4G Family

Ephesians 1:7-10

Ephesians 1:3-6 looks at the work of God the Father in choosing us to be part of his family before the creation of the world.

Even the opening verses of Ephesians are rich with the gospel . . . Ephesians 1:1-2

Ephesians

• Paul wrote it from Rome around 64AD

• 8 years (56AD) from Acts 19

• John wrote Revelation 2 around 96AD

• Much like Galatians it was written for more than one church but our Bibles today say “at Ephesus”

• All scripture is “God breathed” but the book of Ephesian “is special”.

• Most modern of all of Paul’s writings

• Unlike Galatians who’s audience was in the most part saved Jews. Ephesians was written to the more general audience of the Gentiles

• 32 years later (96AD) in Revelation Jesus said they had “left your first love”

In this lesson Art Morris covers the last 12 verses in Galatians 6.  The highlight is when Paul says in verses 14-15: "

¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation." Circumcision simply doesn't make any difference. The ONLY thing that matters is whether or not you're a new creation.

We closed out the class with this video of "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross".

  

This 4g lesson on Galatians 5:1-16 opens with emphais on the first verse “For freedom Christ has set us free”. But, Paul takes it further and says we have freedom FOR a purpose.

Commentator Scott McKnight offers this useful observation on this passage as well:  For the apostle, freedom involves “slavery to God and his will,” while for moderns freedom means doing whatever one wants; for Paul, freedom begins only in a relationship with God through Christ and in the Spirit, while for moderns freedom means being alone; for Paul, individual, social, and psychological freedom is the glorious outworking of what God can do in a person through Christ and in the Spirit, while for moderns these forms of freedom are the determining goal of life; for Paul, freedom was interdependence, while for moderns it is independence. Put differently, we cannot apply freedom in Paul to our society until we see that the two are at odds with one another. This forces us to decide: “We have only to choose between bondage to the Father, which makes us free, and bondage to the powers of this world, which enslaves us.”¹

See also, Romans 6.

1 McKnight, S. (1995). Galatians (p. 258). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

   16       Jesus said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also?
   17       “Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?
   18       “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.
   19       “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.
   20       “These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”


New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Mt 15:16–20). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Galatians 4: 1-20

One of those tenets of our faith and we are dogmatic about and hold with a very firm hand, it that of our Lord’s virgin birth. For without the virgin birth, God’s only son and Jesus living a sinless life would be in jeopardy. Paul’s announcement that Jesus was “born of a woman” puts this argument to rest.

As Abraham was justified by faith and made righteous, so we who believe by faith in Jesus finish work on the cross and we have Jesus righteous and become brothers of Jesus by adoption into the family of God. Verse 6 “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts” and we can cry DADDY and Jesus in our big brother.

In Galatians 3, a rich chapter, Paul explains that we are saved and are connected with the promise given to Abraham because of faith. He argues the point using examples from their personal experience, from scripture and from an example from daily life (as suggested by Scott McKnight in his NIV Application commentary).

Art Morris notes that it is tempting to follow the method of the Galatians and add things to the gospel. We can use surrogates to judge the authenticity of a person's faith. These substitutes may not be as obvious as the law that the Galatians appealed to. But, evaluating someone's faith based on externals (fashion, similarity with local culture or traditions, etc.) is risky and prone to prejudice.

Galatians 2

Paul continuous to lay out his case for his preaching to the gentiles and was moved by God in a “revelation” to go to Jerusalem. He needed to receive confirmation from the elders in Jerusalem that as far as the preaching of the gospel that everyone was on the same page. Man is never justified by the works of the Law but through faith this Christ Jesus alone.

Paul’s testimony and ours should be, Galatians 2:20 (NASB) 

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Art Morris teaches on Galatians, chapter 1. Topics mentioned included:

• The nature of authority
• That there was active opposition to the gospel in that day and we face active opposition now
• The story of Paul's life was different after conversion. How is your story different

One of the themes of the book might be the question: "Is the gospel enough?". For the churches that Paul was addressing, there was the problem of adding Jewish custom. What is it that we try to add? What keeps us from believing that the gospel is enough for us?

In this episode Bill Morris reviews background material, primarily from the book of Acts, regarding Paul and the context of his work with the churches in the region of Galatia. (the recording missed the first few moments of the lesson)

(the audio on this track fluctuates a bit)

The first section of the apportioning of the land is covered. Bill Morris begins the lesson with a brief review of Islam in the context of the current Middle East situation

Commentator James Montgomery Boice has a great summary of this section of Joshua. During this lesson from Art Morris, this passage from Boice is highlighted.  Also, the concept of typology is discussed.

Qualities of Leadership

The presence of Joshua is felt throughout the rest of the book that bears his name. In fact, the book ends with his great sermons to the leaders and people, in which he challenges them to choose God and serve him faithfully. Still, this is a good place to look back over this great general’s victories and ask about the qualities that made him such an exceptional leader. I see six of them.

1. Joshua did not let short-term gains deter him from long-range objectives. Joshua could have done this. The chief illustration is the discovery of the hiding place of the kings of the southern coalition during the running battle below Gibeon. The discovery of these kings was a great turn of fortune, most certainly given to Joshua by God. To have killed them would have been a great advantage. Nevertheless, Joshua realized that his chief task was the defeat of their armies and the occupation of the southern lands, so he had the cave in which the kings were hiding sealed up and dealt with them later.

Most Christians can learn from Joshua at this point, since we all are often confronted with good but short-range opportunities, and these frequently turn us aside from our chief tasks.

2. Joshua understood the need others have for visible encouragement. When Joshua returned to deal with the captured kings, he did not put them to death at once. Instead, he called his commanders forward and had them pass by him, putting their feet on the necks of the kings who had been made to prostrate themselves before him in the dust. Joshua encouraged his leaders, saying essentially what God had said to encourage him, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight” (Josh. 10:25). Joshua knew there would be many long and difficult battles ahead, and he saw that his commanders needed regular and dramatic encouragement to persevere.

So too today.

3. Joshua took no shortcuts but pursued the campaign in a logical, step-by-step progression. Even today students of Scripture are impressed with this man’s consistent and logical pursuit of the conquest. He defeated the kings and their armies. Then he proceeded step-by-step against the fortified towns. There was no other way to conquer the land completely. The progressive overthrowing of these cities, which is described so briefly in Joshua 10–12, took seven years.

It would help many of us to be as consistent as Joshua in our living of the Christian life.  . . .The Bible tells us that we are to read and study the Bible, pray, worship together with others of God’s people, witness to non-Christians, and serve others in specific ways. This is what works and has always worked, but it is no shortcut to maturity. It is just something we must do and continue to do throughout our lives as Christian people. Joshua is a model for us in this area.

4. Joshua did not allow his early errors to unsettle or defeat him. Joshua was a great leader, and God used him greatly. But this does not mean that Joshua was perfect. We are told of two mistakes made early in his campaigns. First, he attacked Ai on the advice of his spies without consulting the Lord and so suffered an ignominious defeat. There was sin in the camp. But he would have been told of this and could have dealt with it if he had consulted God first. Second, he was taken in by the ruse of the Gibeonites for the same reason. He made a decision on the basis of his observations and did not pray.

5. Joshua believed God implicitly. Theologian R. C. Sproul points out that there is a great difference between believing in God and believing God. Many people will say that they believe in God; that is, they admit that he exists. But they do not believe him; they do not believe what he says. Joshua believed God and, like all heroes of the faith, acted on that belief. God told him, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9). Joshua firmly expected God to defeat his enemies. So he attacked them anticipating victory.

6. Joshua obeyed completely. In my opinion the most important thing that is said about Joshua in this book is found in Joshua 11:15: “As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.” 

 Boice, J. M. (2005). Joshua (pp. 89–92). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Acutely aware of the successes of Joshua, the Gibeonites, made a deal with Joshua to be spared from destruction.