Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,
Summary: Paul’s words require that we take a close look at the gear that Roman soldiers wore every day.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:14a – The Belt of Truth”Ephesians 6:6 – God and Me
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.
Summary: Why be nice to our boss if the boss isn’t nice to us? The answer has to do with our relationship with our God.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:6 – God and Me”Ephesians 5:31 – Uncontrolled Growth
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
Summary: Following the bread crumbs in Paul’s thinking leads us to a meditation on how cancer affects the body. How does the metaphor of cancer provide guidance for the modern family and church?
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:31 – Uncontrolled Growth”Ephesians 5:11 – Good Guy or Bad Guy?
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
Summary: Paul’s instruction in this passage seems simple on the surface. The challenge is trying to agree on what it means to be “good” and “bad.” Turning to God’s Word is the only reliable source of finding out.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:11 – Good Guy or Bad Guy?”Ephesians 4:16 – What if God Sneezed?
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Summary: Paul continues with his description of the body of Christ, and with it, we continue our exploration of what that means.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:16 – What if God Sneezed?”Ephesians 4:14 – Taking Control
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Summary: Looking back in time we find a real-life example of what Paul is talking about in this passage. Thinking about Paul’s words in the light of the Old Testament helps us understand what he was trying to say.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:14 – Taking Control”Ephesians 4:13c – Perfection
… and become mature …
Summary: How we use language impacts how we think and what we do. It has a powerful influence on what we believe, too.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:13c – Perfection”Ephesians 4:13a – Forgive Like Jesus
… until we all reach unity in the faith …
Summary: Looking at the question of unity causes us to ask, “What causes disunity?” The answer could include a million things, but today we look at the need to forgive.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:13a – Forgive Like Jesus”Ephesians 4:10 – Things, No-Things, and All Things
He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.
Summary: Deciphering Paul’s thinking can be a challenge, but it can also be very rewarding. In this passage, Paul gives us a clue as to the details of God’s plan for the redemption of humankind.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:10 – Things, No-Things, and All Things”Ephesians 4:9 – Finding Heaven
What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?
Summary: Looking at today’s passage tells us as much about Paul as it tells us about Jesus.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:9 – Finding Heaven”