Ephesians (Written)

Thursday, 8 September 2016

(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? Ephesians 4:9

Paul now introduces a parenthetical thought concerning what he just said in verse 8. There he cited the psalm which said, “When He ascended on high…” He demonstrates that the psalm was intended to be a messianic psalm and which pointed to Christ’s descent from heaven to earth. It is thus also a presentation of the divine/human nature of Christ. Christ ascended, but in order to ascend, it meant that something else had to occur first. In order for us to think this through, he places it in the form of a question, “[W]hat does it mean but that He also first descended…?”

It is His human nature which is being referred to here. The reason for this is to show that what was asked of us in verses 1 through 3 was already imposed on Christ the Lord. We are not being asked to do anything that He did not take upon Himself. Those words read –

“…to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, ² with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, ³ endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

This is what Christ did as is noted in Philippians 2:5-8 –

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Understanding this, we are shown that God stepped out of the eternal, infinite realm and united with humanity; He “descended.” This is something that Jesus spoke of in John 3:13 –

“No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.”

However, Paul’s words go further. He says that “He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth.” Questions often arise as to what this term means. Sensationalists will generally say that this means that He went down into Hades itself. They even tie this into the words of the psalm concerning His leading captivity captive, indicating the releasing of souls from a type of prison. But as we saw in that analysis, it is not speaking of that at all. This is not speaking of His descent into hell. It is speaking of His incarnation.

A contrast is being made between His ascension to “far above all the heavens” of the next verse, and the lowly state of being confined to “the lower parts of the earth” of this verse. Again, the reason for Paul’s words of verses 1-3 explain what he is talking about. We are in “the lower parts of the earth” and we are being asked to conduct ourselves in a particular way. In order to be compliant and grateful for our current station, we are being told that Christ Himself, very God of very God, came and did the same. Because He was willing to do so, we should likewise be willing to emulate Him. The coming verses, after the parenthetical thought, will continue to show us this. We are to live in this world and to pursue life in this world, but we are to do it with the heavenly attitude which Christ retained while He walked among us.

Albert Barnes rightly states this concerning Paul’s words –

“Into the lower parts of the earth – To the lowest state of humiliation. This seems to be the fair meaning of the words. Heaven stands opposed to earth. One is above; the other is beneath. From the one Christ descended to the other; and he came not only to the earth, but he stooped to the most humble condition of humanity here…

Life application: Beware of those commentaries which tend to over-sensationalize Scripture. There is enough sensation in the work of Christ to fill our hearts and minds with an eternity of wonder. When people speak of dreams and visions, of angles and demons, and of heaven and hell, they often get off into unnecessary explanations of these things. The sensationalism sells well, but it is more often than not an inappropriate analysis of what is being relayed.

Lord God, You ask us to be reasonable in our interpretation of Scripture and to not become puffed up in our analysis of it. It is so easy to follow after sensational statements about dreams, visions, angels, and demons, but it is normally just a giant distraction from what You are actually trying to tell us. The work of Christ is sensational enough all by itself. Help us not to claim things which are not according to Your word, nor to follow people who make such outrageous boasts. Help us to follow sound interpretation and to fix our eyes on Jesus – the most sensational Person ever! Amen.

Wednesday, 7 September 2016

Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.” Ephesians 4:8

The verse begins with “Therefore.” This is stated to explain the previous words, “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” In order to show this, Paul cites the substance of Psalm 68:18. He changes several words and he goes from the 2^nd person to the 3^rd person. Thus, it is not a direct quote, but rather it conveys the substance of what was said and then he equates it to the triumph of the work of Christ –

“You have ascended on high,
You have led captivity captive;
You have received gifts among men,
Even from the rebellious,
That the Lord God might dwell there.” Psalm 68:18

In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was the place where God met with man. Its placement in Zion was the sign of victory of God over His enemies. They were defeated, the land had been subdued, and God rested in His place. The thought of ascending on high is that of being exalted above all the others who have been placed in subjection to Him. Though Zion was not the highest peak in elevation, it was considered the highest place of honor. Thus, any time that someone traveled to Jerusalem, regardless of direction or elevation from which they came, they were said to “go up” to Jerusalem.

As the Lord who dwelt between the cherubim of the ark had been brought to this place of exaltation, and as it was a sign that His enemies had been vanquished, it says, “You have led captivity captive.” This signifies that those who were once the captors (called the abstract “captivity”) had themselves been made captive. They were now the subdued prisoners who were conducted in bonds during the triumphal procession to that spot of exultation.

Quite often this verse is cited as a display of the prisoners being released from captivity by the work of Christ. Though this is something He did, it is not what is being referred to here. Rather, it is the foes of God being brought into captivity. After this defeating of His enemies, it then says, “You have received gifts among men.”

Ascribing this thought to the work of Christ, Paul modifies it and says, “And gave gifts to men.”  This is the specific explanation of the previous verse which said, “…but to each one of us was grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” The spoils of war were handed out to the subjects of the kingdom according to the pleasure of the vanquishing ruler. Likewise, God passes out His gifts of victory according to His choosing as well.

Paul’s words, though modifying the psalm, do not change the intent. The two thoughts side by side say:

And gave gifts to men (Paul)
You have received gifts among men (Psalm)

The same idea is expressed. Christ received gifts which He then immediately turned around and handed out to His subjects. This follows from other times in Scripture where the same thought is denoted by a sudden and succinct expression. Scripture may say something like, “Bring me a heifer,” which is simply a shortened form of “Bring a heifer to me for sacrifice.”

The analogy Paul is making is that Christ was victorious in His work. He was exalted to the highest position, there at the right hand of God, and from that position He gives the Holy Spirit to His subjects in the measure He so chooses.

Life application: If you have called on Christ, you have been sealed with the Spirit. Now it is your responsibility to take the gift you possess and use it for God’s glory. Each thing that you do should be geared towards returning glory to God for the grace which He has bestowed upon you.

Lord God, are we too busy with the things of life to honor You with who we are as Your people? In an act of grace, Christ came and lived the life that we were unable to live. He gave up His life in exchange for our failings, and He then granted us the guarantee of eternal life – all undeserved; all grace. And yet, we have so much to do – sports, TV shows, dining out and watching a movie. How busy we are! What ungrateful subjects of the King of kings! Forgive us, and turn our hearts towards the advancement of Your kingdom. Our lives are but a span… a short one. Use us up now Lord. Use us up to Your glory which will radiate for all eternity. Amen.

Tuesday, 6 September 2016

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.  Ephesians 4:7

There is unfortunately an article in the original Greek which is not included in this translation. It says, “But to each one of us the grace was given…” It is a specific grace, not a general one, which Paul refers to. This then is not speaking of things like salvation, eternal life, and so on. Rather, it is speaking of the grace which is bestowed upon a person for conducting their services for the Lord.

An example of this would be Bezalel, the main artificer of the tabernacle in the wilderness. Of him, the Bible reads –

“And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, ⁴ to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, ⁵ in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.” Exodus 31:3-5

Bezalel was given the grace to accomplish particular tasks which needed to be accomplished in the construction of the tabernacle. In Christ, we are given the same. The Lord is building His temple and each of us is given such grace “according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

He is the Lord, it is His temple which is being built, and He is the one to apportion out what is necessary in order to accomplish this marvelous task. This grace is most certainly a part of our makeup as individuals. There is no reason to assume that this is some type of grace which is instilled in us after salvation. Rather, we are each given abilities from the eternal mind of God based on our genetic makeup, our place in time and location, the education we have received, and so on.

It is certainly more sensational to claim that we have been endowed with a special gift of the Spirit after salvation, but this has to be read into the grace we have been given as much as assuming that it is based on who we are as individuals. In fact, in the calling of Jeremiah, his particular office was one which was ordained before his birth –

“Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
⁵ ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’” Jeremiah 1:4, 5

The Lord knew Jeremiah from His eternal mind, and He selected him from that state. Each person in the church is no different. Some are orators, some are business people who can give, some are janitors. Christ has determined the gift. And as it is a gift, it is unmerited. No person should think more highly of himself than he ought. Whatever we have is what we have received from God.

And so we should rather mourn over not using our gifts to the fullest. The janitor who works out his duties to the highest degree possible is doing a better job than the pastor who whips out a cheesy sermon that took no effort to write, which will merely tickle the people’s ears, and which provides no insights in the marvel of Scripture which has been given for the building up of God’s people.

Life application: Whatever our gifts are, they should be used for the glory of the Lord and to the fullest measure of our ability. Anything else is to squander the gifts we possess.

Lord God, You have given each of Your people gifts according to Your wisdom. You have done this so that we would in turn use them to build  up Your church and to bring glory to You. The person who cleans the church, and who does it to the best of his ability, is using his gift more wisely than the pastor who provides chintzy sermons, shallow Bible studies, and poor counseling for his flock. May we mourn over our failure to do our very best for You with the gifts we possess. And then, may we decide that we will use them to the fullest in the days ahead. Amen.

Monday, 5 September 2016

…one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:6

Paul has been writing about the idea of unity. He did this concerning the “one body,” meaning the church. He then wrote of there being “one Lord,” who is Christ. Now he says there is “one God.” This is speaking of the Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each is a member within this Godhead. This “one God” is thus “Father of all.” This is speaking less of “God the Father” than it is of “the Fatherhood of God.” In other words, Paul’s idea of unity is what is being focused on. The unity of the Godhead is the “Father of all.”

Each part of the Godhead has its role, and combined they form the Godhead. The Father is God, but the Godhead is not merely the Father. Likewise, the same is true with the Son and with the Spirit. Each is God, but the Godhead is not merely any of the three, but all three combined. As a very simple example, Time is one thing, but Time is comprised of Future, Present, and Past. Each is Time, but Time is not merely any of the three. Rather, Time is comprised of all three.

It is the Godhead which is “above all, and through all, and in you all.” Paul is speaking to saved Christians in this verse. God the Father is above all. He is the Sovereign God who directs all things according to His will. God the Son is the One who brings us into the unique Father/son relationship with God. It is through Christ that all are brought into the body of Christ. And finally, God dwells in us. It is the Spirit who seals (and thus is “in”) all.

Again, it needs to be stressed that these words are speaking of unity, and thus they are directed to the saved believers within the church. The words here in no way imply the “universal Fatherhood” of God towards all people in the world. It is speaking of the unique relationship between God and His select and sealed people which is accomplished through believing in the work of Christ.

Life application: We are united in the body of Christ through the work of Christ. The old saying “blood is thicker than water” should apply to all believers in their conduct toward other believers. It is understood that brothers argue, but they are also willing to defend one another. If we argue, let it be over pure doctrine, but let us endeavor to defend our fellow believers just as ardently against the world which comes against us because of our united faith in Christ.

How good You are to us, O God. You have called us to be members of Your body because of the work of Christ. It means we who believe are members of this unique family. Help us to treat one another in this light. Yes, we may fight, but let it be over proper doctrine. And though we may fight over that, help us to also defend one another against the world system which comes against us. Grant us to be willing to stand up for our fellow family member in Christ just as we would for our own earthly family members. Help us to work for this unity, to Your glory. Amen.

Sunday, 4 September 2016

…one Lord, one faith, one baptism; Ephesians 4:5

Paul continues the thought of the previous verse. There, it noted the “unity of the Spirit.” Now the second member of the Trinity is named; “one Lord.” Further the idea moves from the calling (what we are expected to do in verses 1 thru 4), to the One who calls and how that position is realized.

The church is established on Christ and it is built up in Christ. He is the Foundation and the Capstone of the church, and He is its Lord. We are brought into the church through faith in Him and what He has done. But the “one faith” mentioned here is not that which is believed (meaning the tenets of doctrine), rather it is the principle of faith. There is one faith for all who are members of the household of God. We place our faith in the work of Christ, and we are brought into “the faith.” And this leads to “one baptism.”

Despite the general belief by most that this is speaking of the external rite of baptism, this is not at all what is being spoken of. Rather, it is the “baptism of the Spirit” which comes by faith in Christ. Paul said in chapter 1 –

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13, 14

This sealing is the baptism which is being referred to. This is confirmed by the words of Jesus in Mark 16:16 –

“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

The formula here shows what the conditions are. If one believes, he is baptized and thus saved; He has received the baptism of the Spirit. If one does not believe, he has not received the baptism and will be condemned. Salvation is conditioned on belief and baptism; condemnation is conditioned on not believing. Therefore, Jesus cannot be speaking of an external rite. The “belief” and the “baptism,” though not synonymous, are equated as one occurrence. This is confirmed then in Paul’s words of Ephesians 1:13, 14.

He shows this elsewhere as well. In Galatians 3:27, he says, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” This is not speaking of water baptism, but of the baptism of the Spirit. One is clothed in Christ through faith in His work. In Acts, the household of Cornelius first received the Spirit by hearing the word and believing. Only then did they later submit to water baptism as an external sign of the inward baptism already realized. This same thing is referred to by Paul in Colossians 2:12 and Romans 6:3-5. In each instance, he is speaking of the work of the Spirit and equating it with “baptism.”

Finally, faith is placed first at some times (Mark 16:16), and at other times “baptism” is placed first (Colossians 2:12). Thus, these are one occurrence with two separate parts. The rite of water baptism is not what is being spoken of here. Rather, that is an ordinance for the church; it is an outward demonstration of the inward change which has already taken place.

Life application: Why is it important to understand that water baptism is not what is being spoken of here? Because if this is misunderstood, then other nutty ideas immediately result. Two obvious ones which are taught in some churches are, 1) Water baptism is a condition for salvation. 2) There is a second baptism of the Spirit for some people. Major denominations teach these incorrect doctrines which then lead to supposed superiority of some people over others. But Paul shows in this verse that there is one baptism which places all on a level field before the Lord. Doctrine matters.

Lord God, it is so wonderful to know that by mere faith in what Christ has done, we are sealed with Your Spirit. We receive our “baptism of the Spirit” at that moment, dying with Christ and being raised by Your mighty power. We are dead to the law and all that stood opposed to us, and we are raised to newness of life in Him. What a marvelous thing to consider – all because of the work of Another! Thank You for what You have done for us through Christ the Lord! Amen.