were distinguished as caligati.”

This is certainly what Paul is describing. A guard in the prison where he was would not be an officer, but a battle-ready soldier. His shoes would have these studded nails so that he could firmly plant his feet and strike without slipping. Further, the heavy materials would, at the same time, protect his feet on top, bottom, and sides. With feet that were protected, he could then go forward in battle without worrying about suffering injuries to them. Thus, they were at once defensive and offensive.

We are instructed by Paul with the words, “having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” In other words, the gospel is our base, and it is what we are to use as the support for everything else we do. If someone comes against us, we are to stand firm on the gospel, not slipping and caving on our convictions. We are not to budge even an inch on the truth that Jesus is the way to peace with God, and that there is no other.

And with this conviction and firm base as a defense, we will stand steady. Also our feet (which are our base) will be protected from harm. In this protected state, we can then use them for offensive purposes – that of going forward in the battle, carrying the good news of Jesus Christ. Isaiah speaks of this –

“How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion,
“Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7

Paul uses Isaiah’s words in Romans 10 –

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:15

Life application: The gospel of peace must be both defended and actively proclaimed. A gospel which is proclaimed, but which is not defended will not be the sound and true gospel. If the true gospel is defended, but not proclaimed, it will be a wasted message which dies with the one who bears it. Let us both stand firm on the true gospel, and let us be bold in our proclamation of this marvelous good news.

Heavenly Father, You have given charge of defending and sharing Your good news to the sons of men. We are never to allow it to be watered down, and we are not to hold it in and keep it secret. As faithful followers of Christ Jesus, we are to both care for this sacred trust, and also tell others about it. If we defend the gospel, but don’t proclaim it, that is a sad waste. If we don’t defend it, then it will suffer in its content. Should we proclaim a gospel which has not been protected, we will be proclaiming a false gospel – one which only condemns. Help us to be proper stewards of this sacred treasure You have given to us. Amen.