Week 49 Ephesians 1
I’m looking to find Paul’s Central Idea in Ephesians. My basic rule-of-thumb was: if Paul keeps repeating the same idea then that’s probably his Central Idea.
So I’m not too far into the first chapter before I start to see Paul focusing on what he calls the plan. He referred to it half a dozen times (sometimes calling it ‘the plan’ and other times the Lord’s decision or purpose or promise). The Plan seemed to fall off the table in chapter two (boo). But then Paul started talking about it again (maybe another half-dozen times) in chapter three (yay).
The Plan was a long-term purpose that the Lord had. For a lonnnng-time The Plan wasn’t obvious. But – says Paul – God’s secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago…This is his plan: at the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ. Paul expanded on it a bit later: and this is the secret plan: the Gentiles have an equal share with the Jews in all the riches inherited by God’s children…Both are part of the same body.
I’m starting to think that The Plan might be my key to Ephesians 1-3. So now I have to a) confirm that The Plan is Paul’s Central Idea. And b) I have to see if Paul sticks with his Central Idea from start-to-finish.
Note: quotes from Ephesians 1:9-10 & 3:6-7 (NLT)