< Previous20 • Paul is describing the process of maturing in our faith. By studying the bible and practicing the fruit of the Spirit, we are able to move from immaturity (infants in Paul’s metaphor) to maturity (adulthood). The risk of remaining in a place of spiritual immaturity is that we become susceptible to believe anything we hear. Instead, we should seek to “grow to become in every respect” like Christ. • “Speaking the truth in love” is intended to be an overflow of our posture towards others as Paul indicated earlier (v.2). • Followers of Jesus are called to “put off” the old self, leaving behind the lifestyle of sin apart from Christ, and to “put on” the new self and walk as Paul indicates earlier in the chapter. • The verbs “put off” and “put on” both appear in the aorist tense (one we don’t have in the English language). Aorist tense is used in Greek to discuss accomplished events rather than ongoing activities, therefore this putting off and putting on has already happened. For those who believe in Jesus, the old self has already been put off, and the new self has already been put on. Paul’s call to us then is this: live like it! • Because of what Jesus has done for us, our calling is to love one another well through humility, gentleness, patience, and unity. • “Worthy”; ( αξιως – axios) means “appropriately” or “equal weight.” Paul is instructing us that our calling and our conduct should be equal. 4:1-3 4:13-15 4:22-23 a closer look AT CHAPTER FOUR21 • What does this chapter teach us about God? (Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit) • What does this chapter teach us about people? • What would you consider to be the main points of this chapter? • How is Paul challenging or encouraging the original audience of this chapter? • Are there any verses that you find challenging or confusing? Why? • How do you think the original audience would apply this chapter to their lives? • In what ways are you being prompted to obedience from this chapter? • How does this chapter fill you with hope and expectation for what God has for your spiritual growth? Because we have been forgiven by God, the forgiveness we offer others can, by grace, be immense, flowing from an understanding of how much forgiveness we’ve received. Dig deeper 4:32 FOR CROSS-STUDY: • 4:15 see: 1 John 3:16-18 • 4:23 see: Romans 12:1-2 • 4:32 see: Matthew 18:21-3522 chapter Five 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them. 8 For 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) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”23 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Instructions for Christian Households 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.24 As a young child imitates their parents, so too we are called as believers to imitate God, our Father. We imitate God by “walking in the way of love”, the motivation for which is Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Every believer has been taken out of the “darkness” and brought into the “light” of Jesus. Since this is the reality of everyone who believes, we are leaving behind the things of darkness, which Paul lists in the previous verses. Paul connects the decisions we make to wisdom. Walking in darkness is unwise whereas walking in the light is wise. Wisdom isn’t simply obtaining and retaining knowledge, wisdom is aligning our conduct with the life of Jesus and taking advantage of every opportunity to live within God’s will. 5:1-2 5:8 5:15-16 a closer look FOR CROSS-STUDY: • 5:9 see: Galatians 5:22-24 • 5:31 see: Genesis 2:23-25* *Note on reference; the call to honor your parents is not just for children, but for everyone to continue honoring their mother and father AT CHAPTER FIVE25 • What does this chapter teach us about God? (Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit) • What does this chapter teach us about people? • What would you consider to be the main points of this chapter? • How is Paul challenging or encouraging the original audience of this chapter? • Are there any verses that you find challenging or confusing? Why? • How do you think the original audience would apply this chapter to their lives? • In what ways are you being prompted to obedience from this chapter? • How does this chapter fill you with hope and expectation for what God has for your spiritual growth? Dig deeper 5:21-33 • Before talking about marriage, Paul’s encouragement is to “submit to one another” out of respect for Jesus. • Marriage is ultimately a reflection of the relationship between Jesus and the Church (his people). While this passage is often used to attribute gender roles within a marriage, the imagery of a marriage to describe how Jesus loves his people is much more robust and beautiful. Jesus loves us sacrificially, humbly, and came to serve rather than be served. NOTE: The word “submit” can cause some friction when we read this passage, but an understanding of the historical context in which Paul is writing brings a lot of clarity. In ancient Roman culture, wives were merely at the mercy of their husbands. Husbands could divorce their wife for no reason and harm their wives for “misbehaving”. So when Paul writes “husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies” (v. 28), he introduced a radical new approach to marriage, one in which women were finally and fully valued. Valued to the extent that the call to the Christian husband was to lay down his life for his wife as Jesus did for the Church (v. 25). This relationship dynamic was unique to the Christian faith, and helps clarify that submission is best understood as a mutual reality, where both husband and wife give of themselves for their spouse.26 chapter six 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. 5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.27 The Armor of God 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For 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. 13 Therefore 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And 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 Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Final Greetings 21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. 23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.28 • We must understand that the powers of darkness are real. • The verb “put on” ( ενδυω - enduo) is an imperative here, meaning Paul is commanding his readers to urgently choose to dress themselves with the full armor of God. • We put on God’s armor to stand against the attacks of evil. a closer look 6:11 6:12 6:14 THE BELT OF TRUTH 6:14 THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS 6:15 SHOES OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE 6:16 THE SHIELD OF FAITH Anything and everything that is true is from God. We learn truth when we read the Bible and we live truth when we live lives of integrity. The illustration here is that of someone standing. Therefore Paul is saying that the gospel brings stability, giving us peace when it comes time to defend against the enemy. • Roman shields were made of wood but covered with leather to extinguish fiery arrows. • Our faith acts as our shield, the idea being that a resolute faith in Jesus is sufficient to hold off the attacks of darkness. AT CHAPTER SIX The righteousness of Christ makes us holy and should be seen as something to be practiced in the believer’s life. Just as a breastplate protected a soldier against an enemy’s attack, righteous living protects us from the schemes of darkness.29 • Roman helmets were heavy, hard, and very uncomfortable – meaning the helmet would only be put on when danger was imminent, giving a sense of safety. • Our salvation is an assurance of safety, knowing that we are eternally secure in Christ. Remember αρραβων (arrabon) from chapter 1 • Another way to read this would be “the sword given by the Spirit”, which Paul clarifies is the Word of God. • The Word of God here could refer either to the Bible, in which case knowing the scriptures allows us to combat darkness in our mind, or it could refer to calling out to God for help as Jesus did. Dig deeper 6:17 THE HELMET OF SALVATION 6:17 THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT FOR CROSS-STUDY: • What does this chapter teach us about God? (Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit) • What does this chapter teach us about people? • What would you consider to be the main points of this chapter? • How is Paul challenging or encouraging the original audience of this chapter? • Are there any verses that you find challenging or confusing? Why? • How do you think the original audience would apply this chapter to their lives? • In what ways are you being prompted to obedience from this chapter? • How does this chapter fill you with hope and expectation for what God has for your spiritual growth? • 6:2 see: Exodus 20:12-20 • 6:4 see: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 • 6:12 see: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 • 6:12 see: 1 Peter 5:8 • 6:17 see: Matthew 4:1-11Next >