Read -Study Notes – Ephesians Chapter 4:1-10

• We’ve officially moved beyond the first half of this letter, where Paul provides a foundation of Christian theology, so now we can breathe easier
  • Now we turn the page – literally – to the second half of Paul’s letter and a new emphasis on our corporate life in the body
    • And you’ll remember I introduced our study by dividing Paul’s letter into halves
    • The first half, Chapters 1-3, focused on doctrine
  • Doctrine are the truths of our faith
    • They explain who God is and how we know and please Him
    • And they explain who we are and why we need Him
  • And I said we learn doctrine first because it’s intended to guide our living
    • The ministry of the word of God for God’s people isn’t merely listening to teaching
    • Ultimately the ministry of the word is putting into action what we learn
• I think it’s ironic that misinformed or immature Christians will sometimes say that they don’t find Bible teaching relevant
  • They prefer preaching that’s “practical” they say
    • This is like a medical student saying “I don’t want to sit for lectures on human anatomy or infectious diseases…
    • …I need something more relevant and practical”
  • If a doctor doesn’t understand the basic science of their profession, they‘ll never move on to the practical courses
    • Likewise, if a Christian doesn’t understand Biblical doctrine, then he or she stands little chance of adopting the lifestyle of a disciple
    • And even if a pastor taught “practical” advice from the pulpit, I can’t replace doctrine
    • Because if I call you to think or do certain things or refrain from doing other things, will you understand why?
    • And the more important question is, will you obey?
  • When a preacher calls his congregation to action based on his own ideas or wisdom, the congregation will ask itself does my pastor’s advice seem sensible?
    • But when the preacher presents doctrinal truths from the word of God calling his congregation to act accordingly, the question becomes will we obey God?
    • Proper Christian practice comes only from an understanding of Christian theology
    • That’s why Paul himself spent three chapters wading through important doctrine before he gives specific direction to the church
• Therefore, as we move into the “practical” portion of Paul’s teaching, I’ll refer back to the theology of this letter from time to time
  • So now in Chapter 4, Paul’s transition into practical application begins with a sweeping call to live a Christ-like life worthy of the magnificent grace we’ve received

Eph. 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
Eph. 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
Eph. 4:3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

• Paul signals that he’s moving into application with the transition word, “therefore”
  • Obviously, Paul’s referring back to the previous three chapters
    • And so we could summarize Paul’s teaching by saying…
    • “Because God chose you to be an adopted child to receive mercy  by faith, and because you have His Spirit and an inheritance and a glorious future…”
    • For all those reasons…
  • Paul urges to walk in a manner worthy of this calling
    • He uses the euphemism “walk” to describe our testimony of life in Christ
    • In fact, the word “walk” is our mile marker for the second half of this letter
    • Paul uses the term 6 times at key places to emphasize obedience
• We’re so familiar with this euphemism and so unaccustomed to walking anywhere, that we don’t stop to consider the picture it creates
• When I travel to teach, I am usually working with a local team of supporters
  • I enjoy meeting new cultures and experiencing different lifestyles
  • And in many places, the culture is accustomed to walking far more than we do in America
• I remember on several occasions my hosts and I were preparing to leave for my teaching, and I walked outside to get into the car
  • But I looked up and I’m the only one standing by the car
  • Everyone else has started walking down the road
  • The church was about half a mile away, so naturally I’m thinking we’re driving there
  • While they were thinking it’s only half a mile away, so naturally we’re walking
• This happened to me once in Norway, when the temperatures were in the 20s and it was snowing lightly
  • As they began to walk, I politely suggested that we should drive since the weather was a bad
  • They replied, there is no such thing as bad weather…there is only inadequate clothing
• My point is that in modern cultures (except Norway) we’re in danger of losing an appreciation for this euphemism “to walk with Christ”
  • Even recreational walks around the neighborhood can’t give us a proper appreciation for Paul’s analogy
    • Walking in Paul’s day involved a journey
    • You had a starting place you wanted to leave
    • And you had a destination you wanted to reach
  • Furthermore, a walking journey required three things
    • First, you had to have the energy
    • In Paul’s day, a person might walk 20-30 miles a day for days on end to get somewhere
    • To travel between Jerusalem and the Galilee was about a three days walk of about 25 miles each day
    • Each step in the journey required a small amount of energy, but collectively the energy was significant
  • So secondly, walking required persistence
    • There would be times when it was downhill or the scenery was uplifting or the conversation made time go faster
    • But there were times when you walked uphill or in the rain or into the wind
    • You might face threats or periods of boring silence with nothing but the sound of your feet hitting the dirt in rhythm
    • No matter what you found on a given day, you knew you couldn’t reach the destination unless you kept going
  • Finally, your journey on foot required a sense of direction
    • It’s very easy to get lost walking in open territory
    • Unless you have a path to follow or a guide to lead you, you’re likely to walk in circles
    • Ask anyone who’s been lost in the woods
• Each of these details relates to the euphemism Paul will use in the second half of this letter
  • He is asking us to set our minds on a journey living as disciples of Christ
    • Our faith has placed us on this journey, this walk
    • Our starting point is the place God found us, whether as a child or teen or adult
    • It’s a place we want to leave, a place of sin, ungodliness, brokenness and hopelessness
  • And by faith in Jesus Christ, we’ve been adopted into a new family, a family with a glorious future and eternal blessings
    • This family is like the Norwegians I mentioned earlier
    • The family of God has set its mind on following Christ and so it heads out to the road for a walk of faith
    • You can’t take a shortcut…there’s no car or train
  • You just start by placing one foot in front of another, dedicating energy, committing to persistence and under direction
    • The energy for our spiritual walk comes from the Spirit of God, Who pulls us away from worldly distractions and lust
    • So He can put those resources to use in obedience to Christ
  • And He encourages perseverance for the journey
    • Sometimes the journey is easy because He puts the wind to our backs and brings friends alongside us to pass the time
    • Other times he strengthens us by giving us hills to climb
    • And all the while He’s speaking to our hearts, encouraging us, challenging us, reminding us that the destination is closer every day
  • Finally, He guides us in our journey by His word
    • Pointing the way to righteousness
    • And even calling us back to the path when we wander off
  • That’s what Paul’s talking about when he calls us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling
• In a general sense, he’s asking us to set our minds on leaving the world and seeking the destination of obeying Christ
  • He’s urging us to bring our resources of time, talent and treasure to bear in serving God in whatever way we’re called
  • He’s asking us to show perseverance
  • And Paul’s asking us to walk in the counsel of God’s Spirit so we may stay on track
• I hope that makes it easier for you to appreciate His euphemism, but we know it’s a lot easier to talk about these things than it is to live by them
  • Most of us begin the journey with enthusiasm
  • We’re eager to please Christ, because we imagine a glorious trip filled with excitement and reward
  • Like the day a family starts a long road trip…
  • But then things don’t go as planned…
  • We get a flat, we face detours,  the trip takes longer than we expected, fights break out in the backseat…the poodle gets motion sick
  • And pretty soon we’re all asking “Are we there yet?”
• The problem isn’t the journey…it’s our perspective
  • We need to start our journey with the proper point of view
  • Our walk with Christ isn’t a day trip, it’s not even a two-week vacation road trip
  • It’s a lifelong journey
  • And the roads won’t always be paved and smooth
  • The roads will have potholes and there will be detours to avoid
• So Paul says in v.2 that if you’re going to walk – that is live – in a worthy manner, you must start the journey with the right attitude
• Paul describes that attitude in terms of three virtues
  • First, we need an attitude of humility
  • In Greek, humility literally means having a lowliness of mind
  • Paul says something similar in Romans 12 when he cautions the church not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought
  • The idea is to have a realistic appreciation for the difficulty of the journey because of the strength of your opposition and your own weakness
  • We must have a sober appreciation for the difficulties that lie ahead
• Secondly, Paul counsels us to maintain an attitude of gentleness
  • Gentleness means having grace for other believers who will face the same difficulties with you
  • It’s the natural compliment to humility
  • Humility is recognizing you’re not going to just glide through your spiritual journey without missteps
  • And gentleness means being understanding when others stumble from time to time in their walk
• We appreciate others’ challenges even as we acknowledge we face our own
  • That’s why Paul says we must show tolerance for others in the body of Christ in love
  • We know people aren’t perfect
  • So when they show their imperfections, let’s react in agape love, thinking of their needs above our own
  • We don’t judge or condemn, we show tolerance
• And while we’re on the topic of tolerance, let me address the common misuse of the word in our culture today
• Many people in the world call for tolerance
  • Most of the time the world uses that word very differently than the Bible does
  • The Bible is asking us to show understanding for others in the body of Christ when we sin, when we make mistakes
  • We tolerate a mistake in the sense that we show patience and give opportunity for the person to learn and do better in the future
• But the world calls for tolerance in the sense that we accept their sin
  • They call for the world to be tolerant by accepting various sexual sin as normal and legitimate
  • And they call for Christians to be tolerant toward other religious viewpoints by agreeing they are equally valid to our own
  • In other words, tolerance means accepting any viewpoint or preference while silencing any opposing view
• Ironically, the modern view of tolerance is self-contradictory
  • By the world’s standard, any mutually exclusive point of view is inherently intolerant
  • If you hold a view that by its claims eliminates all other views, it must be rejected simply because it holds an absolute view
  • If you believe only one kind of marriage is true marriage, then you are intolerant
  • If you believe that there is only one way to God, then you are intolerant
  • And anything intolerant must be bad, the world declares
• You can see the enemy’s fingerprints on this one, can’t you?
  • He’s working in the minds of the unbelieving with a call to tolerance
  • He’s insulated them from the mutually-exclusive claims of Christ by predisposing them against any absolute truth
  • We need to be careful to not bring the enemy’s definition of tolerance into our theology
  • We will tolerate mistakes among us as Christ does for us
  • But we not declare evil to be good for that is never the loving thing to do
• Finally, Paul says we need patience
• Patience was an essential requirement for any long journey
  • Impatient people usually don’t even start long journeys, much less finish them
  • Our walk with Christ may last 3, 4, 5 decades or even longer
  • We have to bring an attitude of patience to this walk, or we’re likely to burn out quickly
• If you’ve ever watched a Christian begin their walk of faith with a burst of energy and then quickly flame out, you’ve almost certainly seen someone start with the wrong attitude
  • Excitement and anticipation is good, but it must be accompanied by patience
  • Perhaps no one sat them down and explained from scripture that our walk with Christ isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon
  • And so how we start will have a lot to say about how we finish
• We need to start with humility concerning ourself and gentleness for others walking with us
  • We need to devote energy, but not in bursts…we must measure out the energy to ensure we give attention to our walk in a daily way
  • We need to persevere for the tests we know will come against us
  • And we need to seek the counsel of God in His word throughout the journey so we don’t lose our way
• And for all these things, we need patience in our heart
  • Patience for ourselves and patience for others
  • And with patience and love and tolerance, we’ll preserve our unity
  • We’ll give grace to others, remembering no one is perfect
• And speaking as a pastor and on behalf of your elders, we especially value and need your patience and tolerance and love
  • We’re on the same walk with you
  • Which means we’re also walking away from sin and weaknesses of one kind or another
  • And we’re moving toward a destination of godliness and sanctification
• We’re going to stumble, we’re going to have our bad days
  • We don’t ask you to excuse our sin, much less approve it
  • But we do ask you to tolerate it with patience for the sake of our unity, even as you pray for us to do better
  • And we’ll do the same for all of you
• Which leads us to the next part of Chapter 4

Eph. 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;
Eph. 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph. 4:6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

• Paul supports his call for the church to act in unity by reminding us that we are already united spiritually
  • It’s like telling two siblings to treat each other in brotherly love
    • I always wondered what brotherly love was
    • For the longest time I thought brotherly love was intended ironically to mean dislike
    • Because my relationship with my brothers growing up was anything but loving
  • But Paul isn’t speaking ironically, of course
    • He’s saying the body of Christ is united in important, eternal ways
    • So let’s act like it
  • And to illustrate his point, Paul lists seven ways we’re already united with one another
    • These seven aspects of unity are all spiritual
    • They are markers that identify us as part of the same family and destined for the same eternal future
    • Therefore, they argue strongly for us to live and think in ways that reflect our unity
• So let’s take a brief look at these seven aspects of Christian unity
  • First, there is one body Paul says
    • The word body refers to the universal church
    • Every person on earth who has been born again by the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ is a member of the Church
    • We are one body of people
  • The point is that there are not multiple separate bodies
    • In human terms we may break up the body of Christ in various meaningless ways
    • Different denominations, theological views, affiliations and even just multiple campuses work to divide us in earthly ways (often regrettably)
    • But these things don’t change the fact that we are one institution
  • Therefore, no one can come along and claim to have “rediscovered” the true church (like the Mormons)
    • And no one can claim that their unique style of worship or teaching or location or whatever defines the true church
    • The body of Christ transcends such superficial things
    • A true confession in the Name above all Names is the one and only requirement to become a part of that body
    • And no one has a monopoly on the name of Christ or His body
• And secondly, that one body is held together by the indwelling of the one and only Spirit of God

Rom. 8:16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

• Our membership card for the Church is the Holy Spirit
  • We don’t check your ID as you enter this building
  • But Paul says the Lord certainly checks for that ID card before you enter His body spiritually
• In Acts 8 we see a case where a man wanted to enjoy the benefits of membership without possessing the proper ID card

Acts 8:18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
Acts 8:19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 8:20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
Acts 8:21 “You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.

• Simon was an unbeliever seeking to enjoy the power and recognition that came to the apostles by the Spirit of God
• But as Peter observed, his heart was not right with God, which is why he lacked the Spirit
• He had attached himself to the body of Christ, but he was not part of that body because he did not possess the Spirit of God
• Thirdly, Paul says we have one hope in our common calling
  • We have the same hope concerning our future, the hope of resurrection  and eternal life
    • Our common eternal hope is perhaps one of the most powerful unifying principals of Christianity
    • No matter how diverse our socio-economic backgrounds
    • No matter how different our dreams for the future
    • No matter how differently our lives turn in this life
    • Nevertheless, we all share exactly the same understanding and expectation for what we will have waiting after our death
  • What other group can you say that about?
    • Knowing we share an eternal future should silence any petty difference that divides us now
    • One day we’ll both be living in eternal bodies in the kingdom serving Christ
  • I expect that some day you and I will run into each other
    • And when we do, we’ll probably laugh at ourselves, at our foolishness and our meaningless disagreements
    • And we’ll marvel together at our shared blessings in Christ
    • You know, we could skip the first part and just jump to that second part now
• Fourth and fifth, we serve one Lord by one faith
  • These points should be self-explanatory
    • There is one Lord, meaning one Savior God
    • As Peter declared

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

• Here again, the world would call us intolerant for our unwillingness to accept there may be other ways to heaven
  • But holding to the truth is not intolerance…it’s love
  • Our message is the only one that saves
• Likewise, we have entered into the family of God by one faith, which means one confession
  • The only way to salvation is by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ
    • As Paul said simply

Rom. 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

• Faith in a specific church does not save you
• Faith in a good work does not save you
• And faith in your own goodness or worthiness will not save you
• The word “faith” requires an object, something you place your faith in
  • And if you don’t place your faith in the right thing, you will be disappointed
  • But as Peter wrote

1Pet. 2:6   For this is contained in Scripture:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone,
And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

• Christ is our cornerstone, and so we are united by a shared faith in the one and only Savior
  • No matter what other disagreements or disputes might divide us, we have agreed on our Savior
  • And that common faith unites us just as much as it divides us from the unbelieving world
• Sixth, we have all experienced one baptism
  • Paul is speaking about the spiritual baptism that comes by the Spirit of God
    • The baptism of the spirit comes at the moment of our faith
    • And in fact, it is inseparable from the moment of faith
  • That common experience unites all believers
    • It is our common experience of being born again
    • In a way, it’s like all of us had the same spiritual womb
    • We were all birthed in the same process
• Just to clarify, Paul isn’t talking about water baptism, because clearly we didn’t all experience the same water baptism
  • Some believers are never water baptized whether by disobedience or lack of opportunity
    • For example, the thief on the cross was never baptized in water
    • Yet Christ said he would be in paradise with Jesus
  • Furthermore, different churches practice water baptism in different ways
    • I believe that scripture teaches that there is only one correct way to practice water baptism
    • Nevertheless, I cannot say that my brothers and sisters in Christ who were water baptized in a different way are less a part of the body
    • We all share the same spiritual baptism, and therefore we are no less one simply because we performed different rituals
• Finally, we are all the children of the same God and Father
  • I mentioned that my brothers and I didn’t get along very well growing up
    • Now that we’re adults, we’ve mostly put those things behind us
    • Recently, my father has been enduring some difficult health issues
    • He’s required care and attention from me and my siblings, which has caused us to come together as a family
    • My father’s situation has reminded my brothers and I that we are part of the same family and from the same father
  • And so it should be with us as the family of our God and Father
    • No matter what differences mark our earthly lives
    • No matter how much we disappoint, disregard or annoy one another
    • No matter how often we may fail to show love to one another…
  • Blood is thicker than water, as the saying goes
    • We are all children of the same God and Father Who called us into His family
    • None of us had reason to expect or deserve our adoption
    • We are all in need of God’s grace and we’re all brothers and sisters
    • So let’s act that way as we walk this journey together
• • Valentines day is a great day to give love and gifts
    • That day reminds us that when we care about someone and we want to show it, we often bring them gifts
      • A gift is a sign of our affection
      • It can’t begin to equal our feelings for the person, but a nicely chosen gift can be a wonderful representation of how we feel
    • And almost everyone loves to receive a nice gift…like the teacher in the small town who received gifts from her class on Valentines Day

  All the children brought presents for their teacher.
  The florist’s son handed the teacher a gift. She held up the box and said, “I bet it’s some flowers!”
  “That’s right!” shouted the little boy.
  Then the candy store owner’s daughter handed the teacher a gift. She held up the box and said, “I bet it’s some chocolates!”
  “That’s right!” shouted the little girl.
  The next gift was from the liquor store owner’s son. The teacher held up the box and saw that it was leaking. She touched a drop with her finger and tasted it.
  “Is it wine?” she asked.
  “No,” the boy answered. The teacher touched another drop to her tongue.
  “Is it champagne?” she asked.
  “No,” the boy answered.
  “What is it?” she said.
  “A puppy!”

  • Gifts are a good thing, but only if we understand them properly
    • And this is true for both kindergarten teachers and for those of us in the body of Christ
  • For we all receive gifts from Christ
  • Last week in Ephesians, Paul implored the church to see itself as one body rather than as individuals or even as two groups of Jew and Gentile
    • He reminded the church that they were united by the same Spirit Who brought them into a common baptism of faith
      • They entered that faith by the same calling from the same Father
      • And therefore, they had no spiritual reasons to consider themselves separate
    • As we’ve discussed before, it’s likely the church was dealing with false teachers
      • They were Judiazers, who were trying to drive a wedge between Jew and Gentile in the church
      • While there used to be such a separation, it was removed in the New Covenant
      • Now the Jewish follower and Gentile follower of Christ were on equal footing
  • So this morning Paul moves his argument forward one more step, to explaining that everyone in the body was equally empowered by Christ for service

  Eph. 4:7  But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

  • As further proof the church body has been united by our common faith, Paul adds that each of us has received a measure of God’s grace in the form of a gift
    • The gift Paul’s talking about is the spiritual gift that Christ’s Spirit assigns to every believer
      • Spiritual gifts are specific assigned abilities to serve in the body of Christ
      • You may remember our study on spiritual gifts a few years ago in our study of 1 Corinthians
    • We learned then that spiritual gifts are assigned to us at the moment of faith by the Spirit according to the will of God
      • He determines what gift we each get
      • And our ability to serve in that gift remains under the control of the Holy Spirit so that as we serve, the Lord gains the glory
      • That’s the very purpose of a spiritual gift: to glorify Christ through service to His body
    • Paul raises the topic of spiritual gifts in this chapter as further proof of the spiritual unity of the church body
      • All believers receive a gift from Christ, not just Jews or Gentiles
      • This experience is common to all believers
  • But Paul’s argument goes deeper than simply common experience
    • Paul’s making a reference to marriage
      • When a man and a woman entered into a marriage covenant (called the betrothal), the bride received gifts to seal the covenant
      • Typically she received a ring or other symbol as a gift
      • You may remember how Isaac and Rebecca were betrothed

  Gen. 24:22  When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold,

  • The societal rules of engagement and marriage have changed over the years
    • But men still give women an engagement ring today
    • Paul’s referring to this practice, because Christ is our Groom and we are His Bride
    • So because we have entered in a covenant with Him through our faith, we have received a betrothal gift
  • Notice in v.7 the word “gift” is singular, which I believe indicates that we are given a single spiritual gift, not multiple gifts
    • We may use our gift in a variety of ways, but our supernatural gift is singular
      • For example, a person may have a gift of service, but they put that gift to work in teaching or counseling or praying for others
      • Or someone may have a gift of teaching, but they use that gift while serving as a pastor or evangelist
    • In the end, we all have a supernatural gift given to us by Christ to empower us in service
      • Paul says this was God’s grace
      • Every gift is by definition an act of grace
      • When I give you a gift, I’m bestowing something upon you that you didn’t earn and had no right to demand
      • It comes to you only as a matter of grace, undeserved favor
    • Furthermore, it was a measure of his grace
      • The word measure in Greek suggests some gifts represent a greater share of grace because they are more important to the body
      • For example, the gift of apostleship or prophet is a greater measure of God’s grace than lessor gifts
      • So some got “more” grace than others did, but everyone got exactly what the Lord desired for them
  • It’s this common experience of receiving spiritual gifts that argues for our equality before God
    • If all believers are gifted by the same Spirit, then it must be that God intended for all members of the body to be equal participants in the life of the body
      • That’s Paul’s argument
      • The Lord has made His desire for unity clear by gifting all believers in the body
      • He expects all to work together arm-in-arm without prejudice or haughtiness
      • And therefore, any teaching to the contrary – any teaching that seeks to erect new barriers between believers – must be rejected
    • Furthermore, if everyone in the body has been given a gift, then it must be that all of us are called to put our gift to work for the sake of unity
      • Have you ever considered that your spiritual gift plays a role in ensuring the proper unity of this body?
      • That if you withhold your spiritual gift from the body of Christ you may be contributing to our instability and even disunity?
    • Paul will elaborate more later in this chapter on how spiritual gifts work to unite the body
      • But first, Paul is going to insert a brief sidebar from the Old Testament
      • In his sidebar Paul wants us to understand what the Messiah had to do in order to grants us these gifts
      • Gifts that some of us may be taking for granted or leaving dormant
  • Paul explains in vs.8-10

  Eph. 4:8  Therefore it says,
  “When He ascended on high,
  He led captive a host of captives,
  And He gave gifts to men.”
  Eph. 4:9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?
  Eph. 4:10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)

  • In v.8 Paul quotes Psalm 68:18, though he paraphrases the verse to reveal its prophetic meaning more clearly
    • Back in Psalm 68, v.18 reads like this:

  Psa. 68:18   You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives;
  You have received gifts among men,
  Even among the rebellious also, that the Lord God may dwell there.

  • In the English translation I use (NASB), the translators phrased line two of the verse to say Christ received gifts from men
    • But Paul rephrases the verse in Ephesians to read that Christ gave gifts to men
  • We can see that Paul’s view is correct when we look at the Septuagint, the Jewish translation of their scriptures into Greek

  Psa. 67(8):18 You have gone up on high, You have led captivity captive, You have received gifts for man, yea, for they were rebellious, that You might dwell among them.

  • From this translation we see Paul’s interpretation is correct
  • The psalmist wrote that Christ received gifts for men
  • Which is to say the Father gave His Son gifts to be given to men
    • These are the spiritual gifts that Paul is talking about, which the Father bestows on His children in faith by means of Christ’s Spirit
    • So the Father is the One determining our gifts, and His Son has received all glory and power from the Father, which He gives to men
  • The rest of Psalm 68:18 explains the occasion when these gifts will be made available to men
    • The psalmist says the Messiah gives gifts to men when He ascends on high
      • This is a reference to Christ’s ascension into the throne room of God following His resurrection
      • The book of Acts records that after Jesus’ resurrection from the tomb, He spent 40 days on earth making appearances to His disciples
      • Those appearances proved Jesus’ claims to live again
    • Then in Acts 1 we reach the moment when Jesus departed the earth and returned to the right hand of the Father

  Acts 1:9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
  Acts 1:10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
  Acts 1:11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

  • We call this moment the ascension because Jesus ascended, He was raised up, into Heaven
    • But Paul seizes on this word in the Psalm to explain its full meaning
    • In v.9 Paul says that Jesus’ ascent was from a place in the lower parts of the earth
    • The lower place Paul is talking about is a place that the Old Testament scriptures call Sheol
    • To understand what Paul is saying and how it relates to the giving of gifts, we need to learn about Sheol
  • The Bible teaches that no one can approach the holiness of God because of our sin
    • God is holy and perfect and just in all ways
      • So if sin enters into His presence, His perfect nature will lead Him to bring proper judgment against sin
      • Perfect justice requires that sin be judged
      • He cannot do otherwise, because if God were to permit sin to abide in His presence, He would be imperfect and unjust
    • Under the Law of Moses, the Lord gave Israel a sacrificial system to demonstrate these principles
      • God’s glory dwelled with Israel in the tabernacle but only behind walls and curtains out of view
      • God’s glory occupied the Holy of Holies above the mercy seat
      • His glory was hidden away from sinful men behind tents and curtains
      • For sinful men can’t survive an encounter with the Living God, as God Himself declared to Moses

  Ex. 33:19 And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”
  Ex. 33:20 But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”

  • In the Law, the Lord did make a way for the High Priest to enter the Holy of Holies one time each year to make atonement for the people
    • At the feast of Yom Kippur, the high priest would make sacrifices of animals as atonement for his own sin
    • And then he would fill the Holy of Holies with smoke to obscure the glory of God
    • And then he could enter to perform his priestly duties without risk of death
  • Hebrews tells us that the tabernacle was merely a picture of heavenly things
    • The tabernacle taught Israel that a blood sacrifice was necessary before sinful men could enter into the presence of the Lord
      • First, it taught that sin had to be judged
      • And the only judgment God accepts for sin is death
    • But it also taught that the death of an animal is not a sufficient payment for the sin of men
      • Every year the high priest had to repeat the sacrifice of animals before he could re-enter the Holy of Holies
      • That sent a message to Israel that the problem of our sin cannot be solved by the blood of animals
      • Something better would be needed to satisfy the wrath of God
      • And that something better was the sacrificial death of God Himself on our behalf
    • So the Messiah was God’s provision to sinful man
      • When Jesus died on the cross, He shed His blood to make the one and only payment for the sin of mankind
      • Anyone covered by His sacrifice need never make any other sacrifice for their sin
    • The Father accepts the sacrifice of His Son as full payment for all sin, whether past, present or future
      • So because of Christ’s sacrifice and our faith in that sacrifice, when we die our spirit can enter into the presence of the Father without fear of judgment
      • The judgment we had coming for our sin was already poured out on Christ on the cross
      • Leaving us without condemnation
  • But what about those saints who died prior to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross?
    • For example, what happened to Abraham when he died?
      • The Bible says he was a man of faith in God’s promises
      • And because of his faith, God credited Abraham with righteousness

  Gen. 15:5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
  Gen. 15:6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

  • The Bible declares Abraham was a righteous man by faith
    • Which means Abraham was assured by God that he would be protected from God’s wrath for his sin
    • When God declares a person to be righteous by faith, it means they will be acquitted of their sin on judgment day
    • God’s wrath for Abraham’s sin was poured out on Christ instead
  • But hold on…Abraham lived long before Christ died on the cross
    • When Abraham died, Christ’s sacrifice for sins had not yet happened
    • His soul couldn’t have entered into the presence of God when he died because his sin debt was unpaid
    • So when Abraham breathed his last, and his body was buried in the tomb, where did his soul go?
    • For that matter, what did God do for the souls of all Old Testament saints?
    • Even John the Baptist faced the same dilemma, since he died while Jesus was still alive on earth
  • Scripture says God provided a place of comfort for these people until the time of Jesus’ death and resurrection
    • The Bible calls this place Sheol
      • You’ll see occasional references to Sheol in the Old Testament
      • For example, when Jacob learns that his favorite son, Joseph, has been killed by wild animals, Jacob says this in his distress

  Gen. 37:33 Then he examined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
  Gen. 37:34 So Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days.
  Gen. 37:35 Then all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.

  • Jacob declares his sorrow will cause him to “go down to Sheol”
  • Jacob was an Old Testament saint like his father and grandfather
    • He was righteous by faith, so like Abraham knew he would be saved from the penalty of his sin at his death
    • As we would say today, Jacob was a saved man, and yet here he declares he expects to go “down to Sheol” after he died
    • Why isn’t Jacob talking about going “up” to Heaven as we would say today?
    • Because Old Testament saints understood that they would go to Sheol at death
  • So what is Sheol exactly?
    • It’s a place where God held the souls of all those who died prior to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross
      • And Sheol is two places, actually
      • One part of Sheol held the souls of the Old Testament saints like Abraham or Jacob
      • They were held in Sheol in a place of comfort awaiting the sacrifice of Messiah as payment for their sins
      • As we just explained, until Jesus paid the price for sin, no one could enter into God’s presence so this temporary home was necessary
      • Since the place of comfort was Abraham’s home for a time, it came to be called “Abraham’s Bosom,” meaning the place of Abraham’s comfort
    • But Sheol was more than just Abraham’s Bosom
      • Sheol had a second part that held the souls of all those who died without faith
      • This part of Sheol goes by a different name: Hades
      • Hades is the Greek word for the place we call Hell
      • And as the name suggests, this side of Sheol is not a place of comfort
    • Jesus describes the difference between Abraham’s Bosom and Hades in a short account about two men who descend to Sheol after death in Luke 16

  Luke 16:22 “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.
  Luke 16:23 “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and  saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
  Luke 16:24 “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’
  Luke 16:25 “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.
  Luke 16:26 ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’

  • By the time of Jesus’ first coming, both sides of Sheol were packed
    • Abraham’s Bosom held the souls of every Old Testament saint since Adam and Abel
    • While Hades held the souls of every unbeliever since Cain
    • We can safely assume that the population of Hades was much larger than that of Abraham’s Bosom
    • As Jesus said

  Matt. 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
  Matt. 7:14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

  • We know from scripture that Jesus’s body lay in the tomb for three days
    • During that time, Jesus’ spirit descended into Sheol to spend three days in Abraham’s Bosom
      • While He was there, Jesus must have preached to the Old Testament saints
      • Remember the Lord only revealed bits and pieces of His plan of redemption to the Old Testament saints
      • They all had faith in a promised provision for sin, but they didn’t necessarily know exactly how or when God would provide it
    • Now they were learning the full the story…from the Messiah Himself
      • Best of all they learned that Jesus had just paid the price for their sins by dying on a cross
      • And so now they would accompany Him into God’s presence without fear
      • What a joyous celebration must have followed that news!
  • But Jesus also preached to another crowd in Sheol

  1Pet. 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
  1Pet. 3:19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,
  1Pet. 3:20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.

  • Peter says Jesus also preached to the souls of the condemned suffering in Hades, which Peter calls a “prison”
    • At first, we wonder why would Jesus preach to these souls?
    • Was He giving them a second chance to believe?
    • The answer is no, because Hebrews 9:27 teaches there is no second chance following death
    • We are appointed to die once and then comes judgment
  • Instead, Jesus witnessed to their just condemnation
    • Remember, sometimes the Lord uses our witness to bring others to faith and salvation
    • But other times He uses our witness to bring just condemnation against their hard hearts
  • The Bible teaches that eventually every tongue will confess and every knee will bow at the name of Christ…eventually
    • Confessing Christ only yields salvation if we make that confession on faith, before we die
    • I’m sure the spirits in prison confessed Christ as Lord when they saw Him arrived in Sheol
    • But their confession was not a confession of faith, since they could see Jesus was the Messiah
    • Therefore, their confession could not save them
    • What terrible mourning must have followed that news!
  • Now that brings us back to Paul’s explanation in Ephesians 4
    • Paul says Christ’s soul descended into the lower parts of the earth
      • Paul came to that conclusion because Psalm 68 said the Messiah would take with Him a host of captives when He ascended
      • The captives Jesus took were the souls of all the Old Testament saints who were waiting patiently for Him in Abraham’s Bosom
      • So Jesus’ ascent started from below the earth in Sheol
      • Remember, Jacob said he would go into the earth when he died, so too did Jesus
  • Then after three days, Jesus ascended with the souls of the Old Testament saints
    • And at that time, the Messiah gave gifts to men, that is those followers He left behind on Earth…to the church saints
      • The spiritual gifts He gave to the church at Pentecost following His ascension ten days earlier were our proof that we are His bride
      • While the Old Testament saints are already enjoying the full presence of Christ, the saints on earth receive a measure of His grace
      • This measure of grace unifies all of us, confirming that we are His even as we wait to join the rest
    • That’s why Paul says in v.10 that the same Christ Who descended into the earth for our sins is the same Christ Who ascended into Heaven
      • He is Lord of both those of the Old Testament (Jews) and those of the New Testament (Gentiles)
      • Christ did this to fill (or it should read fulfill) all things
      • Jesus accomplished all this to fulfill scripture and to fill us with His spirit