New Testament Bible Study by John Stanko

Ephesians Study 6: 6:1-24

Dear Student of the Word,

I missed getting this last installment of the Ephesians study out last week due to my being in Egypt, where I did not have good Internet connections.  This is the last of six Ephesian studies and in this week's study, we see Paul's instructions to families along with some insight into the concept of spiritual warfare.  This week I wrote in the fourth of this seven-part study:

6:10 – Paul urged the Ephesians to be strong in the Lord.  In Judges 14:6, we see that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson so that he was able to tear a lion apart with his bare hands.  The account literally means that the Spirit clothed Himself with Samson, like as if He were putting Samson on as one would a coat or garment.  That is what I think of when I think of being strong in the Lord.  God uses me as He created me to be and I obtain significant results because He is working in and through me according to His good pleasure.  Is God your strength?  When is that strength most evident?  

I love you, O Lord, my strength (Psalm 18:1).

It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect (Psalm 18:32).

You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet (Psalm 18:39).

O Lord, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give! (Psalm 21:1).   The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song (Psalm 28:7).  

6:11 – The believer needs the full armor to stand against the devil’s schemes.  The devil is intelligent.  I sometimes hear believers mocking and belittling the devil.  That is something I have never done. I have a healthy respect for my enemy and always keep my focus on God and never on the devil.  The devil is always planning and scheming and I need everything that God has for me if I am to resist his entrapments.   

6:12 – I must constantly be reminded that my warfare is not with flesh and blood.  For example, Muslims are not my enemies, but the antichrist spirit of Islam is indeed my enemy.  Have you made flesh and blood your focus?  You need to look past the human to the spiritual cause that lies behind.  

6:13 – Paul wrote “when” the day of evil comes, not “if” the day of evil comes.  There are some who underestimate the level of warfare once they put their faith in Christ.  Jesus said to Peter:   “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).   Some have mistakenly assumed that since the gates of hell will not prevail or overcome the Church that the gates of hell will not try to prevail.  That is incorrect.  When you became a Christian, you are a marked person, an enemy of the kingdom of darkness.  You may not want to fight, but you will have no choice.   

Paul wanted the Ephesians to stand their ground.  Ours is not always an offensive warfare.  We saw earlier that we have all things in Christ (see Ephesians 1:3); the enemy will try to take away what we already have.  You must take a stand and resist him as one of David’s might men did in 2 Samuel 23 and as Paul urged the Corinthians to do:  

Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory (2 Samuel 23:11-12).

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).  

Some have noted that there is no armor of God for the back, only for the front.  We must face our enemies and not turn our backs to run or flee.  Are you standing firm or running right now in your life?

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the unpublished volumes of The Faith Files.

Download Ephesians Study 6

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If you would like to read about my tour to Israel and Egypt, just go to my travel blog (the code is johnacac if you need it) and read the accounts along with some pretty good pictures.  Then send me an email to let me know if you would like to go back with me to the Holy Land in May, 2012.

Ephesians Study 5: 5:1-33

Dear Student of the Word,

I was sitting at my desk studying and remembered that this is the day to send out my next Ephesians study.  So before the midnight deadline for posting, I had better get this online.  This week we move into chapter five, where Paul continued his practical teaching to the church, including such topics as marriage, family, and time management!  In this seven-part study, I wrote in part four:

5:15&16 – I want to make the most of every opportunity. I don’t want to say “one day” I will do this, only to never see that “one day” come.  The days are indeed evil and the previous verses have taught that if evil is going to be overturned, it will be through the actions of light carriers who are in Christ.  What goals can you set for the next 30, 60 or 120 days?  For the next five or ten years? What will you do today no matter how busy you get and what opposition you encounter?  You won’t any of those things, whether short- or long-term, unless you have some priorities in your life, establishing what is most important for you to do and be regardless of the circumstances? 

Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house (Proverbs 24:27).

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).

5:17 – I have known foolish Christians and I have been one myself on many occasions.  Paul was writing to educate the Ephesians as to what the Lord’s will is that he referred to in this verse.  People are always asking about the will of God for their lives.  Perhaps they should read Ephesians chapters four through six and they will know what the will of God is.  By way of review, let’s outline the Lord’s will as Paul explained it up to this point in his letter:

1. Put off falsehood; speak truth
2. Deal quickly with anger.
3.  Don’t steal; work to help meet needs.
4. Get rid of malice; be kind.
5. Imitate God with a life of love.
6. Avoid sexual immorality and idolatry.
7. Expose darkness.

5:18 – I can understand why anyone would decide not to drink any alcoholic beverages.  Alcohol has ruined many families and relationships.  I have always said that what alcohol gives to me, I already have in the Spirit.  But it is hard to make a case that it is wrong to drink alcohol by using the Bible.  This verse states not to get drunk; it doesn’t say anything about not drinking.  What’s more, Jesus’ enemies accused him of drinking too much wine.  You don’t make that accusation because you have seen someone drinking lemonade. They must have seen Jesus drink wine for them to say that!

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions” (Matthew 11:19).

5:19 –Paul urged the Ephesians to speak to one another through music.  He also directed them to make music to the Lord from the fullness of the Spirit.   Obviously singing was to be an important part of life and a principle means of communication for the believer, because they were directed to sing to one another.  How much do you sing?  Do you sing to others? With others?  There seems to be a distinction between psalms (Scripture), hymns (songs that speak of the greatness and work of God) and spiritual songs (more spontaneous songs that are intimate and directed by the Spirit).

I know I sing when I am happy and full of joy without even thinking about it.  Do you have a song in your heart?  If not, why not?  What is keeping you from singing your song to the Lord and others?  If you aren’t singing, are you at least reciting a Bible verse time to time that means something to you and can minister to others?

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord (Psalm 40:3).

5:20 – Thanksgiving is to be a way of life for the believer.  Are you thankful?  Being thankful cannot go without saying; it must be spoken.  Take one minute right now and list the things you are thankful for.  

I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving (Psalm 69:30)

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song (Psalm 95:2).

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name (Psalm 100:4).

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the unpublished volumes of The Faith Files.

Download Ephesians Study 5

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BACK HOME:  I am back home from a wonderful trip to Kenya.  It met and exceeded all my expectations.  My thanks to all my Kenyan friends, family and associates for taking such good care of me (our Team Kenya is pictured left).  At right is a picture of the people who assembled for the seminar I taught through The Pacific Institute for three days last week. I will be back in November to do another such seminar and also to launch The Pacific Institute's youth program called PX2.  Both these programs have the power to change Kenya and Africa one life at a time.  If you live in Kenya, I hope you can make the seminar in November.

MINISTRY IN KENYA:  I had a chance to drop off the money I had from the Sophia Fund to two organizations who have been beneficiaries of your generosity in the past.  Pictured left is Alice Kwendo  
(standing) and Rose Awero (seated).  Both ladies are the founders of Each One Touch One Orphanage (EOTOO) in Nairobi.  These women founded and funded this orphanage out of their own funds and today they have 20 orphans, whom they house, clothe, feed and send to school.  I cannot say enough about the wonderful job they do.  Actually, there are about 12 partners who came together and each pays a little each month to pay the rent.  Often they do not know where the money is going to come from for operations, but the Lord always provides.  

I am raising money for Operation Chicken Coop for EOTOO and they are so excited.  We have about $2,000 collected so far, so I am going to wire the money to Alice and they are going to start construction on the chicken coops.  As more money comes in, we will be able to finish the project and buy the chickens.

Pictured right is Pastor Francis Odhiambo, who founded Upako Centre in Nairobi.  In addition to pastoring a church, Francis houses 43 orphans - in his own home!  Francis also runs a school and does a number of other outreach ministries in his community. Both said that they would have had to close if they had not received money from you through the Sophia Fund.  This time I was able to give each ministry $750.  I wish it could be more.

If you would like to help either of these ministries or if you can give just $5 to the Sophia Fund, then you can feed an orphan for a week.  If you give to Operation Chicken Coop, you will help an orphanage help themselves so they can provide the orphans with food, revenue and a sense of responsibility.  You can give through my website or send a check to PurposeQuest at PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA  15221-8882. 

Ephesians Study 3: 3:7-4:6

Dear Student of the Word,

It's been two weeks since I sent you the last update from Ephesians, so it's time for the next one.  This week we continue to look at Paul's comments to his readers that pertained to who Christ is and what he would expect from their behavior.  As he began chapter four and his practical teaching in this letter, here are my comments on his remarks, with the entire week's study ready to download below:

4:1 – As mentioned earlier, you don’t have to be in prison to be a prisoner for the Lord.  You can be a prisoner to God’s purpose and grace in your life, doing what it is that He created you to do.  Here Paul shifted away from his theological teaching and emphasized more of the actions and attitudes that his theology should produce in the lives of the believers.  We should live a life worthy of and consistent with the high calling he described in the first three chapters.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does (James 1:22-25).

You can know it is right to be generous yet not give.  You may know it is right to serve, yet sit and watch television, not involved in the lives of those around you.  You can know a lot of things that you should do, but unless you do them, they are no benefit to you or others.

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17).

4:2 – Paul urged his readers to be gentle and humble.  It is always a decision to be humble and meek, but it requires the grace of God to actually be those things.  You decide that’s what you want to be, admit to God that you cannot achieve them on your own, and then invite God’s presence to develop those attitudes and behaviors in your heart and life. 

So then, it is safe to say that humility is part work and part grace. I can decide to humble myself, but true humility is God-given.  Why would Paul urge you to be patient and to bear with one another unless he knew you were going to need that exhortation and that you could do something about it?  People will always “step on your toes,” sometimes without realizing they have done so.  Your response must always to be gracious and forgiving.  Humility and meekness are greatly honored by the Lord, as seen in this story from the life of Moses:

"Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't he also spoken through us?" And the Lord heard this. (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, "Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you." So the three of them came out. Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, he said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams.

“But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy (Numbers 12:2-10).

4:3 – Unity with your fellow believers requires effort on your part.  You must work at it; it is not a gift of God.  And given the reality of verse two, the opportunities for disunity and offense are all too prevalent!  The Church is the only entity in the world that encounters the level of spiritual warfare that it does.  Why?  Because the “gates of hell” are attacking it!  Most people interpret Jesus’ promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church to mean that the gates of hell will not try to prevail.  That is not correct.  Hell will certainly attempt to prevail and that may lead to some very intense times where it is be hard to maintain unity.

How unified are you with other believers? What can you do to improve?  Are there any attitudes that you need to change to enhance your unity with others?  It is not a mark of spirituality that you are an independent thinker. It is a mark of carnality!

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the unpublished volumes of The Faith Files.

Download Ephesians Study 3

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OPERATION CHICKEN COOP:  Two weeks ago I announced my latest effort to help orphans in Kenya and it is Operation Chicken Coop. The goal is to help orphanages raise chickens for food and revenue.  I outlined how we can do this in a blog post and have received about $300 of the $6000 needed toward the project. I just know that God is going to provide and He may use you to do so! You can give using the widget from Chipin on my Monday Memo or blog site. If I have the money by August 11, I can take it over with me and we can get started

THE SOPHIA FUND:  While you are at it. don't forget that I need your ongoing help for The Sophia Fund, which I use to feed orphans and widows. I cannot set up chicken farms for every orphanage, and there are still plenty of children in Kenya who eat one meal a day, if that. I have a separate widget for that cause as well on the Monday Memo site.  $10 came in for the Fund last week. Thank you again for your help.

RETURN TO KENYA:  I will be back in Kenya from August 16-18 to conduct another Investment in Excellence seminar in conjunction with The Pacific Institute.  This is a three-day seminar that changed my life when I attended it in 2004. Now I am a trained facilitator and want to share what I have with my friends in Kenya. The one I did in Nairobi last May was a tremendous success and this one promises to be bigger and better. It is not inexpensive, but the returns in your life and work are priceless. You can download the attached flier to find out more information and to read some of the testimonies of those who were present last May. Once you read, I urge you to register today so we can continue the work of changing Kenya one life at a time.

Ephesians Study 2: 2:6-3:6

Dear Student of God's Word,

It's been two weeks, so it is time once again for a lesson from God's Word. We started looking into Ephesians in our last study, and will have six Ephesians lessons in all. Each study has seven parts to it and this week I wrote in part two the following commentary:

2:10 – How do you know what works were created for you to do?  First, it requires that you know your purpose, which will give you an indication of the general area you works will be in.  Then you need to be aware and not self-absorbed.  In other words, pay attention to the needs of others as expressed through what they are saying. That means you have to deal with your selfishness and put your focus on other people, even at times when you don’t feel like your own needs are being met.

It is an awesome thing to think that God prepared the works for you to do and then helps you do them.  This is how much God wants you to succeed and please Him.  He is involved at every level of your spiritual walk and development. God prepared my good works beforehand for me to do.  What a great planner God is!  And that means that you have an important role to play in the economy of God.  He has set up things for you to do and He is counting on you to do them!  God can’t do these good works alone.  He sets them up and we do them.

Are you cooperating with His plan?  Are your good works being done with excellence and enthusiasm? 

Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him (Philippians 2:12-13 NLT).

2:11&12 – Paul urged the Ephesians to remember that once they weren’t part of God’s family.  Once they were apart from the plan of God, but then they were adopted as sons and daughters. This was the focus of Paul’s ministry:  to bring the Gentiles into the same covenant relationship that was once only available to Jews.  Now you and I have that same privilege. Do you realize what God has done for you?  Do you realize that what was true for the Ephesians is also true for you?  Are you grateful for what God has done, or do you take it for granted? 

What has God done for you in the past that you need to remember today?  Why not write those things done as part of your journal for this study.  How can you establish more effective memorials to the work of God in your life?

One of them [ten lepers who were healed], when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.  Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" (Luke 17:15-18).

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the unpublished volumes of The Faith Files.

Download Ephesians Study 2

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OPERATION CHICKEN COOP:  I announced last week my latest effort to help orphans in Kenya and it is Operation Chicken Coop. The goal is to help orphanages raise chickens for food and revenue.  I outlined how we can do this in a blog post last week.  You can give using the widget from Chipin on my Monday Memo or blog site. If I have the money by August 11, I can take it over with me and we can get started

THE SOPHIA FUND:  While you are at it. don't forget that I need your ongoing help for The Sophia Fund, which I use to feed orphans and widows.  I cannot set up chicken farms for every orphanage, and there are still plenty of children in Kenya who eat one meal a day, if that.  I have a separate widget for that cause as well on the Monday Memo site.  Thank you in advance for your help.

Ephesians Study 1: 1:1-2:5

Dear Student of the Word,

I took a month off, but now I am ready to resume my biweekly New Testament Bible studies.  I am going back over some past studies to edit and revise their format, and I have chosen to start with Ephesians.  I will then move on to Philippians and Galatians.  When I finish those two, I plan to publish them, along with Colossians in a book entitled Prison Wisdom (since Paul probably wrote them while imprisoned). Along with this first of six Ephesian studies, I am including an outline and brief overview of the book and its historical context for you to enjoy.

This week, I wrote on part four of this seven-part study:

  1:13 – Did you realize that when God looks at you, He sees Jesus?  We are included in Christ!  That is why He forgives my sins and blesses me with every spiritual blessing.  When I put my faith in Christ, He also marked me with the God-housekeeping seal of approval—The Holy Spirit!  And this Holy Spirit was promised in the Old Testament. 

Just as those who receive a mark of the beast as described in Revelation, the believers also receive a “mark,” and that mark is the work of the Lord in each believer’s life that is carried out by God’s Spirit.  You are a marked man or woman!  You stand out because you have put your faith in Christ and you are sealed in His Spirit, which simply means that God is at work in you to conform you in the image of Christ as you enjoy eternal life in Him.

Most people are concerned for the mark of the beast as described in Revelation, but many don’t stop to think that they believers are also “marked.”  Do you bear the mark of faith?  Would someone looking at your life see your faith as active, vibrant and effective? 

1:14 – This Spirit is a down payment on the promises that will come to pass in the future.  Imagine that.  The Spirit in you is the deposit paid that guarantees God will do all that He said He will do.  You can take that to the bank!  That is one of the reasons why you need the Holy Spirit.  It is your pledge from God of the good things to come. 

Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 5:5).

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ (Romans 8:5-9).

1:15 – Paul had heard about the Ephesians’ faith and love.  Have people heard about your faith in God and your love for His people?  Do you have a reputation for faith and love?  If not, what changes can you make that will bring about this reputation?  We are sometimes too concerned that what we do will draw attention.  Forget about that for a season and try to outdo one another in faith and love.  What great churches we would have and what an easier time witnessing if we tried to have a public reputation for faith and love.

1:16 – When you build a reputation for faith and love, you create a prayer covering for yourself.  People give thanks for you and they pray for you.  When I give things away on my website, people write me to thank and bless me, and to let me know they are praying for me.  In part, that is because when I give away what I have received, I am building a reputation for love and faith.  Why don’t you join me and do the same in your own world with what you have to give?

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the unpublished volumes of The Faith Files.

Download Ephesians Study 1

Download Ephesians Background

Download Ephesians Outline

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THE REVELATION PROJECT:  Today was to be the last day for my free shipping offer for my latest book, The Revelation Project:  A Fresh Look at the Last Book.  I am going to extend the offer one more week to Friday, July 9. 

You can check out the book price and a really cool video promo for the book on my website.