Advanced Commentary
Texts -- Ephesians 3:6 (NET)
Pericope
NET
- Eph 3:1-13 -- Paul's Relationship to the Divine Mystery
Bible Dictionary
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Adoption
[nave] ADOPTION. Gen. 15:3. Of Children Instances of: Of Joseph's sons, Gen. 48:5, 14, 16, 22. Of Moses, Ex. 2:5-10; Acts 7:21; Heb. 11:24. Of Esther, Esth. 2:7. Spiritual Ex. 4:22, 23; Num. 6:27 Deut. 28:10; 2 Chr. 7:14; I...
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Church
[nave] CHURCH, the collective body of believers. Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics Called in the O.T., The Congregation, Ex. 12:3, 6, 19, 47; 16:1, 2, 9, 10, 22; Lev. 4:13, 15; 10:17; 24:14. Called in the N.T., Church, Matt. 16:18; ...
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Gentiles
[nave] GENTILES. Unclassified Scriptures Relating to Jer. 10:2, 3; Matt. 6:7, 8, 31, 32; Acts 14:16; Acts 17:4, 16, 17, 22-27; Rom. 1:18-32; Rom. 2:1-15; 1 Cor. 10:20; 1 Cor. 12:2; Gal. 2:15; Eph. 2:12; Eph. 4:17-19; Eph. 5:12; 1...
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Salvation
[nave] SALVATION (Scriptures relating directly and remotely to a topic of the nature of this one, are difficult to separate accurately into sub-topics without giving space beyond reasonable limits. The plan of salvation, begun and ...
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PROMISE
[isbe] PROMISE - prom'-is (most frequently in the Old Testament dabhar, "speaking," "speech," and dabhar, "to speak" also 'amar, "to say," once in Ps 77:8, 'omer, "speech"; in the New Testament epaggelia, and the verbs epaggellomai...
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PAULINE THEOLOGY
[isbe] PAULINE THEOLOGY - pol'-in: I. THE PREPARATION 1. The Pharisee 2. Saul and Sin 3. Primitive Christianity II. THE CONVERSION 1. Christ 2. The Spirit 3. The Unio Mystica 4. Salvation 5. Justification III. FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS ...
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BODY
[isbe] BODY - bod'-i: I. PHILOLOGICAL: Generally speaking, the Old Testament language employs no fixed term for the human body as an entire organism in exact opposition to "soul" or "spirit." Various terms were employed, each of wh...
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HEIR
[isbe] HEIR - ar: 1. The Word "Heir": In the New Testament "heir" is the invariable translation of kleronomos (15 times), the technical equivalent in Greek, and of the compound sunkleronomos, "co-heir," in Rom 8:17; Eph 3:6; Heb 11...
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MYSTERY
[isbe] MYSTERY - mis'-ter-i (musterion; from mustes, "one initiated into mysteries"; mueo "to initiate," muo, "to close" the lips or the eyes; stem mu-, a sound produced with closed lips; compare Latin mutus, "dumb"): Its usual mod...
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PAUL, THE APOSTLE, 1
[isbe] PAUL, THE APOSTLE, 1 - pol, I. Sources 1. The Acts 2. The Thirteen Epistles (1) Pauline Authorship (2) Lightfoot's Grouping (a) First Group (1 and 2 Thessalonians) (b) Second Group (1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, (c...
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BIBLE, THE, V INSPIRATION
[isbe] BIBLE, THE, V INSPIRATION - V. Unity and Spiritual Purpose--Inspiration. 1. Scripture a Unity: Holy Scripture is not simply a collection of religious books: still less does it consist of mere fragments of Jewish and Christia...
Questions
- The word "mystery," found in Mark 4:11,12 as in certain other places in Scripture, is not used in the classical sense of religious secrets or things incomprehensible, but of things of purely divine revelation-- matters foresh...
- Prophets are clearly distinct from teachers. In basic terms, a prophet is one through whom revelation is given, while a teacher is one who explains revelation. In Acts 13:1 we find that both prophets and teachers were mini...
- God want's us to be compassionate to others in need, but we must always realize our prime purpose is to proclaim the gospel and nurture them to maturity in Christ. The New Testament does not proclaim a social gospel as it is ...
- The question you asked is one that has been long debated even among dispensationalists and it has been used by those who oppose Dispensationalism. With all such theological questions, we must seek our answers in the Scripture...
Sermon Illustrations
Resources/Books
Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)
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Chapters 1-9, as we have seen, contain discourses that Solomon evidently wrote urging his sons to choose the way of wisdom for their lives.92At 10:1 we begin the part of the book that sets forth what the wise way is in a vari...
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8:5 Centurions were Roman military officers each of whom controlled 100 men, therefore the name "centurion."They were the military backbone of the Roman Empire. Interestingly every reference to a centurion in the New Testamen...
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The difference between this teaching and Jesus' parables in the Synoptics now becomes clearer. Jesus proceeded to compare Himself to the pen gate as well as to the Shepherd. He also described Himself leading His sheep into th...
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The raising of Lazarus convinced Israel's leaders that they had to take more drastic action against Jesus. John recorded this decision as the high point of Israel's official rejection of God's Son so far. This decision led di...
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3:17-18 If Peter's charges against his hearers were harsh (vv. 13-15), his concession that they acted out of ignorance was tender. Peter undoubtedly hoped that his gentle approach would win a reversal of his hearers' attitude...
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Luke recorded this incident to show the method and direction of the church's expansion to God-fearing Gentiles who were attracted to Judaism at this time. This man had visited Jerusalem to worship, was studying the Old Testam...
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Luke now returned to Peter's continuing ministry in Judea. Luke apparently recorded the healing of Aeneas and the raising of Tabitha to show that the gospel was being preached effectively in a region of Palestine that both Je...
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10:44 Peter did not need to call for his hearers to repent on this occasion. As soon as he gave them enough information to trust Jesus Christ, they did so. Immediately the Holy Spirit fell on them filling them (v. 47; 11:15; ...
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Now Paul put the remnant aside and dealt with Israel as a whole. Even while Israel resists God's plan centered in Messiah, the Lord is at work bringing Gentiles to salvation. Gentile salvation really depends on Israel's coven...
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Paul's reference to the Holy Spirit's power (vv. 4-5) led him to elaborate on the Spirit's ministry in enlightening the minds of believers and unbelievers alike. The Corinthians needed to view ministry differently. The key to...
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The Book of Ephesians enables us to view God's creation from an alpine altitude. When we study this book, it is as though we have climbed a high mountain peak because the book gives us that kind of perspective on what God has...
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I. Salutation 1:1-2II. The Christian's calling 1:3-3:21A. Individual calling 1:3-2:101. The purpose: glory 1:3-142. The means: knowledge 1:15-233. The motive: grace 2:1-10B. Corporate calling 2:11-3:191. Present unity 2:11-22...
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In most of his epistles Paul began by setting forth foundational truth and then concluded by applying that truth to the lives of his readers. This pattern is very obvious in Ephesians where the first three chapters deal with ...
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". . . the first three chapters are one long prayer, culminating in the great doxology at the end of chapter 3. There is in fact nothing like this in all Paul's letters. This is the language of lyrical prayer, not the languag...
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Paul began to pray for his readers again (cf. vv. 1, 14), but he interrupted himself to tell them more about the church. What he said in this section gives background information concerning the church as a mystery.3:1 "For th...
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Paul had explained that Jews and Gentiles are one in Christ (2:15). Therefore he prayed that they might experience the unity that was theirs spiritually in their relations with one another. Verses 14-19 are also one sentence ...
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Practical application (chs. 4-6) now follows doctrinal instruction (chs. 1-3).
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Paul had explained the unity of Jewish and Gentile believers in the church and had prayed for the realization of that unity in experience (2:11-3:21). He now told how to attain a spiritual walk, namely a life that manifests t...
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4:1 "Therefore"or "then"refers to what Paul had said in chapters 1-3. To walk worthily or in balance means to harmonize one's conduct with his or her calling. Calling here refers to God's calling to live in unity as Jews and ...
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The resumptive inferential particle translated "Therefore"marks the beginning of a new paragraph in Paul's thought (cf. 4:1, 17; 5:1, 15). He related three commands concerning walking (living) in the light in these verses and...
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That this section is distinct from the five that precede it is evident from two facts. Paul introduced it differently, and the emphasis in it is on God's resources. Earlier Paul urged the strengthening and growth of the body ...
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Abbot, T. K. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians. International Critical Commentary series. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1897.Aldrich, Roy L. "The Gift of God."Biblioth...
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Paul's role in the household of God (the meaning of "stewardship") was that of a servant who fully expounded God's revelation for the benefit of his Gentile readers."He was a servant of the church, but in the deepest sense he...
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Paul explained his reason for writing this epistle and, in particular, what he had just said. He did so to impress on Timothy a view of the church that was foundational to all his instructions in this letter.3:14-15 In view o...
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Peter reminded his readers that the prophets had predicted that Jesus Christ's life, as their own lives, would include suffering followed by glory. He mentioned this to encourage them to realize that their experience was not ...