Ephesians

[Saiph]

I am no preacher or scholar, but one thing that has been pointed out to me is the focus of Paul on the foundation, course and life of the Church. The idea of love and warfare being prevalent, someone showed me a paralell between that epistle and the letter to the church at Ephesus in Revelation:

Rev 2:1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
Rev 2:2 "'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.
Rev 2:3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.
Rev 2:4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.


Some two-and-a-half centuries after Paul preached in Ephesus, the city hall was converted into a church and later used by the Council of Ephesus, which in 431 AD formally accepted the teaching that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine (C Hill, Prophecy Today, Vol. 11, No 5. p26-27.).

In 262, Ephesus was destroyed by the Goths and never rose to its former glory. Was the lampstand removed ? Today there is no Christian church in the tiny village of Ephesus.

[Edited on 10-10-2005 by Saiph]

 

[JohnStevenson]

I was in Ephesus last summer and I agree that there is no church there today. I have to agree -- it does look as though the lampstand was removed.

 

[Herald]

I begin a preaching series on Ephesians starting Sunday October 23rd. This is my first exegetical series from the pulpit. I welcome comments and feedback on my blog. I will be posting my study there. My blog is called Bills Bullets .





[Edited on 10-15-2005 by BaptistInCrisis]

 

[Herald]

Interesing insight (at least for me) on the audience of Ephesians. Paul uses the words we, us and our many times in the first chapter. This indicates a purposeful moving away from an individualistic intent of the book. Is Paul accentuating the community of believers (the church) over individualism? Later in the book, when the "full armor of God" is elucidated, the whole meaning of the passage takes on new light when viewed as being written to the church (corporate). All the sermons I have heard on this passage included a call for believers to put on the full armor of God. Just how that was to be accomplished was never made known. It was just something that had to be done. But when viewed as a command to the church, the ability to put on the armor seems less daunting. There is always strength in numbers. A church that has cohesion and unity is able to stand as one for Christ. My whole study of Ephesians is taking on a new understanding.

[Edited on 10-17-2005 by BaptistInCrisis]

 

[WrittenFromUtopia]

Originally posted by BaptistInCrisis
Interesing insight (at least for me) on the audience of Ephesians. Paul uses the words we, us and our many times in the first chapter. This indicates a purposeful moving away from an individualistic intent of the book. Is Paul accentuating the community of believers (the church) over individualism? Later in the book, when the "full armor of God" is elucidated, the whole meaning of the passage takes on new light when viewed as being written to the church (corporate). All the sermons I have heard on this passage included a call for believers to put on the full armor of God. Just how that was to be accomplished was never made known. It was just something that had to be done. But when viewed as a command to the church, the ability to put on the armor seems less daunting. There is always strength in numbers. A church that has cohesion and unity is able to stand as one for Christ. My whole study of Ephesians is taking on a new understanding.

 

[Herald]

Does anyone hold to a non-Pauline authorship of Ephesians? If so, why?

 

[WrittenFromUtopia]

Originally posted by BaptistInCrisis
Does anyone hold to a non-Pauline authorship of Ephesians? If so, why?

I would be shocked if someone did. Even N.T. Wright seems to believe Paul wrote it (from what he says in What Saint Paul Really Said).

 

[pduggan]

I was also intrigued to consider that it was Timothy who was the pastor in ephesus, at least for some of the time.

Was it to he that John wrote? Or a later angel?

 

[Herald]

Originally posted by WrittenFromUtopia

Originally posted by BaptistInCrisis
Does anyone hold to a non-Pauline authorship of Ephesians? If so, why?

I would be shocked if someone did. Even N.T. Wright seems to believe Paul wrote it (from what he says in What Saint Paul Really Said).

Non-Pauline authorship is a loud, vocal minority. There are scholars who believe that a disciple of Paul wrote the epistle.

[Edited on 10-17-2005 by BaptistInCrisis]

 

[Herald]

Originally posted by pduggan
I was also intrigued to consider that it was Timothy who was the pastor in ephesus, at least for some of the time.

Was it to he that John wrote? Or a later angel?

I don't believe the letters to the seven churches were to any one person. They were much like the book of Ephesians....specific to the addressee but meant for a larger audience.

 

[Herald]

Purpose of my series in Ephesians

At the conclusion of my outline, I make the following statement:

Ephesians is a dynamic study of the functioning church. Too often the modern church views the individual above the body of Christ. Jesus is our personal Savior, instead of Savior and Lord over all the church. Believers today, view the Christian experience as all about them. What is that they get out of worship? How does church help them? How can Christ make me happy? I call this the I-syndrome. Beyond the facade of our religion, lies a desire to meet personal needs first. We have lost, if we ever possessed it, the passion that comes from loving others as Christ loved the church. We have forgotten, that Christ loves His church and that His blessings are poured out through His church, which is the community of believers. Yes, we as individuals have to come to Christ by faith alone. In that sense, we deal with our Lord individually. But once we come to faith, we are called to a larger community, which is the church.

We will see the dynamic of the church modeled in Ephesians. If we pay attention we will see
that we are called to one another, through Christ.


[Edited on 10-23-2005 by BaptistInCrisis]

 

[bond-servant]

http://www.billsbullets.blogspot.com/

Great outline. I, like other posts believe Paul to be the writer of Ephesians. You mentioned there to be a non-Pauline authorship to be a vocal minority. Are you also in that group?

 

[Herald]

Beth, no. I believe Paul is the author of all his prison epistles.

Bill

 

[Herald]

Whew! Here is a link to my first expository sermon of Ephesians. I take it to the pulpit tomorrow (October 30th). I am excited and nervous. I have preached before but it has always been topical. I have the pulpit this Sunday morning and then I take the series into the evening service next week. Please pray for me. Pray that I speak well and that God is glorified through His word.

First expository sermon of Ephesians

[Edited on 10-30-2005 by BaptistInCrisis]

 

[Herald]

I was nervous this morning after the final hymn was sung and it was time to step up to the pulpit. Like I said, I have preached before, but never in an expository manner. Today was different....tackling the book of Ephesians. But my mind stayed on track and I preached the word the best way I knew how. No one threw any rotten fruit or vegetables at me. My prayer was for God to be glorified. If you can remember to pray for me, I would appreciate it. I will now be taking my series into the evening service. Pray that God will honor my study and I am able to communiate clearly.

Thanks.

[Edited on 10-31-2005 by BaptistInCrisis]