WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 07: Prayer for Inner Strength

Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21 Context: Why does Paul emphasise praying to “the Father from whom every family… derives its name”? Prayers to God are vast enterprises, even as God is vast. The aspect of God that we refer to in prayer gives a great indication of what we’re saying is important in this prayer. The first […]

WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 06: Paul’s Ministry to the Gentiles

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 […]

WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 05: Unity in Christ

Reading: 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 […]

WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 04: Dead to Alive

Reading: 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 […]

WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 03: Paul’s Prayer for Wisdom

Reading: 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 […]

WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 02: Chosen and Blessed

Reading: 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 […]

WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 01: Book Overview

Context: Ephesians – Who Wrote It, When, and Why It Matters Paul identifies himself as the author twice in the text (1:1, 3:1), and the early church overwhelmingly accepted his authorship. Paul wrote Ephesians from house arrest in Rome, somewhere around AD 60 to 62, making it one of four so-called “prison epistles” alongside Philippians, […]

WIWO: Mark – Episode 25: Review and Reflection

Four C’s Questions for the Entire Gospel: Context: How has your understanding of first-century Judea and religious conflicts enhanced your reading of Mark? Jesus is interacting and engaging with a world that is divided politically and religiously. And in those divisions, people are looking to assert a degree of authority and to establish some hope […]

WIWO: Mark – Episode 25: Resurrection and Commission

Reading: Mark 16:1-20 Context: Why are the women going to the tomb, and what do they discover there? The women love Jesus. The women seek to honour the body of the one that they love. This is an expression of great affection and care, even for one they expect to be dead. When they arrive […]

WIWO: Mark – Episode 24: Gethsemane, Trial, and Crucifixion

Reading: Mark 14:32-15:47 Context: What does Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane reveal about His humanity and obedience to the Father? The prayer reveals Jesus’ appreciation for the gravity of the situation and, even at this late stage, appeals to the Father, who can do anything. At the same time as He appeals, He knows the decision […]