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Post by Josh on Feb 10, 2007 11:29:02 GMT -8
10/6/06: Mysterious Revelations Ephesians 3:2-3 Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. I love it when Paul assumes something that we don't know... In this case, we are only really given tantalizing clues as to what his revelation was really like. See 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 and Galatians 1:15-18 for a little more on what Paul's talking about here.
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Post by Josh on Feb 10, 2007 11:29:33 GMT -8
10/15/06:
Nic and I were talking today about how the claims of Ephesians are just so hard to really believe. I get the sense that Paul knew this would be the case in his prayer in Chapter 3:
16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
That's my prayer for all of us, as we wrestle with our own intense battles. I note above, that it seems the prerequisite to this knowledge of the depths of Christ's love, is to be 'rooted and established' in love. I think we are helping each other lay that groundwork, in our love for each other, so that we may understand His love in greater measures.
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Post by Josh on Feb 10, 2007 11:29:55 GMT -8
10/18/06:
An eschatological (study of the last things, commonly referred to as 'end times') side note:
Verse 21's reference to 'glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations' is a strong indicator that Paul may have indeed forseen a long Church age and not necessarily an immediate return of Christ, as is often argued.
I think Paul did certainly anticipate the eschatological significance of the events surrounding 70 AD, but those events would not mean 'the end of the world' as we know it, but the beginning of the age of the Church.
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