Ephesians, 6:20-24
Bob Eckel · Sep 20, 2009
Ephesians (2009), No. 38
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926143244527

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Kind of the agenda going forward, this is our last section in Ephesians today, so we're going to end with a salutation that Paul often brings forth at the end of an epistle. We're going to take a little bit of a tangent in places and kind of drill down on some special truths that I think may be able to be highlighted here in this particular area.

And Brad, Roger, and Randy, I've kind of sent forward this morning a modified schedule for the teaching of the next three months. and there was a date in conflict for me that I was a brain-dead planner a few weeks ago. So that date has now been changed. If this schedule doesn't work out, let me know and I'll revise it and send it out again. We can talk going forward. So maybe if you guys are capable of meeting for just a few minutes after class, we'll clarify this. For just the class's sake, here's what we have ahead of us in terms of an agenda.

Beginning next week, and no, No, actually, Roger, you're going to summarize the book of Ephesians next week. So that's not on this schedule. So Roger's going to really capsulize the epistle for us next week. In one week, he's going to do that? In one lesson. In one 45-minute lesson. So just think, you didn't have to be here for nine months. That's right. This could have come to Roger's Sumerian view of the epistles.

But just for everybody's kind of thoughts going forward, in October we'll begin with two sessions on the doctrine of the Trinity, and then we're going to do two weeks on, in Christ, the identification truths, and then next, followed by two weeks, is death as separation. And that should be a fun topic. Then two weeks on all those terms, in Adam, in Christ, in the new man, in the old man, And then the next two weeks is walking in Ephesians, the Christian life, if you will. followed by two weeks on marriage and parenting. I'm going to come back to that issue again. Of course, we got that down, right? And then the final wrap-up will be one week on eternal security and spiritual growth.

So I encourage the teachers to kind of team up when we're teaching the same lesson two weeks consecutively that we talk to one another to make sure we're kind of not duplicating what the other person's doing. All right, so today, I'm going to pin this on here.

I'll be accused of inadequate electronic operation. All right, so today we're in Ephesians 6, 21 through 24. And let me just read that for you. It says, but that ye also may know my affairs. But that email, so we better back up here. Let's go to 18. praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. And for that the utterance may be given unto that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am also an ambassador in bonds, that in this I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.

But that, you may also know my affairs and how I do taiki. I think the emphasis is on the third syllable. Taikikous is the right pronunciation. I got this great phonetic thing. It drives Margaret crazy. I'll hit this thing, and this Greek term comes out, and it's how we pronounce it is always different by the way. Anyway, it's taikikous is the way this is pronounced. We'll hear more about him in a few minutes.

A beloved brother and faithful minister of the Lord shall make known to you all things. Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose that you might know our affairs and that he might comfort your hearts. Peace be to the brethren in love with faith from God, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ. In sincerity, Amen. Verse 21, but that ye also may know my affairs and how I'm doing. Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will make all things known to you. So who's this guy Tychicus?

That's correct. I keep apologizing for that. That's the way it's pronounced. All right, well, let's look a little bit. I mean, he's referred to. Actually, it's kind of a term that you hear this, and you don't say, who is this guy? But when you kind of drill down, you find out that he's mentioned a number of times.

So in Acts 24, and Sopatera Berea accompanied him to Asia. Also, Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gyrus of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus, and Trophimus of Asia. So he's from Asia. And in Colossians 4.7, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant of the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. And in Titus, when I send Artemis to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me in Decapolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.

And 2 Timothy 4.12, and Tychicus, I have sent to Ephesus. So we got a pretty good description.

This is somebody who Paul kind of thinks a lot of and knows fairly well, correct? I mean, if you had to write a paragraph about this guy, I probably could say how you pronounce it. but a biography I'm not going to be able to write. So the thought here is this appears to be a beloved brother and faithful minister, a servant of the Lord. And you know the fact that he's mentioned so many times really supports the fact that somebody Paul knows and trusts a lot. And you know there's some thought that ultimately he's the one that I think the next point well let's see I made this There's some thought that actually he in fact had delivered the letter to Ephesus.

So, going forward. You know, if you look at Techikous in terms of the way Paul's represented him, and we've got lots of evidence that Paul had kind of similar feelings about many other brothers in the Lord. And so we're not going to look at these, but it's similar words in terms of people being dear brethren, servants of the Lord about Timothy, and about Epaphras, and Silvanus, and Epaphroditus, and Anesimus. So this is not unique to Tychicus. I mean, this is a relationship he apparently shared with many other brethren at the time who were involved in the ministry of the gospel in local or more distant areas. Good morning. So, that you may know my affairs.

So, which Greek words used here for no? How many options do we have for no? Three. Three. And what do you think, and I'm not providing the answer in your handout, because that's too easy. I can't ask you a question if I give you the answer in the handout. Is it ginosko? Ginosko, Marilou says. Other thoughts? So Paul's saying that you may know my affairs and how I'm doing. So we've got, you know, Iado, right? We've got Gnoska. We've got Epigenoska, right?

So this is really factual knowledge. In other words, this is head knowledge, facts, things that are objectively observed. This is not that warm and fuzzy kind of knowledge or experiential knowledge. This is just head knowledge. Paul wants to get them informed about his affairs. That simple. Like, I'm here, this is what I've done, I'm in jail. I'm having a good time in jail because the Lord's lifting me up there. This kind of stuff is what he's trying to transmit. And this is a perfect active subjunctive. So what's that mean? That you may know my affairs. Perfect meaning? Continuing action. Active. You may know such a reaction.

Okay, and subjective. Yeah, possible, not certain, but likely. Yeah, okay, so I think it's sometimes important to kind of look more carefully at the Greek language in terms of how that information is being transmitted. And you'd have to say that this is kind of a friendly and very kind of familiar statement of his condition, and also kind of part of a solemn prayer too. So this is kind of a manner in which Paul is accustomed to ending all of his epistles, kind of this warm and fuzzy kind of interaction between his verbiage and those to whom the letter is directed.

So the term minister, I think, requires a little bit more time here. And we're going to turn now to 2 Corinthians 6, 4 through 10 to really kind of look what the minister role is all about. So Randy, if you'd get that and could read that for us, I'd appreciate that, please. So this is kind of the ministerial role, if you will.

But in everything, commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings and imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, the word of truth, the power of God, by the weapons of righteousness from the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report, regarded as deceivers and yet true, as unknown yet well known, as dying yet behold, we many rich, I'm sorry, we live as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as gory yet making anywhere and she was having nothing but possessing all things. Wow. I mean this is really a spirit led life isn't it and it's one of great sacrifice and pain and suffering that God calls some people to. in terms of the tasks that he puts before them.

So these are the kind of people that Paul ultimately bonds with in terms of their ministerial role or service to the Lord Jesus Christ. All right, let's get an idea about what Paul's intending here. He wants to let the Ephesians really know how he's doing.

In Philippians 1.12 we have a similar passage, but I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happen to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel. I mean, here Paul's trapped in some jail in Rome, and he's just talking about, you know, the ministerial role, in fact, reflects kind of what I'm all about. But again, I'm not complaining. I'm encouraging you with these brethren who are, you know, working this gospel out in your own area. Don't get discouraged. I mean, I'm kind of reading between the lines there, but that's truly the ministerial role. We're going to come back to that in a second because there's another part of our closing section of Ephesians that really relates very specifically to this role of the minister. Tychicus already knows all about Paul, so this is not news to him.

He's apparently been in some sort of communication. And in fact, some of this is the point I was looking for a little earlier. Some believe that it actually, that he was the one that brought the epistle to the city of Ephesus at that time. That's not well documented, but there are people that think that he was the deliverer of the letter to Ephesus.

Okay, so the Lord will make all things known. Future active indicative. Future, easy. Active, who's doing the work here? The Lord, okay, and indicative? Not subjunctive, is it? A little uncertainty left there? A little fuzziness? It's going to happen, right?

This is, if you will, a promise of the Lord that he's going to make things known to the brethren in Ephesus. Okay, turning now to verse 22. Whom I have sent to you for this very purpose that you may know our affairs and that he may comfort your hearts. Okay, kind of repeating himself here a little bit. that the brethren in Ephesus need to be informed about my affairs, our affairs, but also there's a separate phrase here that reflects one of the purposes of them being there, and that's to comfort their hearts. We're going to look at that in some detail. Tychicus has been sent to the Ephesians for this specific purpose. To know our affairs. Here it's Gnoska.

So my question to the class is, why a different Greek verb here for know than the one before? What are your thoughts? Intensifier. Okay, so we're just building on the factual information from before? I mean, remember, to know my affairs was a head knowledge of Paul's jail. I'm in Rome, I'm maybe with other brethren who are imprisoned with me. Think out loud. Well, he's sending him there and he's going to give them more information as opposed to just a letter. He's going to actually be able to reveal Paul's heart and maybe what's really going on. So that will be a more in-depth knowledge.

And that's reflected a little bit into what follows here, isn't it? That he may comfort your hearts. I mean, here we're kind of starting to talk about some experiential stuff, just not the facts. But this is not anything other than the spirit-led comfort and encouragement that we get from the brethren that surround us.

Other thoughts about that? Head knowledge. It really is. Our hearts and heads are connected so often, and we've got to be careful of the emotion, not run wild here. But now we're going beyond simply knowledge, we're going along the path of experience and bonding.

And that's something special we as believers have with one another, don't we? I mean, the world can get warm and fuzzy about one another, but this is a whole different ballgame. Yeah, Tom? I guess the key thing through all this is not just knowing how us believers are doing and how they're feeling, but knowing behind the scenes that the Lord is at work in making this develop into His glory. Right, and isn't that the Christian life? for all of us. That our experiences here would ultimately be to his glory.

The purpose here really concerns myself. In other words, our affairs, myself. I think what Paul is referring to is Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, and Marcus, who in fact was the cousin of Barnabas. This is the author of the Gospel of Mark. And so we see some evidence for this.

So if we turn to Colossians 4.10, which is right here for you, Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, salutes you. And Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, what a strange way to talk about your cousin. But anyway, touching whom ye receive commandments, if he come unto you, receive him. And Aristarchus was a Macedonian, likely of Jewish heritage, who traveled with Paul on his third missionary journey and ultimately sailed with Paul to Rome where they shared imprisonment.

And there's some commentaries that really reflect that this relationship of Paul and Aristarchus is one of kind of give and take, like one would kind of substitute for the other about various aspects of their imprisonment in terms of some of the related punishment that might occur. I suspect that that's not well supported, but there's some thought that that may in fact be true.

Marcus, remember Mark and Paul kind of didn't hit it off for a while. The first missionary journey apparently was filled with some strife. Then ultimately, Marcus kind of went his own way and went with Barnabas. Then when Paul was imprisoned and run, there's some idea that Paul and Mark kind of started hitting it off again. I think Paul had heard good words about Mark and kind of what Barnabas and he were doing. Ultimately, Marcus again became admired and accepted of Paul. The thought is that he was in Ephesus at this time.

So back in Colossians, I mean it's kind of interesting, the first four talks about Aristarchus, the stellar prisoner, salutes you, and Marcus. Now how Marcus would be saluting him is a little unclear, but the thought was that Marcus was in Ephesus and Tychicus ultimately had interactions with Marcus. Tychicus. Tychicus. That's what it is, Tychicus. Anyway, let's leave this guy's name alone for a while. I would call it Taikikus, but it's Taikikus. Right Brad? Stay in the class for a while.

Okay, so this whole issue about the brethren, why is this so important to Paul? About all these people he's mentioning here, I mean we're referring to other texts as parallel texts. Like him, they were young in the faith at one time, but they all matured.

Okay. So, how does that relate to this section of scripture here? Don't you think, too, he's trying to edify them to the Ephesians so that when they go in his place, because he may not be able to go, they're going to listen to them. The Ephesians are going to listen and respect what they have to say, that they're being sent by him. So what's the same purpose that these brethren are all about here? To edify them.

Okay. Alright, and do you think the people in Ephesus were living just a jolly happy life there, being newborn believers? in that area of the world. I mean, remember our history of Ephesus at the very beginning of this text. This is a kind of a downtrodden, kind of filled with idolatry and every sin of the world. These are worldly people. It's a very developed area, but this is really a very heathen part of the world.

These people need to be encouraged, right? And so the idea that Paul has people he knows, he's bonded with, who he trusts, ultimately are sent to them. This has got to be so important, not only to Paul, but to the ministry. and to the gospel and to the glory of God. So this is really relevant that Paul reaches them with an epistle, but he has people carrying the message, not only the letter.

All right, and comfort or encourage your hearts. So this is really the Greek term paraclete, which is really kind of a calling to one side. It says comfort, it's encouragement, it's really a term that's very, very warm and fuzzy. Philippians 1.7, for we have great joy and consolation in your love because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed or pericleted or encouraged and comforted by you, brother. So we all kind of need some of this, don't we? Can you think of a time when someone has ministered you in this way? I'm sure we all can come up with a time where somebody has taken on this role. These people are probably at times discouraged and frustrated and in strife and in tribulation and ultimately having someone kind of bond with you on the basis of the truth of the gospel and mentioning you is so important.

Weren't they being persecuted too? in their work and everything. If they became believers, they might not be able to find work. I'm sure. There was a whole stadium full of people shouting, Great is Diana of Ephesians. And for years and years afterwards, the same people would be down on their knees. Well, let's all identify with this issue.

I mean, if this human existence becomes too comfortable, we don't need this kind of comfort, do we? I mean, this is clearly a time where things are all that difficult, but each and every one of us in our day-to-day life, goodness gracious, you know, Lord, when you come, I mean, the purpose there is not to kind of be relieved from these positive tensions we have here, but ultimately be present with the Lord.

So I'm not sure exactly whether that was the message being transmitted, but it probably could have been in terms of the comfort that these brethren gave to the people in Ephesus. So this is an important aspect of the role of the ministers that Paul alludes to here. And the point here is, doesn't this remind us of the positional truths of Ephesians 1?

What do you tell somebody that's discouraged? Things are going to get better? We'll pray that they get better? I remember Hal used to say about one of his children, he said when that child would contact him about all his problems, Hal would say, praise the Lord. That's kind of what it's all about, isn't it? Where's your foundation? Where do we rest and trust?

Remember, Ephesians 6.22 comes after six chapters, which the first three are so well founded in solid positional truth. Don't get too comfortable here. We can't really rely on the world system to meet our needs. We all have our security blankets. Most of us have decent homes and put food on the table and drive our automobiles. We get comfortable. Don't get too comfortable.

Our citizenship is not here. our citizenships based on the foundational truths of Ephesians 1, followed by more encouragement and lifting up in 2 and 3. So we're going to kind of deal with that some in the text that follows. So we're going to combine the last two verses and take a special look at some of these principles. This is a little bit different salutation than in other epistles and we might, considering the time, have time to come back and look at that.

So peace be to you, brethren, and love with faith. from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. As was his custom, Paul closes with a benediction. This is seen in multiple epistles.

We've got Romans, we've got 2 Corinthians, we've got Galatians and Philippians, among others. My question to the class is, why are these all so similar? In fact, let's take time to read some of these. Cheryl, would you look at Romans 16, 24, and Margaret 2 Corinthians 13, 14, Brad Galatians 6, 18, and Marilyn, how about Philippians 4, 20 through 23? Let's just look at some of these other salutations and see how similar they are, and maybe, perhaps, how they might be a bit different. So when you have one, read your verse, and we'll go around the room. 1624? One of those electronic devices, right? They're supposed to be faster, Cheryl. Okay, Marilyn. This is Philippians.

To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Read all the saints in Christ Jesus, the brothers who are with me, send greetings, all the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Okay. Thank you. Who's next? I have 2 Corinthians 13, 14. The grace of the Lord Jesus you all come in. Okay and Cheryl are we ready electronically? Well maybe we should should we turn to someone with a Bible? We're having fun I hope you are.

No, Galatians 6.18.

No, you're in Romans 16.24. 24. Bertha, it's good you're here today. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Alright, a lot of grace in all these salutations, but you know they're all kind of similar but a little bit different.

What's your thoughts about this? It's just kind of boring stuff. I mean, why all the repetition? They need to hear it, be reminded of it. Okay, so these various bodies of believers ultimately need the same kind of information at the end of these epistles to kind of solidify them. Okay, other thoughts? the Hawaiian aloha and sing, coming and going, so that it was part of a traditional writing style to say that and be kind of like our dear so-and-so and sincerely deeper God-focused level. I mean, they all end clearly with that theme, don't they? Grace and God-based or focused.

But then the question I might address with you is, did Paul have any special kind of brethren relationships? I mean, you know, if you think about his relationship to Ephesus, I mean, he really, you know, the Scriptures really identify a very special relationship with Ephesus, but yet all these salutations are very, very similar. So, what are your thoughts there? Yeah, Tom. In Galatians, he really lays it on the line about how superior, overwhelming, dominating, thunderously adequate grace is, unlike the others. Do you think Galatians reflects this message differently?

I think it just expands on what's bits and pieces, sometimes a little more just bits and pieces than the other letters point out. Well, the book does. The book does, Tom. I'm asking just a salutation, do you think, do give special attention to the topic of grace? Any different than that of the Ephesians or to the Corinthians or to the Romans? I don't think it does. Yeah.

You know, one of the things I would say, too, is that, remember, these letters were being copied and sent around. And I would say that Paul had a unique way to say his benediction at the end, or salutation. And maybe he wanted it to be similar so that people would recognize that this in fact was his letter. That this was authentic. I mean, that was his style. Kind of his signature, right? It was his signature.

And the other thing is, you know, there are letters that we're unsure if Paul wrote them because he doesn't use this exact salutation at the end. And that's why people in some of his other letters, don't know for sure if Paul wrote those. What epistle might you think of that Paul maybe... Okay, so let's turn to the end of Hebrews. Let's turn to Hebrews 13. This was not planned for the lesson this morning. Let's turn to Hebrews chapter 13, verses 24 and 25. Whoever has that, read it, please. Read all of your leaders and all the saints, those forbidden to read. Great grace be with you all. The term grace shows up there too, doesn't it? It's brief, but it shows up.

How many people in the room think Paul wrote Hebrews? How many people think someone other than Paul wrote Hebrews? And how many people don't have an opinion? So ignorance rules, or at least lack of bias rules. I think we could spend a whole session on that alone. There are certain aspects of Hebrews that are somewhat Paulian and very Paulian. Other aspects are somewhat different. I don't know what the answer to that is. It doesn't make a difference. It's a great book. Let's continue in this area.

It starts out in Ephesians with peace be to the brethren. I looked around scripture. This is one of my favorite kind of peace verses. It's John 14, 27, words of our Lord. Peace, I leave with you. My peace, and by the way, the commentator sometimes talked about peace on earth. I couldn't believe it. What are you talking about here? Peace, I leave with you. What do you mean, you know, that everybody's gonna get along in Ephesus? What's the story here? Anyway, peace, I leave with you. My peace, I give you, not as the world gives. I give unto you.

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Can you think of a better verse to apply to what these brethren are doing? with Paul's message to the church at Ephesus? Just think about that a little bit. You know, this is a verse we need to reflect on day in and day out. His peace he gives to us, not as the world gives. Boy, talk about identification truth, right? Boy, I just love that verse. And love with faith, ooh, qualifications here. How you doing at loving? Well, I don't have much faith. We've got some trouble there, don't we?

Notice, this is from God himself. And a lot of verbiage here, but we're going to read this very slowly here. So love's all over the scripture. But I think this section of 1 John really reflects it very accurately in talking about love with faith. So let's read this. Let us not love one another.

For love is of God. Notice I bolded some aspects of this that I think are areas that we need to draw special attention to. Everyone that loves is born of God and knows God. He that loves not knows not God. We're not talking about this warm fuzzy stuff. We're talking about agape love. For God is love.

And this was manifested, the love of God towards us, because God sent His only begotten Son unto the world that we might live through Him. Alright? Important. Live through Him. And that's based on His sacrificial death, burial, and ultimate resurrection. Here in His love, not that we love God, but that He loved us. and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, if we ought also to love one another, no man hath seen God any time but I. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Alright, so... I think you have the reference wrong on that one. It's 4-7. Oh, good for you. Yeah, you're right. You know the song, you know. You are right. Because I started here and this is another section. But good for you, Marilyn. Thanks. So this should correct your notes. 4, 7 through 10, right? It's 4, 7 through 10. My apologies. How far does it go now? 7 through 12? OK. All right. Despite that error, let's not try to distract from the truth of the text, right?

So how are you doing at loving? How's that going for you? Yeah, I mean, you know, the neat thing about Christian love is that the pressure's off. Because, you know, in this kind of legal aspect of love for the brethren, Ultimately, we put ourselves back into the unbeliever's mindset, don't we? In our own strength, in the power of the old man, the sin nature, etc., love cannot be generated in any way close to what this is all about. I like the aspect that it says that we might live through him. That's where Christian love begins, right?

So love has no expectations. It's not really based on qualifications of the recipient and his or her kind of interactions. It's kind of just there. It's always good to kind of remind ourselves that the greatest of sinners among us is me. Paul himself said. Love extends from the idea that we have no expectations and ultimately people are loved by faith unequivocally. Any thoughts about this?

Love with faith. Where's the faith aspect of this love? First in you. How does that enact, Tom, in terms of a day-to-day loving kind of relationship? How does that faith play out? Oh, I have to love? Is that kind of what this is all about? It's letting Christ take control of the reins and give you the clues to love through Him. So it kind of begins with rest, doesn't it? And then once that rest, we believe in the rest and ultimately by faith that great grace he gives us to love one another as Christ loved us is really possible, isn't it? So this is again not something we work at. It's something we are.

And this is true of the Ephesian church, Ephesians 1.15, Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. So we get an idea here a little bit about Paul's knowledge and relationship to the Ephesian church. So he's heard of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and your love for all the saints. Presumably, there's some aspect of this being manifested there in this church already. So he's using Pachikos and others to encourage them in this love with faith.

Notice again, in all these salutations, we see the term grace mentioned. back to the previous slide. What's grace? Got a whole class on it downstairs. You want to go learn about grace. Maybe we should address this more specifically. Why is grace so very distasteful to an unbelieving world and also unappreciated by so many believers? Unmerited is a good description. You can't do anything to earn it. All right. Boring? No. Foreign. Foreign. It's a foreign concept. This happens around the house all the time, I can assure you. What'd she say? Do what? Okay. Foreign.

So how do these salutations really reflect the importance of the grace concept in ultimately putting forth the applications of these epistles? Well, isn't it, I always think it's interesting how Paul starts the epistle with grace, grace the unto you, and he ends the epistles with grace. Almost every one of them starts with grace as well. Okay, what is so distasteful about grace to the unbelieving world and ultimately not really accepted or manifested by the believer or those in the body?

I think it's because it has nothing to do with their efforts. Good, and so what concept of the old man or flesh do we call that? Yeah, it really is. I'll tell you, we all I think have that, I'll speak for myself, it hangs out there at times more than I want for sure. I think the more you grow in grace, the more you see that proud aspect of the sinful nature of the old man.

Grace takes away everything that we might bring to the table, doesn't it? It's a principle that It is so distasteful. My brother who died a year ago felt that he'd done everything good in his life, not that he was perfect, but he didn't need this concept of grace.

He'd proven himself by his life. Boy, I tell you. So, I think Paul ends his epistles with this foundation of grace because it's really the key principle of biblical Christianity, isn't it? It's really solid ground. All right, with all them that love, it's kind of a qualified statement, and how you're doing it, you're loving, right?

I mean, it's, well, I'm not doing so great. Well, that's because you're based on law, not on grace. It's a present active participle. It means this is something going on, and you're participating, and this is really something that's evident in your life. So this is not passive. I mean, we don't fall back, let go, let God, because love is, by the principle of grace, is really an act of belief that that's going to occur. We just can't lay back. We're involved in this by act of faith.

And the qualification here, which I think is kind of sweet here at the end of the Epistle of the Ephesians, is this issue of sincerity. And maybe a better way to interpret that is incorruptible or unending existence. That's what Ryrie has, incorruptible love. So some verses, Winnie, that relate to that. 1 Peter 3, 4, rather let it be the hidden person of the heart with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. which is very precious in the sight of the Lord. So that incorruptible is the same term used here in Ephesians, which really again is translated as sincere or unending. And some people even think pure is a definition that we should consider.

Titus 2.7, and all things showing yourselves to be a pattern of good works in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, and incorruptibility. So again, the sincerity of the truth of the gospel lived out by the power of the spirit in the new man is one that's not equivocal. and doesn't take any work but faith. And this is, again, the foundation of the benedictions of Paul through so many epistles. And here we note that it also kind of indicates purity. So the sincerity in context relates to the purity of the new man within that's spirit-led in each and every one of us.

So Roger's going to kind of deal with the book summarily next week. But wow, we've been here now for nine months. And so we've got about five minutes left. And in that time, I'll ask you a question. I ask you a lot of questions, and they're usually pretty simple. But how were you impacted by the study of this book over the last nine months? And I want to encourage some volunteers here.

Nobody has any conclusion. I think the teaching's been poor at least one of these four guys. Randy, we're gonna move on. I didn't know if as a teacher I was allowed to. Yeah, you're permitted. Roger hadn't been here, so we won't make him account. He's just gonna summarize the book next week. Jeremy, where are you?

The biggest thing for me is that As I was teaching through the text, and reading through the text, and following through the text during this class, the Lord, every time, just brought up some scenario in my life that just really corresponded and related to the text.

Whatever it was, there was something where it was like, man, this is practical and useful. And it's not that God's Word has never been that way before, but it just really hit home so consistently. It was really an encouraging and a fun thing to be able to go through it and study it to the depth that we did, and then just have it be so real and applicable. It wasn't philosophical. It wasn't highfalutin. This is an ideal, nice thing. It was just, you could put shoes on it and wear it and do it.

One of the best epistles in terms of what the Christian walk is all about for sure, right? But remember the foundation of the walk comes from the foundation that precedes the walk. Chapters 4-6 follow 1-3 and Roger may get into that in more detail next week. Others, how did this book, the study of this book impact you? Well, I think sometimes when we get down in our lives in one thing or another and you go to the first part of Ephesians where it says, Blessed be the God, the Father, our Lord, who has blessed us I may say this too often, so forgive me, but it's a soft pillow for a tired head. Be reminded of the foundational truths that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Others? How many have not been impacted by the book? How many are unwilling to admit they have been impacted by the book? Anybody else want to share? And this is not like a confessional here, OK?

For me, every time I study through Ephesians and read through Ephesians, it's not that I come to believe it more, or even apply it more, but it just, I don't know, in a conditional sense, becomes more real in my conscious life. So we can start again and do it again, and I would be yet more affected, more impacted. as I go through my day-to-day life, more able to trust in the fact that, no, he really did say that.

He really did reveal this to us. This really is what we have in Christ. Yeah, what Brad said, though, is so true for the entire Word of God, is it not? As you grow in grace and go back and kind of deal with it again, there are new truths and new applications that we ultimately see. And Ephesians is such a solid book from beginning to end in terms of the applied truths of our doctrine and foundation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Any other thoughts at all? As we look at the text summaries that are before us after next week, we've kind of tried, and Vern's helped with this, tried to identify areas of particular emphasis. As I think about the book, that 1 through 3, 4 through 6 becomes impotent. So if we don't have the knowledge of who we are in Christ and where we're positioned and blessed eternally with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places, it's hard to put on the walk of being a husband. You're given a series of things that you need to do, but you don't have solid ground on which to base this.

Now fortunately we have other texts like Romans and things to turn to in terms of what this new life looks like. Ephesians, perhaps more than any other epistle, really is a solid foundation of what the Christian walk really looks like from beginning to end. And so I found that to be, as I participate in teaching this, so very important. But if we look at these themes that develop, let me just remind again, the doctrine of the Trinity, in Christ, the identification truths, death is separation. the whole Ephesians 2 part. Those terms in Adam, in Christ, in the old man, in the new man are well defined in this book.

Walking in Ephesians begins with resting in Ephesians, and the whole marriage and parenting thing. I mean, I taught the lesson on parenting, and as I've revisited the schedule, I'm going to be one of the two teachers on that area again. I wish I would have had some of these insights 35 years ago when I began this whole process. Of course, I was unsaved at that time, but even after salvation, there was a lot of law for a while, and being a parent really was probably inappropriate. Anyway, a great book and one that I'm sure we'll be going to take a look at some time in the future. Of course, remember, Berne taught this book a couple of years ago, and so now we've had the class on it.

Roger, do you know, as in Albert, kind of what's ahead for us in January yet? Do we have any sense of what... We really actually have not. We had just some general discussions about that, but not specific so far. That's coming here in the next month or so probably. Okay. Any other comments about this before we close? All right, well, Roger will be giving us again the big view next week, and then we'll move on to these various topical studies. Let's close in prayer. Randy, would you please? walk and other things.