The morning Manna will be provided at
6am. Thanks. Studying Ephesians in the SSnet.org series Lesson 2, may the Holy Spirit be
the speaker to your heart. The Topic today is: Ephesians summarized nicely by McVay for
Morning Manna of the Sabbath School Lesson Ephesians. The Opening Hymn will be 229
"Spirit of the Living God". The Sabbath School Quarterly,
downloadable from SSnet.org in the Teacher's Edition is on page 17. The SSnet.org allows anyone, anywhere to
read the lesson in their own language. Choose your own language to see God
speaking also to your heart. Why don’t you click on this link right
now: https://www.adultbiblestudyguide.org/pdf.php?file=2023:3Q:SE:PDFs:EAQ323_02.pdf ---This part was very well written in our lesson. In
Review and Herald of February 5, 1895, W. W. Prescott summarized the same
statement with a general principle: What God did in type in the earthly
sanctuary, he did in fact in the person of Christ, the representative of
humanity, in order that God in Christ might do in fact in believers he did in
type in the sanctuary”. ---McVay wrote as follows, similar to the pioneers: “Paul uses three labels for God’s plan. (1) “the mystery of his will,” (2) “his purpose,” and (3) “a plan for the fullness of time” (ESV). ---What is God’s ultimate, final plan? To unite everything,
everywhere, in Jesus. ---(Greek, anakephalaiōsasthai), to “head up” or to “sum
up” all things in Christ. ---In ancient accounting practice, you would “add up”
a column of figures and place the total at the top. Jesus heads God’s final,
eschatological plan. ---This Christ-centered plan was crafted “before the
foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4) and is so broad that it encompasses all
time (“the fullness of the times,” NKJV) and space (“all things . . . things in
heaven and things on earth,” ESV). ---The centrality of Christ is a reality fact in the
whole universe. We cannot add to that. Christ Himself was not selfish and
talked about His centrality. He was patros-centered and pneuma-centered. ---Christ washed the disciples feet. He was a DBA
for the Father and Holy Spirit. Doing business as. ---So when you tapped in with God through the Spirit
or through the Father you will end up with Christ because all three are one. ---Paul announces unity in Christ as the grand,
divine goal for the universe. ---Paul shares the theme that he will weave through
the letter. ---God begins His plan to unify all things, rooted
in the death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation of Jesus (Eph.
1:15–2:10), ---Then later by founding the church and unifying
disparate elements of humankind, Jews and Gentiles, in it (Eph. 2:11–3:13). ----In this way, the church signals to the evil
powers that God’s plan is underway and their divisive rule will end (Eph.
3:10). ---As the Bible says elsewhere: “For the devil has
come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short
time” (Rev. 12:12, NKJV). ---The last half of Paul’s letter opens with a
passionate call to unity (Eph. 4:1–16). ---There is a lengthy exhortation to avoid behavior
that damages unity and, instead, to build solidarity with fellow believers
(Eph. 4:17–6:9). ----Paul hope the church is a unified army,
participating with vigor in waging peace in Christ’s name (Eph. 6:10–20). ---This was a very dangerous letter because if one
of the Roman soldiers read it, there are elements in the letter that may be
misunderstood by a quick secret police reader. Army? World-power? Head or chief
of all? Fight by putting on soldiers clothes? Evil? Who is evil? Nero? Roman
Empire governments? ---So Paul is bold like Elijah. Sitting in the bonds
of Nero looking him in the eye, he told him straight where the true power of
everything is. ---I am not afraid of you and your soldiers. I have
a greater Ruler in control before you were born that has a plan long after you
die. ---All of us belong to the same army of believers. ---We fight the same evil that is in the air and
bigger than you are. ---If Nero could read this letter, he would frown. ---Are you like Paul radical in the face of danger? ---Faith. Faith is what you need. When? Now.