EPHESIANS: Bushels of Blessings
The Kingdom of God is within us. We carry in our being the heavenly realm.
The Kingdom of God is within us. We carry in our being the heavenly realm.
Ephesians 1:3-14 are all contained within a single very lengthy sentence in the Greek. Notably, there are three sections we might observe. Each section ends with praise for God and each highlights a different Person of the Trinity.
I find it difficult to read the word “saint” without commenting on the Greek behind it. (Okay, I find it hard not to comment on the Greek much of the time.) But “saint” translates a Greek word that I think we would all benefit from committing to memory.
As is Paul’s way, he presents us first with the doctrinal truth upon which his practical instructions rest. First he tells us what God has done for us and who He has made us. Only when this has been established does he instruct, admonish or command.
To Let or Not to Let I recently posted a short piece on the idea that we should “let” the Lord do His thing in us. To read that, click on this link: Let it Happen — E3 with Larry Eiss One reader pointed out that the word “let” can often seem like something requiring…
The Parable of the SowerMatthew 13:3–9 and 18-23 (NASB 2020) Often in the Church people express dismay and confusion about why everyone does not believe the Gospel. It seems unreasonable to us that anyone who hears the Truth would not immediately change their mind about sin and God and place their faith in Christ. The…
The Doctrine of the Trinity Recently several people have raised questions about the long-held Christian understanding of God as triune. The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, so it can be easy to have misgivings about the idea. This article is not intended to be a comprehensive defense of the doctrine of the…
Do This or Your House will Fall Jesus closes His great teaching session we call “the Sermon on the Mount,” with this: Matthew 7:24–27 (ESV)24“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods…
Scripture Written to Us Technically none of scripture was written directly to us. In the New Testament, most of the books indicate the direct audience in their introduction. Audiences include the 12 tribes dispersed around the world, the saints in Ephesus, young pastor Timothy, and so on. But we read this: “All Scripture is inspired…
In our heart, we want to have godly attitudes and actions, but the flesh sometimes (maybe even often) results in our failure to do that. Ungodly attitudes and actions happen when the temptation of the worldly way of living by what seems best to our senses draws us away from the godly responses and behaviors we truly want.
Here’s one of the more useful things I’ve learned.
The mystery was hidden, or encrypted, in the Hebrew Scriptures. To decrypt it we will need the Key.