Joint Heirs
Fred Chay
The Ascended Cosmic Christ
Eph 4:7-11
The Calling of the Church: Our Position Ch 1-3
The Conduct of the Church: Our Practice Ch 4-6
I. The Walk of Unity 4:1-16
A. The Foundation of Unity: 1-6
1. The Exhortation for Unity: 1-3
2. The Elements of Unity :4-6
NB Paul has focused on the unification principle.
Now he focuses on the diversification principle
B. The Preservation of Unity 4:7-16
1. The Provision of Gifts to the Church : 7 -11
a. The Giver of the Gifts :7-10
1. The Reality of the Gifts :7
a. Christ is active in the giving Man is passive in the reception of the gift
b. "The Grace" (The Article makes it particular or specific grace gift given) See Romans
12:6-8
Since the gifts are measured out from Jesus to us there is no place for
jealously in the body (I Cor. 12: 14ft)
2. The Reason for the Gifts :8
- Notice the Introduction formula see Eph 5: 14
- Psalm 68 This is the most difficult psalm to interpret and Paul makes it
even more difficult by the way he uses it.
a. The Picture
A victorious king receiving gifts of tribute for triumph
b. The Problem
- Notice that Paul changes it in many ways. Here are 2.
1. Change from Second person singular "You ascend" to third person singular "He
ascended"
2. Change from Receiving gifts from foes to Giving gifts to friends
c. The Solution??
1. Paul changed it to bring out the full meaning. But this actually
changes the meaning.
2. Paul changed it to fit the traditional Targum interpretation. Hence the
Targum changed the order of one Hebrew word with three letters to go
from "received" to "gave". OR it is following the Midrash (OT
commentary document) interpretation But the Targum and Midrash
came 3rd-4th century AD. So if this is true it is following a pre Christian
view that is carried forward in the Jewish documents.
But this does not prove it true.
3. Paul is following the idea of Num 8:6-19 where Levites were
taken captive by God and given to the people for Tabernacle
service. But this does not solve the issue of order in the text.
4. Paul is summarizing the context of all of the Psalm 68 by using one
key verse but changes the order to fit his purpose. Hence it is like a
news man summarizes a speech with 1 or 2 sentences. But he is only
summarizing not trying to quote verbatim. Paul is using a theme
from the bible that God seeks to give gifts to His people.
- What is the meaning of ascended on high?
In the Psalm God leads the captives to His high domain as a king and
receives gifts from those He conquered. In Eph Paul uses this to tell of
Gods desire to defeat the foe (Satan and Sin Col. 2: 13-15) and then
having released us He gives us gifts.
3. The Rational for the Gifts :9-10 a. The Rational :9
l. Problem #1 (:9)
The problem
What does it mean he ascended and descended? Location?
The Solutions
a. Jesus descended to earth at the incarnation
b. Jesus descended at Pentecost in the Spirit to give spiritual gifts
2. Problem # 2 (:9)
The Problem
What is the "Lower parts of the earth"
The Solution
a. Jesus went to Hades- Descent into Hell Apostolic creed 341AD
(Partative genitive)
b. Jesus came to earth- the lower part The Incarnation
(Genitive of apposition)
c. Jesus went to the grave (ties to 1:20,2:16,5:2,25 death and
resurrection) Christ’s death accomplished victory as seen in the
resurrection and as such He can give gifts to the Church.
b. The Result :10
1. Jesus not only rose from the dead but He ascended on high through
all the heavens. John 16:5Acts 1:2,9, Lk 24:51 and 1 Tim 3:16 Acts
2:32 (Paul: three levels of heaven (2 Cor 12:2, Phil 2:9)
Jewish theology saw 7 heavens. Greco Roman "theology" often taught
multiple levels of the heavenly realm. (See Plato and Philo) Hebrews 4:
14, 7:26 8: 1 sees multilevel heaven that Jesus passed through as Victor.
He is now at the right hand of God Heb 1:41 Peter 3:22 Rev 5:13
2 . Jesus might fill all things. This is the purpose or result of the death,
resurrection and ascension of Jesus the Cosmic King who rules from
heaven above. He is filled with God 1 :23 also Col. 1: 19-20. Christ
fills the Church with that fullness. Christ unites all under His headship
Eph 1: 10, 22. (See ColI; 17 -18, 2:9) He is their now to serve us Heb.
6:18-20 9:24
Jesus Christ is the fullness of God (Heb 1:2-5, Col 1:15-20 2:9). He fills the universe with the
message of His love to both Jew and Gentile manifested through His Church. He has given
gifts to His Church to maintain unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace in the Church and
manifest His love to a lost and dying world.
We believe that Jesus, the second person of the trinity (2 Cor 13, Matt 4 Titus 2:13) the
very essence of God (Homoousion), took on humanity through the incarnation (Phil 2),
died by the cross, rose again on the third day by the power of the resurrection (I Cor. 15:25, Rom 1:5) and ascended to heaven (Acts 1:3,9 Lk 24:51) to rule and rein and to await his
second coming to consummate all of secular history and fulfill all of sacred prophecy.
(Psalm 2, Psalm 110, Rev 5, Rev 20)
Maranatha
Come soon Lord 1
Cor 16:22