The Prison Epistles: Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon
Overview
From the depths of a Roman prison, words of encouragement and instruction from Paul were sent in a series of letters to communities throughout the Roman Empire. St. Paul was shackled to Roman guards and the prisons they kept, but the word he preached remained free and full of life. In The Prison Epistles: Philippians-Ephesians-Colossians-Philemon Farley works from a literal translation of the original Greek and examines Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon section by section, explaining their meaning in contemporary language.
Top Highlights
“He is our Source, our Head, the Font from which our glorification flows. The glory and life which we will have flow from Him, as life from the Head to the rest of the Body.” (Page 84)
“It is all too easy to take for granted God’s gifts. We most easily see the difficulties with which we are surrounded and focus our attention on our sufferings and trials. St. Paul would have them rise above all that. He prays that they be enlightened by the Spirit to see, not the present trials, but the future glory; not our sufferings, but God’s gifts laid up for us.” (Page 82)
“A ‘mystery,’ according to this vocabulary, is not something inexplicable. Rather, it is a secret, long hidden from all, but now revealed only to the initiated. Christ is the mystery of God—salvation through union with Him (a salvation that transcends all divisions such as ‘Jew’ and ‘Gentile’) was not formerly revealed to any.” (Page 76)
“When He saw us dead in our offenses (spiritual suicides, all of us), He gave us life, by uniting us to His Christ so that we share His Resurrection and His sitting at the Father’s right hand in the heavenlies.” (Page 86)
“‘son-adoption.’ Through Jesus Christ and our discipleship to Him, we become not just God’s children, but His sons—that is, His heirs (see Rom. 8:17). In Christ, we inherit, with Him, all the vast cosmos and the joy it contains. All that Christ inherits from His Father by right, we share with Him by grace. This is accomplished according to the good-pleasure of His will. The word translated here good-pleasure (Gr. eudokia) can also be translated ‘resolve’ (thus in 2 Thess. 1:11). It means God’s resolve, His decision, the outworking of His will for us in the Gospel. The earthly ministry of Christ—His miracles, His death and Resurrection—this is the divine decision to bless us and make us His sons.” (Pages 74–75)
- Title: The Prison Epistles: Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon
- Author: Lawrence R. Farley
- Series: The Orthodox Bible Study Companion
- Publisher: Ancient Faith
- Print Publication Date: 2003
- Logos Release Date: 2013
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Bible. N.T. Ephesians › Commentaries; Bible. N.T. Philippians › Commentaries; Bible. N.T. Colossians › Commentaries; Bible. N.T. Philemon › Commentaries
- ISBNs: 9781888212525, 1888212527
- Resource ID: LLS:PRSNPSTLSPHLPPN
- Resource Type: Bible Commentary
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T20:40:39Z