The gospel is good news of reconciliation - God sent Christ to bring reconciliation to this fallen universe (Eph. 1:10). At the center of this is the Christian's reconciliation to…
Eph. 2:11-18 “Peace for the Nations”
Mankind rightfully longs for peace and seeks it in various ways, whether through politics, economics, philosophy, etc. These may have some relative success, but it is never absolute. A permanent…
The Law’s Threefold Division
When someone wants to discredit the Bible's testimony, a common challenge is, "Why don't you stop eating shellfish?!" Sadly, many Christians don't know how to handle this objection, though they…
Ephesians 2:8-10 “Saved to do Good Works”
In Ephesians 1-2, Paul is adamant that the goal of salvation is the glory of God. But how does God get the glory? Is it as Pelagius thought, by a…
Eph. 2:1-7 “From Grave to Throne”
In a number of different ways, Paul's letter to the Ephesians answers the age-old question, "Why are we here?" In chapter 1, we learn that part of God's purpose for…
The Two Ages and the End Times
For some strange reason, American Protestants have abandoned their principle of allowing clearer texts of Scripture to guide their interpretation of less clear texts. This is especially evident when we…
Ephesians 1:15-23 “May God Grant Us Understanding”
In typical Paul-fashion, he includes a thanksgiving prayer near the beginning of this letter that relates to the recipient church's spiritual maturity and understanding. Paul thanks God for their faith…
Ephesians 1:11-14 “The Blessing of Our Inheritance”
Having praised God for the grace of election in Christ (1:3-6), which comes from eternity past, and having praised Him for the forgiveness of our sins, which we have in…
Eph. 1:7-10 “The Blessing of Reconciliation”
The early verses in Ephesians give us insight into the overarching script that God has written for creation. Not only has He chosen us in Christ to be blameless (1:3-6),…