Paul the Apostle - Galatians Chapter 1

1Paul, an apostle--not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-- 2and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Paul begins his letter to the churches in Galatia by stating the authority by which he has his apostolic calling. He states that he is an apostle, not from men nor through man. When Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his eyes were opened to the glory of Christ and his life was forever altered. Whereas he once persecuted Christians and sought to devastate the church of Jesus, he now was called to die for Christ. Indeed he did die, but as you can see later in the book of Galatians as well in his other letters, Paul not only died in a physical sense but he also died to his earthly desires in order that he may be set free in Christ. It is a call that we all have from God and one that cannot be taken lightly. To a Christian, death is not death in the way we typically think of it but rather it is life in Christ. It is the way in which God has planned to save us from His wrath and redeem us from the fall.

Paul receives his apostleship not from any man but from Jesus directly. In the early days of Christianity, an apostle was defined as one who was with Jesus in His earthly ministry and then witnessed the resurrection. The twelve disciples that we are familiar with all have that claim. Paul, on the other hand was not there for Jesus’ earthly ministry but rather spent his time doing all that was in his power to destroy this new religion. Paul’s apostleship was being called into question by some. Therefore, he takes the opening of this letter to defend his calling. He states that his apostleship was not received by men or through men but rather through Jesus himself. Just to make his point even stronger Paul explains that his calling was not only from Jesus but from the Father who raised Jesus from the dead. The literal meaning of the word apostle is “one who is sent.” While the other disciples of Christ who had the title of apostle were there for Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, Paul was still sent by Jesus to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles, thus his is rightfully called an apostle.

Paul, therefore, seeks to establish his authority over those to whom the letter is written. It is quite different from the way he normally writes his letters and we will see why later on as we investigate the false preachers who speak of another gospel. What Paul is in effect saying is that his message in this letter, and all other letters, are not his words but rather the words of the living God, sent to him through the Holy Spirit. As is all scripture, the book of Galatians is the divine word of God and should be recognized as such. However, the scriptures to many Christians today exist as a form of self help and good council only when needed. People turn to the scriptures when they are hurting or, often times, when they need a good defense argument for their standpoint. In doing this, the scriptures lose their true meaning to many Christians. We must not see the Bible as a good book filled with stories and great teachings but rather as the authoritative Word of God sent from heaven and written with the authority of the Holy Spirit. Not one word of the Bible is haphazardly placed in there but rather is put there to tell the story of Jesus’ redemption of sin and death. It is indeed one long story made up of several smaller stories that all combine to attest to the true nature of God and his love for his fallen children. The whole book is about Jesus: His coming, His life, His death, His sacrifice, His resurrection, His redemption, His glory. If you are a Christian, you are blessed to have such an amazing collection of books that help to explain the basics of the Christian faith and seek to speak to you through its words. The scriptures are the Words of God. So many people wish that they could hear an audible voice from God counseling them on what path to take and what direction to head. He has done that, he does that for everyone who opens the Bible.
In today’s world of quick fixes and fast remedies, we have lost the appeal to actually open the book and read what it says. We’d rather hear it from someone else or have a cliff notes version that explains the overall meaning of the book. You cannot expect to hear from God if you do not open the book. Mark Driscoll, in one of his sermons on Nehemiah 8 points out that when Ezra began to preach to the crowd in Jerusalem, he opened the book. (The book at that time was the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.) You cannot really expect to hear from God unless the Word is read. Scripture is necessary to the Christian life. Without it, a Christian loses the true meaning of the Gospel and sets himself up for a wandering away from God. The lack of Biblical literacy in today’s world is astounding. To be a Christian means to live in Christ and to live in Christ in everyday life means to read and submit to scripture. Faithfulness and life cannot come from any other source than through the inspired Word of God that we in this country are so blessed to have so readily available. Scripture is the way in which God can speak to us and the way in which we can hear from God. It was given to us as a free gift just as Jesus was. A gift from a loving and living God so that we may hear of his love for us and his calling to us.

6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- 7not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 10For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Here we see Paul defending his Gospel, the Gospel that was revealed to him by Jesus Himself. In today’s world the modern church struggles with different voices from different directions, many of which promoting a false Gospel. You can turn on the TV and watch televangelists pervert the Gospel. Here Paul is heartbroken that after only a short time from hearing the true Gospel, the people of the churches in Galatia have turned their ears to a different gospel. That different gospel is not revealed in this passage but it does not matter. The Gospel has been distorted and there is little being done to prevent this. The true meaning of the Gospel is hard to hear for many. It tells of a justification through faith that whoever believes in Christ will live and whoever does not will die. It takes you out of the picture and in your place puts the sacrificed Jesus. Jesus hung on a tree to redeem our lives from the pits of Hell. The Gospel is the story of God’s love for us and his plan to redeem us from sin and death. The wages for sin is death. There are no good works large enough to get you into Heaven and there are no words strong enough to convince God to let you in. Therefore, the Gospel is a scandalous thing. It takes you out of control and puts God in ultimate control.

Herein, is the reason for a false gospel. Religion can create a false gospel that bases salvation on a set of rules or a following of someone’s views other than Jesus’. A false gospel is one in which someone takes the basics of the true Gospel and twists and tweaks them here and there to create something that gets away from the Gospel of justification by faith through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to redeem mankind from sin and justice.

Paul goes on to state that no matter who tells you a gospel separate from the true Gospel is seeking to steer you off course and is cursed by God. If an angel comes to proclaim a new Gospel, he too is cursed by God and telling a lie. This angel is therefore a demon and will spend his eternity in Hell.

Paul points out that he is not seeking the approval of men but only the approval of God. To please men is to deny serving Christ. This is a big struggle for most people. The need to be accepted is one that is very strong in the hearts of many. In that, we find ourselves wanting to please others through our words and actions. Some spend their whole lives in despair because they can’t seem to please everyone at the same time. Indeed it is impossible to do so. But, if we, like Paul, choose to serve Christ alone, we will be able to look to one person rather than a multitude and seek to please that One. As John Piper says in his commentary on this passage,

“The most thrilling implication of verse 10 for me personally is this: The absoluteness of Christ's lordship is gloriously liberating. It frees me from having to worry about pleasing one person here and another person there. It brings unity and integrity to my life. When you live to please only one person, everything you do is integrated because it relates to that one person. Shall I go to this movie? Read this book? Make this purchase? Take this job? Go out on this date? Marry this person? What a freeing thing it is to know that there is one person who is to be pleased in every decision of life—Jesus. Sometimes pleasing him will please others. Sometimes it won't, and that will hurt. But the deep joy of a single-minded life is worth it all.”

Indeed to seek to please Christ is the only way in which we can, at the end of the day, know that we have been faithful in our efforts. If we continually seek to please Christ in all the we do both privately and publically, personally and corporately, we can find a satisfaction in our lives. Here again comes the vital importance of scripture, for how will we know how to please Christ if we are not constantly embedded in the Word? How can our lives take the form of discipleship without opening the book?

11For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. 12For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. 20(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only were hearing it said, "He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24And they glorified God because of me.

Paul’s purpose in this first chapter has been to defend his apostolic calling and the Gospel. He has sought to bring light to the authority of his words. In the last verses of chapter 1, Paul points out his old ways of life. He speaks to his growing importance in the Jewish religion and his rank among his counterparts. He then says something that is vitally important to verify his title of apostle. He says beginning in verse 15 that when Jesus revealed Himself to him, he did not consult any human. He is essentially saying that he did not study under any of the other apostles and thus did not get his Gospel from anyone but rather through revelation by Christ. He says that he went to Arabia and then to Damascus. Only after three years did he then go to Jerusalem to visit Peter and while he was there he only met with one other apostle, James. His stay with Peter was a mere 15 days, not nearly long enough to have the extensive training that it would require to understand the fullness of the Gospel that he clearly has.

What Paul is saying here is that he got his understanding of who Jesus is through Jesus Himself. He went away for three years to spend time listening to God. While we do not know what Paul did on a day to day basis during that time, it was no doubt spent reading the Word of God, meditating on its meaning, and opening his heart to the voice of God. This is a lesson that is once again vital to the Christian life. Along with reading scripture, a Christian must spend time meditating on the Word and in thoughtful prayer. (This, however can take the form of a false gospel if it is seen as the way in which to be justified. It is not, and it should not be, a replacement of the basic truths of the Gospel of grace.) Scripture and prayer go hand in hand. While we can pray to God at any time, we may not hear from Him until we read His Word.
Paul spent three years before he went to meet Peter. This is a very telling action. He could have gone straight to the apostles and shown himself as a thirteenth apostle but rather he went off by himself. If we look back throughout the history of the Bible, this is a common occurrence. Moses went to Mount Sinai by himself to hear from God. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness talking with God. John the Baptist spent much of his life in the wilderness listening to God. The prophets spent time alone, listening to God. We cannot always hear from God while going about our daily practices. At times we must find some place quiet to meditate on the Word. We can’t meditate on the Word, however, without reading it. Scripture and prayer go hand in hand. To stay true to the Gospel we must be constantly reminded of it. We do that through the preaching of the Word, the reading of the Word, and the prayer and meditation upon both the preaching and reading of the Word.

I would like to point out verses 22-24. Paul says that throughout Judea he was unknown to many and only referred to as “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” He goes on to say that because of this, they glorified God. Let us glorify God for our own transformation. All of us are sinners. As Paul says in Romans 3:23, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The great thing about the Gospel is that it reminds us that we are undeserving of God’s grace but he gives it to us freely despite that. As Mark Driscoll says, “the bottom line of the Gospel is this: that you are worse that you ever feared, and you are more loved than you ever dreamed.” We, like Paul, have sinned and have found a way to be transformed because of God’s loving grace. If you are a Christian He chose you, you didn’t choose Him. Like those who rejoiced over Paul’s transformation, let us rejoice over the transformation God provides in the lives of so many.

So what can we gain from the first chapter of Galatians? What are some of the ways in which we can apply what Paul says to our lives? We first must ask ourselves a few questions. First of all, how do view scripture? Secondly, what are the false gospels of our day? How do we protect ourselves and others from those false gospels? Who do we try to please, God or men? Let’s be honest with ourselves here, I would say that all of us seek to please at least one person. So how do we get away from that? Is it always bad to strive to please mean? When would it be ok to please men? When would it not be ok? How do we, like Paul, seek to please Christ alone? What role does scripture play in this? What role does prayer play in this? Can we be a servant of Christ if we still seek to please men? Lastly, everyone who calls themselves a Christian has had a transformation from sin to Jesus. What is your story? What does it mean to be transformed in Christ? What does it mean to be in Christ? What role does scripture play in this? What role does prayer play?

In The Light of God: A Walk Through Ephesians Chapter Five

Chapter five of Ephesians, the chapter that includes the must debated husband and wife roles, brings forth Paul’s deepest understandings of what it is to live in the light of Jesus. He says some hard to swallow things. So let’s get right to it.

“ 1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.”

Paul speaks in verses 1-5 of the way in which Christians should live away from sin. He calls Christians to be imitators of God. In the day, orators would strive to imitators of their teachers. It was really only through imitation that one could become a great orator. They would literally strive to imitate their teachings in both what they say and do and how they say it and do it. Christians should be imitators of God. A son often wants to imitate his father. If a boy’s father is a construction worker, he asks for trucks for Christmas and dresses in blue jeans and a tool belt and imitates his father. If his father is a business man, he puts on a suit and carries his backpack like a brief case. It is natural for a son to want to be imitators of his father because it is the father who is the caretaker and hero of the son. In his eyes he can do no wrong. It is sad that in the world fathers too often disappoint their sons and daughters. They children no longer wish to imitate him and to think of imitating God is altogether both frightening and unappealing.

Paul says that Jesus lives a life of love and in the end of sacrifice for us. His aroma was pleasing to God. This term goes back to the days of animal sacrifices in which case the burning of the flesh would rise into the heavens and be a pleasing smell to God or the gods of the day. It is a hard thing to imagine but it was God’s pleasure killing his son. And likewise it was Jesus’ please to die for us. It is in this idea that may be one of the largest stumbling blocks for unbelievers to comprehend. Why would a loving God kill his only son in order to save a bunch of unruly people? But that is exactly what he did. Therefore, because God is loving and because Jesus loves us, his own life was sacrificed and it was a pleasing aroma to God.

Paul goes on to say that some sins should not even be spoken of. This is hard to imagine in today’s world where you can watch many movies and see every sin in the world committed and glorified in a short two hour period. But Paul instructs Christians not to tell crude jokes, not to laugh at unclean things, and not to revel in the idols of this world. If a person does such things on a regular and consistent basis, he is in effect turning his back on the God who made him and worshiping something of this world. The term “falling into sin” is just that. It is a literal fall from grace. If Christians abstain from taking, joking, and thinking about such sins, it will be much easier not to fall into it. That is not to say that Christians should ignore the world and be no part of it but only that Christians should strive to uphold the glory of God. Saying some things and telling some jokes do not glorify God.
“6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,
‘Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’”
Paul uses the contrast of light and dark here to describe the difference in Christians and non-Christians. Christians live in the light of the Lord and non-Christians dwell in the darkness. Paul calls Christians to live in that light because the light produces good fruit. To live in the light may be rather unappealing to some who feel their sins are too great, their scars to visible, and their hearts too weak to stand in front of the world and God in the light. However, think of the sun. A person who lives away from the sun for a long period of time begins to suffer both mentally and physically. There is even a term for the long winters some people face, known as S.A.D., or seasonal affective disorder. Prolonged absence from the sun can cause weight gain, lethargy, and depression. So, light is good for the soul. A person who has experienced S.A.D. knows that when they get out into the sun their disorder begins to fade and there is a healing that takes place. It is the same with the light of God. While those who live in darkness commit evil sins and never heal from them, those who live in the light and commit sins or have sins committed against them are able to find healing. You can’t fix a car in the dark, you have to have light to see what is wrong. In that same way, you can’t fix your heart in the dark, you must bring light to it in order to diagnose the problem and heal it.
Paul ends with a quote but we do not know its origin. It may have very well been a hymn the early church sang. Whether that is true or not, there is no doubt the validity in the statement. Rise from the dead and Christ will give you light.
“15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. 25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.[b] 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body. 31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

In verse 21, it all hits the fan for some. (For more fun husband and wife instructions see 1 Corinthians 7.) Paul begins by instructing Christians to live like those who are wise. Christians must live in the way of the Lord, not the way of the fools who throw their lives away for earthly pleasures. He then transitions into his statement on marriage. In that day, much like today, a marriage didn’t really mean a whole lot. It was easy to get divorced and it was easy to get remarried. A marriage was not so much two souls united as it was two lives intersecting every now and again in order to have a child or to enjoy each other for a few moments. Paul instructs wives to submit to their husbands. In today’s feminist world, it is a hard verse for many to hear. But that is not the end of the story. Husbands must love their wives as Jesus loves the church. That means that it should be easy for wives to submit to their husbands because they are righteous men who love them dearly and sacrifice much in order to care for them. Jesus gave his life for the church and this is in essence what a husband and wife must do for each other. A man must leave his mother and father and be joined to his wife where the two are united into one. A man would not treat his own body badly but rather care for it and nourish it. Since his wife is part of him and vice versa, both of them must do only what is good for each other. That means that wives should give their bodies sexually to their husband and they should respect their husband above all but God. Husbands likewise should give his body to his wife. That means he should give it to her sexually and give it to her through his work, his life, and his purpose. Since the man is the head, he is responsible. That means he must work hard to provide a good life for his wife. He must care for her both financially and spiritually. He has to pay attention to her and love her.

In the days of Paul, women were very unimportant. (Go back to my post on Chapter 2 and you will see that the women were considered only more highly than the Gentiles, which isn’t saying much.) The women in many places could not dine with the men, could not speak to the men, could not socialize with the men, or even go outside alone without her husband. Women had no say in divorce but a man could divorce her for any reason. The woman had no say in anything that went on outside the home and it was her duty only to give herself to her husband sexually and to tend to the housework. To many women that sounds absurd and indeed it is. But why does it sound absurd? Is it because of the status placed of women or because the husbands made the wives a small part of their lives? I would submit to you that women and men today are different only in one area. The women now can do whatever they want. The feminist movement gained women a lot of rights outside of the home. I am not saying that it is wrong for women to have equal rights with men. After all, God did make both in his image. However, Genesis says that Eve was created to keep Adam company, to be his helper. That doesn’t mean that a woman can’t work but that a husband and wife should not have separate lives. Eve was created from the flesh of Adam. Therefore, she is a part of him. Without Sarah, I do not know where I would be right now, I know that my faith would not be as strong and that my life not as joyous. I know that my heart would be more hardened and my life less shining. She is in many respects a part of me. Thus so should a husband and wife be. The feminist movement failed in one respect in particular. It created a life separate from a wife’s husband. Two bank accounts, two beds, two schedules, two television rooms, two separate meals leads only to two divorce lawyers in many cases. It is important for husbands and wives to be a part of each other’s life. To help each other throughout the day. While Paul instructs a wife to submit to her husband, he is not saying that the husband can rule over her with an iron fist. He must love her as Jesus loves the church. That is a sacrificial love, an unending love, a love so deep that nothing can tear it apart. It is not always easy to love but in the light of God, nothing is too hard to accomplish. A marriage then consists of three partners, husband, wife, and God. Without God in the relationship, darkness can creep in.

A United Body: A Walk Through Ephesians Chapter Four

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is basically the culmination of all of his deepest insights to both the love of God shown through Jesus Christ and how to apply that love practically to the church body. The first three chapters focus on the love of God while the last three focus on the unity of the church body and how to apply the love of God to our lives. Chapter four of Ephesians acts as a transition from the meaning of God’s love as shown through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus to more practical instructions as to what the church body should be.

1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

Verse 1 serves as the perfect transition from the feel of Chapters 1-3 to what the tone will be for the remaining three chapters. Because of the love of God as shown through Jesus, it is the duty of the body of the church to act in such a way as to glorify God through our lives. Paul instructs the church in verses 2-3 to be humble, gentle, patient, loving, united, and peaceful. In the time of the early church, humility was not a virtue as it is today. The Greek language did not even have a reputable definition for humility before Christianity. The word was used in the context of a slave or something ignoble. After Christianity began using the word, however, it was seen as putting yourself in place before God. Along with humility, Paul instructs the early church to be gentle and patient in the handling of others because of the deep love you should have for your brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul then speaks of the unity of the church, a theme that is recurring throughout the book, especially in chapter two. The church must be peaceful in order to sustain that unity in Christ.

Verses 4-6 give seven reasons for unity of the church. The number seven here is important just as in many other parts of scripture. In the Bible, the number seven is the perfect number. (For a study of the importance of the number seven in scripture, as well as the other numbers prevalent in the scriptures, visit the following sites: http://www.biblewheel.com/Topics/Seven.asp, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_(number), http://www.teachinghearts.org/dre17httnumber.html, http://www.spiritcommunity.com/dreams/bible_numbers.php) The church is united by one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God. The last part of verse 6, “who is over all and in all and living through all,” shows the prevalence of God who rules over all facets of our life and the world we live in.

7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,
“When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.”
9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

Verses 7-16 are one long sentence in the original Greek as are many other parts of Ephesians. Verse seven addresses the gifts God has given each person through Jesus in order to bring glory to Him. Paul quotes Psalm 69:18 in verse seven. When Jesus descended into our world he came to be tempted in every way, to live as we live, and to die so that we could live. After Jesus was resurrected from the dead, he ascended back into heaven to live and rule over the earth at the right hand of God the father. Through all of this, God has endowed each man with special gifts to attribute to the church in order to bring the glory of God to earth in this life.

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Paul uses the word gifts here in reference to the work of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors. These vocations or roles are gifts from God and cannot be considered human accomplishments. Only through the grace of God can anyone lead other people to Him. These people have the duty to serve the Lord and bring the word of God to all of those seeking to find Him. Through their hard work, everyone can achieve maturity in Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Each new Christian acts like a child in a way. They are still uncertain of what they know and are still learning so many new things. If they are taught false doctrines, they can very well be tossed and blown about by every wind. Therefore, those people must be protected. It is the responsibility of those whom God has gifted with leadership to direct the young people in the church. Paul once again refers to the unity that Jesus brings in verses 15-16.

17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. 25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. 28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Verses 17-32 are Paul’s instructions to the church as to how to live apart from the old ways of the world and instead live in the glory of God. Paul instructs the church not to act as the Gentiles act. The Gentiles are lost in the world and refuse to submit to and obey God. Christians have to take off their old ways of sin and instead clothe themselves with their new nature.

Paul instructs the church to not let disputes linger, for this can cause divisions among them. To allow anger to dwell in the mind and heart, Satan has a chance to enter and cause further dissention. It is particularly interesting when Paul says to quit stealing and instead do good work not so that you can sustain yourself but rather so that you would have enough to give to others less fortunate. It is ways such as this that separate Christian and non-Christian. Along with that, the mouth should be watched so that you don’t only sound nicer to people but that you are more encouraging to them. The point is that you do not bring glory to yourself but that you bring glory to God in the things you do. Living a Christian life extends beyond creating a good life for yourself but also helping to create a better life for those in need.

Since those who are in Christ represent God, it is necessary to live in such a way that glorifies him. It is much like a child who is representing a parent in the way they act or an Olympic athlete representing their country. Christians should seek to glorify God in all things so that through them others may see glimpses of the righteous way of living. To live as Jesus means to get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior and instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.