Page 20 - Ephesians

I wouldn’t trade anything for those two words in 1:21, “Far
above”. I love them. Pray for Christians in trouble behind the
“bamboo” and the “iron curtain”. But remember, that every
Christian is in Christ, “Far above all rule and authority and
power and dominion and every name that is named”. No
Christian is at the mercy of communism, or cruelty, or any
circumstances.

Ephesians is perhaps the greatest book in the New Testament
concerning the Church. So prominent is the Church in
Ephesians, that many commentaries take it to be the theme of the
book. When you say the word “Church”, you are in a great arena.
Everybody registers something different. To some it is an
organized republic. To others, it’s almost a monarchy. Many see
it as an organized group, managed through an elaborate
machinery of human officers. There’s a movement in our country
today, to get back to the “New Testament idea” of church. We
hear of “the local church”, “corporate life”, “body life”, or “house
church”.

For many Christians, the church has become a nasty word. It is a
distasteful, hard place, where hypocrites dwell. It is often narrow,
legalistic and official. And in some cases, “tyrannical”. But
church, as it is used in this epistle, is inestimably precious. Take
down these references, 3:10 “Teaching angels”, 3:21 “Glory
given to the eternal Father in the church”, and in 5:23-25, 27,
29 and 32, “Spouse of the Lord”.

In Ephesians, we only have the “Spiritual Church”. Not once is it
described as, localized. Never is it an organization, or a
denomination. It is the ideal Church. The invisible Church. His
Body.

We are about to study a wonderful book. John Calvin called it,
“His favorite”. John Knox read it on his death bed. John Bunyon
based his “Pilgrim’s Progress” on it. A. T. Pierson called it,
“Paul’s third heaven experience”. Martin Luther referred to it as,
“The Holy of Holies”. J. Sidlow Baxter calls it, “The Alps of