Summary No NT writing more joyfully celebrates God's grace in the gospel than does, nor does any contain so rich and concentrated a vein of theological gold. This short letter's profound and extensive influence on the church's thought, liturgy, and piety ranks with that of the much longer Psalms, John, and Romans. Theological Interpretation of the New Testament, Location 1530, like all of Paul s letters, however, had a pastoral purpose, and, as is common with his correspondence, Paul hints at this purpose in the letter s intercessory prayer report Apparently, Paul believes that his readers are discouraged at least in part because of his imprisonment (3:1; 4:1; 6:20) and that they need to be reminded (2:11) of who they are as believers in the gospel and of what their new position, created by their faith, requires of them They also needed encouragement to live in a way that was consistent with their important role in God s new creation. Paul hopes to meet these needs by emphasizing two themes: (1) the eventual unification of the universe because of the death, resurrection, and heavenly session of Christ, and (2) the responsibility of the church to proclaim by its own unity this ultimate goal of God. Theology of the New Testament, Location 12444 I. The Church s Calling in Christ (1:1-2:10) a. Our blessings in Christ 1:3 14 (ESV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 1
Accordingly, the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer, Paul taught, was God s engagement ring that he would complete his work of saving men and women all the way up to the day of their resurrection. The Promise-Plan of God, Location 7213 b. Paul s First Prayer for the 1:15 23 (ESV) 15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Paul demonstrates his love for the in 1:15-23 by praying for them one of two places in these first three chapters where he describes his prayers for them. It is worth our noting that if God is as great and sovereign a God as Paul describes, you willpray to him. You understand he is the sovereign of the world, and there is no one more effective to whom to pray. So Paul gives himself to prayer. The Message of the New Testament, Location 4733 c. Our Previous State 2:1 2 (ESV) 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience d. Salvation by Grace through Faith for a Purpose 2:8 10 (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. II. The Church s Unity in Christ (2:11-4:16) a. Gentiles Were Once Alienated 2:11 13 (ESV) 11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 2
what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. b. No Hostility in the Body of Christ 2:14 16 (ESV) 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. How could there be such oneness, such unity? This unity is possible because God s grace eliminates the importance of worldly distinctions. Foundational to Paul s message of unity, then, are the first ten verses of chapter 2, where we see that unity is entirely based on grace. The Message of the New Testament, Location 4748 c. The Mystery of Christ The Salvation of the Gentiles 3:1 6 (ESV) 1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Here in v. 6, he states the mystery clearly: that believing Gentiles and Jews are one body in Christ. This mystery had not been made known before this time; but now God had revealed it to His apostles and NT prophets by the Spirit. To say that the twelve apostles from the beginning understood the mystery of the church is to deny Paul s inspired words here. Even Peter had to have a vision from heaven in Acts 10 before he would go to the Gentiles. The truth of the one body was given to Paul and its significance dawned gradually upon the early church. Wiersbe s Expository Outlines on the New Testament, Pg. 545 d. God s Church Always a Part of God s Plan 3:8 12 (ESV) 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 3
rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. Paul describes the Spirit that his Gentile readers have received both as something promised and as something with which they have been sealed. Mention of the Spirit as something promised implies that Paul s readers are the recipients of the prophetic promise that in the last days God would pour out his Spirit on his people as part of the restoration of his covenant relationship with them. Since the prophets seemed to say that only Israel would receive this eschatological blessing, the gift of it to the Gentiles came as a surprise to the early church. It was, as Paul says, the revelation of a mystery (3:9). Theology of the New Testament, Location 12462 e. Paul s Second Prayer for the 3:14 21 (ESV) 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. f. Unity is Part of Fulfilling our Calling 4:1 3 (ESV) 1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The grounds for this unity are listed in vv. 4 6. You will note that the central item in this list is one Lord. The fact that there is one body does not minimize the importance of the local bodies of believers. You will notice that Paul is dealing here with spiritual truths relating to the whole program of God. When we read his other epistles (such as Corinthians and the letters to Timothy and Titus) we see the practical outworking of these truths. The major emphasis in the NT is on the local assembly; but the administration of the local assembly must be based on what Paul teaches about the one body. Wiersbe s Expository Outlines on the New Testament, Pg. 548 g. Leadership to Build for Ministry and Maturity 4:11 16 (ESV) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 4
to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. III. The Church s Unity Displayed (4:17-6:24) a. Do Not Walk Like You Used To 4:17 20 (ESV) 17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ! At the same time that the church works toward unity, however, it must be careful not to compromise its identity as the people who reflect the character of God. For this reason, Paul weaves into his practical advice for maintaining social cohesion statements that urge the church to maintain its holiness. The church should do this, he insists, by avoiding erroneous teaching, by remaining separate from the Gentiles, and by imitating God and Christ in its conduct. Theology of the New Testament, Location 12515 b. Put Away Dissension and Display Forgiveness 4:25 27, 30-32 (ESV) 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Those areas of Christians lives inverted to selfishness must be reoriented and retooled toward building others up. The Message of the New Testament, Location 4821 c. Live a Life by The Spirit 5:15 21 (ESV) 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 5
days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. To mark Jesus as the expected recipient of full and regular worship, alongside the Father, was thus to include him within the identity of the One God/Lord of Israel. Theological Interpretation of the New Testament, Location 1580 There followed, then, five Greek participles that described how one might be filled up with the Holy Spirit continually (5:19 21): (1) by speak[ing] to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs ; (2 and 3) by sing[ing] and mak[ing] music in [one s own] heart to the Lord ; (4) by always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and (5) by submit[ing] to one another out of reverence for Christ. This is how God s new body grew and matured spiritually. The Promise-Plan of God, Location 7235 d. Christ and the Church Displayed in Marriage 5:22 28 (ESV) 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. No institution on earth is more sacred than that of the family. None is more basic. As is the moral and religious atmosphere in the family, so will it be in the church, the nation, and society in general. Now in his kindness toward womanhood, the Lord, fully realizing that within the family much of the care of children will rest on the wife, has been pleased not to overburden her. Hence, he placed ultimate responsibility with respect to the household upon the shoulders of her husband, in keeping with the latter s creational endowment. So here, through his servant, the apostle Paul, the Lord assigns to the wife the duty of obeying her husband. This obedience must be a voluntary submission on her part, and that only to her own husband, not to every man. What will make this obedience easier, moreover, is that she is asked to render it as to the Lord, that is, as part of her obedience to him, the very One who died for her. Exposition of, Pg. 248 FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 6
The love required must be deep-seated, thorough-going, intelligent and purposeful, a love in which the entire personality not only the emotions but also the mind and the will expresses itself. The main characteristic of this love, however, is that it is spontaneous and self-sacrificing, for it is compared to the love of Christ whereby he gave himself up for the church. Exposition of, Pg. 250 e. Parents & Children 6:1 4 (ESV) 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. f. Working Relationships 6:5 9 (ESV) 5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. g. Using Our Defensive & Offensive Weapons 6:10 20 (ESV) 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. God had supplied the equipment that was needed both defensively and offensively. There was a battle to be won, for ours would be a frequent confrontation with evil; FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 7
it would not be a contest in the flesh, but one that was conducted in heavenly realms. The Promise-Plan of God, Location 7243 God has given his church its position of victory over the hostile forces of the universe. He has also supplied it with the armor necessary for defending its position while it awaits the final demise of its enemies.51 If it is not to lose the ground it has gained and if God s goal of bringing the times to fulfillment by uniting all things in heaven and on earth around Christ is to succeed, then it must take up this armor and stand firm. Theology of the New Testament, Location 12599 Takeaways from What we have been given in Christ far exceeds anything this world has to offer. Just like God s choosing of Israel had nothing to do with anything God saw in them, our choosing and salvation has nothing to do with what God saw in us. God has taken two people and made them one for His glory through marriage. The Church, the Body of Christ, has been unified in salvation and needs to display unity to the world. The only way we can live in unity is to live by the Spirit and not seek to gratify the flesh. Life in the church is based on submission to Christ and extended to a display in different relationships. We are in a battle for righteousness against the schemes of the Devil, therefore, we must stand with weapons that God has given us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Bibliography Dever, Mark. The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2005 Hendriksen, William and Kistemaker, Simon J. vol. 7, Exposition of, New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-2001. Thielman, Frank. Theology of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005 Vanhoozer, Kevin J., Daniel J. Treier, and N. T. Wright. Theological Interpretation of the New Testament: A Book-by-book Survey. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008. Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1997). The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001). FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 8