Jurnalul Electronic Al Păstorilor, Rom Ed 23, Editia de primăvară 2017

Ediția de Primăvară 2017
Autor: Dr. Roger Pascoe, Președinte,
Institutul de Predicare Biblică
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
(http://tibp.ca/)

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“Întărind Biserica în Predicare biblică și conducere”

Partea I: Putere Pentru Predicare, Pt. 6

“Puterea Scripturii”

Puterea Scripturii În Perdicare

În ultima ediție a acestui jurnal am discutat despre puterea Scripturii în ce îl privește pe predicator însuși. În această ediție vom discuta despre puterea Scripturii în actul predicării. Biblia are putere în predicare deoarece….

1. Predicarea Biblică Îl Lasă Pe Dumnezeu Să Vorbească, Nu Omul

Noi suntem vocea lui Dumnezeu și rostim cuvintele lui Dumnezeu către poporul lui Dumnezeu, în puterea Duhului Sfânt. Deci, noi proclamăm „Așa vorbește Domnul!” Important este ce spune Dumnezeu. Doar acest lucru are o putere și o relevanță eterne. Oamenii au nevoie să audă vocea lui Dumnezeu săptămână după săptămână pe măsură ce proclamăm Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu. Predicarea biblică îl dă pe predicator din cale și lasă întâietate Cuvântului lui Dumnezeu. Apoi, Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu lucrează în oameni cu putere.

Predicarea biblică este centrată asupra lui Dumnezeu, nu a omului. Se orientează asupra Lui Dumnezeu (voia Lui, scopurile Lui, planurile Lui, Persoana Lui, lucrarea lui etc), nu asupra omului (problemele lui, nevoile lui, dorințele lui etc.). Nu vreau să spun că Biblia nu se ocupă și de problemele vieții – cu siguranță face asta, deoarece conține tot ce avem nevoie pentru viață și evlavie (2 Pet. 1:3). Ce vreau să spun este că accentul predicării biblice este acela de a expune adevărul teologic – ce ne spune despre Dumnezeu – iar apoi să aplice acel adevăr la viață. Accentul pe nevoile „imediate” ale oamenilor regăsit în multe predici, astăzi, produce o generație de oameni necunoscători ai Scripturilor și creștini imaturi din punct de vedere spiritual. Se focalizează pe „nevoile și probleme mele” și nu pe Dumnezeu. Pe de altă parte, predicarea biblică se focalizează pe „nevoile adevărate”, fie că sunt ele „resimțite” sau nu. Acele nevoi sunt regăsite în Biblie și prin cunoașterea lui Dumnezeu.

2. Predicarea Biblică Descoperă Voia Duhului Sfânt

Duhul lui Dumnezeu îi descoperă predicatorului semnificația și aplicația Scripurii pe măsură ce el studiază textul și se pregătește. De asemenea, Duhul le descoperă și ascultătorilor aceleași lucruri atunci când predicatorul prezintă textul. În acest mod oamenii se educă în adevărul Scripturilor, iar Duhul Sfânt îi aduce la ascultarea de acel adevăr.

3. Predicarea Biblică Acoperă Sfatul Lui Dumnezeu În Întregime

Predicarea biblică expune credința în toate detaliile sale. Nu este vorba aici despre credința subiectivă a unui păcătos care crede, ci despre credința obiectivă a bisericii creștine evanghelice – adevărul doctrinal. Biserica este zidită pe învățătura apostolilor, ale căror epistole ne oferă învățătură practică și adevăr teologic.

Predicatorul expozitiv predică Scriptura în mod sistematic și predică teologie biblică. Astfel, el „predică credința”, adică marile doctrine ale bisericii creștine. O astfel de predicare reduce riscul apariției erorilor doctrinare și a ereziilor, „împărțind drept Cuvântul adevărului” (2 Tim. 2:15) și îi zidește pe creștini în credința lor cea sfântă.

Astfel, predicarea biblică încurajează o lucrare de predicare echilibrată ce are la bază predicarea sistematică a Cuvântului lui Dumnezeu. Procedând astfel veți predica atât adevăruri doctrinare, cât și etice. Veți predica întreg sfatul lui Dumnezeu, iar acest lucru îl păzește pe predicator de ispita de a vesti teme sau subiecte după propriul plac.

4. Predicarea Biblică Ajută La Crearea Unității În Biserică

Când se ajunge la un acord privitor la tipul și esența predicării se obține un ajutor important pentru păstrarea unității în biserică, a unei atmosfere de pace și pentru cooperarea dintre predicator și auditoriu. De vreme ce predicarea biblică se centralizează asupra Cuvântului și a domniei lui Hristos (predicarea expozitivă este agreată de auditoriu și practicată de către vestitor) atunci atât predicatorul cât și ascultătorii împărtășesc un punct comun, unificator – anume, Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu este fundamentul pentru credință și practică de unde rezultă că este bază și pentru predicare.

5. Predicarea Biblică Crește Puterea Spirituală Și Morală A Bisericii

Păcatul este tolerat în multe biserici astăzi. Standardul lumii se strecoară în biserică. Predicarea biblică ajută la purificarea vieții spirituale a bisericii, pentru că îi aduce pe oameni în contact cu Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu și cu standardul acestuia de sfințenie. De asemenea, predicarea biblică aduce Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu ca răspuns la toate întrebările morale și practice cu care se confruntă biserica. În felul acesta, problemele bisericii nu sunt rezolvate conform părerilor oamenilor sau ale liderilor, ci conform Cuvântului lui Dumnezeu.

Mai mult, predicarea biblică este plină de putere, deoarece produce o foame după Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu în viețile oamenilor. Când se predică Biblia, oamenii vor începe să-și aducă bibliile la biserică și vor începe să le studieze și acasă. Astfel, predicarea biblică ajută la creșterea spirituală a oamenilor, producând educare spirituală, edificare și maturizare.

Predicarea biblică păstrează biserica pe calea cea bună din punct de vedere spiritual și moral, deoarece, în Cuvântul Său, Dumnezeu pretinde ascultare personală și colectivă. Când Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu este predicat în mod expozitiv, acesta îi expune pe oameni la cerințele drepte ale unui Dumnezeu sfânt și cere supunere față de acestea. Predicarea biblică păstrează biserica pe calea cea bună din punct de vedere spiritual, practic, etic, doctrinar.

6. Predicarea Biblică Presupune Studiu Atent Al Cuvântului Din Partea Predicatorului

Perioada de timp petrecută de predicator în studierea Cuvântului și în rugăciune determină în mod direct puterea predicării. Dacă vom acorda prioritate studierii Cuvântului și rugăciunii în timpul săptămânii, atunci și numai atunci vom avea putere la amvon. R. G. Lee a spus cândva: „Nu poți să te hrănești cu lapte degresat în timpul săptămânii și să predici smântână duminica.” Studiul atent, rugăciunea și intimitatea cu Dumnezeu reprezintă cheia pentru o predicare puternică și eficientă. W. E. Criswell a spus: „Nimeni nu poate sta la amvom dacă nu studiază în mod constant și cu toată seriozitatea.”

Studiul este un loc intim și liniștit, unde predicatorul petrece timp cu Dumnezeu și unde Duhul Sfânt îl iluminează pentru a înțelege Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu. Lucrul acesta nu poate să aibă loc într-un mediu în care există zgomot și mișcare. Când predicatorul este pe deplin pregătit după timpul petrecut în studiu, numai atunci poate merge la amvon cu încrederea că are ceva de spus poporului lui Dumnezeu. H. C. Brown Jr. a spus: „Nu există înlocuitor pentru cunoașterea aprofundată a cuvintelor și ideilor din text.” Jean Calvin a spus cândva: „Nimeni nu poate fi un bun slujitor al Cuvântului lui Dumnezeu dacă nu este mai întâi un învățat.” Iar C. H. Spurgeon a spus: „Cel care nu seamănă în studiu, nu va culege roade la amvon.”

Când studiezi, așteaptă până când Dumnezeu vine și îți dă un mesaj din textul Scripturii. Trebuie să aștepți înaintea lui Dumnezeu călăuzire din partea Sa cu privire la mesajul pe care trebuie să îl transmiți oamenilor. Aceasta trebuie să fie, într-adevăr, principala parte a studiului. Mesajul trebuie să conțină acel foc pe care numai Dumnezeu îl poate da. Orice alt mesaj nu conține foc de la Dumnezeu.

7. Predicarea Biblică Permite Cuvîntului Să-Și Îndeplinească Sarcina

Predicatorul expozitiv poate pretinde că împlinește pasajul din Isaia 55:8-11. Gândurile și căile lui Dumnezeu sunt cu mult mai presus decât ale noastre și Cuvântul Său nu se va întoarce fără rod. Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu a venit jos la noi, la fel cum ploaia vine din cer, și își îndeplinește sarcina atunci când este predicat corect și în întregime înaintea oamenilor.

Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu își va îndeplini sarcina pentru care Dumnezeu l-a trimis, pentru că „Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu este viu şi lucrător, mai tăietor decât orice sabie cu două tăişuri: pătrunde până acolo că desparte sufletul şi duhul, încheieturile şi măduva, judecă simţirile şi gândurile inimii” (Evr. 4:12). Această promisiune reprezintă o mare încurajare pentru predicator, care știe astfel că eforturile sale nu sunt zadarnice și că slăbiciunea lui va fi folosită pentru a spori puterea lui Dumnezeu ce lucrează prin Cuvântul Său. Îndatorirea primordială a Cuvântului proclamat este să transforme vieți. Expunerea Scripturilor îi transformă pe sfinți (inclusiv pe predicator) și pe păcătoși.

8. Predicarea Biblică Restabilește Prioritatea Pierdută A Predicării

De ce predicarea și-a pierdut prioritatea? Predicarea și-a pierdut prioritatea pentru că unii oameni îi desconsideră pe predicatori și predicarea. Unii desconsideră predicarea pentru că au mutat accentul de pe amvon pe consiliere. Se pare că bisericile moderne consideră că strategiile seculare sunt răspunsul la problemele oamenilor mai degrabă decât abordarea spirituală.

Unii desconsideră predicarea pentru că nu înțeleg ce face Dumnezeu. Ei nu se roagă pentru sufletele pierdute sau pentru victorie spirituală. Ei nu înțeleg atacul lui Satan împotriva slujitorilor lui Dumnezeu. Pentru ei, atât timp cât serviciile și programele bisericii se desfășoară în mod normal, totul este în regulă.

Discreditarea predicării este unul din semnele vremurilor noastre. Oamenii discreditează predicarea, spunând predicatorului să nu le mai predice sau acuzându-l că predică prea lung. Oamenii ar trebui să fie mai preocupați de conținutul și de puterea mesajului pe care Dumnezeu îl transmite mai degrabă decât de lungimea mesajului. Pe lângă toate acestea, există și predicatori care discreditează predicarea, spunând povești și glume sau având o atitudine greșită față de predicare. Adesea predicatorii cred că predicile lor nu au niciun impact și că sunt inutile.

Cât de importantă este predicarea? Predicarea este sarcina primordială a pastorului și cel mai important aspect al slujirii sale. Cel mai mare pericol în care poate cădea pastorul este să se ocupe de lucrurile mai puțin importante și să neglijeze predicarea. Poziția predicatorului reprezintă cel mai mare privilegiu și responsabilitate, pentru că el este purtătorul de cuvânt al lui Dumnezeu. Este cea mai mare onoare să transmiți Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu din partea Lui. Nimic din ceea ce face predicatorul nu este mai important decât predicarea, pentru că atunci când predică, el își îndeplinește această însărcinare divină.

Amvonul este centrul lucrării împărăției lui Dumnezeu. Este linia frontului bătăliei spirituale care se duce în fiecare generație. Predicarea și amvonul reprezintă cele mai puternice arme ale lui Dumnezeu împotriva răcelii spirituale și a letargiei din biserică. Prin predicare, cei pierduți vor fi salvați, nevoile oamenilor vor fi împlinite și viețile lor spirituale for foi schimbate pentru gloria lui Dumnezeu.

Cea mai importantă preocupare a pastorului este să se concentreze pe predicare și să-și pună energia în slujba îndeplinirii acestei sarcini. Celelalte îndatoriri strigă după atenție din partea pastorului, însă el trebuie să se concentreze întotdeauna pe îndatorirea sa primordială, care este predicarea. Pentru a putea păstra predicarea în topul priorităților sale, predicatorul trebuie să țină minte că el aparține și slujește Domnului Isus Hristos – nu bisericii, denominației sau oricărei alte probleme urgente ce îi apare în cale. Într-adevăr, lipsa predicării biblice sau lipsa atenției ce trebuie acordată acesteia este responsabilă, cel puțin într-o anumită măsură, de bolile societății noastre moderne. Derapajul moral care asaltează națiunile noastre nu se va opri până când nu vor avea loc schimbări la amvoanele noastre.

9. Predicarea Biblică Restabilește Puterea Pierdută A Autorității Biblice

Fundamentul predicării biblice (expozitive) este autoritatea biblică – adică Biblia este cel mai de seamă standard pentru tot ce ține de credință și practică. Provocarea adusă față de autoritatea biblică a venit mai întâi în timpul Iluminismului (era rațiunii). După cum afirmă David Allen „modernitatea a distrus autoritatea. Postmodernitatea înlătură autoritatea.”

Disputele privitoare la autoritatea biblică degenerează repede în dezbateri legate de interpretarea Scripturii. Astfel se ajunge la discuții despre ce spune, ce înseamnă și cum se aplică acel lucru azi.

Puterea pentru predicare rămâne în picioare sau cade odată cu această chestiune a autorității biblice. Dacă negi autoritatea biblică, predicarea ta nu va avea putere spirituală. Dacă o recunoști și i te supui, predicarea ta va avea putere spirituală. Autoritatea biblică înseamnă nu numai că Biblia spune adevărul în tot ceea ce afirmă ea, mai înseamnă și că Scriptura ne obligă la tot ce prescrie ea.

10. Predicarea Biblică Face Ca Scriptura Să Fie Punctul Central Al Închinării

Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu este central în închinare. Biblia devine centrul închinării numai dacă este și prioritatea numărul unul în studiile predicatorului. Biblia va fi un punct central în închinare numai dacă predicatorul a studiat-o cu sârguință în pregătirea predicii, și numai atunci când mesagerul își aduce predica sa ca pe o jertfă înaintea lui Dumnezeu.

Predicarea nu înseamnă o obligație a predicatorului de a-i mulțumi pe oameni sau pe liderii bisericii, ci de a-L mulțumim pe Dumnezeu. Când o predică este vestită precum o jertfă adusă lui Dumnezeu de către predicator, atunci mesagerul va căuta doar favorul lui Dumnezeu față de predica sa.

Predicatorul este robul lui Dumnezeu, care transmite mesajul lui Dumnezeu, bazat pe Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu și prin puterea Duhului Sfânt. Când predicatorul transmite Cuvântul în acest mod este o jertfă adusă lui Dumnezeu. El aduce mesajul înapoi la Dumnezeu și doar El poate să o evalueze cu adevărat. Deci, trebuie să ne pregătim și să predicăm ca pentru Dumnezeu, fiindcă El este auditoriul care contează și aprobarea din partea Lui este importantă. Ca o predică să fie o jertfă adusă Domnului trebuie să ne coste ceva – adică, muncă din greu și rugăciune în timpul studiului. „Predicarea ce nu costă nimic va realiza nimic.” (Jowett).

Partea A II-A: Pregătire Pentru Predicare

Schița de Predică, Pt. 3 (continuare): Testarea punctelor principale

În ultima ediție a acestui jurnal am discutat despre schița de predică – în mod specific, despre modul în care testăm punctele principale. Am spus că punctele principale ale predicii trebuie să fie distincte din punct de vedere homiletic și armonizate între ele.

Am considerat că va fi de ajutor pentru voi să vă ofer câteva exemple din cadrul propriilor schițe de predică astfel încât să vedeți că punctele principale sunt diferite unele de altele și, totuși, se leagă între ele prin relația lor cu subiectul.

1 Corinteni 2:1-5

Subiect: Predicare Evangheliei

1. Când predici Evanghelia, mesajul ar trebui să fie convingător (1-2)

(1a)… nu datorită vorbirii tale și înțelepciunii (1)

(1b)… ci, datorită Persoanei și lucrării lui Hristos (2).

2. Când predici Evanghelia, mesajul ar trebui să fie puternic (3-4)

(2a) …nu datorită persoanei tale și a cuvintelor tale (3-4a)

(2b)…. Ci datorită acțiunii și lucrării Duhului (4b)

3. Când predici Evanghelia, mesajul ar trebui să fie folositor (5)

(3a)… nu datorită credinței în înțelepciunea umană (5a)

(3b)….ci datorită credinței în puterea lui Dumnezeu (5b).

Galateni 3:10-14

Subiect: Justificarea înaintea lui Dumnezeu

1. Dacă te bazezi pe faptele tale, vei fi condamnat (10-12)

(1a)… fiindcă nu poți păzi întreaga lege (10)

(1b)…fiindcă neprihănirea se primește doar prin credință (11-12)

2. Dacă te bazezi pe lucrarea lui Hristos, vei fi binecuvântat (13-14)

(2a)… fiindcă blestemul legii cade asupra lui Hristos (13)

(2b)… fiindcă binecuvântarea credinței ne este transferată nouă (14)

Galateni 5:16-25

Subiect: Trăirea în libertate spirituală

1. Trăirea prin Duhul este o viață de conflict (16-18)

2. Trăirea prin Duhul este o viață de contrast (19-23)

3. Trăirea prin Duhul este o viață de crucificare (24)

4. Trăirea prin Duhul este o viață de conformare (25)

Filipeni 3:1-14

Subiect: Încrederea în Hristos, nu în sine

1. Când ne încredem în Hristos ni se schimbă perspectiva (4-8c)

(1a) ceea ce odată însemna totul (4-6), acum nu mai înseamnă nimic (7)

(1b) ceea ce odată nu însemna nimic, înseamnă acum totul (8a-c)

2. Când ne încredem în Hristos ni se schimbă scopurile (8d-11)

(2a) scopul vieții noastre este să devenim ca Hristos (8d-10)

(2b) scopul vieții noastre este să fim cu Hristos (11)

3. Când ne încredem în Hristos, căutările noastre se schimbă (12-14)

(3a) lăsăm în urmă ceea ce ține de trecut (12-13a)

(3b) urmărim ceea ce ține de viitor (13b-14).

Coloseni 1:24-2:5

Subiect: Îndatoririle slujirii pastorale

1. În lucrarea pastorală… suferim de dragul bisericii (24)

2. În lucrarea pastorală… slujim ca administratori ai bisericii (25-29)

3. În lucrarea pastorală… luptăm pentru spiritualitatea bisericii (2:1-5).

Coloseni 2:13-15

Subiect: Transformare de la moarte la viață spirituală

1. Dumnezeu ne-a oferit două mari beneficii (13)

(1a) Ne-a oferit viață spirituală

(1b) Ne-a oferit iertare de păcate

2. Dumnezeu a cucerit pentru noi doi mari vrăjmași

(2a) A cucerit cerințele Legii (14)

(2b) A cucerit puterile celui rău (15).

1 Tesaloniceni 1:1-10

Subiect: Un portret al Bisericii model

1. Oamenii centrați pe Dumnezeu se cunosc prin ceea ce fac (3)

(1a) Ne arătăm credința prin fapte (3a)

(1b) ne arătăm iubirea prin slujire (3b)

(1c) ne arătăm speranța prin perseverență (3c)

2. Oamenii centrați pe Dumnezeu se cunosc prin ceea ce sunt ei (4-10)

(2a) suntem mărturii vii ale puterii salvatoare a Evangheliei (4-5)

(2b) suntem mărturii vii ale puterii transformatoare a Evangheliei (6-10)

1 Timotei 3:14-16

Subiect: Caracterul casei lui Dumnezeu

1. Conduita noastră este guvernată de natura bisericii (14-15)

(1a) este biserica Dumnezeului celui viu

(1b) este stâlpul adevărului

(1c) este fundația adevărului

2. Mărturisirea noastră este guvernată de mesajul bisericii (16)

(2a) biserica mărturisește întruparea lui Hristos

- El s-a „arătat în carne”

- El a fost „dovedit prin Duhul”

(2b) biserica mărturisește despre Hristos

- Mărturia îngerilor („văzut de îngeri”)

- Mărturia între oameni („predicat între neamuri”)

(2c) biserica mărturisește răspunsul față de Hristos

- Răspunsul pământului („crezut în lume”)

- Răspunsul cerului („primit în glorie”)

Evrei 12:18-24

Subiect: Apropierea de Dumnezeu în închinare

1. Dacă te apropii de Dumnezeu pe baza propriilor fapte, vei avea parte de judecata dreaptă a lui Dumnezeu (18-21)

(1a) a te apropia de Dumnezeu pe baza legii Sale este o experiență înfricoșătoare – putere, frică, moarte, distanță (18-19)

(1b) a te apropia de Dumnezeu pe baza legii Sale este o experiență ce duce la condamnare – nu poți să-i faci față (20-21)

2. Dacă te apropii de Dumnezeu pe baza lucrării lui Hristos, vei primi harul răscumpărător al lui Dumnezeu (22-24)

Când ne apropiem de Dumnezeu pe baza lucrării lui Hristos…

(2a) Intrăm în locul sfânt fără bariere (22) „la muntele Sionului și orașul Dumnezeului celui viu”

(2b) Intrăm într-o mare bucurie fără dezamăgire (23a) „în adunarea plină de bucurie și în biserica Celui întâi născut”)

(2c) Intrăm în prezența Judecătorului fără teamă (23b) „judecătorul tuturor”

(2d) intrăm în compania celor sfinți fără de prihană (23c) „duhurile celor drepți făcute desăvârșite”.

(2e) Venim la Mijlocitor fără mustrări de conștiință –„la Mijlocitorul unui nou legământ”

(2f) Intrăm prin sângele lui Hristos, fără păcat – „sângele stropirii care vorbește mai bine decât cel al lui Abel”

Geneza 21:8-21

Subiect: Sursa și soluțiile pentru problema noastră

1. Adeseori sursa problemei noastre constă în atitudini nepotrivite (9-10)

Atitudinea rea a Sarei duce la resentiment

2. Adeseori sursa problemei noastre constă în decizii greșite (11-14a)

Decizia rea a lui Avram duce la un necaz

3. Adeseori sursa problemei noastre constă în circumstanțe rele (14b-16)

Circumstanțele nepotrivite în care s-a aflat Agar au dus la izgonire

4. Problemele își găsesc întotdeauna soluția în bunătatea lui Dumnezeu (17-21)

Izgonirea duce la intervenția lui Dumnezeu

Geneza 32:22-32

Subiect: Fuga dinaintea lui Dumnezeu

1. Fuga de trecut nu îți rezolvă problemele (22-24a)

(1a) Te poate separa de familia ta (22-23)

(1b) Te poate face să fii izolat și singur (24a)

2. Întâlnirea cu Dumnezeu te trezește la realitate (24b-29)

(2a) O întâlnire cu Dumnezeu te oprește din căile tale (24b-25)

(2b) O întâlnire cu Dumnezeu te face să strigi după o binecuvântare (26-29)

3. Înfruntarea viitorului îți dă o nouă speranță (30-31)

(3a) poți înfrunta viitorul cu speranță, atunci când vei fi văzut „fața lui Dumnezeu” (30)

(3b) poți înfrunta viitorul cu speranță, atunci când „răsare soarele” (31).

Exodul 3:1-10

Subiect: Întâlnirea cu Dumnezeu în evenimentele zilnice ale vieții

1. Întâlnirea cu Dumnezeu – are loc acolo unde ești (1)

(1a)… în activitățile obișnuite (1a)

(1b)… în locuri obișnuite (1b)

2. Întâlnirea cu Dumnezeu - ne atrage la Sine (2-4)

(2a)… apărând într-un „rug aprins” (2-3)

(2b) … chemându-te pe nume (4)

3. Întâlnirea cu Dumnezeu – ne descoperă cine este El (5-10)

(3a) ne descoperă că este un Dumnezeu sfânt (5)

(3b) ne descoperă că este un Dumnezeu credincios (6)

(3c) ne descoperă că este un Dumnezeu răscumpărător (7-10)

Un Dumnezeu răscumpărător care ia seama la copiii Săi (7)

Un Dumnezeu răscumpărător care își eliberează poporul Său (8)

Un Dumnezeu răscumpărător care trimite un Salvator pentru poporul Său (8-10)

Partea A III-A: Expunere Devoțională

“Înțelegerea Evangheliei (1 Cor. 2:6-16)

de: Dr. Stephen F. Olford

Introducere

După ce a vorbit despre caracterul, părtășia și comunicarea evangheliei, Pavel încheie acum această secțiune cu un paragraf despre Înțelegerea evangheliei. El anticipează că vor fi unii care vor deduce din pledoaria sa de până aici că în economia lui Dumnezeu nu este loc pentru înțelepciune și că adevărul creștin este cu totul în afara sferei rațiunii. Apostolul vine în întâmpinarea acestei obiecții, arătând că evanghelia conține înțelepciune, însă această înțelepciune este spirituală și de aceea poate fi înțeleasă numai prin mijloace spirituale. Neînțelegerea acestor lucruri importante a fost de asemenea o cauză a divizării apărute între credincioșii din Corint. Așadar, Pavel corectează situația existentă, insistând asupra faptului că înțelegerea evangheliei este făcută posibilă prin:

I. Inițiere Spirituală

„Totuşi ceea ce propovăduim noi printre cei desăvârşiţi este o înţelepciune; dar nu a veacului acestuia, nici a fruntaşilor veacului acestuia, care vor fi nimiciţi. Noi propovăduim înţelepciunea lui Dumnezeu, cea tainică şi ţinută ascunsă, pe care o rânduise Dumnezeu, spre slava noastră, mai înainte de veci” (1 Corinteni 2:6-7). Pavel spune, de fapt, aici: „Să nu vă imaginați că în creștinism nu există filosofie, înțelepciune și nici că acesta se află în afara sferei rațiunii reînnoite, pentru că nu este așa! Creștinismul își are propria sa înțelepciune și propria filosofie.” Într-adevăr, ceea ce arată Pavel aici este că filosofia creștină este filosofia fundamentală și aceasta nu trebuie testată de alte filosofii. Dimpotrivă, celelalte filosofii trebuie să fie încercate de creștinism.

Este limpede, așadar, că Pavel face o distincție clară între înțelepciunea lumii și înțelepciunea lui Dumnezeu. Înțelepciunea lumii este limitată de „veacul” său. Acesta este termenul folosit de Pavel. Caracteristica supremă a filosofiei umane este faptul că aceasta este mărginită întotdeauna de veacul în care s-a dezvoltat. Prin urmare, într-un sens foarte real, oamenii sunt limitați în raționamentul lor de perioada în care trăiesc. Nu la fel este însă cu filosofia divină. Înțelepciunea divină este eternă și, prin urmare, neschimbătoare. Pavel descrie această înțelepciune ca pe un mister: „înţelepciunea lui Dumnezeu, cea tainică şi ţinută ascunsă, pe care o rânduise Dumnezeu, spre slava noastră” (1 Corinteni 2:7).Aceasta este o înțelepciune care vine din veșnicie, invadează timpul și dăinuie de-a lungul veacurilor. Pentru a cunoaște o astfel de înțelepciune, oamenii trebuie să fie inițiați din punct de vedere spiritual. De aceea Pavel folosește termenul „taină”. Termenul din greacă înseamnă „ceva al cărui înțeles este ascuns de cei care nu sunt inițiați, dar care este foarte clar pentru cei inițiați” (William Barclay).

Acum se ridică însă întrebarea cum pot fi inițiați oamenii în înțelepciunea lui Dumnezeu, care nu este altceva decât revelația lui Dumnezeu în Hristos și El răstignit. Răspunsul este implicit în cuvântul „desăvârșit”, pe care Pavel îl pune la același nivel cu cei care sunt duhovnicești (vezi v. 15). Aceasta înseamnă că, pentru a avea loc inițierea spirituală, trebuie să existe:

1) O naștere spirituală. „Totuşi ceea ce propovăduim noi printre cei desăvârşiţi este o înţelepciune…” (1 Corinteni 2:6). Termenul tradus aici prin „desăvârșiți” înseamnă “crescuți, adulți” în contrast cu „prunci”. Înainte să existe dezvoltare și maturitate, trebuie să aibă loc o naștere spirituală. Aceasta a fost ideea principală din discuția Mântuitorului cu unul din cei mai inteligenți oameni din vremea Lui, pe nume Nicodim. Deși versat în filosofie și impregnat de teologie, el nu era născut din nou și lui i-a spus Mântuitorul: „Adevărat, adevărat îţi spun că, dacă un om nu se naşte din nou, nu poate vedea Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu” (Ioan 3:3, vezi și 3:5). Există un singur loc în care revelația lui Dumnezeu poate fi înțeleasă, și acela este împărăția lui Dumnezeu.Și în acel loc nu se poate intra decât printr-o inițiere spirituală – o nouă naștere. Însă această naștere spirituală trebuie să fie însoțită și de:

2) O creștere spirituală. „Totuşi ceea ce propovăduim noi printre cei desăvârşiţi este o înţelepciune…” (1 Corinteni 2:6). William Barclay susține că termenul tradus aici prin „desăvârșiți” descrie „un animal sau o persoană ajunsă la maturitate, care a ajuns la înălțimea maximă a dezvoltării sale fizice.” El continuă și spune că „Pavel folosește acest termen pentru a indica creșterea spirituală și intelectuală a celor care pot înțelege lucrurile adânci ale lui Dumnezeu.” Barclay mai spune: „… celor care tocmai au intrat în biserică, le vorbim despre elementele de bază ale creștinismului; însă când oamenii devin mai maturi, le oferim învățătură mai profundă despre ce înseamnă aceste elemente de bază.” Din acest punct de vedere Pavel limitează înțelegerea înțelepciunii lui Dumnezeu la cei „inițiați”. Înțelepciunea acestei lumi trece sau va fi nimicită (v. 6), însă înțelepciunea veșnică a lui Dumnezeu, hotărâtă înainte de întemeierea lumii, este destinată să-i aducă pe oameni în planul deplin al gloriei lui Dumnezeu, printr-o criză și un proces de inițiere, pe care îl numim naștere spirituală și creștere spirituală. Ai experimentat această inițiere prin Duhul Sfânt? Fără această experiență, nu vei putea înțelege niciodată înțelepciunea lui Dumnezeu, așa cum este ea revelată în Domnul nostru Isus Hristos. Însă înțelegerea evangheliei implică, în al doilea rând:

II. Iluminare Spirituală

„Dar, după cum este scris: «Lucruri pe care ochiul nu le-a văzut, urechea nu le-a auzit, şi la inima omului nu s-au suit, aşa sunt lucrurile pe care le-a pregătit Dumnezeu pentru cei ce-L iubesc.» Nouă însă Dumnezeu ni le-a descoperit prin Duhul Său. Căci Duhul cercetează totul, chiar şi lucrurile adânci ale lui Dumnezeu” (1 Corinteni 2:9-10). După inițierea spirituală, trebuie să aibă loc o iluminare a Duhului. Una din cele mai grele lecții pe care oamenii le au de învățat este aceea că observarea umană, inculcarea umană și meditația umană nu pot penetra sau descoperi vreodată lucrurile profunde ale lui Dumnezeu. Cu alte cuvinte, abordarea filosofică și sistemul științific sunt limitate de timp și rațiune și nu ne pot duce decât până la capătul rațiunii umane. Însă în punctul în care cercetările umane nu mai pot ajunge, acolo intervine iluminarea spirituală. Astfel, Pavel merge mai departe și arată că, dacă cineva este caracterizat de naștere spirituală și de creștere, el poate cunoaște:

1) Revelația Duhului. „Nouă însă Dumnezeu ni le-a descoperit (lucrurile spirituale) prin Duhul Său” (1 Corinteni 2:10). Pentru a-și ilustra ideea, apostolul spune: „În adevăr, cine dintre oameni cunoaşte lucrurile omului, afară de duhul omului care este în el? Tot aşa, nimeni nu cunoaşte lucrurile lui Dumnezeu, afară de Duhul lui Dumnezeu” (1 Corinteni 2:11). Ceea ce spune Pavel aici este că există anumite lucruri pe care numai numai duhul omului e poate cunoaște. Cu toții știm lucrul acesta. Nimeni nu poate privi cu adevărat în inimile noastre și să vadă ce este acolo decât duhurile noastre. Pavel merge apoi mai departe și spune că tot așa este și la Dumnezeu. Există lucruri profunde și intime în legătură cu Dumnezeu, pe care numai Duhul lui Dumnezeu le cunoaște și, prin urmare, numai Duhul Sfânt ne poate face să înțelegem gândurile lui Dumnezeu. Cu alte cuvinte, există anumite părți ale adevărului pe care puterea gândirii nu le poate găsi fără ajutor. Duhul Sfânt este Cel care trebuie să ni le descopere. De aceea, atunci când Domnul Isus urma să-Și părăsească ucenicii, El le-a promis că-L va trimite pe Duhul Sfânt, care să-i învețe toate lucrurile și să le amintească toate lucrurile (Ioan 14:26). Odată cu revelația Duhului mai vine și:

2) Cercetarea Duhului. „Nouă însă Dumnezeu ni le-a descoperit prin Duhul Său. Căci Duhul cercetează totul, chiar şi lucrurile adânci ale lui Dumnezeu” (1 Corinteni 2:10). Rolul Duhului Sfânt nu este doar acela de a revela adevărul care se află în Hristos, ci și de a cerceta adevărul. Termenul „cercetează” din textul nostru este foarte interesant. Acesta poate fi găsit în manuscrise vechi, unde este folosit cu referire la raportul unui cercetător profesionist și la căutarea funcționarilor de la vamă. Așa cum un funcționar vamal experimentat scoate la lumină diferite lucruri din bagajul unui călător, tot așa și Duhul Sfânt, în cel mai minunat sens, cercetează lucrurile profunde și ascunse ale lui Dumnezeu, făcându-le ușor de înțeles și punându-le la dispoziția celui mai umil creștin, care este gata să se încreadă în El (vezi și 1 Ioan 2:20). Acest fenomen extraordinar îi încurcă pe intelectualii din orice epocă. Filosofii și oamenii de știință nu au putut înțelege niciodată cum până și un om needucat poate înțelege și vorbi despre adevăruri care sunt cu totul ascunse oamenilor, în general. Răspunsul se află, bineînțeles, în iluminarea spirituală. Domnul Isus s-a bucurat de lucrul acesta (Luca 10:21; Matei 16:17).

A avut loc o astfel de iluminare spirituală în viața ta? Nu există nimic mai minunat decât să ai parte de revelația și cercetarea Duhului lui Dumnezeu. Oricine a cunoscut aceste lucruri poate spune împreună cu apostolul Pavel: „Şi noi n-am primit duhul lumii, ci Duhul care vine de la Dumnezeu, ca să putem cunoaşte lucrurile pe care ni le-a dat Dumnezeu prin harul Său” (1 Corinteni 2:12). Însă, pentru o înțelegere deplină a evangheliei, pe lângă inițierea și iluminarea spirituală, trebuie să mai existe și:

III. Interpretare Spirituală

„Şi vorbim despre ele nu cu vorbiri învăţate de la înţelepciunea omenească, ci cu vorbiri învăţate de la Duhul Sfânt, întrebuinţând o vorbire duhovnicească pentru lucrurile duhovniceşti” (1 Corinteni 2:13). Ajungem acum la un punct din argumentarea lui Pavel în care trebuie să fim foarte atenți. Versetul citat aici este folosit adesea ca argument de către susținătorii teoriei inspirației verbale – o doctrină biblică și adevărată. Însă Pavel spune aici că „vorbim”, nu „scriem”. Așadar, el se referă la interpretare mai degrabă decât la inspirație. El ne învață că se poate ajunge la cunoașterea adevărului prin înțelegerea a două lucruri fundamentale:

1) Folosirea limbajului de către Duhul Sfânt. „Şi vorbim despre ele nu cu vorbiri învăţate de la înţelepciunea omenească, ci cu vorbiri învăţate de la Duhul Sfânt, întrebuinţând o vorbire duhovnicească pentru lucrurile duhovniceşti” (1 Corinteni 2:13). Este limpede că cel care cunoaște gândurile lui Dumnezeu alege și cuvintele lui Dumnezeu pentru a interpreta adevărul divin. Aceasta este lucrarea primordială a Duhului Sfânt. Ce importanță primesc astfel Scripturile în această epocă a bisericii! Lucrarea Duhului Sfânt este aceea de a interpreta Biblia acelor oameni care au cunoscut inițierea spirituală și iluminarea spirituală. Totuși, trebuie să mai subliniem și faptul că Duhul Sfânt nu vorbește niciodată în afara contextului revelației divine pe care o numim Sfânta Biblie. De aceea trebuie să acordăm o atenție specială limbajului folosit de Duhul. Nici măcar o iotă nu este lipsită de importanță. De aceea Isus a spus: „Cerul şi pământul vor trece, dar cuvintele Mele nu vor trece” (Matei 24:35). De asemenea, El a mai spus: „Când va veni Mângâietorul, Duhul adevărului, are să vă călăuzească în tot adevărul...” (Ioan 16:13). Acesta este secretul interpretării: Duhul folosește cuvintele Sale pentru a ne descoperi gândurile lui Dumnezeu. Dar, alături de folosirea limbajului de către Duhul Sfânt, mai este și:

2) Învățăturile și așteptările Duhului. „Şi vorbim despre ele nu cu vorbiri învăţate de la înţelepciunea omenească, ci cu vorbiri învăţate de la Duhul Sfânt, întrebuinţând o vorbire duhovnicească pentru lucrurile duhovniceşti” (1 Corinteni 2:13). Este foarte dificil pentru comentatori să expice această frază. Unii spun că înseamnă: „folosind cuvinte spirituale pentru lucruri spirituale”. Alții susțin că înseamnă: „interpretând lucruri spirituale pentru oameni spirituali”. Personal, eu sunt convins că ambele poziții sunt corecte. Ceea ce vrea apostolul Pavel să spună este că Scriptura nu trebuie interpretată în mod personal (2 Petru 1:20). Duhul Sfânt are propriul său limbaj și învățături și, prin limbajul Scripturii, avem suficient precedent și suport pentru orice doctrină importantă. Mai mult, avem și ceea ce se numește tradiția creștină, formată din contribuțiile teologilor de-a lungul secolelor. Așadar, nu trebuie să ne dăm cu părerea cu privire la revelația divină. Nu există adevăr vital pentru viața și practica creștină care să nu fie sprijinită atât de revelația divină, cât și de tradiția creștină. Atunci când Pavel îi scrie lui Timotei despre înțelegerea și comunicarea adevărului divin, spune: „Şi, ce-ai auzit de la mine în faţa multor martori, încredinţează la oameni de încredere, care să fie în stare să înveţe şi pe alţii” (2 Timotei 2:2).

Așadar, Pavel încheie acest paragraf remarcabil, subliniind că „...omul firesc nu primeşte lucrurile Duhului lui Dumnezeu, căci pentru el sunt o nebunie; şi nici nu le poate înţelege, pentru că trebuie judecate duhovniceşte” (1 Corinteni 2:14). Cu alte cuvinte, fără inițiere spirituală, iluminare spirituală și interpretare, adevărul nu este decât o nebunie pentru cel neregenerat spiritual – omul lumesc. El vede revelația ca pe o absurditate. Odată ce am înțeles lucrul acesta, avem explicația completă a atitudinii necreștinului față de lucrurile spirituale. De aceea, trebuie să avem răbdare cu el și să ne rugăm ca el să se supună condițiilor revelației divine. Pe de altă parte, apostolul spune: „...Omul duhovnicesc, dimpotrivă, poate să judece totul, şi el însuşi nu poate fi judecat de nimeni” (1 Corinteni 2:15). Cu alte cuvinte, omul care a cunoscut inițierea spirituală, iluminarea spirituală și interpretarea, are capacitatea de a analiza și examina lucrurile descoperite prin revelație divină, precum și pe cele omenești și naturale. În același timp însă, el nu poate fi supus cercetării și judecății de către cineva care nu are Duhul. Nicio persoană neregenerată spiritual nu are dreptul să critice sau să judece un creștin cu privire a credința sa personală în Hristos. Necreștinul nu are discernământ spiritual și, prin urmare, nu poate înelege natura miracolului care a avut loc. Așa cum necreștinul nu-l poate judeca pe creștin, tot așa el nu poate să-I dea învățătură Domnului (vezi v. 16). Nu este decât o mare nerușinare din partea omului firesc să-și ridice glasul împotriva Dumnezeului pe care nu-L recunoaște.

Spre deosebire de acesta, creștinul are „gândul lui Hristos”. Pasajul se încheie cu această afirmație extraordinară. Înțelepciunea lui Dumnezeu nu este decât gândul lui Hristos. Termenul „gând” din textul de față înseamnă „minte” sau „conștiință”. Noi avem conștiința lui Hristos, gândul lui Hristos, concepția lui Hristos. Nu este același termen cu cel folosit de Pavel in Filipeni 2. Acolo este vorba despre caracterul lui Hristos, pe când aici se vorbește despre înțelegerea sau înțelepciunea lui Hristos.

Concluzie:

Ce minunat că noi putem cunoaște gândul lui Dumnezeu! Minunea acestei realități este că toată veșnicia noi vom continua să explorăm gândul lui Hristos, devenind tot mai mult ca El. Ce vast univers de binecuvântări ni se întinde în față! Gândul acesta ne face să ne simțim precum Isaac Newton când a spus: „Sunt ca un copilaș pe malul mării, culegând pietricele și admirându-le, când marea cea măreață mi se întinde în față”.

Așadar, Pavel culminează un subiect important cu o idee măreață. Ceea ce le spune corintenilor este că, dacă ei experimentează inițierea spirituală, iluminarea spirituală și interpretarea, vor cunoaște gândul lui Hristos. Și a cunoaște gândul lui Hristos înseamnă a avea unitate în gândire, în viață, în trăire. În gândul lui Hristos nu există divizare și nici în biserica locală care cunoaște gândul lui Hristos. Fie ca rugăciunea noastră să sune astfel: „Fie ca gândul lui Hristos, Salvatorul meu, să fie în mine zi de zi, prin dragostea și puterea Sa, controlând tot ceea ce fac și spun!”

Partea A IV-A. Schițe De Predică

Pentru a asculta versiunea audio ale acestor predici în limba engleză vă rugăm să dați click pe următoarele link-uri: Link 1 - In. 11:38-44; Link 2 - In. 13:1-3, Pt. 1; Link 3 - In. 13:1-3, Pt. 2; Link 4 - In. 13:1-3, Pt. 3

Titlu: Spălarea picioarelor ucenicilor

Punctul #1: Trebuie să înțelegem bazele adevăratei slujiri (1-3)

1. Bazele adevăratei slujiri constă în încrederea care vine din cunoaștere

(1a) Cunoașterea destinației noastre și cum ajungem acolo (1a)

- “Isus a știut că a venit ceasul …”

(1b) Cunoașterea identității și a rolurilor noastre (3a)

- Isus știa… că Tatăl îi dăduse toate lucrurile în mâini”

(1c) Cunoașterea originii noastre și a scopului nostru (3b)

- Isus știa…că a venit de la Dumnezeu și că merge la El

2. Bazele adevăratei slujiri constă în motivația care vine din dragoste (1c)

(2a) Motivația care vine din dragoste este arătată în obiectul acelei dragoste (1c)

- “iubindu-i pe ai Săi”

(2b) Motivația care vine din dragoste este arătată în amploarea acelei dragoste (1d)

- “iubindu-i pe ai Săi care erau în lume i-a iubit până la capăt”

The Net Pastors Journal, Rus Ed 23, Весеннее издание 2017

Весеннее издание 2017
Автор:
Др. Роджер Паскоу, президент
Институт Библейской Проповеди
Кембридж, Онтарио, Канада
(http://tibp.ca/)

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“Укреплять Церковь через Проповедование Библии и Руководство”

ЧАСТЬ I: СИЛА Проповеди, Ч. 6

"Сила Писания"

Сила Писания Через Проповедь

В последнем издании этого журнала, мы обсуждали силу Писания через самого проповедника. В этом выпуске мы будем обсуждать силу Писания через проповедь. Писание сильно в проповеди, потому что

1. Библейская Проповедь Позволяет Богу Говорить, Не Человеку

Мы - голос Бога, что говорит Слово Божье к Божьему народу посредством силы Святого Духа. Следовательно, мы можем объявить: "Так говорит Господь!" Это то, что Бог считает важным. Это единственное, что имеет вечную актуальность и силу. Люди должны слышать голос Бога неделя за неделей по мере того, как вы декларируете Слово Божье. Библейская проповедь “убирает” проповедника и дает место Слову Бога. Тогда, Слово Божье работает с властью в сердцах людей.

Библейская проповедь фокусируется на Боге, а не человеке. Библейская проповедь ориентирована на Бога (Его волю, Его цели, Его планы, Его личность, Его работы и т. д.), а не на человеке (его проблемах, его потребностях, его желаниях и т. д.). Я не говорю, что Библия не говорит о проблемах в жизни - это, безусловно, так как в ней есть все, что нам нужно для жизни и благочестия (2 Петра 1: 3.). Но то, что я говорю, то смысл всей библейской проповеди - раскрыть богословскую истину - то, что она говорит нам о Боге - и затем применить ее к нашей жизни. Упор на так называемые "ощутимые потребности" во стольких многих проповедях сегодня производит поколение библейски неграмотных и духовно незрелых христиан. Он акцентирует внимание на "моих потребностях и моих проблемах", а не на Боге. Библейская проповедь, наоборот, ориентирована на "реальные нужды", независимо от того ощутимые ли они или нет. И эти нужды удовлетворяются в Писании и через познание Бога.

2. Библейская Проповедь Раскрывает Разум Духа

Дух Божий раскрывает значение и применение Писания к проповеднику, по мере того, как он изучает текст и готовит свою проповедь. Дух Божий также раскрывает смысл и применение Писания относительно аудитории по мере того, как проповедник излагает текст. Таким образом, люди становятся образованными в истине Писания, и Святой Дух приводит их к послушанию истине.

3. Библейская Проповедь Охватывает Всю Волю Бога

Она раскрывает веру во всех ее деталях. Это не субъективная вера грешника, который верит, но объективная вера евангельской христианской церкви - богословская истина. Церковь построена на учении апостолов, чьи послания дают нам практические наставления и богословскую истину.

Проповедник, который изъясняет проповедь, будет проповедовать систематически через Писание, и он будет проповедовать библейское богословие. Таким образом, он будет "проповедовать веру" — т. е. великие доктрины христианской церкви. Такая проповедь удержит от богословских ошибок, ереси, через "верно преподающего слово истины» (2 Тим. 2:15), и будет созидать христиан в их самой святой вере.

Таким образом, библейская проповедь ободряет сбалансированное служение проповеди, по мере того, как вы проповедуете систематически через Слово Божье. Поступая таким образом вы проповедуете баланс этической и доктринальной истины. Вы проповедуете всю волю Божию. Это удерживает проповедника от соблазна проповедовать на тему домашних животных и подобное.

4. Библейская Проповедь Помогает Создавать Единство В Церкви

Когда ожидание типа и содержания проповеди устанавливается и согласовывается, это помогает объединить церковь и установить атмосферу гармонии и сотрудничества между проповедником и собранием. Поскольку библейская проповедь ориентирована на центральность Слова и господство Христа, а экспозиционная проповедь основана на ожидании от собрания и практики проповедника, тогда и проповедник, и аудитория, которой он проповедует, имеют что-то общее между ними, а именно - Божье Слово - основа для веры и практики, и, следовательно, основа для проповеди.

5. Библейская Проповедь Увеличивает Духовную И Нравственную Власть Церкви

Грех имеет место во многих церквях сегодня. Стандарты мира вползают в церковь. Библейская проповедь помогает очистить духовную жизнь церкви, потому что она приводит людей в контакт со Словом Божьим и его требованиями к святости. Она приносит все Слово Божье, чтобы ответить на всех моральные и практические вопросы, с которыми сталкивается церковь. Эти вопросы не решаются общественным мнением в церкви или лидерами церкви, но решаются по Слову Божьему.

Кроме того, библейская проповедь - сильная, поскольку она пробуждает жажду и голод по Божьему Слову у людей. Когда Библия проповедуется, люди начинают приносить свои библии в церковь и начинаю изучать ее самостоятельно. Таким образом, она способствует духовному росту людей, порождая духовное образование, назидание, и зрелость.

Библейская проповедь держит церковь на пути духовном и нравственном, потому что личное и общее послушание всех требуются в Его Слове. Когда Слово Божье проповедуется и толкуется, оно подводит людей к праведным требованиям Святого Бога, и Оно призывает их быть послушными тем святым требованиям. Библейская проповедь держит церковь на верном пути - духовно, практически, этически и доктринально.

6. Библейская Проповедь Требует Тщательного Изучения Слова Проповедником

Количество времени, что проповедник проводит за изучением Слова и в молитве, имеет прямое отношение к силе проповеди. Если мы даем приоритет изучению Слова и молитве в течение недели, только тогда у нас есть власть у алтаря. Р. Г. Ли однажды сказал: "Вы не можете жить на обезжиренном молоке в течение недели и проповедовать сливки в воскресенье." Прилежное изучение Слова, молитва, и близость с Богом является ключом к эффективной и сильной проповеди. У. А. Крисвелл сказал: "Ни один человек не может удовлетворить требований алтаря, постоянно и усердно не изучая материал."

Кабинет для изучения - это уединенное и спокойное место, где проповедник проводит время с Богом, и где Святой Дух озаряет его понимание Слова. Это невозможно делать в среде шума и суеты. Только тогда, когда проповедник полностью готов из того времени изучения Слова в этом месте, он может выйти к кафедре с уверенностью, что он имеет что-то от Бога. Г. Ч. Браун Младший сказал: " Нет никакой замены глубокому знанию слов и мыслей текста" Джон Кальвин однажды сказал: "Никто никогда не будет хорошим служителем Слова Божьего, если он не изучает его усердно и Чарльз Сперджен сказал:" Тот, кто больше не сеет в исследование, не будет иметь успеха у алтаря".

По мере вашего изучения ждите Бога, пока Он не придет и не даст вам послание из текста Писания. Это вопрос ожидания перед Богом в том, чтобы Он вел к посланию для людей. На самом деле, это самое главное, что должно сопровождать изучение. Послание должно быть огненным, и этот огонь только Бог может дать. Любое другое послание не будет иметь огня от Бога.

7. Библейская Проповедь Позволяет Слову Завершить Задачу

Пояснительный проповедник может цитировать Исаия 55: 8-11. Божьи мысли и пути гораздо выше, чем наши, и Его Слово не возвращается тщетным. Слово Божие пришло к нам так же, как дождь сходит с небес, и Оно выполняет свою задачу по мере того, как оно проповедуется точно и полностью для людей.

Слово Божье будет выполнять задачу, которую Бог посылает, потому что "Слово Божие живо и действенно и острее всякого меча обоюдоострого: оно проникает до разделения души и духа, суставов и мозгов, и судит помышления и намерения сердечные "(Евр. 4:12). Эта уверенность дает проповеднику комфорт и ободрение, что его усилия не напрасны, и его слабость будет явлена в силе Бога через Его могущественное Слово. Первая задача провозглашенного Слова заключается в преобразовании жизней. Экспозиция Писания преобразует святых (в том числе и проповедника) и грешников.

8. Библейская Проповедь Вновь Возрождает Потерянный Приоритет Проповеди

Почему проповедь потеряла свой приоритет? Проповедь потеряла свой приоритет, поскольку некоторые люди имеют плохое мнение о проповедниках и проповедях. Некоторые люди имеют низкое мнение о проповеди, поскольку они сместили фокус с алтаря на консультирование. Современные церкви, кажется, думают что светские стратегии - ответ на проблемы народа больше, чем духовные подходы.

Некоторые люди имеют низкое мнение о проповеди, потому что они не понимают того, что делает Бог. Они не молятся за души или за духовную победу. Они не понимают атак сатаны против слуг Божьих. Для них, до тех пор, пока служение и программы церкви продолжаются, все в порядке.

Дискредитация проповеди актуальна для нашего времени. Люди дискредитируют проповеди, говоря проповеднику, чтобы он не проповедовал о них, либо обвиняя его в проповеди слишком долго. Вместо этого, люди более должны думать по поводу содержания и силы послания, чем долготы послания. Вдобавок, некоторые проповедники сами по себе дискредитируют проповеди, рассказывая в ней истории и шутки, и выказывая плохое отношение к задаче проповедника. Часто проповедники думают, что их проповедь не оказывает никакого влияния, и это излишне.

Насколько важно проповедовать? Проповедь является первоочередной задачей пастора, и тоже самый важный аспект его служения. Величайшей опасностью пастора является участие в вещах менее важных и пренебрежение проповедью. Проповедник занимает должность высшей привилегии и ответственности, потому что он является Божьим рупором. Это - самая большая честь говорить Божье Слово для Бога. Не существует ничего более важного, чем то, о чем проповедует проповедник, потому что когда он проповедует, он выполняет свое божественное поручение.

Алтарь является центром работы Божьего Царства. Это линия фронта духовной битвы, что ведется в каждом поколении. Проповедь и алтарь являются могущественными орудиями Бога против духовной холодности и апатии в церкви. Через проповедь будут спасены неспасенные, будут удовлетворены потребности людей, и их духовная жизнь будет изменена для славы Божьей.

Поддержание фокуса и энергии в задаче проповедника - наиболее важная задача пастора. Другие обязанности требуют внимания, но пастор должен быть всегда сосредоточен на своей главной задаче - проповеди. Соответственно этому в первую очередь, проповедник должен помнить, что он принадлежит и служит Господу Иисусу Христу - не собранию, не деноминации, или любому из многочисленных неотложных дел, встречающихся на пути. В самом деле, это отсутствие, и невнимательность к библейской проповеди, что, по крайней мере, в меру, приходится на беду нашему современному обществу. Мораль не станет важной среди нашего народа, пока не будут изменены наши проповеди у алтаря.

9. Библейская Проповедь Восстанавливает Потерянную Силу Авторитета Библии

Основа библейской (экспозиционной) проповеди - авторитет Библии - то, что Библия является основным стандартом для всех вопросов веры и практики. Задача, стоящая перед библейской властью пришла в первую очередь в эпоху Просвещения (возраст причины). Как Дэвид Аллен указывает, "Современность не доверяла власти. Постмодернизм демонтирует власть ".

Споры по поводу библейской власти быстро перерастают в споры о библейском толковании. И таким образом, начинаются трения в отношении того, что он говорит, что это значит, и как это относится к нам сегодня.

Сила для проповеди строится или рушится на этом вопросе библейской власти. Если вы отрицаете авторитет Библии, ваша проповедь не будет иметь духовной силы. Если вы признаете и поклоняетесь ему, ваша проповедь будет иметь духовную силу. Библейская власть означает не только Писание, которое истинно во всем, что оно подтверждает, но и что Писание является обязательным во всем, что оно предписывает.

10. Библейская Проповедь Делает Библию Средоточием Поклонения

Слово Божие занимает центральное место для поклонения Богу. Библия становится центром нашего поклонения только тогда, когда является главным центром изучения проповедником. Библия будет центральным пунктом наших богослужений, только в том случае, если проповедник трудился, изучая ее и готовясь к проповеди, и только тогда, когда проповедник представляет свою проповедь в жертву Богу.

Проповедь - не обязанность проповедника угодить людям или руководителям церкви, но угодить Богу. Когда проповедь проповедуется проповедником, как приношение Богу, тогда проповедник смотрит только на Бога в плане ободрения его проповеди.

Проповедник - Божий слуга, доставляющий послание Бога, полагается на Слово Божье и силу Духа Божьего. Когда проповедник проповедует Слово, соответственно, тогда это - жертва Богу. Затем он предлагает проповедь обратно Богу, и только Бог может по-настоящему оценить ее и принять. Поэтому мы должны готовиться и проповедовать, как для Бога, потому что Бог - наша аудитория прежде всего, и его разрешение на нее - это все, что имеет значение. Чтобы проповедь была приношением для Бога, она должна нам чего-то стоить, а именно - серьезного труда и молитвы в изучении Слова. "Проповедь, которая нам ничего не стоила, ничего не совершит" (Jowett).

Часть II: Подготовка К Проповеди

План проповеди, Ч. 3 (продолжение): Проверка основных пунктов проповеди

В прошлом издании этого журнала, я говорил о том, как сделать план вашей проповеди - в частности, как проверить ее основные пунктики. Я сказал, что основные пункты проповеди должны отличаться гомелитически и быть гармонично связанными между собой.

Я думал, что это могло бы быть полезно для вас, если я дам вам несколько примеров из моих собственных набросков проповедей, и могло бы помочь вам увидеть, как основные пункты отличаются друг от друга, и также гармонично сочетаются друг с другом, будучи привязанными к общей теме.

1-Е Коринфянам 2: 1-5

Тема: Проповедь Евангелия

1. Когда вы проповедуете Евангелие, ваше послание должно быть убедительным (1-2)

(1а) ... не из-за вашей речи или мудрости (1)

(1б) ... но из-за Христа и его дел (2).

2. Когда вы проповедуете Евангелие, ваше послание быть сильным (3-4)

(2а) ... не из-за вашего лица и слова (3-4a)

(2б) ... но из-за действия и работы Духа (4б)

3. Когда вы проповедуете Евангелие, ваше послание должно быть полезным (5)

(3а) ... не из-за веры в человеческую мудрость (5а)

(3б) ... но из-за веры в Божью силу (5б)

Галатам 3: 10-14

Тема: Оправдание перед Богом

1. Если вы полагаетесь на свои силы, то вы - осуждены (10-12)

(1а) ... потому что вы не можете соблюсти весь закон (10)

(1б) ... потому что праведность только по вере (11-12)

2. Если вы полагаетесь на работу Христа, то вы - блаженны (13-14)

(2а) ... потому что осуждение закона переходит ко Христу (13)

(2б) ... потому что благословение веры дается нам (14)

Галатам 5: 16-25

Тема: Жизнь в духовной свободе

1. Жизнь по Духу - жизнь конфликта (16-18)

2. Жизнь по Духу - это жизнь контраста (19-23)

3. Жизнь по Духу - жизнь распятия (24)

4. Жить Духом - жизнь уподобления (25)

Филиппийцам 3: 1-14

Тема: Доверять Христу больше, чем себе

1. Когда мы верим Христу, наши перспективы меняются (4-8в)

(1a) Что когда-то значило для меня все (4-6), теперь - ничего (7)

(1б) То, что раньше ничего не значило, теперь значит все (8а-в)

2. Когда мы доверяем Христу, наша ель меняется (8г-11)

(2) Наша пожизненная цель состоит в том, чтобы стать похожим на Христа (8d-10)

(2б) Наша жизненная цель состоит в том, чтобы быть со Христом (11)

3. Когда мы доверяем Христу, наша цель меняется (12-14)

(3) Мы откладываем то, что было в прошлом (12-13a)

(3б) Мы следуем за тем, что есть будущее (13б-14)

Колоссянам 1: 24 - 2: 1-5

Тема: Задача пасторского служения

1. В пасторском служении ... мы страдаем ради церкви (24)

2. В пасторском служении ... мы служим в качестве управителей церкви (25-29)

3. В пасторском служении ... мы стремимся к духовности церкви (2: 1-5)

Колоссянам 2: 13-15

Тема: Переход от духовной смерти к жизни

1. Бог присвоил нам два больших преимущества (13)

(1a) Он присвоил нам духовную жизнь

(1б) Он присвоил нам прощение грехов

2. Бог победил для нас двух великих врагов

(2) Он завоевал требования этого закона (14)

(2б) Он победил силы сатаны (15)

1 Фессалоникийцам 1: 1-10

Тема: Портрет модели церкви

1. Люди, для кого Бог в центре всего, известны тем, что они делают (3)

(1a) Мы демонстрируем нашу веру через дела (3а)

(1б) Мы демонстрируем нашу любовь через служение (3б)

(1в) Мы демонстрируем нашу надежду через настойчивость (3в)

2. Люди, для кого Бог в центре всего, известны тем, что они знают, кто они (4-10)

(2) Мы - живые свидетельства спасительной силы Евангелия (4-5)

(2б) Мы - живые свидетельства преображающей силы Евангелия (6-10)

1 Тимофею 3: 14-16

Тема: Характер Божьего дома

1. Наше поведение определяется характером церкви (14-15)

(1а) Это - Церковь живого Бога

(1б) Это - столп истины

(1в) Это - основание истины

2. Наше исповедание направлено посланием церкви (16)

(2а) Церковь исповедует воскрешение Христа

- Он “воскрес во плоти"

- Он, был “доказан Духом"

(2б) Церковь исповедует свидетельство Христа

- Свидетельство ангелов ( "Его видели ангелы")

- Показания среди людей ( «Он был проповедован среди язычников")

(2в) Церковь исповедует ответ Христу

- Ответ на земле ( "уверовали в мире»)

- Ответ неба ( "принят в славе")

(2c) The church confesses the response to Christ

- the response on earth (“believed in in the world”)

- the response of heaven (“received up in glory”)

Евреям 12: 18-24

Тема: Приближаясь к Богу в поклонении

1. Если вы приблизитесь к Богу на основании своих собственных дел, вы обретете праведный суд Божий (18-21)

(1a) Приблизиться к Богу на основании Его закона - пугающий опыт - власть, страх, смерть, расстояние (18-19)

(1б) Приблизиться к Богу на основании Его закона - осуждающий опыт - вы не сможете с Ним сравниться (20-21)

2. Приблизиться к Богу на основании сделанного Христом, вы получите искупительную Божью благодать (22-24)

Когда мы приходим к Богу на основании дел Христа ...

(2) Мы приходим в святой город без ограничений (22) - "на гору Сион и в город живого Бога"

(2б) Приходим на большой праздник без разочарования (23а) - "в радостном сборе и в церковь первенцев"

(2в) Заходим в присутствие Судьи без страха (23б) - "к Судье всех"

(2г) Мы приходим к праведным без изъянов (23в) - "к духам праведников, достигши совершенства"

(2д) Мы приходим к Посреднику без совести - "к Иисусу, Ходатаю Нового Завета"

(2е) Мы приходим через кровь Христа без греха - "к крови кропления, что говорит более, чем Авелева"

Genesis 21: 8-21

Тема: Источником и решения нашей проблемы

1. Проблема часто исходит из наших плохих отношениях (9-10)

- Плохое отношение Сары приводит к недовольству

2. Проблема часто часто исходит из наших плохих решений (11-14a)

- Плохое решение Авраама приводит к трудностям

3. Проблема часто часто исходит из наших плохих условий (14б-16)

- Плохие обстоятельства Агари привели к изгнанию

4. Проблема всегда находит решение в Божьей благости (17-21)

- Изгнание приводит к Божьему вмешательству

Genesis 32: 22-32

Тема: Убегая от Бога

1. Побег из прошлого не решает вашу проблему (22-24a)

(1a) может отделить вас от вашей семьи (22-23)

(1б) может оставить вас изолированным и одиноким (24а)

2. Встреча с Богом приводит вас в чувства (24б-29)

(2а) Встреча с Богом останавливает вас на ваших путях (24б-25)

(2б) Встреча с Богом заставляет вас взывать о благословении (26-29)

3. Встреча с будущим дает новую надежду (30-31)

(3) Вы можете смотреть в будущее с надеждой, когда вы "увидели лицо Бога" (30)

(3б) Вы можете смотреть в будущее с надеждой, когда «солнце, наконец, встает” (31)

Исход 3: 1-10

Тема: Встречая Бога в повседневных событиях жизни

1. Он встречает вас там, где вы находитесь (1)

(1а) ... в обычной деятельности (1a)

(1б) ... в обычном месте (1б)

2. Встречая вас, Он привлекает вас к себе (2-4)

(2а) ... появившись из "горящего куста" (2-3)

(2б) ... обращаясь к вам по имени (4)

3. Встречая вас, Он показывает, Кто Он есть (5-10)

(3) Он показывает, что Он является Святым Богом (5)

(3б) Он показывает, что Он является Верным Богом (6)

(3в) Он показывает, что Он - Бог искупления (7-10)

Бог искупления, который обращает внимание на свой народ (7)

Бог искупления, который освобождает свой народ (8)

Бог искупления, который посылает Спасителя для своего народа (8-10)

ЧАСТЬ III: Выражение Через Отрывок Писания

“Понимание евангелия”

Стивен Ф. Олфорд

Введение

Разобравшись с характером, общением и коммуникацией Евангелия, Павел завершает теперь этот раздел пунктом по пониманию Евангелия. Он ждет тех, кто мог бы сделать вывод из его рассуждений, что до сих пор нет места мудрости в экономике Бога, и что христианская истина находится полностью вне сферы интеллекта. Апостол отвечает на это возражение, указывая на то, что Евангелие действительно содержит мудрость, но эта мудрость является духовной и, следовательно, постигается только духовными средствами. Неспособность понять эти важные факты, стала еще одной причиной разделения среди верующих в Коринфе. Таким образом, Павел исправляет существующее положение, настаивая на том, что понимание Евангелия возможно, если есть:

I. Духовная Инициатива

“Мудрость же мы проповедуем между совершенными, но мудрость не века сего и не властей века сего преходящих. Но мы проповедуем премудрость Божию, тайную, сокровенную, которую Бог предназначил прежде веков к славе нашей»

(1 Коринфянам 2: 6-7). По сути, Павел говорит здесь: «Не думайте, что христианство лишено философии, мудрости, что оно - вне царства обновленного разума. Нет. У него своя мудрость, своя философия. Действительно, то, что Павел показывает здесь, что христианская философия - это окончательная философия. Она не должна проверяться другими философиями. Они должны быть судимы ею.

Поэтому ясно, что Павел рисует четкое различие еще раз между мудростью мира и мудростью Бога. Мудрость мира ограничена "временем". Это в буквальном смысле слово Павел использует. Высшей характеристикой человеческой философии является то, что она всегда ограничена временем, в котором она эволюционировала. Таким образом, в самом прямом смысле, люди ограничены периодом, в котором они живут. Но не так с божественной философией. Мудрость Бога вечна, и, следовательно, неизменна. Павел описывает эту мудрость как тайну, "даже сокровенную, которую предназначил Бог прежде веков к славе нашей» (1 Коринфянам 2: 7). Это мудрость, которая приходит из вечности, вторгается во время, и живет на протяжении веков. Чтобы узнать такую мудрость, мужчины и женщины должны быть духовно инициированы. Именно поэтому Павел использует это слово «тайна». Греческое слово означает "нечто, смысл которого скрыт от тех, кто не был “инициирован”, но ясно, как день для тех, кто был" (William Barclay).

Теперь возникает вопрос о том, как мужчины и женщины могут быть инициированы в мудрости Бога, которая есть не что иное, как откровение Бога о Христе и Его распятии. Ответ на этот вопрос заключается в слове "зрелый", который Павел приравнивает к тем, кто является духовным (стих 15). Это означает, что для того чтобы началось духовное посвящение нужно, чтобы появилось:

1) Духовное рождение «Однако мы говорим, что мудрость среди зрелых ...» (1 Коринфянам 2: 6). Слово «зрелый» означает «взрослый» и отличается от «младенца». Прежде чем может возникнуть развитие и зрелость, должно произойти духовное рождение. В этом весь смысл подхода нашего Спасителя к одному из самых интеллектуальных людей Его дней по имени Никодим. Хотя он был сведущ в философии и знал богословие, он не был рожден свыше, и Спаситель сказал ему: «Истинно, истинно говорю вам: если кто не родится свыше, не может увидеть Царствия Божия» (Иоанна 3: 3). Также 3: 5). Существует только одно царство, в котором можно понять откровение Бога, и это Царство Божье. В это царство невозможно войти иначе, чем как только благодаря духовному посвящению - новому рождению. Но с этим духовным рождением должен также быть:

2) Духовный рост “Однако мы говорим, что мудрость среди зрелых…” (1 Коринфянам 2:6). Уильям Барклай утверждает, что слово, переведенное как «зрелый», описывает «животное или взрослого человека, достигшего высшей точки своего физического развития». Далее он говорит, что «Павел использует это слово для обозначения духовного и умственного прогресса тех, кто может оценить глубины Бога ». Барклай также заявляет:«... тем, кто только недавно пришел в церковь, мы говорим об основных элементах христианства; но когда люди становятся более зрелыми, мы даем им более глубокое учение о том, что означают основные факты». Именно в этом отношении Павел ограничивает понимание мудрости Божьей «инициативой». Мудрость этого мира проходит , или "ни к чему не приводит" (стих 6), но вечная мудрость Бога, представленная миру, предназначена для того, чтобы привести мужчин и женщин к предназначению Божьей славы, в кризисе и процессе посвящения, которое мы называем духовным рождением и духовным ростом. Испытывали ли вы это посвящение от Святого Духа? Без этого опыта вы никогда не сможете понять мудрость Бога, как она проявляется в нашем Господе Иисусе Христе. Но понимание Евангелия включает также:

II. Духовное Просвещение

«Но как написано:« Не видел того глаз и не слышало того ухо, и не приходило то на сердце человека, что Бог приготовил любящим Его ». Но Бог открыл это нам Духом Своим; ибо Дух все проницает, и глубины Божии » (1 Коринфянам 2: 9-10). После духовного просвещения должно быть озарение Духом. Один из самых трудных уроков, которые должны усвоить мужчины и женщины, - это то, что наблюдения людей, их внушение и созерцание никогда не смогут проникнуть или обнаружить глубины Бога. Другими словами, философский подход и научный метод ограничены временем и смыслом и могут привести нас к концу человеческого рассуждения. Но там, где человеческое исследование терпит неудачу, преобладает духовное озарение. Таким образом, Павел продолжает доказывать, что если человек обладает духовным рождением и ростом, он может знать:

1) Откровение Духа “«Но Бог открыл их (духовные вещи) нам Своим Духом» (1 Коринфянам 2:10). Чтобы проиллюстрировать свою точку зрения, апостол говорит: «Ибо кто из человеков знает что в человеке, кроме духа человеческого, живущего в нем? Так и Божьего никто не знает, кроме Духа Божия »(1 Коринфянам 2:11). Он говорит просто, что есть определенные вещи, о которых может знать только дух человека. Все знают об этом. Никто не может действительно видеть, что в наших сердцах и знать, что там кроме нашего собственного духа. Теперь Павел продолжает утверждать, что то же самое относится и к Богу. Есть глубокие и сокровенные вещи о Боге, которые знает только Божий Дух, и поэтому только Святой Дух может привести нас к пониманию разума Божьего. Чтобы выразить это иначе, есть области истины, которые нельзя найти без помощи людей. Только Святой Дух должен открыть их нам. Вот почему, когда Господь Иисус оставил Своих учеников, Он пообещал им Святого Духа, который научил бы их всему и напомнил бы им все (Иоанна 14:26). С откровением Духа также приходит:

2) Исследование Духа "Ибо Дух проникает все и глубины Божии» (1 Коринфянам 2:10). Функция Святого Духа не только выявить истину, как она есть во Христе, но и исследовать истину. Слово "поиск" в нашем тексте является наиболее интересным. Термин встречается в древних рукописях в отчетах профессиональных исследователей, а также при поиске таможенниками. Подобно тому, как опытный таможенник вытаскивает на свет скрытые вещи из чемодана путешественника, так и Святой Дух, более удивительным образом, исследует глубокие и скрытые вещи от Бога, и делает их понятными и доступными для смиренного христианина, который готов довериться Ему (см. также 1 Иоанна 2:20). Это удивительное явление сбивает с толку интеллектуалов всех возрастов. Философы и ученые никогда не были в состоянии понять, как так, что даже неграмотный ум может оценить и обсудить истины, которые совершенно сокрыты от мира в целом. Ответ, конечно, в том, что есть духовное просветление. Господь Иисус радовался этому факту (Луки 10:21; Матфея 16:17).

Знаете ли вы что-нибудь об этом духовном просветлении в вашей жизни? Нет ничего прекраснее, чем поделиться откровением и исследованием Духа Божьего. Любой, кто достиг этого понимания, может сказать вместе с Апостолом Павлом: «Мы приняли не духа мира сего, но Духа, Который от Бога, дабы знать дарованное нам от Бога» ( 1 Коринфянам 2:12). Но для полного понимания Евангелия должно быть не только духовное посвящение и просвещение, но также:

III. Духовное Толкование

"Что возвещаем не от человеческой мудрости изученными словами, но изученными от Духа Святого, сообразуя духовное с духовным" (1 Кор 2:13). Теперь мы достигли момента в речи Павла, где нам нужно очень внимательно следить за тем, что он говорит. Эти слова, которые мы только что цитировали, часто используются в качестве доказательства текста сторонниками словесного вдохновения - доктрины, которая является одновременно библейской и истинной. Но здесь Павел говорит: "мы говорим," не "мы пишем". Таким образом, он имеет в виду не столько вдохновение, сколько толкование. Он учит нас, что знание истины может быть достигнуто путем понимания двух необходимых предметов первой необходимости:

1) Духовное использование языка. «Сие же мы говорим не о том, чему учит человеческая мудрость, но о том, чему учит Святой Дух, сообразуя духовное с духовным» (1 Коринфянам 2:13). Невозможно не подчеркнуть, что тот факт, что тот кто знает разум Божий, также выбирает и слова Божьи, чтобы толковать божественную истину. Это по сути и есть служение Святого Духа. Какое важное значение имеет этот факт для Писания в этот век церкви! Его работа заключается в том, чтобы толковать Библию для мужчин и женщин, которые знают опыт духовного принятия и просвещения. Однако следует подчеркнуть, что Святой Дух никогда не говорит вне контекста божественного откровения, которое мы называем Святой Библией. Вот почему нам нужно уделять особое внимание использованию духовных языков. Ничто не является несущественным. Вот почему Иисус сказал: «Небо и земля пройдут, но слова Мои не пройдут» (от Матфея 24:35). Он также сказал: «... когда придет Он, Дух истины, Он наставит вас на всякую истину ...» (Иоанна 16:13). В этом секрет истолкования: Дух использует Свои собственные слова, чтобы явить нам разум Божий. Но при использовании Духовного языка, есть также:

2) Духовный круг полномочий. «Сие же мы говорим не о том, чему учит человеческая мудрость, но о том, чему учит Святой Дух, сообразуя духовное с духовным» (1 Коринфянам 2:13). Комментаторам было очень сложно изложить это предложение. Некоторые говорят, что это означает «совпадение духовных вещей с духовными словами». Другие утверждают, что он гласит: «истолкование духовных вещей духовным людям». Я лично убежден, что обе позиции верны. Апостол Павел утверждает, что никакое Писание не является личным истолкованием (2 Петра 1:20). У Святого Духа есть круг его полномочий, и через истину, как мы знаем из Библии, есть необходимая поддержка для каждой кардинальной доктрины, которую мы ценим. Более того, у нас есть так называемая христианская традиция, состоящая из вкладов доктринальных людей на протяжении веков. Таким образом, нам не остается гадать о божественном откровении. Нет истины, которая жизненно важна как для христианской духовной жизни так и для практической ее стороны, которая бы не имела поддержку, как божественного откровения, так и христианской традиции. Когда Павел пишет Тимофею о понимании и сообщении божественной истины, он говорит: «И то, что вы слышали от меня среди многих свидетелей, передайте их верным людям, которые также могли бы научить других» (1 Тимофею 2: 2).

Итак, Павел завершает этот удивительный абзац, указывая: «... Душевный человек не принимает того, что от Духа Божьего, потому что он почитает это безумием; И он не может разуметь, потому что о сем надобно судить духовно» (1 Коринфянам 2:14). Другими словами, без духовного принятия, просвещения и толкования истина есть не что иное, как глупость для не возрожденного человека в мире. Он рассматривает откровение, как абсурд. Как только мы это понимаем, у нас есть полное объяснение отношения к духовным вещам, принятого среди не христиан. Поэтому мы должны быть с ним терпеливы и молиться, чтобы они подчинились условиям божественного откровения. С другой стороны, апостол говорит: “... тот, кто духовный судит о всем, а о нем судить никто не может” (1 Коринфянам 2:15). Другими словами, человек, который знает духовное принятие, просвещение и толкование, он обладает способностью, которая позволяет ему просеивать и исследовать божественные откровения, а также человеческое и душевное. В то же время он не может подвергаться экспертизе и суду тем, кто лишен Духа. Ни один не возрожденный человек не имеет права критиковать или судить христианина относительно его личной веры во Христа. Он не обладает способностью духовного распознавания и поэтому не может понять природу произошедшего чуда. Так же, как он не может судить христианина, также он не может указывать Господу, что делать (см. стих 16). Это есть ничто иное, как вопиющая человеческая дерзость, чтобы возвысить голос против Бога, которого он не хочет принять.

В отличие от этого, христианин имеет «разум Христа». Этот отрывок заканчивается потрясающим утверждением. Мудрость Бога есть не что иное, как разум Христов. Слово «разум» здесь означает «интеллект» или «сознание». У нас есть осознание Христа, разум Христа, мировоззрение Христа. Это не то слово, которое Павел использует в Филиппийцам 2. Там имеется в виду расположение Христа; здесь - это понимание умом или мудрость Христа.

Заключение:

Как замечательно, что вы и я можем узнать разум Бога. Удивительно, что на протяжении веков мы будем продолжать исследовать разум Христа, становясь все более похожим на Иисуса. Какая огромная вселенная благословений простирается перед нами! Это заставляет нас чувствовать себя подобно Исааку Ньютону, когда он сказал: «Я, как маленький ребенок, стоящий на берегу моря, подбираю камушек здесь и там, и любуюсь ими, пока великое море бушует передо мной».

Итак, Павел достигает могущественного послания самыми возвышенными понятиями. То, что он говорит коринфянам, состоит в том, что, если они имеют принятие, просвещение и толкование, они будут знать разум Христов. И знать разум Христов - означает знать единство мысли, жизни и практики. В сознании Христа нет разделения и нет разделения в поместной церкви, которая знает разум Христов. О, чтобы наша молитва могла быть: «Пусть разум Христов, мой Спаситель, живет со мной изо дня в день, Своей любовью и властью, контролируя все, что я делаю и говорю».

Часть IV. План Проповеди

Чтобы прослушать аудио версию этих проповедей на английском языке, нажмите на эти ссылки: Link 1 - Jn. 11:38-44; Link 2 - Jn. 13:1-3, Pt. 1; Link 3 - Jn. 13:1-3, Pt. 2; Link 4 - Jn. 13:1-3, Pt. 3

Название: Омовение ног учеников

1: Мы должны понимать основы истинного служения (1-3)

1. Основой истинного служения является уверенность, которая приходит от знания

а) того, куда мы идем, и каким путем приходим (1a)

- «Иисус знал, что пришел его час »

б) того, кто мы и как мы вписываемся (3a)

- Иисус знал ... что Отец отдал все в Его руки »

в) того, откуда мы пришли и почему мы здесь (3б)

- Иисус знал ... что Он пришел от Бога и идет к Богу

2: Основа истинного служения - это мотивация, которая приходит из любви (1в)

a) Мотивация, исходящая от любви, показана в объекте этой любви (1в)

- «полюбив своих»

б) Мотивация, исходящая от любви, показана в степени этой любви (1г)

- «полюбив своих, которые были в мире, он возлюбил их до конца»

Lesson 5: Resolving Doctrinal Differences in the Church (Acts 15:1-21)

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May 7, 2017

You may remember the story of a man who was marooned on a deserted island. When a ship came to his rescue, the captain learned that the man had lived alone on this island for five years. There were three huts, so he asked about them. The man said that he lived in the first one. “Then what’s that second hut?” the captain asked. The man said, “That’s where I go to church.” “What about that third hut?” the captain asked. The man replied, “Oh, that’s where I used to go to church.” I think he was a Baptist!

While that story is funny, actual church splits are not so funny. When churches divide, people get hurt. Some get so disgusted that they drop out of church altogether. Some may be so disillusioned that they leave the faith. Many, if not most, of you have been through church splits. We’ve had a couple of them at FCF during the 25 years I’ve served here. In the New Testament, the churches in Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, and Colossae were all in danger of divisions.

As we saw last week, unity among believers is very important to our Lord. He died to secure it (Eph. 2:12-14) and it’s a major part of our witness to the world (John 13:34-35; 17:20-23). So we must be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and to grow to maturity in Christ, so that we may attain to the unity of the faith (Eph. 4:3, 13).

But how do we preserve the unity of the Spirit and attain to the unity of the faith? Obviously, it doesn’t happen automatically! There are at least four kinds of differences, or combinations thereof, which threaten church unity: (1) doctrinal differences; (2) personal differences (caused by personal wrongs); (3) personality differences; and, (4) methodological differences (over how to do the Lord’s work). In this message, I’m focusing on resolving doctrinal differences. I’ll address the other areas in future messages. The main idea here is:

Resolving doctrinal differences in a biblical way is crucial for the sake of the gospel.

You may be inclined to think that doctrine is not important or that theological controversies are for theologians to argue about, but they don’t affect you. But I would remind you that this year is the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, which centered on several important doctrinal disputes that the Roman Catholic Church refused to correct. And although some now are calling for an end to the division that happened then, the doctrinal division between the Catholic Church and the Reformers was and still is primarily over the gospel. Thus …

1. Doctrinal differences are crucial because truth matters.

Think about this: What is the difference between a Jehovah’s Witness, who is trying to work his way into heaven but is actually on his way to hell, and you, a believer in Jesus Christ, bound for heaven? The main difference is theological. You may object, “No, the difference is that I believe in Jesus Christ, but he doesn’t.” But every Jehovah’s Witness I’ve talked to claims to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The problem is, the “Jesus” he believes in is not the Jesus of the Bible. The Jehovah’s Witness “Jesus” is a created being, not the eternal Son of God.

Perhaps someone would still object, “Isn’t doctrine divisive? Isn’t love the most important thing?” But, what if someone you love was about to drink a glass of water containing deadly poison, because he believed it was pure water? But, you knew that if he drank that contaminated water, he would die. Love would not ignore the truth that that drink would kill him. Even if he sincerely believed that that poisoned water was good for him, it still would kill him. Faith is only as good as its object. Faith in a contaminated glass of water is deadly. Faith in a contaminated gospel is eternally deadly! Spiritual truth is not relative to every person’s opinion of God or the gospel! To be saved, our faith must be in God’s only revealed way of salvation: the eternal Son of God, crucified for our sins and risen for our justification.

In the early church, a doctrinal controversy arose as the gospel spread from its Jewish origins to the Gentiles. In Jerusalem, the early church consisted mostly of Jews who had come to faith in Jesus as their crucified and risen Messiah. But when the gospel spread north to Antioch and then beyond (through the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas), many Gentiles came to faith in Christ (Acts 11:20-21). After Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch, some Jews called Judaizers, who professed to believe in Jesus, began going to the largely Gentile churches that Paul and Barnabas had established, teaching that in addition to believing in Christ for salvation, the Gentiles must also be circumcised and follow the Jewish ceremonial laws. Paul wrote the Letter to the Galatians to refute their spiritually deadly error.

Eventually, the Judaizers came to Antioch and were teaching (Acts 15:1), “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” After Paul and Barnabas had great dissension with them, the church sent them and a delegation to Jerusalem to get this matter cleared up with the apostles and elders there. The Jerusalem Council affirmed the same gospel that Paul preached, but asked the Gentile converts to abstain from some things that would needlessly alienate unbelieving Jews.

The point is that Paul didn’t see this as an unimportant doctrinal dispute that should be overlooked in love. He saw it as poisoned water that threatened the truth of the gospel itself. Doctrinal differences are crucial when the truth of the gospel is at stake. Even though the Judaizers were probably sincere and only wanted to preserve the Law of Moses, they were sincerely wrong! Paul didn’t just shrug it off, saying, “Unity must prevail! Let’s set aside our differences and come together where we agree!” Rather, he fought vigorously for the truth of the gospel, pronouncing eternal judgment on these false teachers (Gal. 1:6-9)! He saw that people’s eternal destinies were at stake. Correct doctrine can make an eternal difference!

2. Doctrinal differences must be resolved in an attempt to preserve unity without compromising the truth of the gospel.

While unity is extremely important, it cannot trump the truth of the gospel, because if the gospel is compromised, the resulting “unity” is not the unity of the Spirit. It would be a superficial “unity” of some who believe in Jesus and some who did not. Jesus prayed for the love and unity of His disciples, but it was love and unity based on the truth (John 17:17). Jesus claimed to speak the truth (John 8:45) and to be the truth (John 14:6). He told Pilate (John 18:37), “For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” He promised that He would send to His disciples “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17; 15:26). So to argue that Jesus set love above truth is false. He knew that tolerating a false gospel is not love, because it would lead the person believing it to damnation, not to eternal life.

The apostle Paul also knew that to preserve peace while compromising the truth of the gospel was not true love and unity. He risked disunity with Peter and Barnabas over a situation that occurred in Antioch (I think before the Jerusalem Council, although scholars debate the timing of this incident). Peter visited the church there and ate with the Gentiles, something strict Jews would never do. He realized that the Gentiles who believed were true brothers and sisters in Christ (Acts 10:28).

But when the Judaizers visited Antioch, Peter and even Barnabas feared their disapproval and withdrew from eating with the Gentiles. But Paul boldly confronted these men in front of the entire church (Gal. 2:11-14). He knew that to preserve unity while compromising the gospel would have been spiritually fatal.

All of this is directly relevant to our day when many influential Christian leaders are calling for Protestants to be unified with the Roman Catholic Church. They argue that we should come together because of the many beliefs we share in common and agree to disagree over the doctrine of justification by faith alone. The Catholic Church teaches that we must not only believe in Jesus, but also add our good works and merit to be saved. It’s the same error the Galatian Judaizers were teaching: Believe in Jesus plus add your good works. Rome still affirms the canons of the Councils of Trent that condemn those who believe that we are justified by faith alone.

Even the famous evangelist Billy Graham for many years played down any differences between evangelicals and Roman Catholics. He said, “I have no quarrel with the Catholic Church.” Speaking of the difference between evangelicalism and Roman Catholicism, he said, “I don’t think the differences are important as far as personal salvation is concerned” (both quotes in Iain Murray, Evangelicalism Divided [Banner of Truth], p. 68). He also often said (ibid. p. 33), “The one badge of Christian discipleship is not orthodoxy, but love.”

Because of the powerful influence of Graham and of other well-known Christian leaders advocating reconciliation with the Catholic Church, there is immense pressure on pastors today to drop all doctrinal differences and join together with all who call themselves “Christian.” Evangelical author Ron Sider dogmatically stated, “It is sin to refuse to join in ecumenical dialogue and processes with other Christians who confess Jesus Christ as God and Savior. It is a sin to send our missionaries to other lands with long Christian traditions without first consulting with the churches already there.” In the context, he was referring to countries where Roman Catholicism and the Orthodox Church are strong (World Vision [April/May, 1994], p. 9). Here in Flagstaff we are currently being urged to join with Roman Catholics in prayer for our city.

I readily admit that there have been many shameful divisions among Christians over petty issues, which is sin. But the Bible shows that there are times when it is sin not to divide over doctrine. When the doctrine concerns how a person gets saved, there can be no compromise. So then, how should we attempt to resolve doctrinal differences in a biblical manner, while trying to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?

3. Doctrinal differences can be resolved in a biblical way by taking the following steps:

A. Determine the magnitude of the controversy.

As I mentioned last week, most doctrinal differences may be divided into three broad categories: (1) Essential truth that is necessary for the gospel. To deny these truths would be heresy and a denial of the Christian faith. These truths include:

The inspiration and authority of the Bible: If someone denies this, there is no basis for determining what is spiritually true and false. If the Bible is in error over whether abortion or homosexuality are sin or whether Paul was wrong on the roles of men and women, then maybe it’s also wrong about whether faith in Jesus is the only way to God. The Bible must be our foundation for truth (John 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17)!

The trinity: God is one God who exists eternally as three co-equal persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each of whom is fully God. To deny the trinity is to deny the truthfulness of Jesus and the apostles, who clearly taught it (Matt. 28:19; John 14:9, 16, 26; 2 Cor. 13:14).

The full deity and full humanity of Jesus: If Jesus is not fully human, He could not atone for human sins. If He is not fully God, His death for sinners would not satisfy the holy justice of God. Many Scriptures affirm both His humanity (through the virgin birth) and His deity (Luke 1:30-38; John 1:1, 14; 10:30).

The substitutionary death of Jesus that satisfied God’s wrath as the payment for our sins: Jesus didn’t die only as an example of love; rather, He bore God’s wrath on behalf of all sinners who put their trust in Him (Rom. 3:26; 2 Cor. 5:21). Included here is the truth that all people are sinners who need Jesus to save them (Rom. 3:23).

Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the dead and bodily second coming in power and glory: If Jesus was not raised bodily, our faith is in vain (1 Cor. 15:14, 17). If He is not coming back bodily, He lied and we can’t believe anything else He said (Matt. 26:64; Acts 1:11).

Salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ alone: We are justified (declared righteous by God) as a gift by His grace through faith, not by works (Rom. 4:4-5; Eph. 2:8-9).

(2) Important, but not saving truths. These issues affect how we live as Christians, the way we understand God, man, salvation, the Christian life, etc. So some of them are very important, but genuine Christians differ. Some of these matters fall into a gray zone between the essential and important categories. For example, the doctrine of eternal punishment in hell is very close to an essential truth necessary for salvation; but some, such as the late John Stott, denied it, and I can’t question his salvation. I think, though, that his denial of that truth was a very serious error.

Some other examples of important, but non-saving issues: God’s sovereignty versus human free will in our salvation; views of baptism; church government; biblical prophecy; old earth versus young earth creation; charismatic gifts; roles of men and women in the church and home; Christians and psychology; and, divorce and remarriage.

(3) Interesting, but not essential or important issues. Often it’s difficult to determine exactly what the Bible teaches about these matters. But one way or the other, they don’t affect how you live your Christian life. These include things like, who are the sons of God in Genesis 6? When does the battle of Ezekiel 38 take place? Did Christ descend into hell?

Once you determine the magnitude of a doctrinal issue …

B. Check your attitude.

Due to our propensity toward pride, it’s easy to defend the truth in the wrong way. Granted, both Jesus (Matt. 23:1-33) and Paul (Acts 13:6-12; Gal. 1:6-9) strongly confronted those in error, so sometimes this may be necessary. But we need to heed two Scriptures that guide us in how to correct those in error. In Galatians 6:1, Paul writes, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” The “trespass” may be a doctrinal error. Our goal should be restoration, not to prove that we’re right and they’re wrong. And, we should act with gentleness and humility.

In 2 Timothy 2:24-26, Paul states, “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” We will not win a person in error to the truth by being quarrelsome, impatient, or harsh. Rather, we must gently, lovingly offer correction, while praying that God will grant repentance. Our motive must never be to prove that we’re right and the other person is wrong. Rather, our desire should be to glorify God through the other person’s embracing God’s truth.

C. If an essential issue is at stake:

1) Hear out the issue completely.

The apostles and elders in Jerusalem heard the Judaizers, then Peter, Paul and Barnabas, and James, all stated their case (Acts 15:5, 7-12). We need to make sure that we understand what the other person is saying before we pass judgment (James 1:19).

2) Consider where the person is coming from.

Does he really understand the gospel? Is he a new believer who lacks teaching? Or, is he a knowledgeable man who is actively promoting false doctrine by preying on younger believers who don’t know as much as he does? We should be gentle with an unbeliever or untaught believer. But someone who is deliberately teaching false doctrine needs a stronger rebuke.

3) Outside counsel may be needed on a major issue.

Paul and Barnabas brought this crucial issue back to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. Sometimes I’ve faced difficult issues where I’ve sought the wisdom of other pastors or church leaders.

4) The Scriptures are the final authority.

James supports the testimonies of Peter, Paul, and Barnabas by appealing to the prophet Amos (Acts 15:15-18). In verse 28, they concluded, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and us ….” The mind of the Spirit is not determined by our subjective feelings, but by what the Spirit-inspired prophets and apostles wrote in God’s word. If your interpretation of a major doctrine goes against the consensus of Spirit-filled, godly men, look out!

5) Concessions on minor issues may need to be made, but never on essential issues.

In order not to offend the Jews, Gentile converts were asked to abstain from three things that violated the ceremonial law (things contaminated by idols, what is strangled, and blood). It’s difficult to know why abstaining from fornication is in this list, since it’s an absolute moral issue. The Gentile culture accepted temple prostitution and men having a mistress as common practice. Perhaps many new Gentile converts did not yet understand God’s moral standards on marital fidelity. If Gentile converts continued with these pagan practices, it would hinder reaching Jews with the gospel. So the Gentiles were asked not to offend the Jews on these matters; but the truth of the gospel was not compromised.

6) If a person persists in a major doctrinal error, church discipline may be required.

The goal is always to bring the person in error to the knowledge of the truth. But sometimes, to protect the church and uphold sound doctrine, a person who stubbornly holds to false doctrine must be removed from the church (Matt. 18:15-17; Titus 3:10-11).

D. If it is an important but not essential issue:

1) The elders must determine what course the church will take.

Our church has a position on baptism, the sign gifts, the role of women in the church and home, and other issues. We recognize that other Bible-believing churches differ from us, but we need to answer to the Lord for the light He has given us on these things.

2) If the elders disagree among themselves after sufficient study and prayer, those in the minority should either submit, resign, or move to another church.

On a couple of occasions I have been asked to pastor churches that had women elders. I declined because I could not submit to that view and if I had insisted that the church change the policy before I went there, or I went there and changed the church’s policy, it would have caused serious conflict a church split. The elders need to agree on important issues. Disunity among leaders will translate into disharmony among the flock.

E. If it is a minor issue:

Here, unity and love trump individual preferences. Many issues are not worth fighting over. We are to stand “firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:29). But on minor issues, we should (Phil. 2:3), “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.”

Sometimes a cantankerous person will “major on the minors.” He’s convinced that he is right about some minor point of doctrine and he’s on a crusade to convince everyone else that he’s right. At some point, this type gently but firmly needs to be told to back off. Often, there is a deeper issue going on that the person needs to deal with. If you can help him deal with that root issue, he will stop majoring on some minor issue.

Conclusion

I concluded last week with a quote from J. C. Ryle; here is another wise word from him (Warnings to the Churches [Banner of Truth Trust], pp. 110-111):

Controversy in religion is a hateful thing. It is hard enough to fight the devil, the world and the flesh, without private differences in our own camp. But there is one thing which is even worse than controversy, and that is false doctrine tolerated, allowed, and permitted without protest or molestation…. Three things there are which men never ought to trifle with—a little poison, a little false doctrine, and a little sin.

Application Questions

Have you seen a church divided over doctrinal disputes? Was it an essential or important doctrine? Could it have been handled more in line with Scripture? How so?
What doctrinal issues would you have difficulty classing as major versus important?
Why is it essential to emphasize justification by faith alone, with nothing added (see Rom. 4:2)? Can Protestant believers enjoy fellowship with Roman Catholics who deny this truth?
Over which doctrinal issues have you had the most conflict or disagreement with other Christians? How can you apply this message so as to reduce friction over these issues?

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

Related Topics: Ecclesiology (The Church)

Lesson 6: Resolving Personal Conflict in the Church (Matthew 5:21-24; 18:15-17)

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May 21, 2017

I am not a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I can predict with absolute certainty that if you are involved in a local church, you will have a conflict with another person. That person may wrong you unintentionally or intentionally. Most likely, it will not involve a violation of our civil laws, but it might. Or, you will wrong another believer. Or, someone will wrong one of your family members or a friend, who will tell you about what has happened.

I’m not overstating the case when I say that if you do not learn to deal biblically with personal conflict, you will not do well as a Christian. After all, the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:39). It’s really important for you to obey that commandment. But such obedience does not happen automatically. It requires biblical understanding and constant effort.

Every relational conflict or misunderstanding is an opportunity to learn more of Christ. Did someone treat me in an offensive manner? People treated Jesus offensively, but He still loved them. Did they run roughshod over my feelings? Jesus knew that kind of treatment. Did I show kindness to someone, only to have him go behind my back and spread lies about me? Jesus knew that experience. Did my friends desert me at my time of need? The disciples deserted Jesus at His trial and crucifixion. Did a close associate betray me? Judas betrayed Jesus. Maybe you feel mistreated, unloved, or betrayed by a family member or fellow Christian. Use that situation to draw near to Jesus, who loved you, even though your sin put Him on the cross.

How you deal with conflict, whether in your family, with other believers, or for that matter, with those in the world, will either advance or hinder God’s kingdom. Others will either see Christ in you and be drawn to Him, or they will see sinful selfishness in one who claims to be a Christian and be repelled. Thus:

Resolving conflict in a biblical way is crucial for the sake of the gospel.

I’m going to spend most of this message on what you should do if another believer wrongs you. I will also deal briefly about what you should do if you wrong someone else and what to do when someone you know has been wronged. In addition to this message, I have several messages on the church website on resolving conflicts and having harmonious relationships. Also, there is a one-page summary, “Some Biblical Principles for Communication,” on the church website. Also, I would recommend Ken Sande and Kevin Johnson’s Resolving Everyday Conflict [Baker] and Stuart Scott’s Communication and Conflict Resolution and From Pride to Humility [both Focus Publishing].

Suppose someone in the church deliberately wronged you. It could be anything from gossip or telling half-truths about you to something extremely serious, such as committing adultery with your spouse or molesting one of your children. First we’ll look at how to deal with a non-legal wrong and then at how to deal with it if someone has violated a civil or criminal law.

1. When another believer intentionally wrongs you in a non-legal way, look to the Lord, look to yourself, and then go to the person in an attempt to be reconciled.

Non-legal does not mean that the wrong was not serious (e.g. adultery), but only that the government has no concern in the matter. Also, it is not always easy to determine whether a wrong against you was intentional or unintentional. Maybe the person is spiritually or emotionally immature or oblivious to others’ feelings. I’ll talk about this later. But if you’re pretty sure it was an intentional wrong:

A. Look to the Lord.

That may sound obvious, but when you’ve been wronged, it’s anything but obvious. The most natural thing to do is to react emotionally. Ken Sande and Kevin Johnson (ibid. p. 35) point out that in any conflict, there are three possible responses: escape; attack; or make peace. If you react in the flesh, you will either escape or attack, but you will not resolve the conflict and you will not grow in Christ. If you look to the Lord, you can take steps to make peace.

(1) Look to the glory of Christ as your aim in resolving the conflict. By looking to the Lord, I mean that you should stop and ask Him to help you glorify and please Him in your thoughts, words, and deeds in dealing with the wrong you have suffered. That should be your aim in every relational conflict.

(2) Look to the cross of Christ as the basis for forgiveness and reconciliation. Ephesians 2:14 states, “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups [Jew and Gentile] into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.” In that day, the Jews and Gentiles were hostile and derisive towards one another. But as Paul goes on to say (Eph. 2:15-17), through the cross Christ reconciled these formerly hostile groups in one body (the church) to God.

Also, as Jesus taught (Matt. 18:21-35) in the parable of the servant whose master forgave him $5 billion, only to have that servant go and demand payment from a fellow servant who owed him $5,000, the cross reminds us that God has forgiven our $5 billion debt. Now He wants me to forgive others just as I’ve been forgiven (Eph. 4:32). However badly the other person wronged me, it wasn’t as badly as I wronged the Lord. The cross is the basis for forgiveness and reconciliation with the one who wronged me.

(3) Look to the body of Christ as the basis for preserving unity. As Paul taught (1 Cor. 12:12-30), all believers are one body in Christ. If the person who hurt me is a Christian and I retaliate by hurting him, I’m hurting myself, because we’re members of the same body. Even worse, I’m hurting Christ, because He is the head of the body. So your purpose is not to get even or to tear the other person apart so that you can prove that you were right. Rather, it is to build him or her up in Christ.

(4) Look to the love of Christ as the example of how you should respond to the one who wronged you. Jesus loved us and sacrificed Himself for us while we were yet sinners (Eph. 5:2; Rom. 5:8). This does not mean that you must endure all wrongs against you without confronting the one who wronged you. Love seeks the highest good of the one loved, which sometimes means correcting the person or pointing out a blind spot that was the cause of the wrong. But your aim toward the one who wronged you should be to build him in Christ by showing him the love of Christ.

(5) Look to the sovereignty of Christ, who brought this trial into your life for His glory and your good, and also for the good of the one who wronged you. The Lord is never responsible for sin, but in ways that we cannot understand, He uses other people’s sins for His glory and our good when we respond rightly. Out of hatred, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. Then Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him and he spent the better part of his twenties in an Egyptian dungeon. But through all these wrongs, Joseph trusted in the sovereign goodness of God. Years later, he said to his brothers (Gen. 50:20), “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” So when you’ve been wronged, first stop and get a godly perspective by looking to the Lord.

B. Look to yourself: Do a heart check.

(1) Check for hidden causes for the offense on your part. Perhaps you offended the person in the past, but never made it right. Or, perhaps you came across in an arrogant, abrasive, or self-serving manner. James 4:1-2 states, “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.” If you previously offended the one who now has wronged you, it doesn’t excuse his sin, but it does alter the equation a bit. You can’t be reconciled to him until you ask forgiveness for your own wrongs.

(2) Check for a root of bitterness on your part. Hebrews 12:15 warns, “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.” When you’ve been wronged, it’s easy to become bitter. Bitterness is a root. As you know, it’s easier to pull out a new plant than it is to dig out one that has deep roots that have grown over the years. And, your root of bitterness will defile others, especially those who are closest to you. You don’t want to defile your kids by your bitterness.

(3) Check for any gossip on your part. When you’ve been wronged, it’s easy to go to others and build your case by making yourself look like an innocent victim and making the wrongdoer look like an evil villain. Granted, you may need to go to a trusted, mature believer and get counsel on how to deal with the person who wronged you. But you should not talk to a lot of people to build your case.

(4) Check for a spirit of gentleness and a desire for reconciliation on your part. To correct those who are in sin, you need to be gentle, seeking to bring restoration, reconciliation, and healing (Gal. 6:1; 2 Tim. 2:24-26). Proverbs 12:18 says, “There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” You can use your tongue to hack someone to bits, or you can use it like a surgeon uses a scalpel, to bring healing.

(5) Check to see what character qualities God may want to teach you through this conflict. There is always room to grow in the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23): Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We all need to grow in humility! We all need to depend on God more in prayer. Every conflict provides opportunities for growth in godliness.

So, first look to the Lord; then look to yourself. Then …

C. Go to the person in a spirit of gentleness in an attempt to be reconciled.

In Romans 14:18, Paul says, “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” Many scholars prefer the reading, “Let us pursue.” Either way, the idea is that no matter “who started it,” if you’re aware of a relational strain, you’re responsible to pursue peace and reconciliation.

Before you go, pray for the right timing and setting. Pray for yourself, so that you will be gracious, gentle, and kind. Pray for the other person to be open to whatever the Lord wants to teach him or her in this situation. When you meet with the offender, begin by asking questions to make sure that you understand his or her perspective and feelings. Remember, you’re not there to win an argument or prove that you were right and the offender was wrong. You’re there to glorify and please God and to help your brother or sister grow in Christ. Give the person the opportunity to repent and change without putting him down or backing him into a corner where he gets defensive. Let him know that you’re a fellow sinner, not a saint who never sins.

Speak the truth, but always in love (Eph. 4:15). There are two ways to err here: If you exaggerate to win your point (“you always,” or “you never”), you’re not being truthful. If you say that you’re fine when you’re not, you’re not being truthful. If you deny that you feel hurt when you were hurt, or minimize the other person’s serious sin, you’re not being truthful. Joseph didn’t minimize his brothers’ sin against him. Even though he had forgiven them, he said truthfully (Gen. 50:20), “you meant evil against me.”

The other way to err is to speak the truth, but not in love. To blast the other person angrily because “that’s just the way I feel,” may be truthful, but it’s not loving. Love has regard for the other person’s feelings. Love does not use abusive speech that puts down the other person. Love does not back the other person into a corner where he becomes defensive. Love seeks to build up the other person. If the offender verbally attacks, criticizes, or blames you, love does not return insult for insult, but gives a blessing instead (1 Pet. 3:9). It’s a good idea to read 1 Corinthians 13 before you go to the offending person to remind yourself of what love looks like.

Depending on the magnitude of the offense against you, if the offender does not repent, you may need to take another brother or sister with you (Matt. 18:16). If the offense is serious and there is still no repentance, at some point, the elders may need to “tell it to the church” and expel the offender from the church (Matt. 18:17). But throughout the process, your aim is never to win or prove that you were right, but rather to restore and be reconciled to the sinning person for the glory of God and the good of the other person.

2. When another believer intentionally wrongs you in a legal way, distinguish between a civil and a criminal offense.

A. If it’s a civil matter, seek resolution first personally, then through church leaders, and only as a last resort through litigation.

Paul rebukes the bickering Corinthian church (1 Cor. 6:1-8) because they were taking one another to court before unbelievers. He asks rhetorically (1 Cor. 6:7), “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?” If you’re considering suing another believer, ask, “Will going to court against a fellow believer glorify God? Will it help or hinder the furtherance of the gospel? Will it help or hinder being reconciled with my brother or sister in Christ?”

If you can’t resolve the dispute privately, then you may need to take it to the church elders or to Christian arbitrators. Sometimes, the offending person goes to another church where the leaders will not get involved and will not exercise church discipline. What should you do then? Not all would agree with me on this point, but if all avenues for Christian mediation have been pursued, there are times when it is permissible for a believer to take legal action against the other person who claims to be a believer, but who is denying his claim by his life.

For example, if a businessman needs to be paid what he is owed so that he can keep his business going, he may need to sue one who has defrauded him. Or if a man needs financial recompense so that he can provide for his family (1 Tim. 5:8), he may need to use the courts. Or if he sees a pattern of greed and dishonesty on the part of the one who wronged him and thinks that to let the offender off would allow him to go on hurting others and not face his sin; then, it may be right to take him to court. But, in such cases, you need to make sure that you’re not being greedy or seeking revenge. (See John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, 4:20:17-21.)

B. If it is a criminal offense, you should call the government authorities to carry out justice and protect others.

God provides civil government to uphold the law for the protection of the innocent and the punishment of evildoers (Rom. 13:1-7). If someone molests a child, to protect other children, he needs to be brought to justice. If a Christian has embezzled money, he needs to make full restitution to those he has wronged. If a husband physically abuses his wife or children, he needs to face the penalties of the law. If a man rapes a woman, for the protection of other women, he needs to go to prison. Forgiving and loving a criminal does not mean that you should not report his crime to civil authorities.

3. When another believer wrongs you unintentionally, decide whether you should just absorb it or talk to the person.

As with an intentional wrong, first look to the Lord with the desire to glorify and please Him. Then, look to yourself: Are you being overly sensitive or critical? Could you mistakenly be assuming a wrong motive on the part of the one who offended you? If it was a relatively minor offense, ask, “Was this a deliberate sin against me or was it just spiritual immaturity or human imperfection on this person’s part?” Maybe the other person was insensitive to your feelings or responded sarcastically in a way that made you feel put down. Okay, you were wronged. But do you just need to absorb it?

I asked a man who left our church in California why he left. He said, “Your elders are unfriendly!” I asked, “Which elder was unfriendly to you?” He named a man who was probably our most gregarious elder. He said, “He walked right past me at church and didn’t even say hello!” I tried to explain that this elder probably saw someone across the room he needed to talk to and was making a beeline for that person and that I was sure that this elder did not mean to slight him. But, I said, if it really bothered him, he should talk to this elder and then let me know how it went. But he refused to do that and left the church.

If an unintentional offense is hindering your relationship with the person or you think it represents a pattern or habitual behavior that is hurting others and not glorifying God, or it’s a blind spot that he needs to face so that he doesn’t offend others, then the loving thing to do is to talk to him to try to help him grow in Christ.

4. When you wrong another believer, ask God’s forgiveness, then go and ask forgiveness from the one you wronged.

Think through and try to specify exactly what you did wrong. Don’t blame or attack the other person, even if you think that he or she is mostly at fault. As Sande and Johnson say (p. 62), “Even if I’m only 2 percent responsible for a conflict, I’m 100 percent responsible for my 2 percent.”

It’s important to use the right wording when you ask someone to forgive you. Don’t belittle your sin by saying, “If I was wrong, please forgive me.” Don’t say, “I’m sorry I yelled at you, but it makes me angry when you treat me that way!” You’re blaming, not taking responsibility for your sin. Rather, say, “God has convicted me of my sin when I spoke to you as I did. I know I wronged you in this. I’ve asked God’s forgiveness and I’ve come to ask, ‘Will you forgive me?’” Assure the one you offended that you will work on not repeating the offense. And ask for his or her prayers.

5. When someone you know has been wronged, don’t listen to his side only and take up his offense; rather, direct the offended one to take the steps of action explained above.

When your loved one or friend tells you how another person wronged him, don’t rush to his defense without first hearing the other side. As Proverbs 18:17 says, “The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him.” Ask the one who tells you that he was wronged: “Have you gone directly to the one who wronged you and sought reconciliation? Have you talked to others besides me about this offense?” If so, you need to tell him not to talk to anyone else, which would be gossip. Explain the steps I’ve covered in this message to resolve the conflict in a godly manner and tell him to report back to you after he has gone to the offending party.

Conclusion

What if none of the above brings resolution? Well, we live in a fallen world and sometimes reconciliation isn’t possible. Paul says (Rom. 12:18), “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Sometimes, peace isn’t possible. In those situations, pray for the offender, don’t badmouth him to everyone else, and move on with growing in Christ and serving Him. But for the sake of the gospel, do all you can to resolve personal conflict in a way that honors the Lord and restores damaged relationships. After all, it is the second greatest commandment!

Application Questions

When someone sins against you, should you grant him forgiveness before he repents? Is there a difference between not granting forgiveness and harboring bitterness?
What is the hardest thing about seeking reconciliation with someone who has wronged you? How can you overcome this?
Is it ever permissible for a Christian to sue another Christian? Is it loving to allow him to rip you off without consequences?
How can a person who is easily offended overcome this problem? How can you know whether you’re overly sensitive?

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

The Bible Teacher’s Guide, Ephesians: Understanding God’s Purpose for the Church

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Many of the problems plaguing the church today, such as apathy, conflict, spiritual pride, and spiritual abuse, stem from a poor understanding of who the church is in Christ and God’s purpose for her. Whenever we don’t understand the purpose of something, we are prone to misuse it. No doubt the newly founded churches in Ephesus and Asia Minor struggled with a lack of understanding as well and, therefore, were plagued with many of the same issues.

Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians to help them grasp God’s great plan for the church. He calls many of these insights “mysteries”—truths not fully revealed to past generations, but now fully revealed to us. He describes the church as seated in the heavenly realms in Christ. She is one body—including both Jews and Gentiles. She is God’s temple and his masterpiece. She is the bride of Christ and a soldier fighting demonic forces. The more the church grows in her understanding of God’s great purpose for her, the more she will live it out and display his glory. Let’s study the letter of Ephesians together with The Bible Teacher’s Guide.

This book is also available for purchase here on Amazon.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Ecclesiology (The Church)

Preface

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And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:2)

Paul’s words to Timothy still apply to us today. The church needs teachers who clearly and fearlessly teach the Word of God. With this in mind, The Bible Teacher’s Guide (BTG) series was created. This series includes both expositional and topical studies that help teachers lead small groups, pastors prepare sermons, and individuals increase their knowledge of God’s Word.

Each lesson is based around the hermeneutical principle that the original authors wrote in a similar manner as we do today—with the intention of being understood. Each paragraph and chapter of Scripture centers around one main thought, often called the Big Idea. After finding the Big Idea for each passage studied, students will discuss the Big Question, which will lead the small group (if applicable) through the entire text. Alongside the Big Question, note the added Observation, Interpretation, and Application Questions. The Observation Questions point out pivotal aspects of the text. The Interpretation Questions facilitate understanding through use of the context and other Scripture. The Application Questions lead to life principles coming out of the text. Not all questions will be used, but they have been given to help guide the teacher in preparing the lesson.

As the purpose of this guide is to make preparation easier for the teacher and study easier for the individual, many commentaries and sermons have been accessed in the development of each lesson. After meditating on the Scripture text and the lesson, the small group leader may wish to follow the suggested teaching outline:

Introduce the text and present the Big Question.
Allow several minutes for the members to discuss the question, search for the answers within the text, and listen to God speak to them through His Word.
Discuss the initial findings, then lead the group through the Observation, Interpretation, and Application Questions.

On the other hand, the leader may prefer to teach the lesson in part or in whole, and then give the Application Questions. He may also choose to use a “study group” method, where each member prepares beforehand and shares teaching responsibility (see Appendices 1 and 2). Some leaders may find it most effective to first read the main section of the lesson corporately, then to follow with a brief discussion of the topic and an Application Question.

Again, The Bible Teacher’s Guide can be used as a manual to follow in teaching, a resource to use in preparation for teaching or preaching, or simply as an expositional devotional to enrich your own study. I pray that the Lord may bless your study, preparation, and teaching, and that in all of it you will find the fruit of the Holy Spirit abounding in your own life and in the lives of those you instruct.

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV or AKJV are from the King James Version or Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations and commentators’ quotations have been added.

1. How to Live in Praise, Even in Trials

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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Ephesians 1:3-6)

How can we live a life of constant praise? First Thessalonians 5:18 calls for us to give thanks in all things for this is God’s will for our lives. Ephesians 5:18-20 calls for us to be filled with the Spirit, to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making a melody in our hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God for everything. Christians are meant to be a people of praise and worship.

Why do we often fail at this? Why is our praise often so shallow? Some people only worship at church. Others praise God only in good times, but not when things are bad or difficult.

In this text we see the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, which starts with praise to God. Chapter 1:3-14 is one long run-on sentence in the Greek. But not only is it one sentence, it is one long praise to God. In verse 3, Paul says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In verse 6 he says, “to the praise of his glorious grace,” and finally in verse 14, he says, “to the praise of his glory.” Many theologians believe that Paul is actually singing a song that models a Hebrew blessing song in verses 3-14.¹ These blessing songs always began with “Blessed are You, Lord God.” Similarly, Paul here declares, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v.3).

At this time, Paul was imprisoned in Rome for preaching the gospel, but his heart was not in prison. While chained next to a Roman soldier, his heart was free and lost in worship. And he seeks to draw the Ephesians and us into continual worship as well—worship not dependent upon our circumstances.

In this song, Paul praises God for the great riches given to believers in Christ (v. 3). This would have resonated with the Ephesians, as Ephesus was considered the bank of Asia. The Temple of Diana, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was there. It was not only a center for idolatrous worship, but also a depository for wealth, housing some of the greatest art treasures of the ancient world.²

However, Paul is saying that the wealth of believers is even greater than that of the city. Therefore, they should praise God no matter their circumstances. This is true for us as well.

How can we live a life of ever resounding praise regardless of our circumstances? How can we develop consistency in our worship?

Jesus says in John 4:23 that the Lord seeks worshipers who worship in spirit and truth. In this, I believe we see why we often do not worship God. One of the components necessary for worship is truth, or doctrine. We cannot truly worship what we do not know or understand. We cannot worship someone if we don’t know how worthy he is.

Sadly, many Christians lack true worship and true joy because they lack doctrine. They lack theology. Often people say, “Don’t give me doctrine! Give me Jesus!” However, they are one and the same. John’s favorite title for Christ was the “Word” (John 1:1). He was the communication of God, as he taught the words of God (John 12:49). If we do not know God’s words, if we do not know theology, then we cannot truly worship him.

To compound this situation, 2 Timothy 4:3-4 describes how in the last days people will not be able to stand sound doctrine, but instead will “gather around them … teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” We are in a season of church history where people don’t want doctrine. Therefore, the teaching in the church is often weak and our worship suffers.

Paul’s praise is full of theology; it is full of doctrine. His focus is not on his circumstances, but on the wonderful grace of God. This is worship that an immature Christian can never really offer; it is rich in doctrine. As we study this text, my hope is that we also may worship more fully as we understand what God has done for us and what he is doing in us, and begin to focus on those things.

Big Questions: What does Paul praise God for in his blessing song? How can we implement worship in our daily lives, especially when going through trials?

In Order to Live in Praise, Believers Must Focus on Their New Home—the Heavenly Realms

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)

Interpretation Question: What does the term “heavenly realms” refer to, and how are believers related to it?

The first aspect of Paul’s praise that must stand out is the believers’ new home. He says that we have been blessed in the heavenly realms; this can be literally translated as “the heavenlies.” This is the first of five times this term is used in Ephesians, and it is not used anywhere else in Paul’s letters.³

What does he mean by the heavenlies? In Ephesians 1:20, he says God raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the heavenlies. In Ephesians 2:6, he says we are seated with him in the heavenlies. In Ephesians 6:12, he says we battle with powers and principalities in the heavenlies.

This is the paradox of the believer’s existence. Even as we are right now literally on the earth, we are also literally in heaven. This is because of our position in Christ (Eph 1:3). We are there with God our Father and Christ our Lord. We are dual citizens of earth and heaven (Phil 3:20-21).

While in prison, Paul contemplated this reality and worshiped God the Father because of it. How this positional reality really works, I don’t think we can be sure. However, if we are going to worship as Paul did, we must first believe it. We must accept it as true. It’s not figurative; it’s not metaphorical. Not only is Christ there, but we are there with him. Hebrews 12:22-24 says this:

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

The writer of Hebrews says this is our position and company now, not sometime in the future. We are seated in the heavenly realms with the angels, the church, the saints of the Old Testament, God and Christ.

Secondly, we must focus on it. Colossians 3:1-2 says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Our hearts must be set on things above. Sadly, most Christians have shallow worship because their hearts are set on money, on the treasures of this world, on the trials that distract them, etc. If we are going to worship, we must be consumed with heaven and the King of heaven—God (Matt 6:9-1110). We must be consumed with the agenda of heaven, building the kingdom on this earth (Matt 20:18-19). We must be consumed with the law of heaven—God’s Word. We must be consumed with developing the character of heaven. Romans 14:17 says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” We must be consumed with the coming Savior from heaven. Philippians 3:20 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ”.

Is your mind consumed with the heavenlies? Have you set your mind on things above and not on earthly things? Or are you consumed with the things of this world? If you’re consumed with the things of this world, your praise will be weak.

If we are going to live in praise even while going through trials, we must be consumed with our heavenly home.

Application Questions: How can we focus more on our heavenly citizenship instead of our earthly home? What disciplines will help us with this endeavor?

In Order to Live in Praise, Believers Must Focus on Their Spiritual Blessings

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)

Interpretation Questions: What does the phrase “every spiritual blessing” refer to? And what is the practical application for believers?

The next aspect of Paul’s praise to God (while in prison) focuses on every spiritual blessing of believers in the heavenly realms. What does Paul mean by “every spiritual blessing”? “In the New Testament pneumatikos (spiritual) is always used in relation to the work of the Holy Spirit.”⁴ In fact, it can be translated “all the blessings of the Spirit”—referring to the Holy Spirit of God.⁵

While in prison, Paul was probably not only hungry, but also lacking in basic comfort, freedom, and other physical blessings. But that did not stop him from praising God for his blessings! Being a follower of Christ does not exempt us from pain and suffering in this world. In fact, many times it increases pain and suffering. However, God does promise innumerable blessings from the Spirit.

What do these blessings from the Spirit include? We will consider many of them as we go through Ephesians 1:4-13: election, predestination as sons, redemption, etc. However, this list is not exhaustive. There is much, much more. Spiritual blessings include the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Paul worshiped in prison because the Holy Spirit gave him joy, regardless of his circumstances. The Spirit gave him love for the churches. The Spirit gave him patience to faithfully endure his trials and deal with difficult people. The blessings of the Spirit are legion, and we should rejoice in them daily. Christ describes those who believe in him as having rivers of living water flowing “from within them” (John 7:38-39). He describes them as those who will never thirst again (John 4:14). That sounds like people who should be rejoicing!

Interpretation Questions: What about physical blessings? Does God promise to give us physical blessings as well?

In light of the above, does this mean God will not supply our physical needs as well? Contrary to the tenets of the prosperity gospel, God does not promise us earthly wealth and health. But, he does promise to meet our needs according to his riches in glory (Phil 4:19). Christ declares that we have a Father who knows our needs, and that we shouldn’t worry about what we will eat, drink, or wear (Matt 6:25-34). Paul says that since God has already given us his best—his Son—surely he will give us all things (Rom 8:32). Yes, we can be sure God will meet all our needs on this earth. Charles Spurgeon says,

“He that gives us heaven will surely give us all that is needful on the road thither.” And, “We shall have enough spending money on the road to glory; for he who has guaranteed to bring us there will not starve us along the way.”⁶

With that said, how do we receive these spiritual blessings in the heavenly places? How can we access the wealth that the Spirit of God supplies to believers?

Application Question: How can we access the blessings of the Spirit in our lives?

1. We access the blessings of the Spirit by abiding in Christ.

Paul said all these blessings are “in Christ” (1: 3). This means we have them positionally because of our union with him, but the Spirit applies them as we abide in this relationship. Christ says, “‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

We must abide in Christ through being in his Word, prayer, and the gathering of the saints in order to receive joy, peace, love, and patience. Are you remaining in Christ? Or are you simply visiting him on occasion?

2. We access the blessings of the Spirit by persevering in prayer for them.

Certainly, asking God for them in prayer is part of abiding, but it will benefit us to consider this aspect of abiding separately. Christ says this about the Holy Spirit to his disciples in Luke 11:11-13:

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

When Christ says God will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him, he is talking to the disciples, who are believers. They already had the Holy Spirit. Therefore, what is he talking about? He is talking about God blessing the disciples with the ministries of the Holy Spirit. One commentator says this about verse 13:

In the original Greek, verse 13 does not say that God will give the Holy Spirit, but rather He will “give Holy Spirit” (without the article). Professor H. B. Swete pointed out that when the article is present, it refers to the Person Himself, but when the article is absent, it refers to His gifts or operations on our behalf. So in this passage, it is not so much a prayer for the Person of the Holy Spirit, but rather for His ministries in our lives.⁷

Do you lack peace in the midst of your storm? Ask. Do you lack joy in your trial? Ask. Do you lack love for someone whose behavior is unlovable? Ask. Luke 11:9-10 says,

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

This literally means to ask and keep asking, seek and keep seeking, knock and keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. We must not only ask, but we must persevere in asking.

Some don’t receive because they don’t ask. James 4:2 says, “You have not because you ask not.” Some don’t have because they give up asking. They don’t persevere like the widow who approached the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8).

Don’t stop asking God! Don’t stop praying! And God will give you the blessings of the Spirit that are already yours in Christ.

This is the reason worship can arise from within prison walls. Every spiritual blessing was Paul’s, and they’re ours as well.

Application Questions: How should the reality of this wealth of spiritual blessings encourage you daily, especially during trials? What spiritual blessing is God currently calling you to persevere in seeking?

In Order to Live in Praise, Believers Must Focus on Their Union with Christ

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)

The next thing we must focus on if we are going to live in praise is our union with Christ. This is the sphere of our blessing—the reason we receive them. Scripture teaches that when we were born again, we were united with Christ. First Corinthians 12:13 says, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” When we were saved, we were united with Christ and became members of his body.

Now God no longer sees us in our sins, but he sees us in Christ. We are not accepted because of anything we have done; we are accepted because of Christ. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” We are the righteousness of God because God sees us in the Son. First Corinthians 6:17 says, “But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.”

Commentator William MacDonald adds:

When a person is converted, God no longer looks upon him as a condemned child of Adam. Rather He sees him as being in Christ, and He accepts him on that basis. It is important to see this. The believing sinner is not accepted because of what he is in himself, but because he is in Christ. When he is in Christ, he stands before God clothed in all the acceptability of Christ Himself. And he will enjoy God’s favor and acceptance as long as Christ does, namely, forever.⁸

This is our new position; we are in Christ. And Paul’s focus on this is seen in how he refers to our positon in Christ, in various ways, eleven times just in Chapter 1.⁹ Here are a few examples:

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 1:1)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love (Ephesians 1:4)

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7)

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, (Ephesians 1:13)

Why should we continue to praise God? We should praise him because he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. We should praise him continually because we have been redeemed from sin. We should rejoice because we have every spiritual blessing in Christ. In Adam, we had sin, condemnation, and shame. But in Christ we have forgiveness, honor, and power—every spiritual blessing.

This must be our focus and our joy while on this earth. We must rejoice in our position in Christ. Are you still rejoicing in your position in Christ?

Application Questions: How can we discipline ourselves to focus on our new position in Christ? How should this reality affect our daily lives?

In Order to Live in Praise, Believers Must Focus on Their Election

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love … (Ephesians 4:4)

The next reason we should continually praise God is for our election—his choosing us for salvation. This doctrine has often been a source of anger and dispute; however, this is not the way it is handled in Scripture. Rather, it is a source of continual rejoicing. In this text, Paul praises God for the election of himself and other saints. Similarly, in Peter’s letter to the persecuted Christians in Asia Minor, he simply calls them “God’s elect” (1 Peter 1:1). This was a common title for Christians in the early church.

This tells us something. If it was a cause for singing for the early church and a title they called one another, then it must be something tremendously good. If it is a source of bitterness and tension in the modern church, it is only because we don’t truly understand it or have corrupted it.

Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by the teaching that God chose us before the creation of the world?

It can mean one of two things.

First, some believe it means God selected us because he saw we would believe in the future. They say God looked down the corridor of time and saw we would have faith and therefore chose us. However, this really negates God’s selection of us. Salvation then becomes based on man’s initiative—man’s choosing—instead of God’s.
Second, others believe that God chose us based solely on his sovereignty. As God, he has the right to choose, and he did.

Which is correct? I believe the second view has more scriptural support.

Interpretation Question: What are some scriptural supports for God’s election based solely on his sovereignty and grace?

Scripture teaches that because of his sin, man cannot choose God, apart from grace.

Even though many boast in free will, the reality is that sin makes us a slave. And as slaves, we need someone to redeem us, to set us free. Consider what Paul says about man’s condition because of sin.

Romans 8:7 says, “the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” The natural mind cannot submit to God’s will. It is at enmity with God.

Romans 3:10-11 says, “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.” Sin affects man in such a way that he will not seek God. He will not come after him. God had to take the initiative. Christ came to seek and to save those who were lost (Luke 19:10). We cannot seek him and couldn’t find him if we did—we are lost.

First Corinthians 2:14 says, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Apart from the Holy Spirit, we cannot accept or even understand the Word of God.

This leaves only one possible way for man to be saved. Salvation has to be wholly from God. Man’s eyes are blinded and his mind is clouded. His will is bound by sin, and he cannot accept the things of God. Election does not mean that God foresaw faith in us before he created the world. It means he foresaw how sin would so ravage mankind that we would be eternally lost. If any were going to be saved, God had to take the initiative. He had to choose some. He reached down into the slave market of men where all were bound by sin, and saved a few.

What other evidence is there for this view?

Scripture teaches that our faith is a gift from God, apart from any work of our own.

Consider Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Sometimes this verse is misquoted. Sometimes people say we are saved by faith. No, we are not. We are saved by grace—God’s unmerited favor. In fact, this verse says that the very faith we put in Christ is a gift of God. Because man could not respond to God, God had to give some—the elect—faith. Therefore, no man can boast in their salvation or even in their faith. It is a gift from the sovereign God, who elects some to salvation.

Interpretation Question: What about those who never get saved? Were they elected to damnation?

Well, this creates a further complication. What about the lost—those who never will be saved? Did God elect them to damnation? No. Scripture never teaches God’s election of the lost. He doesn’t need to elect the lost, because our own sin condemns and separates us from him. He needs to elect some to salvation.

Certainly, this is a complicated and difficult doctrine. One professor says, “Try to explain election and you may lose your mind. But try to explain it away and you may lose your soul!” ¹⁰ Yes, election is a difficult doctrine, but it does show God’s mercy. As a just God, he could justly allow everybody to go to hell for their sin. But in his mercy, he chooses to save a few.

Interpretation Question: How does election fit with human responsibility?

What about human responsibility? Why do we preach the gospel if God has already elected some to salvation? This is the mystery of election. Scripture teaches these two seemingly conflicting doctrines together. It says God elected, and yet, at the same time, it says man is responsible—he is responsible to respond to the gospel. In fact, we see them both in one verse. John 6:37 says, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

Do you see that? All that the Father gave Christ (the elect) will come to Christ (human responsibility). Even though they are elected, they will choose of their own “free will” to come to God. This is how we know they are elected. Human responsibility and God’s sovereignty somehow fit together. The mystery is in our minds—not God’s. I believe we fall into wrong doctrine by emphasizing one over the other. Some emphasize God’s sovereignty to the point where man makes no decision. Others emphasize man’s responsibility and lower God’s sovereignty. We must teach them side by side, for in some way or another, they are both true.

Purpose of Election

Interpretation Question: What is the purpose of election?

Now, what is the purpose of election? Ephesians 1:4 says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” God elected us so we could be holy and blameless; he elected us for sanctification.

“Positively it is ‘to be holy’ — that is, set apart from the world, separate, different. And negatively it is to be ‘blameless’ — literally, without spot or blemish, a sacrifice to be presented to God.”¹¹ God elected us to be separate from the world. We must be different. He also elected us to be pure and righteous before him. Believers were elected for the purpose of sanctification—to become more like Christ (Rom 8:29).

If we think we are saved, but we are not different--our language and desires haven’t changed, we don’t desire the Word of God or want to worship God and know him better, and we still live in sin and enjoy it--then maybe we are not really elected. In 2 Peter 1:5-10, we are commanded to make our election sure by growing in godliness.

Are you sure about your election? Are you growing in godliness?

If we are elect, our lives will be continually changing. Yes, it may be a slow process, but it is a process every believer is engaged in. God has promised to complete the work he began in us (Phil 1:6).

Those professing faith in Matthew 7:21-23 called Christ “Lord,” but their lives were not holy. Here is what Christ says about such people:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

What was their problem? They were living sinful lives—their “faith” had not led to change, so there was no election. Election leads us into holiness and blamelessness.

Has your profession of faith changed your life? If not, you might not be elected. Salvation is not just positional (cf. 2 Cor 5:21), it is actual—it actually changes us (cf. James 2:17).

Application Question: What are some ways the doctrine of election should affect us?

1. The doctrine of election should create humility.

Salvation is by grace, and there is no place for boasting in our wisdom and knowledge; even our faith is a gift of God.

2. The doctrine of election should lead us to worship.

Our only boasting should be in God. As mentioned, understanding theology—doctrine—should increase our worship. Why did God set his loving affection on us? The answer lies in his sovereignty—simply because he chose to do so. It had nothing to do with us. It was amazing grace. This should lead us to worship.

3. The doctrine of election should motivate us to evangelize.

Some think this doctrine hinders evangelism. However, they are wrong. Rightly understood, election should motivate us to preach the gospel. Fear of rejection often hinders believers from sharing their faith, but it shouldn’t. God has chosen the elect, and they will come to Christ (John 6:37). I can preach with confidence because I know that before time God chose some to be saved, and they will eventually respond. Listen to what Acts 13:48 says: “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”

Consider Paul’s words to Timothy: “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10). Paul was indeed motivated to reach the elect.

4. The doctrine of election is evidence that Scripture is divine.

If Scripture were man made, these types of contradictions might not be present. However, if it is truly divine, then we would expect there to be many things we cannot fully comprehend. How can God be three separate persons and yet one? How can Christ be fully God and fully man? How can God be sovereign and yet man have human responsibility? These doctrines simply attest to the divine origin of Scripture. Finite man cannot and should not expect to fully comprehend an infinite God.

Application Questions: Why is election such a controversial doctrine? What view do you take on the subject and why?

In Order to Live in Praise, Believers Must Focus on Their Adoption as Sons

he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— (Ephesians 1:5)

Interpretation Question: What is the difference between election and predestination?

The next thing we should focus on to live a life of praise is our adoption as sons. God predestined us to be in his family. But what is the difference between predestination and election? Aren’t they the same thing?

The word [predestination] simply means “to ordain beforehand, to predetermine.” Election seems to refer to people, while predestination refers to purposes. The events connected with the crucifixion of Christ were predestined (Acts 4:25–28). God has predestined our adoption (Eph 1:5), and our conformity to Christ (Rom 8:29–30), as well as our future inheritance (Eph. 1:14).¹²

God’s purpose in electing and predestining us was to make us his sons—his children. God could have just saved us; he didn’t need to make us part of his family. How can we apply this truth?

Application Question: What applications can we take from our adoption as sons?

1. Adoption means that we are absolutely new people—our past is behind and our identity is in Christ.

Commentator William Barclay says this:

In Roman law, “When the adoption was complete it was complete indeed. The person who had been adopted had all the rights of a legitimate son in his new family and completely lost all rights in his old family. In the eyes of the law he was a new person. So new was he that even all debts and obligations connected with his previous family were abolished as if they had never existed.”¹³

The people who Paul wrote to would have immediately thought of this. A person adopted into a wealthy family was completely new. All debts and ties to his old life were canceled. And this is true for us as well. We are new in Christ.

We are no longer obligated to live in sin—no longer obligated to follow the ways of the world. We are free to follow Christ and enjoy fellowship with him, and we can leave our past lives behind—which includes our sin. Therefore, even when we fall, we should remember our adoption, confess, repent, and continue to follow Christ (cf. Rom 6:11).

Are you bound to some sin? Let it go—for you have been adopted into God’s family. You are new.

2. Adoption means we receive God’s inheritance.

No doubt this was a cause of much rejoicing and praise on Paul’s part. Under Roman law an adopted son would receive the rights and privileges of a biological son—including an inheritance—and we receive every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph 1:3). Romans 8:17 says: “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.”

Whatever Christ has is ours as well. God has committed all judgment to him (John 5:22), and Scripture says that when he returns, we will reign and judge with him. Scripture teaches we will judge the world and the angels with him (1 Cor 6:2-3). Is this not something to praise God for? Adoption means we receive Christ’s inheritance.

3. Adoption means we have a new family.

Christ says, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” We are now part of the family of God. We have brothers, sisters, moms, and dads all around the world. And one day, we will all be together in heaven.

In fact, Paul taught that even here on earth we should treat people in the church as family. First Timothy 5:1-3 says, “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.”

To add to this, Scripture teaches that though Christ is our God, he is also our brother. Romans 8:29 says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Christ is the firstborn, the chief amongst the family of God and all creation (Col 1:15)—and we have been adopted into the family of God.

4. Adoption means we get a new nature.

Now, this reality is foreign to the practice of human adoption. Adoptive parents can make a child part of their family, and give him wealth and many other benefits, but they cannot impart their DNA into that child. However, this is exactly what God does with us. We are adopted not by legal action but by a new birth (John 3:3). God has given us his nature through the Spirit. Romans 8:15 says, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’”

We have been given his Spirit. The Spirit draws us to call God “Abba”—”Daddy dearest.” He also gives us a desire to read the Word and to see souls saved. As he gives us holy affections, we start to hate sin and love righteousness. In adoption, we receive the nature and characteristics of our Father.

How could Paul not sing while in prison? He had been adopted into the family of God. He was a new person; he had received a new inheritance, a new nature, and a new family. As we contemplate these realities, it should draw us into worship as well. Praise God for our wonderful adoption into his family! Thank you, Lord!

Application Question: In what ways is God calling you to apply this reality of being an adopted son and having a new family in Christ?

In Order to Live in Praise, Believers Must Focus on God’s Abundant Grace

to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Ephesians 1:6)

Next, Paul worships God for his glorious grace. Every gift mentioned—the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places—have come to us because of God’s grace. It was by unmerited favor we were elected, predestined, and adopted. It is unmerited favor that daily changes us and sustains us. In Christ, we have received abundant grace. And this grace is the very thing Paul prays for in the beginning of his letter: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:2).

And just as wonderful as the grace we have received is the fact that God wants to give us more. James 4:6 says, “He gives us more grace.” How can we not praise God as well? He is the fount from whom all blessings flow—from him come blessings evermore.

Are you contemplating the Lord’s wonderful grace? Are you petitioning him for more? The worshiping believer is one who stands in awe of God’s overflowing and abundant grace, even in the midst of trials, and drinks deeply from it.

In verses 7-14, we will see further works of God’s grace.

Application Questions: Paul praised God for his grace while in prison; have you found any other disciplines helpful in cultivating a lifestyle of worship? What things tend to distract you from worshiping God for his glorious grace?

Conclusion

How can we live a life of praise, even during trials? How can we sing songs of praise even when wrongly accused and in prison? We must have doctrine that draws us to sing. We must not only worship in spirit (with the right heart), but in truth. We must know the truth about God. We must know his Word. Let us leave this portion of our study with this challenge in mind: If we don’t have theology, then we won’t have doxology—worship. If we don’t study him—his mysteries and his works in us—then we won’t know how worthy he is of our worship and praise.

Are you worshiping him with truth throughout the day like Paul did, even during trials?

In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their new home—the heavenly realms.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their spiritual blessings.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their union with Christ.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their election.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their adoption as sons.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on God’s abundant grace.

Scripture quotations marked KJV or AKJV are from the King James Version or Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations and commentators’ quotations have been added.

¹ Hughes, R. K. (1990). Ephesians: the mystery of the body of Christ (pp. 16–17). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

² Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 10). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

³ Stott, J. R. W. (1979). God’s new society: the message of Ephesians (p. 35). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

⁴ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 8). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁵ Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 9). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

⁶ Hughes, R. K. (1990). Ephesians: the mystery of the body of Christ (p. 19). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

⁷ MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1413). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

⁸ MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1907). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

⁹ Stott, J. R. W. (1979). God’s new society: the message of Ephesians (p. 34). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

¹⁰ Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 11). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

¹¹ Hughes, R. K. (1990). Ephesians: the mystery of the body of Christ (p. 25). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

¹² Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 11). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

¹³ Guzik, David (2012-11-26). Galatians and Ephesians (Kindle Locations 3742-3745). Enduring Word Media. Kindle Edition.

Related Topics: Suffering, Trials, Persecution

2. How to Live in Praise, Even in Trials—Part Two

Related Media

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (Ephesians 1:7-10)

How can we live a life of praise, even while going through trials? Ephesians 1:3-14 is the longest sentence in the Bible, and it seems to be one continuous song. Paul begins his instructions to the Ephesians with, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Paul was imprisoned in Rome awaiting a possible death sentence, but even then, he praised God. His ability to praise came from his focus. Paul was not focused on his unfortunate circumstances, but on the heavenly realms, where believers are seated in Christ. He focused on all the spiritual blessings believers have—blessings that come from the Spirit. They include our seat in the heavenly realms, our position in Christ, our election, and our adoption as sons into the family of God (v. 3-6)

In Ephesians 1:7-10, he continues his praise for the spiritual blessings believers received in Christ. As we continue this study, we will learn about how to live a life of praise by living a life of focus.

Big Questions: What other riches does Paul praise God for in this blessing song? How can we focus on these riches in order to implement worship in our daily lives, especially during trials?

In Order to Live in Praise, Believers Must Focus on Their Redemption

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7)

Interpretation Question: What does redemption mean?

Paul praises God for the believer’s redemption in Christ. “To redeem means ‘to purchase and set free by paying a price.’”¹ There were probably over 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire, and buying and selling them was big business. Slaves occupied many positions: teachers, doctors, metalsmiths, carpenters, poets, etc. If a person wanted to set a friend or relative free, they would have to buy the slave’s freedom. This is the situation to which Paul is alluding.

However, we must ask, “Who were these Christians (and people in general) enslaved to?” Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Similarly, Paul says, “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin” (Romans 7:14). This is the state of every person before they accept Christ: enslaved to sin.

Sin had so enslaved us that we could not respond to God or understand his Word. As Romans 8:7-8 says, “The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” Our minds were hostile to God. Our wills could not submit to God’s law. In fact, sin had so bound us that we would not even seek God (Rom 3:11).

However, God looked down the corridors of time, saw man’s future enslavement, and predestined to send his Son to die for our sins (Acts 4:27-28). Christ died because that was the just payment for our sins. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” Christ died to appease God’s just wrath, and to redeem us from our slave master. When he died on the cross, he said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), which literally means “paid in full.” Christ paid the price for our sins so we would no longer be slaves of sin and under the wrath of God. As John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

When Paul says believers have redemption through Christ’s blood, he is using a “metonym” (a form of figurative language) for Christ’s death.² It was Christ’s death that set us free from our bondage. Christ says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’” (Mark 10:45). Romans 5:8-9 says,

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

While imprisoned, chained up to a Roman soldier, Paul reflected on his previous spiritual enslavement. Bound to sin and blinded by the devil, he had persecuted the early church. But Christ had mercy on him and set him free from this bondage.

No doubt many of the Christians hearing Paul’s letter were slaves, and though they might never receive their earthly freedom, they were free in Christ. Christ had redeemed them; he was their ultimate Master and one day they would be free from every hindrance to fully serve him.

We should worship because of our freedom. We are free to serve and worship Christ.

Application Question: How can we, as believers, continually apply our redemption in Christ?

1. To apply our redemption, we must consider ourselves dead to sin, free from its slavery.

Paul says to think about this reality often, and to allow it to guide our actions: “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). “Count yourselves dead to sin” means to think of ourselves as dead to sin but alive to God. Even when we stumble, we should not think of ourselves as bound to sin and lust—for we are not. We are new in Christ and free to serve God. We must fight from this vantage point.

Thinking on this reality is important because the enemy often lies to believers. He tells them that they will never be free, that they are too addicted and bound. This is a lie. We are free in Christ, and we must fight our battles in light of this reality. When we truly understand it, it will set us free. Christ says the truth will set us free (John 8:32) and that he whom the Son sets free is free indeed (v. 36). When we truly adopt this mindset, we cannot help but sing.

There is a story about Augustine, a church father, who lived from 358-430 AD. Before accepting Christ, he was very promiscuous. While walking through the market one day, he ran into an old fling. When he saw her, he immediately turned and ran in the opposite direction. The lady was shocked. She said, “My love! My love! Where are you going? It is I!” He responded, “I know! But it is not I any longer!” Augustine counted himself dead to sin, but alive to Christ. He saw himself as a new creation, and no longer a slave. We must reckon this to be true about ourselves as well. As Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Similarly, focusing on this reality helps many believers break an addiction or stronghold in their lives. They start to really think on what Christ completed on the cross: he broke the chains of sin. They just need to believe it and fight to live according to this reality.

2. To apply our redemption, we must consider ourselves alive to Christ—slaves of God and righteousness.

Not only did Christ pay the price to free us from slavery, but he also purchased us for himself. This means that we are slaves of God, owned by him, and free to serve him. When rebuking the Corinthians for sexual immorality, Paul refers to this truth:

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

We should not live in sexual immorality or any other sin because our bodies are not our own. Paul says this in Romans 6:17-19:

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.

As slaves of sin, we displeased God by offering our minds and bodies over to various evil desires. But now, as slaves of God and righteousness, we should offer our minds and bodies continually to righteousness.

Is there an opportunity to serve? Let us offer ourselves. Is there an opportunity to encourage someone? Let us offer ourselves. Is there an opportunity to worship? Let us offer ourselves. After all Christ has done for us, we should offer our bodies as living sacrifices, which is our reasonable act of worship (Romans 12:1).

In fact, this reality of no longer being a slave to sin but rather a slave of Christ and righteousness was so ingrained in Paul’s theology that he often referred to himself as a “slave” of Christ. Consider these verses:

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons (Philippians 1:1)

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1)

The word “servant” is better translated as “slave.” It means a “bond slave, without any ownership rights of their own.”³ Essentially, Paul was saying, “I don’t own anything anymore—not even my body! I am a slave of Christ! I was purchased with a price, and now I’m a slave of righteousness!”

If God set us free from slavery to sin, how can we go back to our old slave master? Let us devote ourselves to seeking his face, worshiping him, and serving others, since that is why he purchased us. When we were bound by sin we couldn’t do these things—we were antagonistic to God and couldn’t submit to his law (Rom 8:7). But now we are free. Former slaves who focus on this reality cannot help but praise God regardless of their circumstances.

Application Questions: How does the concept of redemption encourage or challenge you in your faith? How do you feel God is calling you to further apply this reality to your life or ministry?

In Order to Live in Praise, Believers Must Focus on Their Forgiveness in Christ

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7)

Another spiritual blessing believers receive is forgiveness. In response to Christ’s death for our sins, God forgave us. The word forgive means “to carry away.”⁴ This cannot but remind us of the prescribed ritual on the Jewish Day of Atonement (Lev 16). The priest took two goats. He killed one and sprinkled its blood on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. He laid his hands on the other goat and confessed the sins of Israel. The second goat was then taken far into the wilderness and let go. This symbolized the sins of Israel being carried away, never to return.

While in prison, Paul rejoiced in this truth. Because of Christ’s death and payment for our sins, they have been taken far away, never to be brought back again. Psalm 103:12 says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Hebrews 10:17 says, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”

Romans 8:1-2 says, “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.” When instituting the Lord’s Supper, Christ said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt 26:28). Christ’s blood was poured out for our forgiveness—so our sins could be carried away.

Interpretation Question: Why do we still need to confess our sins if they are already forgiven?

The truth is that on the cross, God forgave our sins judicially. If we are believers, then we will never be judged for our sins because Christ paid the penalty. However, there is still a need to confess for familial forgiveness. For example, if I do or say something that hurts my wife and we’re not talking, it doesn’t change the fact that she is legally my wife; however, I still need to confess to restore intimacy—familial forgiveness.

Christ compares this type of forgiveness to cleansing when talking to Peter about the need for foot washing. He says, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you” (John 13:10).

Peter was already clean because God had forgiven his sins judicially on the cross. However, he still needed cleansing from his daily failings. He still needed familial forgiveness, and it’s the same with us. We need to daily bring our sins and failures before the Father so we can be wiped clean.

Interpretation Questions: What does Paul mean by “in accordance with the riches of God’s grace”? What does this teach us about the extent of this cleansing—this forgiveness?

“In accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us” (Eph 1:7-8) means that God lavishly forgave us. It has often been said if a millionaire gives ten dollars to charity, he gives “out of his riches.” But if he gives a million dollars, he gives “in accordance” with his riches. Similarly, God abundantly lavished forgiveness on us in accordance with the riches of his grace.

We learn something about this in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” When we confess our sins to God, not only does he forgive us, but he cleanses us from “all” unrighteousness. This means he forgives us even of sins we are not aware of.

The greatest command in the Bible is to love God with our whole heart, mind, and soul (Matt 22:37-38). However, at no time have I loved God that way, and it’s the same for every other person. This is often called the depravity of man. In a real sense, I am always failing God—not loving him or others as I should. However, God’s grace is so abundant that he is always lavishing forgiveness on me. When I confess my known sins, he forgives me of all unrighteousness. This is “in accordance with the riches of his grace.”

That is the kind of forgiveness God lavishes on his children. Paul sang because he was forgiven. He sang because God cleansed him daily in accordance with the riches of his grace and forgiveness.

Application Question: Why is it that so many choose not to accept God’s lavish grace in forgiveness?

Sadly, many believers miss this lavish grace.

They miss it because they refuse to confess their sins and repent.
Or, they miss it because they allow themselves to be bound in condemnation, which keeps them from accepting God’s forgiveness.

What Christ died for and God forgave, they continue to look back on, not recognizing it as covered by Christ’s blood and “carried away.” They often mistake condemnation by the devil as conviction by the Holy Spirit. The enemy of our souls tempts believers to sin and then says, “Feel bad! Feel really, really bad! Now, don’t read your Bible! Don’t go to church!” Conviction draws us towards God and away from sin, but condemnation draws us away from God and towards sin. The believer who is under condemnation often falls into depression, locks himself in his room, and isolates himself from other believers and opportunities to worship. He thinks God cannot and should not forgive. Or he thinks he must linger in depression as some form of penance—as though he could ever earn his forgiveness.

Listen, Christ did everything for a believer to come boldly to the throne room of God, to enjoy his presence, and to receive his grace. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). This is why we can sing.

If we are to live in praise, we must focus on our forgiveness—God’s carrying away of our sins. Like Paul, we must continually forget what is behind (as God has, Heb 10:17) and press forward to what is ahead (Phil 3:13).

Application Questions: In what ways have you experienced condemnation for sin? How do you typically react to it? How can we recognize the difference between condemnation and conviction in order to help ourselves and others?

In Order to Live in Praise, Believers Must Focus on Their Spiritual Discernment

that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (Ephesians 1:8-10)

Interpretation Question: In what way has God lavishly given believers “wisdom and understanding” (v. 8)?

Another of the spiritual riches Paul rejoices in is spiritual discernment. God gives wisdom (knowledge) and understanding (what to do with this knowledge) into the mystery of his will. This means God gives believers understanding of ultimate things like “life and death, God and man, righteousness and sin, heaven and hell, eternity and time.”⁵ Included in this is the mystery Paul writes about in Ephesians 1:9.

The word “mystery” is a common term in the book of Ephesians. In Ephesians 3:6, we see the mystery of God’s bringing Jews and Gentiles together in one body. In Ephesians 5:32, we see the mystery of Christ, and the church as his bride. “Mystery” means a “sacred secret, once hidden but now revealed to God’s people.”⁶ Believers have been let into God’s inner circle.

Christ says in John 15:15 that he no longer calls the disciples “servants,” but “friends,” because he has revealed to them the master’s business. This is also our reality. One of the spiritual blessings God gives us is the ability to know his will and his plans. In fact, this is one of the reasons God gave us the Holy Spirit. Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 2:6-10:

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Paul says God has given believers “secret wisdom.” If the rulers of the age (ruling men and ruling demons) had had this wisdom, they would not have crucified our Savior. God reveals this truth to his followers through the Holy Spirit. This is one of our spiritual blessings.

Observation Question: What is the mystery that God reveals to believers (Ephesians 1:9)?

The “mystery,” the “secret wisdom,” is that God plans “to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (v. 10).

Interpretation Question: What does the mystery that God is going to bring all things “together” under Christ tell us about “all things” (1:10)?

1. This mystery implies that “all things” are in a state of disorder.

Adam’s sin created discord in the relationship between God and himself (Genesis 3). Adam immediately hid from God, and man is still hiding from God today. Then Adam and Eve hid from each other. People today have shallow relationships. We hide behind our fig leaves—our jobs, nationalities, possessions, religious trappings, etc. to hide our insecurity, pain, and sin. We hide from God and from others.

In addition, man is prone to discord. God says the woman will desire her husband and the husband will rule over his wife (Gen 3:16). Clearly, there will be discord in marriage. When Adam and Eve had their first two sons, Cain killed his younger brother, Abel. Man is in a state of discord—even family relationships often aren’t safe.

Not only was man affected, but all creation was as well. God cursed the ground because of man’s sin: “Cursed is the ground because of you” (Gen 3:17). The ground bears not only thorns and thistles, but droughts, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes. Romans 8:20-21 says,

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Even the heavens are in disorder. Before man fell, angels fell in heaven—negatively affecting it (cf. Rev 12:4). Hebrews says that even the heavens had to be cleansed by Christ’s blood (cf. Hebrews 9:23).

2. This mystery teaches that in the fullness of time Christ will restore “all things.”

One day, all things will be restored as they come under the headship of Christ. “When the times reach their fulfillment” or, as translated in the KJV, “the fulness of times” is when Christ brings his kingdom on earth (v. 10). He will remove the curse from nature. Isaiah 11:6-9 says,

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

There will be no more war. They will make their weapons into farm implements (Isaiah 2:4), and the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as water. That is the mystery God has revealed to his people. Colossians 1:19-20 says, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

With that said, some have taken “all things” to mean universal salvation. They would say even rebellious men, the devil, and the demons will be forgiven. However, that is not what Scripture teaches. At Christ’s coming, he will divide those on the earth into sheep and goats (Matt 25). The sheep will enter into his kingdom (v. 34), and the goats will go into the everlasting destruction prepared for the devil and his angels (v. 41).

However, there is still a sense in which the devil and unbelievers will be brought into submission to Christ. They will submit to Christ because they must. Psalm 2:9 says he will rule them with “an iron scepter,” meaning they will be forced to submit. The Lamb who was slain will return to the earth as a Lion, and all will submit. Philippians 2:9-11 says,

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

How can the believer rejoice when the world is in a state of disarray? How can he rejoice when things are difficult in his life? He can rejoice because God has given him wisdom and understanding—he knows the mysteries of this earth. His redeemer lives and all things will ultimately be made right. The Lion of Judah is coming! He will reign on the earth, and we will reign with him. Only a believer with this perspective can rejoice and sing while in a prison cell, or when life seems like a dungeon. He sees the light of the Son of God (John 8:12). God gave believers wisdom and understanding into the mystery of God’s will, and this causes them to rejoice. Amen!

Application Question: How should we apply the fact that God has given us this secret wisdom?

First Corinthians 4:1-2 says, “So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted [stewards] with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” The wisdom God gives believers is a stewardship, and we must be faithful stewards of it. As stewards, one day we will give an accounting to God. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). As we consider this reality, we must ask ourselves these questions:

Are we doing our best to study God’s Word?
Are we doing our best to rightly interpret God’s Word?
Are we doing our best to faithfully share God’s Word?

Only those who do their best with the stewardship of God’s mysteries will be approved by God. And meditating on these mysteries will draw us into worship. Those who are not faithful with God’s mysteries will find no room for worship, especially during trials.

Application Question: In what ways is God challenging you to be a faithful steward of his Word?

Conclusion

How can we live a life of praise, even during trials? In Ephesians 1:3-14, we see Paul’s song while in prison. He could sing because of his focus on Christ and his blessings. In verses 3-10, we are challenged to focus on these aspects of our spiritual blessings:

In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their new home—the heavenly realms.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their spiritual blessings.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their union with Christ.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their election.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their adoption as sons.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on God’s abundant grace.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their redemption.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their forgiveness.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their spiritual discernment.

Scripture quotations marked KJV or AKJV are from the King James Version or Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations and commentators’ quotations have been added.

¹ Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 11–12). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

² MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 21). Chicago: Moody Press.

³ Accessed 3/24/15 http://biblehub.com/greek/1401.htm

⁴ Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 12). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

⁵ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 25). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁶ Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 12). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Related Topics: Suffering, Trials, Persecution

3. How to Live in Praise, Even in Trials—Part Three

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In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:11-14)

How can we live a life of praise, even when going through trials?

While Paul was imprisoned in Rome awaiting a possible death sentence, he wrote the book of Ephesians. In Ephesians 1:3-14 specifically, he appears to be singing a praise song to God. It begins with, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

How could Paul praise God while in prison—in the midst of great difficulty? No doubt his ability to praise came from his focus. Paul was not focused on his unfortunate circumstances, but on the heavenly realms, where believers are seated in Christ (v. 3). In verses 3-10, he details many of the believer’s spiritual blessings. These include election and adoption as sons into the family of God, redemption, forgiveness of sins, and wisdom and discernment (v. 4-10).

In Ephesians 11-14, he continues this song about the spiritual blessings believers receive in Christ. As we continue this study, we will learn more about living a life of praise by focusing on the blessings of God.

Big Questions: What does Paul praise God for in this part of his blessing song? How can we implement worship in our daily lives, especially during trials?

In Order to Live in Praise, Believers Must Focus on God’s Sovereignty

Another aspect that we must focus on if we are going to live a life of praise is God’s sovereignty. Paul again mentions that believers were chosen and predestined (cf. v. 4-5), but he adds “according to the plan of him who works everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” (v.11).

Paul not only sees God in control of salvation, as he chooses to elect some, but also in complete control of all things. He says God “works everything”—some versions say “all things”—in conformity with the purpose of his will. The word “works” is the Greek word energeo, from which we get the English words “energy” and “energize.” ¹ Scripture teaches that God is energizing all things for his purposes and is therefore in control of everything. Nothing happens apart from his sovereign will. No doubt this was a tremendous comfort to Paul while he was in prison.

Interpretation Question: In what ways do we see God’s sovereignty over “all things” taught throughout Scripture?

1. Scripture teaches God’s ordination of all man’s days, as they were planned out beforehand.

David says, “Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16).

2. Scripture teaches God’s control over natural events.

Christ tells the disciples that God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:26, 30). We would all say these happen by natural processes; however, Scripture teaches that events can have multiple causes and yet God be the ultimate cause. Theologians have called this the “law of concurrence.”

3. Scripture teaches God’s control of chance events.

“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33). “The lot” can also be translated as “the dice,” as in the NLT.

4. Scripture teaches God’s control over the hearts of men.

In the case of Pharaoh and the enslaved Israelites, Scripture teaches both that Pharaoh hardened his own heart and that God hardened it (Ex 8:15, 14:8). In support of this, Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.”

5. Scripture teaches God’s control over all disasters.

“When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?” (Amos 3:6). Note that Amos does not qualify this as “some disasters,” but disaster in general.

6. Scripture teaches God’s control over Satan and evil.

In the story of Job, Scripture shows Satan getting permission from God to attack all Job had, including his family (Job 1:12).

As water poured into a plastic bottle “conforms” to the bottle, everything “conforms” to God’s will and is in some way foreordained (cf. Ephesians 1:11). In fact, he is energizing everything towards his purpose. This is indeed a mystery!

Interpretation Question: How can God be in control of everything—including man’s choices and the evil in the world—and yet still be just?

One Scripture that may help us understand God’s sovereignty is Colossians 1:17: “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Christ holds our bodies together, as well as the angels and demons, atoms, and everything else. Nothing can function without his energy. Therefore, nothing can act apart from his control. God is not like a watchmaker, who makes something that operates on its own, apart from its creator. Scripture teaches God’s total control of creation at all times (Eph 1: 11).

With all that said, though Scripture teaches God’s sovereignty, it also teaches that God cannot be blamed for sin, he does not tempt man, and that man is responsible for his own choices. “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone” (James 1:13). Again, this is a mystery.

The “Two Wills” of God

Another concept that might help us reconcile this difficult truth of God’s sovereignty over man’s choices and his sovereignty over evil is to consider the will of God. Many theologians parse God’s will into two parts: his moral, or perfect, will, and his sovereign will. Not everything in God’s moral will happens. For instance, Scripture says God isn’t willing that “any should perish but that all should come to repentance,” and he desires that all men be saved (2 Peter 3:9, KJV, 1 Tim 2:4). However, not all will be saved. Some will perish, even though that is not God’s perfect will (cf. Matt 25:41). God’s moral, or perfect, will does not always happen.

Is it God’s will for little children to be abused? No. Is it his will that we fall into sin? No. It is not God’s perfect will. But somehow, in God’s sovereign will, it is. Even the death of his Son was predestined (Acts 2:23). God works in all things and uses all “for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28). He energizes all things according to the purpose of his will (Eph 1:11), and does so in such a way that he cannot be blamed for evil, justly holding men and angels responsible for their actions. Again, this is a mystery in Scripture—but it is a necessary mystery for us to accept in order to rejoice in trials. God is in control, and he works all things for our good—even evil things.

Paul was able to rejoice and sing in prison because he focused on God’s sovereignty. He saw God in control of his election to salvation, and he also saw God in control of his unfortunate circumstances. He had peace and joy while in prison awaiting a possible death sentence because he saw God as totally in control—not the devil, and not evil men. As he says in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

It was this theology that gave Joseph peace in the presence of those who had sold him into slavery. He said to his brothers, “What you meant for bad, God meant for good” (Gen 50:20, paraphrase). It was the same with Job. Instead of being angry at those who robbed him or about the death of his children, he simply said, “The Lord gives and he takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21, paraphrase). Those who don’t understand or focus on God’s sovereignty only see the devil and people. They instead focus on these, and it takes away their joy— their song. But Job and Joseph focused on the sovereignty of God, and so did Paul.

With all of that said, Paul didn’t just see God’s sovereignty, he also saw human responsibility. In continuing his praise over the believer’s election, he says:

in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:12-14)

Interestingly, in this section he speaks first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. He says, “in order that we [Jews] who were the first to hope in Christ” (v.12) and “you [Gentiles] also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth” (v. 13). In speaking to the Jews who first put their hope in Christ and then to the Gentiles who heard the word of truth and believed, Paul is recognizing human responsibility—though it is secondary to God’s sovereignty. The Jews and Gentiles responded because they were first chosen and predestined according to the purpose of him who works everything according to the purpose of his will. This is a balanced view. Focusing on God’s sovereignty is not a denial of human effort or responsibility, or even the work of the evil one. Rather, it is a recognition of who is ultimately in control.

Yes, we recognize our sin, the failures of others, and the work of the evil one—but not apart from the sovereign rule of God, who works everything for the good of those who love him. In God’s sovereignty, he can even use my sin, the failures of others, and the temptation of the evil one to make me into the image of his Son, which he predestined before time (Rom 8:28-29). This is how we can live in praise while suffering. We must see God as sovereign, and in control over the events of our lives.

Do you see God as sovereign? Or do you tend to focus on men and the devil rather than God? It’s the one who focuses on God’s sovereignty who can sing in a prison cell.

Application Question: Why is an understanding of God’s sovereignty important for our spiritual lives?

1. It is important for prayer.

If God is not in control, why pray? Why pray to a God who doesn’t control everything? How can you have faith that your prayers will be answered if God isn’t absolutely in control?

2. It is important for comfort.

How can you have comfort in a world that is ungodly—full of demons and evil men—unless you have supreme confidence that God is ultimately in control? If you don’t believe in God’s sovereignty, you will probably be a bitter, angry person, or at least a complainer. When Shimei cursed David as he fled from Absalom, David’s soldiers wanted to kill Shimei. David responded, “God has told him to curse, let him curse (paraphrase)” (2 Sam 16:11). David saw God in control of the curses of evil men, and he trusted God’s purposes. Instead of becoming bitter, angry, and vengeful as his men did, David trusted God.

Job was the same. When he lost his family and career, he said, “The Lord gives and he takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord (paraphrase).” Those without this doctrine will lack comfort.

3. It is important for faith.

We can live and minister in confidence because the Sovereign God will provide for us, protect us, and empower us. He is our Shepherd and we will not lack (Psalm 23). He provides for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, and he will certainly provide for us (Matt 6:25-34).

Application Questions: How does an understanding of God’s sovereignty comfort or encourage you? How can we maintain a proper balance as we consider events in light of God’s sovereignty, man’s responsibility, and the work of the evil one?

In Order to Live in Praise, Believers Must Focus on the Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13b-14)

Observation Questions: What terms does Paul use to describe the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1:13b-14, and what do they mean?

Paul’s next cause for rejoicing is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. God has given each believer the Holy Spirit, and he has many roles in the believer’s life. We learn a great deal about these roles by the words Paul uses for the Spirit: “seal” and “deposit.”

Interpretation Question: What does the word “seal” tell us about the Holy Spirit’s work in the believer’s life?

1. As a seal, the Holy Spirit represents authenticity—he proves that the believer’s salvation is real.

John MacArthur says this:

The sealing of which Paul speaks here refers to an official mark of identification that was placed on a letter, contract, or other important document. The seal usually was made from hot wax, which was placed on the document and then impressed with a signet ring. The document was thereby officially identified with and under the authority of the person to whom the signet belonged.²

The Holy Spirit authenticates the believer. Romans 8:9 says, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom 8:16). He authenticates us by changing us, making us more into Christ’s image. He gives us new desires—desires to pray, serve, love God and others, and to read his Word. If a professing believer doesn’t have these holy affections, he is not truly saved—he is missing the seal of the Holy Spirit.

2. As a seal, the Holy Spirit represents God’s ownership.

In those days, slaves and cattle bore the seals of their owners. The Holy Spirit not only authenticates the believer, but also demonstrates God’s ownership.

3. As a seal, the Holy Spirit represents the security of the believer.

Seals also were used as a form of security. Often kings or others in authority would seal something to say that it should not be touched or tampered with. John MacArthur’s comments are helpful here as well:

In ancient times the seal of a king, prince, or noble represented security and inviolability. When Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, King Darius, along with his nobles, placed their seals on the stone placed over the entrance to the den, “so that nothing might be changed in regard to Daniel” (Dan. 6:17). Any person but the king who broke or disturbed that seal would likely have forfeited his life. In a similar way the tomb where Jesus was buried was sealed. Fearing that Jesus’ disciples might steal His body and falsely claim His resurrection, the Jewish leaders obtained Pilate’s permission to place a seal on the stone and to guard it with soldiers (Matt. 27:62–66).³

This is one of the reasons we know that the true believer’s salvation is secure. The Holy Spirit seals him. Consider what Paul says in Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Even though we have been redeemed from slavery to sin, our ultimate redemption awaits our resurrected bodies. The Holy Spirit seals us until that final work happens, and so do Jesus and the Father:

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30)

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit secure and protect the believer’s salvation.

4. As a seal, the Holy Spirit represents authority.

To have a king’s signet ring or seal meant to hold his power and authority (cf. Esther 8:8-12). In the same way, God’s seal on believers represents their authority to teach the Word of God, to defend it, to use their spiritual gifts to build God’s kingdom, etc. Christ said this when he ascended to heaven:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Because we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, we have the authority of the King to do his ministry.

Interpretation Question: What does it mean to be given the Holy Spirit as a “deposit”?

Not only did Paul say the Holy Spirit was a seal, but also a “deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession” (Eph 1:14). The Holy Spirit secures our inheritance.

It must be noted that “our inheritance” can also be translated as “were made an inheritance.”⁴ It could mean either that God has given us an inheritance or that we are God’s inheritance. In Ephesians 1:18, he focuses on believers being an inheritance to God: “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” However, the context here (Ephesians 1:3—”blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing”) points to interpreting verse 14 as “our inheritance,” as in the NIV.)

Now, in what ways is the Holy Spirit a deposit?

1. As a deposit, the Holy Spirit guarantees our future inheritance.

The word deposit can be translated as “earnest,” or even “engagement ring.”⁵ An engagement ring is a promise for future marriage. An earnest is “the down payment to guarantee the final purchase of some commodity or piece of property.”⁶ When a person bought a piece of property in those times, he put down earnest money. This guaranteed that the rest of the money was coming. If he failed to pay, he would lose his earnest. We call this a “down payment” today.

The Lord gave us the Holy Spirit as our guarantee that we will receive every spiritual blessing in Christ in full.

2. As a deposit, the Holy Spirit is a foretaste of our inheritance in heaven.

An earnest was part of a future payment. In the same way, the Holy Spirit is a foretaste of our future heavenly inheritance. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). Heaven will be full of righteousness, peace, and joy, all blessings the Holy Spirit wants to give us now. He wants to get rid of the sin in our lives and fill us with righteousness, and to give us peace and joy—no matter what trials we encounter. Our current experience in the Holy Spirit is a taste of our heavenly reward.

How can we sing during our trials? We can sing because God has given us an inheritance. He sealed us and is protecting us. He has given us his authority to use for his glory. He has confirmed that we are his. He has given us a taste and a guarantee of heaven. While Paul was in prison, he enjoyed a taste of his inheritance in heaven through the work of the Holy Spirit. Though he had lost everything else, he had everything in Christ and through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is true for us as well. Let us sing because of our heavenly inheritance, which we can enjoy even now.

Application Questions: In what ways does the Holy Spirit’s role as a seal and a deposit comfort or encourage you? How can we better apply these realities to our lives and ministry?

In Order to Live in Praise, Believers Must Focus on the Glory of God

Finally, Paul focuses on the glory of God. “Glory” refers to the weight of something, or the greatness of a person or thing. In verses 12 and 14, he says that the ultimate reason God saves us is for the praise of his glory. Salvation is not ultimately about man; it is about God and his glory. God is glorified through our salvation because it could only happen through his initiative in electing and saving man. Salvation glorifies God because it was through his wisdom and power that this plan was made and carried out.

In fact, this is mentioned several times throughout the letter. One of the ways man’s salvation glorifies God is by demonstrating God’s grace and wisdom to the angels in heaven. Look at these verses:

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6-7)

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 3:10)

Who is God demonstrating his grace and wisdom to? The angels. When the demonic angels fell in heaven, the angels had never seen God’s grace. They saw God’s perfect judgment and wrath on the demons. But in man, they see God’s grace—unmerited favor—as he saves an undeserving people. They also see his wisdom, as this was planned before time. Salvation is ultimately a work that glorifies God. Sometimes churches preach the gospel as though salvation is the ultimate purpose of God and Scripture. No—the glory of God is. Saving man is a means to glorify God and reveal his characteristics to all, including the angels.

Paul was able to sing in prison because he saw that the ultimate purpose of his life was to glorify God. Listen, if the ultimate purpose of your life is comfort, happiness, and joy, you will not be able to sing during your trials; instead, you will worry, complain, and become bitter.

Only those who realize that God is ultimately in control, and that everything is conforming to God’s plan to bring glory to himself, praise him even during trials. They say, “If my suffering brings glory to God, so be it. If my persevering brings glory to God, so be it. If my prospering brings glory to God, so be it. But let everything in my life be for the glory of God.” That is the type of heart and the type of focus that can praise God in every trial.

What is your focus? Is it your happiness, your success, and your glory? If so, you won’t be able to sing during your trials, as Paul did. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31).

Amen. Let this be so.

Application Question: How can we live for the glory of God?

1. We live for God’s glory by doing our best at the endeavors he has called us to.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men (Col 3:23).

2. We live for God’s glory by trusting him in everything.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Prov 3:5).

3. We live for God’s glory by submitting to him in everything.

Like Christ, we must pray, “Not my will, but thy will be done” (Luke 22:42, paraphrase).

4. We live for God’s glory by seeking to reflect him in everything we do.

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children” (Eph 5:1). When we imitate God, we glorify him.

5. We live for God’s glory by thanking him in everything and by worshiping him, even as Paul did.

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1Thess 5:18).

Application Questions: What makes it hard to live a life that is totally focused on the glory of God? Why is it so easy to get distracted from this? How is God challenging you to make his glory your focus in everything, even trials?

Conclusion

How can we live a life of praise, even while in trials? In Ephesians 1:3-14, we see Paul’s praise song while in prison. From it, we learn:

In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their new home—the heavenly realms.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their spiritual blessings.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their union with Christ.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their election.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their adoption as sons.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on God’s abundant grace.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their redemption.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their forgiveness.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on their spiritual discernment.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on God’s sovereignty.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
In order to live in praise, believers must focus on the glory of God.

Scripture quotations marked KJV or AKJV are from the King James Version or Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations and commentators’ quotations have been added.

¹ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (pp. 31–32). Chicago: Moody Press.

² MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 34). Chicago: Moody Press.

³ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (pp. 34–35). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁴ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 30). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁵ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 36). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁶ Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 13). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Related Topics: Suffering, Trials, Persecution

4. Developing an Apostolic Prayer Life

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For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:15-20)

Selected by God to build the foundation of the church, the apostles did so by bearing witness to the resurrected Christ, by their teaching, and by prayer.

The apostles were noted for prayer. When there was a need to provide for the widows in the early church, the apostles couldn’t do it because they had to devote themselves to “prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). When the leaders of the church at Antioch were fasting and praying, the Holy Spirit told them to set apart Paul and Barnabas for the ministry God had called them to (Acts 13:1-3). This was the beginning of Paul’s missionary journeys.

In addition, in the majority of the apostle Paul’s epistles to churches, he starts off sharing how he has been praying them (Rom 1:9-10, Phil 1:4, Col 1:9, etc.). Praying for God’s church was an important component of laying the foundation.

Although the foundation of the church has been laid and the original apostles have passed away, we can still have an apostolic ministry, specifically in the area of prayer. God wants to use us to build his church through prayer.

As we consider Ephesians 1:15-20, we learn principles of apostolic prayer—prayer that builds up God’s church.

Big Questions: How can we develop an apostolic prayer life? What principles can be discerned from Ephesians 1:15-20?

Apostolic Prayer Comes from a Right Heart—an Informed, Caring, and Consistent One

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. (Ephesians 1:15-16)

While Paul was in prison, someone informed him about the faith of the Ephesians and their love for all the saints. It must be noted that faith and love are essential marks of genuine conversion. Those who truly have faith in Christ are new creations, old things are passed away, all things become new (2 Cor 5:17). One of the new things in the life of a true believer is love for other believers. Jesus says, “They will know you are my disciples by the way you love one another” (John 13:35, paraphrase). If we do not love our fellow believers, then we have not passed from death to life. “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death” (1 John 3:14). And as Paul says in Romans 5:5, “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

The believers in Ephesus had experienced this outpouring, and therefore loved “all the saints”—not just the saints in their local congregation or city, but saints everywhere. They had been radically changed by God.

One of the things that should be noted about Ephesians 1:15 is how Paul says, “ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus.” It seems to be spoken as though he had never met these believers. The problem with this is that he had spent at least three years in Ephesus (Acts 20:31). For this reason, along with the fact that “in Ephesus” (Eph 1:1) is not in the early manuscripts, many scholars believe this letter was written not only to the Ephesians, but also to several other congregations in Asia Minor.¹

Observation Question: What aspects of apostolic prayer can be discerned from Ephesians 1:15-16?

1. Apostolic prayer is informed.

Paul prays with gratitude because he has heard about the faith and love of these saints. It is hard to pray for things we know nothing about.

In order to cultivate our prayer lives, we must seek to be informed. This might include asking others for their prayer requests so we can constantly lift them up. It could include reading and watching the news so we can know how to pray for our nation and for the world in general. No doubt Paul is implying the need to be informed in Ephesians 6:18: “Be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” We must be alert to problems, events in general, and instances of spiritual warfare so that we can pray for all the saints.

If we do not stay informed, we will not be able to pray as we ought.

2. Apostolic prayer is caring.

Another aspect of Paul’s apostolic prayer is his care for the Ephesians—he has “not stopped giving thanks” for them. He is thankful for the Ephesians’ spiritual attainments and successes, which shows a great deal about his heart. Many do not rejoice when others succeed, whether spiritually, socially, or vocationally. Rather, a spirit of jealousy or anger creeps in, making them incapable of true prayer. We must have a selfless, caring heart in order to pray.

We must truly want the best for others. We must want them to know God, and to excel at work, church, school, and in their relationships. This is the type of heart needed to pray. Sadly, this is the reason many of us do not pray. We do not care about others as we should, but are much more concerned about ourselves.

3. Apostolic prayer is consistent.

Paul’s own prayers were consistent, and he commands all believers to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We see this consistency in his prayers for the Colossians and the Romans as well as the Ephesians.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. (Colossians 1:9)

God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. (Romans 1:9-10)

Paul was constantly praying for the church, and this should be true of us as well. But how can we practice constant prayer—prayer without ceasing? Does this mean that we never stop praying all day long?

Not necessarily. The Greek word translated as “without ceasing” in ancient literature was used of a “hacking cough.”² When a person has a bad cough, it is not that he never stops coughing. It’s that he coughs all day—the cough keeps coming back. We must do the same with our prayers. Throughout the day, we must constantly remember the church, our neighbors, our co-workers, our leaders, and the lost in general before God. Prayer must be our constant endeavor and focus throughout the day.

Apostolic prayer is informed, caring, and consistent.

Application Questions: How would you rate your prayer life on a scale of 1-10? What are some practical tips that can help us to be more faithful in prayer, and specifically in intercession?

Apostolic Prayer Focuses on Knowing God More

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. (Ephesians 1:17)

Next, we begin to see the petitions within Paul’s prayer; he wants the believers to grow in understanding God, and in other spiritual truths. We see this in the use of the word “know” in verse 17, where he prays for the believers to have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they may know God better.

Commentator Kent Hughes points out some useful information about the word “know” as used in this text:

The regular Greek word for personal knowing is gnosis, but here the word is intensified with the preposition epi. Paul is asking for an epignosis—a “real, deep, full knowledge”—a “thorough knowledge”³

Paul wants these believers to have a deep and thorough knowledge of God. When we are first saved, we come to know God. As Christ says in his high priestly prayer to the Father, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3). In speaking to the false professors in Matthew 7:23, he says, “I never knew you.” To be saved is to know God.

Paul wasn’t praying for these believers to know God, for they all did. He was praying for a deep and experiential knowledge of God which would continue until they got to heaven. In speaking about Christ’s coming and the eternal state, Paul says, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

In the eternal state, we will have an intimate knowledge of God which is currently unattainable for us. However, this should be our goal here on earth. Paul says this in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”

After leaving everything for Christ, Paul said his continual endeavor for the rest of his life was knowing God, and it should be ours as well. In Latin, there is a phrase “summum bonum” which means, “the greatest good out of which all good flows.” For them, the greatest good was knowing God, and it was from this knowledge that everything good flowed—peace, love, joy, service, justice, and mercy all flow from this knowledge. And therefore, this must be our continual pursuit in life.

Interpretation Question: How can believers get to know God better?

We can learn several insights about getting to know God better from Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17.

1. Believers can know God better by praying for this knowledge.

Paul prays for this church to come to a deeper knowledge of God. He prayed because that was one of the ways it would happen. We must pray for it as well. We must pray this for ourselves and others. We must ask God to make himself known. This is exactly what Moses did. He prayed to God, “Show me your glory.” (Ex 33:18). And God did.

We must pray this way as well. We must pray that he will reveal himself through the Word of God, worship, service, and our daily jobs. This must be our continual petition as we go throughout the day: Lord, help me and others to know you more. Those who pray these types of prayers will grow in intimacy with God.

2. Believers can know God better by relying on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Paul prays for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation (Eph 1:17). There is some controversy over what he means by the word “Spirit.” Is he referring to the Holy Spirit, the human spirit, or something else? The NIV translators interpret it as the Holy Spirit.

This is because it is impossible to know God or have revelation about him apart from the Holy Spirit. In John 16:13, the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of truth, meaning that his job is to lead us into truth about God.

First Corinthians 2:14 says this, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Apart from the Holy Spirit, we cannot understand anything about God. He is the one who reveals truth to us.

Now with that said, since Paul is writing to believers, he is not praying for them to have the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 1:13-14, he says that believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit and that he is a deposit in them guaranteeing their inheritance. How can he then pray for them to have the Spirit?

Paul is clearly referring to the Holy Spirit’s ministry. He prays that the Holy Spirit would give these believers revelation about God through the Word of God, creation, events, and the witness of other believers. And he also prays for wisdom to apply this knowledge.

Christ says something similar to his disciples in Luke 11:11-13:

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Again, in speaking to believers, he is not telling them to pray for the Holy Spirit but rather for the ministry of the Spirit. He encourages them to ask and trust that God will give it to them. God wants to give believers every good gift that comes from the Holy Spirit.

3. We come to know God better by having the right disposition.

However, other commentators think Paul is not referring to the Holy Spirit but to a right disposition. John MacArthur says this:

But like our English spirit, pneuma sometimes was used of a disposition, influence, or attitude—as in “He is in high spirits today.” Jesus used the word in that sense in the first beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matt. 5:3). He was not referring to the Holy Spirit or to the human spirit but to the spirit, or attitude, of humility.⁴

The reason people have different views on the word “spirit” is because both are true. We need the Holy Spirit to know God, but we also need the right disposition to know God.

A person with a disposition of wisdom and revelation is a person who desires to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of God. He hungers for God. Without a hunger to know God, we won’t ever get to know him deeply. Many Christians are simply content with their spiritual lives and their knowledge of God. They don’t have an inner disposition pushing them to pursue God and to know his voice and Word more. This type of disposition will never know God intimately.

Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” We must have a heart that draws near God to find him. Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

If we really hunger to know God more, then he will reveal himself to us. Do you hunger and thirst for his Word? Do you hunger and thirst for his presence? Listen to the prayer in Psalm 42:1-2: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”

Is this your disposition—famished apart from the knowledge of God? This is the disposition we must have. This is the disposition we must ask God for—for ourselves and for others.

If we are going to know God, we must labor constantly in prayer, as Paul did. We must pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal God, and we must also pray that God will give us the right disposition to receive and know him more.

Application Questions: How would you rate your hunger to know God more? What things temper your hunger for the greatest good—God? How can we increase our hunger to know God more?

Apostolic Prayer Focuses on Knowing the Hope of God’s Plan for the Saints

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, (Ephesians 1:18)

Next, Paul prays for these believers to know the hope to which God called them. Hope is very important because it guides our lives. If a person hopes to be a doctor, he focuses on the sciences and studies diligently. Hope drives the direction of his life.

If Christians don’t have the right hope, they will live for this world and thus often find themselves discouraged and depressed. This is why Paul prays for these believers to have their hearts enlightened so they will know the hope to which God called them.

When he says “heart,” he is using a figurative expression for the mind, will, and emotions. Unlike the contemporary use of “heart,” it is not primarily emotional. He wants their inner man to be completely enlightened to the hope of their calling.

Interpretation Question: What type of calling is Paul referring to?

Scripture typically refers to two types of calls. There is the general call of the gospel which goes to all people. Romans 10:13 says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (KJV). Everybody is offered the gospel—this is the general call. Theologians call the second one the effectual call—the call that is effective and results in a person’s salvation. Look at how Paul uses this word in Romans 8:29-30:

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

In talking about those God foreknew and predestined to be like Christ, Paul says that God called them, justified them, and glorified them. In this passage, he refers to the effectual call—the call that leads to salvation. When God effectually called us, it wasn’t just about salvation—it was for so much more. It spans God’s work before creation, in us now, and throughout eternity.

This call motivated Paul, and it should motivate us as well. He says this in Philippians 3:13-14:

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

He pressed forward to win the prize for which God “called” him heavenward. Paul put his hope in the call, and it drove his life.

The very reason so many Christians live such earthly lives is because they have a very low understanding of their call and how God wants to use them.

Interpretation Question: What does the hope of our calling include?

1. The hope of God’s calling includes righteous works on earth.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God saved us to serve him. To Jeremiah he says, “‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations’” (Jeremiah 1:5). God called him to be a prophet before he was born. Paul, similarly, was called to be an apostle (1 Cor 1:1).

Each one of us has a call to serve God and glorify him on earth. We are his workmanship. This means the trials and difficulties we encounter are not haphazard or pointless. They are like the work of a craftsman chipping away at a rock—creating a masterpiece that brings glory to himself.

We need to hear this, especially as the enemy constantly lies to us and tries to tell us we are purposeless and evolutionary accidents. No, God has a specific calling—with specific works—for each individual.

2. The hope of God’s calling includes Christ’s coming and our resurrected bodies.

First John 3:2-3 says,

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

John says that those who truly hope in this reality purify themselves. The fact that Christ is coming, that we will be resurrected, and that we will be like him when we see him is a motivation to live holy and righteous lives. Those who have no hope in Christ’s second coming and resurrection live secular, earthly lives. Yes, we must pray for our hearts to be enlightened to this so we can live the pure lives God called us to.

3. The hope of his calling includes the restoration of creation at our resurrection.

Romans 8:19-21 says,

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

When Adam sinned, God cursed the ground. Creation is connected to humanity. In fact, when humanity is living in sin, creation still reacts. In Leviticus 18:28, God commands Israel to not practice sexual immorality, homosexuality, bestiality, and the offering of their children to Molech lest the land vomit them up. The land would react to sin, as it did at the fall.

But, when God restores humanity to righteousness, when the sons of God are resurrected, all creation will be restored as well. This is a tremendous hope. Even though Christians are persecuted and mocked for their beliefs and the way they live, they are the salt of the earth. They are tremendously valuable to all of creation. One day, creation will be set free into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We must continually hope in this, and this hope must drive us.

4. The hope of his calling includes ruling and serving with Christ in the kingdom.

When the Corinthian church was arguing and suing one another, Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 6:1-4:

If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!

In essence, Paul is saying, “Why are you hiring the world to judge your disputes? Don’t you know that one day you will judge angels? So, how much more should you judge the temporary things of this life? If you really have this hope, it should change how you interact with one another. After all, one day you will rule and judge with Christ!” Romans 8:17 says we are “co-heirs” with Christ. Whatever belongs to Christ is also ours.

If we really have this hope, we will stop being so consumed with the temporary kingdom of this world. Why live for what’s temporary when the eternal is surpassingly better? Why live to rule on this earth, when we are called to rule in the new heaven and the new earth? Christ says, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matt 5:5).

What is your hope in? Is your hope earthly or heavenly? In the same way people with an earthly hope are motivated and driven by it, the hope of our calling in Christ should motivate us. Let us pray for the eyes of our heart to be enlightened and understand the hope of our calling in Christ. Let us pray to be driven by eternal hope.

Application Questions: What hopes drive your life? Why is it so hard to be motivated by our eternal calling? How can we make sure that the hope of our eternal calling is really directing us?

Apostolic Prayer Focuses on Knowing God’s Inheritance in the Saints

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, (Ephesians 1:18)

Next, Paul pray for these believers to understand the riches of God’s glorious inheritance in the saints. This reality was continually taught about Old Testament Israel. God chose them from all the nations of the earth to be his special inheritance. Deuteronomy 32:9 says, “For the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.”

However, in Ephesians, Paul wrote to both Jews and Gentiles in the church (Eph 3:6). Just as Old Testament Israel was God’s great inheritance, so now is the church. This is taught in many New Testament verses:

while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:13-14)

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

To Titus, Paul said God was purifying for himself a people that were “his very own,” eager to do what is good. Peter said the church was “a people belonging to God.” I’m not sure that we can fully grasp this reality with our limited minds. Listen to what several commentators said about this:

William MacDonald says:

It is certainly an exhibition of unspeakable grace that vile, unworthy sinners, saved through Christ, could ever occupy such a place in the heart of God that He would speak of them as His inheritance.⁵

Kent Hughes adds:

Think of it: he owns all the heavens and numberless worlds, but we are his treasures. The redeemed are worth more than the universe. We ought to be delirious with this truth! Paul prays that we will see this with our heart’s eyes.⁶

Application Question: How should we apply this deep reality of believers being God’s inheritance?

1. As believers we must remember how much God delights in us and cares for us.

Zephaniah 3:17 says, “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

God delights in us, he sings over us, and he wants us to have peace in knowing how much he cares for us. As a father, it would hurt my heart for my daughter to be running around frantic and worried about what she will eat, drink, and wear. As her father, I am committed to providing for her. In an even greater way, we are God’s, and he will take care of us (cf. Matt 6:26).

This is especially important to understand when the enemy comes to tempt and make us doubt God’s goodness and love for us. This is what he did with Eve in the Garden—tempting her to doubt God and then sin against him. Our enemy still does this today. We must trust that God delights in us and cares for us.

2. As believers we must seek to give God pleasure through our lives.

As we consider that we are God’s inheritance, we must continually seek to please God in everything, for that is why he created us. Consider what Paul prayed for the Colossians:

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking … that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, (Colossians 1:9-10)

Paul desired for the Colossians to please God in every way. In addition, the Psalmist prayed, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). Understanding that we are God’s inheritance should motivate us to please him in our every action and attitude.

Application Question: What does the concept of believers being God’s inheritance make you think of? How does this reality encourage or challenge you?

Apostolic Prayer Focuses on Knowing God’s Great Power in the Saints

and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, (Ephesians 1:19-20)

Finally, Paul wants us to comprehend God’s great power towards us who believe. It can actually be translated “in us” (cf. Jubilee Bible 2000, Aramaic Bible in Plain English).⁷ In fact, in verse 19, he uses “four different Greek synonyms to emphasize the greatness of that power”.⁸ Kent Hughes’ comments are helpful. He says:

With the Greek synonyms inserted, verse 19 reads like this: “… and his incomparably great power [dunamis] for us who believe. That power [kratos] is like the working [energia] of his mighty strength [ischus].” Paul has layered these synonyms to express as best he can the highest power possible. He exhausted his language describing this power of the resurrection (see v. 20).⁹

Paul is trying to help us comprehend how great the power of God working in us is. It is the same power God used to raise Christ from the dead. Believers need this power for many reasons.

Application Question: Why has God given us this power and why is it necessary for us to access it?

1. This great power is necessary for us to grow in holiness.

Second Peter 1:3 says:

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

This great power is available to both help us escape the corruption in the world and also to continually grow into the image and character of God.

2. This great power is necessary for us to minister to others.

Paul says:

To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. (Colossians 1:29)

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

Whatever God has called us to do, he has given us the power to accomplish. We must realize this.

3. This great power is necessary to keep our salvation.

First Peter 1:5 says, “who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” God’s power is shielding us until the completion of our salvation—which is when we will look just like Christ. Those who are truly born again will not lose their salvation because God’s power keeps them. Christ puts believers in his Father’s hand and he places them in his own hand as well. No one will be able to snatch them out of their hands (John 10:28-29).

4. This great power is necessary to complete our salvation, as we will one day be resurrected.

Romans 8:11 says, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” The same Spirit and power that raised Christ from the dead will one day raise us from the dead. Thank you, Lord!

The final aspect of apostolic prayer is interceding for ourselves and others to know God’s great power within us. Are you interceding to know and experience God’s power? Are you asking God to allow others to know and experience it in their home life, marriage, work, and ministry?

In Ephesians 1:20-23, Paul describes how great this power is. God used it to raise Christ from the dead, to seat him in the heavens over the demonic realm, and to make Christ the head of the church. This incomparable great power is at work in us. In the next study, we will give attention to the incomparable greatness of God’s power towards us.

Application Question: Why do most Christians live powerless lives? What keeps us from commonly accessing God’s power?

Conclusion

How can we develop an apostolic prayer life? What principles can we discern from Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:15-20?

Apostolic prayer comes from a right heart—an informed, selfless, consistent one.
Apostolic prayer focuses on knowing God more.
Apostolic prayer focuses on knowing the hope of God’s plan for the saints.
Apostolic prayer focuses on knowing God’s inheritance for the saints.
Apostolic prayer focuses on knowing God’s great power in the saints.

Scripture quotations marked KJV or AKJV are from the King James Version or Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations and commentators’ quotations have been added.

¹ MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1912). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

² Cole, Steven. “Lesson 2: The Realities of Serving God (Nehemiah 2:1-20)”. Retrieved 1/15/15 from https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-2-realities-serving-god-nehemiah-21-20

³ Hughes, R. K. (1990). Ephesians: the mystery of the body of Christ (p. 52). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

⁴ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 44). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁵ MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1913). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

⁶ Hughes, R. K. (1990). Ephesians: the mystery of the body of Christ (p. 53). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

⁷ Accessed December 31, 2015 from http://biblehub.com/ephesians/1-19.htm

⁸ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 46). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁹ Hughes, R. K. (1990). Ephesians: the mystery of the body of Christ (pp. 53–54). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

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Jurnalul Electronic Al Păstorilor, Rom Ed 23, Editia de primăvară 2017

Partea I: Putere Pentru Predicare, Pt. 6

Puterea Scripturii În Perdicare

1. Predicarea Biblică Îl Lasă Pe Dumnezeu Să Vorbească, Nu Omul

2. Predicarea Biblică Descoperă Voia Duhului Sfânt

3. Predicarea Biblică Acoperă Sfatul Lui Dumnezeu În Întregime

4. Predicarea Biblică Ajută La Crearea Unității În Biserică

5. Predicarea Biblică Crește Puterea Spirituală Și Morală A Bisericii

6. Predicarea Biblică Presupune Studiu Atent Al Cuvântului Din Partea Predicatorului

7. Predicarea Biblică Permite Cuvîntului Să-Și Îndeplinească Sarcina

8. Predicarea Biblică Restabilește Prioritatea Pierdută A Predicării

9. Predicarea Biblică Restabilește Puterea Pierdută A Autorității Biblice

10. Predicarea Biblică Face Ca Scriptura Să Fie Punctul Central Al Închinării

Partea A II-A: Pregătire Pentru Predicare

1 Corinteni 2:1-5

Galateni 3:10-14

Galateni 5:16-25

Filipeni 3:1-14

Coloseni 1:24-2:5

Coloseni 2:13-15

1 Tesaloniceni 1:1-10

1 Timotei 3:14-16

Evrei 12:18-24

Geneza 21:8-21

Geneza 32:22-32

Exodul 3:1-10

Partea A III-A: Expunere Devoțională

Introducere

I. Inițiere Spirituală

II. Iluminare Spirituală

III. Interpretare Spirituală

Concluzie:

Partea A IV-A. Schițe De Predică

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The Net Pastors Journal, Rus Ed 23, Весеннее издание 2017

ЧАСТЬ I: СИЛА Проповеди, Ч. 6

Сила Писания Через Проповедь

1. Библейская Проповедь Позволяет Богу Говорить, Не Человеку

2. Библейская Проповедь Раскрывает Разум Духа

3. Библейская Проповедь Охватывает Всю Волю Бога

4. Библейская Проповедь Помогает Создавать Единство В Церкви

5. Библейская Проповедь Увеличивает Духовную И Нравственную Власть Церкви

6. Библейская Проповедь Требует Тщательного Изучения Слова Проповедником

7. Библейская Проповедь Позволяет Слову Завершить Задачу

8. Библейская Проповедь Вновь Возрождает Потерянный Приоритет Проповеди

9. Библейская Проповедь Восстанавливает Потерянную Силу Авторитета Библии

10. Библейская Проповедь Делает Библию Средоточием Поклонения

Часть II: Подготовка К Проповеди

1-Е Коринфянам 2: 1-5

Галатам 3: 10-14

Галатам 5: 16-25

Филиппийцам 3: 1-14

Колоссянам 1: 24 - 2: 1-5

Колоссянам 2: 13-15

1 Фессалоникийцам 1: 1-10

1 Тимофею 3: 14-16

Евреям 12: 18-24

Genesis 21: 8-21

Genesis 32: 22-32

Исход 3: 1-10

ЧАСТЬ III: Выражение Через Отрывок Писания

Введение

I. Духовная Инициатива

II. Духовное Просвещение

III. Духовное Толкование

Заключение:

Часть IV. План Проповеди

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Lesson 5: Resolving Doctrinal Differences in the Church (Acts 15:1-21)

1. Doctrinal differences are crucial because truth matters.

2. Doctrinal differences must be resolved in an attempt to preserve unity without compromising the truth of the gospel.

3. Doctrinal differences can be resolved in a biblical way by taking the following steps:

A. Determine the magnitude of the controversy.

B. Check your attitude.

C. If an essential issue is at stake:

1) Hear out the issue completely.