The Epistles The Epistles &&

the Practical Christian Lifethe Practical Christian Life

Class 3

The Doctrinal Epistles

© John Stevenson, 2008

The Epistle to The Epistle to PhilemonPhilemon

From Slavery to

Brotherhood

Rome

Colossae

Opening Greetings

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, 2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:1-3 1:4-7 1:8-22 1:23-25

Philemon

Opening Greetings

• I thank my God

• Because I hear of your– Love– Faith

• And I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective

1:1-3 1:4-7 1:8-22 1:23-25

Philemon

Prayer of thanks for Philemon

Opening Greetings

• Though I could order you, I appeal to you• On behalf of Onesimus• Formerly useless to you; now useful to both you

and me• I am sending him back• No longer as a slave, but now as a son• If he has wronged you, charge it to my account• I know you will do even more than what I say

1:1-3 1:4-7 1:8-22 1:23-25

Philemon

Prayer of thanks for Philemon

Paul’s Appeal on behalf of Onesimus

Opening Greetings

• Prepare me a lodging

• Greetings from…– Epaphras– Mark– Aristarchus– Demas– Luke

1:1-3 1:4-7 1:8-22 1:23-25

Philemon

Prayer of thanks for Philemon

Paul’s Appeal on behalf of Onesimus

Concluding Farewells

EphesiansEphesians

The Body of Christ

Ephesus

● Ephesus

Purpose of the EpistlePurpose of the Epistle• To confirm the position that we have in Christ.• To describe what should be the corresponding

conduct which believers ought to exhibit as a result of that new position.

Unique Characteristics

• There are very few personal notes or biographical references within the book.

• There are a number of very long sentences within the epistle.– Ephesians 1:3-14– Ephesians 1:15-23– Ephesians 3:1-7– Ephesians 3:8-12– Ephesians 4:11-16

Most translations have broken these up into several sentences, but in the original Greek text they are one continuous sentence.

Paul, an Apostle of Christ JesusRoman Prison

To the Saints & Faithful OnesEphesus, Asia Minor

TychicusOnesimus

Chapters 1-3 Chapters 4-6

Wealth of the Christian Walk of the Christian

• 1:7 “according to the riches of His grace”

• 1:11 “we have obtained an inheritance”

• 1:14 “a pledge of our inheritance”

• 1:18 “the riches of the glory of His inheritance”

• 2:7 “the surpassing riches of His grace”

• 3:8 “the unfathomable riches of His grace”

• 3:16 “the riches of His glory”

• 4:1 “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called”

• 4:17 “walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk”

• 5:2 “walk in love”• 5:8 “walk as children of

light”• 5:15 “be careful how you walk”• 6:11 “stand firm against the

schemes of the devil”• 6:13 “stand firm”• 6:14 “Stand firm”

Ephesians 1:3-4 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…

He Blessedus in Christ

…just as Hechose us in Him

Ephesians 1:3-4 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

1:1 1:3 1:15

Salutation Blessings in Christ

Position and Possessions

Praise Prayer

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know...1:18b 1:18c 1:19

What is the hope of His calling

What are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints

What is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe

Position Principle: We have a position in Christ.

Possession Principle: We are the inheritance - shows that we are greatly valued.

Power Principle: This power is directed toward us who believe.

Wealth of the Christian

Worth of the Christian Work of the Christian

Ephesians 1 Ephesians 2

Gives us the past, present and future of God’s great

plan of salvation.

Gives us the past present and future of the people whom

God saves.

God’s perspective. Our perspective.

Starts with God’s election prior to the creation.

Starts with our lost condition prior to salvation.

Ends with all things in subjection to Christ.

Ends with the church being built up into a dwelling of

God.

The way we were…

• Dead in your trespasses and sins (2:1)

• In which you formerly walked according to the course of this world (2:2)

• Were by nature children of wrath (2:3)

But God…

• Made us alive toether with Christ (2:5)

• And Raise us up with Him (2:6)

• And seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ (2:6)

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:11-12

11 Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands-- 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Ephesians 2:13

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:14-16

14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

Ephesians 3:4-74 And by referring to this, when you

read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

Paul’s Prayer

14 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man… (3:14-16).

Practical Unity (4:1-3)

Doctrinal Unity (4:4-6)

Doctrinal Diversity(4:7-11)

Practical Diversity (4:12-16)

And He gave

• some as apostles,

• and some as prophets,

• and some as evangelists,

• and some as pastors and teachers

For the equipping

of the saints

For the work of service

For the building up of the body

of Christ

Verse 14 Verse 15 Verse 16

The negative result

The Positive result

How that result is achieved

Tossed about children

Growing up into Christ

By all members pulling together in love

“Truthing in love” (4:15)

Ephesians 4:17-19

17 This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

Ephesians 4:20-24

20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Instructions for the New Self• Lay aside falsehood; speak truth (4:25).

• Do not sin in your anger (4:26).

• Do not steal; instead share (4:28).

• Let no unwholesome word procede from your mouth; edify (4:29).

• Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God (4:30).

• Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you; be kind and forgiving (4:31-32)

Ephesians 5:18-21

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Be Subject to One Another…Be Subject to One Another…• Wives, be subject to your own husbands,

as to the Lord (5:22).

• Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her (5:25).

• Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right (6:1).

• Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger (6:4).

Be Subject to One Another…Be Subject to One Another…• Slaves, be obedient to those who are your

masters according to the flesh (6:5).

• Masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him (6:9).

Ephesians 6:10-12

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.

11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

• Loins girded with truth

• Breastplate of righteousness

• Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace

• Shield of faith

• Helmet of salvation

• Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Break into Groups of 3-4

• What does a Christian look like?

• Give some practical examples of how that works in today’s culture

Look through the “practical sections” of Paul’s epistles…

You are doing some reading for an American history class, and you come

across the writings of a pre-Civil War, pro-slavery clergyman. You notice that in his

arguments supporting slavery he appeals to Eph 6:5-9 and Philemon…

• How would you respond to his use of those passages?

• How should we apply those passages today?