Year 2, Week 48, Day 1 Bible Reading Observations

Year 2, Week 48, Day 1

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Philemon 1; Ephesians 1-2.

Today’s reading covers the Book of Philemon. The Book of Philemon, which is one of at least four letters that Paul wrote during his time in Rome, is a word to Philemon, who lived in Colossae. Paul writes to Philemon concerning a runaway slave named Onesimus, whom Paul sends back to Philemon. The Book of Philemon expresses Paul’s desire to see Philemon accept Onesimus back into his household, but as a brother in the Lord rather than a slave: “For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother” (Philemon 1:15-16). Paul even promised to pay whatever debt Onesimus might owe Philemon. Today’s reading also includes the opening chapters of Ephesians. The Book of Ephesians, which is also one of the four letters that Paul wrote during his time in Rome, is a letter to the church in Ephesus explaining the glorious purposes of God for the church. Ephesians 1 focuses on the church being the creation of God’s eternal purposes: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:3-4a). Ephesians 2 highlights how God’s saving purpose were accomplished in Christ: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading is how the truth about the saving work of Christ is expressed through two important facets. There is a personal and vertical facet to Christ’s saving work, and there is a corporate and horizontal facet. First, the saving work of Jesus does a work in people individually: “But God…made us alive together with Christ…and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6). God saves His people by joining His people to His Son, Jesus. Being united to Christ results in being alive and living in a new heavenly status, which is quite an astonishing difference from the previous status: “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins…and were by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:1-3). Through union with Christ the shift is from death and condemnation under God to life and blessed acceptance before God. While this shift is grounded in Christ and union with Christ, such union occurs by grace through faith: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). And while absolutely no human works brings about the shift in status, the shift of status brings about a whole new display of human works: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Christ’s saving work brings about a significant change in individuals as it takes individuals who, “once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2a); and who now walk in good works.

The saving work of Christ not only does a work in people individually, it also does a corporate work among God’s people: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). God saves His people by not merely joining them to Jesus, but by joining them to each other in Christ Jesus. Being united together in Christ results in a new community, which is quite an astonishing community from the previous division: “Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:11-12). Speaking specifically of the clear division between ethnic Jews and Gentiles, Christ obliterates the separation: “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace” (Ephesians 2:14-15). And where there was once division, there is now unity: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). The result of this new community is shared access to God as Father: “For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18); as well as the shared experience of life in the Spirit: “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22). Christ’s saving work brings about a significant change in relationships between individuals—from strangers and aliens to fellow citizens and members of the same household.

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe