Bible In A Year: The Book of Ephesians

The book of Ephesians teaches that believers are united in Christ and together form the body of Christ, with Him as the head. Paul explains that salvation is by God’s grace through faith and that believers are created for good works. The Holy Spirit unites the church, and Christ gives leaders to equip His people for ministry and maturity. Ephesians calls believers to walk in unity, holiness, love, and truth as they grow together in Christ.

Transcript

Welcome And Where We Are

SPEAKER_04 0:00

You're listening to Teach Me the Bible podcast. Our mission is to help the people of God understand the Word of God. Join us each Monday and Thursday for new episode releases. Listen to our full library of content at teachmethebible.com or by downloading the Teach Me the Bible app from any app store. You're listening to Teach Me the Bible Podcast.

SPEAKER_03 0:27

Welcome back to Teach Me the Bible Podcast. My name is Alex Wolf. For those of you who don't know, I'm here with David, Dr. David Klingler, and we are going through the story of the Bible in a year. And so we hope that uh you've been with us up to this point and that you're enjoying it, that you're learning, and that you're growing. Um, if you've if you're just jumping in, we encourage you to go back to the beginning and start because there's a lot of information that we're bringing with us as we go through uh the Bibles. Because today we find ourselves all the way in the New Testament in the book of Ephesians. Uh last week we did Galatians, and so we're gonna pick up with Paul's letter to well, maybe to the Ephesians. We maybe we'll talk about that a little bit, but um where that's where we're gonna jump in.

Is Ephesians A Circular Letter

SPEAKER_03 1:08

So if you want to take us away and teach us, yes.

Dr. David Klingler 1:10

The uh the yeah, Paul's letter, uh what uh Alex uh mentioned was that uh that in some of the oldest manuscripts, the the the where it says, you know, Paul, an apostle of Christ to Jesus by the will of God and uh to the saints who are at Ephesus, that at Ephesus is kind of blank. And so some people uh have surmised that this is a uh they call it a circular uh circular letter or a letter that went from place to place. Uh and uh in and it's very general in um in nature. In other words, uh there's a couple things that are uh of interest uh at the end of this letter, you know, most of the time when uh when Paul writes a letter, at the end of the letter he has um uh a bunch of uh you know, greet this person, greet that person, say hello. Um but there's there's not a lot of that uh at the end. Uh it's just uh Tychicus, uh the beloved brother and faithful minister of the Lord, will make everything known to you. And so apparently uh he was the one who was carrying uh Paul's letter. Um but uh but the thing about Ephesians, and I think there are there are there are a few letters uh in the New Testament that they're all inspired, they're all Pauline, but but are the I think the most helpful to us to understand kind of what's going on in the church, what is the church, and what you know, what's Paul saying about the church, and and Ephesians is certainly one of those. And and for you know, those in uh certain theological circles, uh uh I think that Ephesians causes uh uh problems, it causes uh um several problems um for for folks. And and so let's just walk through and see kind of what we're doing. Now, here's here's the problem, and and there's a couple things that you have to um understand about Ephesians.

The We And You Pronouns

Dr. David Klingler 3:05

I, you know, and and I'm again we're coming at this from the story. So so we've gone through the Old Testament, we've walked down the trail of the story, you know, God chose Israel and you know, delivered them out of the Exodus and took them to the land, and uh and they uh conquered the land, but they didn't wipe out all the ice, and so they're they're gonna be deceived, they're gonna follow other gods, they're gonna be kicked out of the land. All of this is going according to uh what Moses wrote uh in Deuteronomy 32, the Song of Moses. Through Israel's rejection, the gospel would go to the Gentiles to make them jealous, to move them to anger, and so forth and so on. Uh, and so um this the story uh that's being told aligns exactly with what Paul is saying in Ephesians. And so if you hold to some kind of a uh theology that says that that the church has replaced Israel, something like that, you're gonna struggle to sort out the pronouns. Uh there are chapter one, let's just start with chapter one. There are only three sentences in chapter one. There's uh verses one and two, um, pretty quick. Verses three through fourteen is one sentence, and then fifteen through twenty-three is one sentence, right? Wow, and so in uh Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God to the holy ones or to the saints who are at Ephesus, who are faithful in Christ Jesus, grace to y'all, and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the first thing we need to recognize that is that um uh there are going to be two groups through this whole letter Grace to Y'all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. And it's easy to make that our, you know, uh Lord, our you know, our word God, our Lord. You know, he's just talking about everybody. That's not what he's uh what he's doing. He's explain, he's he's reminding them, and and we forget this because we're in church history and uh we never we don't remember how this whole thing started, yeah. Uh that that the Lord is the Lord God of Israel. He uh Christ is the promised Messiah of Israel. And the Gentiles have rejected their gods, uh, and they have placed their faith in the God of Israel uh and the promised Messiah, Christ of Israel. Uh and so uh we never forget that as we work through here. Uh and so the we group is this uh specific group uh that uh you know that is going to be addressed in chapter one verses three through twelve, and then the you group is going to begin uh pick up again in one thirteen and fourteen. And if you track the pronouns through the letter, they're consistent. And uh and so the you group is clearly defined in chapter two, verse eleven. Therefore, remember that formerly y'all Gentiles, no, the you here, uh all the way throughout Ephesians, every single time you see you, unless it's an Old Testament quote, if it's an Old Testament quote, uh then it may be a singular you. But if it's not an Old Testament quote, then it is 100% of the time plural, right? So it's y'all. Y'all, that's therefore remember that y'all Gentiles in the flesh, the so-called uncircumcision by the so-called circumcision performed in the flesh by human heads. Remember that y'all were at that time separate from Christ. That you were excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. Uh, what's he saying? Well, he's saying the same thing in Ephesians, he said in Romans, it's a reality of the Old Testament, that God has chosen to reveal himself to and then through the nation of Israel, right? Uh and so um to uh in chapter one, verses uh three and following, all of the things that Paul says are the things that were promised to Israel that God has been doing to and through Israel. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who's blessed us uh with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. They translate it heavenly places. Uh it's in the heavenlies in Christ. In other words, uh, we've been blessed with every spiritual blessing or or the you know, every gift or blessing in Christ, and Christ is in the heavens. And so you've been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies because that's where Christ is. He's gonna say that repeatedly. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. Now, here's where the you know the this is where the Calvinists just take off, and here we go, you know. Um and because they have assumed that the church replaces Israel, they get into the doctrine of election and predestination and all that, and and this becomes the debate. The the word here, electos, goes back to the Old Testament Bihar, to to choose. Uh all throughout the Old Testament, God chose Israel. They are his possession, his prized possession, his uh, you know, his chosen servant to serve him and taking the gospel to the Gentiles, there to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. So he chose them before the foundation of the world, uh, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us to adoption as sons. Now, uh Paul uses this term five times. Uh, once here, once in Galatians chapter four, verse five, and three times in Romans. And in Romans 9:4, uh, you know, he makes it explicit who he's talking about, uh, who are Israelites and to whom belong the adoption of sons. And so it's very clear that the adoption of sons belongs to Israel. Uh in Galatians chapter 4, verse 5, that he might redeem those who are under the law, that we might receive adoption of sons. Gentiles were never under the law, they were not in covenant relationship with the Lord. Uh, they were, how might might we say that? Um, separate from Christ, separate from the commonwealth of Israel, without God, without hope in the world.

SPEAKER_03 9:07

And for those of you who don't know, that's coming later in the book. Yeah, that's chapter two.

Dr. David Klingler 9:11

It's it's it's what he's it's what he uh what he uh is going to say. Uh and so he predestined Israel to adoption of sons through Christ Jesus to himself according to the kind intention of his will. In him, we, Israel, uh have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses. That's Isaiah 53. Uh when we are in Corinthians, we're gonna be talking about the same thing. He made him who knew no sin to be sent on our behalf. And and we can say, well, that's our verse theologically, and then I'd agree with you, you know, substitutionary atonement, all that. Uh, but that's not what Paul's saying in in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 20. Uh the pronouns there, it just keep track of the pronouns. He's doing the same thing there as he is here. That uh that Israel has redemption. They've been uh they have the forgiveness of their trespasses through his blood, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, and he made known to us the mystery of his will. He didn't reveal himself to the Gentiles, he revealed himself always to and through Israel. Right? So all the prophets, Israel, all of the apostles,

Election And Adoption Belong To Israel

Dr. David Klingler 10:20

Israel, Messiah, Israel. He has made himself known to and through Israel. He made known to us the mystery of his will. Paul's going to talk about this in chapter three, um, about how he has knowledge of the mystery and and the gift, the grace that was given to him for you, um, you Gentiles, with a view towards an administration suitable for the filling of the times. They translate the fullness of the times. And we'll come back to that. They translate that is the summing up of all things in Christ. Now, here's the problem: all things, things isn't in the text. Right. It's added. Uh, it's tapanta, it is the uh the bringing together. Um, actually, if we were to translate this this compound word that Paul uses very literally, it's bringing under one head. Yes, that's right. Bringing under one head um the all in Christ. Well, the all. What's he talking about? The all. All people, Jews and Gentiles in one body in Christ. This is what he's going to turn to in chapter two. And he's going to explain at the end of chapter one and work uh and work it through in chapter two. So, with a view towards an administration suitable for the filling of the times, that is the bringing under one head the all in Christ, the in heaven ones and the on earth ones. And in him we've obtained uh an inheritance, having been predestined according to his purpose, who works out all after the counsel of his will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be the praise of his glory. We are the first to hope in Christ, to the Jew first, and then to the Gentiles. That's what he's going to say, or to the Greeks. That's what he's going to say in Romans chapter 1. Working the same thing. Reveal himself to Israel through Israel's rejection. The gospel goes to the Gentiles. It's the same story that was that we've been rehearsing all through the Gospels, all through the Old Testament, and Paul's just repeating this to brand new Gentiles who don't know the first thing about anything. In him, y'all also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of y'all's salvation, having believed, y'all were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who was given as a first installment of our inheritance, of our inheritance. The Holy Spirit was promised to Israel. Ezekiel 36, Joel chapter 2. Your sons and daughters will prophesy and dream dreams and see visions. Uh I will pour out my spirit on all flesh, which they translate mankind as if it's general. No, the context of of Joel chapter 2 uh is uh is that um that God's going to redeem his people Israel. Um would that all of you were priests, and Israel was supposed to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. Uh and so this this promise of the Holy Spirit, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance with a view toward the redemption of God's possession. This is Malachi 3.17, uh, that God is going to redeem Israel. He's going to bring them back. They are his prized possession to the praise of his glory. For this reason, uh, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which exists among y'all, and y'all's love for all the saints, I don't cease giving thanks for y'all, making mention of y'all in my prayers, so that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to y'all a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the true knowledge of Him. Now, this is an important part, important verse. He's praying for them so that the Lord would give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Now, this He's going to explain how this spirit is going to work through the whole through the whole book. Uh and he his prayer for this spirit to be given is so that the eyes of their hearts might be enlightened, so that they may know what is the hope that the Gentiles may know, what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what's the surpassing greatness of his power towards us who believe. Uh these are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might, which he brought about in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in the heavens. There's that in the heavenlies again. So he's going to explain, you know, um you know, kind of a uh spoiler alert. He's going to explain uh that uh that Christ has ascended, he has uh to the Father, he has sent his Spirit, uh, and that Spirit has gifted his body, the body of Christ, which is the church, specifically for the equipping of the saints for the building up of the body for works of service. And so the ministry of the spirit is working in the body through the ministry of apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists. That's what he's going to say, right? And that through the filling of the spirit, through the ministry of the spirit, through apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists, that's how they will come to know uh wisdom and the revelation of the true knowledge of him.

SPEAKER_00 15:25

Right?

Dr. David Klingler 15:26

It's going to be through the words of the apostles and prophets. So uh he's explaining that uh that this power that God has brought about in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, seated him at the right hand in the heavenlies, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, right? Uh and every name that is named, not only in this age, but in the age to come. Uh and that's you know, you know, a crooked and perverse generation, a uh and not only in this age, where Israel is rejecting the Lord and the gospel is going out to the Gentiles, but in the age to come, he's going to be supreme. And he put all, they put things there, is that out. He put all in subjection under his feet. All what? All rule and authority and power and dominion in every name, not only in this age, but in the age to come, right? Um uh so he, God the Father, put all things in subjection under his Christ's feet, and he, God the Father, uh gave him uh as head over all people to the church, which is his body. And so the church is the body of Christ, and the body of the uh of Christ is the fullness of him, him being Christ. And so Christ is the head. Uh let's go back to uh chapter one, verse ten. The bringing together under one head the all in Christ. This is what he's talking about. Uh that he put all in subjection under his feet and gave him that is Christ as head over all to the church, which is his body, and the body is the fullness of Christ, is to be the fullness of Christ. Now, how is the body of Christ to be the fullness of Christ? Because Christ is the one who is filling the body. Filling the body with what? Filling the body with the spirit for the purpose of the body knowing, being the fullness of him, and having the true knowledge of him.

SPEAKER_01 17:27

That's good.

Dr. David Klingler 17:27

Um and so they're translating this as who fills all in all. Uh literally, it's the all-in-all being filled, right? Uh, and y'all, this is chapter two, and y'all were dead. You you Gentiles were dead in your trespasses and sins. He's just saying, look, before y'all came to Christ, Old Testament times, y'all were over there, you know, following Satan, right? You were formerly walked according to the course of the world, according to the prince of the power of the air, spirit that's now working in the sons of disobedience. And we came over there and joined you. That's the whole Old Testament story, right? Uh, and uh among them we too formerly walked according to the lust of our flesh, indulging the desires of our flesh, and the mind by nature were children of wrath, even as the rest. We came over there and joined you. But God, being rich, uh, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, for by grace you have been

Spirit, Inheritance, And The Hope

Dr. David Klingler 18:20

saved. Now, this is where the tendency is to muddy the waters of the pronouns. Okay. And I've become convinced that we shouldn't. Because of the Old Testament story, because of Israel's possession, position in that Old Testament story, and because of what Paul argues in literally every other letter he writes. And here I'm thinking of not only Romans. Um, uh Paul is in a constant defense of his apostleship to the Gentiles because he is the apostle to the Gentiles. If they reject him, they're rejecting the word of God. Uh, and so, you know, this is uh in 2 Corinthians, uh, where uh chapter uh chapter five, and we we mentioned that before, uh, he says, Therefore, we are ambassadors uh for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God. There's two groups there. We are ambassadors. He's not calling the Corinthians ambassadors, he's saying, we uh, you know, uh are our ambassadors. Um for he made him who knew no sin to be sent on our behalf, that we may be the righteous of God in him. And working together with him, we urge you, right? Raised up with him and seated us in the heavenlies, right? Um, and so he raised us up with him and seated us in the heavenlies in Christ, in order that in the ages to come he might show the surpassing riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. Now, uh show uh the riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace y'all have been saved. See, he keeps the two groups going all the way through here. And I think that we're all too quick to to equate ourselves with the apostles, to equate ourselves with if it's a we group and we like the group and we like what they're doing, or their theology aligns with what our theology is, we just say, Well, that's us. Right. Right. And if it's a you group or a we group, there we don't like them, well, then we just leave that on the table, right? Yeah. Um, for by grace y'all have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. Now, uh, skip down here. So, therefore, he's gonna say, Therefore, you know, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ for good works, which he prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. And and we all adopt that as us. I'm saying I don't think that's what he's doing.

SPEAKER_01 20:43

Right.

Dr. David Klingler 20:44

Therefore, remember that y'all were formerly uh uh you know, you know, far off, cut off, and all that. For this reason, just give down to chapter three, for this reason. I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus, for the sake of you Gentiles, if indeed y'all have heard of the stewardship of God's grace, which was given to me, for y'all. Okay, for by grace y'all have been saved through faith, and that not of your own. The grace was given to me for y'all. Uh and so I have, through the min through through the being an apostle to the Gentiles, I have brought this message to you. Uh, and so for by grace uh you have been saved through faith, for indeed you've heard of God's steward, the stewardship of God's grace, which was given to me, for you that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, which I wrote before. Remember back in chapter one, to us he revealed the mystery of his will. Talking about the same thing. Israel, to the apostles, to Paul. And by referring to this, when you read, you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men. Now, there's that sons of men phrase, and we've talked about that uh as we've gone through the Bible uh this year. The uh the the Gentiles, just thank the Gentiles. Uh uh in other generations. Was not revealed to the Gentiles as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the spirit to be specific. The Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, fellow partakers of the promise of Christ through the gospel.

unknown 22:14

Okay.

Dr. David Klingler 22:15

And so back in chapter two, for by you know, we are his workmanship creating Christ for good work. Uh, we're taking the gospel to you, we're informing you, we're teaching you so that you would uh come to the true knowledge of him, so that Christ would dwell in your hearts. What what do you mean Christ would dwell? I thought Christ was at the right hand of the Father. No, the knowledge of Christ, of the understanding of Christ, who he is and what he's doing, uh would would dwell in your hearts. Therefore, remember that you Gentiles, y'all had no shot.

SPEAKER_00 22:46

Right.

Dr. David Klingler 22:46

And that's what he's doing in chapter two. Now, this is important. Uh, for he is our peace who made the both, Jew and Gentile, one. And he um he broke down the barrier of the dividing while by abolishing his flesh the enity. Now, the enity that that's back in Genesis chapter three. Right. I will put enmity between you and the woman, your seed and her seed, the Lord says to the serpent. Uh, and team Satan was made, it was the Gentiles, it was the nations. Uh, and the woman was to be Israel, uh, and there was to be constant enity. But now the Gentiles have believed uh in the gospel, in the promised Messiah of Israel, the promised one who was going to come and uh and and strike the serpent.

One New Man In Christ

Dr. David Klingler 23:30

Uh, and so the enity has been torn down, the enity has been uh removed, and uh the both groups, Jews and Gentiles, are now one in Christo, in Christ. And so he abolished in his flesh the enity, the law of commandments, the the commandments were to keep Israel separate from the nations, uh uh by making the two into one new man. Now, this so we need to track our language. And so Paul has said the church is his body, Christ is the head, the church is the body. Now he's saying uh one new man. Uh and the man uh is uh is made up of the head and the body, uh you know, the husband and the wife, and he's gonna go to this in chapter uh in chapter five.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

Wow.

Dr. David Klingler 24:15

Uh God's household. Um so you're no longer strangers and aliens. You're fellow citizens with all of the saints and are of God's household. So this is uh, you know, the church is the um the body of Christ. Uh it's a new man, and he's gonna use that language later in the book. Um, God's household, uh having been built together on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, and so he's gonna call it a building, a household, a man, a body, uh are being fitted together and growing into a temple, a holy temple in the Lord. So, so the church is the temple, the body, the man, uh, the building, the household. Hold all that together, yeah, in whom y'all also are being built together into the dwelling of God in the spirit. So the spirit dwells in the the spirit of Christ, dwells in the body of Christ, makes sense, uh, which is a new man, a household, a temple, a building, right? Good for this reason. I, Paul, yeah, am explaining to you that because y'all don't know anything, that y'all are in Christ. Uh we say that all the time. Uh what you're in Christ. Well, uh we even know what that means. No, you are in his body, you are a member of his body. Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, uh, uh, Colossians, Paul always is talking using this language.

SPEAKER_03 25:47

That's really interesting because I think we, like you're saying, we often treat that as sort of this intangible idea, you know, somehow in Christ, I believe in Christ, whatever that means. Yeah, I'm in Christ.

Dr. David Klingler 25:56

It's actually very tangible. You're in the body. You are in the body. You are a member in the body of Christ. And the spirit is in you because the spirit is in the body of which you are a member.

SPEAKER_01 26:07

Yes.

Dr. David Klingler 26:08

And so you're not an individual entity out there running around making stuff up through the ministry of the spirit.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

Yes.

Dr. David Klingler 26:14

Uh, you know, it's not like you're playing, you know, Christian Ouija board or or you know, the little game we used to play when when we were, you know, kids, you know, hotter, hotter, colder, colder, you know, you're getting closer, you're red hot, red hot. No, no, no. Uh you know, the spirit isn't, you know, the it's guiding you, leading you, and all that. But but those terms, those phrases, have a very specific meaning. Uh, and so so uh he explains his ministry in chapter three. In chapter four, he says, Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat y'all to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you've been called with all humility and gentleness and patience, soing, showing forbearance to one another. Why why should I care about you? Because we are in the same body, being diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, because there's one body. What's the body? It's the church, it's the building, it's the household, it's the temple, it's the man. Uh, one spirit. So there's one body, one spirit. Now, where does the spirit dwell? Um, in the body, which is the man, the household, the temple. I mean, how many times we have to say this? Just as you were called to one hope of your calling. You only have one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us, uh, grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. And he was talking about this uh at the beginning, blessed us with every spiritual in the heavenlies. And this is what he's going to explain that uh when he ascended uh to on high into the heavenlies, he led hold a host of captive uh a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. Now, the expression he ascended, what does that mean? Except he descended, uh, and he did he himself descended, is the one who ascended far above all heavens, that he might fill all. He's still talking about this. And so the body, back at the end of chapter one, uh, he's the head. Christ is the head, the church is the body, uh, the fullness of him, the church is the fullness of Christ's body, and Christ is filling the body. He's still talking about this, right? Uh and that he might fill all. How's he going to do that? Well, he gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for works of service, for the building up of the body of Christ until we all attain the unity of the faith and the true knowledge of the Son of God. Remember, he was praying back there that the Lord would give you a spirit of uh knowledge and revelation uh about Christ

Gifts That Build A Mature Body

Dr. David Klingler 28:50

to a mature man, uh, that uh the true knowledge of the Son of God to a mature man. The church is the man, but the church is to be mature, not the individual. And we get this notion uh that you can be spiritually mature as an individual believer. That's not what he's saying at all. Uh the apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists were to teach the body, the members of the body, so that the man would be mature. The whole, you know, remember the man is the church, the Christ is the head, and the church is the body. Right. To the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Uh the church is the fullness uh of him. And this is what he's saying. So, how do you get to where the church is the fullness of him? They got to be taught, equipped for every good work. How's that gonna happen? Through the spirit. Well, what do you mean through the spirit? Well, the the ministry of the spirit, working through apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists, for the equipping of saints, for works of service, for the building up of the body, uh, until we all attain the unity of faith. So we're not, you know, the true knowledge of the sun.

SPEAKER_03 29:48

So we're not tossed here and there by every wind of doctrine. Yep.

Dr. David Klingler 29:52

Um, by every um, you know, deceitful, you know, scheming, craftiness, trickery of men, but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects or in all into him who is the head, even Christ. We are to grow up in all, into him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, members, being fitted together, and every joint supports according to the proper working of the individual part, which causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. So, why the individual members? Because the individual members make up the body, and as the individual members are strengthened, uh, it's for the benefit of the body, right? Therefore, I say and affirm together with the Lord. Uh pay attention to that. I affirm together with the Lord. He's putting himself on the Lord's side uh and affirm that y'all walk no longer as the Gentiles walk in the futility of their mind, being darkened from their understanding, excluded from the life of this is what y'all that this is how y'all used to be. This is your old man.

SPEAKER_01 31:04

That's good.

Dr. David Klingler 31:05

But now you are a new man because you are in Cristo, in Christ. Right? Uh and so you're to throw off the old self, they translate old self, it's the old man, and you're to put on the new man. Uh now who is the new man? It is Christ. Christ is the head, the church is the body. So, you know, live like it. Live like the church, which is uh uh which is in uh God being created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside all falsehoods, speak truth to one another. Uh uh each man with his uh each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. So everything that you are do is to build up the body, not to tear down the body. So don't let any tearing down words come out of your mouth, but only those things that build up. Uh and so the spirit uh is working through the apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists for the equipping of the saints for works of service or the building up of the body. But if you tear down the body, you're grieving the spirit, the ministry of the spirit working in the body, you are working against it. You're grieving uh the spirit, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. So let all bitterness, well, well, you don't have bitterness towards in you know inanimate objects. You have bitterness towards people. You have wrath towards people, you have anger towards fellow believers in the church, clamor, slander, put up put away from you, and all that. But be kind to one another, one another in the church, uh tender hearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ forgave you. And when you do that, you're building up the body of Christ. Therefore, be imitators of God. He forgave you, you forgive your brother, you're a member, one spirit, one body, build it up, right? So walk in love. For formerly y'all were of darkness, but now you are of the light. So walk as members of the light. And so uh now he's going to say, okay, so if you're in the if you're in the light, or if you if you're in the body, there are different relationships in the body. And he goes to the exact same three that he uses in the Old Testament: husbands and wives. These were the three relationships that God used to reveal himself to Israel: husband, wife, father's sons, master servant, right? Uh, and God was the the the father, the husband, and Israel was the bride, and God was the father, Israel was the son, and God was the master, and Israel was the servant. And in all three of those illustrations used throughout the Old Testament, the husband, uh, the father, the master lays down his life for the servant so the servant would serve him. Christ lays down his life for the church, so uh, which is his bride, so that the bride would serve him. And so you, in your individual husband and wife, father and son, master servant relationships in the body of Christ, you emulate, or maybe back to chapter 5, verse 1, be imitators of God.

SPEAKER_01 33:58

There you go.

Dr. David Klingler 33:58

Right? So be imitators of God. So uh he talks about husbands and wives, husbands, lay down your life for your wife, wife, submit to your husband, uh, fathers, sons, masters,

Put Off The Old Man

Dr. David Klingler 34:10

servants, finally, be strong in the Lord, and put on the armor of God, which is the armor of Christ. Now, why does the church put on the armor of Christ? Well, what does the armor cover? Well, uh uh the helmet covers the head. Well, who's the head? Well, Christ is the head. Well, what's the rest of the armor cover? Uh, the body. Well, who's the body? Well, the body is the church, right? Uh, and so the church, it's not the individual who's to put on the armor of God, it is the church, because the church is the body of Christ. And this is the armor uh of Christ. It's from Isaiah uh chapter uh you know, chapter 11. It's uh uh you know, it's it's uh it's later in Isaiah chapter 59. Uh so the helmet of salvation, the sword which is the spirit, the word of God, and uh and so the the b the body of Christ is protected by the armor of Christ. Um that's good. So um Paul has explained in detail how the church, how he desires, not only how he desires, but how God is working through the ministry of the spirit for the building of the body for works of service. Let's say it this way He's going to give uh these uh Ephesians a plural passive command to be filled with the Spirit. Now, what on earth does that mean? Uh allow the ministry of the Spirit, which Christ has given, the gifts uh that were given to the church through the spirit, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists, equip you for works of service for the building up of the body. Now, you could reject the words the apostles and prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists, the uh the spiritual gifts that were given to the church for the building up of the body, and in so doing, uh you would grieve the spirit, uh, tear down the body, but if you are filled with the spirit, and that's not new language, that that's language that goes back to the Old Testament. Uh, prophets were filled with the spirit in the Old Testament. Uh, God revealed himself through the prophets to Israel for the building up of Israel, so that Israel would have a true knowledge of him. And so the same thing's happening here in the New Testament, but it's through the uh the words of the apostles and prophets. Why the apostles first? Because they've seen Christ, yes, the prophets, Old Testament words, uh and then the pastors, teachers, and evangelists, they're to teach the words of the apostles and prophets. So this is gonna become clear as we work through some of Paul's later letters. And so the both, Jews and Gentiles in one body, the church, Christ has given through the Spirit gifts to the church for the building of the church for works of service. Uh, and that's why we must know the word, the words of the apostles and prophets. Uh, and so as pastors and teachers and evangelists, we are to equip the saints for works of service. Uh, not with our words, not with our opinions, but so that the people would understand the words of the apostles and prophets, so they'd be equipped, so that they would live it out.

SPEAKER_01 37:18

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 37:18

And so there's quite a bit of practical application that comes in here.

SPEAKER_03 37:22

Yeah, absolutely. I think that is somewhat backwards in the way we the way that we do things in churches today, where we're trying to give practical applications, right, that they do this without having first taught what the scriptures say.

Dr. David Klingler 37:34

And so, yeah, we're we we want the we want the works of service without the equipping. Exactly. And the equipping is the teaching in the word, the equipping, so that they would not be tossed here and there by every wind of doctrine, but speaking the truth in love, there to grow up in all aspects into Christ who is the head. And right, you know, I was had a former student who actually had dinner with him last night, and and uh he said one time, and we said this before, you know, oh Klingler's not smart, he's

Marriage, Family, Work, Armor Of God

Dr. David Klingler 38:00

just he's just reading it. Well, yeah, uh, you know, let's let's read it, let's understand what God has for the church, right? What his plans and intentions are. That story has been revealed from Genesis to Revelation, and and so once you understand it, you say, Oh, yeah, I'm a member of Christ's body, I'm in Christ. Let me say it differently. Um You've never seen Jesus, I've never seen Jesus. He's seated at the right hand of the Father. Um I've never heard his voice, I've never touched him, uh I've never seen him. Um but I have a tangible relationship with Christ, a tangible, I can see, touch, and feel relationship with Christ because I am in his body. And so I can see and touch and feel and hear fellow members of the body of Christ. Therefore, you when John says something like, How can you say you love God whom you haven't seen, but here's your brother right here, and you don't care for him? You don't understand this, right? Uh and so you want to love Christ, love his body.

SPEAKER_01 39:11

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 39:11

Uh if you want to serve Christ, build up his body. Um this isn't just I'm on a you know, one walk around and I'm gonna, you know, me and Jesus are gonna walk down the beach and sometimes he carries me, and I'm in a personal relationship. And it's a romantic relationship. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 39:30

Yeah, that's strange.

Dr. David Klingler 39:31

Uh you are in Christ, you're a member of the body, and so the building up of the body of Christ is what we're here for. And but but if we're not equipped to do it, right, we won't do it.

SPEAKER_01 39:40

Right.

Dr. David Klingler 39:40

Uh and so we ought to gather for the building up of the body. Uh one of my concerns is that we're not equipping the saints for works of service, we're not teaching the word so that uh the church would love, right? Paul's gonna say in 2 Timothy, his second letter of Timothy, the goal of our instruction is love. Well, if love isn't the product of the the instruction, then we're not doing what Paul was trying was telling Timothy. And so uh we gather together to equip the saints for works of service. We've redefined that in the church so that the works of service become what you do on Sunday when you go, you know, I don't know, whatever you're doing. You're you're a greeter, or you're, you know, you know, watching the kids, or you're teaching Sunday school. And all those things are are good. And um, but the equipping of the saints for works of service for the building up of the body, that needs to happen. So we gather to equip

Equipping Before Works Of Service

Dr. David Klingler 40:40

so that when uh the church goes out throughout the week, they are engaging in works of service, engaging in acts of love, not only towards the brethren, but towards the enemy, and in so doing, building up the body of Christ. Yeah. Right. And so so great letter. Uh and uh and there's so much practical application here. Uh but I think this is one of the most important letters that we have in the New Testament.

SPEAKER_03 41:06

Yeah, that's good. So just a reminder as you're reading through it on your own, pay attention to those pronouns. That's gonna drive the thing. The pronouns are always, always, always very important. Yes. And also I think keeping in mind, too, the ministry of the apostles. Um, I think that's something we've lost almost in in my experience in the last few years in the church, is um, you know, we've we've oh the apostles were disciples, uh, we're disciples, therefore, you know, we're the same as them. Yeah, we're just like them. Yeah. But we need to, I think this book highlights the need especially to recover that doctrine of of the uniqueness of the ministry of the apostles.

Dr. David Klingler 41:45

Well, uh, and so this is from let me just read just yeah, uh, exactly on that point. Uh uh This is in Revelation chapter 21, and John is uh describing this new Jerusalem that's coming down from heaven. And it had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and the twelve gates, twelve angels, and the names were written upon them, which were the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. Ain't David's name on any of them gates. Uh the three to the east, three to the north, three to the south, and three to the west. And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the name of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

SPEAKER_01 42:28

Wow.

Dr. David Klingler 42:28

Uh that ain't you. That's not me.

SPEAKER_03 42:31

They're kind of a big deal.

Dr. David Klingler 42:32

Yeah, they're big shooters, they're a big deal, right? Uh that that the that the word that that the the and this is exactly what Paul says that the the foundation of Christ, this this, you know, he uses the body with members. He he uses the building household

The Uniqueness Of The Apostles

Dr. David Klingler 42:50

temple language, and that house, that building, that temple is being is being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Right. It it is the very core, the foundation. It all it it it's upon it everything about the church is built on that. Yeah, the foundation, the words of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus being the chief cornerstone, the the thing that's holding the whole thing together. Yes. He he's the unifying thing. And so, yeah, you're right. We just say, well, you know, you know, Isaiah's not a big deal. Moses isn't a big deal. I'm a big deal. You know, and and and you know, we need to remind ourselves that even in Moses' day, you know, there are people who tried that. The son, you know, sons of Korah tried that. Uh, you know, the uh you know, you've got uh Aaron and uh uh Miriam. Hey, you know, hey Moses, you're not a big deal. Lord says, uh, get out here. Let me tell you something, uh, Aaron, Miriam, you're nothing like Moses. I speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his companion. Not so with you, and not so with anyone who comes out. No, no prophets come after. Um you know, hey, we we're leaders too, right? The you know, the ground swallows them up, and you know, Moses says, Anybody else got any complaints? You're not Moses, yeah. You're not David, you're not Paul, you're not Peter, you're not John, but you're in this story. Right. And we each need to understand who we are in this story. And let me explain who you are. If you're a believer, you are in Christ, and your responsibility in Christ is to build up the body of Christ. That's that's the whole goal as a member.

SPEAKER_03 44:29

That's good. Well,

Resources And Closing Invitation

SPEAKER_03 44:30

uh, that's Ephesians, and so we hope that that uh kind of sparks your study of the book and your understanding of it. Um I want to remind you if if you're just joining us for the first time, and maybe you're on some kind of platform where you're listening, want to tell you we got we have a website, teachmethebible.com, where we have a ton more resources for you to go and check out. So go and check out what we have over there for you. We think you'll be pleased with it. It's all free to you, uh, something we enjoy for the purpose of building up the body. So start at the beginning. Start at the beginning. Yeah. Always start in the beginning.

Dr. David Klingler 45:00

Start in the beginning. It's a story, so that's what we're doing. That's right. Start at the beginning.

SPEAKER_03 45:03

Good. All right. Well, next uh time we will pick up with, I believe, Philippians. Philippians. Right. And uh, so we will see you next week for that.

SPEAKER_04 45:12

For more resources, visit teachmethebible.com or download our app from any app store. You can partner with Teach Me the Bible in helping the people of God understand the Word of God by subscribing and sharing with others. Thank you for listening to Teach Me the Bible Podcast.