Opened Scriptures Bible Studies

Paul has taught us about the three types of human inter-relationships between a husband and wife, a parent and child or a master and slave. He is addressing Christians and their responsibility before God in fulfilling these roles.  Next, the apostle is going to dedicate a section to teaching us about spiritual warfare and the armor of God, before he closes this epistle.  Imperative to seek strength from Christ.  Ephesians 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Paul begins this section with the words "Finally my brethren" because  in the preceding verses he had distributed the Ephesians into groups, giving an appropriate counsel to each.  He had addressed them separately as part of a group (a husband, wife or a slave, for example).  The words "my brethren" show that he is addressing all of the believers at Ephesus again because he wants to teach them about this battle that each believer i...

Today we explore the third great human relationships, that of a master and a slave. It is surprising that according to World Population review, about 167 nations still allow some form of slavery impacting about 46 million people.  When the New Testament was written the Roman Empire practiced slavery. Estimates vary from 15% to 50% but probably about 35%- 40% of the people under Rome's control were slaves.  In America, the closest relationship to the master and slave relationship is the employer and employee relationship. Paul has some things to say to Christian slaves and to Christian masters. What he says about a Christian slave can certainly be understood and applied within the modern vocational setting. Likewise, what he says to a Christian master can also be understood and applied by a Christian manager, business owner or executive.  Slaves are to obey their masters as obeying Christ.  Ephesians 6:5  Servants, be obedient to the...

In our last post we spent time studying the marriage relationship between a husband and wife.  We learned that a husband must learn to love his wife as Christ loves His Church because this demonstrates his love and submission for Christ.  A wife must learn to submit to her husband because this displays her love and obedience to the Lord.  Both husband and wife need help from the indwelling Spirit of God to work these beautiful things into their marriage, so that God is honored. Paul brings us to the second of the three great human relationships, that is .of parent and child.  Ephesians 6:1  Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.   I noted before that a wife learns that submitting to her husband is an act of obedience to God. In like manner, parents are to teach their children  that as they obey Mom and Dad, they are also obeying God.  We began looking at marriage before the fall and one thing that is s...

We have learned a great deal about what it means to walk the worthy walk, to walk in love, walk in light, walk circumspectly, walk in the good works that God has prepared for each believer and not walking in the vanity of our minds.  We have been warned about sinful things to "put off" and have been given many godly things to "put on." We have seen that we have spiritual duties that flow from the doctrinal truth Paul taught. Paul has been patiently teaching us that the doctrinal truths have been given to us so that our belief impacts our behavior. In this lesson Paul is going to teach us about proper family order from God's perspective.  Wives show their love for God by submitting to their husbands.  Ephesians 5:22  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 subjec...

After the apostle Paul taught us about the pure doctrines of the Lord Jesus Christ in the first three chapters, he has been teaching us more and more about walking a worthy walk with the Lord. We learned about walking in love, walking circumspectly, not walking in the vanity of our minds, walking in the light and walking in the good works that God sets before each believer.   Along the way of our studies, Paul effectively  uses imperatives telling us to "put off" sinful actions and to "put on" actions that are pleasing to the Father. Thus, we are literally exploring a rich treasure chest of spiritual blessings given to each child of God in Christ. Do not become intoxicated. Ephesians 5:18  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;   We see two more imperatives in this text. First, Paul gives us a "put off"   through a command not to be drunk with wine. The idea of the command "be not drunk with wine" is ...