Nathan Dooley

What is the Church? An Argument & Life-study of Ephesians.

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[Disclaimer: this post includes affiliate links. If you click and purchase I hope to receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.]

Introduction

I really appreciate how both Robert Govett and Witness Lee break down Scripture! Witness Lee introduces Ephesians to cover 7 aspects of the church:

  • The Body
    • The New Man
      • The Kingdom
        • The Household of God
          • The Dwelling Place of God
            • The Bride, the Wife, of Christ
              • The Warrior

Mr. Govett begins his investigation and argument of the apostle Paul’s epistle to the saints in Ephesus with 5 views based on the question…

What is the Church?

  • The Head
    • The Body
      • The Message
        • The Gifts to gather the Body
          • The Suited Conduct

I’m curious about your thoughts when asking yourself that question. My thoughts go to when Jesus said to Peter, and on this rock I will build My church(Matt 16:18), which then sets my brain ablaze as it attempts to understand what Christ meant. [I must kill my carnal intellect for spiritual intellect as I process it with the Holy Spirit]. Indeed, what is the Church?

1 Paul, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed), by the will of God [that is, by His purpose and choice], To the saints (God’s people) who are at Ephesus and are faithful and loyal and steadfast in Christ Jesus:

—Ephesians 1 (AMP)

Mr. Govett points out that ‘The Saints’ are also ‘the faithful,’ or believers, and that none are a Christian who has not faith in Christ.

The people of God in the days of Moses were regarded by God as “in Abraham” (Heb 11:18), “In Isaac” (Rom 9:7), in “Jacob” (Exo 2:24), and then “into Moses” and “with Israel” (1 Cor 10:2; Exo 34:27) by covenants until the eternal covenant was established through the Son of God—recorded in the New Testament. Israel is no longer under a covenant born of Adam, where, in Adam, death reigns (Rom 5:17); nor is the world—apart from Israel—any longer without God (Eph 2:12); we, both Jew and Gentile (Rom 10:12), are in Christ Jesus, where death is defeated, and the dead are born again to a new life through Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Mr. Witness Lee points out from his Life-study on Ephesians that in Christianity today there are two main sources of mixture: the Catholic Church blending New Testament economy with Old Testament rituals, and the Pentecostal movement bringing Christians back to the Old Testament praises in the Psalms (not that he condemns the Psalms, but condemns the way of singing them that is according to the natural [or carnal] concept) meaning that there is no indication that God has become one with man, and there seems to be no need for revelation through Pentecostalism. [those are issues that Lee addresses but is lengthy].

Questions

So how has Christ built His Church? How is Christ building His Church today, in year 2024? How does a people become, as the apostle Peter wrote, like living stones being built up into a spiritual house? What must a person do upon intuitively knowing the gospel, or actually hearing the gospel? What, then, is the gospel?

[I feel like that those questions might get addressed in more depth on my other study—The Power of God for Salvation.]

Until next time, Reader. Stay in prayer!

Nathan Dooley

2024: “What are you going to study?”

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My wife (Laura) asked me the question, “What are you going to study?” For this new year. So I’ve meditated on that question. I thought… you know, that question is a good one to apply to others:

What are you going to study, Reader?

While Laura asked that question to mean a ‘bible’ study for me, might mean something else entirely for you, e.g. I also want to study psychology. My prayer is, allow me to combine what I learn from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by the Word of God (in Ephesians) and Psychology to meet the desire of God—who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4)—through this online median.

Leather covered old bible lying on table

It might be that you’re already on a study relevant to what I’ll be studying and would like company, or it might be that you don’t have a plan for a bible study – in either case I’d love for you to join me!

What am I going to study?

My plan is to study the epistle of Paul to the Ephesians with an 1800’s British theologian by the name of Robert Govett through his book on the Ephesians and a 1900’s Chinese Christian preacher by the name of Witness Lee through his Life-study on the Ephesians from Living Stream Ministry (Biblical perspectives) and Dr. Jordan B. Peterson through his material (Psychological perspective) primarily, but not exclusively.

[Disclaimer: this post includes affiliate links. If you click and purchase I hope to receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.]

Robert Govett on Ephesians

It seems to me clear, that the Epistle was not directed primarily or only, to the believers of Ephesus. It was, as I believe, in common with others, a circular Epistle; and that we find it under another name as the Epistle to Laodiceans. It is observable, that it is not said ‘To the church of Ephesus,’ as Paul generally writes. ”To the Church of God which is at Corinth”—in both the First and Second Epistles. ”Paul” “to the churches of Galatia,” “To the church of Thessalonians” is the inscription on both the First and Second Epistles.

If I mistake not, the words—’in Ephesus’—should be omitted. ’Paul—to the existing saints and believers in Christ.’ So it would be a general Epistle, penned for the Saints of the dispensation. Paul was ‘Apostle to the nations.’ There is nothing in the Epistle that confines it to Ephesus in particular. The so-called ‘Epistle to the Ephesians’ is the Apostle’s letter to believers who had seen his face; while Colossians is especially designed for those whom he had not visited.

Robert Govett on Ephesians, (1981 and 2010, p.2-3)

Looking at the excerpt from Robert Govett above was something that inspired me to share with you; the Epistle to the Ephesians was really the Epistle to you and me—the existing saints and believers in Christ. This Epistle is specifically written for, not just the Ephesians, but for all existing saints and believers of the time.

Mr. Govett approaches the epistle with a question and argument: “WHAT IS THE CHURCH? or the ARGUMENT OF EPHESIANS.” Which is something I’m excited to discover, but my approach to this study is to discover the relationship between the Church and the Holy Spirit for our day and age, and into the future—if the Lord wills.

Why Ephesians?

The reason I wanted to study this Epistle was because of what it addresses (which I plan to post about throughout this year), but the influence that concluded my decision was through reading another blog by a dear brother of mine by the name of Rainer, in Christ, The Devotional Guy. I encourage you to check his site out, you’ll be blessed!

What else am I going to study?

There is another study that I’m doing called:

“The Power of God for Salvation”

A dove flies out of the smoke from a Bible

I am much more excited about this study than I am on Ephesians.

Why?

Because I believe this study will address a particular issue I have with how the gospel is presented by modern day “Christians”, which not only includes Watermark Community Church where I am a member of the Church in Dallas, Tx., but also how I present the gospel.

An issue I have with myself is that I quickly critique the preacher, and I don’t mean to communicate by any means that I present the gospel in the way that generates the power of salvation—or else I don’t think I would be doing this study. I am convicted to present the gospel accurately, or the power its of is not of God, but of me—which is a gospel in error, and that’s an issue! The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians this:

5 Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as [committed] believers. Examine yourselves [not me]! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves [by an ongoing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit? 6 But I hope you will acknowledge that we do not fail the test nor are we to be rejected. 7 But I pray to God that you may do nothing wrong. Not so that we [and our teaching] may appear to be approved, but that you may continue doing what is right, even though we [by comparison] may seem to have failed. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth [and the gospel—the good news of salvation].

—2 Corinthians 13 (AMP)

So this study, in a way, is to test and evaluate yourself. Something that I heard from Dr. Jordan Peterson with regard to his new book “We Who Wrestle With God” on the Modern Wisdom channel from YouTube is that he doesn’t think that you’ll be able to read this book and understand it and be atheistic (3:13:16).

I’m hoping that the fruit of this study will produce the same result in addition to the work of the gospel for the salvation of souls, ultimately that disciples are made!

More to come, Reader.

Nathan Dooley

Nov 13, 2023: MYSTERY OF THE DAY

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INTRODUCTION

Much like a verse of the day that other sites give (Bible Gateway, You Version, Blue Letter Bible, etc.) Time For Providence will differ by giving a mystery of the day. A mystery for investigation to solve scripture takes long hours and odd times. I prepare the mystery using a Thompson chain-reference bible—you need one in your library. The awesome thing about this practice is utilizing the chain-reference for learning how all the points of scripture are interwoven and connected.

This is your fellow SI (Scriptural Investigator) speaking: this post includes affiliate links. If you click and purchase I hope to receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I recommend resources relevant to mystery and the gospel work of faith.

The time and resources you invest into this practice will not return void or unfruitful, but will cause to reap what is sown the eternal reward. In addition to your chain-reference bible, a couple important items you should have for success in solving the mysteries are a journal and pen; Scriptural Investigator’s notate the details otherwise missed by the untrained, conducting interviews with biblical names (Jesus, Moses and the prophet Elijah, even Enoch or the archangel Michael) and the Church.

Document all relevant information, think outside the perspective of your evidence board. Pull out your laptop or device, have your bible, get a journal and pen, invite a neighbor or detain a gospel believer, because below is a scripture crime you need to investigate and solve!

CRIME SCENE

The Scripture below is our lead in the investigation. What can we learn from it?

  • John 15:8
    By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

If you have a chain-reference bible, the topics below are clues.

  • Fruitfulness
  • Spiritual Fruit
    • The product of heavenly Wisdom

THE MYSTERY

Fruit from heaven is produced within the soul of righteousness, a person with a conscience of God although not yet having heard the gospel. The wisdom from above generates the qualities of Christ the Lord, Yeshua, in the believer. Those qualities are described as fruit, and the fruit translates to the world the kind of person it is they are in contact with.

Comment the Scripture that solves this mystery? [book chapter : verse/s].

JOURNAL

There is so much more I want to write out from this mystery so I might have to do a whole separate post for that. I pray the fruit of the Spirit is fed to you upon solving this mystery, in the name of The Word of God, amen.

Hi, my name is Nathan R. Dooley, and if you’re interested in mystery, philosophy, psychology and criminal justice genres, like me, then I’m excited to have brought you this MYSTERY OF THE DAY where you will experience the verse of the day in a way like Sherlock Homes experiences a case that needs solving. There is a hope and a plan to expand this project, but just like Sherlock Holmes needed Dr. Watson, this project will need resources that provide video content as the next addition to this service, with more idea-plans uh brewing. (Lord willing).

Please consider blessing this work over coffee or a cup of tea?

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T4P | SOLVE THIS MYSTERY