EVANGELICAL BIBLE COLLEGE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
EVANGELICAL BIBLE COLLEGE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
COURSE LECTURE NOTES – N T BOOK STUDIES Paper 213
EPHESIANS, GALATIANS
& LETTERS OF JOHN.
DIPLOMA IN THEOLOGY
BY
DR JOHN C McEWAN
[BOOK 12 OF 13]
Revised MAY 2013
WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
Professor Simon Greenleaf was one of the most eminent lawyers of all time. His “Laws of Evidence” for many years were accepted by all States in the United States as the standard methodology for evaluating cases. He was teaching law at a university in the United States when one of his students asked Professor Greenleaf if he would apply his “Laws of Evidence” to evaluate an historical figure. When Greenleaf agreed to the project he asked the student who was to be the subject of the review. The student replied that the person to be examined would be Jesus Christ. Professor Greenleaf agreed to undertake the examination of Jesus Christ and as a result, when he had finished the review, Simon Greenleaf personally accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour.
Professor Greenleaf then sent an open letter to all jurists in the United States jurists saying in part “I personally have investigated one called Jesus Christ. I have found the evidence concerning him to be historically accurate. I have also discovered that Jesus Christ is more than a human being, he is either God or nothing and having examined the evidence it is impossible to conclude other than he is God. Having concluded that he is God I have accepted him as my personal Saviour. I urge all members of the legal profession to use the “Laws of Evidence” to investigate the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and if you find that he is wrong expose him as a faker but if not consider him as your Saviour and Lord”
HOW CAN I BE SAVED?
Salvation is available for all members of the human race.
Salvation is the most important undertaking in all of God's universe. The salvation of sinners is never on the basis of God's merely passing over or closing His eyes to sin. God saves sinners on a completely righteous basis consistent with the divine holiness of His character. This is called grace. It relies on God so man cannot work for salvation neither can he deserve it. We need to realise that the creation of this vast unmeasured universe was far less an undertaking than the working out of God's plan to save sinners.
However the acceptance of God's salvation by the sinner is the most simple thing in all of life. One need not be rich, nor wise nor educated. Age is no barrier nor the colour of one's skin. The reception of the enormous benefits of God's redemption is based upon the simplest of terms so that there is no one in all this wide universe who need be turned away.
How do I become a Christian?
There is but one simple step divided into three parts. First of all I have to recognise that I am a sinner (Romans 3:23; 6:23; Ezekiel 18:4; John 5:24).
Secondly, realising that if I want a relationship with Almighty God who is perfect, and recognising that I am not perfect, I need to look to the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Saviour (1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Peter 2:24; lsaiah 53:6; John 3:16).
Thirdly, by the exercise of my own free will I personally receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour, believing that He died personally for me and that He is what He claims to be in an individual, personal and living way (John 1:12; 3:36; Acts 16:31; 4:12).
The results of Salvation
The results of this are unbelievably wonderful:
My sins are taken away (John 1:29),
I possess eternal life now (1 John 5:11,12),
I become a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17),
The Holy Spirit takes up His residence in my life (1 Corinthians 6:19),
And I will never perish (John 10:28-30).
This truthfully is life's greatest transaction. This is the goal of all people; this is the ultimate of our existence. We invite and exhort any reader who has not become a Christian by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ to follow these simple instructions and be born again eternally into God's family (Matthew 11:28; John 1:12; Acts 4:12; 16:31).
© Evangelical Bible College of Western Australia 2004 - PO Box 163 Armadale Western Australia 6992
Many other Christian resources are available freely from our internet web site: and for weekly messages.
For further information contact Dr Peter Moses at PO Box 163 Armadale WA 6992 or email Brian Huggett
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CONTENTS
LECTURE / TEXTS / PAGEEphesians 1 / Ephesians 1:1-5 / 3
Ephesians 2 / Ephesians 1:6-14 / 6
Ephesians 3 / Ephesians 1;15-2:10 / 10
Ephesians 4 / Ephesians 2:11-22 / 15
Ephesians 5 / Ephesians 3:1-13 / 20
Ephesians 6 / Ephesians 3:14-21 / 23
Ephesians 7 / Ephesians 4:1-8 / 27
Ephesians 8 / Ephesians 4:8-9 / 31
Ephesians 9 / Ephesians 4:10-13 / 35
Ephesians 10 / Ephesians 4:14-21 / 38
Ephesians 11 / Ephesians 4:22-32 / 41
Ephesians 12 / Ephesians 5:1-20 / 45
Ephesians 13 / Ephesians 5:21-33 / 50
Ephesians 14 / Ephesians 6:1-10 / 56
Ephesians 15 / Ephesians 6:10-24 / 59
Galatians 1 / Galatians / 65
Galatians 2 / Galatians 1:1-10 / 67
Galatians 3 / Galatians 1:11-2:10 / 73
Galatians 4 / Galatians 2:11-21 / 77
Galatians 5 / Galatians3:1-18 / 81
Galatians 6 / Galatians3:19-29 / 85
Galatians 7 / Galatians4:1-12 / 86
Galatians 8 / Galatians 4:15- 5:1 / 89
Galatians 9 / Galatians 5:1-12 / 93
Galatians 10 / Galatians 5:13-21 / 96
Galatians 11 / Galatians: 5:22-26 / 98
Galatians 12 / Galatians 5:22-6:5 / 101
Galatians 13 / Galatians 6:6-10 / 102
Galatians 14 / Galatians 6:11-18 / 106
1 John 1 / 1 John 1:1-5 / 108
1 John 2 / 1 John 1:5-10 / 110
1 John 3 / 1 John 2:1-5 / 114
1 John 4 / 1 John 2:6-14 / 117
1 John 5 / 1 John 2:15-19 / 119
1 John 6 / 1 John 2:20-29 / 122
1 John 7 / 1 John 3:1-8 / 125
1 John 8 / 1 John3:9-14 / 128
1 John 9 / 1 John3:15 -4:6 / 130
1 John 10 / 1 John 4:7-19 / 138
1 John 11 / 1 John 4:19-5:21 / 141
1 John 12 / 2, 3 John / 145
Doctrine Index / 151
Texts - Bible Topic Book [Condensed Version] - P J Moses - Available on EBCWA CD
Teacher – Refer to the ebcwa Commentaries for fuller notes – these are lecture notes,
Designed for the students only.
EPHESIANS
LECTURE 1 - EPHESIANS 1 :1-5
This is the start of the study of the Prison epistles of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. [ Philippians and Philemon are covered in separate verse by verse commentaries on the CD, Colossians is covered as Volume 13 of the Diploma Course Lecture notes. All these are to be studied as part of the total Diploma course.]
Most conservative theologians believe that there were two imprisonments, the first during which Paul wrote the "Prison Epistles" and the second during which I and II Timothy and Titus were penned. [Commentaries on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus by Dr J C McEwan are also a part of the course. On EBCWA website or CD]
The first imprisonment was 6062 AD. Paul was arrested after a near riot in the Temple at Jerusalem. For his protection he was taken by night down to Caesarea on the Mediterranean Coast as there was a group of Jews who had sworn not to eat until they had killed Paul. He was tried by two successive governors both of whom were corrupt. Paul witnessed to both Felix and Festus, both of whom were waiting for a bribe. Acts 23:12ff.
When a new governor arrived who looked as if he was going to please the Jews by putting Paul on trial in Jerusalem, which would've meant his death, Paul as a Roman citizen appealed to Caesar. The Caesar at the time was a young Nero who was not really interested in the administration of the Empire but preferred to fight as a gladiator or race chariots. ln charge of the administration he had a number of very capable men, one a great philosopher, called Seneca.
When Paul eventually went before Caesar it may well be before Seneca he came. A group of forged letters was "found" that purported to show that Seneca was a covert Christian, but these are inventions. Paul was under house arrest in Rome that was the practice for non dangerous prisoners at this time while they were awaiting trial rather than keeping them in prison. These remand prisoners had Roman guards at the house for security. The prisoner was responsible for the food and living arrangements for these guards.
After his trial in Rome he was released and he travelled extensively again for a couple of years, possibly even getting to Spain. He was eventually re arrested, possibly in Troas, and this time imprisoned in the Mamertine prison and finally beheaded outside Rome a few months before Nero himself was executed. Paul grave is within the church of St Paul by the Roman Milestone where he was beheaded.
When he was under arrest in Caeserea and in Rome news came to him of doctrinal or other issues in churches which resulted in these four letters which have been incorporated into the canon of Scripture.
The four letters were carried by messengers to their destinations; Tychicus taking the letter to the Ephesians, Epaphroditus took Philippians, Tychicus also to the Colossians, and Onesimus to Philemon who also lived in Colossi. As these cities were in the Roman province of Asia they all travelled together for a while.
Ephesians is the manual for church age living; how to be a Christian and how to be in the church.
This is a very important letter. In teaching order, I believe you should follow Galatians by Ephesians. The earliest manuscripts do not have "to the Ephesians" in them.
We do not know whether this was to go only to Ephesus or not. When the letter is examined it appears that it was meant as an encyclical letter, for a group of churches, perhaps to all the churches mentioned in the book of Revelation starting with Ephesus. Later copies of the epistle do have Ephesus as a destination/first stopping point.
The original letter written by Paul would be taken by the messenger, who in this case caught a boat from Rome to Asia Minor. On receipt of the letter the church would make a copy, and the messenger would go through the letter over a period of time, reading the whole letter many times and expounding line by line upon it. Having ministered at a church for a while he would then move to the next church and the whole process would be repeated. By this means the churches got copies of these letters. The original however remained with the messenger.
By the second century the people from one church would write to another and obtain copies of letters made by the church’s scribe so that over a period of time the canon of Scripture was compiled. We should give thanks for the completed Scriptures because we have it a lot easier than our brothers and sisters in the first century. The fact that it was for more than one church is indicated because unlike some of the letters Paul did not greet anyone by name at the end of this epistle. Paul knows the people in Ephesus well having been involved in the conversion and nurturing of them thus the absence of personal greetings is of great import. It is also of interest that there is no particular heresy or problem in this letter. It is a general teaching letter – designed for establishing all who read it on a firm foundation.
Ephesians talks about the Christian walk generally and walking in love. It is a policy statement as to how to live as a Christian. It is a very well thought out letter from a theological viewpoint that reveals the church as the body of Christ. The function structure and organisation of the church is seen here.
The Roman province of Asia was a difficult area to be a Christian in. From the book of the Revelation we know that Ephesus was the centre for the worship of the fertility goddess Diana, or Artemis.
This pagan cult was very popular as the worship of the goddess basically involved sex. If you can make religion out of your old sin nature you are likely to have success as far as numbers are concerned. In this particular religion the sex was complemented with good food and wine.
This is the environment within which the Ephesian church grew and flourished. If we think our environment is bad for the church it certainly is not as hostile as these people had. Perhaps the reason that we are panicking is that we do not walk as they did. They were walking close to the Lord but not close enough. We must live the doctrine of the body of Christ.
There are a number of good commentaries on Ephesians FF Bruce, F Foulkes [Tyndale Series], R Summers, JRW Stott, L Griffiths, and others…..
The harbour at Ephesus was silting up slowly by this time, and the city was in slow decline. It was a tough place for Christians as it was very pagan and survived economically because of trade, government, and idolatry.
The message of the letter is for the church to live as the body of Christ.
Verses 1- 3.Introduction This is an apostolic letter and in the first few words he is laying down his credentials, Paul an apostle. Here he is saying that this is not his idea but that he is writing it as an apostle of Christ showing God's policy for the church. As a Bible believing Christian you cannot say that you think that Paul got it wrong. This is an authoritative letter, that Paul claims is to be the pattern setter for churches – under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
This brings us into a face to face confrontation with liberalism, for those who say we can pick and choose what we accept from Paul have missed the importance of the introduction.
Paul was a person who was personally commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ. He is an apostle of Christ Jesus with the emphasis on Christ the risen one. Here we have the principle that you serve as you are called, and that we are made saints, and are set apart for his service, as we have met and been commissioned by the Saviour. It is also important to note that God gives the gifts or jobs out. The task of the Christian is to find out what job the Lord has for us, and do it. God knows what area he has for you and his plan is perfect. God tells us to walk in the Spirit and stay with His Word.
Paul was not an apostle because he was a good guy and people elected him. He did not look good. A contemporary describes Paul as a small person with a hooked nose, high squeaky voice, a hunch back, who was a sick weak man. This would mean we would not pick him as an apostle but he was God's man. 1 Peter 5:7. We are all saints set apart for God's service. "Hagios" means holy/set apart for God’s service, under God’s calling/orders.
We each need to find out what God wants us to do and do it. You are faithful ones, but only if we operate in the will of God are we faithful. You are faithful by knowing God's Word and being obedient to it. You are not like the person in James who hears but forgets. This is the doctrine of Positional Truth; you are in a new position. You were in sin but now you are in Christ. Sin will still occur but you are in Christ, you are a living creation and in a relationship with your Creator.
When the messenger arrived at a city they would go to the church and read the letter a number of times and evaluate it line by line. They did not give a three point sermon of something they had read in the paper. They expounded the Scriptures and allowed the Holy Spirit to apply it to the congregation’s lives. Here we have a standard greeting, “grace be to you and peace from the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. It is formal and sets the tone for what is to be heard.
This was a combined Greek and Jewish greeting. The greeting is from “our Father” as we are members of the Royal Family of God. We have been placed in a relationship which is the greatest in all eternity. The greeting is also from the Lord Jesus Christ, the full title of the Son. This is the title for the glorified person, the God-Man at the right hand of the Father. While he was on earth John could look the Lord in the eye but in the first chapter of the book of the Revelation the presence of the Lord caused him to faint because of the glory. We should not get casual with "dear Jesus".
Verses 35.This has the emphasis on our position in Christ. He is the one who blesses us. God does the work, we get the blessing. You are not able to bless God as it were, but He is ever willing to bless you. Your relationship with Christ opens you to blessing and when you are in fellowship with him the doors are open for blessing. If there is sin in your life the blessing pipe is blocked. The blessing in the church age is “in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”.
The promises to Christians are spiritual blessings. Nowhere are you told that you are going to get great physical blessings such as wealth. The Old Testament saints were told and given great physical blessing, but this is not the case for all in the New Testament. We are to walk whatever path the Lord has for us – in wealth or poverty. Philippians 2:11-13.
The promise to the believer now is spiritual blessings in heavenly places. This refers to spiritual rewards and blessings now, with the fruit of the Holy Spirit being part of those blessings. The "prosperity gospel" is false, it states that if you are not well or poor you are out of fellowship with sin in your life. This “other gospel” is very predominant in some places, and leads to sinful “cargo cult” type life styles where materialism is worshipped rather than God’s will followed.
Remember, the Apostle Paul was sick most of the time when he was dealing with the Galatians, and had to resort to working in the day and preaching at night, and several times lost everything he owned.Galatians 4:12-14, 2 Corinthians 11:23 – 12:10. The challenge is not to walk in earthly wealth but Holy Spirit power. Galatians 5:16-18, Ephesians 5:15-20. If we have wealth we pour it our for Jesus’s glory – all is for His glory.