|
THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS |
THE VISUALIZED TEXT (Douglas B. MacCorkle
[1])
CHAPTER THREE
- The Church As God's Top SecretThe Description is Related to a Special People 3:1
The Description is Related to a Special Dispensation 3:2
The Description is Related to a Special Revelation 3:3
The Description is Related to Christ's Special Secret 3:4
The Description is Related to the Spirit's Contemporary Ministry 3:5
1 By
reason of this new creation I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the
benefit of you Gentiles.
2 You
certainly have heard about the dispensation springing from the grace of God that
was given to me with you in mind.
3 That this
secret was made known to me by revelation as I wrote briefly above.
4 So when you
read it you can perceive my insight into Christ's special secret.
5
This secret was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, al it
has been revealed by the Spirit just now, in this generation, to His set apart
apostles and prophets.
Definition of the Revealed Secret 3:6-13
The Secret is the Promise in Christ Through the Good News 3:6
The Secret is an Operation of Grace and Power that Includes the Gentiles 3:7-8
The Secret is to be Dispensed Now that it has been Revealed 3:9-12
The Secret is on Trial that its Benefits may Display its
Brilliance 3:13
6 The
secret is this — the Gentiles are to be fellow heirs, fellow members of the
Body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the good news.
7
I was made an administrator of this good news in accord with the gift springing
from God's grace. This gift was given to me to correspond with the internal
operation of His power.
8 This special
grace was given to me, the very least all the set apart ones. It was given:
first, to proclaim to the Gentiles the good news about the untrackable wealth of
Christ.
9 Second, to
inform all men as to what the dispensation of this secret is, which stood hidden
from the people of the ages in God — Who created all things.
10
God's ultimate purpose in this is that the colorful spectrum of God's wisdom
might be made known to the governments and the authorities in the heavenly
places through the agency of the Church.
11 This is
compatible with the purpose for the ages which He designed and has carried out
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12
We are enjoying freedom of speech and confident access to God in
Him through His faithfulness.
13
This is the reason I am asking you not to lose heart over my
trials on your behalf, seeing they are in your honor.
The Dynamic of the Open Sacred Secret 3:14-21
Basic Statement of the Father's Control 3:14-15
The Cause Resident in the Long-Concealed Secret 3:14a
The Attitude of the Dispensing Steward 3:14b
The Jurisdiction of the Father 3:15
Basic Holy Spirit Dynamism in the Inner Man 3:16-17
A Legitimate Object of Intercessory Prayer 3:16a
A Primary Spiritual Need 3:16b
A Divine Spiritual Operation 3:16c
A Divine Standard for Enablement 3:16d
A Divine Settlement of Believers' Hearts 1:17a
A Divine Soil of Godly Love to Stand In 3:17b
Basic Statement of Spiritual Purpose Involved 3:18-19
Believers to be Strengthened to Grasp the Dimensions of this New System of Divine Grace 3:18
The Need to be Strong
The Four Dimensions of Grace
Believers to Come to Know the Fullness God Provides for All 3:19
Knowledge-excelling Love of Christ for Us
Heart-filling Fullness from God
Basic Salute to the Father's Brilliant Execution of His Purposes 3:20-21
His Unlimited Capacity 3:20
His Unending Glory 3:21
14 For
this cause I bend my knees toward the Father,
15 from Whom
every family in heaven and on earth is named.
16 I pray that
He might cause you all to be strengthened with power by means of His Spirit's
operation in the inner man — all in a manner equal to the wealth of His glory —
17 so that Christ
may develop His home in your hearts through faith, as you stand rooted and
grounded in godly love.
18 The purpose
is: first, that you, with all set apart people, might be strong enough to grasp
for yourself what is the breadth, length, depth, and height.
19
Second, that you all might come to experience the knowledge-excelling love of
Christ for us. Third, that you all might be filled up to all the fullness God
provides.
20 Now to Him
Who is able to work in a way that is beyond all measurement, even far beyond
everything we ask or consider asking, in keeping with His power which operates
among us,
21 to Him be
the glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus into all the generations of
eternity. Amen!
"This simple
translation is provided by the author to save the study time of the busy reader
and better equip him to prepare his presentation of the "Word of the truth of
the good news"
If accusations of interpretation arise, it must be said there is no such thing as a non-interpretive translation. We hope all of our alleged biases are clearly stated without apology so that readers may make their own evaluations, under the Holy Spirit and the correlated Word of God without the leverage of questionably intentioned side swipes."
Dr. Douglas B. MacCorkle
[1] The Writings of Douglas B. MacCorkle
Dr. MacCorkle's Books and Study materials on this website are made available here free, through the generosity of Judith and Ray Naugle, and may be copied for use in Bible study groups, in limited numbers, providing that no charge is made for them. No further distribution or use of these materials is allowable under U.S. or International Copyright Law without express permission.
The Outline and Expanded Translation Text presented in this study is from Dr. MacCorkle's God's Special Secret - The Case Paul Argues in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Copyright 1993 by Douglas B. MacCorkle. Printed and bound in the United States of America. Published by the not for profit MacCorkle bible Ministries, Inc. Books, P.O. Box 320909, Cocoa Beach, Fl. 32932-0909.
God's Own VIPS, - How God uses Election, Foreknowledge, Predestination, Calling, Justification, and Glorification for our good. Copyright 1987 by Douglas B. MacCorkle. MacCorkle Bible Ministries, Inc., Printed in the United States of America. Published by the not for profit MacCorkle Bible Ministries, Inc. Books. P.O. 320909, Cocoa Beach, Fl 32932-0909. The complete text of God's Own VIPS is available on this website.
Prophetic Peaks, Exposition of the Olivet Discourse. Copyright 1968 by Douglas B. MacCorkle. Third Printing 1972. Printed by Careers With Christ Press, Philadelphia College of Bible, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Printed in the United States of America. Published by the not for profit MacCorkle Bible Ministries, Inc. Books. P.O. 320909, Cocoa Beach, Fl 32932-0909. The complete text of Prophetic Peaks is available on this website.
Additional copies of Dr. MacCorkle's books are available from Judy Naugle, 2201 Harmony Hill Dr, Lancaster PA 17601..
The Book of Ephesians, Bible Study, J. Deering, AncientPath.net, study materials are a ministry of AncientPath.net, and may be copied for use in Bible study groups, in limited numbers, providing that no charge is made for them. No further distribution or use of these materials is allowable under U.S. or International Copyright Law without the express permission of AncientPath.net. ©2014 AncientPath.net, All rights reserved.
49_eph_3_mac_Txt.htm
2014-11-21
2023-09-04 update