Blogging Through the Book of Mormon

5:1-2 - Continuing with his advice for Christlike living, Paul commands his audience to “walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us as offering and a sacrifice to God for sweetsmelling savour.” This could mean loving others as Christ loves them and even loving ourselves as He loves us, which I think is harder sometimes. And it might also be a reminder that Christ suffered all things to save us, so it’s ok to sometimes have to be inconvenienced in order to serve others. This is hard for me because I get too sucked in to other people’s problems and it becomes toxic for me, but I’m working on it. The phrase “sweetsmelling savour” is a reference to the incense and burning smell of alter sacrifices performed in the temple as a part of the law of Moses. Because Christ’s gospel did away with the law of Moses, Paul might be saying that loving ourselves and others is the new “smell” of sacrifice. 5:3-6 - Paul continues listing things that hinder our progress “as ...

4:14-16 - With the foundation of the gospel established, and that is apostles and prophets appointed and lead by God based on Jesus Christ, Paul notes the purposes of having such a base of belief. Not only is the church structure means to teach and perfect the saints, but also “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight on men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” Gospel leadership is meant to provide insight from God to His people, to give guidance that pertain to specific instances in our times, to give hope, etc. The article on this chapter from gospeldoctrine.com quotes Joseph B. Wirthlin as teaching, “the winds of false doctrine that are blowing today both outside and a few within the Church are far more dangerous to the ultimate salvation of mankind than are earthquakes, hurrica...

4:1-6 - Now that Paul has covered the why, how, and who of the gospel, he gets to go into more specific detail about what the Ephesians might be dealing with specifically. Let’s remember that Paul had spent many months or even years, I don’t remember, with the Ephesians and was probably in frequent contact with the church leadership there. Just like in Corinth and Galatia, I’m sure that he was receiving messages for guidance on specific topics that affected them directly. I do think it’s interesting though that the Ephesians seem to be so much further advanced spiritually than the other groups we’ve dealt with and the one difference seems to be that in Ephesus, there are no outside groups trying to actively lead the people away from the gospel. Like in Corinth and Galatia, there were groups of people trying to corrupt the saints there. It seems that there were two different groups, first were saints within the church trying to do their own thing, and second were outsiders who were fa...

3:1-5 - It is for the purpose of bringing the Jewish and Gentile converts together that Paul, “the prisoner of Jesus Christ,” writes this message to the Ephesians. The article on this chapter from gospeldoctrine.org notes that Paul probably uses the word “prisoner” here because he this epistle was almost certainly written while he was in prison. Paul continues that by “revelation (God) made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.” The IM comments, “Here mystery refers to a sacred truth made known by revelation.” The article notes, “Paul employs the term mystery twenty times in his letters in discussing Christ, the gospel, the resurrection, Israel, the Gentiles, speaking in tongues, iniquity, and godliness.” Paul makes sure to teach that this doctrine is new, meaning that “in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men,” and that it was “revealed unto his hold apostles and prophet...

2:11-13 - Here is another time when the NIV is coming in handy, because honestly for the life of me, I have no idea what Paul is talking about. He just talked about why God wants all people back (love), and how that works (grace), but now there's another piece of the puzzle to reconcile, and that has to do with the Jews who had the gospel and the gentiles who are new to it. Paul reminds his audience that they were born gentiles and were "without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." The IM clarifies this statement nicely, saying, "The gentiles had been 'without Christ' and were 'aliens' and 'strangers,' meaning they were not part of Israel and had not entered into covenants with God. But now that they had entered into the gospel covenant with Jesus Christ, Gentiles who were once 'far off' were 'made night by the blood of C...

2:1-2 - Chapter 1 ends with Paul explaining that the God that they worship and Jesus Christ are more powerful than any God that people made up and he continues in chapter 2 that God uses this power to “quicken” us “who were dead in trespasses and sins.” A few verses ago, Paul noted that God used His power to raise Jesus from the dead, and he might be making a connection here to Jesus being raised from physical death and our being raised from spiritual death. Paul notes that his audience once “walked according to the course of this world” and makes an interesting name for Satan, he calls him “the prince of the power of the air.” Just as a side note, the article on this chapter from gospeldoctrine.com quotes Joseph Fielding Smith giving an account on 10 elders and Joseph Smith taking a river boat going from Independence landing to Kirtland. During the trip there was some adverse weather, during which “Brother Phelps, in open vision by daylight, saw the destroyer in his most terrible po...

1:15-23 - The concept that gentiles were not only accepted into the gospel, but that Jesus actively wanted them in it might be difficult for some to grasp. But for those who do get it, the results are incredible resulting in great “faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints.” Their acceptance and thriving in the gospel gives Paul joy and he will “cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.” He prays for “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened” that they may learn about the mysteries and greatness of the kingdom. Interestingly, he reminds them of “the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality and p...