Ephesians: Introduction (2)
Pray Psalm 119.145, 146.
I cry out with my whole heart;
Hear me, O LORD!
I will keep Your statutes.
I cry out to You;
Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.
Sing Psalm 119.145, 146.
(Festal Song: Rise Up, O Men of God)
With my whole heart I cry; hear me, O LORD, I pray.
Your statutes I will not deny but keep them every day.
I cry to You, O LORD; save me, O LORD I pray:
Your testimonies and Your I keep and will obey.
Read Acts 19.1-10; meditate on verses 7-9.
Preparation
1. What did Paul ask the disciples in Ephesus?
2. How did Paul instruct them?
Meditation
Upon his return to Ephesus, Apollos having departed to Corinth, Paul found “some disciples”, that is, men who professed faith in Jesus, following the teaching of John the Baptist. Priscilla and Aquila likewise seem to have departed, perhaps to accompany Apollos to Corinth and introduce him around. They would end up in Rome (Rom. 16.3).
This is not an auspicious beginning. Twelve men hardly seems like a significant harvest for the Lord, or beachhead for His Kingdom. But Paul, having ascertained the state of their discipleship, worked with them diligently, teaching them the ways of the Lord and leading them to proclaim the Good News of Christ. And the Lord prospered his labors exceedingly. He started with them where they were and walked them, step by step, into ever greater depths of Kingdom life and calling.
Paul devoted a total of three years to these twelve men (Acts 20.31) and those who were added to their ranks, diligently equipping them for life in the Kingdom of God (Acts 20.25). The effects of this effort were transformative. Ephesus was dramatically impacted by the Good News and became one of the great centers of Christian life throughout the Roman world.
We must not despise the day of small beginnings (Zech. 4.9, 10), but receive those the Lord provides in our Personal Mission Field and serve them diligently, to shape them as Kingdom citizens, ambassadors, and heralds. God will bring the growth in His way and time. We must conduct our ministry to others right where they are—their faith, values, desires, concerns, and dreams, so that we can best meet and serve them with the grace of the Lord.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Paul took Jesus’ teaching on the seeds and where they fell (Matt. 13.3-23; Mk. 4.3-20; Lk. 8.5-15) and used His wisdom to transplant the scattered Ephesian seeds into better soil.
Sanctification is like this. Discipling believers is like this.
All of us can look back on our own lives and see how, through the years, we have grown in the love and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our seeds perhaps moved from rocky to good soil by dear ones, like Priscilla and Aquila, who have taken us aside and shown us a better way, explaining “the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18.26).
Now we see Paul doing the same thing with some disciples in the Ephesian church.
First, they got the full Gospel story—from repentance to baptism to repentance unto Jesus—then received their Kingdom working orders. Next, they learned how to do the Kingdom work—through the Holy Spirit.
“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19.2).
They were participants in the process of understanding all that salvation entails—step by step.
Slowly, surely, securely, and sincerely taking hold of their great salvation.
Blessed they were, under Paul’s tutelage, for three months, while he “spoke boldly…reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the Kingdom of God” (Acts 19.8).
Nebuchadnezzar experienced growth in reverse and then back again. He was a man, became like a beast, learned about his own relationship to God, and then became a man again. Imagine what our own progress can be like—avoiding the beastly aspect, being already human, and now saved—experiencing the joy of growing in the Lord, to become more like Jesus. “In order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men…” (Dan. 4.17).
After Nebuchadnezzar’s return to humanity and sanity he proclaimed:
“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down” (Dan. 4.37).
Daniel had carefully taught him in the same way Aquila, Priscilla, and Paul taught the Ephesians.
And now that job falls to those who are the Church, the Body of Christ—to all those who have been taught the way of God more accurately; taught about the work concerning the Kingdom of God; and have received the Holy Spirit.
As the writer of the book of Hebrews instructs us: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb. 5.12-14).
“We must not despise the day of small beginnings, but receive those the Lord provides in our Personal Mission Field and serve them diligently, to shape them as Kingdom citizens, ambassadors, and heralds.”
“But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children,
to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.
The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His Kingdom rules over all” (Ps. 103.17-19).
Use us, LORD, for Your Kingdom work.
Reflection
1. What’s one aspect of your discipleship that it took you a while to learn? Praise the Lord for the people who helped you along the way.
2. Helping someone grow as a disciple can take time. How can you make sure you have the time for this work?
3. With whom will you have a disciple-making opportunity today? How should you prepare?
To sum up, when Paul sees that these men are confessing the name of Christ, he asks whether they have received the Holy Spirit, in order to find out more precise information about their faith. For Paul himself makes it clear that this method was a sign of the grace of God, for establishing the trustworthiness of doctrine, “I wish to know whether you received the Holy Spirit by works of the Law or by the hearing of faith.” John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Acts 19.1-7
Pray Psalm 1119.147-152.
Pray that the Lord will renew your hunger for and delight in His Word, and that He will do so every day. Pray for daily revival in your soul and in churches everywhere.
Sing Psalm 119.147-152.
(Festal Song: Rise Up, O Men of God)
Before the dawn I rise; LORD, hear me when I cry.
I hope in Your unfailing Word and will until I die.
I seek You through the night to contemplate Your Word.
Bring my poor soul into the light; teach me Your Law, O LORD!
LORD, hear my plaintive voice, revive me by Your grace;
in justice let my soul rejoice before Your holy face.
Those who forsake Your Word draw near in wickedness;
yet You are near, O God my LORD! Your truth will save and bless!
Your Word has been from old, established by decree.
More precious than the finest gold, Your Word gives life to me!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” continues our look at the work we’ve been given to do. In our Read Moore column this week, we will finish up the book, Understanding the Times. Our Corsfigell series on Brendan of Clonfert finds him sailing westward over the Atlantic in a leather boat. Lots to learn there. Click the Articles tab on the home page to see all the selections available to you.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
