Ephesians
Commencing 7th. May D.V.
A series of videos entitled ‘What is’ exploring various topics such as ‘The New Covenant’, ‘
The Meaning of the O.T. Sacrifices’, ‘The Meaning of the Tabernacle’ and others.
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 14
Exhortations to holy living
Children and parents
Servants and masters
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 13
Walk as childern of light,
Redeem the time,
Be filled with the Spiit,
Family life,
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 12
The Worthy Walk,
Keeping the Unity,
Be angry and sin not,
Give no place to the devil,
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 11
Recap,
The Mystery,
The church which is His body,
The new disensation.
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 10
One Body, one Lord, One baptism.
The perfecting of the saints.
Captivity led captive.
A silent Heaven.
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 9
he Lord’s Supper,
The passover – an annual remembrance, not weekly or monthly,
A body in Christ cp. The body of Christ,
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 8
A change of dispensation,
Signs and wonders cease,
Gifts of the Spirit, Gifts of Christ, – the difference.
Paul no longer able to heal the sick,
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 7
Jew and Gentile made equal,
Miracles cease, Tounges done away,
New gifts given.
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 6
The prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
The dispensation of the grace of God for you Gentiles,
The Mystery revealed to Paul exclusively,
Mamy Jewish believers offended and turn away.
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 5
Things hard to be understood
Spiritual enlightemnert required
The New covenant – not with the church
Is the church the Bride of Christ?
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 4
The Mystery
Jew and Gentile made one
The foundation of the apostles and prophets
Jesus Christ – the chief corner stone
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 3
A new sphere of blessing
Spiritual blessings in heavenly places
Christ’s inheritance in us
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 2
Paul – The apostle to the Gentiles
The faithful in Christ Jesus
Dispensational boundaries
Chosen in Him before the foundation of the world
Studies in the Book o f Ephesians
Part 1. Introduction
Ephesus, A city of idolitary and supersticion,
The godess Diana,
Paul’s earlier and later epistles,
“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee
“To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise”.
The question which is asked is this, did the thief go to “paradise” that day to be with Christ? Almost without a moments hesitation many Christians would answer “yes” but is that indeed what happened? Let us look carefully at the facts. The thief’s request was “Lord remember me when thou comest into Thy kingdom”. The thief was no doubt an Israelite and as such knew well the promises of the Old Testament regarding the Messiah and the kingdom He would reign over. He had read the superscription written over the Saviour’s head “This is Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews”. He had watched the Lord and listened to His words and realized He was indeed the King. The thief did not ask to be taken to heaven to be with the Lord when he died that day but for Christ to remember him when he came into His kingdom. Our Lord’s answer to him was regarding that day when His kingdom will be set up on earth otherwise it had no relevance. He promised the thief that he would be part of it when it would come. Later, after His resurrection the Lord told Mary “I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to My God, and your God”. Surely these plain words of scripture are clear, Jesus had not at that point ascended into heaven. The problem lies with the comma and where the translators have placed it in the verse. Greek scholars inform us that in the original greek there are no punctuation marks so it was at the discretion of the translators where they placed it. The words of Christ to the thief are easily understood when we recognize this important fact, He simply told him “I tell you today you will be with me in paradise”. The word “paradise” has the definite article and should read “The paradise”, not referring to heaven at all but the paradise of the kingdom set up on earth. Someone is sure to say that’s what the Jehovah Witnesses teach about this verse. We are not interested in what JW’S say and indeed recognize them as a false cult but we cannot change the true meaning of the verse just to get one over on them. The readers will see as we deal with other texts that it would have been scripturally impossible for the thief to go to heaven that day anyhow, but more on that later.
Luke 23.43 “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee
“To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise”.
The question which is asked is this, did the thief go to “paradise” that day to be with Christ? Almost without a moments hesitation many Christians would answer “yes” but is that indeed what happened? Let us look carefully at the facts.
The thief’s request was “Lord remember me when thou comest into Thy kingdom”. The thief was no doubt an Israelite and as such knew well the promises of the Old Testament regarding the Messiah and the kingdom He would reign over. He had read the superscription written over the Saviour’s head “This is Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews”. He had watched the Lord and listened to His words and realized He was indeed the King. The thief did not ask to be taken to heaven to be with the Lord when he died that day but for Christ to remember him when he came into His kingdom.
Our Lord’s answer to him was regarding that day when His kingdom will be set up on earth otherwise it had no relevance. He promised the thief that he would be part of it when it would come. Later, after His resurrection the Lord told Mary “I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to My God, and your God”. Surely these plain words of scripture are clear, Jesus had not at that point ascended into heaven.
The problem lies with the comma and where the translators have placed it in the verse. Greek scholars inform us that in the original greek there are no punctuation marks so it was at the discretion of the translators where they placed it. The words of Christ to the thief are easily understood when we recognize this important fact, He simply told him “I tell you today you will be with me in paradise”. The word “paradise” has the definite article and should read “The paradise“, not referring to heaven at all but the paradise of the kingdom set up on earth.
S omeone is sure to say that’s what the Jehovah Witnesses teach about this verse. We are not interested in what JW’S say and indeed recognize them as a false cult but we cannot change the true meaning of the verse just to get one over on them. The readers will see as we deal with other texts that it would have been scripturally impossible for the thief to go to heaven that day anyhow, but more on that later.