Lesson 56 August 27, 2003
4:15 - 16 Positive aspects of Growth (Cont'd)
Now in 4:16 The emphasis is more on the church as a whole.
Paul uses 2 metaphors; physiological and building to illustrate for us what Christ, as the head, is doing in the church.
Paul constructs this verse around 5 prepositional phrases; 3 = body metaphor and 2 for the building metaphor
5 Prepositional phrases:
#1. from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together
- First ptc. speaks of the position of the member, their part in the body; being fitted together
- The second ptc. shifts to ongoing activity, the interrelation of the parts of the body;
#2. by that which every joint supplies
- What is it that facilitates the purpose, the equipping grace to become a reality so that the members of the body might become mature, so that the whole body might be able to built up?
The teaching of the P/T! That is the supply!
The focus is not the man with the gift but on Christ and His thinking, the Word!
- What is being facilitated?
#3 & #4 according to the proper working - of each individual part
- the idea here is that each part of the body, whether P/T or Joe pew; each receives the effective working power to fulfill their particular role in the body of Christ.
#5. causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
- When all the parts are functioning properly, are rightly related to Christ, in fellowship and are advancing in doctrine then they have the effective working power Paul is talking about here.
- All of this it says is to be accomplished "in love."
#1 - def of love;
#2 - "in love" is a primary indicator of the enabling of the Holy Spirit, His operational empowerment in the life of the believer.
Ephesians Chapter 4:17-24
The Changed Life; Putting off the Old and Putting on the New!
Intro Overview: New Paragraph:
"This I say therefore"
This phrase takes us back to 4:1-3 where Paul began with an exhortation related to our "walk" as believers.
3 important aspects Paul notes here about the Christian life.
#1 He reminds the readers of the kind of life once lived!
#2 Teaches the need for a clean break from that former life.
#3 Also challenges the believer not to return to walking, the lifestyle of an unbeliever because you can choose to do so.
*** One of the things that Paul recognizes in this context that we should note before we get into the details of the passage.
That the quality of life of the believer is related to who rules or dominates the life of the believer. Goes to the issue of rulership of real you!
I. Observations on rulership:
A. The principle of rulership is found in the theology of
B. We must recognize that there exists two potential rulers of life for the believer: [that is ruling and dominating your thinking and therefore your life]
1. The indwelling Holy Spirit along with the mind of Christ, the Word.
2. The indwelling SIN NATURE which is programmed with a knowledge of good (human) and evil (Rom 6:12).
C. We must maintain in our thinking a distinction between the:
1. Real you, your SOUL, with volition which determines just who rules.
2. Indwelling SIN NATURE (each cell contaminated therefore mankind is totally depraved). Rom. 5:12
3. Indwelling Holy Spirit and mind of Christ (DVPT - BD producing the character of Christ). New man in Christ!
D. The volition of the Soul (Real You) determines which of the 2 is the ruler of life at any given moment. Gal 5:16-17 (the pres. a. subjunctive of
poiew).