III 33 1 EPHESIANS 2:3

14 the pledge of our inheri tan ce 2 Co 1:22 +

which brings freedom for those whom God has taken for his own ,> Rm 3:24+

to make his glory praised. Ps 66:2

The triumph and the supremacy of Christ

IICo l 1:3-4.9
15 T hat will explain why I, having once heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus, Phm4-5

EPHESIANS 16
17
a nd the love that yo u show " towa rds all the sa ints, •have never failed to remember
you in my prayers and to thank God for you . • May the God of ou r
Lord Jesus Christ, the Fat her of glory , give you a spirit r of wisdom and perception
Ac 9:13 +
I Co 13:13 +
3:14 ,16
Ex 24:16+
:I:
U.
w
1 I n 5:20
of what is revealed , to bring you to full knowledge of him. • May he enlighten
!f I THE LETTER OF PAUL 18
the eyes of your mind- so that you can see what ho pe his call holds for you, what Hcb3:1

rich glories he has promised the sain ts will inh erit -a nd how infinitely great is Ac9:1 3 +
TO THE C HU RCH AT E P H ES U S 19
the power that he has exercised for us believers. T his you can tell from the strength
3:20
I P 1:5
-'
:;:
"-
Is 52:13
20 of his power -at work in C hrist, when he used it to raise him from the dead and Co l 2:12
1fT Address and Greetin gs
21 to make him sit at his right hand , in heaven , •far abov e every Sovereignt y, Ac 2:33 -1 ·
1 P 3:22
Col 1:16;
Authority, Power, or Domination,' or any oth er name that can be named, not 2:15 -'
Rm 1:1 + 0
1 From Pau l, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, to th e sain ts' 22 only in this age but also in the age to come.• He has put all things under his feet, Ph 2:9
Ac 9:13 + Ps8:6 U
who a re faithful to C hrist Jesus : .Grace and peace to you from G od ou r 2 23 and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church ; 'which is his I Co 15:24-
25
Father and from the Lord Jesus C hrist. body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation,« Col1 :18 'c.
19 +
Ul
~ w
Salvation in Christ a free gift -:I:
f-
I. THE MYSTER Y OF SALVATION AN D OF THE CHU RCH And you were dead, through the crimes and the sins -in which you used to live IICoI2:13 :

God 's plan of salvatio n

2 when you were following the way of this world, obeying the ruler who governs
the air," the spirit who is at work in the rebellious.• Web all were amo ng them
3:7
H eb 6:1+
6:12+
I n 12:31
2 Co 4:4 I';t ~
Tb 13:1 Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, - f-

Ga 3:14 who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in C hrist. " 1 a . Ad d. 'who a re at E phesus' . The wo rds ' a t h im se lf as the hea d , so a s to re attach it t o God. The
Ex 15:16 Ep he sus' wer e probabl y not pa rt o f th e o ri gina l te xt. human (Jew and pa gan ) a nd th e a nge lic worlds are
In 17:24 Before the world was mad e, he chose us, chos e us in Christ, 4
Th e wo rd s 'who are' could be part of a very earl y br ought toge the r a ga in through th e fa ct th at they were
1 P 1:20 to be holy and spotless, a nd to live through love' in his presence, addit ion. So me cr itics th ink the y are authent ic. that s a ved by a s in gle act , c f. 4: lOr. f-
5:27
I' Co 1:8 + th ey were fo llowed b y a b la nk to be ti lled in with t he l. C hris t. i=
determini ng that we should become his adopted son s," through
Irrl I In 3:1
J. I:12
Rm 8:29
Jesu s C hrist
for his own kind purposes,
name of whicheve r church was being sen t the letter ,
b . All the way throu gh the letter, 1:20; 2:6; 3:10 :
6: 12, Pau l reverts to this openi n g refe re nce to he ave n.
The sp irit ual blessings lis ted in th e fol lowing ve rses
m. F ift h ble ssing : th e Jew s a re chose n to be the
human share a llotted to God, and are to be his
witness unti l the coming of the Messiah. Paul, be ing a
J ew, here us es ·we'. ~
to mak e us praise the glory of his grace ,' must wa it ti ll the end of the wo rld before they can be n. Sixth b lessing: the pagans a re called t o s ha re :I:

rtf! R m 3:24 +
I!Col l :13-14
his free gift to us in the Belo ved,"
in whom, through his blood, we ga in our freedom, the forgivenes s
fu lly rea lise d in heaven where t hey have be en form ulated
st ncc a ll ete rn ity.
c. Fi rst blessin g: th rough their uni on with th e
the sal va t ion th a t had, till then, been rese r ve d for the
J ew s ; th at th ey w ill be sav ed is proved by th e fac t th a t
th e y receive t he Sp irit as was promised.
e,

glorified C hr ist the fa ithful a lready eniov. in a hidde n o . Pa u l co m pletes hi s tri nitarian accou nt of G od's
Heb 1:3 of our sins. o sort of way, th e et ernal ha pp iness to which th e chosen plan wit h t he Spirit, si nce the giving of th e Sp iri t shows OJ
W
2:7 Such is the richness of the grac e are ca lled. ' l o ve' he re is primarily the lo ve God ha s th e plan has reached its final stage. Neve r the less, though :t:
which he" has showered on us for u s, a nd th at leads him to 'cho ose' us an d to call u s th is gift h as a lrea dy beg un , it is on ly given in a h idden
wa y white th e u ns p irit ual worl d las ts , a nd will onl y
.....
ro be -no tv ' i cr. Co l 3: 12 ; 1 T h 1:4 ; J T h2: 13: Rm 11;28.
in all wisdom and insight. b u t does not excl ude ou r love for God th a t r esu lt s be given fully when the k ingdom of G od is co mp let e
Rm 16:25+ fr om a nd is a res ponse to hi s ow n lo ve fo r u s, a nd C hrist comes in glo ry .
He has let us know the mystery of his purpose,'
the hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning
cf. R m 5:5.
d . Second blessi ng: Jesus C hri s t, the on ly So n , is p , Lit. ' the setting free of that (e ns la ved p eople) ~
Mk 1: 15
to act upon when the times had ru n their course to the end; ' 10
bo t h the sou rce and th e m od el of t he way God ha s
c hosen fo r us to become ho ly, i.e. by adorning us as
which ha s bee n a cq uired' i.e. b y G o d. and at the co s t
of the life of hi s Son. T his is on e o f the oc c asio ns wh en ""
Ga 4:4 + that he wou ld bri ng every thing toget her under Christ, as head, hi s he irs . cf. R m 8:29. Pa u l widen s an a.T. concept (lik e 'bl essing' , 'saint ' ,
C ol 1:16.20 everyt hing in the heavens a nd everything on earth. k e . The wo rd ' urace' ( charts t as it is used he re 'choice ' . 'adoption', 'recemeuon'. 's hare' , ' p ro m ise' ) o,
e mp hasises not so m uch th e in te ri o r gift that m ak es by applying it to the C hu rch as the new Is rael and the
DI7 :6 + A nd it is in him' that we were claimed as God's own, '" II a h um an be ing hol y, as th e grat uitousness of G od 's body of the saved . :~
Col 1:12
favour and the way he m an ifests his glory. cf. E x 24: 16f. q , Om. 'a nd the love that you show'.
chosen from the beginning, T hese are the two t he mes thai ru n through this a cco unt r . T hi s gift is wh at tec hnically wo u ld be ca lled
Is 46:10 under the predetermined plan of the one who guides all things of G od ' s blessi ngs: their source is God 's liberality, (a c tual) grace .
a nd the ir purpose is to mak e hi s glory appreciat ed by s. 1 it. ' hea r t ' : used in t he Bible for the seat of
RV4:11 as he decides by his own will; cre atures . Eve rything comes fr om him , and eve rything k nowledge as well as of lov e.
chosen to be, 12 s ho u ld lead to hi m . t. N am es t raditiona l in Jew ish literature for a n gelic
f . Var. (V u lg) 'hi s belove d Son'. hierarch ies .
Ps 66:2 for his greater glory , g . T h ird bl essin g: o u r re de mp tion by an e ve nt in u. Lit. 'fills a ll in all' . T he C hu rch , as the body of
the peop le who wo uld put their hopes in Christ before he cam e. time. i.e. the deat h of Jesus. C h ri st 1 C o 12:12f, can be called t he Iulnes s (nteroma ;
h. God the Father. cf. intra 3: 19; 4:13) in so far as it includes the who le
Now you too," in him, 13
I. Fo ur th bles sin g: the revelation of the 'mystery' , new c reation tha t shares (s ince it for ms the set ti ng of
A c 1:4
IICo l l:5;
have heard the message of the truth and the goo d news of your Rm 16:25f. t he human ra ce) in t he co sm ic rebirth under C hr is t its
2:9 salvation, I. Lit. ' for a dispensation of th e times' full ness ', ruler a nd hea d , cf. C o l l : 15-20f. T he a dve rb ia l ph rase
Hcb 6: 12 er, Ga 4:4f. ' a ll in a ll' is used to SUR Re'it so me thing of limitless
and have believed it; k . T he ma in the me of this letter is how t he who le size, cf. 1 C o 12;6 ; 15:28 ; Co I3 :1!.
4:30
and you too have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spir it body of c rea tio n, ha vin g been cut o ff from the C rea tor 2 a. Air is t he ha bita t of demons a nd of t he ir ru ler
2 Co 1:22 by sin , is decompo sin g, a nd ho w its rebir th is effec ted Sat an .
Ac 2:33 +
Rm5:5 + of the Pro mise, 0 by Christ re uniting a ll its p arts into an orga n ism with b. P aul writes as a Je w.
10 1
J
 2:4 EPH E SI A N S 33 2 333 E PHESIANS 3:2 1
Rm2;3:9.23 too in the pas t, living sensua l lives, ru led ent irely by our own phys ical des ires Col 1:22"
13 co nfidence, through our faith in him ; •so, I beg you , never lose co nfidence just Heb 4: 16 ..
5:6 an d our own ideas; so tha t by natu re we were as muc h under Go d's a nger as the I P 3:18 ..
R m 1: 18; 2:8 beca use of the trial s th at I go th rough on yo ur acco unt: they a re you r glory.v Col 1.24
Ex 34:6 + rest of the world. •But Go d loved us with so much love th at he was genero us 2 T m 1:8
Rm 5:8
IIC ,,12:13 with his mercy: - whe n we e were dead through o ur sins, he bro ugh t us to life Paul's prayer
Rm8: 11 + with C h ristv-i- it is t hrough grace that you have bee n saved -·and raised us u p 14
Co I2: 12; 15 This, then, is what I pray, kneeling before the Fa ther,' -frorn whom every 1:17
3:1-4 with him and gave us a place with him in hea ven , in Ch rist Jes us.' family, i whether spir itual or natural, takes its nam e:
D19:6
Ps 22:30-31 This was to show for all ages to come, th rough his goo dness towards us in 16 Out of his infinite glor y, may he give you the power through his Spirit 2 P 1:3
Christ Jesus, how infinitely rich he is in gra ce.• Because it is by grace that you 8 17 for your hidden self to grow strong, 'so that Christ may live in your hearts Ac 1:8+
In 14:23
DI8: 17-18 have been saved, through faith; not by anyt hing of your own, but by a gift from Rm 7:22+
Rm 1:16 + 18 through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, ' you will with all Col 1:23: 2:7
God; 'not by anyth ing that you have done, so that nob ody ca n cla im the credit. the saints have strength to grasp the breadth a nd the length, the height and AColc 9:13+
2:2
2C05:17 + We are God's work of ar t, crea ted in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the 10 19 the depth ;' •until , know ing the love of Christ," which is beyond all know-
beginn ing he had mean t us to live it. ledge,' you are filled with the utter fullness of Go d. m Col 2:9+ ..J
20 Glory be to him whose power, working in us, can do infinite ly more" than we . ~:~'lf:13 ;f
Q.
Reconciliat ion of the Jews a nd the pagans with each other and with God
21 can ask or imagine; -g lory be to him from generation to generation in the C hurch
If! Do not forget, th en, that there was a time when you! who were pagans I I
physically , termed t he Unc ircumcised by those who spea k of themselves as the
a nd in Christ Jes us for ever a nd ever. Amen .
..J
Ci rcumcision by reason of a phys ical operation, -do not forget, I say, th at 12 c . 'We' he re mean s bo th the p aean s . cr. VV. 1·2 . to p rea ch th e G oo d New s. cf . Lk 11:49 : M t 23:34 ; 10:41. o( j
and the Jews. cf. v , 3. V. 3 is a pa rent hes is. T h is is why I he C hu rch as we ll as bei ng fo u nded on
Co l 1:2 1.27 you had no C h ristv and were excluded from membership of Israe l, aliens with d . ' w it h C hr ist ' : var. ' i n C hr ist' . 'it is t hrou gh C hr is t, I Co 3: 10f. is a lso said to be fou nded on th em .
Rm 9:4-5 t . 'ev ery": var . ' the ent ire'.
no part in the cove na nts with the ir Pro mise;" you were immersed in th is world, grace" : var , (Vu lg) ' t h r o u gh w hose grace'.
e , He re as in Co I2:12; 3' 1·4 t he use of th e past 3 a. V. 1 (co ntin ued in v. IS) br eaks off a bru ptly. the
2: 17 witho ut hopei a nd witho ut God.' • But no w in Christ Jesus, yo u t ha t used to be 13 tense shows tha t the resu rrection a nd triumph of pare nt he tica l devel opment of vv, 2- 14 bei ng su ggested by (J)
Ps 148:14
so far apart from us ha ve been brought ver y close, by the blood of Ch rist." C h ris tia ns in heav en is co nside red as ac tua lly ex lsti na. th e m enti on of nagn ns in v. I . On th e grace of be ing ~~
wh er eas t he fu ture ten se in Rm 6:3- 11; 8: 1I ,I 7f treats th e ap o st le of th e pa gan s, cf . 3:7f; R m 1:5 : 15:15f ; I f-
Is 9: 5
For he is the peace between us, a nd has made the two int o one a nd bro ken 14 it as sornet h tng that ha s st ill to take p lace . T reatt ng Co3: 10: Oa2:9,
Ga 3:28' 1- do wn th e barri er which used to keep them apart,' act ua lly destr oying in his . th e esc hatolo pica l rea lity as a lready existin g is a b . C f. 2 Co 12:1,7. Th c imm ed iat e refer en ce is to
Co I2: 14 + cha rac ter ist ic of Pa u l's lett er s writt en fro m pri so n. wha t was revealed to P aul on the way 10 Da mascus,
own person the hosti lity -ca used by the rules and decrees of the Law. '" T his 15 r. Th e de scrip tion of thi s p ast th at Pa u l now Rives ef. Ga 1:16 : Ac 9:15 : 22:21; 26: 16-18. N ::E
was to crea te o ne single N ew Man " in himself out of the two of them a nd by is meant to a p ply to a ll pag an s in a gene ra l way - no t c. T he N .T. p rophet s. cr. 2:20 + . T he O .T. p rophet s .:. ~
Col 3: 14- 15 speci fica lly to th ose he is writ in g 10 . had o nly a n o bsc ure a nd im perf ect kn owled ge of th e
restor ing peace -thro ugh the cross, to unite them both in a single Body« a nd 16 J:. I.e . yo u had no Mes s ia h . myst er y of the Mess iah , cf. I P 1: 1Q..12 ; Mt I3 : !?
reco ncile them with God . In his own person he killed the hostil ity. -Later he 17 h . T he successive cov ena nts m ad e by God wit h d . l .e. as th e Jud aeo-Chri sri an s. cf . 2: 19.
Is 57: 19 Ab ra ha m. Isaac. Jaco b . M oses . Da vid etc .: cf. Ex 19: 1 + ; e. Var . (V u IR) "sho win g clearly to all ' .
Zc 9: 10 ca me" to bring the goo d news of peace, peace to y ou who were fa r a way and peace Lv 26:42.45 : Si 44· 45; Ws 18:22 : 2 M H:15 : Rm 9:4. f . T he evil SPir its were un awar e o f God 's plan for f-
4:4 sa lvatio n a nd so t hey per su ad ed hum a n be ings to i=
to those who were near at hand. -Thro ugh him, both of us have in the o ne Sp irit q 18 i . Ho pe o f a Messi a h . wh ich was h it herto contlned
3: 12 + to Isr ael. 1:12 . cr ucify C hr is t, I Co 2:8 : and it is on ly the existen ce
2 Co 13: 13 + o ur way to co me to the Fa ther. l . T he pa ga ns had m an y go ds but not the o ne tru e o f the C hu rc h th a t make s the m aware of it no w,
Ex 12:48 + er. I P 1: 12.
Ps 122:3-4 So yo u T a re no lon ger aliens o r fo reign visito rs: you are citizens like all t he 19 God , I Co 8:5f.
Ac 9:13 + k. T he cr uci fixio n of C h r ist th at br ou ght togeth er ::i'
Id 8: 16 sa ints, a nd pa rt of Go d's household. •You a re part of a bu ilding tha t has the 20 Jews and p agan s vv. 14-15, a nd reconc iled bot h with :r:
Rm 15:20 Va r. 'o ur s torv'. 0..
I Co 3:lOf a po stles a nd pro phets' for its foundatio ns, and C hrist Jesus himself for its mai n t he Father v v , 16·1 8. g.
2 Co 6: 16 I. T he wa ll sc nar a u n g the co urt of th e Jew s from h. Ad d. ( Vu IK) ' of o ur Lo rd Jesu s C hris t'.
4:11-12 co rners to ne. ·As every' st ructure is aligned on him , all grow into o ne holy temple 2 1 th e co urt of th e paeans in the Temp le. cr . Ac 2 1:28f. I. A p lay o n th e G ree k word s for ' fat her ' a nd
Rv 2 1:14 in the Lo rd; -a nd you too, in him , a re being built into a ho use wher e God lives, 22 m . T he Mosaic La w Rave the Jews a pr ivileged s ta t u's ' fam ily' ( pater ; natrta l: nat rta is used for a ny so cial
1 Co ]: 16+ m
and sep ar a ted the m from paeans. Jesu s abolis hed thi s i/:fOUP descended fro m a co mmo n a nces to r and t he on e
I P 2:5 in the Spirit. Law by Iul ftll tnx it on ce for all on th e cross . Co l 2: 14 +.
W
ancestor co m m o n to hum an beings and aneels is God, :r
n . T h is New Ma n is t he prototype of th e ne w the supreme Fat her .
IICo l 1:24-29 Paul, a servant of the mystery huma nit y t hat G od recreat ed (2 Co 5:17 ! ) in th e l. Sto ics used thi s ex p ressio n to mea n the to cnli tv
pe rs o n of C h rist , th e seco nd Adam (1 Co 15:45) aft er of th e cos mos . Pa u l u ses it to s ug ges t th e cos m ic
4: 1 (u nc ti on o f C hr ist in the rebirth of the world . 11 co u ld
3 SoprobaI, Pablyul,heara prison er of Chr ist Jes us for the sa ke of you pagans. . . •Yo u have ki llin g t hc sinfu lly corr upt race of t he first Ada m in
Ph 1: 13
~
Co 1 4: 18 the cr uc i tl xi o n (R m 5: 12f ; 8:3; 1 Co 15:21l . T h i~ he referre d to t he size o f rh e m yst ery of sa lva t io n . or
2 Tm 2:9 d how I ha ve been ent rusted by G od with th e grace" he mean t Ne w Ad am has been crea ted in ' the go od ness a nd p re fe ra bly to C hris t's uni ver sal lo ve on w hich (nex t
for yo u, -a nd that it was by a revelatio n" that I was given the kno wledge of the holiness o f th e tru th ' 4:24 , a nd he is un iqu e becau se verse ) t he mys ter y depends. Cf. 1:t7·I'}.23: 2:7; 3:8:
Rm 16:25 + in h im th e bo u nd ar ies be tween a ny on e RfOUP and C (11 2:2f.
mys tery, as I ha ve j ust desc ribed it very shortly. • If you rea d my wor ds, yo u will th e rest o f th e hum an race a ll di s appea r, Co l 3: 10f: k . This love fo r us th at Ch rist proved bv acce n ung
I C o 7:40 deat h. 5:2,25 ; Ga 2:20 . is ident ica l with the lo ve the
2 Co 11:5f have so me idea of the dept hs that I see in the myst ery of Ch rist. -This mystery Ga 3:27f.
4 :1/
In 14:26 + that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles a nd prophe ts-
o . Th is ' s inalc Bod y' is bo t h t he p hys ica l bod Y
o f Jesu s th at w us exec u ted by cr uci fixion . Co l 1:22 ,1 •
fa the r has. 2:4 ,7; 2 Co 5: 14. 1tH9 ; Hm N:35.37.39 .
rr. 1 Co 13:1 I .
~
was unknown to a ny men in pas t generations; -it mea ns that paga ns now share a nd the C h urc h or ' m ys tic a l' bod y of Chr ist in I. T he love o f ( ;od ca n no t be ' ~ r a s PC:d ' (v. 18.
2:12- 19 wh ich, o nce they a re reconciled . a ll th e pa rts func tion us inR a ph ih1S\lph il.:s l te rm technica l in Greek ) hut
the same inheritance," tha t they are parts of th e sa me body, a nd t hat the sa me ill th ei r ow n p lace. I Co 12: 12 f-. can be 'k now n' by a myst ic' s awareness of it th r ou gh
promise has been made to them , in Christ Jesus, thro ugh the gos pel. • I ha ve p. T h ro ugh the apostles who in his nam e pr each ed lo ve , d . 1:17f: J: .1f : Ho 2:22 -t ; J n 10:14 r • T his
2 Co 3:6 t he GOl1d News of salv at io n and pea ce . a ware ne ss is so me th ing de eper t ha n scientltl c
C ol 1:23 been made t he serva nt of tha t gospel by <1 gift of gra ce fro m Go d who ga ve it to Q. T he o ne Spirit tha t elves life to th e si ng le body k no wledge . d . 1 Co 1.\. and is mo re lik e knowing tha t
I Th2:4 on e is lo ved by the o the r than kno w in g the o th er that
I Co /5 :8/ me by his own power. • I, who am less tha n the leas t of all the saints, have been (o f C hris t w ho is nne with his C hu rc h) is the Ho ly Spirit
Ga 2:8 who ha s cha nged t he form of th e body now it ha s on e loves, cf'. Ga 4:9: even a w ure ncss of thi s so rt
P h 4: 13 en tr usted with this special grace, not only of proclaimin g to th e pagans the risen . and by doin R so has com e do w n on eac h of th e ho weve r can never ' uru sp ' t his sor t llf lo ve.
Co l 1:29 infin ite tr easure of Christ • but also of ex plai n ing! how the mystery is to be pa rts of wh ich it is made up . T he t rini tar ian st ructure m. Lit. 'in order th a i yo u may be 'Hied to a ll th e
uf thi s SCI.:Iio n is repe a ted in v. 22. fu lness (f/ fl'ru" ", ' (If (; (\0'. (var. ' in orde r [h at a ll t he
disp ensed. Through all the ages , this has been kept hidde n in God, the creato r r . P a u l inser ts v v , 14· 18 (h ow C h r is t has uni ted fu lness o f God m ay be fUled · .) C h ris t wh o is filled
I C o 2:7-9 +
I P 1:12 of everything. Why? -So that the Sovereig nties an d Powers shou ld learn! 10 pa ga ns an d Jews) be twee n his co ntras ting descrip t ions wit h t he divine life nt ls C hr istians with it, Col 2:9,
of pag an s be fo re (vv. 11-13 ) a nd after ( 19-22) a nd in Ih is way a C hris tia n enters bot h the C h urc h and
on ly now, thro ugh the Ch urch, how co mprehensive Go d's wisdo m rea lly is, co nvers io n . th e new COSm(l' which he he lp s to build a nd whi ch Is
1:4 exact ly accord ing to the plan which he had had from a ll eternity in Chris t Jesu s II a. T he N.T. prophets, cf . 3:5 ; 4:1( ; Ac 11:27 1 , the Iutness uf t he tot a l C hrist, 1:23: 2:22: 4:12- 13;
2:18 loKether with the apos tles. are the wit nesse s to who m Col 2: 10 I .
Rin 5:1 our Lord. -This is why we are bold enough to a pproach God in co mp lete 12 the d ivine p lan was firs t revealed a nd wh o were th e nrst n . Va r. (V u lR') 'can do a ll' .
I ~J
 4: I EPHESIANS 334 335 EPHESIANS 5:2 0
Try, t~en, to imitate God, a~ ~hild:en of his .that he loves , -and follow Ch~ist ~+N~+
II. E XHOR TATION 5 by loving as he loved you, giving himself up In our place as a frag rant offering f~:/f6
and a sacrifice to God. -Among you the re must be not even a mention of ~:1&l8
A call to unit yO fornication or impurity in any of its for ms, or promiscuity: this would GaS:I9+
IICOI 3:12- 14 4 I, the .pr isoner in the. Lo rd, implore yo u ther~fore to .lead a life wo rthy of yo ur 4 hardly become the saints ! -There must be no coar seness, or salacious talk and Ac9:13 +

I c°l;VN7 Bear With one another chantably, In complete selflessness,

voca t ron . 0 5 j okes-all th is is wrong for you ; raise your vo ices in thanksgiving instead. -For
Co I3:14- IS gent leness and patience. -Do all you can to preser ve the un ity of the Spirit by the you can be quite certai n th at nobody who a ctua lly indulges in fornication M t 6:24
I Co 6:9-10
I c~'ro:r;~ peace tha t binds yo u together. -There is one Bod y, one Spirit, just as yo u were all or impurity or promiscuity-which is wors hipping a false god a-can inherit Col 3:5
4 Heb 13:4-5
rg~2tIJ: called into one a nd the same ho pe when you were ca lled. -There is one Lord, one anything of the kingdom of G od. Do not let anyone deceive you with empty Co/ :?:4.8
0

n~?j1i~ + fa ith, o ne baptism, -and one God who is Fa ther of all, over all, through all a nd a rguments: it is fo r this loose living that God's anger comes down on those who IICo13:6
wit hin a ll." ~ rebel against him. Make sure that you a re not included with them. You were Jb
0
4:18
24: 13 0

Rm 12:6 9 darkness once, but now you are light in th e Lord ; be like children of light, -for I2nCo 8:12+
Eac h one of us, howe ver, has been given his own share of grace," given as 4:6; ..J
the effects of the light are seen in complete goodness a nd right living and truth. Coll: 6:14 i:
Ch rist a llo tt ed it. It was sa id that he wou ld:
0
12-l3 0..
Ps 68: 18
Ac 2:33 When he ascended to the height , he captured prisoners,
I? T ry to discover what the Lord wants of you, having noth ing to do with the fut ile0
I Th 5:4-8

12 works of darkness b ut exposing them by contrast. -The things which are done
he gave gifts to men,"
13 in secret are things that people are as hamed even to speak of; but a nything 0
..J
I P 3: 19 +
W he n it says, 'h e ascende d', wha t ca n it mean if not that he descended' rig ht 14 exposed by the light will be illuminated -and anything illum inated turns into In 3:20-21 oo
down to the lower regions of the earth?" -T he on e who rose h igher than all the 10 light. b That is why it is said; v
heavens to fill all thi ngs" is no ne other than the o ne who descended. -A nd to II
I to 12:28 f Wake up from your slee p,
some, his gift was that they sho uld be apostles; to so me, prophets; to some, ls 26:19 ;
(/)

Tt 1:5 + r ise from the dead, 60:1 ~~

evangel ists; to some, pasto rs and teachers ;« oSO th at t he saints together' make 12 He b6:4; f-
2:2 1: 4: 16 and Christ will shine on you ," 10:32
a unity in the work of ser vice, build ing up the body of C h rist. -In th is way we 13
Co l l :23 -t-:
3:11 a re a ll to co me to unity in o ur fai th and in our knowled ge of the Son of God, unt il 15 So be very careful about the sort of lives you lead, like intelligent and not like
1.'21 +
we becom e the perfect Man; ' fully mature with th e fu llness o f Christ hi mse lf. 16 senseless peo ple. -This may be a wicked age, but your lives should redeem it. C o14:5 N ::;:
I Co 14:20 ~ i=
Then we shall not be children any longer, or tossed one way and another and 14 1~ And do not be tho ught less but recognise what is the will of the Lord. -Do not Coll :9

Co l 2:4.8
ca rried alo ng by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play
Tb4:6 a nd the ir cleverness in practising deceit. If we live by the truth and in love, we
0 IS
irCol }: 19
sha ll grow in a ll ways into Christ, who is the hea d -by whom the whole body 16
is fitted a nd joined together, every j oint- addi ng its own st re ngth, for eac h
sepa ra te part to work according to its function. So the body grows until it has
built itself up, in love.
The new life in Christ
In par ticular, I wa nt to u rge you in the name of th e Lo rd, not to go o n living 17
Rm 1:1 8-32
IICol l: 2 1 th e ai mless kind of life that pagans live. Intellectua lly they a re in the da rk , 18
0
I P 1:18: 4:3
an d they are estran ged from the life of God, without knowledge because th ey
ha ve sh ut their hea rts to it. -Their sense of right and wrong once d ulled ,' they 19
have a ba ndoned them selves to sexua lity an d ea gerly pursue a car eer of indecenc y
o f every kind . '" Now that is ha rd ly the way you have learnt fro m Ch rist, -u nless ~?
0
IICo I3 :9-1O
you fa iled to hear him properly when you were tau ght what the truth is in Jesus.
Co l 3:5
You mu st give up your o ld way of life; you must put aside you r old self, whi ch 22
gets co rrupted by following illusory desires. Your mind mu st be renewed by a 23
0 the ' lo wer reg io n' to whic h C hr is t descended to Rive
2: 15 +
Co l 3: 10 + spiritua l re volutio n ° SO that you can put on the new self that has been c rea ted in 24
God's way, in the goo d ness and holin ess of the tru th. "
Zc 8: 16
Co l 3:9 So from now on, there mu st be no more lies: You must speak the truth to one 25
1 Co 12:12 +
I Ps 4:4 LXX another, since we a re all parts of on e another. -Even If you are angry, you must not 26
M rS:22
2 C o 2:1 1 sin,' neve r let the sun set on your anger -or else yo u will give the devil a footho ld . 27
d rug yourselves with wine, this is simply dissipation; be filled with the Spirit. P?l?1
19 Sing the wor ds a nd tunes of t he psalms and hymn s whe n yo u are to gether , IICoI 3:16-17
20 and go on singing a nd cha nting to the Lord in your hea rt s, oSO that a lways and l-
everywhere you ar e giving tha nks to God who is our Father in the na me of our F'
1 T h 5:18
Lord Jes us C hrist.
:lO
4 a . Pau l list s thr ee different t h rea ts to the C hurch's of a ll who are re born 2: 15 + . or else (an d thi s se nse :r:
uni ty: ar gumen ts be twee n C hr ist ians vv. 1-3 , d iversity is to be p re ferr ed ) as refe rring to th e to tal C hr ist. 0..
of ser vice in t he C hu rch vv . 7- 11. u no r tho do x teachi ng I.e. t he who le b od y. l Co 12:12 +. m ad e of hea d v. 15 ;
vv , 14-15. T hese t h rea ts ar e all ave rt ed by a pp lyin g 1:22 : Col 1:18, a nd the res t of tn e b od y v. 16 : 5:30 .
the pri nci p le of u nit y in C h ris t. vv. 4-6, 12- 13.18. k. Va r. (Yu lg) 'eac h mem be r ' .
C)
b . Var. (VUIR) ' with in a ll of u s' . I. Var. ( V u lg ) 'B ein g devoi d of hop e ' .
w
c. Cha risma o r speci al graces give n to indi vidu als m. Or 's exua li ty an d every k ind of indecency an d :r:
fo r th e be nefit of the whole co m m un ity . cf. 1 Co 12:1 -l- , gre ed ' .
d. F ollowi ng r abbinic pr acti ce Pa u l qu o tes th is n. Eac h hum a n bei n g sho uld ' p ut o n t he N ew Ma n' .
text fo r t he sak e o f two p hr ase s: ' he asce nded ' vv , 9- 10. Ep 2:15 + (here . as in v. 22, tra nsla ted 'self ' ). so as to
a nd ' he nave Rifts' v. I I . wh ich he in terp rets as t he be re-creat ed in hi m . cf. Ga 3:27 ; R m 13: 14. In so me
asce nsi o n of Jes us a nd th e d escent o f t he Sp irit .
e, A dd . ( Vu IR) ' firs t o f all ' .
p laces Pa u l ta lks in the sa me wa y a bo u t the ' new
crea ture', 2 Co 5: 17 +. ~
I. Lit. ' int o the lo wer pa n s o f th e eart h' . T he m os t o . Lit. 'worki ng the go od thi ng wl th h is o wn ha nd ' .
ap p ro pr iate inter pretati on is that ' t he ear th ' is itsel f 'Good' and '(own ) hand ' are om itte d o r in terch anged
in var ious readi ngs: th e ori gina l text m ay have been
a mbig uo us .
't he gi fts ' to ma nk ind an d Pa ul' s a r gu men t is t ha t
' these ~ i fts ca n o nly be fro m the o ne who ascend ed ' .
But t he phra se can be ta ken to mean t he sub te rra nean
P. Va r. (V u lg) 'fo r b u ild ing up th e fa ith ' .
Q . T he o ne H o ly Spi rit t hat ke ep s t he one bo dy of ~
C hr ist u nit ed , 4:4 : I Co 12: 13. is 'g r ieved ' . cr. 4:30 ;
kin gd om o f t he dead , N b 16:33(, to which C h r ist
desce nd ed be fore t he resu rr ect io n , 1 P 3:19f. Is 63: 10 . by a ny t hing th at har ms the u nity of the bo dy.
1:. By asce nd ing th ro u gh all the cosm ic sp heres
a nd ta king p os sess io n o f t hem a ll o ne af ter a no the r.
r. ' yOU' ; var . 'u..•. T he sa me in 5:2.

Ac 18:3+ : C h r is t becomes the head of the who le ptero ma or 5 a , 'p ro m iscu ity' : li t. 'greed' , a p p aren t ly sexu al
20 :34-35 An yo ne who was a th ief must stop steali ng; he sho uld try to find so me useful 28 to ta l co sm os 1: 10 + . and m a kes t he en tire u ni ver se gree d in t his co ntex t. U nco nt ro lle d greed treats all
I 'fb 4:11 ack no wledge hi m as 'Lo r d ' . cr. 1:20-23 ; C ol 1:19 ;
manual work ins tead, and be ab le to do som e goo d 0 by helping ot her s'! that are crea tu res with th e wor sh ip d ue to Go d a nd so turns

IT M t15:11
Jm 3:10-12 in need.

Is 63:10
Guard against foul talk; let your words be for the improvement of 29
0

ot hers, as occasion offers, and do goo d to yo ur listeners, -otherwise you will 30

1:13 + on ly be gr ieving the Holy Sp irit of God who has marked you wit h his sea l for
Ph 2:R- 11.
h. Pa u l li m it s his li st to charisms that re la te to
teachi ng and wh ich are the only o nes th a t apply in
t his co n tex t. vv. 13- 15.
I. T he p art icul ar ' sa ints' P au l m en ti o ns here see m
t hem int o ido ls .
b. T he wr ong sort o f way to tal k a bo ut se xua l
immorali ty is the way th at lea ves the sub jec t in a
d an gerou s o bsc ur ity. v, 3. To talk abou t it in suc h a wa y,
ho wever. that it is recog nised fo r wha t it is w ill lea d to
Rm 1:29+
Col 3:8 you to be set free when the day comes. q N ever ha ve grudges against others, or 31
0 to be m iss io naries and o the r teach ers, cf. 3:5. b u t m ay its be ing co rrec ted; t h is sort of ligh t is the li gh t of
incl ude all t he faith ful in so far a s t hey a ll help to C hrist th a t p u ts an end to d a rk ness.
lose your temper, or raise your vo ice to a nybody, or ca ll eac h ot her names, b uild UP t he C hurc h. cf. Ac 9:13 + . c, Th is (l ik e I T m 3: 16) see ms to be an extr act
[i't~~2. or allow any sort of sp itefu lness. Be friends with one a nother, and ki nd, 32
0 I. T h is does not refer p ri ma ri ly to t he ind ivid ua l fro m an ea r ly C h r ist ian h ymn . O n bapt ism as an
C ol 3: 13 C hris t ia n . T he se nse is co llec tive . It ca n be ta ke n as en ligh ten in g, er, H eb 6:4 ; 10 :32 (ef. R m 6:4 + ).
forgiving each ot her as readily as G od for gave yo ur in Christ . referring to Christ hi ms elf. th e Ne w M an. th e archetype d . Var , 'a nd you will to uch C h ris t' ,
 5:2 1 EP H E S I A N S 33 6 337 EPHESIANS 6:24
The morals of the home 22 everything. • I am sending him to you precisely for this purpose, to give you
Ps 87:5
lIe ", 1 3: 18
Give way to o ne another in obed ience to C hrist. •W ives sho uld rega rd their g news about us and reassure you.
I P 3:1-7 husba nds as they rega rd the Lord, -si nce/ as Ch rist is hea d o f the C hurch a nd 23 23 May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ grant peace, love and fa ith to
t C u 11:3 saves the whole body, so is a husband the hea d of his wife; - and as the C hurc h 24 24 all th e brothers. • May grace and eternal life be with all who love ou r Lord
1:12 '; ! ) subm its to C hrist, so sho uld wives to their hus ba nds, in everything.• Hu sbands
5:2 25 Jesus Christ. '
11(\1 13: 19 should love their wives just as C h rist lo ved the C hu rch a nd sacr ificed h imself
I P 3:7
Rm6 :41
T I3:5 -7 for her -to make her holy. He made her clean by wash ing her in water with a form 26
2('011 :2 of words, -so that when he took her to him self she wou ld be glo rious, with no 27
Co l 1:22
Rv 19:7-8 : speck or wrinkle or a nyth ing like that, but holy and fault less '! ·In the same way , 2M
2 1:2.9- 1 I
husbands must lo ve their wives as they love th eir o wn bodies ; for a man to love
his wife is for him to lo ve h imself. . A ma n never hates his o wn bod y, bu t he feeds 29
it a nd looks after it; and that is the wa y Ch rist trea ts the C hurch, • because it is 30 -'
I Co 12: 12 1 his body-and we arc its living par ts. ' -For this reason, a man must lea ve his fath er 31 i:
Gn 2:14 ll.
M 119:5p and mo ther and be join ed to his wife , and the two will become one body. -This 32
R m 16:25 +- mystery has many impl icat ion s ; but I am saying it a pplies to C hrist a nd the

C hurch.' -To sum up; you too, each o ne of you , must love his wife as he lo ves 33
himsel f; and let every wife respect he r hu sba nd . oo-'
Pr 6:20 C hild ren, be o bed ient to your parents in th e Lo rd v-i-tha t is yo ur d uty . -Thc
6
Si 3:1·6
IICo I 3:2{}- 21
Ex 20:12
first co mma ndment that has a promi se attached to it is: Honour yo ur father
and mother, -and the promise is: and you will prosper and ha ve a long life in the land. en
Pr 13:24 + An d pa rents , neve r d rive your child ren to resentment bu t in bring ing them u p 4
~~
>-
correct them a nd guide them as th e Lo rd does .
IICo I3 :22- Sla ves, be obedient to the men who a re called yo ur mas ters in th is worl d,
4: 1
T . 2:9- 1O with deep respect > and sincere loyalt y, as you are obedient to Christ: ' not only 6 "' ::;;
Rm 6: 15 + whe n you are under th eir eye, as if you had o nly to please men , but beca use yo u ':'t=
I P 2: 18
a re sla ves of C hrist and wh o leh eartedl y do the will of God . • Work hard and 7
willingly, bu t do it for th e sake o f the Lo rd and not for the sak e of men . • You 8
can be sure that everyo ne, whethe r a slave o r a free man, will be properly rewarded >-
by the Lo rd for whatever wo rk he ha s done well . -A nd those of you wh o are 9
t=
em plo yers, treat yo ur slaves in th e sa me spirit; do without th reats , remembering
Jb 31:15 that they and you hav e the same Master in heaven and he is not impressed by o ne
::;;
D II0: 17 + pe rson more than by another. :r:
o,

The spiritual war

R m 13:12
2 Co 6: 7:
Fi na lly, gro w strong in the Lord, wit h the strength of his power. -P ut God's :7 II)
10:4 a rmour on' so as to be a ble to res ist the devil's tac tics. -For it is not against huma n 12 w
Jm 4:7 :r:
M I1 6: 17 + enemies tha t we have" to struggle, but aga inst the So vere ignt ies and the Powers
1 P 5:8-9
who originate the dark ness in thi s world, th e spiritua l army of evil in the heavens.'
That is why you m ust rely on God 's a rmo u r, or yo u will not be able to put up any 13
~
., II
res istance when the worst happen s, o r have enough resou rces to hold yo ur
gro u nd .
c. By drawin g a parallel be twee n a hum an marri a ge cr. Is 11:4-5 : 59: 16- 18; Ws 5: 17-23 . T he se are the a rms
and th e marria ge of C h r ist to his C hurc h , vv, 23·3 2. of Yahweh wit h whic h, Pa ul say s, the C hr is tia n is to
~~:W5: SO stand your ground, with truth buck led round your waist, a nd integrity 14 Pa u l makes these t wo co ncep ts illu m ine ea ch othe r. a rm him self.
C h r is t is th e hu sba nd o f th e C hurch becau se he is her d . Va r. ' you ha ve ' .
n~~~~ fo r a breastp late, - wea ring for sh oes o n yo ur feet the eagern ess to spread the 15 head a nd bec a use he lo ves th e C hu rc h as m uc h as a e . T hese a re th e spirits who we re th ou ght to mo ve 0-
IS4Ji':~9; gospe l of peace -and a lways ca rry ing the shield of fa ith so that you ca n use it to 16 man lo ves his o wn body wh en he lo ves hi s wife. Hav i ng th e s ta rs an d , c on seq ue ntly, th e u ni ver se. T hey lived ~
es ta b lished thi s, th e co m parison naturally sug ges ts an in ' t he he a ve ns' , 1:20f : 3:10 : Ph 2:10 . or in 'the a ir',
JJnl;j~:' :7 put out the burn ing arrows of the evil o ne. -And then yo u must accept salvation 17 ide a l fo r human ma rriage. T he sy m bo l of Isra el as th e 2:2, t.e . th e space betwee n th e sur face of th e ea r th and
Hcb 4:12 f rom God to be yo ur helm et a nd receive the word of G od from th e Spirit to use wife o f Ya hwe h is c om m on in th e O .T., Ho 1:2 + . th e he av en wh er e G o d lives. So me of the m a re amon g
f. It was cus to m a ry in t he M id d le E ast , at the tim e the 'e le m en ta l principles of th e world ' , Ga 4:3. Th ey
as a sword . this le tt e r wa s wr itten , for t he 'sons of th e wed di ng ' di sobeyed God and wa nt to en slave the human ra ce
' ~o: ~:i:.; Pr ay a ll the time, asking for what yo u need , praying in the Sp irit on every 18 to esc ort th e b ride to her husba nd after she had ba thed to themselves in sin 2:2. We used to be their slaves b ut
a nd d ress ed . As applied my s ticall y to the C hurc h, C hris t came to free u s, 1:21; Co l 1:13 : 2:15.20, a nd if
possi ble occas io n. N ever get tir ed of staying awake to pray fo r a ll th e saints ; C h ri s t washes his bride him self in the bath of baptism, C bris ua ns a re armed with the powe r o f C hris t. t he y wiIJ
R m 15:30 + and pr ay fo r me to be given an o ppo rtunity to o pen my mouth! and speak 19 a nd makes her im m ac ul a te (note the men tion of a be ab le to fig ht t hem .
baptisma l fo rm u la) a nd int roduces her to h imse lf. f . Li t. ' that I ma y be give n speech in opening of
Rm 16:25+ without fear and give o ut the mystery of the gospel. - of' wh ich I am an a mbassador 20
g . Add . (Y u lg) 'made fr o m h is fles h a nd bl ood ' . my mou th' , He b raism, cf. Ez k 3:27: 29:21: Ps 5 1: 15 ;
in ch ains; pray that in proc laimi ng it I ma y speak as bold ly as I ought to . h . Pa ul m a ke s thi s G n text a pr ophecy of th e cf . Col 4 :3.
marria ge o f C hri st a nd the C hurc h : a m ys te ry. like R. O m . 'o f the aoscet' .
t ha t of t he sa lva t io n of th e pa gan s . that has been
Personal news and final salutation hidd en but is no w rev ealed , cf. I: !:"f ; 3:3f.
I should like you to know, as well, what is ha ppening to me and what I am 21 6 a, O m . 'in th e Lo rd '. h . O r 'May grace be with all wh o lo ve our Lord
b . Lit. ' fear and trembling', cf. 1 Co 2:3 + . Jesu s C hr ist in ete rnal life'. Ad d. (VuIS .) ' A me n"
IICo1 4:7 doing; my dear brot her Tychicus, my loyal. he lpe r in the Lord, will tell you c. G od in the O .T . a rm s himself agai ns t ht s enem ies, cf . Ph 4:23. .
III