LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY: May 2020

Friday, May 22, 2020

BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

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BIBLE STUDY LESSON

For the week beginning Sunday May 24, 2020

UNITY IN THE BODY

Ephesians 4:1-16

In Ephesians chapter 4, verses 1-16, the Apostle Paul urges us to maintain attitudes that express love and unity within the Body of CHRIST, which is the Church. In the Greek the word Paul uses for “worthy” in verse 1 is “axious” and it literally means “to balance the scale”. Here Paul is saying that we must give “equal weight” to our calling and conduct. We must make an effort to practice what we preach, and our doctrine must be balanced with our lifestyle.

This passage, along with Romans 12:1 and 1 Corinthians 12 constitute “the Christian image of the holy Body of CHRIST”. Whenever a person joins themselves to a society or faith, they must obligate themselves to change or adapt to a living style that is compatible in that society, or faith. People who choose to join the body of CHRIST must adapt their style of living into a way that is compatible with GOD’s Word. We must work on being “humble” and “gentle, and also be “patient” and “loving” to those who are our “neighbors”, who are also living in the “community of GOD” (v.2).

In verses 4-6 we find no less than seven theological elements of the Christian Church. There we see that:

· We are all one body

· We have the same SPIRIT

· We have all been called to the same glorious future

· There one LORD

· There is one Faith

· There is one Baptism

· There is one GOD and FATHER over us all, in us all, and living through us all

JESUS, the ONE WHO descended from Heaven to this lowly earth in order to usher in to us, “a brand New Covenant” from GOD, is also the ONE WHO gives us all certain gifts that should be used to enhance, improve, nourish, and grow HIS Body, the Church. The apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are responsible for equipping GOD’s people to do HIS work and build the Church to the point where we are unified in Faith and knowledge of JESUS CHRIST, and, are mature and full grown in the LORD. Our goal is to measure up to the example that CHRIST JESUS showed us as a 100% man, during HIS life here on earth (Vs.11-13).

GOD does not wish for us to continue to act like children who can’t make up their minds about what they believe. HE doesn’t wish for us to fall prey to the cleaver liars who make their deceitful words sound like the truth (v.14). And if we are able to hold fast to the truth, becoming more and more like CHRIST, the whole Body will be fitted together perfectly as each part (person) does their own specially assigned work. By performing our own special work assignment to the best of our GOD-given ability, we will also be helping the other parts of the Church to grow so that the whole Body is healthy and operational, and filled with love (v.15-16).

To waver back and forth like a ship lost at sea, is not the life of a true Christian. Each member of the Body of CHRIST must grow and mature and reflect GOD’s image to others through our own behavior, by standing firm in GOD’s Word. Satan will always plant people in the Church who will try to introduce his agenda through the things that are popular in the world, such as miming (witch craft), worldly music, trunk or treat, trunk fest, fall festivals and other things that parallel Halloween, etc., but serious, mature Christians must resist such influences in the Church, and, in their personal lives.

The Church must function like a body because it is a body, the Body of CHRIST. It needs all of its parts to be working properly, held together by “love”, if it is to have a productive spiritual life, and grow by GOD’s standard of success, not the world’s standard. And we should always remember that, most importantly, the one thing that will keep the Church healthy and efficient, is by it maintaining an intimate and personal connection to JESUS CHRIST, WHO is the head, brains, mind, and SPIRIT of the Body.

The Church has never needed our human ingenuity to operate successfully. It only needs us to be obedient to GOD. We only need to share the gifts with the Church that GOD has so graciously given to each of us, and we don’t need to try and improve upon that which GOD has already perfectly set up. We just need to be obedient and do things the way GOD says do them, and when we take the time to study the plan of GOD, we’ll find that it is not open to our own personal interpretation, but rather, we’ll find that “the Word of GOD interprets itself to us”.

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

Larry Dell Alexander (1953–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

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Friday, May 8, 2020

BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

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BIBLE STUDY LESSON

For the week beginning Sunday May 10, 2020

PAUL’S PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL EMPOWERING

Ephesians 3:14-21

JESUS came to show man the difference between “parenthood” and “fatherhood”. Parenthood or “Paternity” means “father”, purely in the “physical sense”. It is a term that can be used even of a man who has never really seen or spent time with his child at all. However, “fatherhood” is a term that is much more dynamic, because it describes a man who is intimately involved with his offspring. To merit this description, a man has to have an experiential relationship of love and caring with his child.

Before JESUS came, man could only see GOD in a “paternal sense”. However, when JESUS came, HE presented us with a “physical picture” of ONE WHO knew GOD the FATHER on a personal, experiential level. It is on this level that Paul had also come to know GOD, and he wanted everyone in the Christian Church to understand the kind of new relationship and power that they now found themselves having access to through the HOLY SPIRIT.

In Ephesians 3, verses 14-21 Paul prays for “a mighty spiritual empowerment from GOD” on the Church at Ephesus. Here we see a petition for five spiritual qualities, or “powers” that would energize the members of the body of CHRIST in any age. Those qualities are:

· That GOD’s people may gain a “mighty” inner strength” from the HOLY SPIRIT. Here, in the Greek for the word “mighty”, is “krataiothenai” (krat-ah-yo-then-ahee) which is “the power to overcome resistance”, and the Greek word used to describe “inner strength” is “dynamis”, which is “dynamic living power and strengthened love” (v.16).

· That CHRIST would be “more at home” in our hearts”. The Greek word used here to describe “more at home” is “katoi-kesai” (kat-ohee-kes-ahee) which means “to dwell ongoing”, or, “to remain with” (v.17).

· That GOD’s people be given “the power to understand” – in the Greek “exischusete” (ex-is-khoo-se-te), which means, “to be entirely competent and able”, or “to possess inherent strength” (v.18).

· That GOD’s people may experience the love of CHRIST”. In other words, “Know CHRIST experientially” (v.19a).

· That GOD’s people may be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from GOD” (V.19b).

GOD is the true template of “fatherhood” that all men should seek to follow, but, in order for us to do that, we must first ask “THE PATTERN MAKER” to “empower” and “embody” us with a “SPIRITUAL POWER” from on high, that would allow us to become the kind of leaders that HE calls us to be.

Like a good FATHER, GOD has given us an identity, and HE has also given us, HIS only begotten SON, JESUS CHRIST, to dwell in our hearts, the moment we first, truly believe. And, as if that weren’t enough, HE, in addition, strengthens and empowers us with HIS HOLY SPIRIT, because HE desires very badly, that we are successful in overcoming this world, just as JESUS did. Our hope, prayers, and endeavor must be that we can find ourselves in the ultimate happy ending, that has been prepared for us by GOD, since the foundation of this world.