The second thing we encounter in the tabernacle, the temple of God, after the Lamb slain,
or the bullock slain,or the goats slain.....whatever, the second feature is the Laver.
The Mirror of God's Word to us. Authentic Being. Ps 42 "Deep calls to deep..."
Packed into the one burnished mirror shiny object is all the baptisms combined....even the concept of being baptised out from our lone state in the world into God's Covenant people....even the concept of ceremonial washing for what God always had in mind, a people of priests. A royal priesthood. A holy nation. Moses said when someone reported back that some "lone ranger prophets were prophesying unbidden among the people"..."Would that all God's people were prophets. The Mirror translation from the original Greek is all this.
Click below and above to learn more about the Mirror Word by Francois DuToit (pronounced DuToy in South African)
LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS
CHAPTER 1
1:1 Paul, employed by the delightful resolve of God and commissioned to represent Jesus
Christ to the saints in Ephesus; also to every believer in Christ Jesus.
1:2 I greet you with the grace and peace that proceed from God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
1:3 Let’s celebrate God! He has lavished every blessing heaven has upon us in Christ!
1:4 He associated us in Christ before the fall of the world! Jesus is God's mind made up
about us! He always knew in his love that he would present us again face to face before him
in blameless innocence. (The implications of the fall are completely cancelled out, katabalo -
“to fall away, to put in a lower place,” instead of themelios - “foundation” see 2:20 - Thus
translated “the fall of the world” instead of “the foundation of the world.” God found us in
Christ before he lost us in Adam!)
1:5 He is the architect of our design; his heart dream realized our coming of age in Christ.
(Adoption here is not what it means in our Western society, it is a coming of age, like the
typical Jewish Barmitsva. See Gal.4:1-6 “…and to seal our sonship the spirit of his son echoes
Abba Father in our hearts.”. Greek, huiothesia).
1:6 His grace-plan is to be celebrated: he greatly endeared us and highly favored us in
Christ; his love for his Son is his love for us.
1:7 Since we are (fully represented) in him, his blood is the ransom that secures our
redemption. His forgiving us our sins measures the wealth of his grace.
1:8 This grace shown towards us communicates a wisdom and discernment of our worth
that completely surpasses any definition.
1:9 The secret is out! His cherished love-dream now unfolds in front of our very eyes.
1:10 In the economy (oikonomia) of the fullness of time, everything culminates in Christ; all
that is in heaven and all that is on earth is reconciled in him. (Phillips, “All human history
shall be consummated in Christ, everything that exists in heaven or earth shall find its
perfection and fulfillment in him.” Knox, “All that is in heaven, all that is on earth, summed
up in him!”)
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1:11 This is how we fit into God's picture, Christ is the measure of our portion, we are in
him; invented and defined in him. God's blueprint intention is on exhibition in us, everything
he accomplishes is inspired by the energy and intent of his affection. (See Romans 8:29 “He
engineered us from the start to fit the mould of sonship and likeness according to the exact
blueprint of his design. We see the original and intended shape of our lives preserved in his
Son; he is the firstborn from the same womb that reveals our genesis. He confirms that we
are the invention of God.”)
1:12 It was our initial privilege (as Jews) to cherish the Messianic hope; our lives in Christ
were destined to promote the celebration of his glorious plan with man (doxa, intention,
opinion.).
1:13 Now you (Gentiles) also have discovered yourselves to be equally included in him
having witnessed the unveiled logic of God. (The Word of truth, alethea, from a + lanthano,
not hidden) What exciting news! Your salvation is publicly announced. Consistent with the
promise of God, the Holy Spirit gives guarantee to the fact of your faith, like the stamp of a
signet ring that certifies a document. You are in him!
1:14 The Holy Spirit is our tangible link (title deed) to the inheritance that was ransomed
and preserved for us. God's glorious plan for man is the theme of our celebration.
(Guarantee, or earnest, arabon a Hebrew word, to braid, two parties intertwine by giving
something as surety and pledge. The pledge represents the full transaction. The legal
document or title deed represents the complete value of the transaction. Like a wedding ring
represents the marriage.)
1:15 I am sure you can appreciate how the news of your faith and love greatly inspires me.
1:16 I am so happy for you; my thoughts and prayers are full of you.
1:17 I desire that you will draw directly from the source; that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory ignites the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in you in the
unveiling of his Master Plan (his intent, doxa glory.) I desire that you know by revelation
what he has known about you all along!
1:18 I pray that your thoughts will be flooded with light and inspired insight; that you will
clearly picture his intent in identifying you in him so that you may know how precious you
are to him. The saints are his treasure and the glorious trophy of his portion! (We are God's
assets and the measure of his wealth!)
1:19 I pray that you will understand beyond all comparison the magnitude of his mighty
power towards us who believe. Faith reveals how enormously advantaged we are in Christ.
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1:20 It is the same dynamic energy that he unleashed in Christ when he raised him from
the dead and forever established him in the power of his own right hand in the realm of the
heavens.
1:21 Infinitely above all the combined forces of rule, authority, dominion or governments;
he is ranked superior to any name that could ever be given to anyone of this age or any age
still to come in the eternal future.
1:22 I want you to see this: he subjected all these powers under his feet. He towers head
and shoulders above everything. He is the head,
1:23 the church (his redeemed image and likeness in man) is his body. The completeness of
his being that fills all in all resides in us! God cannot make himself more visible or exhibit
himself more accurately.
CHAPTER 2
2:1 Picture where God found us, we were in a death trap of an inferior lifestyle, constantly
living below the blueprint measure of our lives. (Sin, hamartia, ha + meros, without our
allotted portion)
2:2 We were all part of a common pattern, swept along under a powerful invisible
influence; a spirit- energy that adopted us as sons to its dictate through unbelief.
2:3 Throughout that time everyone of us were warped and corrupted in our conduct
snared in a jumble of forbidden lusts; driven by the desires of the senses, totally engaged in
an expression of life ruled by mind games; it was as if a twisted passion parented a universal
breed of people.
2:4 None of this could distract from the extravagant love of God; he continued to love us
with the exact same intensity.
2:5 This is how grace rescued us: sin left us dead towards God, like spiritual corpses; then
comes the resurrection of Christ; in that moment, he simultaneously co-quickened us
together with Christ. (Exactly as Hosea prophesied it 800 BC) While sin proved how dead we
then were, grace reveals how alive we now are. Even when we were dead in our trespasses,
he made us alive together with him, and raised us up together with him. (God saw us in
Christ in his death and resurrection before we saw ourselves there! Hosea 6:2 declares our
co-resurrection with Christ before anyone but God believed it!)
2:6 (As much as we were co-included in his death,) we are co-included in his resurrection.
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We are also elevated in his ascension to be equally welcome in the throne room of the
heavenly realm where we are seated together with him in his executive authority. We are
fully represented in Christ Jesus.
2:7 (In a single triumphant act of righteousness God saved us from the guttermost to the
uttermost. Here we are now, revealed in Christ in the highest possible position of bliss! If
man's sad history could not distract from the extravagant love of God,) imagine how God is
now able for timeless perpetuity (the eternal future) to exhibit the trophy of the wealth of
his grace demonstrated in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. Grace exhibits excessive
evidence of the success of the cross.
2:8 Your salvation is not a reward for good behaviour! It was a grace thing from start to
finish; you had no hand in it. Even the gift to believe simply reflects his faith! (You did not
invent faith; it was God's faith to begin with! It is from faith to faith, Rom 1:17 He is both the
source and conclusion of faith, Heb 12:2)
2:9 If this could be accomplished through any action of yours then there would be ground
for boasting.
2:10 We are engineered by his design; he moulded and manufactured us in Christ. We are
his workmanship, his poetry. (God finds inspired expression of Christ in us. Greek, poeima,)
We are fully fit to do good, equipped to give attractive evidence of his likeness in us in
everything we do. (God has done everything possible to find spontaneous and effortless
expression of his character in us in our everyday lifestyle. Greek, proetoimatso, God has
prepared a highway for us to lead us out like kings, just like it was in Oriental custom, where
people would go before a king to level the roads to make it possible for the king to journey
with ease and comfort. Isa 40:3-5)
2:11 Remember where you came from; (not only were you spiritually dead but) it wasn't
long ago when you were still classified as non-Jewish, judging on the surface you had
nothing that linked you to them. They sneered at you because you didn’t share their
distinguishing mark of circumcision, which was their claim to fame!
2:12 During that time you were distanced from the Messianic hope; you had nothing in
common with Israel; you felt foreign to the covenants of prophetic promise, living a life with
nothing to look forward to in a world where God seemed absent.
2:13 But now, wow! Everything has changed; you have discovered yourselves to be located
in Christ. What once seemed so distant is now so near; his blood reveals your redeemed
innocence and authentic value.
2:14 It is in him that we are one and at peace with everyone; he dissolved every definition
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of division.
2:15 In his incarnation, he rendered the entire Jewish system of ceremonial laws and
regulations useless as a measure to justify human life and conduct. In that he died
humanity’s death all ground for tension and hostility was entirely removed. The peace he
proclaims reveals one new human race, created and defined in Christ, instead of two groups
of people separated by their ethnic identity and differences.
2:16 Both parties are fully represented and reconciled to God in one human body through
the cross. He reinstated the former harmony; all opposing elements were thus utterly
defeated.
2:17 On that basis he made his public appearance, proclaiming the good news of peace to
universal mankind; both those who felt left out in the cold, (as far as the promises and
covenants were concerned,) as well as to those who were near all along, (because of their
Jewish identity.)
2:18 Because of Christ both Jew and Gentile now enjoy equal access to the Father in one
Spirit.
2:19 The conclusion is clear, you are no longer frowned upon as a foreigner; you are where
you belong and part of an intimate family where no-one is suspicious or inferior.
2:20 Your lives now give visible definition to the spiritual structure, having been built into it
by God upon the foundation that the prophets and apostles proclaimed. The first evidence
of this building was Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. (He is the first visible
testimony to the restored image and likeness of God in human form.)
2:21 In him everyone of us are like living Lego blocks fitted together of the same fabric
(conversation), giving ever increasing articulation to a mobile sanctuary intertwined in the
Lord.
2:22 In him you are co-constructed together as God's permanent spiritual residence. You
are God’s address!
CHAPTER 3
3:1 My ministry is not measured by the size of my cell, I am confined by his grace; Christ
Jesus is the prison keeper; you are why I am here. (Grace measures my ministry; this cell
cannot hide my message from you!)
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3:2 (I may be hidden away in a prison, but my ministry is not.) It is common knowledge that
I have been entrusted with a message that reveals how included you Gentiles are in the
grace gift of God.
3:3 You must have heard how this mystery was revealed to me, in a dramatic disclosure
that broke the silence of a long kept secret. I have previously written briefly about this.
3:4 In reading these words you will perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ. (Insight,
understanding, sunesis, a joining together like two streams)
3:5 In no previous generation has there been a more comprehensive and detailed
understanding (of the full consequence of grace) as it has now been uncovered in the Spirit
to his ambassadors who brought the prophetic promise into full view! Mankind (the sons of
men) may now realise that the prophetic word is fulfilled in them! Everything the prophets
saw is now declared! Both the prophets (who saw this in advance) and the apostles (who
now proclaim this) are sanctioned in Christ.
3:6 The essence of what I see reveals the fact that the multitude of humanity are joint
participants in the same inheritance (together with Israel), we are all part of one and the
same body in Christ. The Good news is that God's promise is equally relevant and applicable
to all.
3:7 This Gospel defines my ministry; I am supercharged by the gift of his grace!
3:8 I am the lowest ranked saint by far. (My claim to fame emphasizes the fact that grace is
a gift and certainly not a reward for good behavior.) His grace alone qualifies me to declare
this unexplored treasure of Christ in the nations.
3:9 The mandate of my message is to make all men see. The unveiling of this eternal secret
is to bring into public view an association that has always been hidden in God; Jesus Christ is
the blueprint of creation.
3:10 Every invisible authority and government in the arena of the heavenlies is now
confronted with the display of the wisdom of God. The church acts like a prism that
disperses the varied magnitude of God in human form.
3:11 Jesus Christ our Boss and Owner gives definition to God’s timeless pre-determined
thought ( pro-thesis ).
3:12 His faith in us gives our lives integrity. We echo and articulate the original
conversation publicly. (In him we express ourselves freely and openly) He is our platform to a
global audience.
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3:13 You have no reason to feel embarrassed or responsible because of what I am
suffering; rather feel honoured!
3:14 Overwhelmed by what grace communicates, I bow my knees in awe before the Father.
3:15 Every family in heaven and on earth originate in him; he remains the authentic and
original identity of every nation.
3:16 I desire for you to realise what the Father has given you from his own limitless
resources, so that you may be dynamically reinforced in your inner being by the Spirit of
God.
3:17 This will impact your faith with capacity to fully grasp the reality of the indwelling
Christ. You are rooted and founded in Love. Love is your invisible inner source just like the
root system of a tree and the foundation of a building. (The dimension of your inner person
exceeds any other measure that could possibly define you. “The Holy Spirit becomes to me
what he was to Jesus, the very life of my personality” - Andrew Murray).
3:18 This is your reservoir of super human strength which causes you as saints to
collectively grasp (come to terms with, make one’s own, empowered to comprehend) the
limitless extent of his love in breadth, in length, in height (rank), and the extremities of its
depths. (See John 1:12)
3:19 I desire for you to become intimately acquainted with the love of Christ on the
deepest possible level; far beyond the reach of a mere academic, intellectual grasp. Within
the scope of this equation God finds the ultimate expression of himself in you (so that you
may be filled with all the fullness of God).
3:20 We celebrate him who super charges us powerfully from within. Our biggest request
or most amazing dream cannot match the extravagant proportion of his thoughts towards
us.
3:21 He owns the applause displayed in the church (his redeemed image and likeness),
confirmed in Christ Jesus. The encore continues throughout every generation, not only of
this age but also of the countless ages to come. Amen!
CHAPTER 4
4:1 So here I am in prison; but much more than that do I realize that I am in Christ! My
complete existence is defined and confined in him. (We are indeed seated together with him
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in heavenly places! 2:6 no distraction can) With this in mind I would urge you to conduct the
detail of your day to day life conscious of your true identity and worth as defined in him. (To
walk worthy, axios, having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much. Your
calling or vocation, from kaleo, to surname, to identify by name)
4:2 Be mindful of the fact that meekness and tenderness are the fabric of your make-up
which enables you to show compassion even in seemingly impossible situations, eagerly
bearing with one another in an environment where love rules.
4:3 Being vigilant to guard your oneness of spirit. We are prisoners of peace. We confirm
the fact that there is only one body; also that there is only one Spirit.
4:4 We are identified in one expectation (hope), there is no plan B. We bear the same
surname.
4:5 We are employed by the same Boss; we share the same faith, and our baptism says the
same thing (we are equally included in his death and resurrection.)
4:6 There is only one God. He remains the ultimate Father of the universe. We are because
he is. He is present in all; he is above all, through all and in all. (He is not far from each one of
us; in him we live and move and have our being; we are indeed his offspring. Acts17:24-28).
4:7 The gift of Christ gives dimension to grace and defines our individual value. (Grace was
given to each one of us according to the measure of the gift of Christ)
4:8 Scripture confirms that he led us as trophies in his triumphant procession on high; he
repossessed his gift (likeness) in man. (2:6 We are also elevated in his ascension to be equally
welcome in the throne room of the heavenly realm where we are now seated together with
him in his authority. Quote from the Hebrew text, Ps. 68:18, lakachta mattanoth baadam,
thou hast taken gifts in man, in Adam. The gifts which Jesus Christ distributes to man he has
received in man, in and by virtue of his incarnation. Commentary by Adam Clarke.)
4:9 The fact that he ascended confirms his victorious descent into the deepest pits of
human despair. (See John 3:13, "No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended
from heaven, even the son of man." All mankind originate from above; we are anouthen,
from above, see James 1:17,18.)
4:10 He now occupies the ultimate rank of authority from the lowest regions, where he
stooped down to rescue us from, to the highest authority in the heavens, having executed
his mission to the full. (Fallen man is fully restored to the authority of the life of his design.)
4:11 What God now has in us is gift wrapped to the world; some are commissioned to
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pioneer; others are gifted prophetically; some as announcers of good news; some as
shepherds with a real gift to care and nurture, and others have a gift to ignite instruction
through revelation knowledge. (Couriers, communicators, counsellors and coaches. Rob
Lacey)
4:12 Each expression of his gift is to fully equip and enable the saints for the work of the
ministry so that they may mutually contribute in their specific function to give definition to
the visible body of Christ.
4:13 The purpose of these ministry gifts is to present everyone on par and in oneness of
faith; believing exactly what the Son of God believes and knowing accurately what he knows
concerning us. Standing face to face in equal stature to the measure of the completeness of
Christ. (A life filled to the brim with Christ, like a freight ship carrying its cargo.)
4:14 The most dangerous life you can live is an ignorant one. You're left like an infant on a
ship out of control in the waves and winds of the storms of life. The fall of the dice dictates
while the deceptive teachings of men and their distracting tricks entertain.
4:15 Love (the revealed value that God sees in every man) gives truth its voice. The
conversation that truth inspires (as it is mirrored in Christ, v 21) creates the atmosphere
wherein growth is both spontaneous and inevitable. The whole person is addressed in Christ
who is the head of the body; he is the conclusion of God's communication with man.
4:16 From him flows the original composition and detail of our design like words
intertwined in poetry, (like a conductor of music, epichoregeo) they connect layer upon layer
to complete the harmony, following the rhythm of his thoughts like footprints. Meanwhile
the body thrives and pulsates with the energy of love. Each individual part (portion) finds its
full measure there. (Verses 8-16: “Couriers, communicators, counselors and coaches. All with
the same brief: to get the crew to work together and to do others good. The church is not
dismembered, dysfunctional body, but a fully functional, well balanced, coordinated lover of
people.” - Rob Lacey)
4:17 My most urgent appeal to you in the Lord is this: you have nothing in common with
the folly of the empty minded masses; the days of conducting your life and affairs in a
meaningless way are over! (Masses of people are walking in the vanity of their minds.)
4:18 Their understanding is veiled by an interception of light (an image cast by an object,
representing the form of that object) Therefore the life of God remains obscure and foreign
to them because ignorance blindfolds their hearts. (They are darkened in their
understanding of the truth of their redeemed identity; therefore they appear to be alienated
from the life of God.)
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4:19 Having become conditioned to a life distanced from God; they are calloused in spirit,
and are lust and greed driven; they have totally abandoned themselves to outrageous
shameless living.
4:20 Of what total contrast is Christ!
4:21 It is not possible to study Christ in any other context; he is the incarnation, hear him
resonate in you! The truth about you has its ultimate reference in Jesus. ("The truth as it is in
Christ." He did not come to introduce a new compromised set of rules; he is not an example
for us but of us!)
4:22 Now you are free to strip off that old identity like a filthy worn-out garment. Lust
corrupted you and cheated you into wearing it. (Just like an actor who wore a cloak for a
specific role he had to interpret; the fake identity is no longer appropriate!)
4:23 (Pondering the truth about you as it is displayed in Christ) will cause you to be
completely reprogrammed in the way you think about yourself! (This happens in the spirit of
your mind, on a much deeper level than a mere intellectual and academic consent.)
4:24 Immerse yourself fully into this God-shaped new man from above! You are created in
the image and likeness of God. This is what righteousness and true holiness are all about.
4:25 Faking it and lying to one another was part of the old life; now speak always only that
which truth inspires to your fellowman. (Truth as it is in Christ, v 21) We are related to one
another like different parts in the same body, (cheating him would be cheating yourself!)
4:26 Even if you think you have a valid excuse, do not let anger dominate your day! If you
don't deal with it immediately (in the light of the likeness of Christ in you) the sun sets for
you and your day becomes one of lost opportunity where darkness employs anger to snare
you into sin.
4:27 Any sin that you tolerate is an open invitation to the devil. Do not give him a platform
to operate from.
4:28 If you were a thief before, you are one no more. Find an honest job where the fruit of
your labor can be a blessing to others!
4:29 Instead of cheap talk, your mouth is now a fountain of grace, giving encouragement
and inspiration to everyone within earshot.
4:30 The Holy Spirit is your signet ring from God to confirm that you are redeemed to live
your life in the light of day, any conduct that belongs to the night grieves him.
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4:31 Take up the strongest possible position against every form of distorted behaviour in
your own life, do not allow yourself to be spiteful; outbursts of violent emotion and rage do
not become you. You don't have to shout in order to make your point. People must feel safe
in your conversation, therefore slander and hurtful words (blasphemy) are out!
4:32 Be inspired by kindness and compassion; your forgiving one another when you might
feel irritated and frustrated, demonstrates the way God graciously treated us in Christ.
CHAPTER 5
5:1 Mimic God; you are his offspring.
5:2 This is how: let the love of Christ be your life; remember how he abandoned himself to
us. His love is contagious, not reluctant but extravagant. Sacrificial love pleases God like the
sweet aroma of worship. (Resembling the holy anointing oil and the pure fragrant incense of
spices, the work of a perfumer, to be burnt on the golden altar of incense in the inner court of
the tent of meeting. Ex.37:25-29.)
5:3 Love has nothing in common with lust, immoral acts or greed. The absence of these
motives even in the way you talk sets a standard of excellence.
5:4 Any distorted language (disfigured, exaggeration), sarcasm or below the belt jokes are
uncalled for; much rather let gratitude grace your conversation.
5:5 The Christ-life gives distinct definition to the kingdom of God. You cannot live a doublestandard
life. Abusing people through adultery, lust and greed is like worshipping a distorted
image of yourself, which is what idolatry is all about.
5:6 Avoid any association with those who employ hollow words to entice you; unbelief only
produces a breed of people that distorts the pattern of the harmony of the life of our design
as image bearers of God. (orge, from oregomai, to stretch one’s self out in order to touch or
to grasp something, to reach after or desire something; thus to distort.)
5:7 Do not allow their unbelief to include you in their company.
5:8 You were there once, trapped in the same darkness, but now you are light; your life
confirms that light rules.
5:9 The spiritual harvest of light is evident in all that is excellent, innocent (righteous) and
of impeccable integrity.
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5:10 This gives certain evidence to the life of God's delight.
5:11 Do not tolerate anything in your life that associates you with darkness; there is no
profit in it for you. Rather expose it for what it really is.
5:12 By gossiping about shameful acts that people do in secret you are giving those things
undue mileage.
5:13 Darkness loses its grip upon that which light manifests. Light displaces darkness.
5:14 This is the message of light, Christ awakens you from your intoxicated slumber and
resurrects you out of a death trap (of thought patterns.)
5:15 Take accurate stock of your life, cut out foolishness, walk in wisdom.
5:16 Wisdom converts time into opportunity, and frees your day from slog.
5:17 Make his master plan your meditation.
5:18 While wine offers no lasting escape from the evil of the day, the spirit certainly does!
Immerse yourselves in fullness of spirit.
5:19 Speak psalms to one another; burst out in spontaneous celebration songs and spirit
inspired resonance. In your heart don't let the music stop; continue to touch the Lord with
whispers of worship.
5:20 Because you are identified in the Name of Jesus Christ, you can afford to always
overflow in gratitude to the Father, (not for everything that happens to you but) in spite of
everything that happens to you; you are not under circumstances but above circumstances
because you are in him!
5:21 Inspired by the selfless consideration you witnessed in Christ, (the way he abandoned
himself to the will of God and to us, verse 2) show perfect courtesy to one another.
5:22 (Marriage is a portrait of this mutual yielding to one another) wives give yourselves
fully unto your husbands as you would to the Lord. (Remember, v2 love is contagious, not
reluctant but extravagant. Sacrificial love pleases God like the sweet aroma of worship.)
5:23 In the same way that Christ gives salvation, security and completeness to the church
as the head does to the body, the husband is all of that to his wife.
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5:24 The church enjoys the full advantage of the complete package of salvation, by yielding
themselves fully to Christ; even so the wife enjoys every benefit her husband represents in
her abandonment to him.
5:25 The husband loving his wife pictures the parallel of Christ loving the church
completely, and his unreserved giving of himself to us. (This is what marriage is all about; it
celebrates love's initiative, whether coming from the husband or the wife; this awakens a
different level of commitment beyond the sense of duty or guilt.)
5:26 Christ gives God's Word a voice; immersed in this language, his love words bathe us
and remove from us every stain of sin.
5:27 This intimate language presents the church (his restored image and likeness) to
himself, to his delightful approval without any distraction or reminder of a blemished past,
no wrinkle or scar of sin's abuse remains; she stands before him in immaculate innocence.
(1Kings 6:7)
5:28 (A man could go though many disciplines in life to make himself look good financially
or even go to great expense to win the applause of others; he could diligently workout in the
gym and trim his body to perfection) but the most valuable thing he can ever do to add value
to his own life, is to love his wife; loving your wife equals loving your own body.
5:29 Consider how abnormal it would be for a man to abhor and detest his own body; the
opposite is true! You would much rather pamper and fuss over your bodies. (It's all you've
got, you can't trade it in for a new one, so take good care of it, watch what you feed it and
how you exercise it, and gently nurse it when it is in pain.) Get the message, you are the
body of Christ; he does not merely tolerate you politely, he delights himself in you!
5:30 We are his flesh and bone body; bearing his image and likeness we give tangible
expression of him.
5:31 Marriage reflects this union; a man would separate himself from his own parents to be
glued to his wife; thus two separate people are now merged into one new identity. (In the
same way he elevated us from our natural birth as our only identity to an understanding of
our origin in him confirmed again in our new birth, his resurrection, and our subsequent
restored joint position together with him in heavenly places; thus he brought about a new
union of intimate oneness; God and man revealed again in one Person.)
5:32 The secret of a successful marriage is reflected in this inseparable union between
Christ and the church as God’s redeemed image and likeness in man. (This union ultimately
defines both marriage and church, any other definition is a distorted man-made deception.)
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5:33 In conclusion then, no one has any excuse to love his wife less than what he loves
himself; at the same time every wife is now free and fully empowered to honor her husband
in the same context and devotion as the church would respond to the initiative of Christ.
CHAPTER 6
6:1 (This mutual yielding to one another continues in every social relationship we engage
in; and extends the attractive display of the Christ life: beginning at home, cradled in the
warm embrace of loving parents,) the way children respond to their parents give evidence to
their righteousness in the Lord. (In essence the term righteousness speaks of two parties
honoring likeness in one another.)
6:2 The first commandment that includes an immediate and long term incentive is in
reference to children honoring their father and mother.
6:3 Both quality and duration of life on earth is impacted by the way children relate to their
parents.
6:4 Fathers your role is not to exasperate your children (by giving them burdens and tasks
too heavy to bear,) you are rather to awaken their minds in an environment conducive to
draw on every virtue that is in them in the Lord.
6:5 The next level of relationship equally implicated includes the heart attitude of a slave
towards his owner, because of your devotion to Christ, you are now able to give your boss
the same undivided, sincere respect and devotion. (Remember we are talking practical
church/Christ-life, celebrating love's initiative in transforming society!)
6:6 This is not a matter of merely trying to put up a front in order to impress your boss, you
are in essence slaves of Christ; addicted to the desire of God to find expression in you; now
slave life becomes the Christ life. (The so called 'low life' becomes a window of the highest
life.)
6:7 However menial the task, put your heart and mind into it as you would unto the Lord,
he's your real Boss, not man.
6:8 It is a well known fact that it is impossible for good deeds to go unnoticed; it makes no
difference whether a man be free or a slave; every single good deed equally attract the
favorable attention of the Lord.
6:9 If you're the Boss, love's initiative applies to you on exactly the same terms; the way
you treat your slaves with respect rather than threats, even when they do stupid things
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clears the air immediately. Take it from your heavenly Master; he does not judge people or
circumstances on face value.
6:10 In conclusion, and with reference to the theme and context of this writing, I
encourage you to realize your strength in the Master; your union with him is your limitless
resource. (Remember my prayer for you at the offset of this letter, 1:19 I pray that you will
understand beyond all comparison the magnitude of his mighty power towards us who
believe. Faith reveals how enormously advantaged we are in Christ. 1:20 It is the same
dynamic energy that he unleashed in Christ when he raised him from the dead and forever
established him in the power of his own right hand in the realm of the heavens. 1:21
Infinitely above all the combined forces of rule, authority, dominion or governments; he is
ranked superior to any name that could ever be given to anyone of this age or any age still to
come in the eternal future. 1:22 I want you to see this: he subjected all these powers under
his feet. He towers head and shoulders above everything. He is the head, 1:23 the church (his
redeemed image and likeness in man) is his body. The completeness of his being that fills all
in all resides in us! God cannot make himself more visible or exhibit himself more accurately.)
6:11 Fully immerse yourself in the detail and significance of every individual part of the
armor of God (acquaint yourself with all that God's victory in Christ represents.) Just like
every aspect in a soldier’s armor significantly completes his battle uniform to best equip him
to effectively face every method and strategy that the enemy could possibly employ against
him.
6:12 People are not the enemy, (whether they be husbands, wives, children, or parents,
slaves or bosses. They might host the enemy in their attitudes and actions through their
unbelief or ignorance but) to target one another is to engage in the wrong combat. We
represent the authority of the victory of Christ in the spiritual realm. We are positioned
there (in Christ) we target the structures of darkness; governing and conditioning human
behavior through their evil invisible influence. ( pros, towards, in this context, to advance,
forward march, no retreat.)
6:13 It is most important therefore to acquaint and associate yourself with every aspect of
God's armor; now you are fully fit to powerfully defeat any onslaught of evil on the day of
confrontation, triumphantly standing your ground.
6:14 Take your position: you have the truth (of who you are in Christ) wrapped around
your hips like a soldier’s belt, holding the complete body armor together. (Now your loins
are protected so that the enemy can no longer defeat you with lust and sexual sins.)
Righteousness covers your heart like a bullet proof breastplate.
6:15 You wear your eagerness and passion to communicate the good news, like soldier’s
shoes (practice your footwork.) Announce peace, the battle has already been fought and
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won!
6:16 It is most important to engage your faith as a man-size shield that covers your whole
person and empowers you to extinguish the flame in every arrow the enemy shoots at you.
The only visible part of you is your faith!
6:17 Pondering redemption realities is your head gear that protects your mind; then give
voice to the Word of God, this is your spiritual sword.
6:18 Prevail in persistent prayer; praying in the spirit includes every form of prayer,
whether it be a prayer of request or a prayer of thanksgiving and worship or interceding for
the saints, don't do all the talking, always be attentive to the voice of the spirit. (Prayer is so
much more than a one way conversation.)
6:19 My most urgent request is for clarity of utterance every time I open my mouth to
speak; that my words will be gifted with inspiration, boldly articulating the mystery of the
gospel.
6:20 I am an ambassador in bonds; chained to this task of confidently communicating the
revelation of the Gospel with the accuracy it deserves.
6:21 I know this is not much of a newsletter; my urgency is not to talk about myself; but my
dear friend and faithful helper, Tychicus will fill you in on the detail. (He is also the scribe of
this letter.)
6:22 That is really why I sent him to you, that you may be well informed about our affairs
and see yourselves fully identified with us.
6:23 My prayer for you is a brotherhood of happy harmony, and love-entwined faith
flowing from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
6:24 Grace greetings to all of you who share our undivided passion for our Master, Jesus
Christ. He is echoed in your amen.
