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The Gospel Observer
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them
to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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July 1, 2012
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Contents:
1) Ephesians 3:1-7 (Tom Edwards)
2) News & Notes
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-1-
Ephesians 3:1-7
by Tom Edwards
In Ephesians 3:1, notice how Paul refers to himself. He says,
"For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake
of you Gentiles..." (v. 1). In calling himself "the prisoner
of Christ Jesus," Paul is indicating that his imprisonment is
because he is a proclaimer of the Lord Jesus. During this
time, the Roman emperor was Nero, who began his reign at about 17
years of age (A.D. 54) and died A.D. 68. But isn't it
interesting that Paul doesn't refer to himself as being a prisoner
of Nero -- and even though Paul was right there in Rome, serving a
2-year house-arrest and chained daily to a guard of Nero's employ;
but, rather, as a "prisoner of Christ Jesus." Paul uses this
phrase, or a similar one, several times in referring to himself
(Eph. 4:1; Phlm. 1:1,9). In Philemon 1:23, he speaks of
Epaphras as being "my fellow prisoner" and says the same of
Aristarchus (Col. 4:10). In writing to Timothy, Paul urges him
to "Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of
me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel
according to the power of God" (2 Tim. 1:8). What can we also
note about these different epistles, in which Paul speaks of himself
as being a prisoner of the Lord? Each one them is one of
Paul's "prison epistles."
The thought of imprisonment for preaching the gospel would never
deter Paul from proclaiming the good news. He was very
committed toward that. Consider, for instance, Acts 20:22-24:
"And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem,
not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy
Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and
afflictions await me. But I do not consider my life of any
account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the
ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly
of the gospel of the grace of God."
Because Paul was so dedicated in his service to the Lord, he could
certainly have joy, peace, and contentment. For as he says in
Acts 20:26,27, "Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am
innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from
declaring to you the whole purpose of God."
As one who incurred wrath from the authorities for preaching the
word, the apostle Paul speaks of being "beaten times without number"
(2 Cor. 11:23), receiving 39 lashes 5 times (v. 24), being beaten
with rods, and being stoned (v. 25). With all of that in mind,
we can better understand what Paul meant when he declares, "...for I
bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus" (Gal. 6:17). Many of
these scourgings and beatings had left indelible scars on Paul's
body that would serve as signs of his fervent devotion toward the
Lord. So just as Paul's being a "prisoner of Christ
Jesus" meant being incarcerated for serving Christ, these
"brand-marks of Jesus" were given by civil authorities and
persecutors because of Paul's dedication to the Lord; and,
therefore, are scars that Paul would have never received had he not
been a faithful follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
With such fervent devotion toward the Lord, even being a prisoner
could not hinder Paul from finding ways to do God's will. For
it was during his 2-year Roman imprisonment that he wrote Ephesians,
Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Then, later, during his
second Roman imprisonment and shortly before his death, Paul wrote 2
Timothy. And not only were these epistles needful for those to
whom Paul specifically wrote; but also for the entire world, down
through time. So what a very important work it was.
In addition, during his 2-year Roman imprisonment, Paul was teaching
people who had come to him (Acts 28:30,31). With regard to
preaching and teaching the gospel while in that type of situation,
notice how Paul speaks of himself in Ephesians 6:19,20: "and pray on
my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my
mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for
which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may
speak boldly, as I ought to speak."
Paul shows that he had a special mission to the Gentiles in
Ephesians 3:1. For he declares that he was "the prisoner of
Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles...." Paul first
learned of that when he met the Lord on the road to Damascus.
For it was there that He declared to Paul, "...'I am Jesus whom you
are persecuting. But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose
I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not
only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in
which I will appear to you; delivering you from the Jewish people
and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes
so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion
of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins
and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in
Me.' Consequently, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient
to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus
first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of
Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to
God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance" (Acts 26:15-20).
When Paul had returned to Jerusalem the first time after his
conversion, he fell into a trance while praying in the temple.
It was then he saw the Lord saying to him to "Make haste, and get
out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your
testimony about Me" (Acts 22:18). And then in verse 21, the
Lord tells Paul, "Go! For I will send you far away to the
Gentiles."
With all this in mind, we have no trouble in understanding why Paul
refers to himself as "an apostle to the Gentiles" (Rom.
11:13). Consider also Galatians 2:7-9: "But on the contrary,
seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the
uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised (for He who
effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised
effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), and recognizing the
grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were
reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of
fellowship, that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the
circumcised."
Paul, of course, not only preached to the Gentiles, but also to the
Jews. For in his missionary journeys, it was customary for him
to first go to them in the synagogue, if that town or city had
one. But then, on their rejection of that message, Paul would
next go to the Gentiles, who were normally more receptive. In
Acts 9:15, the Lord assured Ananias of Paul, by saying, "...'Go, for
he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the
Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.'" So though Paul
was an apostle to the Gentiles, he also preached to the Jews.
Paul then continues in Ephesians 3:2 by saying, "if indeed you have
heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for
you." Some versions render "stewardship" as
"dispensation." The Greek word "primarily signifies 'the
management of a household or of household affairs'...; then the
management or administration of the property of others, and so 'a
stewardship'...elsewhere only in the Epistles of Paul, who applies
it...to the responsibility entrusted to him of preaching the
Gospel..." (W.E. Vine).
Another interesting and helpful point Vine brings out is that "A
'dispensation' is not a period or epoch (a common, but erroneous,
use of the word), but a mode of dealing, an arrangement, or
administration of affairs." Why we might have mistakenly
thought of a dispensation as being a period of time or era is
because of the three dispensations of the Patriarchal Age, Mosaical
Age, and the Gospel Age. We think of these as different
periods of time, and rather long periods, at that; but what makes
them dispensations is not the many years they have covered; but,
rather, the different ways in which God has dealt with man in each
of those dispensations. For instance, in comparing the
Mosaical Age with the Gospel Age, we see some major differences
between many of the laws and ways God has dealt with mankind.
The English word "dispensation" means, first of all, "1. an act or
instance of dispensing... 2. something that is distributed or
given out. 3. a certain order, system, or arrangement;
administration or management" (Random House Webster's Electronic
Dictionary).
So in thinking of what the Lord has done, God gave out a different
system of laws for the Patriarchal Age, Mosaical Age, and Gospel
Age, to govern the people under each one. This is what makes
each of them a dispensation.
Paul, therefore, had a "stewardship" or "dispensation" in serving
God; and though we normally think of a "stewardship" as "the
management, oversight, administration, of other's property," what
was entrusted to Paul was God's grace to serve others with (Eph.
3:2), which, according to Acts 20:32, is the gospel itself.
For example, in Colossians 1:25,26, we again see that Paul's
stewardship from the Lord was in preaching the word of God: "Of this
church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God
bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the
preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been
hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been
manifested to His saints." So in Ephesians 3:2, Paul is
speaking to the Gentiles of his ministry in the gospel which was
"given to me for you." And the one who gave that to Paul was
the Lord himself -- rather than something received from man.
Consider, for instance, Galatians 1:11-18, which refers to about a
3-year period that Paul had spent in the Arabian desert, where he
was instructed by the Lord Himself, soon after Paul's conversion in
Damascus: "For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel
which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither
received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through
a revelation of Jesus Christ. ...But when He who had set me apart,
even from my mother's womb, and called me through His grace, was
pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the
Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor
did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I
went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. Then three
years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas,
and stayed with him fifteen days." The majority of that 3-year
period, Paul had spent in Arabia -- being instructed by the Lord
Himself.
And with regard to Paul learning from the Lord -- rather than man --
look what the apostle goes on to say in Ephesians 3:3: "that by
revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before
in brief."
Many denominational people today believe that it is impossible for
one to understand the Scriptures without the Holy Spirit
miraculously interpreting the word for you. If that be the
case, however, isn't it strange that many who believe this still
come up with different understandings among themselves of the
Scriptures? But would the Holy Spirit reveal to one person
that the Bible teaches that a Christian can be lost, while teaching
another individual that "once saved always saved" is true?
Would the Holy Spirit teach one that water baptism must be by
immersion, while teaching another that sprinkling for baptism is
okay? Would the Holy Spirit teach others these and other
conflicting doctrines? That certainly would not be a
characteristic of God. For "...God is not a God of confusion
but of peace..." (1 Cor. 14:33).
Some have wrongly used 1 Corinthians 2:14 to support their view that
we cannot understand the Bible without the Holy Spirit miraculously
interpreting it for us. The verse says, "But a natural man
does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are
foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are
spiritually appraised." The point of many today is that a "natural
man" is simply a person without the miraculous operation of the Holy
Spirit in his life.
But notice how we see the Greek word in this verse for "natural"
used in Jude 1:17-19: "...'In the last time there shall be mockers,
following after their own ungodly lusts.' These are the ones
who cause divisions, WORLDLY-MINDED, devoid of the Spirit" (emphasis
mine). Here the phrase "worldly- minded" is from the same
Greek word as "natural" in 1 Corinthians 2:14; and this person
is described as being a mocker who follows after his own ungodly
lust, causes divisions, and is devoid of the Spirit. Is there
any wonder why there is no place for God's word in this person's
life?
Thayer defines the Greek word for "Revelation" to mean "1) laying
bear, making naked. 2) a disclosure of truth,
instruction. 2a) concerning things before unknown...."
So in a revelation of this nature, God has made Himself and His word
known through truth and instruction, appealing to man's intellect --
rather than simply giving man a feeling that works on his emotions
and would lead to his own interpretations. Compare, for
instance, 2 Peter 1:20,21: "But know this first of all, that no
prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for
no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by
the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
What God revealed to Paul was the "mystery" (Eph. 3:3), which is
used in the Scriptures to sometimes stand for different specific
things; but in every case it is always referring to God's message
that has now been revealed.
In this particular case, Paul speaks of the mystery as specifically
being, "that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the
body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through
the gospel" (v. 6). And it doesn't require a miraculous
operation of the Holy Spirit upon one's heart to understand
this. For as Paul goes on to show, "By referring to this, when
you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ"
(Eph. 3:4).
Though there are some things in the Scriptures that are difficult to
understand, according to 2 Peter 3:16, this is not true of
everything. In 2 Corinthians 1:13, for example, Paul states
that "...we write nothing else to you than what you read and
understand...."
Consider, too, that faith itself comes by hearing God's word (cf.
Rom. 10:17). Every lost soul who wants to be saved, therefore,
must begin by acquiring faith through hearing the Scriptures.
And doesn't that imply that the gospel can be understood? But
if one needs to have the Holy Spirit miraculously interpret that
message, how could anyone ever become a Christian? For Jesus
says that the world cannot receive the Holy Spirit (Jn.
14:16,17). However, lost souls could accept the Holy Spirit's
message and be saved by that (Rom. 1:16). So if you have not
yet accepted that message, won't you do so today?
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News & Notes
We extend our condolences to the family and friends of Faye Holley
who passed away June 27. She was in her mid 80's and had lived
in Columbus, Mississippi. Let those of us who are Christians
be remembering her family and friends in prayer.
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel,
for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the
deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins
(Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in
Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water
for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4;
Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith;
for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet.
2:20-22).
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Park Forest
CHURCH OF CHRIST
9923 Sunny Cline Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70817
Sunday services: 9:00 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 6 PM (worship)
Tuesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/go (Gospel Observer website)
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)