Life-Study of Ephesians

Life-Study of the Bible

By: Witness Lee

Narrated by: Living Stream Ministry

Length: 36 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

The subject of the book of Ephesians is the church. There are seven aspects of the church revealed in Ephesians. The church is the Body, the new man, the kingdom, the family, the dwelling place, the bride, and the warrior. If we put together all these seven aspects of the church, we see a wonderful picture of the church as the Body to express Christ, as the new man taking Christ as the person, as the kingdom with rights and responsibilities, as the family with life and enjoyment, as God’s dwelling place for God to live in, as the bride for Christ’s satisfaction, and as the warrior for fighting the battle and defeating the enemy so that God can accomplish his eternal purpose. This is the church.

The Life-Study of Ephesians also gives a clear view of the contents of the book of Ephesians. In chapter one of Ephesians we have the blessings: God’s selection, predestination, sonship, holiness, redemption, sealing, pledging, and much more. Then we shall see the prayer of the Apostle for a spirit of wisdom and revelation to know the hope of God’s calling, to see the glory of God’s inheritance among his saints, and to realize the greatness of the power that has been wrought in Christ to produce the Body. Then in Chapter Two, we see the production of the church, the nature of the church, the vision of the church, the building of the church, and the function of the church.

In Chapter Three, we see the revelation of the mystery and the ministry of the stewardship concerning the church. Following this, we see Paul’s prayer for the strengthening of our inner man, so that Christ may make his home in our heart, that we might be filled with all the fullness of God. This causes us to have the practical experience of Christ. Then, as revealed in the last three chapters, we shall know how to walk on earth, to bear responsibility, and to fight the battle for God’s purpose. This is the content of the book of Ephesians.

©1984 Living Stream Ministry (P)2021 Living Stream Ministry

Christ and the church

This study delves into the many aspects of the church revealed in Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, including the Body of Christ, the new man, the kingdom of God, the family of God, God's dwelling place, the bride of Christ, and the warrior. Christ is also unveiled as the One who is rich in mercy, rich in grace, full of love, and even unsearchably rich for our experience and enjoyment. Paul devoted his life to spreading the truth of Christ and the church, and this can especially be seen in Ephesians. This life-study is not only an exposition of these wonderful truths, but an encouragement to enter into the experience of all these rich items related to Christ and the church.

What does God intend to reveal to us in Ephesians?

Perhaps it is fair to say that across the mysterious 66 books of the Bible, none is more deep in revelation than Ephesians. No matter how many times I read it, I'm always left with the sense that I've barely touched the surface of the burden God intends to organically reveal within His people.

Our brother Witness Lee, as seems to be manifestedly true throughout his ministry, was heavily burdened by the Lord to not only see more of those depths, not only to experience more of those depths, but to faithfully encourage the rest of the Body to do the same. This exhaustive outpouring of many layers of heavenly revelation within Ephesians includes both a detailed sequential progression through the entirety of the text, as well as a profound exploration of the key themes our beloved Head revealed to our brother and was burdened to share with us. Witness Lee's consistent burden is less on historical context, doctrinal confirmations, or church practices, but rather nearly completely focused on receiving a spirit of wisdom and revelation, to truly be enlightened to see the economy of the mystery of this revelation, to be actively strengthened into the inner man, that Christ may make His home in our hearts through faith. This unwavering focus helps us see all these precious truths not as merely resulting in personal edification, but much rather to more deeply reveal within us the clear heavenly focus of God to produce the church corporately as His full expression, His masterpeice, His House, His Body, the New Man, the Bride, and the Warrior. We can at least to some degree see not just the theoretical oneness we have in Christ with each other, but the actual accomplished reality of who we really are to each other. This deep and clear revelation then allows us to better understand Who is actually the functioning Life within His Body, the coordinated and organic nature of every members's functioning, and the single goal and focus of any true ministry from God.

After listening through this Life Study of Ephesians, I once again am left with a sense of the unplumbed depths yet to be revealed. However there is also a sense that the Lord has used this brother's ministry to bring me deeper into His heart's desire, to clarify further the vision of His goal, to illuminate more of His mysterious way, and to practically build me me more fully into Himself so that we as His Body can truly build ourselves up in love, together, out from our Head.