Category Archives: Bible commentary

The honor of family and blood; Ephesians 1:7

Bible commentary, Bible study, Ephesians, Honor and shame, Uncategorized

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
–Ephesians 1:7

Concerning family and blood, Jerome Neyrey says,

…the most important institution in antiquity was the family, which conveyed to its members their personal identity and social standing. … all the members of the family share in its reputation: all rejoice in its honor and all share in its shame. Honor, then, is symbolized by family blood” (Neyrey, p. 21).

Remember that in Ephesians 1:5 we were “predestined for adoption …” From the perspective of honor and shame, adoption into God’s family makes more sense when understood as a transaction secured by family blood. Jesus, the Son of God, shed his blood for the forgiveness of our trespasses. Our trespasses, our sins, are what separate us from God. It is the source of our inescapable guilt and total shame before God.

But “we have redemption through his blood for the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace.” This then becomes the base of our new identity, having our guilt and shame removed to secure our new righteousness and honor before God.

The honor of adoption; Ephesians 1:5–6

Bible commentary, Bible study, Ephesians, Honor and shame

he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
–Ephesians 1:5–6 ESV

That God the Father “predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ” is an incredible bestowal of honor. To be “adopted as sons” meant taking on the family name of the Most High God. This has the following characteristics:

  1. This adoption is predestined. It will, it must come to pass! This relational healing and restoration, this honor-laden relationship must come forth!
  2. This adoption is through Jesus Christ: the mediator is none other than the Son of God Himself. This is no secondary ambassador, but the second Person of the Trinity in whom the adoption is transacted.
  3. This adoption is “according to the purpose of his will.” There is a plan, an intelligent strategy, a Story with infinite meaning rooted in the mind of God. The sense of destiny rooted in eternal God is itself an expression of honor and glory, of weightiness and density. This is the very antithesis of a the modern belief in evolution which considers the human being a mere ‘accident.’
  4. This adoption is “to the praise of his glorious grace.” What is the ultimate reason for all this? … honor and glory to God! … praise for the grace, the charis, the magnificent gift so undeserved, which has been poured out on his followers, those who are in Christ, in “the Beloved.”

The honor of being chosen; Ephesians 1:4

Bible commentary, Bible study, Ephesians, Honor and shame

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
–Ephesians 1:4 ESV

That we are so richly honored is evidenced by the fact that our lives have been chosen by God in eternity past to be “holy and blameless before him.” This verse has profound implications:

  1. The infinite sovereign mind and power of God can tie together eternity past and present, heavenly and earthly dimensions, the divine and the human.
  2. Being “chosen” is not merely something God gives to individuals. Notice that “…he chose us…” This truth is about a community and is in a letter being written to a community! Everyone in the community is being lifted in their honor—this is not a zero-sum game in which some gain honor while others lose.
  3. There is a grand narrative, a Story above all stories—with purpose, plan, time, intelligence, creativity, relationship.
  4. The ultimate reality, that is, the “goal of The Story above all stories” is that we are before him, radiant with glory and honor, completely unashamed in relational beauty: indeed, blameless! This idea of standing before God Almighty, not with guilt and shame—but blameless—is utterly astounding in conveying honor to the ones before him.
  5. This holiness and blamelessness is—to come—it happens later on. In one sense, like God’s kingdom—it is already, for we are already forgiven—but is mostly not yet. Just as God in his sovereign power and infinite wisdom has the ability to choose us before the foundation of the world, he also has the ability to make us holy and blameless in eternity future. This is a psychological / spiritual place of peace and rest. It is the foundation of my security, my honor, my glory as an eternal living person.

This verse is so heavy-laden with honor and relational glory that it boggles the mind. Why would Almighty God the Father do this? It can only be because, “In love…”

Concerning Ephesians 1:3

Bible commentary, Bible study, Ephesians, Honor and shame, Uncategorized

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places
–Ephesians 1:3 ESV

“Blessed be” is another way of saying “honor to.” Consider the dynamics, the motion, the extent of blessing and honor in this verse: “Blessed be the God … blessed us in Christ … with every spiritual blessing …”

Here in Ephesians 1:3, honor is being directed toward God, who, in turn, has honored and graced us in Christ … with a transcendence so high and vast that it is “in the heavenly places.” On the one hand it is almost unimaginable, but on the other hand Paul states it in the past tense (he “has blessed us in Christ”)—it is complete … finished … a settled fact.

The Fatherhood of God toward Christ is extended to us—what an honor!—for the simple matter of fact that we as believers are IN CHRIST.

Concerning Ephesians 1:1: — an overview

Bible commentary, Bible study, Ephesians,

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
–Ephesians 1:1 ESV

This is the letter of a most honorable man, Paul the sent one, the apostle—representing the most honorable Person in the universe, Christ Jesus.

The letter is to “saints”—holy ones—believers living in a city called Ephesus in which was contained one of the wonders of the world—the temple of Artemis. It was a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city, one of significantly greater honor than other cities or smaller towns. The ESV Study Bible states:

An important port city on the west coast of Asia, Ephesus boasted the temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world). Just a few decades before Paul, Strabo called Ephesus the greatest emporium in the province of Asia Minor (Geography 12.8.15; cf. 14.1.20–26). However, the silting up of the harbor and the ravages of earthquakes caused the abandonment of the harbor city several centuries later. Today, among the vast archaeological remains, some key structures date from the actual time of the NT.

The grandiose theater, where citizens chanted “great is Artemis of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:29–40), had been enlarged under Claudius near the time when Paul was in the city. It held an estimated 20,000 or more spectators. The theater looked west toward the port. From the theater a processional way led north toward the temple of Artemis. In the fourth century b.c. the Ephesians proudly rebuilt this huge temple with their own funds after a fire, even refusing aid from Alexander the Great. The temple surroundings were deemed an official “refuge” for those fearing vengeance, and they played a central part in the economic prosperity of the city, even acting at times like a bank. A eunuch priest served the goddess Artemis, assisted by virgin women. Today very little remains of that once great temple beyond its foundations and a sizable altar, although the nearby museum displays two large statues of Artemis discovered elsewhere in Ephesus.

This is an epistle, a letter which from beginning to end—is reverberating with the values, both explicitly and implicitly—of honor and shame.