Bethany Lutheran Church
Ephesians | A New Kind of People
This new humanity is called to look and live differently that the world in which we currently live. Paul says that the way we are to go about living this way is by imitating Jesus’ sacrifice. Paul uses his historical context of household codes to show how we are to live in this world but not of it by specifically looking at marriage, parenthood and cultural servitude.
Questions to wrestle through: How can we redefine our cultural household codes to better show Jesus’ sacrificial love to the world?
Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV)
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Matthew 7:1-5 (ESV)
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
This new humanity is called to look and live differently that the world in which we currently live. Paul says that the way we are to go about living this way is by imitating Jesus’ sacrifice. Paul uses his historical context of household codes to show how we are to live in this world but not of it by specifically looking at marriage, parenthood and cultural servitude.
Questions to wrestle through: How can we redefine our cultural household codes to better show Jesus’ sacrificial love to the world?
Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV)
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Matthew 7:1-5 (ESV)
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.