I N D E X
Doctrine (1 to 3)
Practice (4 to 6)
The power of His might and
The power of His might and the evil
the principalities and powers (1:19-23).
principalities and powers (6:10-17).
This shows our doctrinal position
This shows the corresponding
and sphere of spiritual blessings.
conflict and spiritual foes.
The old walk -- `the world' (2:2).
The old walk -- `vanity of mind';
.
T
`uncleanness'; `darkness'; `as fools'.
he new walk -- `new creation' (2:10).
The new walk -- `lowliness of mind';
.
`in love'; `as light'; `circumspectly'.
The new creation -- The new man
(The old man -- put off.  The new man
-- put on
.(2:10-15).
(4:22-32).
.
The new man is a new creation.
The Temple -- `fitly framed together'
The Body -- `fitly joined together'
(2:19-22).
(4:7-16).
.
Its present manifestation.
These examples will suffice for the moment.  What a stimulus we receive to
unity when we see that the exhortation to be `fitly joined together' as members
of the one Body is but a temporal and corporal expression of the higher and
fuller unity of the Temple so marvellously `fitly framed together'.
Or again, it is not enough that we should learn the doctrine of the New
Creation and the New Man; it must have some result.  The old man with his
`former conversation' (4:22) and `with his deeds' (Col. 3:9) must be put off,
otherwise the glorious doctrine remains without life.  The exalted position of
the believer in the ascended Lord -- `far above all' -- brings him into conflict
with `principalities and powers' that are associated with evil.  The mighty
power that raised Christ from the dead is the power in which alone each member
of the Body can hope to overcome these spiritual foes.  All this and more is
expressed in the one word of Ephesians 4:1, `Walk worthy'.  The word `worthy'
(axios):
`refers to a pair of scales, in which, when the weights on each side are
equal, they bring (agousi) or draw down (axiousi) the beam to a level or
horizontal position' (Parkhurst, adapted).
What a wonderful thought this is.  Let us think of the balances.  On the
one scale all the blessings, the riches, the glories of our calling as revealed
in Ephesians 1 to 3; on the other scale the walk that should balance these
blessings, these riches, these glories, the walk that brings the beam of the
balance to the horizontal, the walk that is `worthy of the calling'.  There is a
sense of comparison in the word.  In Romans 8:18 the apostle says that:
`the sufferings of the present time are unworthy of comparison (ouk axia)
with the glory about to be revealed in us' (author's translation).
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