A. His humility: “Less than the least of all the saints” (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:15)
B. His task: “To preach…the unsearchable riches of Christ” (2 Timothy 4:2)
II. God’s manifold wisdom (Ephesians 3:9-11)
A. From creation, was hidden – even from the prophets and the angels (1 Peter 1:10-12)
B. Now made known by the church
C. This was God’s eternal purpose, accomplished in Jesus
III. Our boldness and confidence
A. Comes through faith (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 10:19-25)
B. We should not be discouraged, but keep working (1 Corinthians 15:58; Galatians 6:9)
A. No intention to destroy, but fulfill (Matthew 5:17-18; Colossians 2:14)
B. Jesus never encouraged anyone to disregard any of the Old Law while it was still in effect (Matthew 5:19)
C. He did, however, call for a more excellent righteousness (Matthew 5:20; Romans 10:1-3)
II. A progressive heart problem
A. The straight-forward command (Matthew 5:21; Exodus 20:13)
B. Starts with an attitude: anger (Matthew 5:22; Psalm 4:4; Ephesians 4:26-27)
C. Progresses to vocalized intent: “Raca; you fool!” (Matthew 5:22; Ephesians 4:29)
III. Make peace with your brother!
A. If you are the cause of strife with a brother, you cannot be at peace with God (Matthew 5:23-26; 1 Timothy 2:8; 1 John 2:9-11; 3:10, 15)
B. You cannot be forgiven if you do not forgive (Matthew 6:14-15)
A. The prisoner of Christ (Ephesians 3:1; 6:20; 2 Corinthians 11:23)
B. A recipient of God’s revelation (Ephesians 3:3)
C. A minister (servant) for the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:1-2, 7; Galatians 2:7; 1:15-16)
II. Comprehension upon reading
A. The mystery was concealed (Ephesians 3:5; 1 Peter 1:10-11; Luke 10:23-24)
B. The mystery is now revealed (Ephesians 3:4; John 8:32; 17:17; 14:26; 16:13)
III. Unity of both Jew and Gentile: “of the same body”
A. Fellow-heirs, fellow-members, fellow-partakers (Ephesians 3:6 ASV)
B. “Through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6; Romans 1:16)
C. “In Christ” (Ephesians 3:6; 1:3)
A. Jesus takes away sin (John 1:29; Isaiah 53:6)
B. John’s testimony of Jesus (John 1:30-35; Matthew 3:16-17)
C. John’s desire to turn people to Christ (John 1:36; 3:30)
II. “What do you seek?”
A. Jesus invites them to “Come and see” (John 1:37-40)
B. Andrew then brings Peter (John 1:41-42; cf. 6:8-9; 12:20-22)
III. “Come and see!”
A. Jesus to Philip: “Follow Me” (John 1:43; Luke 9:23-26, 57-62)
B. Philip to Nathanael: “Come and see!” (John 1:44-49; Acts 17:11)
C. “You will see greater things than these” (John 1:50-51)
A. Past: strangers and foreigners
B. Present: fellow citizens with the saints (Philippians 3:20; Matthew 5:3-12) and members of the household of God (Galatians 6:10; 1 Timothy 3:15)
II. The building (Ephesians 2:20-21)
A. The foundation (Acts 2:42; Matthew 16:16-19)
B. The chief cornerstone (Psalm 118:22 [cf. Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:9-12; 1 Peter 2:7]; Isaiah 28:16 [cf. 1 Peter 2:6])
C. The integrity (Ephesians 4:13, 16; 1 Peter 1:15-16)
III. The purpose (Ephesians 2:22)
A. Unity (Ephesians 2:19, 21, 22)
B. For a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Acts 17:24)
I. The vineyard as a symbol of Israel (5:1-2; Ps. 80; Jer. 12:10; Mark 12:1-10)
A. “My Well-beloved” = God
B. “The choicest vine” = Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
C. “Wild grapes” are poisonous and toxic
II. A song of lament (5:3-6)
A. Similar in method to Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-15) and Jesus (Matthew 21:33-43; Mark 12:1-9)
B. Limits of God’s power: He will not violate man’s free will (Matthew 23:37; 2 Peter 3:9)
III. The meaning of the parable (5:7)
A. Paronomasia (pun in which the words sound similar but have different meanings)
B. Justice (mishpat) vs. oppression/bloodshed (mispah)
C. Righteousness (sedakah) vs. a cry (seakah)
IV. The first woe (5:8-10)
A. Against land-grabbing (Micah 2:2; Jeremiah 22:13-17; Habakkuk 2:9-12)
B. Drastically reduced harvest (Lev. 26:20; Deut. 26:15, 18; Haggai 1:5-6)
V. The second woe (5:11-12)
A. Against drunken revelry (1 Peter 4:1-4; Eph. 5:18; Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:19-21)
B. God was not a priority (Amos 6:1-7; Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:1-2)
A. Prophesied (Isaiah 9:6-7; 52:7; 53:5; 57:19-21)
B. Peace is a part of unity (Acts 2:42-47)
II. Peace among different nationalities (2:14-17)
A. The peace of Christ is found only in the church [“in one body”] (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)
B. Made possible for all “through the cross” (John 3:16; Romans 5:8-11)
III. Peace with the Father (2:18)
A. Access to the Father restored through Christ by one Spirit (Isa. 59:1-2)
B. There can be no peace apart from the blood of Christ (2:13), the cross of Christ (2:16)
A. God’s desire (2 Peter 3:9)
B. Our desire (Galatians 6:1)
II. The process of confrontation
A. Talk to the offender, not about the offender (Matthew 18:15)
B. If the problem persists, take witnesses (Matthew 18:16)
C. If he still refuses to repent, take the matter before the church (Matthew 18:17-20)
III. The reasons for withdrawal
A. Unsound doctrine (1 Timothy 6:3-5; 2 John 9-11)
B. Unbiblical practice (2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14)
C. Immoral behavior (1 Corinthians 5:1-9)
D. Instigation of strife (Romans 16:17-18; Titus 3:10-11)
E. All of this applies to withdrawing of fellowship from a Christian, not to our relationship with the world at large (1 Corinthians 5:9-13)
IV. The aim of discipline
A. In regards to the individual…
1. Admonishment (2 Thessalonians 3:15)
2. Restoration (James 5:19-20)
3. Forgiveness and reaffirmation of love (2 Cor. 2:6-8)
B. In regards to the church…
1. Protection of the flock (Acts 20:28; Titus 1:10-11)
2. Maintain the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:1-3) and fellowship with God (Revelation 2:14-16)
A. Must come into contact with something to affect it (Romans 12:1-2)
B. What happens when it loses its effectiveness? (Luke 14:34-35)
II. Light (5:14)
A. Jesus (John 8:12; 1:4-5)
B. Disciples (Ephesians 5:8)
C. More than mere reflection, we must burn as lamps lit from His fire! (John 12:36; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8)
III. “On a hill” … “on a lampstand” (5:14-15)
A. Covert discipleship is forbidden (Matthew 10:32-33)
B. As part of the local church (Revelation 1:20)
IV. Motivation (5:16)
A. Marshall Keeble: “The Bible does not say to make your light shine, but it says to let it shine!”
B. Good works to glorify God (Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 6:10; James 2:20-22, 24)
A. “Therefore” (Ephesians 2:1-3, 5-6, 10)
B. “Once Gentiles…called Uncircumcision” (Galatians 3:28)
II. Your former rank (2:11-12)
A. Physical/political separation (“aliens”)
B. Spiritual separation
1. “Strangers from the covenants of promise” (Genesis 12:2-3; 15:18-21; 17:1-21; Exodus 24:1-9; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:6-13)
2. “No hope” (Ephesians 1:18) and “without God” (Romans 1-2)
III. Your present relationship: “now in Christ Jesus” (2:13)
A. Reconciliation of the “far off” (Isaiah 57:19; Acts 2:39)
B. There’s power in the blood (Romans 5:8-9; Hebrews 9:22; Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:17-19; 1 John 1:7; Acts 20:28)
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12)
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