00:00:00:30 – 00:00:34:35
Clint Loveall
Hey, thanks for, being back with us as we get about partway through the week here and, almost maybe a little better than halfway through our first chapter here, we did, make our way through the introductory sentence or, or paragraphs in English, but we moved to verse 15 today. And kind of with that introductory thought out of the way, Paul moves into what I think seems more like the beginning of a letter that we might be used to from him.

00:00:34:35 – 00:01:07:05
Clint Loveall
So, jump in, read a few verses here, we’ll come back and try to unpack them. I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you.

00:01:07:10 – 00:01:34:07
Clint Loveall
What are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints? And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power? So, as as Paul begins this letter here, really affirming words, beautiful words written to a church. What a wonderful compliment to say to a body of believers.

00:01:34:12 – 00:02:09:19
Clint Loveall
I have heard of your faith. I have heard of your love toward the saints. I know good things are happening there, and I do not cease to give thanks as I remember you in my prayers. This is Paul, I think, at his most pastoral. This is Paul encouraging a congregation. Paul celebrating a congregation. We mentioned Michael in the introduction that some people think this may have been a letter that circulated among the region.

00:02:09:24 – 00:02:40:43
Clint Loveall
I suspect maybe this is for those who don’t think that maybe this is a point in their favor that Paul seems to be mentioning a specific congregation, though maybe he has heard that of other churches as well. But I think these are the if someone of authority communicated to First Presbyterian Church, hey, we’ve heard that you people are trying to do well and are faithful and are hanging in there.

00:02:40:48 – 00:02:49:03
Clint Loveall
I think that is high praise, and I think it’s a in some ways this feels like the start of a of a letter.

00:02:49:08 – 00:03:11:40
Michael Gewecke
It is. And also I would add to that, I think maybe that the notation specifically that it’s not just the faith in Jesus Christ, which of course, that unto itself is something worth being celebrated. The idea that you have heard the gospel, that it’s taken root, it’s grown. We talked a little bit about the movements of that in the conversation yesterday.

00:03:11:51 – 00:03:39:54
Michael Gewecke
But note this here towards who? All the saints. And this is really critical because the early church, as we know, especially with its center in Jerusalem, was largely a Jewish faith. It involved Jewish practice in lots of different areas, and there was lots of conversations. Acts shows us how Peter becomes a linchpin and the turning point. Paul then moves on to be a proclaimer, an evangelist of this gospel.

00:03:39:54 – 00:04:23:56
Michael Gewecke
That’s large enough to even encompass the Gentile. We see in Second Corinthians this talk about collecting and offering for the saints back in Jerusalem. And there is a little bit of a Gentile Jewish bent to that, that the Gentiles here are collecting money that might benefit the Jews. I think what’s fascinating here is if this letter doesn’t go to just one church, but it goes to many churches if if this letter is to Gentile Christians, then there is an amazing implication that all of the saints are being loved because it has in it this sense of larger unity church with a capital C, a church that extends beyond your building and your place and your

00:04:23:56 – 00:04:52:17
Michael Gewecke
leaders and your people, the kind of church that is the combination, the inter working of all of the believers in Jesus Christ, whether we see each other or not, whether we are connected through our traditional structures or not, that we are all together, and that this church is known for their love of that larger church. This is a gorgeous statement, especially when we know that, you know, human nature tends to focus on the things right in front of us.

00:04:52:24 – 00:05:03:19
Michael Gewecke
I think it’s beautiful that the love of a congregation or congregations might be aware of, and reaching out of just that inner circle towards the larger circle of faith. That’s beautiful.

00:05:03:23 – 00:05:27:29
Clint Loveall
You have to think this is a deep word of encouragement for whoever it’s written to, that they hear from this man that they celebrate and that they look up to, that he is heard of their faith and love and that he celebrates their work in Christ. I think that’s a really beautiful sentiment. And then he moves on and says that he prays for them and what he prays for them.

00:05:27:29 – 00:05:55:55
Clint Loveall
Michael, I think, is fascinating. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, and we could spend it a great deal of time. We could spend days, perhaps, trying to unpack these two words wisdom in Scripture is always more than intelligence.

00:05:55:55 – 00:06:31:33
Clint Loveall
It’s insight, and specifically it’s insight into what God is doing. It’s not generic wisdom. It’s not a general ability to navigate the world. It is always the ability to discern or see the the will of God, the work of God, the place of God before you. So there there is a faith element to wisdom that in the way that the Bible uses that, that I don’t think is generally common, we could talk of secular wisdom or wisdom outside of the faith, but the Bible really doesn’t do that.

00:06:31:35 – 00:07:04:13
Clint Loveall
Wisdom is always connected with God in the Scripture. And, essentially wisdom is that ability to see God. When you reflect to to come to the right choice, to be discerning. Wisdom is a wonderful thing to pray for. For a group of Christians to ask that a church would be wise as it seeks to be faithful as it lives out its ministry, as it makes decisions about its money.

00:07:04:18 – 00:07:33:31
Clint Loveall
It I don’t check me here, Michael. I, I don’t know that this is always the sentiment expressed by Paul. I think there are other times he would say he he prays for faithfulness or other things. But wisdom is important to him. And it’s very interesting that he uses it here toward the church in Ephesus. And I think it’s a it’s a telling for, telling word to use.

00:07:33:36 – 00:07:53:43
Michael Gewecke
I do think that there’s some really interesting themes already being worked out in this text. I want to specifically make sure that we see in verse 17, the Father of Glory may give you a spirit of wisdom. Let’s just jump back just to yesterday. Literally. Look here in verse 12 that we might live for the praise of his glory.

00:07:53:43 – 00:08:19:01
Michael Gewecke
And if you look back a little bit before that, we have glory again. And if you look ahead, we’re going to have glory ahead of us. Actually, we’re going to see it again. Glory is clearly a theme that’s being worked into this text, and I find that really compelling, really beautiful, because we know something of human glory. Humans are always seeking after glory in its various forms, whether that might be personal glory or national glory.

00:08:19:06 – 00:08:42:55
Michael Gewecke
We’re looking to aggrandize ourselves and to make what seems maybe to us to be larger so other people can see that here. And I think it’s just so striking that once again, we continue the theme, it’s not about you, it’s not about your capability, and it’s not about your work. But Paul’s prayer, in other words, is not I hope that you all will do better.

00:08:43:06 – 00:09:10:10
Michael Gewecke
No, it’s that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the father of all glory, may give you that spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him. In other words, let’s just say that as you are on this journey that will work wisdom in you if you’re open to it. As you’re on this journey in which God is going to reveal himself more and more to you, will you submit to the Father of glory?

00:09:10:15 – 00:09:33:18
Michael Gewecke
Will you see God, who is larger than what you can imagine, larger than the box as you put him in? I just think we’re seeing this theme of glory to a people who lived in a very grand place, who were surrounded by grand power and finance and capability, and it’s to these people that we see repeated refrains. It’s God’s glory and not your own.

00:09:33:18 – 00:09:38:52
Michael Gewecke
There’s a kind of place setting that’s happening here, even in Paul’s prayer for these Christians.

00:09:39:07 – 00:10:14:51
Clint Loveall
Yeah. And as he moves through that prayer, he’s asked wisdom. And then the second thing, and and to your point, Michael, revelation, the ability to see beyond what is obvious, to have something revealed to us. Revelation is an important word in Scripture, because Paul seems confident that we never get to an awareness of God on our own. We need the help of God’s own spirit that on clouds our eyes, and that uncovers our vision and allows us to see that that’s literally the word revealed.

00:10:14:56 – 00:10:48:18
Clint Loveall
So what does Paul wish for the church wisdom to navigate their ministry in their faith and revelation that God will show them what they need to know? And then he wishes three things upon the church. He says, so that the eyes of your with the eyes of your heart enlightened, which is a beautiful phrase that that you may have hearts that see enlightened literally in the light, that your hearts may be in the light.

00:10:48:23 – 00:11:21:03
Clint Loveall
Again, what a what a beautiful wish for faith. People that their hearts would not be dark, but but, but be illumined by Christ. And with that said, Paul says that you may know the hope to which he’s called you, the riches of his inheritance, glorious inheritance among the saints, and his immeasurable greatness of power. For those who believe according to the working of his power.

00:11:21:18 – 00:12:07:18
Clint Loveall
So not a lot of verses here, but but if you boil these things down, wisdom, revelation, enlightened hearts, hope, glorious inheritance and knowledge of God’s immeasurable greatness, what a what an absolutely beautiful prayer for the church. What an incredible vision for ten, 15, 20, 50, 70 people in a home church in Ephesus, in the shadow of the temple of Diana, to say, May you people, I’ve heard of you.

00:12:07:22 – 00:12:34:07
Clint Loveall
You’re doing great. I pray for you that you will have these gifts, and you will come to know the immeasurable greatness of God. I, I these are the moments I just think we they uncover the heart of Paul. Paul has to fuss at churches. Paul yells at people. Paul scolds people. But it comes from this. I believe it comes from this place of deep desire.

00:12:34:12 – 00:12:40:52
Clint Loveall
Paul has to see the church be the church, and I think this is a wonderful snapshot of it.

00:12:40:57 – 00:13:06:50
Michael Gewecke
So if this is applicable in Ephesus, if it’s applicable in the shadow of the Temple of Diana, if it’s applicable in the midst of going to the marketplace and buying meat that’s been sacrificed to idols. If that is the context that this letter is being distributed, how much more so? Is this applicable when all you need to do is to swipe up or down on this video?

00:13:06:50 – 00:13:27:04
Michael Gewecke
If you’re watching this on YouTube or or click the back button and go to a different podcast, or if you just literally turn up the volume on your TV, that’s in the room with you. And and we can Clint live in an entirely different world. Then I just want to point out the hope to which he’s called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance.

00:13:27:09 – 00:13:54:55
Michael Gewecke
The hope that is an unbelievably counter-cultural way of living to live. Not in the kingdom in which you are placed, not the city that brings upon you and presses upon you real problems. There’s not denying that. There’s not wishing those things away. No, instead it’s seeing that there is hope which is specifically rooted in what the inheritance of what God has shown us.

00:13:54:55 – 00:14:23:20
Michael Gewecke
Revelation revealed, given us eyes to see. This is the astonishing measure of faith. Not that it accomplishes an end in our life immediately, like a good medicine would do, that we take that suddenly fixes the problem, right? No. Hope helps us to understand we’re living in a different order, that despite these things that are real in our midst, that God’s plan will and does supersede them to God’s glory.

00:14:23:20 – 00:14:47:02
Michael Gewecke
There is more than what meets the eye, and Christians are living out their life on this stage of reality. And yet we are able, with a kind of eye, that others don’t have to point out an end, an inheritance, a gift that others don’t see, and that radically transforms our nature in the world. It transforms how we relate to others in the world.

00:14:47:11 – 00:15:07:19
Michael Gewecke
It transforms the nature of our hearts and the way that we evaluate what is good. Because coming back to it, Clint, where people of hope. I just think there’s a kind of contemporary relevance to this that whether you have this in the first century or you have this in the 21st century, this has words for us.

00:15:07:33 – 00:15:44:57
Clint Loveall
Absolutely. Paul has a very high bar for the church and then and forever after. And I think we see it here. I just thinking, Michael, as far as we know, our best understanding is that these kind of letters would often be read out loud in the church to which they were addressed. And so I imagine that group of believers listening to these words that first time as as Paul the great apostle says, I’ve heard of your faith.

00:15:45:01 – 00:16:17:37
Clint Loveall
I know you love the saints. I give thanks for you. I remember you in my prayers. And here’s what I pray that you’ll have wisdom and revelation, that you’ll have hearts that are enlightened, that see hearts that see, that you’ll have hope, that you’ll have glorious inheritance and immeasurable greatness in us. In a strange way, as you would hear those words, there, there’s such humility in them for the church.

00:16:17:42 – 00:16:48:07
Clint Loveall
The church who receives them isn’t hearing, I’m glad you’ve got it all figured out. And I know you’re you’re knocking it out of the park. No, I know, I pray that you will have wisdom and revelation because you need those. I pray that your hearts will be right, that your hearts will see the right thing as as much as Paul affirms what they’re doing, Paul continues to paint a picture that stretches them and calls them to more.

00:16:48:07 – 00:16:57:13
Clint Loveall
And, it would be very hard to sit under these words and and hear them with arrogance. I just I don’t think it could.

00:16:57:18 – 00:17:20:05
Michael Gewecke
I just want to also point out really, really briefly, this speaks so much to what Paul has to share with the early church through all of his letters. Just point out verse 15, Faith, we jump down to verse 18, hope and and love is embedded in this text. It’s just amazing how well love is. Embed in verse 15.

00:17:20:05 – 00:17:51:19
Michael Gewecke
It’s just this idea that this, these, these gifts of the spirit, the greatest among these in First Corinthians faith, hope and love it. It’s embedded in this prayer for the church. It’s embedded in Paul’s hope for what Christians would embody in their life, in the world. And it remains the ultimate prayer, I think, today that we would strive to to embody these gifts of Jesus Christ to the world, because this is what it means to live fully as a human.

00:17:51:32 – 00:18:12:51
Michael Gewecke
These are the chief descriptors of God’s reconciling, saving work in our mitts. And and ultimately, I think what we discover in Paul’s prayer for this church, we discover the heart of God for the people of God who seek to follow in the way of Jesus Christ.

00:18:12:55 – 00:18:47:49
Clint Loveall
This is a this is a tough door to open at the end of a study. But I think we, you know, we live in a culture obsessed with success and we as modern Christians might think that the the goal of the church is to succeed or to be successful, but that’s not the case for Paul. For Paul, the one and only goal of the church is to be faithful, to discern, to to seek wisdom, to seek revelation, to share the good news, to have enlightened hearts.

00:18:47:54 – 00:19:27:40
Clint Loveall
It’s not to be successful by the world’s measure because the world’s measure is skewed. The world’s measure is off. The world’s measure does not help the Christian endeavor to be the body of Christ. And so, this call to faithfulness, I think, is just it’s really, really good. There’s so much here, there’s so much depth. And again, that I think as a person who hangs out in church a lot, this is a snapshot of Paul’s heart for what he understands the church to be in his day and hopefully what we all pursue as being the church in our own days.

00:19:27:45 – 00:19:45:10
Michael Gewecke
I think we’re going to pick this up tomorrow, so I’m just going to leave this with you so you can carry it with you into your day. Hear the immeasurable greatness of his power. For those of us who believe the working of his great power, tomorrow we’re going to look at some of the nature of that power and what that power is able to accomplish.

00:19:45:10 – 00:20:02:38
Michael Gewecke
Because it’s not just that God has power, but it’s how God chooses to use that power, what that power means for us. So I sincerely hope you’ll join us for that study. As we continue on, we’re just continue right along with Paul’s thought and writing here to the Ephesians. If this has been helpful, give this video a like helps others find it in their own study.

00:20:02:38 – 00:20:07:39
Michael Gewecke
Subscribe so you do not miss studies like this one and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

00:20:07:44 – 00:20:08:24
Clint Loveall
Thanks everybody!