26. Eph 6:21-24 Pulling Together the Overall Message of Ephesians that will Change your Life
- The New Creation has already begun, but the Old has not yet ended. We are living in the overlap, which is tough,
- but if we understand it will be a source of immense power and joy.
Play Audio:
Please open the handout showing this passage by Clicking here,
or download the PDF of the page here.
- Demonstration with a person who has a bag over their head
1. The Big Story
- God was working on something New and so was Jesus
2. Already Here!
- Until a century ago it was highly unusual for people to put charts or diagrams in books, especially if they were serious academic book
- It was seen as a sign of being a poor writer if you couldn’t do it with words and needed a picture.
- Sure there were charts and visual symbols in the ancient world, but never as part of a book
- However, in 1930 a remarkable Christian book was published by Princeton University, that included a diagram that has been incredibly helpful to countless people ever since.
- It has been copied and polished, but here is the original:
- Pauline Eschatology, Vos, p.38
- We can add a few things to the chart:
- Old Creation, New Creation
- First Adam, Last Adam
- Dust of the ground, the Spirit
- The really important thing is that the new has started before the old has ended
- They both exist in parallel!
- In Ephesians 5 we read:
- then as Paul begins to develop the story, it goes something like this
- This world is broken, fatally damaged, poisoned
- Sin has come in and spoiled everything
- people
- the environment
- There is really no hope for it
- God is not going to patch it up to keep it going, but eventually will destroy it
- God has started a new creation in Jesus
- A new kind of being
- When Jesus rose from the dead, his new body was not made of dust, but of Spirit
- Colossians calls him the “firstborn from the dead”
- He was the first of the New Creation
- We get from the old to the new by being joined to Jesus
- He died in the old, and rose in the new
- But for now we still have to live in the old!
- How do we do that?
- We have one foot in the old and one in the new
- Actually the outer is the old and inner is the new
- That really is the main theme of Ephesians!
3. The New Creation in Ephesians
The New Creation in Ephesians
Chapter 1
- Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς
ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ, Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
in every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. - εἰς οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν, ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ, as a plan for the fullness of the times, to bring together under one head all things in Christ,
τὰ ἐπὶ τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ἐν αὐτῷ, the things in heaven and things on earth in him.
- πεφωτισμένους τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν εἰς τὸ εἰδέναι ὑμᾶς that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know
τίς ἐστιν ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς κλήσεως αὐτοῦ, what is the hope of his calling
τίς ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τῆς κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance: the holy ones
- καὶ τί τὸ ὑπερβάλλον μέγεθος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς τοὺς πιστεύοντας and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe
κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ κράτους τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ ἣν ἐνήργηκεν ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ according to the working of the might of his strength 20which he worked in Christ
ἐγείρας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν, raising him from the dead
καὶ καθίσας ἐν δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις and seating him at his right hand in the heavenly places
- ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ δυνάμεως καὶ κυριότητος far above every ruler and authority and power and dominion
καὶ παντὸς ὀνόματος ὀνομαζομένου οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι· and every position that exists, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Chapter 2
- καὶ συνήγειρεν and raised us up together
καὶ συνεκάθισεν and seated us together
ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
- ἵνα ἐνδείξηται ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσιν τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις τὸ ὑπερβάλλον πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace
αὐτοῦ ἐν χρηστότητι ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
- αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα, κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works
οἷς προητοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς ἵνα ἐν αὐτοῖς περιπατήσωμεν. which God prepared ahead of time that we should walk in them.
- αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, For he himself is our peace,
ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἓν making the two one
καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, and breaking down the dividing wall of partition,
τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ, —the hostility, in his flesh,
- τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας, cancelling the law of commands and regulations,
ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ ἐν αὑτῷ εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον that the two he might create in himself into one new human
ποιῶν εἰρήνην, making peace.
- ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets
ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus himself.
- ἐν ᾧ πᾶσα οἰκοδομὴ συναρμολογουμένη In him the whole structure, being fitted together,
αὔξει εἰς ναὸν ἅγιον ἐν κυρίῳ, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.
- ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς συνοικοδομεῖσθε In him you are also being built together
εἰς κατοικητήριον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν πνεύματι. for the dwelling place for God in the Spirit.
Chapter 3
- ἵνα ἐξισχύσητε καταλαβέσθαι σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις that you may have strength to comprehend with all the saints
τί τὸ πλάτος καὶ μῆκος καὶ ὕψος καὶ βάθος, what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
- γνῶναί τε τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν τῆς γνώσεως ἀγάπην τοῦ Χριστοῦ, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
ἵνα πληρωθῆτε εἰς πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ θεοῦ. that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
- Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ ὑπὲρ πάντα ποιῆσαι ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ ὧν αἰτούμεθα ἢ νοοῦμεν Now to him who has power to do all things far more abundantly than we ask or think,
κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν τὴν ἐνεργουμένην ἐν ἡμῖν, according to the power at work within us,
Chapter 4
- ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον to take off the old self, belonging to your former behavior
τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης, corrupted by deceptive desires
- ἀνανεοῦσθαι δὲ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ νοὸς ὑμῶν, to be renewed by the Spirit in your mind,
- καὶ ἐνδύσασθαι τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν κατὰ θεὸν κτισθέντα to put on the new self created after the likeness of God
ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ὁσιότητι τῆς ἀληθείας.in righteousness and truthful pure behavior
Chapter 5
- ἦτε γάρ ποτε σκότος, νῦν δὲ φῶς ἐν κυρίῳ· For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
ὡς τέκνα φωτὸς περιπατεῖτε Walk as children of light
- Βλέπετε οὖν ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατεῖτε, Watch carefully then how you walk:
μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι not as unwise
ἀλλ’ ὡς σοφοί, but as wise,
- ἐξαγοραζόμενοι τὸν καιρόν, ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί εἰσιν. making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
- ✽ἀντὶ τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος [τὸν] πατέρα καὶ [τὴν] μητέρα “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother
καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, and hold fast to his wife,
καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν.✽ and the two shall become one flesh.”
- τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστίν, This mystery is profound,
ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω εἰς Χριστὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. and I speak with reference to Christ and the church.
Chapter 6
- ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, For our struggle is not against blood and flesh
ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς ἀρχάς, but against the rulers
πρὸς τὰς ἐξουσίας, against the authorities
πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου, against the world powers over this darkness
πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις. against the evil spiritual beings in the heavenly places.
- διὰ τοῦτο ἀναλάβετε τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, Because of this take up the complete armor of God
ἵνα δυνηθῆτε ἀντιστῆναι ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ πονηρᾷ that you may have the power to withstand on the evil day
καὶ ἅπαντα κατεργασάμενοι στῆναι. and having prepared in every way, to stand.
Conclusion
- ῾Ίνα δὲ εἰδῆτε καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ κατ’ ἐμέ, τί πράσσω, So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing,
πάντα γνωρίσει ὑμῖν Τυχικὸς everything will be told you by Tychicus
ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ἀδελφὸς καὶ πιστὸς διάκονος ἐν κυρίῳ, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord.
- ὃν ἔπεμψα πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο Whom I have sent to you for this very purpose,
ἵνα γνῶτε τὰ περὶ ἡμῶν καὶ παρακαλέσῃ τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν. that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.
- Εἰρήνη τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς καὶ ἀγάπη μετὰ πίστεως Peace be to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith,
ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- ἡ χάρις μετὰ πάντων τῶν ἀγαπώντων τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ, for ever and ever.
Translation and structure by Andrew Fountain
- Let’s look at the passage (and your handout):
- Why it gives me hope
Joined to Jesus - umbilical / dependence
- Benediction