Tag: Ephesians
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Reading Ephesians (Ephesians 6:21–24)
Paul’s closing greeting in Ephesians is a good opportunity to summarise what the letter is all about and to remember why it’s worth reading and reflecting on it.
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Prayer: the heart of evangelism (Ephesians 6:17–20)
One of the best things we can pray for is that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will go out to the world, both through us and through others.
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The importance of being a struggling Christian (Ephesians 6:14–16)
Do you ever feel like the Christian life is a struggle? Struggling is normal for Christians. In fact, it’s not just normal. Christians should be struggling!
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Stand your ground (Ephesians 6:10–13)
It’s easy to ignore the spiritual realities of life. But Paul reminds us we should live our ordinary, everyday lives in light of spiritual realities.
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The gospel for the boss (Ephesians 6:9)
Authority implies responsibility. Christians, who have a heavenly Lord and Saviour, have a special reason to be responsible in the way we use our authority.
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The gospel: beyond freedom (Ephesians 6:5–8)
What do you do if you find yourself in a situation of limited economic freedom? Paul shows how that situation can be transformed by the gospel.
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The gospel and fatherhood (Ephesians 6:4)
Fathers: Do you sometimes wish your children were born with an instruction manual? Being a dad is a big responsibility. Paul here provides valuable direction.
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Paul the Apostle does children’s ministry (Ephesians 6:1–3)
Children’s ministry is important. Paul’s short instruction to children is deeply soaked in theology, biblical theology, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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The gospel and marriage part 2: Husbands (Ephesians 5:25–33)
The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches husbands to take initiative to love and give themselves to their wives. This radical teaching involves both actions and attitudes.
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The gospel and marriage part 1: Wives (Ephesians 5:22–24)
What Paul says in Ephesians about Christian wives and submission only makes sense in light of what he’s already said about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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My SBL 2019 Paper on Ephesians 2:19–22
I’ll be presenting a paper on Ephesians 2:19–22 at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting on 23 November 2019: Lionel Windsor, “Plural Constructions and Post-supersessionist Possibilities in Ephesians 2:19–22” Abstract The final sentence of Ephesians 2 (vv. 19–22), which describes gentile inclusion using an extended construction metaphor, is awash with interrelated exegetical issues. These…
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Submitting to one another (Ephesians 5:21)
In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul says to “submit to one another through respect for Christ”. What does he mean? What does he not mean? And how can we do it?
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Christian singing: Why and how? (Ephesians 5:19–20)
Why do Christians sing together? How should we do it? Christian singing should involve several dimensions: horizontal, personal, and vertical.
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What’s wrong with drunkenness? (Ephesians 5:18)
Believers in Christ have a profound reason to avoid drunkenness. That’s because believers in Christ have a reason to live, hope, and act wisely.
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Watch how you walk (Ephesians 5:15–17)
It’s good to have ambitious goals for our Christian lives. But we mustn’t be naïve or unprepared. We need to be deliberate and careful about how we walk.
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Living light (Ephesians 5:11–14)
How should Christians relate to the world around us? Should we withdraw, or should we engage? How do we know which action to do when?
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The test that matters (Ephesians 5:10)
We live in a world full of tests and measurements. Believers in Christ should also test our lives. But when we do, we need to use the right standard.
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Children of light (Ephesians 5:8–9)
Believers in Christ have had their very identity changed: once darkness like the world, but now light. The challenge is to believe it, and to live it.
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What do you want to become? (Ephesians 5:5–7)
Our dreams drive our daily actions. In 5, 10, 20 years, what will you have become? Living in grace as an imitator of God, or a partner with the world?
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Holy talk (Ephesians 5:3–4)
Often we try to fit in with others by the way we speak. But God calls believers to be holy, not filthy, in our speech, even if it sounds strange to others.
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Imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1–2)
Christians are God’s dearly loved children, raised from death to life and secure with him, now and forever. This is what gives us the power to sacrifice.
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The power of forgiveness (Ephesians 4:31–32)
Believers are to forgive, as God has forgiven us. Forgiveness is not only possible for believers, it’s also powerful for our lives and relationships.
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Words with purpose (Ephesians 4:29–30)
Christians have a whole new reason to speak. Instead of rotten words or selfish words, we are to speak good words: word that build and give grace.
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The gospel for criminals (Ephesians 4:28)
Paul preaches the gospel to thieves. God’s grace gives us a new identity. That means we have work to do: not so we can take, but so we can give.
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Grace and anger (Ephesians 4:26–27)
Whether our anger is right or wrong, we can’t deny it’s there. But because we belong to Christ, we must make it a priority to deal with anger. How?