Classic Christianity Radio – Heirs of the Promise Part 1 (2-18-19)
Bob shares a message from Ephesians that, as Gentiles, together with the Jews we are heirs of the promise. In part 1 on this topic, Bob shares how to properly discern context from reading Ephesians. So often people read one passage and come to false conclusions about election and predestination. Looking closely at transition words like “Therefore” are clues to the theme or purpose of writing. However, punctuation and chapter divisions can be put in the wrong places. Oftentimes people form incorrect doctrines out of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and the book of Acts, which are historical recording of events that happened but are not for forming doctrine. The epistles of Paul, like his letter to Ephesians, contain doctrine, yet even then wrong conclusions are drawn. Read the entire letter over and over again and look for the overall meaning and then let the Holy Spirit teach you. It is not the word that sets you free but the truth of the word, the meaning of the word of God, that sets you free. So Bob reads through the book of Ephesians, interjecting what the meaning of the passage is, who is being addressed, the Jew or the Gentile, as he is reading along, to clear up confusion. By asking the proper questions one can discern God’s intended meaning.
Bob also spent quite some time in the beginning explaining this false concept called relativism, also known as the pail of orthodoxy in the church house, which he says is a doctrine from the pits of hell. Existentialism, a twin of this “pail of orthodoxy”, was taught in colleges undermining the ability of man to accept truth from God. Existentialism is a philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will. With such a philosophy came relativism. Relativism denies the existence of absolute truth and emphasizes situational ethics and human reasoning without God or His word. Absolute truth is valid for all people for all times of history because that truth is revealed by the Holy Spirit to men. Man is so inconsistent, yet God is always true.
In Christendom, too, error crept in through the church door with ideas such as the pail of orthodoxy. Because through the centuries you have so many denominations that have bought into a lie through false understanding of the scriptures and it was passed on. Now you have a mixture of truth and error where some people say you can lose your salvation and others say you cannot. Yet, in this heretical thinking, both are deemed okay since it is in the pail of orthodoxy. This defies even human logic, the law of non-contradiction, that two opposing statements cannot both be true at the same time. Yet, people will accept the pail of orthodoxy! And they accept it because it is easier for them to tolerate error and avoid confrontation and conflict. Yet, how are men to be set free unless the truth be told. Through this pail of orthodoxy, so many are led to a false gospel to the broad road of eternal destruction!
Bob first introduces this concept of this pail of orthodoxy to set the stage for proper understanding of Ephesians and for men to be seekers of truth and not just add some new ideas to a pail but to let the meaning of the word, for truth, to go deep into your heart to change your life, to know Christ.
How far away so many ministers have gone astray on this book of Ephesians on this topic of election and predestination. This going astray is in humanism, the age of reason, that man is at the center rather than Christ, that science and reason are elevated above God. The essential viewpoint in humanism is the mindset of relativism and no absolutes. This sets up a difficulty to grasp that there are absolutes in the word of God. I can be thinking wonderful thoughts one moment and lousy thoughts another. So then since man is so inconsistent so too truth must be relative. This a man-centered view of the world. With us there is no consistency. Yet, even in science, without a constant, an experiment in science cannot be conducted. God is the creator of science, of all that exists, and so knowing truth requires proper logic and reason but still must be revealed by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, why would God through the prophet Isaiah say, “Come, let us reason together.” If we do not have a constant in life, how can we make this life work. But instead of seeing our problem in sin and error, and looking to the creator, who is the only constant, we keep looking for a constant in one another and find that nothing works. As Bob would jokingly say, but to make a point on the inconsistency of mankind. “A marriage is made of two variables and when talking to one you find that one is more variable than the other”.
The truth of the word of God is vitally important. The truth will set you free. Yet, again, there are those who think the word will set you free. You can become students of the word and yet don’t know what it means. Either pride is in the way or you don’t have the Spirit of God living in you to enable you to know what it means. So, if that is the case, then the best you can do is come up with your own interpretations or memorize what others have said and repeat it like you would get a grade in school but are left with no personal understanding within you. Such was the case of the Pharisees at the time of Christ.
Jesus is Truth
John 5:37-40
You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
The word is here to get truth to set you free from the error in your minds. There is a meaning to the word. The pale of orthodoxy is nonsense. Some group teaches you that you can lose your salvation and another can say you cannot lose it. So both teachings are put in a pail of orthodoxy. You cannot function with truth believing that you can lose salvation if scripture teaches you cannot. And better find out which one is right if you want to live in truth. You cannot say that it is okay since “both are in the pail of orthodoxy”. We will not stand up for what is truth so as not to cause rifts in relationships. Down through the ages both are taught in Christendom. Since taught so long in history they are in this pale. But if Jesus is not God then why that is not in the pale. This pale of orthodoxy is a doctrine from the pits of hell.
You cannot hang onto what we have been taught. The Corinthians were so proud that Paul reminded them that they were worshiping dumb idols before hearing the truth from God which they had received and believed. Paul wanted to wake them up. Their pride was keeping them from receiving truth and they were returning to the law and leaving behind grace. So they were living in error.
1 Corinthians 12:1-3
Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
So you hear, “You cannot have eternal security”! One way of thinking is wrong and if he is wrong he is committing me to hell.
There is nothing inerrant about chapter divisions and punctuation. Those were put in later by man and many times in the wrong place. So let us go to Ephesians 2 starting at verse 11. Men have interpreted it many ways, but we are reading to discern what it means. If you want to know what it means, read what comes before the “Therefore”.
Ephesians 2:11-12
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
So what preceded the “Therefore” in the first ten verses?
Ephesians 2:1-10
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Notice it all about the Jew and the Gentile. When you see the words “you” and “us”, ask who is Paul referring to? Recall also that Paul is a Jew writing to the Gentiles in Ephesus. So in Ephesians 2:1, “As for you”, writing to the Ephesians, he is speaking to the Gentiles. Then in verse 3, “All of us”, the Jews, because Paul also is a Jew, identifying with the Jews. Later in verse 3, “Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath”, referencing that the Jews too like the rest (the Gentiles) were deserving of wrath. Then in verse 5, “made us alive”, he is speaking to the Jews, who have been made alive in Christ. Then later in verse 5, “when we were dead in transgressions”, now acknowledging that the Jews also were dead in transgressions, using the same words he said earlier to the Gentiles in Ephesians 2:1, as being dead in transgressions.
So looking back also at Ephesians 1:3, who is the “us” Paul is referring to?
Ephesians 1:3-5
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
So in order to discern the proper context, who is the speaker and who is the audience, and who he is specifically addressing at a certain time, requires reading and reading again. How can we discern the “us” in Ephesians 1:3 in the phrase, “who has blessed us in the heavenly realms”? Reading on to verse 5 gives us more information.
Who is Paul talking about? the Gentile!
In verse 5, one reads “he predestined us for adoption”.
Who were the natural Jews? Who were adopted?
Romans 11:20-21
20 Granted. But they [Jews] were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
In Paul’s letter to the Roman Gentiles, he refers to the Jews as the natural branches. Later in that passage, Paul refers to the Gentiles as being grafted in.
And what does the word chosen mean?
The Jews are referred to as God’s chosen people. That essentially means God chose a group of people whom he formed a nation of the Jews, and spoke to through the prophets, in order that Jesus would come through, be born a Jew in the line of David and fulfill all that the prophets had written concerning him. So Jesus came first for the Jew.
Now in verse 4, Paul is referring to the Gentiles as being chosen in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Ephesians 1:4
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
And what is this predestination all about in Ephesians 1:5?
Ephesians 1:5
“In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ”
Now Paul has been appointed by God with new revelation concerning the Gentiles. This new revelation, or mystery that has now been revealed but kept hidden through the ages, is that the Gentiles too are predestined in love to be adopted as his sons! Now that is great news!
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
Romans 16:25-26
25 Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith
So you see how vitally important it is to read the entirety of the word of God again and again so that truth may be made known to you also!
Did not the gospel go out first to Jew? Yes, as one reads about in Romans.
Now you, the Gentile, is predestined and elected by faith just as the Jew was.
Ephesians 1:6-8
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,
So there was a mystery held in the heart of God and revealed at the proper time in regards to the Gentile. This mystery could never be revealed before Christ. Only after Christ and then through the apostle Paul. Paul said it was a mystery revealed to him.
Ephesians 3:2-6
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
The gospel was to go out to the entire world and the Jew and the Gentile will be made into one body under Christ.
In Ephesians 1:9-12
With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us [through the apostles] the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
This mystery is to bring all things, in heaven and on earth, under Christ.
So this mystery was kept hidden for generations, has now reached the time of revealing, now that Christ has died and risen, and has made known this mystery to the apostles to tell you also.
Ephesians 3:6
6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
Paul writes in Ephesians 1 verse 11, “In him we were also chosen”. Who is Paul referring to? Paul is now talking about the Jews.
Ephesians 1:11-12
11 In him we [Jews] were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
12 in order that we [Jews], who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
Who were the first to put their hope in Christ? The Jews were the first to receive hope in Christ. So Paul is referring to the Jews, Paul also being a Jew, starting in verse 11.
Now, in verse 13, Paul writes, “you also were included”. Who is he speaking to? the Gentiles
13 And you also [Gentile] were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you [Gentile] believed, you [Gentile] were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
So in verse 13, the Gentiles too, who put their faith in Christ, were marked in Christ with a seal of the Holy Spirit.
Now in Ephesians 2. As to one group and also to the other group, is how Paul is writing. In verse 1, you [Gentiles] were dead in transgressions and in verse 5, we [Jews] were dead in transgressions. Then he concludes with one body, that both have been saved the same way through Christ (Ephesians 2:13,16).
Ephesians 2:1
As for you (Gentile), you (Gentile) were dead in your transgressions and sins,
Ephesians 2:3
3 All of us (Jews) also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest (Gentile), we were by nature deserving of wrath.
This is revelation from God that we (Jews) were deserving of wrath.
Does the Jew naturally think he is an object of wrath? No. The Jew is an object of wrath just like the Gentile.
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 3:10
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
That was a revelation; to come to understand that all have sinned and no one is righteous. To the religious man then and today, still thinks he has to earn salvation. That thinking is in the heart of sinful man. What is the wrath of God? Death. The gospel has reduced the entire world to the identical sameness so that all are saved the same way.
Ephesians 2:4-5
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
By God’s great love for us, rich in mercy, we [Jews] were made alive even when were dead. By grace you [Gentile] have been saved.
So Gentiles saved the same way, by God’s grace in Christ Jesus.
Saved from what? From death, not from sins! Death is worse than sickness. The wrath of God remains on you until you receive life.
Ephesians 2:6
6 And God raised us [believing Jews and Gentiles] up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus
Notice again transition phrases such as “in order that”. In order for what? that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Salvation from death is by grace through faith, and this salvation is not of yourselves, not something you can earn or work for. Salvation is a gift of God. Why? So that no one can boast that there was something they did to warrant God saving them. Man just trusts in God’s provision for life in Jesus Christ. Jew and Gentile, neither can boast.
Ephesians 2:10
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We were created to be made new in Christ Jesus to do good works that God prepared in advance or us to do.
Now look at the word “Therefore” in Ephesians 2:11. Therefore shows context of the Jew and the Gentile. Therefore is a conclusion.
Ephesians 2:11-12
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
At one time the Gentiles separate and excluded in Israel, foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
Do you see how that if you do not read on in the scripture, you can draw conclusions from chapter 1 that has no meaning? You read it and read it all the way through and again, over and over again. To find interpretation of truth, read the epistles. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are recording the life of Jesus, in what he did and said in fulfilling the entire law for man. Acts is a book of recording the account of the early church, as a history book, recording what people said. And not every time somebody said something is it necessarily accurate in accordance with truth. When Peter said in Acts 8, “Perhaps the Lord may forgive you”. Is that truth? It seems like Peter would know better than that. Did he know better? Yes, but Peter also has a habit of putting his foot in his mouth.
Acts 8:22
Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.
Acts was never meant as a book to form doctrine. If you form doctrine without reading the entire text then you can easily go astray.
Ephesians 2:19-22
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
So Paul concludes with a summation of everything he was trying to teach up to that point. The word “Consequently” is the transition word to a final conclusion.
Now Paul continues in chapter 3 with “For this reason” and explains the purpose for all that he has been proclaiming concerning the mystery in Christ for the Gentiles. He identifies himself as a prisoner for Jesus Christ in proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles, revealing that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 3:1-6
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.