New Testament / Ephesians

  • The Armor of God

    Ephesians 6:10-20

    John Calvin comments on this passage, reminding us that we should not let the “injurious treatment” of others provoke us to revenge, for those who bother us are merely darts from Satan’s hand. “While we are employed in destroying ...Read More

  • The Gentiles’ Full Inclusion

    Ephesians 3:1-6

    We receive individuals as full communing members in the local church based not on their ethnic background, income, social status, or any other category. Instead, all those who put their faith in Christ become full heirs of all the promises ...Read More

  • The Bride and Her Husband

    Ephesians 5:22-33

    Jesus certainly loves us individually and justifies us via our personal faith in Him. However, the relationship between Christ and His bride is a relationship between the sovereign Lord and a corporate body. Jesus loves a people as His bride ...Read More

  • A Dual Responsibility

    Ephesians 6:1–4

    Boundaries and other elements of discipline will necessarily vary a bit from family to family depending on cultural location and other factors. What should be the same across the board, however, is an attempt not to put rules on children ...Read More

  • Founded on the Apostles

    Ephesians 2:18–22

    Liberals tend to elevate the words of Jesus (except for the ones about hell), over the rest of Scripture. Evangelicals may not do this knowingly, but there is still a tendency to think the words of Jesus (in red letters ...Read More

  • The Church Is Holy

    Ephesians 1:1

    The holiness of the church universal should make us take our membership in local congregations seriously. Were we to be convinced of the church’s holiness, we would not casually drift from one denomination to another. We would understand that ...Read More

  • Regeneration Is the Start

    Ephesians 2:1–10

    As we mature in Christ we will find ourselves more sensitive to the presence of sin in our lives, noticing “minor” transgressions that were once easily overlooked. This in turn should make us more vigilant to do what is necessary ...Read More

  • Not a Chance

    Ephesians 1:11

    “When that light of divine providence has once shone upon a godly man, he is then relieved and set free not only from the extreme anxiety and fear that were pressing him before, but from every care” (John Calvin, Institutes ...Read More

  • Finding Loopholes

    Ephesians 5:3

    Because it is hard to find a detailed list of do’s and don’t’s regarding sexual behavior, it is easy for us to justify certain activities or thoughts that may in fact not be edifying. Even if something ...Read More

  • Be Angry, Do Not Sin

    Ephesians 4:25-32

    We can too easily fall back under the sway of sin, which makes our hearts “deceitful beyond all things” (Jer. 17:9). We can trick ourselves into thinking our anger is godly when it is not pleasing to the Lord ...Read More

  • The Divine Initiative

    Ephesians 2:1–10

    If we use the doctrine of election as an excuse to do no evangelizing in the world, we have perverted the Word of God. No one but Paul more clearly explained the Lord’s gracious election, and no one was ...Read More

  • Holy Spirit Baptism

    Ephesians 1:13–14

    The New Testament speaks of baptism often because it recognizes the Lord’s presence in this sacrament in a way not found elsewhere. If we truly understand the importance of baptism, we will find our faith and confidence strengthened every ...Read More

  • A Gift From God

    Ephesians 2:1-10

    Our experience also demonstrates the reality of the grace of faith. Imagine two people with the same background hear the Gospel. Yet only one of them believes, thus showing that it is not merely our surrounding environment that leads us ...Read More

  • The Sanctity of Labor

    Ephesians 6:5–9

    How do you feel about your line of work? Are you counting the days till retirement? Do you hate getting up every morning and doing the same task you did the day before? Do you look forward to serving your ...Read More

  • Wives and Husbands

    Ephesians 5:22-33

    The husband who uses his authority to run roughshod over his wife’s opinions or feelings is sinning against God. Likewise, the wife who manipulates her husband or undermines him with backbiting gossip is being disobedient to her call. If ...Read More