Blogging the Bible

1:15-23 of this letter is believed to have been used as a doxology for the early church. A doxology is a expression of praise to God. This praise says that Jesus is:
the image of the invisible God
the firstborn of all creation
creator of all things (visible and invisible)
before all things
holding all things together
head of the body (the church)
the beginning
the firstborn of the dead
first place in everything
It was the Father’s good pleasure that
all the fullness (of deity) should dwell in him
to reconcile all thing through him
to make peace through his blood
reconciled all through his death
to present us before him (God) holy and blameless
This is quite a list of praise! Is there any doubt when you read this that Jesus is God? The great mystery and distinctive of the Christian faith is that God is triune–three in one. One being in essence made up of three persons. The math does not seem to work, but God is bigger than our math and his being transcends the capability of our minds to grasp.

The triune God, rather than being a problem, actually helps explain all sorts of aspects of creation and life that otherwise would be hard to understand. But the creation reflects God’s character and so you have unity in diversity everywhere you look. You have interdependence everywhere you turn. The more we learn about the universe the more we realize it is bigger than we can measure. Why would we expect otherwise from a Creator who is bigger than we can understand?!

A powerful statement by Paul exists in 3:7-11. According to Paul everything else in life is like garbage compared to knowing Christ. In the context of the time, Paul is referring to a place outside the city where all the garbage and refuse was dumped. It was a stench! Paul says that everything in life, when compared to Christ, is like this…rubbish and a stench. Paul is willing to lose everything for Christ and he did. He eventually would give up his own life for the faith.
I wonder how we compare in our value of Christ. For Paul it surpassed everything else. To know Christ and the power of his resurrection AND the sharing of his suffering was what Paul wanted more than anything else.
Verse 12-16 he recognizes that he has not attained but is pressing on toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus. It is like a race for Paul and all his time and energy are going into winning this race. Everything that gets in the way of following Christ is set aside, everything that he needs to follow Christ he holds onto.
This is a daily routine for all of us if we are to be like Christ—of the same mind as chapter two tells us to be. Daily we have to examine what we do and say and determine if it helps us press toward being more like Jesus or if it is getting in the way. Oh that we had a well developed olfactory sense so that we could “smell” what is getting in the way like we smell garbage!

The second chapter of Philippians is amazing! Verses 1-11 include several of the most foundational teachings of Christianity.
First, the nature of Christian community (remember Ephesians 4?) is that we do not look out for ourselves, but for others and regard them as better than ourselves. The church is a community ordered around loving others not loving ourselves.
Second, the nature of Christ is explained. He was equal with God—Christ is God. But God in Christ gave up all his heavenly glory in order to come to earth and died. We know from other passages that it was for our sins that he died. He was the sin offering that pays for our sin and allows us to have peace with God (Rom. 5). But there is more yet! He did not stay dead! Because he was so obedient in giving up his privilege, God exalted him and gave him a name above all names (after all he is God!).
Finally, the end of all things is briefly explained. In the end, not just Christians, but every person in all the world—every tongue will confess and every knee will bow—will recognize Jesus as Lord to the glory of God the Father. Some day there will be no debate. Some day there will be no competition for worship. Jesus, God come in the flesh, will be seen by all as God above all gods and everyone (heaven, earth and under the earth, what else is left?) will acknowledge it.
This nature of Jesus is the reason Paul tells us to regard others as better. It is Jesus ‘ example. He was “better” than everyone, but he gave up his life for us. What on earth is there that we should refuse to do for each other?!

Chapter 4:11-16 of Ephesians is one of the most important passages of scripture on the nature of the church. The keys are in the focus of the church. The focus is not the pastor. The focus is not the individual. The focus is the building up of the body–all the members of God’s family–for the work of ministry. To put it as plainly as I know how, the church exists for others. Being a part of the church matures me–makes me more like Christ–and as I mature I am equipped more and more to do the ministry Christ gave the church to make his love known to all the world. According to these verses we are to be sure of what we believe (not tossed by every wind of teaching or doctrine) and we are to speak the truth in love to each other. There is no other place on earth where people are equipped and an organization is designed to do this. Many organizations love people, and many speak the truth. But truth and love together are a rare find. It is the example of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives that gives us the ability to do this. Jesus tells us the truth about ourselves. We are sinners. But Jesus also died for our sin–loves us enough to give up his life for us! He spoke the truth and he loved.

Chapter 5 is a famous chapter because it is often used to teach the way the home is to be organized and lead. I want to correct one very common error in interpreting the passage beginning in 5:21. This passage is often used to teach the “subjection” of wives to their husbands. This is one of those passages where the original language is very important in clearly interpreting what is said. In the Greek a verb could be used in one sentence and left out of the subsequent sentences and the reader understood that the “missing verb” meant that you had to refer back to the last sentence that had the verb in it. In 5:21-30 the primary verb is “subject one to another.” This command is the ordering principle of everything that follows, because in the Greek there is no distinction made between how the husband acts toward the wife and the wife toward the husband. They are both to be subject to the other. They are both to love the other. It is not correct to say the wife ought to subject herself to the husband and the husband ought to love the wife. Verse 28 is translated “in the same way” and is as close as it gets to the Greek meaning but still leaves out the original verb. Verse 22 says, “wives be subject to your husbands,” and verse 25 should say “husbands, be subject to your wives.” This is the intention of the original Greek. Its all about mutual subjection in the home and in the church, Paul says.

Equally as important and often missed is verse 32 where Paul says that this is a great mystery, and he is talking about Christ and the church. What happened? Just a second ago I thought he was talking about husband and wife. What the scripture reveals is that marriage between a Christian husband and wife is designed to be a reflection of the love Christ has for the church and the church for Christ. Christ laid down his life for the church and the church’s life is to be given back to Christ. Christ subjected himself to death on a cross for the church and the church is to subject herself to whatever is necessary to love Christ in return–give up everything to serve Christ.

Chapter 6 talks about slavery and obviously, we do not believe slavery is right. But the kind of slavery Paul is talking about was more like what we would call an employee today. The text is talking about responsibility to perform work as unto the Lord no matter who is paying your wages! And verse nine is the clincher! Master treat your slaves right because you both have the same master!!

The bottom line to the ordering of all these relationships is that when Christ is Lord all the rest of us are to love and serve one another as he has loved and served us irregardless of our title or station in life. We are not to use any power we have against others, but for others. This is what Christ did for us. Though he was equal with God, Philippians says, he gave it all up, emptied himself to the point of death on a cross, so that we might be forgiven and have life everlasting. This is subjection! Oh that we would subject ourselves to each other in this way!

I love this first chapter of Ephesians. Just look at all that God has given us “in Christ.” He has given us EVERY spiritual blessing. He
Chose us in Christ
To be holy and blameless
In love he predestined us
To be adopted as sons and daughters
Gave us
His glorious grace freely
Redemption
Forgiveness
Lavished us with God’s grace
Revealed the mystery of his will to us
Predestined to work out everything for us
For the praise of his glory
Included in Christ
Marked with the Holy Spirit
A deposit guaranteeing our inheritance

Wow! What a list! All this we are freely given because of Christ. What Christ has done has made us spiritually rich beyond our wildest dreams. Our lives are made rich for the praise of his glory… a win-win situation!