Christ Likeness

Dr. Eric C Reese

This book has been called the "crowning jewel," or capstone, of Paul's theology. All of the great themes of Paul started in Galatians, developed in Romans, and are now expressed in Ephesians in a wonderful summary fashion.

As you know Apostle wrote Galatians early around AD 48 -49

He developed the doctrinal truths into the book of Romans

Ephesians

From the book of Acts we know the greatest revival that Apostle Paul was part of was in the city of Ephesus

He stayed longer in Ephesus than any other city.

Apostle stayed in Corinth for 18 months what a mess that city was.

But Paul remain in Ephesus for 24 months longer than any other city.

Background

The Bible say God open the door to the Gospel that no one could close.

This was some type of Revival people were leaving paganism, cults turning to God.

To give you an example of how real the revival was those living in a cult brought the magic books and burned them publicly.

To show their complete BREAK with the Past!

Ephesians

 Epaphras (Col. 1:7; 4:12; Philemon 23) was converted during Paul's Ephesians campaign (Acts 19)

Doing this time a man by the name of Epaphras was saved.

Epaphras was a layman he had never seen Jesus he was not from Palestine.

He heard the Apostle Paul preach and got saved. He was so moved he wanted to take the life changing life freeing message back to his home area, the Lycus River Valley.

Ephesians

This layman was so excited about the message that he started three churches.(Hierapolis, Laodicea and Colossae)

Things were going well until false teachers came around.

These false teacher were called “Gnosis” Greek word knowledge.

Ephesians

It comes from the word “gnosis” meaning to know. Gnosticism was a philosophical system built on Greek philosophy.

Gnosticism was built on Greek philosophy that taught matter was evil and the Spirit was good.

Christian Gnostics said since matter was evil, God could not really incarnate in a human body

The Gnostics supposedly had knowledge of God that was exclusive. 

What is Gnosticism?

a series of aeons (angelic levels) existed between the good high God and a lesser god who formed matter

salvation was based on knowledge of secret passwords which helped people progress through the aeons (angelic levels)

What is Gnosticism?

Epaphras sought Paul for advice on how to combat the merging of world-views by the heretics. Paul was in prison at Rome (early 60's)

False teachers came and began to merge the gospel with Greek ontology

Apostle Paul got so upset he wrote a hard-hitting letter in short, emotional sentences, directed at the false teachers. The central theme was the cosmic lordship of Jesus. This is known as Paul's letter to the Colossians.

Soon after writing Colossians, with time on his hands in prison, he developed these same themes. Ephesians is characterized by long sentences and developed theological concepts 

1. Wrote to all the churches to circulate in western Turkey

2. Has no greetings and no good byes

3. It was written to churches who had not yet encounter Gnosticism

4. To prepare the churches for what was coming.

Book of Ephesians a cyclical letter

This book has life changing principals but just like the teaching of Jesus it’s the heart of the hearer who hold the keys to the truth.

John 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 

Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to you the truth and turn it into a life style no preacher can do that only God.

Ephesians

Usually Paul pray for the church that he is writing to but there is no particular church in this book.

Apostle substitute praying for a local church to a prayer to God the Father

Verses 3-14 is one sentence in Greek.

But I want to show you how it breaks into three different topics

1. We are going to thank God the Father for what he has done in the pass

A. His CreationB. His choosing Israel C. His plan of redemption

2. We are going to thank Jesus Christ for what He has done in time the Father has sent the Him.

3. Then we are going to thank the Father for sending the Spirit to seal what Jesus has done in our hearts.

Three topics

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

 4 just as He chose us in Him before the

foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before [d]Him. In love 

5 [e]He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the [f]kind intention of His will,

Ephesians 1:3-5

Exegesis means “exposition or explanation.”

Biblical exegesis involves the examination of a particular text of scripture in order to properly interpret it.

Exegesis is a part of the process of hermeneutics, the science of interpretation.

What is Biblical exegesis?"

3 who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

First I need to clarify that every spiritual blessing does not mean every thing we want

Some time the worst thing God can do is answer all of our prayers. Because some times we pray for things that would pull us away from God

But everything we truly need we find in Christ Jesus.

Notice the phrase in Heavenly Places is it in Italic?

3 who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

He we notice the italic word places what does that means. These words were not in the Greek Text. They were supplied in the English readers to understand implication of the text.

The heavenly places did you know does not appear outside Ephesians and the whole Bible?

What does it means? It appears 5 times in Ephesians.

The first two times you read it, you think it means Heaven after we die.

But in Ephesians 6:12 12 For our struggle is not against [a]flesh and

blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

So what Paul is mentioned is Spiritual Battle the believer will face.

Now I want you to notice that the most common word Paul uses for believers is “ In Christ”

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before [d]Him. In love

Paul refereeing to believers

 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

 7 In [g]Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 

8 which He [h]lavished on[i]us. In all wisdom and insight

Ephesians 1:6-8

9 He [j]made known to us the mystery of His will,according to His [k]kind intention which He purposed in Him 

10 with a view to an administration [l]suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things [m]in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him

11 [n]also we [o]have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 

Ephesians 1:9-11

12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in [

p]Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 

13 In [q]Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also [r]believed, you were sealed in [s]Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 

14 who is [t]given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 1:12-14

We are who we are because we are IN HIM.Every spiritual blessing to us through HIMWe are breathing now because of HIMYou woke up this morning because of HIMYou were protected this week because of HIMYour blood is running through your body because

of HIM.Your heart is beating right now because of HIM

James 1:1717 Every good thing given and every perfect gift

is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or [a

]shifting shadow.

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before [d]Him. In love 

This phrase appears 5 times in the New Testament. I would submit to you that this is what God the Father did before Genesis 1:1

This is the plan of redemption before creation.Revelation 13:8 The lamb was slain before the

foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1:4

My fear is that we take this as some type of Elite manner. I am elect and you are not. Doctrine of Election is not a doctrine of the lost world it’s a doctrine of the save world.

The doctrine of election and predestination is meant to put steel in your backbone when things don’t go well.

This was never to be a word to unbelievers as to why they have not accepted Christ.

"What is predestination?”

We are chosen to be holy and blameless before him.

We are not chosen for some elite standing but rather to be Christ Likeness

Loving one another as Christ as loved us

Serving those in need of a helping hand

What did he choose us for? Before the foundation of the world?