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Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, Philemon by 
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon by 
Ephesians by
Unlike Paul's letters to the Galatians or the Corinthians, the letter to the Ephesians contains almost no clues about the situation and issues its recipients faced. Nevertheless, the letter vividly depicts how God's will revealed in Christ reorients believers' lives toward unity, mutual respect, submission, and love―in short, new life in Christ, relying on his power and strength. In this Tyndale Commentary, Darrell Bock shows how this precious jewel of a letter combines gospel doctrine, enablement, and exhortation to life. The Tyndale Commentaries are designed to help the reader of the Bible understand what the text says and what it means. The Introduction to each book gives a concise but thorough treatment of its authorship, date, original setting, and purpose. Following a structural Analysis, the Commentary takes the book section by section, drawing out its main themes, and also comments on individual verses and problems of interpretation. Additional Notes provide fuller discussion of particular difficulties. In the new New Testament volumes, the commentary on each section of the text is structured under three headings: Context, Comment, and Theology. The goal is to explain the true meaning of the Bible and make its message plain.
Ephesians by
Even though it was written some two millennia ago, Ephesians still speaks to Christians today in themes quite familiar to the modern reader. In a context where the church had become overwhelmingly, if not exclusively, Gentile, the Christian community needed to be reminded of the priority of Israel and the astonishing work of reconciliation that God willed to accomplish in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now available as a casebound, this volume in the highly acclaimed New Testament Library series reveals the great theological promises of Ephesians while discussing issues of context, authorship, and style.
Ephesians by
Ephesians speaks to our deepest questions about God: the redemptive plan of God written from ages past now revealed; the work of Christ complete and effective now and for eternity; the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives and build a community. The clear message of God's unfathomable grace establishes the believer's hope and undergirds the call for faithful living. Down through the centuries, the clarion call to unity that permeates Ephesians has inspired and challenged the faithful to live out the promises found in Christ. This short letter speaks to the twenty-first century's longing for friendship and wholeness.
Ephesians by
Summary: The Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament (EGGNT) closes the gap between the Greek text and the available lexical and grammatical tools, providing all the necessary information for greater understanding of the text. The series makes interpreting any given New Testament book easier, especially for those who are hard pressed for time but want to preach or teach with accuracy and authority. Each volume begins with a brief introduction to the particular New Testament book, a basic outline, and a list of recommended commentaries. The body is devoted to paragraph-by-paragraph exegesis of the Greek text and includes homiletical helps and suggestions for further study. A comprehensive exegetical outline of the New Testament book completes each EGGNT volume. -- Book Cover.
Ephesians by
Summary: "Thomas B. Slater's commentary on Ephesians transports the modern reader into the world of the early church. Slater asserts that Ephesians was written to persuade its original readership that an ethnically inclusive church based on religious affiliation and faithfulness was part of God's plan and that both Jew and Gentile were equal partners in the new religious commonwealth. Slater addresses important questions: What does it mean to live in a racially inclusive community? What are Paul's ethical requirements for living in such a diverse setting? Following Christ's model, Ephesians espouses virtues and relationships that could ensure harmony and peace within the Christian church. The commentary argues that Ephesians is deutero-Pauline but faithfully reinterprets the Apostle for a new generation of first-century Christians ... the primary goal of the Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary series is to make available serious, credible biblical scholarship in an accessible and less intimidating format. A visual generation of believers deserves a commentary series that contains not only the all-important textual commentary on Scripture, but images, photographs, maps, works of fine art, and drawings that bring the text to life. Each volume of the Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary series features a CD-ROM, which expands the uses and capabilities of the Commentary even more"--Publisher description.
Ephesians by
A new commentary for today's world, The Story of God Bible Commentary explains and illuminates each passage of Scripture in light of the Bible’s grand story. The first commentary series to do so, SGBC offers a clear and compelling exposition of biblical texts, guiding everyday readers in how to creatively and faithfully live out the Bible in their own contexts. Its story-centric approach is ideal for pastors, students, Sunday school teachers, and laypeople alike.
Ephesians by
Summary: Noted New Testament scholar Frank Thielman offers a substantive yet accessible commentary on Ephesians in this latest addition to the award-winning BECNT series. With extensive research and thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, this beautifully written commentary leads readers through all aspects of the book of Ephesians -- sociological, historical, and theological -- to help them better understand its meaning and relevance. As with all BECNT volumes, Ephesians features the author's detailed interaction with the Greek text. This commentary admirably achieves the dual aims of the series -- academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility -- making it a useful tool for professors, students, and pastors. The acclaimed user-friendly design includes shaded chapter introductions summarizing the key themes of each thought unit. - Publisher.
Ephesians by
The Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians is one of the most dynamic portions of all of Scripture. Called by one commentator “the crown and climax of Pauline theology,” it issues a clarion call to all who follow the Master. With its dual focus on Christ and the Church, as well as its careful presentation of doctrine and duty, Ephesians points the way to true Christian living and victory in a sin-embattled world.
Ephesians by
The volumes in Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible from Westminster John Knox Press offer a fresh and invigorating approach to all the books of the Bible. Building on a wide range of sources from biblical studies, the history of theology, the church's liturgical and musical traditions, contemporary culture, and the Christian tradition, noted scholars focus less on traditional historical and literary angles in favor of a theologically focused commentary that considers the contemporary relevance of the texts. This series is an invaluable resource for those who want to probe beyond the backgrounds and words of biblical texts to their deep theological and ethical meanings for the church today.
Ephesians by
Designed for the pastor and Bible teacher, this series brings together commentary features rarely gathered together in one volume. Written by notable evangelical scholars, each volume in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series treats the literary context and structure of the passage in the original Greek. The series consistently provides the main point, an exegetical outline, verse-by-verse commentary, and theology in application in each section of every commentary. Critical scholarship informs each step but does not dominate the commentary, allowing readers to concentrate on the biblical author’s message as it unfolds. While primarily designed for those with a basic knowledge of biblical Greek, all who strive to understand and teach the New Testament will find these books beneficial. The ZECNT series covers the entire New Testament in twenty volumes; Clinton E. Arnold serves as general editor. In this volume, Clinton Arnold offer pastors, students, and teachers a focused resource for reading Ephesians. Through the use of graphic representations of translations, succinct summaries of main ideas, exegetical outlines and other features, Arnold present Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians with precision and accuracy. Because of this series’ focus on the textual structure of the scriptures, readers will better understand the literary elements of Ephesians, comprehend the author’s revolutionary goals, and ultimately discovering their vital claims upon the church today.
Behaving As a Christ-Believer by
The Pauline letter to the Ephesians and other texts of the early Christ-movement present behavior norms that vary considerably from one text to another. Many of these behavior norms were quite conventional in the first-century Mediterranean world and not unique to the Christ-movement. Nevertheless, the norms are typically presented as expressions of the identity as Christ-believers. Why? How was the relation between social identity and behavior norms constructed in the early Christ-movement? How did the Christ-believers in the early Christ-movement experience their identity “in Christ” as both causing and requiring certain behaviors? The purpose of this study is twofold: Roitto first discusses how the cognitive sciences can provide a theoretical framework to answer the questions raised above. The aim is to provide an analytical perspective that is founded on cognitive research regarding how human minds handle identities and behavior norms. Second, he applies this framework to the Pauline letter to the Ephesians in order to present a new understanding of the letter, particularly of the relation between identity and behavior norms as expressed in the text. In the analysis of Ephesians, Roitto also discusses the potential group-dynamic effects of Ephesians, assuming hypothetically that its construction of identity and behavior norms was embraced by local communities of Christ-believers. In order to demonstrate the broader relevance of the approach in the ancient Mediterranean context and in the early Christ-movement, Roitto also intentionally takes illustrative examples from ancient sources outside of the Bible.
Ephesians by
This study approaches the Epistle to the Ephesians in a radically different way from traditional commentaries. Rather than analysing each individual verse, Martin Kitchen examines the complete text within the framework of contemporary biblical criticism. He acknowledges the debt which biblical studies owes to historical method, while at the same time recognizing the need to view the Epistle against the background of recent literary approaches to New Testament texts. Ephesians also takes into account the important questions of whether the Epistle was written by St Paul and, if not, why it was written at all.This book will be valuable reading for all theologians, students of theology and ministers of religion.
Jews, Gentiles and Ethnic Reconciliation by
Much scholarship has focused on Paul's insistence on Gentile membership of the people of God equally with Jews. Dr Yee's study of Ephesians 2 reveals how the distinctively Jewish world view of the author of Ephesians underlies this key text. He explores how the Ephesians'author provides a resolution to one of the thorniest issues regarding two ethnic groups in the earliest period of Christianity: can Jew and Gentile, the two estranged human groups, be one (people of God) and if so, how? Setting Ephesians 2 as fully as possible into its historical context, he describes some of the relevant Jewish features and demonstrates them, revealing many explosive but hidden issues. This book provides an important contribution to the continuing reassessment of Christian and Jewish self-understanding in regard to each other during the critical period of the latter decades of the first century CE.
The Politics of Peace by
This study examines the topos of peace in Ephesians by comparison with Colossians, Dio Chrysostom's Orations, and the Confucian Four Books; and shows that Ephesians can be read as a politico-religious letter “concerning peace” within the church.
Put on the Armour of God by
Isaiah 59 portrays a deity in armour warring against rebellious human foes. In this historical investigation, Yoder Neufeld maps the transformation of an ancient tradition into a creative new reading in which God's people put on God's armour and go to battle against God's heavenly foes, as in Ephesians 6. The Pauline recasting of the Isaianic motif, argues the author, is a bracing one.
Alive in Him by
Summary: "God's grand plan for the redemption of his creation has been in motion since before time began. The book of Ephesians lays out this glorious vision, revealing what Christ's redemptive work means for the people of God and showing us how we should live in light of that reality. Alive in Him draws us into the main themes of the book of Ephesians, showing us how the blessings we have received in Christ empower our obedience and love for God. Designed to be read alongside an open Bible, Alive in Him helps us apply Paul's letter to our daily lives, reminding us of our purpose on earth and directing our gaze to the love of Jesus Christ-a love that has the power to transform how we live." -- From back of book.
Defined by
Summary: "At this very moment, what you believe about your own purpose and value affects almost every area of your life--including how you think and feel, the way you react to circumstances, and how you approach God and your relationships. But what is guiding your core beliefs? Are they healthy and founded upon solid truth? Or are they constantly shifting with the opinions of others or your own emotions? Based upon powerful insights from the scriptural book of Ephesians, and seasoned with personal stories and practical wisdom, Defined challenges you to let the One who knows you best be the One who guides your heart the most. It's time for all of us to live in the amazing light of His acceptance, abundance, and strength."--Amazon.
The Drama of Ephesians by
Ephesians has long been a favorite New Testament book among Christians. Its exalted language and soaring metaphors inspire devotion and worship. But too often the expositor's scrutiny has reduced this letter to a string of theological ideas and practical topics. Timothy Gombis has rediscovered Ephesians as a deeply dramatic text that follows the narrative arc of the triumph of God in Christ. Here Paul invites the church to celebrate and participate in this divine victory over the powers of this present age. In Gombis's dramatic reading of Ephesians we are drawn into a theological and cultural engagement with this epochal story of redemption. The Drama of Ephesians stands in the scantly occupied shelf space between commentaries and specialized studies in Ephesians, giving us a unified and dynamic perspective on this classic text. It is a book that will renew your excitement for studying, preaching and teaching this great letter of Paul.
Ephesians by
This book analyzes Paul s Letter to the Ephesians and demonstrates that the Letter s implied audience heard its individual units as a rich and complex pattern of chiastic structures. It shows that, not only is the entire Letter arranged in fifteen units that function as a comprehensive chiastic structure, but that each of these fifteen units in turn exhibits its own chiastic structure. By attending carefully to the structure and rhetoric of Ephesians, this work demonstrates how the implied audience is persuaded and empowered by the progression of the Letter to walk in love and so contribute to the cosmic unity of all things in Christ.
Forbearance by
Summary: What happens when we approach disagreements in our churches not as problems to solve but as opportunities to practice Christian virtue? In this book James Calvin Davis reclaims the biblical concept of forbearance to develop a theological ethic for faithful disagreement. Pointing to Ephesians and Colossians, in which Paul challenged his readers to "bear with each other" in spite of differences, Davis draws out a theologically grounded practice in which Christians work hard to maintain unity while still taking seriously matters on which they disagree. The practice of forbearance, Davis argues, offers Christians a dignified, graceful, and constructive way to deal with conflict. Forbearance can also strengthen the church's public witness, offering an antidote to the pervasive divisiveness present in contemporary culture. -- Provided by publisher.
The Heavenlies in Ephesians by
Summary: The expression 'in the heavenlies' appears five times in Ephesians and is not found at any other point in the New Testament. The two appearances which have provoked the most debate are the session of earthly believers in 2:6 and the presence of the spiritual forces of evil in 6:12. M. Jeff Brannon conducts a lexical, exegetical, and conceptual analysis of the expression arguing against the prevailing interpretation of the term and provides in-depth examinations of three significant concepts associated with it; namely the redeemed on earth having a heavenly status, evil powers in heaven, and the cosmology of Ephesians. Brannon uses a wide range of sources; Greek, Jewish, the Apostolic Fathers, and the Septuagint. Brannon concludes that there is no basis for a distinction between the terms 'heavens' and 'in the heavenlies' in Ephesians . He also asserts that Qumran and apocalyptic texts can shed light upon and assist in a proper understanding of the difficult passages in which the expression appears.--Provided by publisher.
The Message of Spiritual Warfare by
Summary: "Keith Ferdinando's valuable exposition of this key biblical theme of spiritual warfare explains the nature of Satan and his activity in the world, the different dimensions of Christ's victory over Satan, how Christ's victory over Satan impacts God's people, and the various areas in which believers must fight sin and Satan. This valuable resource will help pastors, teachers, and students better understand spiritual warfare so they may fight the good fight and finish the course with joy." -- Back cover.
Reading Ephesians by
Minna Shkul examines how Ephesians engages in social entrepreneurship - the deliberate shaping of emerging Christian Identity through provision of ideological and social paradigms for the fledgling Christian community. Shkul uses social entrepreneurship as an umbrella for a variety of social processes reflected in the text. This eclectic theoretical framework and deutero-Pauline reading position has two key aims. The first is to offer a theoretically informed social-scientific reading which demonstrates the extensive socio-ideological shaping within the text, and displays the writer's negotiation of different group processes throughout the letter. The second is to examine emerging Christian identity in the text, testing its ideological and social contours and its reforms upon Jewish traditions. Crucially this is done without the theological presupposition that something was wrong with the Judaism practised at the time, but rather by focusing upon the divine 'legitimating' of the Christian group and its culture. These readings of Ephesians examine how the writer engages in a self-enhancing discourse that reinforces basic components of communality. These include the construction of a positive in-group identity and the provision of ideological and social legitimating for the community. Shkul also discusses the textual reflection of communal relations in other groups in Greco-Roman antiquity. She examines how Christ-followers are positioned in a Jewish symbolic universe, which is forced to make room for Christ and his non-Israelite followers. Finally, she explores the attitude toward non-Israelites within Ephesians, and their need for re-socialization.
Reading Ephesians and Colossians after Supersessionism by
Summary: "The apostolic mission from Israel to "the nations" forms the explicit framework for Ephesians and Colossians. Yet the concrete dynamics of this mission seldom play any significant role in modern interpretation. Scholars frequently approach these letters as if the Jew-gentile dynamics inherent in the early Christ-preaching mission are either irrelevant, or are negated by the letters themselves. This book seeks to redress this deficiency. Windsor approaches Ephesians and Colossians with an evangelical post-supersessionist perspective. By highlighting, rather than downplaying, Israel's special place in salvation history, Windsor demonstrates that Jew-gentile dynamics and missionary concerns are highly significant for understanding the overall argument of these two letters. The resulting readings offer a deeper appreciation of the biblical, Israel-centered contours in which the theological and ethical concerns of the letters are expressed. Along the way, Windsor demonstrates how certain texts in Ephesians and Colossians, which are often read as evidence of a supersessionist perspective, are capable of more fruitful and satisfactory post-supersessionist interpretations. He demonstrates that in these letters, Christ does not negate Jewish distinctiveness. Rather, Christ's mission proceeds through Israel to the nations, creating mutual blessing in the Messiah."--publisher.
The Whole Armor of God by
Summary: The Christian life is a battle. We are in a daily struggle against the world, sin, and Satan. But God didn't leave us to fend for ourselves. He gave us his own armor--armor that Jesus has already worn on our behalf all the way to the cross. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is now at work inside of us. This book unpacks each of the pieces of spiritual armor Paul describes in Ephesians 6, inviting us to take up the armor each day, all while resting in the finished victory of Christ and the assurance that our strength for the battle comes from him.
