BOOK REVIEW:
Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary by R.C. Sproul. Ligonier Ministries. 99 pages. 2024
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This is the ninth volume in R.C. Sproul’s excellent expositional commentary series, from his preaching at St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, which began in 1997. Sproul urges his readers to use these books as an overview and introduction.
Sproul writes that the majority viewpoint today is that in all probability, the epistle to the Ephesians was originally written as a circular letter. He tells us that rather than the Apostle’s writing a specific message to a particular congregation concerning a definite problem that had arisen, Paul wrote an epistle that he intended to be circulated to all the churches in Asia Minor.
Ephesians is often lumped together with Philippians, Galatians, and Colossians as the Prison Epistles of the Apostle Paul. Sproul estimates that Paul wrote this letter, which is rich not only in its theological content but in its devotional spirit, sometime between AD 60 and 62 while he was under house arrest in Rome. Sproul tells us that the riches of grace could be said to be the central theme of this entire epistle, and a secondary theme would be Paul’s expression of what the church is supposed to be.
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This short book, adapted from Sproul’s sermons on Ephesians, will serve as an excellent introduction to the book. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
- It’s a question not of whether we have a doctrine of predestination but of what our doctrine looks like and whether it is biblical.
- Paul is saying that even though we are still residing on this planet, in this body, in whatever location we find ourselves, there’s a sense that we already are in heaven because we are in Christ.
- From before the foundation of the world, before any of us ever chooses Christ, we are first chosen by the Father, in Christ, to be Christ’s.
- The only reason I can find in Scripture that God in His great mercy would save anybody is for the sake of His Son—to honor Christ. We are the gifts of the Father to the Son.
- When God redeems us, He redeems us not because we are perfect but so that we may become perfect.
- Our sanctification continues through this life and reaches its goal when we enter into heaven and are glorified.
- Someone who truly comes to faith, who truly is regenerate and who is truly sealed by the Holy Spirit, will never lose his salvation.
- In the midst of doubts, confusion, and changing circumstances, there’s an anchor that keeps us secure and stable, and that anchor is hope. Hope is simply our trust in God’s future promises.
- Regeneration logically comes before faith. It comes before anything that we do.
- We haven’t been saved because we deserved it or earned it. We haven’t been saved because we’ve worked to achieve it. We have been saved by grace.
- If Paul had anything in his character that distinguished him, it was his genuine humility. He was aware of his dependence on the grace of God.
- The primary function of worship in the church is the ascription of glory and honor and reverence to God.
- There is a time for peace, and there is a time to be strong in the Lord, and to know the difference is no small or easy matter. It takes great discipline and great wisdom to do these things.
- We must discern what things are essential to the unity of the faith of the Christian. We ought not to divide over nonessential or lesser points of doctrine, as has so often been the case, but that does not mean that division is never called for.
- It is immature to think that we ought to just flee from all doctrine because doctrine divides.
- The ascension was a climactic moment in the New Testament that verified the significance of the resurrection and takes Christ to the next stage of exaltation, which is extremely important for the church to understand. He’s not just the risen Lord; He’s the ascended Lord.
- Every person in the body of Christ has a significant task to perform. No one is insignificant; no one is unimportant.
- As Christ imitated the Father, so we are called to imitate Him. We do that when we live a life of love.
- The moment that we embrace Jesus as Savior, we bow to Him as Lord and seek to show our love for Him by obeying His commandments.
- If you are going to please God, it doesn’t matter whether a supervisor is present, for God is always looking at the heart.
- The basic attitude that the Christian should show is submissiveness and respect to authority wherever it exists.
- Study, Savor and Share Scripture: Becoming What We Behold. My wife Tammy has published a book about HOW to study the Bible. The book is available on Amazon in both a Kindle and paperback edition. She writes “Maybe you have read the Bible but want to dig deeper and know God and know yourself better. Throughout the book I use the analogy of making a quilt to show how the Bible is telling one big story about what God is doing in the world through Christ. Quilting takes much patience and precision, just like studying the Bible, but the end result is well worth it.
- Ten Questions for Readers of Erotica. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to a letter from a wife who has found that her husband reads erotica on his phone. She writes “Should I confront him with it? I love him dearly, and he has been a very dedicated and loving husband, and I don’t want to jeopardize my relationship with him.”
Won’t you read along with us?
We are reading through Truths We Confess: A Systematic Exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith by R.C. Sproul. From the Ligonier description:
“The Westminster Confession of Faith is one of the most precise and comprehensive statements of biblical Christianity, and it is treasured by believers around the world. R.C. Sproul has called it one of the most important confessions of faith ever penned, and it has helped generations of Christians understand and defend what they believe.
In Truths We Confess, Dr. Sproul introduces readers to this remarkable confession, explaining its insights and applying them to modern life. In his signature easy-to-understand style and with his conviction that everyone’s a theologian, he provides valuable commentary that will serve churches and individual Christians as they strive to better understand the eternal truths of Scripture. As he walks through the confession line by line, Dr. Sproul shows how the doctrines of the Bible—from creation to covenant, sin to salvation—fit together to the glory of God. This accessible volume is designed to help you deepen your knowledge of God’s Word and answer the question, What do you believe?”
This week we look at the first half of WCF 15: Of Repentance unto Life. Here are a few helpful quotes from this section:
- If repentance is not preached, the message is a false gospel.
- When we repent of our sin, we come before God, not whole, but broken.
