Knowing God through His Word — Part 4
Digging for Treasure in Ephesians 1:7-8: A Question and Answer Bible Study Method
Introduction
Part Four of this series digs into God’s word by using the same tools as Socrates and Jesus Himself. By asking questions, great teachers will turn on lights and get folks like you and me thinking. Finding answers in God’s Word is a bit like prospecting for precious ores or gems or digging for buried treasures. The digs begin with adventure, seeking, and curiosity; they continue through the work of sifting, examining and studying the finds; and they require keeping our eyes open and alert for discovery.
Four
Pick up your tools for digging into God’s Word by quickly skimming these nine questions; then read my answers to see how using them begins to uncover the riches within Ephesians 1:7-8
1. What does it mean? Do I “get it” or do I need to look up the literal meaning of any words? Do I need a Greek dictionary or can I go to Webster’s on-line?
2. Is there any figurative language? Like Jesus is the door or Jesus is the vine. If so, can I figure it out? or do I need to seek furthur?
3. What’s most important here? What’s the main thought or point?
4. Have I got to take the main thought on faith or do any details support it? If so, what are they?
5. Am I being told to do something? To learn something? If so, what?
6. Are there any relationships or comparisons and contrasts? If so, what are they?
7. Is there any cause and effect?
8. What are the end results of these verses? Any outcomes?, conclusions? consequences?
9. What do I think about it? How do I feel about it? Is there anything here to apply to my life? If so am I willing and able to do it?
Using these questions, here’s my treasure hunting into Ephesians 1:7 and 8. I’ll talk aloud on paper to give a feel for the process.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, . . . Ephesians 1:7-8
1. What is the literal meaning of the words?
I’d better look up redemption—it sounds like a theological word here.
Redemption means getting released or redeemed because somebody else paid a ransom price for a prisoner—like paying a ransom to set a kidnapped victim free or paying a price to obtain somebody’s release from prison or physical torture. In this verse it means that believers are redeemed and delivered and set free from slavery to sin and from all their guilt of wrongdoing. Believers are forgiven and justified; redemption pays the price to make them right with God. I get a mental image of someone bound in heavy chains or in the stocks being released and pardoned.
Grace is another theological word. I hear it all the time, but since it’s so common I take it for granted so I’ll look it up too— to be sure about the meaning. Oh, it has lots of definitions, but here I think grace means God’s heart of loving-kindness, graciousness, goodwill and favor to us. Particularly since the next verb is lavished.
Lavished. Wow! That means profuse, unrestrained, abundance of in giving, in excess, almost squandering.
So Paul thinks BIG about the riches of God’s grace! It is HUGE.
2. Is there any figurative language?
Paul said God lavished the riches of His grace. That means both great value and abundance. It draws a picture of liberality and ease, not of poverty.
3. What is Paul’s main point?
I’ve got to read the verse again. Hummm. . . This is more complex. I think he’s saying that WE’RE REDEEMED! In other words— In him—that means in Jesus, if we confess our sins and take His life by faith and abide in Him, we have redemption through His blood. When He went to the cross and became a blood sacrifice for us, He paid the price of death for our sins. He took the death, the separation from God, that all men deserve. That means that everyone who accepts Him gets set free from sin, guilt and death.
Why does the human race need redemption? Because we’re out of synch with God! All of us. The next phrase, the forgiveness of our trespasses, means we’re forgiven of every thing that falls short of God’s holiness—from the core self centeredness in our hearts to every false step, and blunder, from every failure to be upright and every deviation from truth—intentional or not.
According to—has a couple of meanings. Looking it up, I see that in this text according to means that both the degree of forgiveness and the amount of our forgiveness is measured or controlled by the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us— The wealth of His grace was so abundant, so rich, so infinite that His forgiveness is total, complete, unqualified, and unchanging. (Wuest) He just pours grace out upon us.
4. Do details support the main thought?
They surely do. Paul tells us how we’re redeemed: it is through Jesus blood. He tells us one of the results of redemption: our sins are forgiven. He tells us the amount of our forgiveness: it’s as total and complete as God’s infinite grace.
5. Do these verses command or instruct me to do something?
I don’t think so, but they do inspire me to want to receive such grace as fully as I can and to worship Him with grateful love.
6. What relationships or comparisons is the author making?
Nothing jumps out clearly, but comparisons are indirectly implied. First, I needed someone to pay a price to set me free: I was not free before; I was not forgiven before. Because of all my mistakes and failures in love—and there were many, I was a slave to selfishness and that’s a sin. I had learned to live with a guilty conscience and was familiar with shame. The most surprising facet of all this sin and guilt is that it felt quite normal to me. I thought I was pretty good person and didn’t even know I needed forgiveness and redemption until God revealed glimpses of His total purity and Jesus’ love and holiness.
A comparison is also implied between the riches of God’s grace and my own ways. My ways were and (at times continue to be) quite like ways of the world, the culture I was trained up in. Even in altruistic choices, my ways can be tinged with self-seeking and materialism. When I get entangled in my own ways, I need someone outside of me to help.
For example, I recently finished a huge task. I began the work thinking that God wanted it and that I was doing it for God alone. In the process I began to anticipate that a particular person would be delighted and would reward me with praise and affirmation. When the job was done, she was so totally indifferent that she didn’t even want to look at my work. I was crestfallen and began to think of myself as a failure. I needed an outside hand. Fortunately a friend called on the phone and reminded me that I did it for God, not for myself or for my family.
God is my ultimate outside hand, the divine other who has conquered my desires for recognition and yours. He helps us overcome our insecurities, our jealousies, our angers, competitiveness, false judgments and lack of love. God’s grace changes us from the inside out.
7. Do I see any cause and effect?
Not clearly, but Paul’s words imply that I am redeemed because of God’s grace toward me and Jesus Christ’s death for me.
8. What are the outcomes, results and conclusions?
I can’t think of any right now beyond that in Him, in God, I receive the riches of God’s grace. I am grateful, very very grateful and love Him for His goodness.
9. What’s my personal response?
I’m amazed that God wants us so much, that He loves us as much as He does. I feel personally loved, wanted, and small. I sense God as big, really big. I need His help to get my mind around His truth, the truth that because Jesus gave His life to ransom me I now belong to Him. Like Paul said elsewhere, I was bought with a price. I’m no longer my own. What will that look like today?
In conclusion, it’s important to remember that no two minds work alike and that God speaks to us individually. If you took these nine questions and asked them about the same verses in Ephesians, the Holy Spirit might emphasize different facets of His truth.
Try it out for yourself on the same verses in Ephesians— or on a text that you want to work into your heart.
