All Truth is IN JESUS

Greetings to the ones loving Christ Jesus; may grace and peace be multiplied to you.

This morning I noticed something that I had overlooked or failed to see in Paul's instructions to the Ephesians.   I first noticed in Ephesians 4:17 this highlight in the Greek syntax that Paul used "And this I say and testify IN or BY the Lord."  This is very significant, because Paul was usually honest when he was unsure of whether he was relating his own thoughts or what he knew to be the Lord's.   So, he begins this section by indicating - I am testifying in or by the Lord!  These are not just my own ideas. 

What does he go on to testify in/by the Lord about?  This:  That you all are no longer to walk in the same way the rest of the Gentiles walk in or by the vanity of their minds.  Vanity conveys the idea of aimlessness leading to nowhere.  He then uses two perfect participles, both nominatives (the case used for the subject of the sentence) to describe these Gentiles this way-"The ones being darkened in their understanding, estranged from the life of God."  This is how Paul described the Gentiles that we are not to walk in the same way as.

He then goes on to describe WHY they are darkened in their understanding and estranged from the life of God.  Here is the reason they are in this condition: "Because of the ignorance, the one being in them."   Eternal life is KNOWING the Father and His Son, so this ignorance being in them has separated them from the life of God (the eternal life of knowing Him).   

Paul does not stop there, but further describes why this ignorance is in them.   The ignorance, the one being in them is there, "because of the hardness of their hearts."   The apostle then uses another Nominative participle to describe these Gentiles, "Who have become calloused"   Look what these Gentiles with hard hearts, who have become calloused do?  "They have given THEMSELVES over to unrestraint unto a work of all uncleanness by covetousness."   Paul uses unmistakable language to make it clear - they are the ones responsible for giving themselves over to a work of all uncleanness by covetousness (they do this unto themselves - it's their own fault). 

Now on the to part that I had not fully realized before.  He follows this description of the Gentiles' condition and the cause behind their condition with "but all of you did not so learn Christ!"   Get ready -  this next phrase stood out to me like never before - "If indeed you have heard HIM."   Hold on, wait a minute!  These believers were in Ephesus, Jesus never went there; they were Roman Gentiles.   How can Paul say, "If indeed you have heard HIM?   Ponder this for a moment........

Wait!  There's even more, Paul's next statement can be translated one of two ways: "And were taught BY HIM" or "And were taught IN HIM."   The Greek preposition "ev" is often translated BY.   Putting the previous statement and this statement together reads like this, "If indeed you heard HIM and were taught BY HIM."   These two statements are followed by a powerful truth that Paul had great clarity on.  He states this truth this way: "Just as TRUTH   IS   IN  JESUS."   Are you beginning to see how Paul viewed truth? 

It made no difference who the vessel was who spoke the truth - ALL truth is IN JESUS!   When men hear and receive the truth, they have heard JESUS, and have been taught BY JESUS, because ALL TRUTH is IN JESUS.  This is what the Thessalonians were commended for, "You received the word, not as the word of men, but as it actually is the WORD OF GOD  -  the TRUTH IN JESUS!"  

May this understanding give us confidence to do what Peter exhorted all those who speak to do - When we are sure that we are speaking the truth in Jesus - "let them speak as speaking the oracles of God."   Furthermore, let those of us who hear, receive the love of the truth just as if JESUS HIMSELF were teaching us.