Friday, March 19, 2004
Andy's Actual Sunday Class Notes:
A Study in EPHESIANS
Uncovering the Mystery of God's Plan
WARNING: This material could change your life - Radically
The language of Ephesians is very forceful in indicating that there is something intentional going on. The words; chose(n), predestined, according to his will, purpose(d), prepared in advance, appear repeatedly in the book.
God has a plan that has been hidden - A Mystery
A top-secret campaign to surprise and overwhelm the Enemy, retake the territory and restore his people
Planned before the world began (1:4)
Accomplished in Christ (1:9,10,20-22; 3:11)
Guaranteed by the Holy Spirit (1:13,14)
Revealed / carried out by His people (1:4,5,11,12,22,23; 3:10,11)
A 1 -2 Punch
1. His is going to unite all things under one lord
2. He is going to do it in and through the Church
This is God’s Plan - His Will.
If we want to know what God’s will is we need look no further than this. This should have a serious impact on the constant question: “what is God’s will for my life.” If we understand the message of Paul / God in the book of Ephesians we will know the answer to that question!!!
(More on this later.)
Here’s how the Plan unfolds: (It is also the flow of the book)
1. Christ, the King, is Enthroned (the sequel) - Chap 1
2. Enemies defeated - sin and death - Chap 2
3. “Enemies” at “peace” - Chap 2
4. A people indwelt - Chap 2
5. A people empowered - Chap 3 & 4
Part I - Christ Enthroned
Chapter 1 is primarily concerned with establishing where Christ is and what He is doing – the first punch. He is enthroned and all things are being united under Him.
We've talked about the centrality of the Resurrection and now we need to follow through with it to understand it in the mindset of the first century Jew, which, of course, Paul was. Was the Resurrection just an issue of life after death? NO. To be sure it was about the fact that the leader of the "movement" was not dead. But it wasn’t just that he wasn’t dead but what that means - he is alive and well, HE REIGNS.
The Old Testament uses the language of "Raising Up" to describe this. It can certainly refer to the raising up from death in the Resurrection but more significantly it refers to the raising up of someone to accomplish a specific task; namely, redemption and restoration. (Compare Psalm 80:12-19; 85; 92:8-15; 94:1-3,16-23 and Isa 44 and 45 –the raising up of Cyrus)
So, when we read Eph 1:19-22 , where he is "raised up" and "seated him at the right hand", we need to understand what that would mean to a first century Jew. IT IS POWERFUL MESSIANIC LANGUAGE.
The Resurrection was the "raising up" of the Messiah, the King of Kings, and the promise of a new life for his people. JESUS IS THE PROMISED ONE. Their hope is fulfilled in Jesus. All of the expectations are met in him. He is the “Desire of Ages”.
Now, if we revisit what we learned about the expectations that the Jews had for the Messiah we will see something very significant.
The 4 main expectations were:
1. The return of the King (Messiah)
2. Overthrow of their Enemies
3. Vindication of God’s people
4. Restoration of the Temple (This would not have been prominent during Jesus time because there was a temple. But, it was destroyed in 70AD and therefore would have been an expectation again.)
Compare these expectations with how Paul tells the story of God’s unfolding plan.
1. The return of the King (Messiah)
2. Overthrow of their Enemies
3. Vindication of God’s people
4. Restoration of the Temple
1. Christ, the King, is Enthroned
2. Enemies defeated - sin and death
3. "Enemies" at "peace"
5. A people indwelt
6. A people empowered
We can see that Paul is setting the stage for a powerful presentation of God’s story - His plan to meet the expectations of the Old Testament.
A Study in EPHESIANS
Uncovering the Mystery of God's Plan
WARNING: This material could change your life - Radically
The language of Ephesians is very forceful in indicating that there is something intentional going on. The words; chose(n), predestined, according to his will, purpose(d), prepared in advance, appear repeatedly in the book.
God has a plan that has been hidden - A Mystery
A top-secret campaign to surprise and overwhelm the Enemy, retake the territory and restore his people
Planned before the world began (1:4)
Accomplished in Christ (1:9,10,20-22; 3:11)
Guaranteed by the Holy Spirit (1:13,14)
Revealed / carried out by His people (1:4,5,11,12,22,23; 3:10,11)
A 1 -2 Punch
1. His is going to unite all things under one lord
2. He is going to do it in and through the Church
This is God’s Plan - His Will.
If we want to know what God’s will is we need look no further than this. This should have a serious impact on the constant question: “what is God’s will for my life.” If we understand the message of Paul / God in the book of Ephesians we will know the answer to that question!!!
Here’s how the Plan unfolds: (It is also the flow of the book)
1. Christ, the King, is Enthroned (the sequel) - Chap 1
2. Enemies defeated - sin and death - Chap 2
3. “Enemies” at “peace” - Chap 2
4. A people indwelt - Chap 2
5. A people empowered - Chap 3 & 4
Part I - Christ Enthroned
Chapter 1 is primarily concerned with establishing where Christ is and what He is doing – the first punch. He is enthroned and all things are being united under Him.
We've talked about the centrality of the Resurrection and now we need to follow through with it to understand it in the mindset of the first century Jew, which, of course, Paul was. Was the Resurrection just an issue of life after death? NO. To be sure it was about the fact that the leader of the "movement" was not dead. But it wasn’t just that he wasn’t dead but what that means - he is alive and well, HE REIGNS.
The Old Testament uses the language of "Raising Up" to describe this. It can certainly refer to the raising up from death in the Resurrection but more significantly it refers to the raising up of someone to accomplish a specific task; namely, redemption and restoration. (Compare Psalm 80:12-19; 85; 92:8-15; 94:1-3,16-23 and Isa 44 and 45 –the raising up of Cyrus)
So, when we read Eph 1:19-22 , where he is "raised up" and "seated him at the right hand", we need to understand what that would mean to a first century Jew. IT IS POWERFUL MESSIANIC LANGUAGE.
The Resurrection was the "raising up" of the Messiah, the King of Kings, and the promise of a new life for his people. JESUS IS THE PROMISED ONE. Their hope is fulfilled in Jesus. All of the expectations are met in him. He is the “Desire of Ages”.
Now, if we revisit what we learned about the expectations that the Jews had for the Messiah we will see something very significant.
The 4 main expectations were:
1. The return of the King (Messiah)
2. Overthrow of their Enemies
3. Vindication of God’s people
4. Restoration of the Temple (This would not have been prominent during Jesus time because there was a temple. But, it was destroyed in 70AD and therefore would have been an expectation again.)
Compare these expectations with how Paul tells the story of God’s unfolding plan.
1. The return of the King (Messiah)
2. Overthrow of their Enemies
3. Vindication of God’s people
4. Restoration of the Temple
1. Christ, the King, is Enthroned
2. Enemies defeated - sin and death
3. "Enemies" at "peace"
5. A people indwelt
6. A people empowered
We can see that Paul is setting the stage for a powerful presentation of God’s story - His plan to meet the expectations of the Old Testament.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
Reflection
"There is no sphere of existence over which Jesus is not
sovereign, in virtue of his role both in creation (Col 1:16-17)
and in reconciliation (Col 1:18-20). There can be no dualistic
division between some areas which he rules and others which
he does not."
--page 79, Colossians and Philemon, N.T. Wright
"There is no sphere of existence over which Jesus is not
sovereign, in virtue of his role both in creation (Col 1:16-17)
and in reconciliation (Col 1:18-20). There can be no dualistic
division between some areas which he rules and others which
he does not."
--page 79, Colossians and Philemon, N.T. Wright
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Notes from Andy's Ephesians series, installment one:
(think about this structure as you read/reread Ephesians for next week)
"Ephesians: Uncovering the Mystery of God's Plan"
How the plan unfolds: (chap. 1-3)
1. Christ Enthroned (and all things united)
2. Sin Defeated
3. Enemies at Peace
4. A People Indwelt
5. A People Empowered
1. Christ Enthroned- expanded upon:
v. 1:20 he is "raised up" not simply resurrected- a more significant terminology in Jewish mindset. cf OT passages referring to raising up: Psalms 80:14-19, 92:8-15, 94: 1-3,16-23, Isaiah 44:24-45:13 (Cyrus as a type/prefigure for Christ)
In chapter one, Paul is spelling out how Christ is actively working out (already/notyet) the Jewish/1st century expectations of the Messiah. Remember those expectations from NT Wright:
1. Return of the King
2. Overthrow Enemies
3. Vindicate the People
4. Restoration of the Temple
See how Paul ties the above mentioned themes of Ephesians into these themes. Look for Paul's use of Messianic language from Psalms and Isaiah to drive the point home.
(think about this structure as you read/reread Ephesians for next week)
"Ephesians: Uncovering the Mystery of God's Plan"
How the plan unfolds: (chap. 1-3)
1. Christ Enthroned (and all things united)
2. Sin Defeated
3. Enemies at Peace
4. A People Indwelt
5. A People Empowered
1. Christ Enthroned- expanded upon:
v. 1:20 he is "raised up" not simply resurrected- a more significant terminology in Jewish mindset. cf OT passages referring to raising up: Psalms 80:14-19, 92:8-15, 94: 1-3,16-23, Isaiah 44:24-45:13 (Cyrus as a type/prefigure for Christ)
In chapter one, Paul is spelling out how Christ is actively working out (already/notyet) the Jewish/1st century expectations of the Messiah. Remember those expectations from NT Wright:
1. Return of the King
2. Overthrow Enemies
3. Vindicate the People
4. Restoration of the Temple
See how Paul ties the above mentioned themes of Ephesians into these themes. Look for Paul's use of Messianic language from Psalms and Isaiah to drive the point home.
REFLECTION
From whales to waterfalls, the whole created order has in principle been reconciled to God. Like a sovereign making a proclamation and sending off his heralds to bear it to the distant corners of his empire, God has in Jesus Christ proclaimed once and for all that the world which he made has been reconciled to him. His heralds, scurrying off to the ends of the earth with the news, are simply agents, messengers, of this one antecedent authoritative proclamation.
— N.T. Wright
Colossians & Philemon
From whales to waterfalls, the whole created order has in principle been reconciled to God. Like a sovereign making a proclamation and sending off his heralds to bear it to the distant corners of his empire, God has in Jesus Christ proclaimed once and for all that the world which he made has been reconciled to him. His heralds, scurrying off to the ends of the earth with the news, are simply agents, messengers, of this one antecedent authoritative proclamation.
— N.T. Wright
Colossians & Philemon
