Ephesians 81-82_29a Ephesians 6:10-12
Ephesians 1981-82 Corps Teachings. Lesson 26 Part 1: Ephesians 6:10-12. EPHESIANS 6:10-12 May 26, 1982 We’re back to Ephesians chapter 6, and I prepared a paper that I want to share with the Corps tonight before I get into giving you the literals as well as the expanded of this great section of Ephesians 6:10-17. I entitled it “The Spiritual Athlete’s Contest.” The various comments by the expositors on this section in Ephesians depict the overwhelming influence of the military image which tradition has placed on Christianity. However, interpretation and application must be in the light of to whom it is addressed. In the Old Testament God’s people were soldiers of the Lord; in the Church Epistles we are athletes of the spirit. Several scriptures in the Old Testament refer to God as a shield and buckler, which are military weapons. Joshua was called to lead an army against unbelievers and to eliminate them. Psalm 91:7 states: Psalm 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand. . . The foe was a military enemy. The weapons were military. The battlefield was a physical land with geographical locations, and the purpose of their calling was to eliminate the enemy physically. In the Gospels the image was changed from killing the enemy to loving him and turning the other cheek. The ministry of Jesus Christ made a further change, for he defeated the enemy, he led captivity captive. He triumphed over them making a show of them openly and made the war to cease for the believer in this present Pentecost administration. I think it’s tremendous that on this week, a Memorial Day weekend, which is also Pentecost, this coming Sunday, that right now tonight with the Corps we’re dealing with this fantastic section in closing out these verses from 10-17 here in Ephesians 6. The name for believers used by God in the Old Testament differ from those used of the Christian believers in the New Testament after the Day of Pentecost. In the Old Testament they were
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Ephesians 6, verse 10, King James. Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. “Finally” means from henceforth, from now on. And all of this is really a crystallization of everything that has gone before. Verse 10 here begins the whole closing section, and this section again is just like the one that I shared with you from Romans 8 when we closed out Romans 8:35-37. “Finally” does not mean that we’re finally getting to something. It means that we have to take note of the total superb revelation that has been previously given. The words “my brethren” are omitted by the critical Greek texts, but the Aramaic has it in it. As far as I’m concerned, I can take it or leave it. It says to “be strong”; be strong. This strength, Corps, has to be in the rest of that phrase, “in the lord,” because what good is it to put on armor if you’re not strong in