3C's Bible Study

“Therefore” at the start of this chapter indicates that godly living, to which Paul now turns, is founded on the right understanding of the riches that God has made available. If we will live right, we will have to first think right.

Secondly, though we are united in one body, we are different in the measure and texture of grace that we have received. Paul sees grace here as a supernatural ability to function within the body.

Thirdly, the north star of spiritual growth and the essence of renewal is Christlikeness, i.e. how much of Jesus’ authority is on your life? The signposts of progress on our journey of faith are spiritual stability, stature and supply. 

Here are the top three takeaways from this study:

1. A dispensation or portion or economy of grace has been given to every believer. There is demand, supply, reward, and an opportunity cost for your portion.

2. The inner working of the Spirit of God within (your anointing) is the main supply for fulfilling your calling. Growing in our calling should make us more humble as our supply is on God.

3. No one of us can reach the full potential of our calling in isolation. The mystery that is the fellowship of other believers is God's design to complete us.

This chapter reveals the church's identity as God's building and household to host and spread His presence on the earth. Paul begins with the foundations to show us what lengths God went to acquire this building and His plans for us.

After establishing the vast riches that God has made available to everyone He calls, Paul expands on the hope that God has in calling us. He narrows down this vision to a body on earth that can successfully represent and express the will of God on earth.

To achieve His divine purpose, God has set aside "all spiritual blessings", the chief of which is His overflowing grace. In these early verses of the letter, we examine the meaning of these spiritual blessings and their primary source.

Ephesians is popularly referred to as the crown jewel of Paul's apostolic writings, and rightly so. In this well-constructed literature, Paul conveys God's eternal purpose, fulfilled through the mystery of the church. He then uncovers the spiritual riches that God has made available to ensure that His purpose succeeds. Everyone connected to this purpose can be assured that there is sufficient supply for this life and the one to come.

Paul concludes the letter in this chapter by imploring the Philippians to take full advantage of the surpassing blessings of knowing Christ. Because there is so much to gain, He does not want them, and us, to lose any of it through anxiety, disunity or ungodly living.

The standout theme of the chapter is the unique accounting and valuation system that Paul applies to discern the worth of everything. He weighed everything against the prize, which for Him, was to "win" Christ. We, too, must determine the prize of our race. Is it personal happiness, human recognition or the surpassing worth of knowing Christ? Having the proper aim sustains our motivation and provides an eternally secure foundation for our pursuits.

What does it take to deal with our sinful pride and that of others in a manner that propagates the faith of the Gospel and maintains the unity of that faith? Paul's answer is "the mind of Christ", pioneered by Jesus and eminently embodied in Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus. This "mind" or attitude sets the pleasure of God as its one priority, thus empowering us to live with others in a way that glorifies God eternally.

Paul begins this letter with a note of joy. His joy overflows from the fellowship or partnership of the believers at Philippi in the Gospel. Through their fellowship in prayer and love, Paul enjoyed the supply of the Spirit that gave him the advantage amid difficult circumstances. The same supply is available to us today when we understand and activate the blessing of fellowship.