Keen Bible readers will observe a footnote at the start of Ephesians 1. It tells us that the words Ephesians or Ephesus are not present in the earliest manuscripts. This means we cannot say for certain that the letter was specifically intended for that church. The consensus is that this letter was originally intended as… Continue reading How much does it matter if Ephesians was not written to Ephesus?
Tag: Ephesians
My purpose
Here is the exciting a liberating truth about our identity in Ephesians. If god’s purpose in saving me was to make me part of his family and if that was ultimately in order to display ss as his church in order to show off “the riches of his grace”, then I do not need to… Continue reading My purpose
The trophy of grace
There’s that wonderful moment at the end of a major football competition where the tournament winners go up to the podium to receive their trophy. The team captain lifts the cup of shield as the players around him jump for joy, the press take photos and the crowd goes wild. Now, usually, by the time… Continue reading The trophy of grace
Our identity and purpose (Ephesians 1:3-14)
We have three basic or foundational needs: identity, comfort and protection. These needs when we look for them in the wrong ways, places or at the wrong time become the cause of temptation into sin and idolatry. However, they are real needs and meant to be met in and by Christ. Here, I want to… Continue reading Our identity and purpose (Ephesians 1:3-14)
God Predestines
Arising out of God’s sovereignty, is the truth that God elects and predestines. These concepts often prove controversial and leave us with a lot of questions about human responsibility. As we will see, Paul’s intention in Ephesians 1 is not to stir up controversy or make a philosophical point but rather to encourage us pastorally.… Continue reading God Predestines
God is sovereign
One of the other things I tend to look out for when preparing either a one off sermon or a series is the particular doctrinal issues that arise. In the case of Ephesians 1, a big theme is the sovereignty of God. Here’s a chapter from my E-book “Who is God” on thi. As we… Continue reading God is sovereign
Notes on Ephesians 1
I’m preparing to preach on Ephesians 1:3-14. One of the ways in which I prepare in advance for preaching is by jotting down my own commentary on the text. You may have seen that I’ve currently been working through Romans. Here are some notes on Ephesians 1 which I’ll be returning to and reflecting on… Continue reading Notes on Ephesians 1
Encouraging faith
Here’s a sermon I preached a little while back on Ephesians 3:14-21
Marriage for Christ
Here’s a talk from a little while back on Ephesians 5:21-33 and marriage. There are two parts. At the start I run through a brief exposition of the passage and then Sarah and I have a discussion on the practical application.
Some apostles?
One of the big moves during my lifetime has been from a situation where it would be considered at best “fringe” to refer to some Christian leaders as apostles to it being fairly normalised. This came up significantly in my deep dive into Bethel, Redding. The New Apostolic Reformation has a particular view of apostles… Continue reading Some apostles?
