Lesson 15

3. Paul's intercessory prayer

a. It's Motivation 1:15-16

b. It's Content; 1:17-19a

c. It's Explanation 1:19b-21

à d. Christ's relationship to the Church Explained 1:22-23

1:22a And He ^aput all things in subjection under His feet,

- Here we have an illusion to what we also find in Ps. 8:6.

Adam was to be head over creation, Gen 1:26-28, David was alluding to this in Ps 8; Christ we find here in Eph. is the head over God's new creation, the Church!

- When will this subjection of all things to Him be realized?

End of the Millennium! When the last enemy is defeated = death! 1 Cor 15:25-27

The Second line: "and gave Him as head over all things to the Church,"

- The first thing that stands out here in the text is that the "Him" in the phrase "and gave Him" is emphatic; He gave Him and only Him,

- We also have here the first specific reference to the church; first use of evkklhsi,a

1:23 "which (church) is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

Observations on the Church, the ekklesia

1. First and foremost that it is an organism not an organization.

2. Paul uses the body metaphor in Rom 12:4-5; 1 Cor 10:17; 12:22-27

3. The picture of the church as "a body" that derives it's life, its vitality and power from its Head is only developed in Eph and Col.

4. What is it that is referred to by "church" in this context?

- use here is often called the universal church or the invisible church.

5. Reasons why the church could not have existed before the day of Pentecost.

#1. Our Lord said: "I will build My church" (Mt 16:18).

#2. The church could have no functioning head until after the resurrection of Christ, His session, after which time God gave Him to be the "head" of the church. Eph 1:20,22

#3. The church does not function without the spiritual gifts which come after Christ's ascension. Eph 4:7-12

#4. That the church is His body we will discover in chapter 3 is a part of the mystery, musth,rion, doctrine previously hid now revealed; this also then precludes the church existing before Pentecost, before the cross.

6. Usages of ekklesia that are not found in the Bible. or What the Church is not!

a. Never is used of a physical structure.

b. Never is used of or is there justification for a state Church.

c. Never is used of denominations.

d. Never is used of the kingdom of Heaven or of God.