At the end of our last reading, Paul was admonishing husbands and wives to love each other in a way that reflects the relationship between Christ and his church. Today, we pick up where we left off as Paul admonishes children to obey their parents in the Lord, for this is right. As mentioned in our intro to Philemon, the relationship between slaves and masters during this time period was closer to that of modern-day contract labor. With this in mind, slaves are instructed to obey their masters, and masters and slaves should both serve others in the same way that they would serve the Lord. Before saying farewell, Paul encourages the church to be strengthened by the Lord and put on the full armor of God.

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible

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Paul continues to admonish the Ephesian church to live a new life in Christ, a life that is distinct from the rest of the world. The Christian ought not to partner with those who are disobedient. Instead of walking in their darkness, as we once all formerly walked, we should instead walk as children of light. To do this, we must pay attention to our daily walk, growing in our understanding of the Lord’s will, giving thanks to God, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. Continuing in this line of distinctive thinking, Paul goes on to say that a husband and his wife are to reflect the relationship between Christ and the church, as the husband should love his wife as himself and the wife should respect her husband.

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible

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If you’re a part of a healthy church, you know that unity and fellowship is God’s good gift to the saints, but that gift doesn’t come without effort. Paul urges the Ephesian church to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. This kind of work doesn’t fall only to those who have titles within the church; the ascended Christ has blessed the whole church with gifts of varying kinds to strengthen and equip the entire church body for the work of ministry. In Christ, we are to put off the old self which is corrupted by deceitful desires, so that we can be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and put on the new self which is created in Christ’s likeness.

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible

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Here in chapter 3, Paul uses the word “mystery” again and again, so be gracious and allow me to reveal and clarify what the word mystery means in this sense. We often to refer to that which is unknown to be a mystery, but that’s only a partial definition. Technically, a mystery is something that was once hidden but is now revealed. In this case, the mystery is that God’s plan was to redeem both Israel and the rest of the world through the Messiah, a plan that was once hidden but has now been revealed. Paul has been given the task of preaching the incalculable riches of Christ to the Gentiles, so that God’s wisdom and power might be displayed through the church.

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible

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Most of us do not like to think about death, especially when we think about our own death. While all men will die one day in the future, Paul turns this concept on its head by saying that all men start off as dead men. In this case, however, they are spiritually dead. In his extravagant grace and mercy, God, who is very much alive, brings lifeless souls to new life in Christ. Paul goes out of his way to say that it is by grace we have been saved, through faith and not of works. In other words, you are saved because what a living God has done for us, and not for what we have done for God. This is true both for Jews and for Gentiles. Under Christ, we are united as one, and he has reconciled all men under the headship of Jesus.

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible

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After a standard greeting to the church at Ephesus, Paul seems to overflow with joy and thanksgiving over the rich blessings of God offered to the believer through the gospel. The entire passage seems to effervesce with gratitude and jubilant praise. Notice, too, how much of this is centered on Christ and on God the Father. God is the main actor of the passage; in other words, it is God’s work for God’s glory. We’ll hear the phrase “in Him” repeatedly, and three members of the triune Godhead are present. This God of power, glory, and honor has subjected everything under Christ’s feet, and has appointed Christ as head over everything for the church.

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible

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At the end of Colossians, Paul mentioned a man named Onesimus as a beloved brother in the work of ministry. This brother, Onesimus, was a slave to Philemon, and Paul writes to Philemon to ask if he could be freed. Many in slavery in this day and age were enslaved voluntarily as means by which they could repay debt. Once that debt was paid or the years of service to which they agreed came to an end, that person would be freed. Onesimus had been helping Paul, presumably by helping him to get what he needs to survive. Paul treats both Philemon and Onesimus as equals and brothers in Christ, and doesn’t condescend to either. As such, Paul wants to repay whatever might be owed to Philemon so that he is justly compensated.

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible

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Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae concludes with admonition to speak with God regularly in prayer, and to speak graciously with others, acting wisely toward outsiders who do not yet know the mystery of Christ revealed through his gospel. After this, he includes a summary about the ministry of the gospel being performed through other faithful men. These include Tychicus and Onesimus who are delivering the letter, Aristarchus, who is also in prison with Paul, as well as Mark, Barnabas, Justus, Epaphras, Luke the physician who wrote the gospel of Luke and Acts. On a technical note, we’ll actually be picking up at verse 2 since chapter 4:1 was covered in our last episode.

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible

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Paul has positioned Christ rightly as the one who is before all things, and in whom all things hold together. All things were created by him, through him, and for him. This same Christ humbled himself to death on a cross so that our debt our sin might be canceled. In doing so, he disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly, triumphing over them. With this as his preface, Paul tells the church to seek the things that are above, where Christ is, who rests in victory and in authority at the right hand of God. This means putting to death what belongs to our earthly nature, and putting on that which reflects Christ and his gospel of forgiveness and renewal. On a technical note, we’ll actually be reading up until chapter 4 verse 1 as it completes Paul’s thought.

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible

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Having reminded the church of the preeminent Christ, He who is before all things and in whom all things hold together, Paul moves on to consider how false teachers compare to him. All treasures of wisdom and knowledge are to be found in this Christ, which means that mere men cannot teach anything that would be new or unknown to the Lord. It is the gospel of Christ that has saved them and cancelled their debts, and no new teaching can compare with this glorious reality. Rather than trusting in empty philosophies or submitting to regulations that bring unwarranted harm or neglect to the body, Paul wants the church to trust in Christ, in whom they are dead to the elements of this world.

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible

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