Ephesians 2:20-22 Bible Teaching

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Alright so we left off last week with verse 11 where Paul said to the Gentile believers in his day:

11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Ephesians 2.20-end
3.1-7
September 29th 2019
Milk

And that puts us with a couple remaining verses where Paul says:

20 And (YOU GENTILES) are (now – AUTOMATICALLY because of your faith and the mystery of being adopted in with the House of Israel) And you are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Okay, so lets go back to verse 20.

After having said:

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Paul adds

20 And are (YOU GENTILES) are (now – AUTOMATICALLY because of your faith in Christ and because of the mystery of being adopted in with the House of Israel) are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

The comparison of the Church to a building is common in the scriptures and here is no exception.

I have a question. When where the Gentiles invited to come into the faith – before prophets or after? Before Apostles were called or after? Both after. The foundation of apostles and prophets were laid well before the invitation to the Gentiles was extended to them.

From what people group were the prophets and apostles called? All Jews – every one of them.

And the chief cornerstone? A Jew – even Jesus Christ. This is telling as God worked in and through the Nation of Israel to bring about salvation to the world.

He did NOT work in and through the Gentile Nation in anyway with the exception of Luke who was an approved companion of Paul who wrote – but did not get anywhere near the category of apostle.

Once this foundation was established and in place the Gentiles were allowed to walk in and upon it.

This is important for a couple of reasons – one: foundations are laid and left alone. There is no re-pouring a foundation. Secondly, the foundation was of Jews – not some Gentile from Cache Valley Utah.

Right?

The foundation idea is going to play into another allusion Paul is going to make in a minute relative to the temple.

The indirect importance of this passage however is found in the writings of the Apostles and the Prophets that these Gentiles were standing upon.

The Apostles – mentioned first here, all wrote their interpretation on how the Christian life was to be lived while the Prophets all wrote about the ways and means of the living God according to the Law.

Taking both and considering them from what they wrote, the Gentiles converts stand on a pretty strong foundation of two witnesses culled out of the Nation God used to redeem the world of sin.

But Paul doesn’t stop with the foundation: he adds, “Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.”

Cornerstones and their importance cannot be overlooked when it comes to the integrity and stability of a building.

Speaking prophetically of the Lord Jesus Christ, Isaiah said:

Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

It is proverbial in scripture how the Jews would stumble over this cornerstone called Christ.

They were willing to receive some of the Prophets but the cornerstone was too much, and they stumbled over the need for it (Him) in their lives.

Paul wrote in Romans 9:31-33

But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Why? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

In other words the Jews could not accept the fact that they had to look to the Cornerstone in faith, and abandon the works of the Law, and they stumbled over this which Jesus presented thinking that they could save themselves without Him.

The Gentiles, standing on a foundation of Apostles and Prophets had less difficulty with the idea, and stood more readily on the Rock by faith.

This Rock, designed as a corner-stone to the church, became the very stone over which the Jews fell to their ruin as Peter wrote in 1st Peter 2:7-8

1st Peter 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

That last line is interesting because even though the church was built upon apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone, the foundation they themselves created, and the chief cornerstone who came from her loins, was ultimately the very cause of her demise, with them tripping over their absolute need for the one who could save them, and sending most of them in that age to an unfortunate end.

Peter says that it was to this that they were appointed, which hearkens back to the idea of predestination applying to God and them as a nation and NOT to individuals today as the Reformers tend to suggest.

In any case, Cornerstones are vital to buildings as they are the first stone set in the construction of masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.

If they are unstable or uneven or misplaced the whole building will wind up insecure.

Therefore cornerstones take a particular place of honor in construction of a building. Naturally, for Paul to call Jesus the chief cornerstone, he is saying that the whole stability of the church relies upon or rests on him.

Yes there is a foundation of His apostles and prophets but He sets the pace, if you will, and the direction and the stability for all that happens within it.

This is the foundation that Paul tells the Gentile converts of his are standing upon. And it makes great sense as we consider all that we have read about what they have all respectively done.

Now, ask yourself – is this literal, actual?
Are the apostles and the prophets actually laying there as the LITERAL foundation of a literal material building or structure?

Of course not. But was there an actual literal building or structure that once housed the Spirit of God?

There was. It was called the Holy Temple of the LORD who dwelled within her. It was located there on Mount Moriah and once a year God would come and visit and it was glorious.

But Paul has taken the imagery and essence of this temple and done what with it? He has spiritualized it and took PEOPLE (actual apostles and prophets and even the LORD JESUS HIMSELF) and made them the foundation of this temple to come.

Now when Paul did this, the first material temple was still standing, wasn’t it? But that temple had NOTHING to do with the Gentiles.

They couldn’t stand on its foundations and partake in what it was all about – it wasn’t for them AND it was going to fall to the dust as Jesus had promised even when He was alive.

No, for the Gentiles, there was another foundation being described. It was created by the holy contributions of Apostles and Prophets with Jesus Christ as the Chief cornerstone.

And the gentiles would stand on this spiritual foundation then and forevermore.

And then Paul adds (at verse 21)

21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

What? How on earth does a building “grow into a holy temple in the Lord?

When it is spiritual and made of the spiritual lives and hearts of people living by the Spirit and not the flesh. And it is here where Paul shifts from the former covenant in brick and mortar where God visited a temple made with hands to a habitation of people where God lives in a house of Spirit.

In the former material covenant there were people who went to the temple. In the new Covenant, believers are that temple

1st Corinthians 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

2nd Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

1st Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

BTW – This last verse slams the LDS idea that the Holy Spirit is with us, but instead clearly says that the Holy Spirit is IN us – therefore making the need for brick and mortar temples absolutely obsolete.

We also know that the Temple is Spiritual and living

1st Peter 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

And that the Sacrifices that occur in this temple are spiritual and living not material and dead. Listen to Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

And then we know that this temple is growing

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

In this sense we have harmony with Isaiah’s prophesy which says that Christ’s Kingdom with be ever-increasing!

And Paul wraps this chapter up saying and referring to Christ as the Chief Cornerstone: (verse 22)

22 In whom ye also are builded-together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Isn’t that radical?

The former building that allowed for the habitation of God was a singular location on Mount Moriah where once a year He would visit the Nation.

Now, because of Christ, Paul makes it clear that believers in Christ are

“building together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.”

In other words, as lively stones of God’s Spiritual temple, believers are jointly fit together upon the foundation of Apostles and Prophets, and are housing the Holy Spirit of God, making a habitation for Him.

That is radical. That is a real spiritual home which we all serve to make for the living God by and through Christ. And this brings us to CHAPTER 3. So lets read.

Building on what he just said Paul now writes:

1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

We can see that at this point Paul begins to explain His role as a special Apostles in bringing this Good News to the Gentile world and to welcome them into the body that was once limited to only members of the House of Israel. And so He writes beginning at verse 1:

1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

On account of this doctrine that I just shared, this idea that you are now welcomed onto the foundation of Apostles and Prophets as spiritual living stones in whom God Himself lives by the Spirit, “for this cause I Paul,” he writes before adding, “the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles.”

A prisoner is someone in the captivity and therefor the control of his or her captor. They are subject to do their will.

Paul here admits that He is in fact a prisoner not only in the service of the Lord Jesus but that he is a prisoner of Christ specifically “for you Gentiles.”

I think that there is more being said here than we might think – as Paul might be speaking literally here.

In other words, he might be referring to the fact that he was actually a prisoner in jail and if that’s the case this means Paul is writing this epistles from Rome (because that is where he was put in jail).

Interestingly, bible translator Tindal renders this line, “For this cause I, Paul, the servant of Jesus, am in bonds.”

And he is not alone in this interpretation.
So when he adds that he is a prisoner of Christ “for you Gentiles” we can suppose that he is saying that he was put in prison for preaching Christ to the Gentiles, which probably means that most of his troubles was BECAUSE he was preaching the Gospel TO the Gentiles, which was not well received by the Jews and for this reason he was put in bonds or prison.

The reason that this was not accepted was because the MYSTERY of which he speaks (which is that the Kingdom of God was accepting of Gentiles) was not known to most in that day and age – something that Paul will make clear in the next passages.

So, first Paul was taken first to Cesarea, and then to Rome where he was imprisoned. And he adds to the line
“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles” what appears to be a long parenthetical reference, which read in total says:

2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he (God) made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

And so to break this all down, the points Paul makes are as follows:

He wonders if they have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to Him for them (the Gentiles) HOW
That by revelation God made known unto him the mystery (and he adds in another parenthetical reference)
(as I wrote before in a few words where, when you read (them) you might understand Paul’s knowledge in the mystery he mentioned),
Which in other ages Paul maintains, was a mystery that was not made known unto the Sons of Men (as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets (what was revealed? The mystery. Which is what?
That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same body and partakers of His (God’s) promise in Christ by the Gospel, (and finally verse 7 where Paul adds:
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

I suggest to you that this dispensation discussed here, where the Gentiles were welcomed into the Kingdom of God along with the Gentiles (which was unheard of in that day and ages former) was referencing an economy specific to the period from when Cornelius and His family were first introduced to the Gospel by Peter, all the way out to when Jesu returned to take His church/bride.

I do not believe that we are still in this specific age but that this, what was seen as a VERY mysterious time by even Paul, was specific to the bride and the end of that first age when Jesus was coming back to take her and before that could happen all the prophesies specific to that day had to be fulfilled – and these included that the Gentile Nations would also be introduced to the Good News and have access to that Kingdom/Bride Jesus was coming to take.

This is not to say that all Nations do not continue to flow unto this Kingdom today making it ever increasing, but in Christ, in this age, there is no Gentiles because there is no Jews, and we are all flowing into the heavenly realm.

These passages are relative to the wrapping up of that day and that age and a close reading of them reveal this.

In any case, in THAT special dispensation, that economy, that age, God arranged for Paul to be the apostle to the Gentiles and he would make sure that they mystery was unveiled to the world of Jews at that time – much to their chagrin and resistance.

We have no such resistance today as the Gentile nations have essentially overwhelmed the Jewish converts to Christ and remain the majority stance.

So this mystery lost its mysteriousness nearly two thousand years ago. But in Paul’s day, look out, nobody was wanting those dirty rotten unwashed Gentiles included in the Kingdom of God.

In verse three Paul reminds us

“How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery” (meaning when he was called by Christ to do the work he would do among the Gentiles – which we read about in Acts 9 and 22)

“As I wrote afore in few words.”

Commentators do not necessarily agree on what Paul meant here when he said this.

Some think that he refers to what he had written in the two previous chapters respecting the plan of God to call the Gentiles to his kingdom but Calvin thinks that he refers to some former epistle which he had written to them which is lost to us.

We don’t know what he is referring to – so let’s leave it at that. But he adds something in (verse 4) that makes me think he is speaking of the first two chapters when he says:

4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.

I say this because when we covered chapter one of this epistle it was important to point out that Paul’s main focus was on this mystery, and that in focusing on this mystery we were able to understand contextually his comments on God’s predestination of the Jews. And then, of course, speaking of this troubling mystery, Paul adds at verse 5

5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

There are some people who try and suggest that this mystery was always known by the former prophets of the Old Testament. But Paul says that this in not true.

However, speaking of His day and age and that time he admits, saying:

“as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.”

Meaning, that in the early church, which the gates of hell could not prevail against, the Spirit worked mightily among people including men and women considered prophets or people possessing the gift of prophesy.

And what was this mystery that people were understanding by the Spirit? (verse 6)

6 That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

Look out. That was big news – the brunt of which Paul was bearing and the heat for doing so.

We have to try and put ourselves in that culture and mindset. It was absolutely unheard of for a Jew and Gentile to associate with each other.

This was a far greater infraction against social norms then the Civil Rights advances of the 1960’s.

And it takes people and cultures a LONG difficult time to allow merging of others who in a prior age were forbidden.

This mystery was squarely on the shoulders of Paul, and He was the one who was taking it out to His fellow Jews who had converted to Christ, and getting them to receive Gentiles as “fellow-heirs with the ancient people of god” – a people entitled to all the same privileges as themselves.

So Paul adds:

7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

I was not made this minister because of my merits or value and the effectiveness of my actions are not due to my own power but “according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me BY the effectual working of His power!

Which seems to be saying that Paul is not the one possessing the power to convert these Gentiles to the Truth but that energy and power belongs to God Himself who brings all to the truth by and through His power and never the power of Man.

This was the case then and this continues to be the case today.

I think we will stop here and pick it up at verse 8 here in chapter 3 next week.

Questions/Answers
Prayers

Nancy and Dave
Jax