Ephesians

1. Ephesians Introduction Chapter 1, part A eklegw Chapter 1, part B Chapter 1:15-23 Chapter 2:1-10 Chapter 2:10 ~ ktizw Chapter 2:11-22 ~ no profiling Chapter 3:1-13 ~ Who am I? Chapter 3:14-21 ~ Prayer for those under Rome Chapter 4:1 – 6:9 ~ How to live in Rome 4:1-6 ~ Humility 4:7-16 ~ Foundations 4:17-24 ~ Two ways 4:25-5:1~ When in Rome, I 5:1- 21 ~ When in Rome, 2a 5:1- 21 ~ When in Rome, 2b Chapter 5:21-6:4 ~ upotassw Chapter 6:5-9 ~ upotassw2 Chapter 6:10-20 ~ This means war!

2. Ephesians 6:10-20 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. struggle ~ wrestling (this is hand to hand) • 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

3. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes • Being strong requires: • internal tenacity / devotion • study • good diet • applied stress • repetition • 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

4. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes • Being strong requires: • internal tenacity / devotion • study • good diet • applied stress • repetition • exclusivity (“in the Lord”) • “mighty power” ~ powerful force in action • 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

5. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. • full armor ~ the enemy seeks the weak, unprotected spot • all available weapons are necessary • Why does Paul use this illustration?

6. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. • full armor ~ the enemy seeks the weak, unprotected spot • all available weapons are necessary • scheme ~ What if we aren’t dealing with mere “temptations,” but rather with a multi-faceted long term offense designed and constantly retooled to defeat us. • This was the norm in Rome.

7. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. • full armor ~ the enemy seeks the weak, unprotected spot • all available weapons are necessary • scheme ~ What if we aren’t dealing with mere “temptations,” but rather with a multi-faceted long term offense designed and constantly retooled to defeat us. • Taking a stand ~ Have we decided where we stand? Do we know what success and failure are?

8. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. • The background struggle that isn’t obvious • Rulers: archae ~ highest rulers • Authorities: exousias ~ folks with power to do • Powers: kosmokrator ~ world holders (of this darkness)

9. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13Therefore put on the full armor of God,so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. • analambano: to take up/with • Not a suggestion, but a command • Implies a functional knowledge of its workings and applications

10. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13Therefore put on the full armor of God,so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. • The day of evil ~ any time of temptation and/or trial.

11. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13Therefore put on the full armor of God,so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. • anthistaemi: to stand against; to resist by word and/or deed

12. Ephesians 6:10-20 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, Belt ~ central piece of armor. Everything else attaches to it. Truth is the foundational attribute of a worthy life. (It is taken as a given that this has been done.) having buckled the belt of truth around your

13. Ephesians 6:10-20 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, If you do what is right, and avoid what is sinful, you are much harder to take out. How many have fallen here! Sin is relationally destructive

14. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. • Roman military sandals were cleated footwear that gave the feet a much better grip in battle, enabling the soldier to resist the push of the enemy as well as • to be able to push back forcefully. • If your feet hurt, you are not much good in battle. • These specialized sandals had to be maintained to be of good effect. • Keep your walk with Christ in good shape(?)

15. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. • Roman infantry shields were actually of the square variety, which were highly effective against arrows, especially in groups. • Faith: a system (a construct) of understanding • and interpreting the world. • Because of the use of the shield in long range attack situations, I believe that Paul is referring to more philosophical assaults on our faith. Grow in it and develop it. Be becoming strong. • Doubt arises in adversity.

16. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17Take the helmet of salvation • The idea of intellect is possibly not in view here, as in Paul’s day, the functioning of various organs were not well defined. • Plato argued for a tripartite theory of behavior: • head is the seat of intellect; • heart is the seat of anger, fear, pride and courage; • liver is the seat of lust, greed, and desire. • Aristotle • heart is the seat of intellect; • brain regulates the heart. • Plato

17. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17Take the helmet of salvation • The idea of intellect is possibly not in view here, as in Paul’s day, the functioning of various organs were not well defined. • Mere “vitalness” is most likely in view. Most soldiers do not fight well with head injuries. • Helmets are also identifiers.

18. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17Take the helmet of salvation • “take” here is the idea of receiving something that another has given. • Make the decision! • (To not choose is to choose against.) • Plato

19. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. • “word” ~ rema: spoken words, as in a speech, • referring to the whole rather than to particular individual words. • Scripture, yes, but its proclamation and effect must also be in view. • We are not using it to stick pesky pagans. The entire background system is in view. We fight it with all that God has spoken. We fight with Truth.

20. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. • Communicate with command and control all of the time!

21. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. • This is not so much a call to battle as a recognition of it. Note the assumption of verses 14-15 that this equipment is already • in place.

22. Ephesians 6:10-20 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Sneak attacks are common. Corporate alertness. Contact command for each other.

23. Ephesians 6:10-20 19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Purpose Enablement Courage Sacrifice Endurance

24. Ephesians 6:10-20 • 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Purpose Enablement Courage Sacrifice Endurance Armor up!

27. Ephesians 5:8-21 8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” 15Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

28. Ephesians 4:17-24 17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live (peripatew) as the Gentiles do, in the futility (emptiness) of their thinking. 18They are darkened(a sense of evil/doom is associated. see Romans 1:21. relate to a world without God. Is anything wrong?) in their understanding ( cannot /will not figure it out) and separated(alienated) from the life of God because of the ignorance(agnosis) that is in them due to the hardening(petrification) of their hearts. 19Having lost all sensitivity(unable to feel pain), they have given themselves over to sensuality (loss of restriant) so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust (greed with an arrogant edge) for more. 20You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth (emphasize the lie) that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life (anastrepho~ life way. Rationale for the peripateo), to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful (the big lie to self) desires; 23to be made new in the attitude (spirit of) of your minds; 24and to put on the new self (the toga of citizenship), created (ktizw) to be like (the idea of destination) God in true righteousness and holiness.

29. Ephesians 2:10 Ephesians 2:1-10 A n oast.1 0For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. • The idea of Jesus being superior to ceaser 1:9 • Is Paul mimicking the Roman world, declaring a superiour system • handiwork ~ the greek refers to the end product, planned and produced. "created" ~ bring land under tillage in order to build something. Use to refer to the creation of a colony. The "to do" part: this is not in the original at all. It should read "in" or "by". Imagine that we are a city/colony on a hill, established by Jesus in/by. good ... Read Moreworks (as opposed to Roman colonization). The father planned the whole this out intentionally, that we might populate this Jesus-colony called the body of Christ, living the way that we were designed to in teh first place, thus showing hiw grace and his glory to the "native" populace.We are his colony. here to reflect and benefit the king and kingdom. • Rome would shed your blood to convert you. Jesus shed his.

30. "The existentialist . . . thinks it very distressing that God does not exist, because all possibility of finding values in a heaven of ideas disappears along with him; since there can no longer be an apriori Good, since there is no infinite and perfect consciousness to think it. No where is it written that the Good exists, that we must be honest, that we must no lie; because the fact is that we are on a plane where there only men. Dostoievsky said, "If God didn't exist, everything would be possible." That is the very starting point of existentialism. Indeed, everything is permissible if God does not exist, and as a result, man is forlorn, because neither within him nor without does he find anything to cling to, he can't start making excuses for himself . . . if God does not exist, we find no values or commands to turn to legitimize our conduct . . .”