(upbeat music)
00:00:00.53\00:00:05.33
>>Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
00:00:16.34\00:00:17.38
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:00:17.38\00:00:20.05
And this week we are
starting a brand new quarter.
00:00:20.05\00:00:23.12
We are looking at
the book of Ephesians,
00:00:23.12\00:00:25.82
Paul's letter to
the church in Ephesus.
00:00:25.82\00:00:28.92
Why does he write the letter?
00:00:28.92\00:00:30.23
What are some of
the major themes?
00:00:30.23\00:00:31.96
What's the significance
of the book of Ephesians?
00:00:31.96\00:00:34.96
We're going to be
looking at all of that and more
00:00:34.96\00:00:37.33
over the course
of the next 14 weeks.
00:00:37.33\00:00:40.54
But before we dive
into this week's lesson
00:00:40.54\00:00:42.77
and a brand new quarter,
let's begin with prayer.
00:00:42.77\00:00:45.61
Father, we wanna
thank You for being with us,
00:00:45.61\00:00:48.11
for promising to
guide us through our study
00:00:48.11\00:00:51.01
of the book of Ephesians.
00:00:51.01\00:00:52.55
We ask that You would
open our hearts and our minds
00:00:52.55\00:00:55.38
and our understanding to the
message that You gave to Paul
00:00:55.38\00:00:59.62
to give to the
church in Ephesus,
00:00:59.62\00:01:01.29
and through that
church, to us as well.
00:01:01.29\00:01:03.83
We ask that You'll
bless our time together,
00:01:03.83\00:01:06.23
bless our understanding,
00:01:06.23\00:01:07.60
and we thank You
in Jesus' name, amen.
00:01:07.60\00:01:10.40
Well, the author of
this quarter's study
00:01:11.53\00:01:13.60
is Dr. John McVay,
00:01:13.60\00:01:15.07
he is the president of
Walla Walla University.
00:01:15.07\00:01:17.94
He's also the
former dean of the seminary
00:01:17.94\00:01:20.64
at Andrews University.
00:01:20.64\00:01:22.11
He holds a doctorate
in New Testament studies
00:01:22.11\00:01:25.41
and we're delighted
to have Dr. John McVay
00:01:25.41\00:01:28.05
with us this quarter.
00:01:28.05\00:01:29.28
John, welcome. We're
glad that you're here.
00:01:29.28\00:01:31.02
>>I'm delighted
to be here, Eric.
00:01:31.02\00:01:32.42
>>Now, this is a
really exciting book,
00:01:32.42\00:01:34.59
the book of Ephesians.
00:01:34.59\00:01:35.86
It's right in the
heart of the New Testament.
00:01:35.86\00:01:38.79
Of course, Paul is
the author of the book.
00:01:38.79\00:01:41.23
Give us a little
bit of background
00:01:41.23\00:01:43.63
into how this
quarter's lesson came to be.
00:01:43.63\00:01:46.70
Why are we studying
the book of Ephesians?
00:01:46.70\00:01:49.17
A little bit of an overview
and maybe a little backstory
00:01:49.17\00:01:51.77
in how this study
guide came into being.
00:01:51.77\00:01:55.84
How long had you
been working on it?
00:01:55.84\00:01:57.98
Things along
those lines. >>Sure.
00:01:57.98\00:01:59.95
Well, in a way, this study
guide goes back to about 1987
00:01:59.95\00:02:04.92
when I was sitting in an
office with my major professor
00:02:06.22\00:02:10.19
trying to decide what I was
gonna write my dissertation,
00:02:10.19\00:02:12.59
my doctoral dissertation about,
00:02:12.59\00:02:14.10
and at the time, he was writing
a commentary on Ephesians.
00:02:14.10\00:02:17.30
And I was
particularly interested
00:02:17.30\00:02:18.90
in the theology of the church,
00:02:18.90\00:02:20.30
and the two came
together in that moment,
00:02:20.30\00:02:22.30
and my destiny
with Ephesians was set.
00:02:22.30\00:02:25.94
>>Fantastic, so
back in the 1980s?
00:02:25.94\00:02:27.94
>>Yes, back in the 1980s.
00:02:27.94\00:02:29.44
>>Some people
who are watching this
00:02:29.44\00:02:31.58
may not even have been born
00:02:31.58\00:02:33.01
in the 1980s.
>>That's of course correct.
00:02:33.01\00:02:35.12
Someone who's known me
for a long time was saying,
00:02:35.12\00:02:37.72
"Hey, I think you
started working on this
00:02:37.72\00:02:39.59
back in the mid to late '80s."
00:02:39.59\00:02:42.56
And I said, "Well, yes.
00:02:42.56\00:02:43.59
"But the most important date
00:02:43.59\00:02:44.86
"isn't when I
started working on Ephesians.
00:02:44.86\00:02:46.86
"The most important date
00:02:46.86\00:02:48.03
is when Ephesians
started working on me."
00:02:48.03\00:02:49.63
>>That's right. Absolutely.
00:02:49.63\00:02:51.23
So, why Ephesians?
00:02:51.23\00:02:52.87
What is the significance of it?
00:02:52.87\00:02:54.30
What are some things--
00:02:54.30\00:02:55.37
we're gonna take a 14-week
00:02:55.37\00:02:56.74
journey together-- >>Sure.
00:02:56.74\00:02:58.01
>>...through the
book of Ephesians.
00:02:58.01\00:02:59.64
What are some things
00:02:59.64\00:03:00.81
that we're going to be
learning along the way?
00:03:00.81\00:03:02.61
Why do we wanna
make this journey?
00:03:02.61\00:03:04.71
There's some good
reasons. What are they?
00:03:04.71\00:03:07.02
>>There's a lot of good reasons.
00:03:07.02\00:03:08.32
Someone has written
that pound-for-pound,
00:03:08.32\00:03:10.42
Ephesians may be the
most influential document
00:03:10.42\00:03:13.69
in human history.
00:03:13.69\00:03:15.29
So that kind of wakes us
up a little bit, doesn't it?
00:03:15.29\00:03:17.96
If you ever read through
those statements of faith
00:03:17.96\00:03:20.93
on Christian
denominations and groups--
00:03:20.93\00:03:24.50
you know, at the
end of a statement
00:03:24.50\00:03:25.70
they often give
biblical references,
00:03:25.70\00:03:27.47
and it's an interesting project
00:03:27.47\00:03:28.84
to see how often
Ephesians is cited there.
00:03:28.84\00:03:31.44
It really is important
00:03:31.44\00:03:32.87
as a foundation of
Christian doctrine.
00:03:32.87\00:03:35.98
Paul, here in this letter,
00:03:35.98\00:03:37.81
not so different from
Romans, steps aside it seems,
00:03:37.81\00:03:42.22
from some of the
local interest stuff
00:03:42.22\00:03:46.45
like you see in
1 and 2 Corinthians
00:03:46.45\00:03:48.62
and 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
00:03:48.62\00:03:50.66
And he's really
talking about Christian faith
00:03:50.66\00:03:53.40
very broadly in a way that
echoes down through the ages.
00:03:53.40\00:03:57.20
And it's easy for
us to identify with it
00:03:57.20\00:03:59.53
and draw it into
our own lives right now.
00:03:59.53\00:04:02.67
>>So, a lot that we can apply,
00:04:02.67\00:04:04.81
it's not just
theological uselessness
00:04:04.81\00:04:09.11
as someone might
say some things are,
00:04:09.11\00:04:11.11
which I don't
think anything really is,
00:04:11.11\00:04:12.75
but these are very practical,
00:04:12.75\00:04:14.62
very applicable things
00:04:14.62\00:04:16.52
that we can use in
our lives right now.
00:04:16.52\00:04:19.12
>>Paul has a lot of grand,
00:04:19.12\00:04:22.42
high-flying language here
00:04:22.42\00:04:24.33
in the epistle to the Ephesians.
00:04:24.33\00:04:26.46
And as in most of his letters,
00:04:26.46\00:04:28.03
the first half
focuses on that doctrinal--
00:04:28.03\00:04:31.27
it sings with Christ and God
00:04:31.27\00:04:34.67
and what God has done in Christ
00:04:34.67\00:04:36.24
through the church
to redeem humankind.
00:04:36.24\00:04:39.64
And so, there's lots of that.
00:04:39.64\00:04:41.71
But then in the second half,
00:04:41.71\00:04:43.18
there's a turn in focus
00:04:43.18\00:04:45.88
and he turns toward, so what?
00:04:45.88\00:04:48.52
What does this mean?
00:04:48.52\00:04:50.09
So he gets down to
the nitty gritty of it
00:04:50.09\00:04:51.89
and begins to apply that
00:04:51.89\00:04:53.29
to the lives of
Christian disciples.
00:04:53.29\00:04:55.59
So both are there,
00:04:55.59\00:04:56.99
the high ringing, high
sounding theological statements,
00:04:56.99\00:05:00.16
but also the nitty gritty
of how this walks and talks
00:05:00.16\00:05:03.43
in terms of
Christian discipleship.
00:05:03.43\00:05:05.53
>>Very good.
00:05:05.53\00:05:07.10
So lesson number one,
"Paul and the Ephesians."
00:05:07.10\00:05:10.37
Why Ephesus?
00:05:10.37\00:05:12.17
What's the significance
of the city of Ephesus?
00:05:12.17\00:05:15.51
Ephesus, of course,
00:05:15.51\00:05:16.58
the letter to the Ephesians
00:05:16.58\00:05:18.01
is the people
who are in Ephesus.
00:05:18.01\00:05:20.35
Why Ephesus? What's the
significance of that city?
00:05:20.35\00:05:23.32
>>Well, that's a
very good question
00:05:23.32\00:05:24.82
and Paul nowhere gives
us a direct answer to that,
00:05:24.82\00:05:28.52
but we can infer, I think,
00:05:28.52\00:05:30.03
a fairly accurate answer
from his mission strategy
00:05:30.03\00:05:34.56
that we see, particularly
in the book of Acts, don't we?
00:05:34.56\00:05:37.80
He doesn't tend to go to tiny
little out of the way places.
00:05:37.80\00:05:42.77
He is wanting to
capture the world for Jesus,
00:05:42.77\00:05:47.01
and so, he tends to operate
00:05:47.01\00:05:48.51
on what one of my friends
has called the "hub principle."
00:05:48.51\00:05:51.55
And Ephesus, then,
is one of these hubs.
00:05:51.55\00:05:55.02
He's clearly dedicated to it.
00:05:55.02\00:05:57.29
He stops there at the end of
the second missionary journey,
00:05:57.29\00:06:00.22
promises to return.
00:06:00.22\00:06:02.16
At the start of the
third missionary journey,
00:06:02.16\00:06:04.13
he begins his way
moving across 1800 miles
00:06:04.13\00:06:07.76
to get to Ephesus.
00:06:07.76\00:06:08.96
He clearly wants
to get to this place.
00:06:08.96\00:06:12.50
It's the capital of
arguably the richest province
00:06:12.50\00:06:16.81
in the Roman Empire,
the province of Asia.
00:06:16.81\00:06:19.64
It's a transportation hub.
00:06:19.64\00:06:22.18
It's an important center.
00:06:22.18\00:06:24.15
He wants to found and
establish Christian faith there
00:06:24.15\00:06:28.08
so that it spreads far and wide.
00:06:28.08\00:06:30.35
I'm, again,
intuiting from mission strategy
00:06:30.35\00:06:33.29
and his approach here.
00:06:33.29\00:06:34.76
This place is important to him.
00:06:34.76\00:06:36.52
He wants to found
Christianity firmly here
00:06:36.52\00:06:39.59
so that it can spread.
00:06:39.59\00:06:41.13
>>So not an insignificant city,
00:06:41.13\00:06:42.86
in fact, what,
00:06:42.86\00:06:44.10
third, fourth
largest in the Roman Empire,
00:06:44.10\00:06:45.73
somewhere in that neighborhood.
00:06:45.73\00:06:47.04
>>It's a little hard, of course,
00:06:47.04\00:06:48.47
to judge cities of
ancient times in their size,
00:06:48.47\00:06:51.14
but Ephesus was
probably 200 to 250,000,
00:06:51.14\00:06:55.61
not just in the city itself,
but in the surrounding area.
00:06:55.61\00:06:59.65
That's a lot of
people in its time.
00:06:59.65\00:07:02.82
Now, in our day,
200-250,000 is not a large city,
00:07:02.82\00:07:07.22
but in that time, it came
in just behind Rome itself,
00:07:07.22\00:07:11.63
Alexandria, maybe Corinth.
00:07:11.63\00:07:13.63
Third or fourth largest
city in the Roman Empire.
00:07:13.63\00:07:16.13
So it's a big, strategic,
00:07:16.13\00:07:18.57
rich, sophisticated place,
00:07:18.57\00:07:22.07
and Paul dares to
step into its streets
00:07:22.07\00:07:25.11
and lay claim to
the place for Jesus.
00:07:25.11\00:07:27.71
>>And it's not an easy task.
00:07:27.71\00:07:29.91
I mean, you make
reference to a few stories
00:07:29.91\00:07:32.51
in the book of Acts
that give us an idea,
00:07:32.51\00:07:35.42
a little bit of the backstory
00:07:35.42\00:07:37.19
of what's happening
in the book of Ephesians,
00:07:37.19\00:07:40.09
some experiences, as it
were, that he references.
00:07:40.09\00:07:43.99
Give us a little bit
more in that backstory.
00:07:43.99\00:07:45.66
>>Well, the
backstory for Ephesians
00:07:45.66\00:07:47.30
is really in Acts,
chapters 18 and 19,
00:07:47.30\00:07:49.73
and there are some
great stories here,
00:07:49.73\00:07:52.27
just as stories.
00:07:52.27\00:07:53.77
So, you have seven itinerant
00:07:53.77\00:07:57.97
Jewish exorcists.
00:07:57.97\00:08:01.01
Judaism had quite a
reputation in the time,
00:08:01.01\00:08:03.78
and of course,
Ephesus is a place where magic
00:08:03.78\00:08:07.72
and the worship of
00:08:07.72\00:08:09.75
scores of
deities proved important.
00:08:09.75\00:08:13.79
And these
exorcists have obviously made
00:08:13.79\00:08:17.36
a good business out
of practicing exorcism,
00:08:17.36\00:08:22.40
using a kind of
abracadabra approach,
00:08:23.43\00:08:24.77
naming sort of
every deity from A to Z.
00:08:24.77\00:08:27.60
They hear about
Jesus, they hear about Paul,
00:08:27.60\00:08:30.94
and so they mingle their
names amidst their abracadabra
00:08:30.94\00:08:35.84
and they try to practice
00:08:35.84\00:08:38.05
this newly
formulated mumbo jumbo
00:08:38.05\00:08:41.12
on a demon possessed person.
00:08:41.12\00:08:44.69
>>It doesn't go very well.
00:08:44.69\00:08:46.32
>>Does not go well, it
does not go well at all.
00:08:46.32\00:08:49.79
The man rises
up, overpowers them,
00:08:49.79\00:08:52.19
and they flee,
kind of half naked,
00:08:52.19\00:08:54.56
into the streets of Ephesus.
00:08:54.56\00:08:56.33
Now that's a crazy story,
00:08:56.33\00:08:59.03
but the
wonderful thing about it is
00:08:59.03\00:09:01.04
it works out grandly
for the reputation of Jesus,
00:09:01.04\00:09:05.81
Paul, and the gospel,
00:09:05.81\00:09:08.18
and as a result, scripture says,
00:09:08.18\00:09:10.58
you know, the whole
region gets to know about Jesus,
00:09:10.58\00:09:14.15
begins to think about Him.
00:09:14.15\00:09:16.22
>>And that's not the only story.
00:09:16.22\00:09:17.62
There's another
story in the book of Acts,
00:09:17.62\00:09:19.42
also about a silversmith.
00:09:19.42\00:09:22.16
Give us a little
00:09:22.16\00:09:23.39
story of Demetrius.
>>Yes, there's a riot.
00:09:23.39\00:09:25.86
I mean, this is fascinating.
00:09:25.86\00:09:27.86
And what these
stories together tell us
00:09:27.86\00:09:29.90
is that Paul's
missionary work in the city
00:09:29.90\00:09:34.67
makes a dramatic difference
00:09:34.67\00:09:36.24
and shakes the very political
and economic foundations
00:09:36.24\00:09:40.91
of the third or fourth largest
city in the Roman Empire.
00:09:40.91\00:09:44.81
That's really quite fascinating.
00:09:44.81\00:09:47.02
But yeah, Paul is,
according to the story,
00:09:47.02\00:09:51.09
and according to Demetrius,
the silversmith himself,
00:09:51.09\00:09:54.42
kind of turning the world
upside down with this idea
00:09:54.42\00:09:57.23
that these gods are not gods.
00:09:57.23\00:10:00.60
So, Paul is preaching
00:10:00.60\00:10:03.70
about Christ.
00:10:03.70\00:10:05.83
Paul is preaching about God.
00:10:05.83\00:10:07.84
Paul is preaching
about the creator God,
00:10:07.84\00:10:09.74
and in service of that,
he's going after idolatry.
00:10:09.74\00:10:13.88
He's saying, "These
are not really gods."
00:10:13.88\00:10:16.21
And that actually maybe didn't
bother Demetrius that much
00:10:16.21\00:10:20.92
until it started
hitting his pocketbook.
00:10:20.92\00:10:23.45
And when those trinkets
00:10:23.45\00:10:25.69
that went along
with the cult of Artemis,
00:10:25.69\00:10:28.76
the greatest goddess
worshiped in Ephesus,
00:10:28.76\00:10:32.49
and you know, those
little silver shrines
00:10:32.49\00:10:34.56
and all the rest of it,
00:10:34.56\00:10:36.00
when sales plummeted,
that's when he got excited.
00:10:36.00\00:10:39.43
>>And it caused no small uproar.
00:10:39.43\00:10:41.60
>>He convenes a meeting,
he lays out the problem,
00:10:41.60\00:10:46.57
and folks get excited
and they scream and holler,
00:10:48.04\00:10:50.81
the name for Artemis,
00:10:50.81\00:10:53.15
"Artemis of the Ephesians,
00:10:53.15\00:10:55.15
Artemis of the Ephesians,"
for a couple of hours, right?
00:10:55.15\00:10:58.62
And it's a major
ruckus, it becomes a riot.
00:10:58.62\00:11:03.46
Paul is not immediately around,
00:11:03.46\00:11:05.03
but they're looking for
scapegoats for all of this.
00:11:05.03\00:11:07.76
And the town
clerk steps in and says,
00:11:07.76\00:11:09.86
"Hey, you know,
we've got a problem here,"
00:11:09.86\00:11:12.57
and calms the crowd down.
00:11:12.57\00:11:15.17
But this is a
story that tells us
00:11:15.17\00:11:18.87
that Paul had
done real gospel work.
00:11:18.87\00:11:22.84
He'd been there three
years and he had been preaching
00:11:22.84\00:11:25.71
and speaking for two of those
years in a classroom setting.
00:11:25.71\00:11:29.18
Sounds kind of boring, right?
00:11:29.98\00:11:32.05
The evangelistic
meeting that he's holding
00:11:32.05\00:11:34.52
in a specific hall that we're
told about there in Ephesus.
00:11:34.52\00:11:38.33
But it's effective,
it makes a difference.
00:11:38.33\00:11:40.43
>>So Paul is making
inroads, most clearly.
00:11:40.43\00:11:44.73
So the book of Ephesians,
00:11:44.73\00:11:46.67
that's what we are
taking a look at this quarter.
00:11:46.67\00:11:49.90
You will want to
pick up the companion book
00:11:49.90\00:11:52.51
to this quarter's study guide.
00:11:52.51\00:11:54.24
It is entitled "Ephesians"
by of course, John McVay.
00:11:54.24\00:11:57.98
Now, John, give
us a little insight
00:11:57.98\00:12:00.25
into why the
companion book is important.
00:12:00.25\00:12:03.05
What would someone get
from this companion book
00:12:03.05\00:12:06.45
that isn't in the
study guide itself?
00:12:06.45\00:12:09.29
What's the meat in here?
00:12:09.29\00:12:11.83
>>Well, in the companion book,
00:12:11.83\00:12:13.09
I try to take the
book of Ephesians,
00:12:13.09\00:12:17.20
deal with it section by section,
00:12:17.20\00:12:20.20
and have a chance
to tell a few stories,
00:12:20.20\00:12:23.81
to share some of the
scholarship around the letter,
00:12:23.81\00:12:27.31
but do that in a
candy-coated fashion
00:12:27.31\00:12:29.48
that makes it really accessible.
00:12:29.48\00:12:31.98
And we have a
chance to really explore
00:12:31.98\00:12:34.85
why this is such a dynamic,
powerful, and important letter
00:12:34.85\00:12:38.85
and I especially have
the chance to spend time
00:12:38.85\00:12:40.92
on what difference does
it make in our lives today?
00:12:40.92\00:12:44.06
So, I like to think of it
00:12:44.06\00:12:45.79
as a kind of
narrative story commentary
00:12:45.79\00:12:48.50
on the epistle to the Ephesians.
00:12:48.50\00:12:50.33
I hope you enjoy it as
much as I enjoyed writing it.
00:12:50.33\00:12:53.10
>>So you wanna pick
up the companion book
00:12:53.10\00:12:55.24
to this quarter's study guide.
00:12:55.24\00:12:56.67
It is called
"Ephesians" and you can find it
00:12:56.67\00:12:59.34
at itiswritten.shop.
00:12:59.34\00:13:01.74
Again, that's at
itiswritten.shop.
00:13:01.74\00:13:04.68
Just look for the companion book
00:13:04.68\00:13:06.35
to this quarter's study guide.
00:13:06.35\00:13:08.28
It is called "Ephesians."
00:13:08.28\00:13:10.82
And we are going to continue
looking at week number one,
00:13:10.82\00:13:14.92
"Paul and the
Ephesians," as we dive
00:13:14.92\00:13:18.26
into this brand new quarter
on the book of Ephesians.
00:13:18.26\00:13:22.46
And we look forward to seeing
you again in just a moment
00:13:22.46\00:13:25.17
as we come back
and continue our study.
00:13:25.17\00:13:27.77
(upbeat music)
00:13:27.77\00:13:30.34
>>You know that at It Is Written
00:13:32.44\00:13:34.28
we are serious about the
study of the Word of God,
00:13:34.28\00:13:37.51
and we encourage you to be
serious about God's Word also.
00:13:37.51\00:13:41.82
Well, I wanna share
with you another way
00:13:41.82\00:13:43.89
that you can dig
deeper into the Word of God,
00:13:43.89\00:13:46.65
and here it is,
00:13:46.65\00:13:48.29
itiswritten.study.
00:13:48.29\00:13:51.33
Go online to itiswritten.study
00:13:51.33\00:13:54.30
and you can access the It
Is Written Bible Study Guides,
00:13:54.30\00:13:58.73
25 in-depth Bible studies
00:13:58.73\00:14:01.40
that will walk
you through the Bible.
00:14:01.40\00:14:03.84
It's gonna be good for
you and it's the sort of thing
00:14:03.84\00:14:06.88
that you will want to
tell somebody else about
00:14:06.88\00:14:10.31
so that they can dig
deeper into the Word of God
00:14:10.31\00:14:13.01
and come to know the
things of the Bible intimately.
00:14:13.01\00:14:16.75
As you get into the It Is
Written online Bible study
00:14:16.75\00:14:20.06
guides, you'll understand
the prophecies of the Bible,
00:14:20.06\00:14:22.09
the plan of salvation, and more.
00:14:22.09\00:14:24.29
So don't forget
itiswritten.study,
00:14:24.29\00:14:27.36
itiswritten.study.
00:14:27.36\00:14:29.66
(upbeat music)
00:14:31.73\00:14:34.37
>>Welcome back
to "Sabbath School,"
00:14:36.54\00:14:37.84
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:14:37.84\00:14:39.84
We are continuing our
study of the book of Ephesians.
00:14:39.84\00:14:44.31
And John, let me jump back
in by asking this question.
00:14:44.31\00:14:47.62
What's the purpose of Ephesians?
Why do we have the book?
00:14:47.62\00:14:52.12
What's it there for?
00:14:52.12\00:14:54.52
>>Well, Eric, usually
when we write something,
00:14:54.52\00:14:56.49
at least something
important and intentional,
00:14:56.49\00:14:58.79
there's some reason why we've
taken the time to write it.
00:14:58.79\00:15:01.40
And it's an
interesting question to say,
00:15:01.40\00:15:03.00
"Okay, so assuming
that to be the case,
00:15:03.00\00:15:06.47
why does Paul spill so much
ink and passion in this letter?
00:15:06.47\00:15:10.57
"Why does he go to the trouble,
00:15:10.57\00:15:12.61
"particularly in ancient context
00:15:12.61\00:15:14.01
"where writing a
letter was not nearly
00:15:14.01\00:15:15.48
as simple as typing
out an email is today."
00:15:15.48\00:15:18.31
So, why?
00:15:18.31\00:15:19.45
You know, I think
00:15:19.45\00:15:20.85
probably the best
indication we have of that
00:15:20.85\00:15:24.15
comes in chapter three
near the center of the letter
00:15:24.15\00:15:29.22
where Paul is going
to offer a prayer report
00:15:30.36\00:15:33.53
and talk about why
he's praying for them.
00:15:33.53\00:15:36.60
And there's a little line here
00:15:36.60\00:15:39.73
that I think is helpful for us.
00:15:39.73\00:15:42.84
Verse 13.
00:15:42.84\00:15:44.31
"So I ask you not to lose heart
00:15:44.31\00:15:48.31
over what I am
suffering for you."
00:15:48.31\00:15:51.15
And I think that
may get us pretty close
00:15:51.15\00:15:53.38
to the intention of the letter.
00:15:53.38\00:15:57.05
So, Paul ministers in Ephesus,
00:15:57.05\00:16:00.09
he wins converts to Christ,
00:16:00.09\00:16:01.86
that was six or seven years ago,
00:16:02.79\00:16:05.59
but six or seven
years have intervened.
00:16:05.59\00:16:08.53
Christianity has
taken a little bit of a dive
00:16:08.53\00:16:11.23
in terms of its reputation.
00:16:11.23\00:16:13.34
It was kind of cachet, it was
the thing back in Paul's day,
00:16:13.34\00:16:17.21
it was winning friends
and influencing people.
00:16:17.21\00:16:20.04
But now, it's gotten a bit lost
00:16:20.04\00:16:23.91
amongst all the faiths.
00:16:23.91\00:16:25.81
To be a
Christian no longer holds
00:16:25.81\00:16:27.95
the, you know,
the honor and the aura
00:16:27.95\00:16:31.35
that it once did
when Paul was around.
00:16:31.35\00:16:33.96
And Paul, the great
champion of Christian faith,
00:16:33.96\00:16:37.49
is himself in prison.
00:16:37.49\00:16:39.06
And Paul's worried
that they're losing
00:16:40.16\00:16:44.93
a sense of the significance
00:16:44.93\00:16:46.57
of what it means
to be a Christian.
00:16:46.57\00:16:48.80
And they're discouraged
by his presence and mission.
00:16:48.80\00:16:51.24
So, he's writing a
letter to steel their nerves
00:16:51.24\00:16:55.18
and to raise their
horizon of what it means
00:16:55.18\00:16:58.05
to be part of God's
great actions in the world,
00:16:58.05\00:17:00.68
what it means to
be part of the church.
00:17:00.68\00:17:02.75
>>So it's gonna be a
letter of encouragement
00:17:02.75\00:17:05.15
among other things,
00:17:05.15\00:17:06.59
of propping them up and
giving them hope, as it were.
00:17:06.59\00:17:11.13
>>He's gonna
sketch out the big stuff
00:17:11.13\00:17:13.86
God is involved in the world
00:17:13.86\00:17:15.93
and wants them
to see their lives
00:17:15.93\00:17:18.30
as part of God's grand plan.
00:17:18.30\00:17:20.67
>>So let's spend a few minutes
00:17:20.67\00:17:22.14
and look at the theological
message of Ephesians.
00:17:22.14\00:17:25.31
What's some of the theological
meat that we find in there?
00:17:25.31\00:17:30.15
>>You know, I always like it
00:17:30.15\00:17:31.41
when I'm reading
a book or something,
00:17:31.41\00:17:32.75
when the author
takes time to say,
00:17:32.75\00:17:34.72
"This is what
this book is about."
00:17:34.72\00:17:36.85
And really, Paul does that here.
00:17:36.85\00:17:39.05
Ephesians 1, verses 9 and 10.
00:17:40.59\00:17:43.63
And by the way, Eric,
00:17:43.63\00:17:45.29
Ephesians is known for something
00:17:46.09\00:17:47.76
that someone has
labeled "tapeworm sentences."
00:17:47.76\00:17:51.20
They just kind of go
on and on and on and on.
00:17:51.20\00:17:53.94
So a lot of times when we
read passages in Ephesians,
00:17:53.94\00:17:56.74
we kind of have to break
00:17:56.74\00:17:57.97
into one of those
tapeworm sentences,
00:17:57.97\00:18:00.71
and that's the case
here in verses 9 and 10.
00:18:00.71\00:18:04.85
Paul writes, "Making known
to us the mystery of His will,
00:18:04.85\00:18:09.22
according to His purpose,
which He set forth in Christ."
00:18:09.22\00:18:13.96
So Paul's setting
us up here to hear,
00:18:13.96\00:18:16.79
well, what's the big plan?
00:18:16.79\00:18:17.93
What's God's purpose?
00:18:17.93\00:18:19.19
What's He about in the cosmos?
00:18:19.19\00:18:21.73
"As a plan for
the fullness of time."
00:18:21.73\00:18:24.40
So He sets forth
a plan in Christ.
00:18:24.40\00:18:26.63
It's a plan for
the fullness of time.
00:18:26.63\00:18:28.84
And here's the punchline,
here's what He's about.
00:18:28.84\00:18:31.47
"To unite all things in Him."
00:18:31.47\00:18:35.28
To unite everything in Jesus.
00:18:35.28\00:18:38.21
"Things in heaven
and things on earth."
00:18:38.21\00:18:42.18
So God's grand
purpose in the world
00:18:42.18\00:18:45.32
is to wrap up everything,
unite everything in Jesus.
00:18:45.32\00:18:50.03
That's the great theme
of the letter, you see?
00:18:50.03\00:18:53.06
>>There's not a much bigger
theme out there to try to tackle
00:18:53.06\00:18:56.97
that I can think of.
00:18:56.97\00:18:58.20
I mean, that's
an enormous theme.
00:18:58.20\00:19:00.37
>>It's cosmic scale,
00:19:00.37\00:19:01.60
it's huge.
00:19:01.60\00:19:03.07
This is not some
tiny version of unity,
00:19:03.07\00:19:06.37
this is unity writ large,
00:19:06.37\00:19:08.84
this is big stuff.
00:19:08.84\00:19:11.18
And he's taking their
lives of these disciples,
00:19:11.18\00:19:14.12
threatening--who are
becoming discouraged,
00:19:14.12\00:19:16.79
worried about, is
this really for me?
00:19:16.79\00:19:19.52
Perhaps being drawn
back into the worship
00:19:19.52\00:19:22.49
of one or more of those deities
00:19:22.49\00:19:25.03
of which there were so
many on offer in Ephesus.
00:19:25.03\00:19:28.80
And he's saying to them,
00:19:28.80\00:19:30.30
"You wanna be part of the
grandest thing in the universe,
00:19:30.30\00:19:34.00
"you need to be a Christian.
00:19:34.00\00:19:35.44
You need to be a
member of God's church."
00:19:35.44\00:19:38.01
>>And this book,
it's not a huge book,
00:19:38.01\00:19:41.94
I mean, it's not a
Psalms or something like that.
00:19:41.94\00:19:45.68
It's a relatively small
book, all things considered,
00:19:45.68\00:19:48.65
and yet Paul packs into it
00:19:48.65\00:19:51.22
this grand theme
00:19:52.09\00:19:54.26
and desires that we
should understand it.
00:19:54.26\00:19:58.06
>>Yes, the letter was designed,
as we learned at the end,
00:19:58.06\00:20:01.46
it was designed
apparently to be read
00:20:01.46\00:20:03.47
in those house
churches in Ephesus.
00:20:03.47\00:20:06.90
We should probably think of
the movement as having grown
00:20:06.90\00:20:10.67
and now there are a
number of house churches
00:20:10.67\00:20:13.21
scattered throughout
the greater Ephesus area,
00:20:13.21\00:20:15.48
and this letter is
designed to be read
00:20:15.48\00:20:18.35
in those house
churches from start to finish.
00:20:18.35\00:20:21.28
It's a kind of
sermon, if you will.
00:20:21.28\00:20:23.69
And we assume that Tychicus,
00:20:23.69\00:20:27.39
who is mentioned at the end,
00:20:27.39\00:20:28.62
chapter six, verse 21,
00:20:28.62\00:20:30.33
is probably the one
who carries the letter
00:20:30.33\00:20:32.66
and reads it to
these congregations.
00:20:32.66\00:20:35.10
So no, it's not very long
00:20:35.10\00:20:36.63
because it's meant to be
read in a single sitting.
00:20:36.63\00:20:39.73
Yeah, and he's
unpacking this grand theme
00:20:40.84\00:20:43.77
of what God is doing,
00:20:43.77\00:20:44.77
uniting everything in Christ.
00:20:44.77\00:20:47.11
>>So, you've
touched on this grand theme,
00:20:47.11\00:20:49.44
in fact, you've
unpacked it nicely,
00:20:49.44\00:20:52.08
but let's dig a
little more into Christ.
00:20:52.08\00:20:54.45
How does He figure into this?
00:20:54.45\00:20:56.65
What's His role?
00:20:56.65\00:20:58.09
I think we've got--
00:20:58.09\00:20:59.19
>>Sure. >>...a general idea,
00:20:59.19\00:21:00.39
but let's pull that
apart a little more.
00:21:00.39\00:21:01.89
>>Well, Christ is
the focus of God's plan
00:21:01.89\00:21:03.93
as we learn in chapter
one, verses nine and 10,
00:21:03.93\00:21:06.83
Paul's thesis
statement for the letter.
00:21:06.83\00:21:09.70
It's all about Jesus, isn't it?
00:21:09.70\00:21:12.73
But then as we move through,
00:21:12.73\00:21:14.64
this is truly a
Christ-saturated letter.
00:21:14.64\00:21:18.41
More than 30 times,
00:21:19.31\00:21:21.04
Paul uses
phrases like "in Christ,"
00:21:21.04\00:21:25.58
"by Christ," "in
Him," "in the Beloved."
00:21:25.58\00:21:30.12
And so, he's
training us to understand
00:21:30.12\00:21:33.99
that Christian
faith and discipleship
00:21:33.99\00:21:36.09
is all wrapped up in Jesus.
00:21:36.09\00:21:38.43
It's all about Jesus,
00:21:38.43\00:21:40.46
and we see that
in every segment,
00:21:40.46\00:21:43.43
in every section of the
epistle to the Ephesians.
00:21:43.43\00:21:47.30
Christ is present.
00:21:47.30\00:21:48.80
Christ is at the heart of
what God is doing in the world.
00:21:48.80\00:21:51.27
>>So, we're gonna see Christ
00:21:52.41\00:21:53.78
as we journey through
the book of Ephesians.
00:21:53.78\00:21:57.28
But as you've mentioned
before, it's not just Christ,
00:21:57.28\00:22:00.28
we also see that
Christ has His church here,
00:22:00.28\00:22:03.52
that occupies a
significant part of Paul's heart
00:22:03.52\00:22:08.02
and his desires to
see the church thrive.
00:22:08.02\00:22:10.79
How do we see the
significance of the church
00:22:10.79\00:22:12.89
in the book of Ephesians?
00:22:12.89\00:22:14.83
>>Well, Paul spends
a great deal of time
00:22:14.83\00:22:16.50
on the theme of the church here.
00:22:16.50\00:22:17.87
The church is
important to Paul, in Ephesians,
00:22:17.87\00:22:21.74
in a way that's probably
not true of any other document.
00:22:21.74\00:22:24.21
It's Christ-saturated
and it's church oriented.
00:22:24.21\00:22:28.61
So again, Paul's interested
in resurrecting the faith
00:22:28.61\00:22:33.42
and the engagement and
investment of these Christians,
00:22:33.42\00:22:36.92
believers in Ephesus.
00:22:36.92\00:22:38.82
And so he wants to highlight
the significance of the church,
00:22:38.82\00:22:42.19
this enterprise in which
they're engaged and involved.
00:22:42.19\00:22:45.59
So, he has four
large metaphors or images
00:22:45.59\00:22:50.17
that he uses in Ephesians
to talk about the church.
00:22:50.17\00:22:53.54
So back in
chapter one--chapter four,
00:22:53.54\00:22:56.64
he uses that
metaphor that he has used
00:22:56.64\00:22:59.61
in his earlier letters,
00:22:59.61\00:23:00.78
the church as the
body of Christ, eh?
00:23:00.78\00:23:03.35
So that's an important one.
00:23:03.35\00:23:06.11
Chapter two, particularly
the end of chapter two,
00:23:06.11\00:23:09.38
the church as building/temple.
00:23:09.38\00:23:12.05
The temple of the Living God,
00:23:12.05\00:23:13.39
a dwelling place
for God in the Spirit.
00:23:13.39\00:23:16.73
And the third
one would be a bride,
00:23:16.73\00:23:20.06
the church as bride,
00:23:20.06\00:23:21.26
the bride of Christ,
the bride/wife of Christ.
00:23:21.26\00:23:25.40
Chapter five, particularly
the verses 25 through 27.
00:23:25.40\00:23:28.97
What does that mean? That
beautiful intimate portrait?
00:23:28.97\00:23:32.21
And finally, we come
to the end of the letter,
00:23:32.21\00:23:34.21
chapter six,
verses 10 through 20,
00:23:34.21\00:23:36.01
that famous armament passage,
00:23:36.01\00:23:37.65
"Put on the full armor of God."
00:23:37.65\00:23:39.25
And here the church is displayed
00:23:39.25\00:23:42.28
as the militia of Christ,
00:23:42.28\00:23:44.45
the army of God.
00:23:44.45\00:23:46.42
So he uses these
really well-developed images,
00:23:46.42\00:23:49.76
he develops these and
identifies elements of them.
00:23:49.76\00:23:54.83
He uses these to talk
about how important it is
00:23:56.23\00:23:58.17
to be part of the
church, to be a Christian.
00:23:58.17\00:24:00.50
He's trying to
resurrect their faith, reengage,
00:24:00.50\00:24:03.47
reignite their Christian faith.
00:24:03.47\00:24:06.27
>>So the significance of Christ,
00:24:06.27\00:24:08.04
the significance of the church,
00:24:08.04\00:24:10.05
and the various
metaphors that Paul uses
00:24:10.05\00:24:12.35
to help us
understand the purpose
00:24:12.35\00:24:14.08
and the
significance of the church.
00:24:14.08\00:24:15.82
You know, there are
some Christians today
00:24:15.82\00:24:17.35
who kind of wanna live
00:24:17.35\00:24:18.95
a autonomous
relationship with Christ,
00:24:18.95\00:24:22.16
but apart from a
church or an organization.
00:24:22.16\00:24:24.63
Paul doesn't seem to echo
00:24:24.63\00:24:25.96
that theme very
much here, does he?
00:24:25.96\00:24:28.36
>>No, he's not real big
00:24:28.36\00:24:31.50
on individualistic
Christianity here.
00:24:31.50\00:24:34.40
He's big on being
part of the body of Christ,
00:24:34.40\00:24:37.31
part of the temple,
00:24:37.31\00:24:38.57
being part of the
bride, being part of the army,
00:24:39.71\00:24:42.91
and that's important to him.
00:24:42.91\00:24:44.95
>>If somebody were
watching this program right now,
00:24:44.95\00:24:47.88
whose faith has
become kind of mundane,
00:24:47.88\00:24:52.65
they're going
through the motions,
00:24:52.65\00:24:54.16
they've been a
Christian for a while,
00:24:54.16\00:24:56.52
but it's not--
00:24:56.52\00:24:58.36
it doesn't involve
every element of their being,
00:24:59.86\00:25:02.43
every aspect of their life,
00:25:02.43\00:25:03.93
it's just kind of
routine, become routine.
00:25:03.93\00:25:07.04
What would you tell that person
00:25:07.84\00:25:09.94
as we're beginning this journey
00:25:09.94\00:25:11.61
through the book of Ephesians,
00:25:11.61\00:25:13.58
to give them
encouragement and hope
00:25:13.58\00:25:15.61
that there's something
more to a walk with Christ
00:25:15.61\00:25:20.08
than perhaps what
they've been experiencing
00:25:20.08\00:25:22.72
for a little while?
00:25:22.72\00:25:24.29
>>Well, Eric, I'd probably use
00:25:24.29\00:25:26.79
the language of
Ephesians itself and say
00:25:26.79\00:25:30.29
God is about
something grand in the cosmos.
00:25:30.29\00:25:34.10
God is about heading
up everything in Jesus.
00:25:34.10\00:25:38.27
If you want to be part
00:25:38.27\00:25:39.60
of the grandest
plan in the universe,
00:25:39.60\00:25:44.14
you need to be part of
God's plan for the cosmos.
00:25:44.14\00:25:47.64
You need to be tight with Jesus.
00:25:47.64\00:25:50.11
You need to know who Jesus is.
00:25:50.11\00:25:52.48
You need to be in Christ.
00:25:52.48\00:25:54.42
Christ needs to
be dwelling in you,
00:25:54.42\00:25:57.19
as the letter talks about.
00:25:57.19\00:25:59.12
You need to be one with Jesus.
00:25:59.12\00:26:01.36
And you're gonna do that,
that's gonna work best for you
00:26:01.36\00:26:05.56
if you are part
of the grand project
00:26:05.56\00:26:09.46
that God is
working on through Christ
00:26:09.46\00:26:12.13
and the Spirit in the
world, and that is the church.
00:26:12.13\00:26:15.94
And the church is the center
and the focus of God's plan.
00:26:15.94\00:26:20.51
It's an illustration
of what he wishes to do
00:26:20.51\00:26:24.51
in the cosmos as a whole.
00:26:24.51\00:26:26.88
You want to be a part of this.
00:26:26.88\00:26:28.52
If you wish to live
a life of significance,
00:26:28.52\00:26:31.69
you want to be a part of what
God is doing, through Christ,
00:26:31.69\00:26:35.72
in His church, as we look
toward the end of all things,
00:26:35.72\00:26:39.96
when everything will
become united in Jesus.
00:26:39.96\00:26:43.47
>>John, thank you
very much for that,
00:26:43.47\00:26:45.00
for giving us some
encouragement, some hope,
00:26:45.00\00:26:46.77
and an idea of
where we are going.
00:26:46.77\00:26:49.80
So, today begins
a 14 week journey,
00:26:49.80\00:26:54.88
a 14 week odyssey,
00:26:55.54\00:26:57.45
a huge journey from one end
00:26:57.45\00:27:01.45
of the book of
Ephesians to the other.
00:27:01.45\00:27:04.19
And really
ultimately, in 14 weeks,
00:27:04.19\00:27:06.65
we're going to
get the high points,
00:27:06.65\00:27:09.09
but there is so much more.
00:27:09.09\00:27:10.99
Why is Jesus so important?
00:27:10.99\00:27:13.09
What did Paul
understand about Him
00:27:13.09\00:27:15.43
and what does he also
understand about your needs?
00:27:15.43\00:27:19.07
About my needs?
00:27:19.07\00:27:20.60
Well, over the
course of the next 14 weeks,
00:27:20.60\00:27:22.50
we are going to
be delving into that
00:27:22.50\00:27:25.17
and we invite you to be a
part of that journey as well.
00:27:25.17\00:27:29.51
We're looking at
the book of Ephesians,
00:27:29.51\00:27:32.35
Paul's letter to
the church of Ephesus
00:27:32.35\00:27:34.92
and we look forward
to having you join us
00:27:34.92\00:27:37.12
on this journey as well.
00:27:37.12\00:27:38.59
God bless you,
have a wonderful day,
00:27:38.59\00:27:40.12
and we look forward to
seeing you again next week
00:27:40.12\00:27:42.19
on "Sabbath School,"
brought to you by It is Written.
00:27:42.19\00:27:45.39
(upbeat music)
00:27:45.39\00:27:48.00
(music ends)
00:28:25.93\00:28:28.57