“Super Bold!” | Ephesians 6:18-20 Bible Study + Crossword

February 7, 2024 @DannyScottonJr Bible Studies, Lessons, Preaching 0

Introduction

Many want to play in the Super Bowl.
How many will pray to be Super Bold?
Many of us are ready to see the Super Bowl.
How many of us are ready to be Super Bold?

Christ is the Victor;
Let’s stand firm in victory.
Let’s be bold for the Lord;
Let’s be bold with His sword!

James Brown said, “I’ve got soul… and I’m SuperBad”.

Well Jesus saved our soul; let’s be SuperBold

As Paul tells the church in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, we are to be reconciled reconcilers.

We have been reconciled to God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son. And, thus, we ought to strive to implore others to also be reconciled to God.

For more details, please see our previous lessons on 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (Part I, II, & III).

Now, once again, as ambassadors for Christ, though we are authorized messengers for the Master, we don’t have the authority to change the Master’s message.

Our authority comes only from the Author. And, our duty is to relay His message.

And, as we’ve seen, how people respond to Christ’s messengers reflects how they respond to Christ message.

So, if people accept the Master’s messengers who speak the Master’s message, they accept the Master (Mt 10:40; Jn 13:20). And, if people reject the Master’s messengers who speak the Master’s message, they reject the Master.

And, as we’ve said, though we are to be diplomats for the Deliverer, in this wicked world, we do not have diplomatic immunity.

There needs to be unity in the Christian community because we’ll be attacked with impunity.

As we seek to spread the message, they will try to shoot the messenger.

As the hymn says, how many of us are ready to be “On The Battlefield” for our Lord?

Brothers and sisters, there’s a war going on. And our struggle is not merely against flesh and blood.

And as we’ve said before, if we try to engage in spiritual warfare with secular weapons, it’s like bringing a knife to a gun fight.

We must take up spiritual arms against spiritual adversaries. We must put on godly characteristics; we must be girded in the armor of God.

We are to be God’s armed, armored, ambassadors – who, prayerfully, will be fearless, faithful, and “Super Bold!”

Context

(forthcoming)

Commentary

(forthcoming)

Crossword Puzzle (✞-word)

Crossword Puzzle Answers

  • Reconciled Though our relationship with the Father was damaged due to our sin, in which we alienated ourselves from Him (Col 1:21), Christ made it possible to be ____ back to God (2 Cor 5:18-19).
  • Sin Debt (Two words) Since Christ paid our ___ ____ on the cross, He made the way for reconciliation to the Father, who can therefore justly not count our transgressions against us (2 Cor 5:19; Col 2:13-14).
  • Ambassadors We are to be ____ for Christ, proclaiming the message of reconciliation, imploring that people be reconciled back to God the Father through Christ (2 Cor 5:20; Eph 6:20).
  • Armor Ambassadors for Christ ought to be armed and ____ed. We must put on godly characteristics like ___ (cf. Is 11:4-5, 49:2, 52:7, 59:17; Ps 35:1-3, 140:7), putting on the full ___ of God (Eph 6:10-17).
  • Victory Christ triumphed over all evil spiritual powers on the cross (Col 2:15). And He was resurrected and exalted over all such evil spiritual beings (Eph 1:19-23). We who are in Christ have also been raised with Christ (Eph 2:6). Thus, we can sing, “___ today is mine!”
  • Spiritual Though we are already victorious in Christ (Eph 2:6), we still struggle against ____ beings that are not merely flesh and blood (Eph 6:12). Since we are in ___ warfare, we must use ___ weapons.
  • Prayer We are to put on the full armor of God through Spirit-led ____, on all occasions with all kinds of ____ and petition (Eph 6:18; cf. Eph 2:18; Rom 8:26-27; Php 4:6).
  • Watch We must ___ and pray with perseverance, praying that all God’s holy people resist temptation and stand firm in the faith (Eph 6:18; cf. Mk 14:38; 1 Cor 16:13; Col 4:2; Ac 20:28-31; 1 Pet 5:8-9).
  • Bold We ought to pray that we can be clear (Col 4:3-4), unashamed (Mk 8:38), fearless, faithful, super ____ ambassadors when God opens our mouth to proclaim His message (Eph 6:19-20; cf. Ac 27:23-24) – whether people listen or refuse to listen (Eze 3:27).
  • Mystery The ____ of the Gospel is that all who come to Christ in faith(fulness) are united as a new race of humanity – no matter their background. In Christ, both Jews and Gentiles are reconciled in one body (Eph 3:2-6, 7-11; 2:14-16).
  • Chains Though Paul was an ambassador for Christ in ____ (Eph 6:20), he prays for the Gospel to be unchained (cf. 2 Tim 2:8-9). We need to pray for unity in the Christian community. For, in this wicked world, there’s no diplomatic immunity, and Christian ambassadors can be persecuted with impunity.
  • Message How people respond to Christ’s messengers reflects how they respond to Christ’s ____. How one receives someone the Savior sends (cf. Ac 26:17-18) reflects how one receives the Sender (Mt 10:14-15, 40-42; 25:40; Jn 13:20).

Bible Study Audio

Bible Study Video

Conclusion

(forthcoming)

Bibliography

  • Arnold, Clinton E. Ephesians. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010.
  • Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. [BDAG]
  • Balz, Horst Robert, and Gerhard Schneider. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1990–. [EDNT]
  • Bock, Darrell L. Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary. Edited by Eckhard J. Schnabel. Vol. 10. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. London: Inter-Varsity Press, 2019.
  • Bratcher, Robert G., and Eugene Albert Nida. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies, 1993. [UBS]
  • Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1984.
  • Erickson, Richard J. “Ephesians”. In Burge, Gary M., and Andrew E. Hill, eds. The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012.
  • Gurtner, Daniel M. “Ephesians.” In The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Acts–Philemon, edited by Craig A. Evans and Craig A. Bubeck, First Edition., 547–67. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2004.
  • Hoehner, Harold W., Philip W. Comfort, and Peter H. Davids. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, Philemon. Vol. 16. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008.
  • Foulkes, Francis. Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 10. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989.
  • Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Second Edition. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014.
  • Liefeld, Walter L. Ephesians. Vol. 10. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997.
  • Lincoln, Andrew T. Ephesians. Vol. 42. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1990.
  • Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996. [LN]
  • Patzia, Arthur G. Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011.
  • Thielman, Frank. Ephesians. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010.
  • Silva, Moisés, ed. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014. [NIDNTTE]
  • Snodgrass, Klyne. Ephesians. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996.
  • Stott, John R. W. God’s New Society: The Message of Ephesians. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979.
  • Turner, Max. “Ephesians.” In New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, edited by D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, and G. J. Wenham, 4th ed., 1222–44. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994.
  • Witherington, Ben, III. The Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians : A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on the Captivity Epistles. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2007.
About @DannyScottonJr 460 Articles
Imperfect Servant ✝?⛪ | Husband | Princeton U. Alum | M. Div. | Assistant (to the) Pastor | Sound Doctrine & Apologetics @catchforchrist