Reading: Ephesians 3:1-13 Context: Why does Paul refer to himself as a “prisoner for Christ Jesus”? First, he is describing his current location. He’s in prison. The reason he’s in prison is because of Jesus. That is to say, in line with what it means to follow Jesus, he is facing opposition and resistance that […]
Read More WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 06: Paul’s Ministry to the GentilesThe Kingsman seeks to be more and more like Jesus; how does that work? This is all about what he learns and applies in his life from the process of sanctification as described in Scripture. A man doesn’t argue with the mirror when it shows him something true. He might not like what he sees, […]
Read More KMCD 35: Sanctification and the KingsmanReading: Ephesians 2:11-22 Context: What was the historical relationship between Jews and Gentiles in Paul’s time? Jews and Gentiles were antagonistically situated. The name Gentile is defined by not being a Jew. Jews were very proud of their identity and had practices that made them distinct from others. Rather than being a bridge to understand […]
Read More WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 05: Unity in ChristWhat is it like for the Kingsman to relate to Jesus, the King? It’s very much like what happens when a man finally stops wearing his own crown long enough to notice whose head it was always meant to sit on. A soldier can carry a great deal on borrowed authority for a long time […]
Read More KMCD 34: The Crown and the KingsmanReading: Ephesians 2:1-10 Context: What does Paul mean by being “dead in your transgressions and sins”? Two related realities help us to understand what Paul means by being dead in transgressions and sins. The first reality, linked to the spiritual poverty Jesus describes in the Beatitudes, is the state in which our condition before the […]
Read More WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 04: Dead to AliveWhat is it like for the Kingsman to relate to Jesus, the Crucified One? There’s a kind of silence that falls over a man when he finally stops explaining himself and simply stands still in front of what was done for him. That’s the silence the cross asks for before it asks for anything else. […]
Read More KMCD 33: The Cross and the KingsmanReading: Ephesians 1:15-23 Context: What prompted Paul to pray this prayer for the Ephesians? News reached a prison cell, and it turned straight into prayer. Paul opens with for this reason — pointing back to a report about the Ephesians: their faith in the Lord Jesus, their love for all the saints (v.15). This good […]
Read More WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 03: Paul’s Prayer for WisdomWhat is it like for the Kingsman to relate to Jesus, the Lamb of God? It’s very much like what happens when a man finally stops flinching at the cost of love because he’s seen exactly what it looked like, paid in full. Everything about how he gives himself to others changes once he’s stood […]
Read More KMCD 32: The Lamb and the KingsmanReading: Ephesians 1:1-14 Context: What does it mean that these blessings are “in the heavenly realms”? These blessings are already live – right now, in a realm I can’t see with my physical eyes. Paul uses “heavenly realms” as an active, present sphere. Here, Christ is already enthroned and where — remarkably — I already […]
Read More WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 02: Chosen and BlessedWhat is it like for the Kingsman to relate to Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah? It’s very much like what happens when a man already knows how the fight ends before he’s even walked into it. Everything about how he carries himself in the middle of it changes. That’s the position the […]
Read More KMCD 31: The Lion and the Kingsman
