Paul’s teaching here in Colossians 1 and beginning in 2 gives us the Word and the Enabling for a Life of Joy:

• Paul’s Teaching is Clear: He Fulfilled the Sufferings of Christ in His Body 
• Paul’s Teaching is Complete: The Mystery Was Delivered to Him for Us 
• Paul’s Teaching is Powerful: We are Enabled to Suffer as Paul Did

 Paul goes on in chapter 1 to finish his introduction with much wisdom and truth.  He introduces his apostleship, the precious word of the mystery given to him for us, and emphasizes that his sufferings for us and for Christ’s glory were ordained by God.  Since we are all members of his Body and he is the Head, he teaches that we are also called to suffer as he did.  For in the Body of Christ all the members suffer together.  Praise God. 

Blessings Untold for the Colossians Too Under Grace: The Essence of Grace Doctrine, Colossians, Chapter 1:

• Our Privilege: Living Life to the Fullest, Filled with His Joy (Col. 1:1-11) 
• Our Position: Having Been Translated into the Kingdom of His Dear Son Who Is the Fullness of God (Col. 1:12-20) 
• Our Prospect: Being Found Holy, Unblameable and Unreproveable in His Sight (Col.1:21-23)

 Paul here in the introduction to the letter to the Colossians, explains in a very short and powerful way what it means to be a believer today.  We are to be filled to overflowing with his joy, no matter what.  The rationale of this is also given, namely, that we have been already translated into his heavenly kingdom, the Kingdom of his Dear Son, who is himself the fullness of God made flesh.  Know this, our future is mapped out eternally.  The issue then is how will we live here.  We are empowered to live in the fullness of grace.  Will we do that is the question.

Ephesians 5-6 — Walking by the Spirit Is the Key to Godly Living — Part 2:

• Living Grace — Parent - Child Relationships Are Transformed (6:1-4)
• Living Grace — Relationships In the World Outside Are Ennobled (6:5-9)
• Living Grace — Our Warfare Against Satanic Foes Will Continue (6:10-24)

Paul here goes back to Moses’s Law because some principles of God’s administration over his creation are trans-dispensational.  One of these is the God given relationship ordained between parents and their children. Another he addresses is that between the believer and those outside the Body of Christ.  He picks for the latter from our point of views the rarely found relationship between slaves and their masters.  What is true in that extreme case can easily be applied to many human relationships.  Satan has always sought to harm and destroy those relationships, whatever the dispensational plan of God.  Finally Paul defines the spiritual warfare every believer is part of by necessity.  Indeed, our warfare is spiritual and heavenly and not essentially of this earth however may appear.

Ephesians 5 — Walking by the Spirit Is the Key to Godly Living - An Introduction:

• In our study today we learned what Paul the apostle of the Gentiles reveals in chapter 5 of this great letter to the Ephesians concerning our current circumstances under which we are living today with the fullness of God’s wonderful grace a reality. There are three aspects to our teaching today: Things are not really as they might seem!  The “moment” must be gained for Christ for the days are evil.  His Spirit and empowering are essential for this and the God-given hierarchy of authority must be honored.  The whole structure of our living is to be re-oriented according to God’s ordained hierarchy, whether in marriage, regarding the family, or in our relationships outside the family.  Walking by the Spirit with His Fullness is the Key to Godly Living, as we shall see.  Marriage and that relationship in Christ is so much more that it might seem to be as we shall see today.  It is all part of the sacred secret, Paul writes, and that is all about Christ and the church which is His Body. Our outline is simplicity itself:

• It Is Our Privilege to Redeem the Time for the Days are Evil, Verses 1-16 x
• The Walk of the Believer Is Enabled by the Spirit, Verses 17-20
• Membership in the Church Which Is His Body Promotes Submission, Verses 21-33 

Chapter 4 of the Ephesians further reveals Paul’s Testimony to the Ephesians with the special focus on experiencing the full redemption we have in Christ Jesus!  This is a powerful and liberating message on how God is working today under grace.  There are no legalities here and nothing relating to Israel’s privilege as that has temporarily been set aside so that grace might reign towards all, whether Jew or Gentile.  Ephesians is post Acts 28:28 and the Great Transition has ended.  Our outline is this:

Paul’s Testimony to the Ephesians — Chapter 4:

• The Seven Dimensions of the Keeping of the Unity of the Spirit, Verses 3-6
• The Full Measure of Grace Given to Believers through the Resurrected Christ, Verses 7-11
• The Perfecting of the Saints and Its Goal, The Unity of the Faith, Verses 12-16
• The New Man and the Very Practical Difference It Makes, Verses 17-24

Paul continues in chapter 3 of Ephesians to reveal both the eternal purpose of Almighty God and its consequence for us grace believers.  God worked it out according to his eternal plan, settled in eternity past.  But it is being worked out today in and through us called out ones.  And we have a ministry as his children: to know the depth of his love and grace, and then to reveal it to all, even to those spirit beings in the heavenlies.  Amen. 

• Paul’s Testimony to the Ephesians — The Eternal Purpose of God, Its Revelation (chapter 3 verses 8-12)
• Paul’s Testimony to the Ephesians — The Eternal Purpose of God, Its Consequence (chapter 3 verses 13-21)

Paul continued in his letter to the Ephesians to reveal what Christ had been teaching him during those years while he was imprisoned, first by Roman deputies in Israel and then finally in Rome under probably Emperor Claudius initially.  These doctrines are so necessary for us to know, and the most central teachings are the main focus here such as the Body of Christ and then the many other dimensions of the Sacred Secret revealed to Paul for us Gentiles.  We find these truths taught with clarity and power in chapters 2 & 3 of this marvelous letter:

Chapter 2:

• Satan is presented as the Prince of this world: 2:1
• The depths of sin in our old nature and his pending wrath towards the unsaved: 2:3
• The heavenly blessings of being in Christ Jesus: 2:5-7
• Salvation by grace through faith not of works: 2:8-10
• Access to God and blessing for Gentiles was provided through Christ’s shed blood: 2:13-17
• And, both Jew and Gentile are “one” in Christ in his Body: 2:18-19

Chapter 3:

• The dispensation of the grace of God: 3:1-2
• The dispensation of the mystery the Christ: 3:3-4
• The nature of this sacred secret and its essence for Gentiles in particular: 3:5-6
• Paul, administrator of grace and conveyor of grace truth to the Gentiles: 3:7
• The eternal purpose of God — to make all see the dispensation - 3:8-11

Paul revealed so much more it seems in this letter than what is recorded by Luke in Acts 20.  Christ had been teaching him very much during those years while he was constrained by Roman deputies in Israel and then finally in Rome.  These doctrines are for our maturing.  This is all in his introductory chapter.  Enjoy!

• Our positional blessings in Christ Jesus: 1:3ff
• Our election and calling: 1:4
• Predestination: 1:5
• Full acceptance in Christ: 1:6
• Redemption through Christ’s shed blood: 1:7 
• The mystery of his will: 1:9
• The dispensation of the fullness of times:  1:10
• The granting of an inheritance to us Gentiles (independently of Israel’s ministry): 1:11, 14 & 18

Paul Completes His Third Journey Meeting the Ephesian Elders: 

“Blessings Untold for the Ephesians But As Always, Grace Rules — Part 2”

• Paul’s Testimony to the Ephesians — Israel’s Spirituals Given to Gentiles
• Paul’s Testimony to the Ephesians — To and Through Elders in Acts 20