Every Spiritual Blessing: Ephesians 1:3

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3 ESV).

Before Paul begins to narrate descriptively the spiritual blessings of God, he first points us to the God of particularity in Jesus Christ. Before we know that God is the Father of all, we need to first know that he is the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is through his beloved Son we have been adopted into his family.  The Christian God is not a Greek god who is transcendent to a point where he does not get involved with human affair; He is not a divine force above our heads. Rather, “He is the God who made the world, and who has now made himself known in and through Jesus. As far as Paul is concerned, any picture of God which doesn’t now have Jesus in the middle of it is a distortion or a downright fabrication.”[1]

The word euvloghto,j can be understood as “blessed” or “praised.” “Praised be to the God…” is preferable. God does not need to be blessed; we need to be blessed. Rather, we don’t need to be praised, but God is worthy of our praise. God is the object of our praise; we are the object of his blessing. We praise for God’s blessings in Christ.

Paul introduces two of his letters with an introductory blessing (Eph. 1:3-14; 2 Cor. 1:3-7).[2] Ephesians 1:3-14 is considered as a “declarative praise” that is formed in one long, single sentence (in Greek) in which God’s blessings, such as election, adoption, forgiveness of sin, etc… are vividly described by Paul. This eulogy is Paul’s doxological introduction to the entire letter. At the end of the so-called “doctrinal section” (Ephesians 1-3), Paul concludes with another doxology: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21).

As John Piper says, “God gets the glory; we get the mercy.”

The term “spiritual” (pneumatiko,j) is an adjective for the Spirit, that is, “pertaining to or belonging to the Spirit.”[3] In this vein, spiritual blessings mean blessings that pertain to the Spirit. God has blessed us in Jesus Christ with every spiritual blessing. The role of the Spirit is not out of the picture. The rest of the sentence shows that this whole business of praising God for his blessings toward us is trinitarian through and through (God the Father, 1:4-6; God the Son, 1:7-12; God the Spirit, 1:13-14). Gordon Fee points out that “the use of this adjective…indicates that the emphasis is on the nature of the blessings, rather than their source.”[4] Either these blessings are spiritual or the Spirit is the source of them, the Spirit is at work. As Fee rightly puts, “The Spirit is the present means whereby God appropriates to the believing community the ‘blessings’ that flow from the redemptive work of Christ.”[5]

This eulogy is formed as an inclusio and bracketed by the Spirit.[6] At the end of the section, God the Spirit is the Spirit of the promise, who is “a deposit on our inheritance.” He serves as the guarantee of our future salvation (1:13-14). Our receiving of God’s blessings in Jesus Christ can only become a reality through the Spirit. The Spirit actualizes the blessings of God in us. J. I. Packer writes:

The Christian life in all its aspects—intellectual and ethical, devotional and relational, upsurging in worship and outgoing in witness—is supernatural; only the Spirit can initiate and sustain it. So apart from him, not only will there be no lively believers and no lively congregations, there will be no believers and no congregations at all. But in fact the church continues to live and grow, for the Spirit’s ministry has not failed, nor ever will, with the passage of time.[7]

We keep in step with the Spirit in ministry. We listen to him, worship him, and obey him.

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[1] N. T. Wright, Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), p. 5.

[2] Peter T. O’Brien points out the difference between an introductory thanksgiving and an introductory blessing or eulogy. He writes, “While his [Paul] introductory thanksgivings focus on God’s work in the lives of others, his eulogies praise god for blessings in which he himself participates.” “Benediction, Blessing, Doxology, Thanksgiving,” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, edited by Gerald F. Hawthorne, et. al. (Leicester: InterVarsity Press; Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 68.

[3] Gordon D. Fee, God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), p. 666.

[4] Ibid., p. 666.

[5] Ibid., p. 667.

[6] Clinton E. Arnold, Ephesians (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), p. 78.

[7] J. I. Packer, Keep in Step with the Spirit: Finding Fullness in our Walk with God (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2005), p. 15.

Conversation Partners

There are many people showing up in my life, but only some have influence on me like a stamp on the envelope. I have read many books over the years. I realize that there are only a few individuals I have constantly conversed with, like Eugene Peterson, Walter Brueggemann, N. T. Wright, John Calvin, etc…These people have judged me, corrected me, encouraged me, and affirmed me through the years. Most important of all, they have kept bringing me back to God in conversion, in prayer, in silence, in adoration, in thanksgiving, and in praise. How does the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truth? I believe one of the ways is to have conversation partners across the ages.

Peterson guided me through my pastoral ministry. He still does. Whenever I encountered problems or I felt downcast in ministry, I turned to his writings. He wrote four books for pastors: The Five Smooth Stones; Under the Unpredictable Plant; Working the Angles; and The Contemplative Pastor. In different periods of time, I read these four books at least 3-4 times. I gained wisdom from them. I got encouraged by his pastoral struggle, wisdom, and theology in his own ministry. I believe he is the first one to show me how to draw a connection between the Bible and the congregation. No one does it better than him. 

Brueggemann is a radical biblical interpreter. He is not conservative in a lot of ways. The way he talks about the God in the Old Testament is filled with insights and passion. After reading his works, you don’t find the text as a static document. Rather, the word of God is dynamic, and the dynamic of God is fully revealed in his interaction with Israel. God’s involvement with human affairs is beyond human imagination. I think he got me interested in reading the Old Testament with a sense of anticipation as well as imagination.

I heard N. T. Wright delivering a lecture on Pauline theology at Gordon College while I was studying at Gordon-Conwell Seminary. He only held a Greek Bible with his right hand while he was lecturing. He kept quoting the Old Testament, especially Isaiah, without notes. He just quoted them from his memory. Back in my mind I was thinking, “Paul is speaking right in front of me. If Paul were still alive, this person standing in front of me would be him.” He is bold with beard. I guess this is what Paul looked like back then.

John Calvin was 500 years old in 2009. I think his pastoral endeavor was insane. He accomplished more than he could have accomplished. I think what drew me to him in the first place is that I found out he wrote the Institutes in order to feed God’s people with God’s word and theology in a systematic way. He first wrote it in 1536 and revised it five times over the years until 1559. He expanded the Institutes because of his pastoral concern for the congregation. There is no room for theological speculation in Calvin’s theology.  The goal of his theology is to bring glory to God by building up the church. Shawn D. Wright, Associate Professor of Church History at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, writes about John Calvin’s pastoral theology in the Institutes:

Indeed, it may be its pastoral orientation that makes the Institutes so relevant for twenty-first century readers. I think that it is this pastoral focus, which gives the Institutes its “feet,” so to speak, and allows modern readers to connect so familiarly with Calvin, even though he inhabited a different world—several religious, political, social, and intellectual revolutions ago. In fact, I believe that Calvin’s “pastoral vision,” that is, his view of the priority of God and a relationship that all human beings must have with him in either friendship or judgment, permeates the Institutes and makes it intensely relevant for us.[1]

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[1] Shawn D. Wright, “John Calvin a Pastor,” The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 13, no. 4 (2009): 5.

Stand Firm in the Gospel

In the time of turbulence, Paul exhorted a young church in Thessalonica to stand firm and hold on tight: “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold on to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” (2 Thess. 2:15 ESV) Paul taught them in person; now he taught them through his letters. In 1 Thess. 2:17 ESV, Paul said, “But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face.” He then sent Timothy to them (1 Thess. 3:1-5), and Timothy returned with the good news of their spiritual condition (1 Thess. 3:6-10). Paul and the Thessalonians were separated in distance, but not in spirit. Paul’s heart was attached to the Thessalonians. Paul ministered to them in person or through another person; he also ministered to them in his letters.

“The traditions that you were taught” refers to the fundamental teachings of Christian faith that are consisted of three things: the basic gospel message (His death and resurrection; see 1 Cor. 15:3-4); a balanced worshipping church, such as preaching the Word and performing sacraments (e.g. the Eucharist and baptism); and the basic rules of Christian behavior (e.g. love).[1] How important it is to get back to the fundamental teachings and lay a firm foundation on those teachings. “We do not move on from the Gospel. Instead, we move on in the Gospel, for its depths are unfathomable and its implications for life and teaching are innumerable.”[2] In other words, we can never grow out of the gospel; we can only grow with the gospel. If we are serious about the gospel, we must be serious about the gospel implications, such as theology, community, and ethics.

How often we witness people falling short and giving up their faith in the midst of doubt and difficulty. Ever since then, they have kept their lives away from the gospel. One of the reasons why some people give up their faith is that they are not firmly grounded and nurtured in the gospel in the initial stage of Christian journey. How common it is in today’s church. We turn away from the self and to the gospel; however, we are not biblically, theologically, and ethically grounded in the gospel. We end up being saturated with the self.

For the Thessalonians, Paul taught them to stand firm and hold on tight. Don’t be captivated by the cultural force or present circumstances. Rather, the church in Thessalonica must stand firm in the truth and model this truth in the world. “The church must remember two points in particular: first, that Christianity is about truth, and second, that those who say they are Christians must model this truth by their integrity.”[3]

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[1] N. T. Wright, Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), p. 150.

[2] Gary A. Parrett and S. Steve Kang, Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful: A Biblical Vision for Education in the Church (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2009), p. 99.

[3] David F. Wells, The Courage to be Protestant: Truth-Lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), p. 92.

Pastoral Portrait

I purchased N. T. Wright’s New Testament set (18 volumes) recently. I am planning to finish reading them in January and February. (I just finished the volume on The Prison Letters.) It is a good habit to read the Bible along with useful commentaries. Each volume of this series is short and concise. N. T. Wright, a first-rated theologian and exegete, is always able to provide some pointers for readers to understand the text in the first century and apply it in the twenty-first century.

From time to time, we need to set different short-term goals to encounter the Word of God. For example, we can continuously read one particular book in the Bible in a month, like Exodus. We can read all Pauline epistles repeatedly in six months. Or we use a book like An Introduction to the Old Testament to read the entire Old Testament. I used to read five psalms per day. I finished reading the Book of Psalms in a month. I stopped doing it after a few months. (I think I got bored.) In spite of the fact that the Bible is the Word of God, it’s true that we get bored in reading the Bible here and there. That’s why we need creativity as well as new challenge to encounter the Word of God. A new challenge imposed on myself is to read the New Testament along with N. T. Wright’s commentaries. 

In commenting on Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica (1 Thess. 2:1-8), N. T. Wright notes:

In his dealings with the Thessalonians themselves, as a result, Paul could afford to be gentle, caring and loving. He wasn’t secretly out to gain anything from them; he simply and genuinely wanted the love of God to embrace them, and as he worked among them he found that his own love was drawn out to them as well. Those who have had the privilege of being ministered to by people with this motivation know how wonderful it is when pastors share with them not only the gospel but their own very selves. Those of us who have had good Christian friends, at school, college, work or in social life, will know the same thing.

And, in case anyone supposes…that Paul is praising himself too much, we should reflect that he could hardly have written all this—and the scribe taking Paul’s dictation could hardly have copied it down—if it wasn’t true. The Thessalonians would recognize this self-portrait when they heard the letter. The question for all Christian ministers is: if we were to describe ourselves like this, would anyone recognize who we were talking about?[1]

A self-portrait of a Christian minister ought to be recognized by a particular group of people in a local church. Pastoral ministry is like “a nursing mother taking care of her own children” (1 Thess. 2:7). This imagery vividly depicts Paul’s pastoral attitude and endurance. And the congregation in Thessalonica should recognize this “motherly” image in Paul and his ministry. No Christian minister ought to be fully defined by a congregation. We are mature enough to see that some churches turn ministers into mere workers. However, one’s pastoral depiction cannot bypass the congregation’s recognition either. Christian ministers are servants of the church for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor. 4:5). Not only are Christian ministers servants of Jesus Christ, but also the body of Christ—the church.

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[1] N. T. Wright, Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), p. 96.

Jesus' Plan

Jesus’ plan of evangelism is not the type of evangelism that we have in mind. The way we understand evangelism is that we share the good news of Jesus Christ and invite people to accept Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord. It’s certainly part of Jesus’ plan of evangelism. But it fails to present the full picture.

“And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast our demons” (Mk. 3:13-15, ESV).

After going up and inquiring of the Father, Jesus calls the Twelve. In Mark 1:16-20, we know that when Jesus calls Simon, Andrew, John, and James, they immediately respond to his calling and follow him. Jesus calls; disciples convert. Thus, when Jesus calls and appoints them as apostles, some sort of converted experience is involved. They don’t just believe. They follow. In the calling of the Twelve, the purposes of calling are as follows: to be with Him, to preach, and to cast out demons with His authority. (In the West, can we replace “casting out demons” with healing?) In priority, the primary purpose of Jesus’ calling is to be with Jesus. Jesus’ plan of evangelism is more than mere conversion. It is an invitation to enter into a deep relationship with Him. In other words, being with Jesus is the primary purpose of being called. Being precedes doing (preaching, casting out demons, etc…).

In the 20^th century, the evangelical church in particular focused on the task of evangelism. Billy Graham and his crusades brought new credibility to evangelism as well as drawing large numbers of men and women to faith in Jesus. Furthermore, new methods of outreach were developed with an emphasis on finding ways to make it easy for people to come to faith. Commitment to Jesus became a matter of affirming belief in a few core doctrines and asking Jesus into one’s life. Unfortunately, an unintended consequence of this simplification was that while many converts were produced, far fewer disciples were made…It can be argued that the unlinking of evangelism from spiritual formation in the 20^th century resulted in a church with little depth. In the 21^st century, new attention has been given to evangelism that contains a call to discipleship.[1]

The deepness of faith draws deeply from the deep well of Jesus. Christians are not called to believe Jesus. We are called to be with Him so that we know what it means to follow Him by doing what he asks us to. Jesus’ plan of evangelism always entails solid, lifelong discipleship. Ministry or mission is the fruit of this discipling relationship.

In my previous discipleship group, a small group of us studied the book, After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters (New York: HarperOne, 2010) by N. T. Wright. He notes:

Jesus’ call to follow him, to discover in the present time the habits of life which point forward to the coming kingdom and already, in a measure, share in its life, only makes sense when it is couched in the terms made famous by Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “Come and die.” Jesus didn’t say, as do some modern evangelists, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Nor did he say, “I accept you as you are, so you can now happily do whatever comes naturally.” He said, “If you want to become my followers, deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34). He spoke of losing one’s life in order to gain it, as opposed to clinging to it and so losing it. He spoke of this in direct relation to himself and his own forthcoming humiliation and death, followed by resurrection and exaltation. (p. 115)

Jesus’ plan of evangelism is about growing in number as well as caring for its spiritual maturity:  to believe Christ, to follow Christ, to grow in Christ, and to proclaim Christ.

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[1] Richard V. Peace, “Evangelism,” in Dictionary of Christian Spirituality. Edited by Glen G. Scorgie (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011), p. 435.