THE POWER OF LOVE

Ephesians 3:16-19, NIV 

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Unity Cross by Gwen Meharg

Paul started this prayer in chapter 1, verse17.  Through many asides and digressions, (aaahhh . . . Paul) he continues it. 

God is rich.  Richer than the richest person on earth.  In fact, He owns it all.  Everything.  It's all His.  Nothing belongs to us, really.  And, it's not just the tangible things that He owns, He is absolutely full to the brim (and it never goes lower than full) with mercy and compassion, love and forgiveness, strength and power.  From this glorious storehouse of wealth He fills our inner being, our spirit, with the strength and power to BELIEVE that God is who He says He is and that Christ lives in our hearts, the seat of  our entire personality.

The result of Christ living in our hearts is love.  Paul uses two metaphors here, one biological and one architectural: "being rooted and established."  The first is of a tree with deep roots in the soil of love and the second is of a building with strong foundations laid on the rock of love.  These two pictures are not accidental.  They are meant to give us an image of the strength of love from God to us and  from us to others.  (See Col. 2:7)

Paul once again reinforces the importance and power of the church by attaching our ability to understand this powerful love to our relationship with other believers.  Remember, Paul's letter to the Ephesians is most concerned with unity in the church . . . and, that unity is achieved by the power of love. 

God's love is "wide" enough to reach the whole world.  It is "long" enough to stretch far into eternity.  It is "high" enough to raise us all, Jew and Gentile alike, to Him who sits on the throne.  It is "deep" enough to rescue us from the clutches of sin.

Paul realizes that he is trying to measure the immeasurable and so he prays.  He prays for believers everywhere and through all of time that we might know the unknowable -- that we might know a portion of this love that is incomprehensible.  Just a portion of this love is powerful enough to change the hardest of hearts.  He prays that this immeasurable, unknowable love would do it's work in us, fill us full to the brim with the faith to believe and to trust the God who loves us and the power to love all those who believe with us.

In love,
Kerry

THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT!

Ephesians 3:14-15

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

. . . and from the Message:

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth.

by Unknown

For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles -- (vs 1) . . . kneel (vs 14).  Paul responds to the knowledge of God's unfathomable love for people (Jewish and Gentile alike) and God's enormous, immeasurable desire to save us (Jew and Gentile alike) and His glorious and rich plan to make us one by getting on his knees before the Father.  It is a humble act on Paul's part.  An act of submission to the One who is all-wise and who makes all of Paul's brilliance and genius seem like nothing.  Up to his conversion, Paul lived a life of Jew against Gentile, Jew above Gentile; but, no longer.  God's plan for the Gentiles is revealed and now the apostle lives to make it known. The Church, with all its cracks and flaws, is alive.  At its best, it reflects the glory of Jesus Himself.  At its worst, it reflects the reason we need Jesus.  Paul knows this.  He fought for it.  He paid a great price for its growth (albeit, a price not comparable with that of Jesus).

This humble apostle knows who he is and to Whom he belongs.  Friends, we are named after Him!  We are God's family!  Co-heirs with His Son!  Adopted by Him and belonging to Him!

 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.  Romans 8:17, NIV

. . . He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—   Ephesians 1:5, NIV

We do not belong here -- we belong in heaven . . . and heaven is a part of us here and now.  The family of God is Jew and Gentile alike, no matter whether you are slave or free! (Gal. 3:28)  And, here's a truth: we are both slave and free.  A slave to sins that still grip us, but, in Christ, we live a free life . . . no longer condemned by those sins . . . not controlled by those sins, but controlled by the Spirit of God.

 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2, NIV

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.  Romans 8:9a, NIV

The Church Militant and Triumphant by Andrea da Firenze

The Church is alive.  It has overcome the forces of evil that have tried to destroy it time and again.  It is not a building.  It is a Body!  It is made up of men and women of all nationalities, different personalities, a plethora of gifts, many cracks and flaws . . . its head is Jesus, and, . . . it lives.

  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.  Ephesians 1:22-23, NIV

Paul fought hard for this truth so that nothing would divide it, but, instead it would be the Church triumphant!  For this reason . . . he kneels.

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!  Romans 8:15-17, MSG

I kneel,
Kerry

A MYSTERIOUS TRUTH

Ephesians 3:4-6

In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. 

And, from the Message Bible . . .

As you read over what I have written to you, you'll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ. None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God's Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I've been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board. 

We are still in the midst of a lengthy parenthetical statement.  Simply put, as the Ephesians re-read Paul's letter to them, they will be able to make their own judgment about whether the apostle has really grasped the essence of God's secret plan.  It seems that Paul's credibility was always in question because of how he became one of the apostles  Unlike Paul, the other apostles were apostles because they lived with, ate with, spoke with and learned from the Master, Jesus, during His 3 years of ministry on earth.  Paul became an apostle later after Jesus went up into heaven.  He's always having to defend his credibility as one of the apostles equal to Peter and John and the others.  Maybe that's why he's always so long winded and works so hard at driving his point home and explaining his message over and over again.  How about you?  Do you ever feel as if you have to defend yourself, your credibility?  At work?  At home?  As a Christian with some knowledge of scripture?  I bet we can all relate to Paul a bit here.

The Apostle Paul in Prison by Rembrandt

The mystery of Christ was simply this: Christ lives in and among His believers and gives us an unwarranted and unexplainable hope of eternal glory.  This mystery was not made known to the generations before them.  Paul extrapolates this mystery out a little further knowing what we now know.  This mystery extends to Gentiles, too.  Now, in and of itself, this is not news.  Genesis 12:3 says that through Israel ALL nations will be blessed.  We've talked in depth about Israel's important role to the other nations.  It was through Israel that the other nations would know the Living God -- the same as the church's role today.

The big news here is that the old theocracy is superseded by the body of Christ composed of Jews and Gentiles -- equally.  We stand together on the same ground.  The ground is level at the foot of the cross of Jesus.  The Jews were no longer the ones through whom God would speak and lead the nations.  The Church now takes that role.  The Church, as we know, is made up of any and all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  It knows no distinction between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, rich and poor, married and divorced, etc.  If you believe in Jesus as Savior and confess Him as Lord, you are among those to whom this mystery extends.  The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.

Paul is exhaustive in his attempts to bring this point home -- to make it clear to Jew and Gentile alike -- to you and to me.  As far as his credibility goes, even the great apostle Paul had his insecurities.  Friends, if nothing else, this should make him someone to whom you can relate.

Living into the mystery,
Kerry

FOR THIS REASON . . .

Ephesians 3:1

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 

Paul's great desire was for the Church to rise up and continue to grow and build.  Paul has made certain that the Ephesians know and understand ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE to bring it about!  And, we have spent weeks learning this as well!  So, it's for THAT reason . . . so for this reason . . . what?  What is the apostle trying to say here? He doesn't finish his thought.  At least not yet.  "I, Paul," the apostle who can write in "asides" and "digressions" without us ever even realizing it, who so fluently and fluidly writes under the influence of his mad passions and mad skills and mad knowledge of truth . . . doesn't finish this thought until verse 14 where he softly and humbly says, "For this reason . . . I kneel . . ."  We'll have to wait a few weeks to finish his thought. Whatever he is trying to say, it if for this reason: the Church, this mystery wrapped in flesh.  In the meantime, we will sort out all that's in between verses 1 and 14.  (It's kind of like he put a really long thought in parenthesis between 1 and 14.)

St. Paul in Prison by Rembrandt

Paul is a prisoner in Rome.  Paul, however, refuses to regard himself as a victim either of the Jews or of the Roman emperor, rather, he is the prisoner of Christ Jesus.  This statement alone marks him as a true apostle.  It is because of his calling to the Gentiles that the Jews had him thrown in prison.  In Acts 21 we read this account.  Paul arrived in Jerusalem and was immediately warned by fellow Jewish believers that Jews from the province of Asia were in hot pursuit of him, watching for any reason to accuse him of breaking Jewish law.  When they sited Paul in the city with Trophimus, an Ephesian convert, they assumed that Paul had paraded him inside the temple area.  This would be a stretch of an accusation since a) it was forbidden in Jewish law for Gentiles to enter the temple, an act requiring the punishment of death for the gentile who entered; b) Paul was extremely educated in Jewish law and would not have been so careless as to risk the life of Trophimus in such a way; and, c) the law required that Trophimus be punished for entering the temple, not Paul.  They were looking for a reason to imprison Paul -- to stop him from including Gentiles in the promises of God and in the process converting Jews to believers in Jesus Christ as Messiah.

His calling was to the Gentiles but he also loved his fellow Jews.  Paul, a Jew of Jews, zealous for the law, once a Pharisee and persecutor of those who belonged to the Way . . . it is for the sake of the Gentiles that he is imprisoned.  Refusing victim status, no whining or complaining about his circumstances, is a prisoner of Jesus Christ whether he is in chains or walking free -- his status and calling is sure.

. . .circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.  But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  Philippians 3:5-7, NIV

Kneeling,
Kerry

WONDER OF WONDERS!

Ephesians 2:19-22

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. 

Because of a promise God made to Abraham, the Gentiles were on the outside looking in.  God promised Abraham that from his ancestors a great nation would emerge and He would be their God and they would be His people.  The Gentiles were allowed into citizenship in Israel as long as they adhered to circumcision and followed the laws of the Living God -- the laws God gave to Israel.  The requirements for the Gentiles were no different than the requirements of the Jews.  But . . . we've been through all of that.  Here's the good news: we are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people because Jesus made it possible through His death.  In Him we are one with no barrier between us.

The Cornerstone by Richard Tuvey

Paul paints a wonderful picture of architecture, community and family by calling us a household.  The foundation, the mortar being the apostles and prophets.  Typically, Paul attributes the title "foundation" to Jesus, but here he attributes it to the apostles and prophets who were witnesses to the resurrection appearances of Jesus and who preached the good news.  And, also typically, when a New Testament writer refers to "prophets" they are referring to the prophets of old, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc., but here Paul is referring to the prophets of a new Israel.  The apostles and prophets who established the church, Paul, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, etc. by preaching God's message of salvation through Jesus Christ.  And, Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone.  In ancient times, "cornerstone" was referred to as the capstone or building stone.  Placed first before all other stones, it covered a right angle joining two walls together and held the whole building together.  Often a royal name was  inscribed on it and in some parts of the world it was considered more important than the foundation.  Paul expounds on this idea and so the purpose behind Paul calling Jesus the chief cornerstone was in the image of being "joined together" into one building, one household, by one chief cornerstone.

So with that image in mind, Paul takes a jab at the Ephesian gods of the day by claiming that this building of God rises to become a holy temple.  Now, "temple" is surely a term that the Jews understood since the days of Moses, but Ephesus was steeped in a cult religion that worshiped the goddess Artemis whose temple was so magnificent that it was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. 

Ruins of the ancient temple

The new Church rises, and continues to rise, continues to build.  The process of joining together the two families into one household began with Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone, and it continues to this day.  Churches work together to put differences aside, individuals work to put differences behind them.  This continual "building" has centuries of proof behind it that it cannot be destroyed.  It will not be left in ruins like the cult temples of old.  It is the dwelling of the Living God made possible by His Spirit.  The Church is truly the greatest wonder of them all!

Rising up!
Kerry

ONE NEW HUMANITY

Ephesians 2:14-18

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Rainbow in My Hand by Gwen Meharg

God never intended for a great barrier of hostility to exist between the Jews and the other nations.  God only intended for the Jews to be set apart and used for God's glory with the result being that other peoples and nations would see the difference between the Living God and the false gods they were worshiping.  He wanted the other nations to see that He was a God of grace and mercy and love, that He created them and would therefore care and provide for them, and that He NEVER demanded the sacrifice of their children to appease His anger.  But, instead of the nations always seeing that through the Jews relationship with the Living God, the Jews shut them out and soon it developed into an "us" against "them" mentality.  But, to be fair, if I was part of a nation that God used to wipe out entire people groups, I might gain that mentality myself.  It would be easy to get confused in such a situation.  What's important to remember here is that God didn't wage war on people groups to prove the superiority of the Israelites, He did it to prove His own superiority as the God of gods, the Living God over all the other gods in a world where many, many false gods were being heavily worshiped and to whom children were being sacrificed. (Romans 1:20-25 and Jeremiah 7:31-32 and Leviticus 20:2, Deuteronomy 9:4-5)

Painting of Nineveh capital of Ashur ca 700 BC

The book of Jonah is such a great example of God's great mercy and grace to the other nations. When God sent Jonah to warn the Ninevites that judgment and wrath were coming to them, Jonah ran away.  He would have sooner drowned in the sea than give the Ninevites opportunity to turn to God.  The Ninevites were part of "them" -- they were Gentiles and enemies of Israel.  Jonah did finally give them God's message, albeit very begrudgingly, the Ninevites repented and turned to God for mercy.  Guess what God did?  He extended mercy to them and told Jonah,

"And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?" (Jonah 4:11, NIV)

Any move towards God and God reaches out His long arm of mercy and grace, rescues those that were lost and far away and brings them near where they find peace.

God had commanded the Jews to care for the the foreigner and alien.  Any foreigner or alien who became one of their servants or who sought refuge with the Israelites was to be included as one of the Israelites:

"When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19:33-34, NIV

They were to be allowed to glean from their harvest fields and the Jews were commanded to leave what was dropped and to leave the corners of their fields alone so the poor and hungry, no matter who they were, could eat.

"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19:9-10

There is no place in God's economy or law for "us" and "them."

Paul points out that in Christ, through His sacrifice, there is no dividing line.  The Jews no longer have to follow all of the rules and regulations that kept them separate from the other nations.  The Jews are no longer the only ones through whom God speaks and shows Himself mighty.  We see all of that now as one body of believers, one church through which Jesus Christ is worshiped as King and Savior and through whom we all have access to the Living God -- Jew and Gentile alike.  He brought peace to all the nations -- whether we live into it or not.  Christ and no one else has solved the problem of our relationship with God and with each other.

Remember, Paul's objective in the letter to the Ephesians is to take them higher and help them rise above the day to day sins that beset each of us, to root them deeper into the truth of God's word and to widen their scope of understanding about who God is and His purpose for humankind.  He's telling them and us, "Enough with the walls and barriers you put up between you and them.  In Christ, those walls and barriers DO NOT exist.  Out of the two worlds, Jew and Gentile, Christ has made a new creation.  One that is at peace.  One that strives to love each other.  One that no longer emphasizes the differences, but embraces the unity of Christ's sacrifice for all."  We are one in Christ.

In unity,
Kerry