OUR FATHER WHO MADE HIS SON PRE-EMINENT OVER ALL THINGS 

The writer of Hebrews, having established the pre-eminence of Christ over all creation, lists the ancient prophetic writings that credentialled Jesus as the Son of God in Hebrews chapter 1 verses 5 - 14 which reads this way:

5 For to which of the angels did He ever say:

“You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You”?

And again:

“I will be to Him a Father,

And He shall be to Me a Son”?

6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says:

“Let all the angels of God worship Him.”

7 And of the angels He says:

“Who makes His angels spirits

And His ministers a flame of fire.”

8 But to the Son He says:

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;

A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

        9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;

Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You

With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

10 And:

“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,

And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

11 They will perish, but You remain;

And they will all grow old like a garment;

12 Like a cloak You will fold them up,

And they will be changed.

But You are the same,

And Your years will not fail.”

13 But to which of the angels has He ever said:

“Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?

14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

Amen.

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 OUR FATHER WHOSE IMAGE IS EXPRESSED IN HIS SON

Starting a study on the book of Hebrews, it is a book whose author is not certain. While frequently attributed to the Apostle Paul, there are reasons that this is doubted because the writer did not identify himself the way Paul did in all his other writings.

Although there are other candidates who have been proposed as the writer of the book of Hebrews like Apollos, Barnabas, Luke or Priscilla, for the porpose of this study, we shall treat the writer as anonymous.

The first 4 verses of the first chapter of book of Hebrews says this:

1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

The writer of Hebrews begins the book with a description of the progression of God's revelation of Himself and His intention through prophets in the past and ultimately did so by His own Son.

God's Son Jesus is described as the heir to all things and the one through whom the worlds were made and who was the brightness of the glory of God and the express or fully revealed image of God the Father and who upheld all things by the word of His power.

The Son, in His perfection as the express image of God, undertook to purge our sins and having done so, sat down the right hand of the majesty (Royal throne) in heaven taking His place as the preeminent one over all of existence and showed Himself to be qualitatively greater than the angels by what He inherited and the name he had obtained.

Amen

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OUR FATHER FROM WHOM COME PEACE LOVE AND  FAITH AS WELL AS FROM THE LORD JESUS  CHRIST

In a final greeting in his letter to the Ephesians in chapter 6 verses 21 - 24, the Apostle Paul introduces them to a fellow believer named Tychicus who would deliver an update on Paul's condition and to encourage them.

21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.

23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

As a farewell message, Paul speaks peace and love laced with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ to the Ephesians and he speaks grace to those who have been steadfast in their love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO PROVIDES SPIRITUAL ARMOR BY WHICH THE KINGDOM OF GOD MAY EXTEND ITS FRONTIERS

In the 6th chapter of the book of Ephesians verses 10 - 20, the Apostle Paul begins to conclude his letter with a final charge to his readers to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Along with that, Paul informs the Ephesians to be well defended against the schemes of the devil by donning the complete armor of God that would make them impervious to the evil day.

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

In this passage, the Apostle Paul lists the components that made a complete set of spiritual armor:

1. Belt of truth around the loins to keep chastity
2. Breastplate of righteousness to protect the conscience
3. Shoes of the preparation of gospel of peace for assurance of ones standing with God
4. Shield of faith to block the missiles lanched by agents of darkness to cause damage
5. Helmet of salvation for the knowledge of the efficacy of Christ's blood to save us
6. Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God for the fight of intercession towards the goal of all saints boldly pushing forward the frontiers of the Kingdom of God.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WITH WHOM THERE IS NO PARTIALITY

The Apostle Paul, having described the appropriate pattern of conduct that should govern marriage, now describes the pattern that should govern the relationships between children and their parents and as well, the relationships between bond-servants and their masters in  Ephesians chapter 6 verses 1 - 9 which says this:

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

With the understanding that  marriage is a feature designed and built into the creation to be a metaphor for the relationship between Christ and His Bride ( which is the  the ultimate reason for creation), there are other human relationships that also serve as metaphors for our relationship with God. 

Paul tells us that children should honor their parents and this is pattern that is a metaphor set in place for the children of God to honor their Father in heaven.

 Likewise, the pattern established by the  injuction to parents not to provoke their children to wrath but to bring them up in the counsel and admonition of the Lord is a pattern that God establishes so that we can understand His stance towards us and that is  that He would not provoke His children to wrath nor exasperate them but rather, He would undertake to train them in His counsel and admonition. 

Regarding the relationship between bond-servants and masters, this too is a metaphor for the relationship between those who voluntarily commit  their earthly lives to the service of Christ. Remembering that bond-servants were those who voluntarily made a public declaration of their lifelong submission to the will of their masters,  those who voluntarily gave their lives up to be bond-servants of Christ are  required to be obedient to Christ and to be sincere and whole-hearted in their service to Him even as earthly servants are told to be towards their earthly masters.

As for the way masters were to behave towards their bond-servants, Paul instructs them not to use threats and intimidation to elicit their work and in this way, the metaphor reveals that God does not threaten or intimidate those who commit themselves to serve Him as bond-servants.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE SON´S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHURCH WAS SYMBOLISED IN THE DESIGN OF THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE

Continuing with Ephesians chapter 5, we read this in verses 22 - 33:

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

In this passsage, the Apostle Paul reveals the great mystery of the church being the bride of Christ and that the way that husbands and wives related to each other needed to reflect the relationship between Christ and His bride.  As Christ sacrificialy gave his life for the church, husbands needed to give themselves sacrificially for their wives.  As the church honored Christ, wives were to honor their husbands.  

The model of husbands and wives was set up as a picture of the eternal union between Christ and the church.

Amen.

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