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PRISON EPISTLES
(Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon)
Brief Study on the New Testament Books
(MBC - Wednesday PM, August 7, 2024
Let us tackle those Prison letters written by the Apostle Paul namely Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Those books were written when Paul was in prison in the city of Rome. How did it happen?
We learned at the book of Romans especially Romans 5, that Paul had an intense desire to go to the city of Rome in order to visit Christians in Rome (Romans 1:10-12 “Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.”). By God’s means it become possible for Paul to arrive to Rome, but everything happened in a very unusual way. Paul was accused and was brought as a prisoner because Paul preached the wonderful Gospel of God’s grace. Inside the prison, God is able and gracious to save all who come to God, repented from sins and believe Christ finished redemptive work, who died, buried and risen from the dead, no matter what race they are, and who they are.
Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”.
We are told in the book of Acts rom Acts 21 to Acts 28, about the story how Paul got to the city of Rome.
Four letters of the New Testament that were written by Paul when he was a prisoner in Rome:
Even though Paul was indeed a prisoner of the Romans, but instead Paul saw himself as what? Ephesians 3:1; Ephesians 4:1
Ephesians 3:1 “For this cause I Paul, the __________ of _____ _______ for you Gentiles,”
Ephesians 4:1 “I therefore, the _________ of the ________, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.”
What a great privilege to be one of the prisoner and slave of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul was captured by the Living Lord Jesus Christ and there is way to escape and not going to let Paul go. How about you, has the Living Lord captured you and bounded you by the chains of the love of God?
I – OUR RICHNESS IS CHRIST – BOOK OF EPHESIANS In the book of Ephesians, we learn that Christ is our wealth.
If you are a believer, did you know that you are a spiritual billionaire? Read II Corinthians 8:9 and answer why Jesus become poor and died for us.
II Corinthians 8:9 “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his _________ might be _________.”
There is a problem with is because often we fail to realize how truly rich, we really are. We Christians we had been more than a billionaire all our lives. We never took advantage of what we had. We must not forget that the believer is a child of the King but often we are living daily as a very poor person instead of living like a prince.
The purpose why the book of Ephesians was written to show us and make us aware that how rich we are and to always remind us of all the blessings that we have in Christ. Read Ephesians 1:3 and complete the missing words.
Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all _________ ___________ in heavenly places in Christ:”
We can find spiritual blessings when one is in Christ in the first three chapters of Ephesians.
It says in Ephesians 1:3 that believers have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ.
The word blessing in Ephesians 1:3 is a translation of the Greek word eulogy, and it means “to speak well of.” Since God is the one acting in this verse, we can say that God has spoken good things about us or pronounced good things for our benefit. The good things that God has decreed for us are probably beyond our ability to number, but we can outline a few by looking at the verses that follow the statement (Ephesians 1:4–13).
Here are some of these spiritual blessings in Ephesians:
1. Election as saints. Ephesians 1:4 (verses 5-6)
Ephesians 1:4 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”
2. Adoption as God’s children – Ephesians 1:5 (John 1:12)
Ephesians 1:5 “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”
3. Accepted in the beloved – Ephesians 1:6
Ephesians 1:6 “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
4. Redemption through His blood – Ephesians 1:7 (I Corinthians 6:20).
Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”
5. Forgiveness of sins – Ephesians 1:7
Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”
6. Knowing the mystery of His will – Ephesians 1:8-10 (Revelation 4:11
Ephesians 1:8-10 “Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:”
7. Inheritance given to us through Christ – Ephesians 1:11 (I Corinthians 2:9)
Ephesians 1:11 “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:”
8. Sealing of the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 1:13
Ephesians 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
The list could go on and on speaking of the privileges that are ours in Christ. You can find more in this book of Ephesians.
The privileges of being a member of the church of Jesus Christ is one of the blessings that every believer shares.
Description of the Church in Ephesians:
1. The Church is described as a Body
Please give the verse of the first four chapters in the book of Ephesians that tells the Church as the body of Jesus Christ:
Ephesians 1: ___
Ephesians 2: ___
Ephesians 3: ___
Ephesians 4: ___
Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 2:16; Ephesians 3:6; Ephesians 4:4,16
Each believer is a member of the body of Christ. Christ is the head of His body (Ephesians 1:22-23 “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”).
2. The Church is described as a Building or a Temple
A Temple is a holy place where God dwells and lives.
Please give the verse in Ephesians 2 that described the Church as a temple.
Ephesians 2: ___
Ephesians 2:21-22 “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
3. The Church is described as a Bride.
Ephesians 5:22-23 “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”
We see in this passage how Paul explains what marriage should picture. According to these verses, the husband is to picture the Lord and the wife is to picture the Church. The wife is to honor, submit, obey, and respect her husband. In the same way, the Church, the body of Christ, composed of the believers is to honor, submit, obey and respect the Lord the Head of the Church. Each believer as a bride of Christ, enjoy close oneness and a close relationship with Christ.
To be a member of the body, to be part of the building, and to be married to the Lord is really a great blessing.
. . . . . TO BE CONTINUED . . . . .
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