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Bible Book by Book : Ephesians-Philemon Biola University Digital Commons @ Biola Faculty Books and Book Chapters 1984 Bible book by book : Ephesians-Philemon G. Michael Cocoris Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.biola.edu/faculty-books Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Cocoris, G. Michael (1984). Bible book by book : Ephesians-Philemon. Los Angeles: Church of the Open Door. https://digitalcommons.biola.edu/faculty-books/434 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Biola. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Books and Book Chapters by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Biola. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ' fht !!!1E '£pliesians-'Plii(emon 9. Micfiae( Cocoris I J 1.' _. ____.____ - ----- - .. -- _...,_, -- - . ,.,.. ' THE BIBLE Book by Book Ephesians - Philemon G. Michael Cocoris l\ INTRODUCTION In the Sunday evening services at the Church ' of the Open Door, I preached through the Bible one book per evening. In each message I covered the same 5 points: Author, Recipients, Subject, Structure and Purpose. These messages were later edited for release on our daily broadcast called THE OPEN DOOR. This booklet was prepared to help radio 1 isteners study with us on that program. This is the 6th volume in a set of 7 and contains notes on the books of Ephesians through Phi lemon. The messages, as originally preached at the Church of the Open Door, are available on cassette tapes in convenient albums. Or, you may order individual tapes if you desire. There is an Order Form at the back of this booklet for your convenience which will give you complete informa­ tion on how to order. It is my desire that these messages will give you an introduction to the basics of each book of the Bible, and you will then be able to read, 11THE BIBLE: BOOK BY BOOK study and apply your Bible more intelligently. EPHESIANS - PHILEMON" - G. Michael Cocoris G. Michael Cocoris Cover Design: Larry McMillion Copyright (c) 1984 G. Michael Cocoris Scripture References: New King James Version. Copyright (c) 1979, 1980, 1982 Thomas Ne 1 son, Inc., Pub 1 i she rs ,\ l\. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Ephesians Philippians . • . 11 Colossians •............... 16 I Thessalonians .............22 I I Thessalonians .............32 I Timothy . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • - • 37 I I T i mo t h y . • • • . • • • • • • . 4 5 Titus ..................52 Philemon ................. 5 7 . EPHESIANS Several books of the Bible have been praised \ with superlatives. Ephesians is one of them. Robert Lee says, 1 1 It has been we 11 said that, 1 This epistle surpasses all others in sublimety of style, and is pre-eminent, even amongst the apostle's writings, for the sustained maj­ esty of its theme, and for certain spiritual1 splendour, both in conception and 1 language. 1 ,.,.. Dr. Pierson has called it: Paul s third heaven epistle' for in it he 'soars from the depth1 of ruin to the heights of redemp­ tion. It has been cal l·ed 'the Alps of the New Testament, for here we are bidden by God to mount, step by step, until we reach the highest possible point where man can 1 ,I' stand, even the presence of God Himself. 11 1 J. Sidlow Baxter says, "Although not: nearly 11Although not nearly the longest of Paul's epistles, Ephesians is generally conceived to be the profoundest. There is a grandeur of conception about it, a majesty, a dignity, a richness and fullness which are particular to it. 112 1 ' ln the depth of its theology," says Dean Farrar, "in the loftiness of its morals, in the way in which the simplest moral truths are based upon the profound­ est religious doctrines--the epistle is unparalleled. 11 3 I, - 1 - I""" II ·IIII I. Author. 111 11 recorded in Acts 28:30-31. The basic Twice the author of the epistle support for this view comes from the identifies himself as Paul (1:1; 3:1). fact that Paul says the Gospel had ' The language is clearly Pauline. Tradition spread to the whole "Praetorian Guard11 " is unanimous that Paul wrote Ephesians. (Phil. 1 :13), and that "the sai nts Lewis says, "None of the epistles which are in Caesar's household greet you ascribed to St. Paul have a stronger chain (Phil. 4:22). Furthermore, he of evidence to their early and continued anticipated that his case would soon be settled resulting in his release use than that which11 we know as the Epistle to the Ephesians. 4 (Phil. 1:23-24). Onesimus would have been more likely to go to a great city I I. Recipients. like Rome where he would have had a much better chance to lose himself A. Their date. among the teaming multitudes (even as a runaway today flees to a big city There is no doubt that Paul was in like Los Angeles). prison when he wrote Ephesians (4:1). Some commentators, however, have The problem is that he was in and out favored the Caesarean imprisonment as of prison many times. So during which the time of composition of these four imprisonment did he pen Ephesians? epistles. But the facts do not fit. It should be pointed out that four For example, Paul indicates that the of Paul's epistles refer to his im­ outcome of the verdict would be either 1 ife or death (Phil. 1 :20ff). That 1, prisonment (Eph. 3:1; 4:1; 6:20; Phi 1 . 1 : 7, 13, 1 4; Col . 4:3, 10, 1 8; Phl m. would not be the case at Caesarea where 9,10, 13,23). At least three of the he could always appeal to Caesar, which four were no doubt dispatched at the he actually did. same time (Eph. 6:21-23; Col. 4:7-9; A few have held to an Ephesian Phlm. 10-12). Thus, these four view.1 This hypothesis is based on epistles are commonly referred to as Paul s statement in I I Cor. 11 :23 the prison epistles. written shortly after11 his ministry in But the question remains, which Ephesus which says in prisons more imprisonment? Three theories have abundantly." It is a novel theory, but been advocated: Roman, Caesarean as Hiebert says, "The arguments for and Ephesian. Ephesus bristle with difficulties and often raise more questions than they 11 The prevailing view is that all answer. 7 four 1 were written from Rome during Paul s two year imprisonment there as Assuming, then, that Paul wrote from Rome, the date for Ephesians is - 2 - - 3 - _.... - 61 A.O. absolutely incapable of rational explanation without the words en B. Their description. Ephesoi, yet it cannot be denied \ that there is definite question The question of date depends on .as to its interpretation without where Paul wrote from, but the issue them. It must be admitted that in of the description of the recipients parallel passages the expression is hinges to some degree on to whom he often used with a place designation wrote. Ephesians 1:1 says he wrote to (Rom. 1 : 7; I Co r. 1 :2; I I Co r. 1 : 1; the saints 11in Ephesus," but that is Phi 1 • 1 : 1 ) . To om it a 1 1 p 1 ace a problem. The nature of the problem designations really makes it a cath­ is that the two words "in Ephesus" are olic epistle addressed to Gentiie- not in some Greek manuscripts. Christians in general. Such a H, The traditional view contends that view is inconsistent with its con­ I. these words were in the original. tents since 1:15ff and 6:22 show Thiessen summarizes the evidence: that Paul had a definite group in mind when he wrote the epistle. 117 11But was the Epistle written to the Church at Ephesus? The The encyclical theory holds early church seems to believe that that these words were not in the ori­ it was. The Muratorian Canon, ginal and therefore the epistle was lrenaeus, Tertullian, Clement of intended to be a catholic letter Alexandria, and Origen speak of which was to be circulated to all it as the Epistle to the Ephesians. the churches. Again, Hiebert says, "While this circular theory has In addition to this is the fact become very popular and seems to that all the manuscripts, both the uncial and minuscule, with the ex­ account for the facts and clear up ­ ception of three, have the words the difficulties, some of the argu en Ephesoi in 1:1. Then, also, ments used to support it are with­ all the ancient versions reproduce out much weight. The traditional this phrase in the translations. view that it was sent to Ephesus All this seems to make a very offers no serious difficulties. strong case for the traditional Perhaps the most probable solution view. 116 to the problem is the position that the epistle was written to To that can be added Hiebert's the Ephesians and addressed to observations: them, but that the Apostle 11 I t is scarcely fair to say intentionally cast it into a form that the Greek of Ephesians 1: 1 is which would make it suitable to the - 4 - - 5 - Ii: Christians in the neighboring point he prays again (3:1), and again churches and intended that it should wanders off on another subject finally be communicated to them. 118 to come back and pray a second time \ (3:14). No wonder this has been called I believe the words "in Ephesus" Paul's most "labored epistle." are genuine and therefore Ephesians was written to the church at Ephesus Beyond that, the unique feature and all believers elsewhere (cf.
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