Men's Bible Study 3-29-09

Chapter: Ephesians 4 Chapter title: Band of Brothers: The Mature Man and His Buddies Chapter Summary: Paul points to his own imprisonment as the example of the worth of God's calling to him to impress on the men of Ephesus to live in humble, God-honoring unity in honor of the special call that each one has received as part of the one call of God in Christ upon all. Observation Ref.

4:1a

4:1b

4:2

4:3

4:4

verse content

Interpretation Ref. Eph 3:1, 13

refs here & elsewhere & the dating of the book most likely place Paul in prison, comparing this to 4:1b gives a subtle statement that Paul's imprisonment shows his view of the worthiness of God's call upon him.

Rom 12:1 Col 1:10

Just as Rom 12:1 compels us by the weight of Gods mercies, so this verse compels us by the high worth, by the high honor of his calling. Col 1:10 even goes so far as to say in a manner worthy of the Lord

Ph 2:3 Acts 20:19-24 Col 3:12 1Pet 3:8-17, Prov3:34

Not only is humility not seen as weakness, but it's not lived out as weakness either. counting others more significant than yourself legitimizes manly boldness and serves as a unifying force. Buddies who mutually look up to and honor each other. Prv 3:34 God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Rom. 12:10b Outdo one another in showing honor

Col 3:14 Acts 8:23

Unity takes diligence, diligence against old nature, against lazy, self-serving attitudes You're either bound by peace or you're bound by iniquity and bitterness

2:16, 18; 1:18

One Body, One Spirit, refs. ch 2, Paul reminds us that the glory of the cross is that Jesus killed the hostility between us, before we were at odds, in Jesus we are one, God's very own Holy Spirit in all of us One hope- that you may know

I Therefore, a prisoner for the Lord

urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace

There is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call

implications

what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, the same great power of his glorious resurrection Diligently meditate: ch1:15-23, ch2:11-2 x

Deut 6:4; Zech 14:9; 1Cor1:13, 8:6; x y z y one Lord, one faith, one v13, baptism, one God and Father of all, Jude 3 4:5,6 z who is over all and through all and Gal 3:27, in all 28; 1 Cor 12:5,6 Rom 9:5;

4:7

Ep 3:2,4:3: But grace was given to each one of Matt us according to the measure of 25:15; Christ's gift 1Cor 12:7; Rom 12:3; Ps 68:18; Judges 5:12; Col 2:15;

One Lord, One God - Both recalls the Sh'ma and points forward to the one day of the one Lord (Zech 14, esp 14:20-21). One faith, one baptism - our common faith, baptism, and salvation by the same gospel bind us together, Christ is not split up into factions and neither are we.

gifts are measured out with grace according to faith, this is not for the building up of self, but for the common good, for the building up of the church In vv9-10 Paul asserts that this is Jesus and the captives are his church; the implication is that in his rise to heaven in its high glory and holiness, Jesus has taken with him the most unlikely people, even from bondage, and made them holy, and gifted them

4:8

Therefore it says: When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men

4:9

In saying He ascended what does it John 3:13; Jn3:13 No one has ascended into mean but that he had also Ps 63:9; heaven except he who descended descended into the lower regions, Isa 44:23: from heaven, the Son of Man the earth?

4:10

He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

4:11

And he gave the apostles, the prophets the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers

Mk 16:19; Heb 4:14; 7:26; 9:24 Eph 1

Jesus has ascended and has also taken these captives with him and gifted them to represent his glory in heaven and this is a huge and wonderful part of how Jesus will fill all things

1 Cor. 12:5, 6; 1 Cor. 12:28;

Just as God put order to the universe, and to the earth, he has divided up roles and functions within the church with all to serve a unified purpose; here the more

Acts 21:8; 2 Tim. authoritative roles, specific to 4:5; teaching and proclaiming the word Jer. 3:15; of God are listed, but... Acts 20:28

4:12

to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ

2 Corinthians 13:9; Ephesians 4:16; Ephesians 4:29

4:13

until we all attain to the unity of the faith of of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:5; Hebrews 5:14; Ephesians 1:23

This is Jesus' vision for no child left behind, the ultimate end is that all are built up to full maturity, even to the measure of the fullness of Christ gr. "a full grown man"

Matthew 11:7; Hebrews 13:9; James 1:6; Jude 1:12 Ephesians 6:11

Paul seems to take a poke at those who don't seek growth and maturity, calling them little children, hapless and aimless; He says don't be like this or else you're going to be eaten alive by wolves who plot to poison your soul with half-truths for their own gratification. Read Jude 3- 13

1 John 3:18; Ephesians 4:25; Ephesians 2:21;

These same wolves who would press you to lighten up on the truth in favor of being "more open and loving and accepting" but love without truth is hate, it is false love that denies the truth for sensual comforts; the instruction is that we mutually strengthen each other reminding one another of the gospel truth, so that together we grow up in love. This is specifically done within context of v 11. It's not just a mutual share session where there's no authority.

4:14

4:15

4:16

so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.

Ephesians 1:22

Colossians 2:19; from whom the whole body, joined Ephesians and held together by every jont 4:7 with which is is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love

...are cast in the light of serving the church, equipping, building up and enabling the saints, i.e. the whole church for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.

This mutual gospel upbuilding takes place within the context of God-ordered authority, based on God's calling and grounded in the authority of God's Word, building up all into God-ordered roles - all working together according to God's purpose and plan. This Godordered, gospel-centered mutual

upbuilding is essential to our maturity and fulfilling our role as a God-joined temple, the fullness of Him who fills all in all, with Christ at the head. It is the heart of how we love one another.

Conclusions: Our function as a church, in relation to one another is to diligently work to live out of God's most worthy calling and strive to build one another up into full grown men, spiritually mature and strong to fulfill our God-given destiny as a unified, ordered, loving, humble, God-honoring representation of Jesus both on earth now and ultimately unto all the heavens. A personal application: For us this means we are to be to one another a band of brothers - a battle-tested bond of warriors. Looking out for each other, sticking up for each other, never tearing each other down in spite, but also not afraid to confront personal sins or to challenge errors in teaching - in earnest humble love for mutual growth. This means we honor and obey our elders, i.e. Jason, while we test their words against scripture, we also submit to their authoriy. We pray for each other's souls, for each other's spiritual growth and relationship with God, for each other's family and general well-being and peace so that no one and no thing might be able to come in and tear us apart. For as church we belong to each other and to Christ, and grow together as a body, when we suffer, we suffer as one. When we rejoice, we rejoice as one, as the body of Christ.