Ephesians Hebraically – Chapter 4 • Part 1

Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for the Master, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you were called— Ephesians 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love;  Ephesians 4:3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The true gospel’s formula is thus: calling + privileges = great responsibility; to be found worthy of our calling! Ephesians 4:4  There is one body and one Ruach, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling;  Ephesians 4:5  one Lord, one faith,  Ephesians 4:6 one immersion; one Elohim and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. In v.4 we find a very early creedal formula present. In it’s First Century context this is the formula to the One New Man; the Commonwealth of Israel calling. There are strong echoes of Deuteronomy 6:4 here too, something not inconsistent with Paul’s other writings ( 1 Corinthians 8:4 there is none other Elohim but one., 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one Elohim, and one mediator between Elohim and men, ben adam, Yahusha Messiah). 1 Corinthians 8:6 yet to us is one Elohim the Father, of whom are the all things, and we to Him; and one Master, Yahusha Messiah, through whom are the all things, and we through Him. The ‘whom are all things’ – Gk. pas; in the LXX is used for El ‘Shaddai’ and the ‘tamid’ offering – the daily sacrifice in which all things were present and represented before all Israel and the priesthood! Malachi 2:10  Have ye not all one father? Did not one Elohim create you? why have ye forsaken every man his brother, to profane the covenant of your fathers? Ephesians 4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Messiah  Ephesians 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men Ephesians 4:9  Now what does “He went up” mean, except that He first went down to the lower regions of the earth?  Ephesians 4:10  The One who came down is the same One who went up far above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. Psalms 68:18 LXX (Septuagint) Thou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts among men, yea, for they were rebellious, that thou mightest dwell among them. Psalms 68:18 MT (Masoretic Text): Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received tribute of men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them. Psalms 68:18 NNT (New Nolanite Translation) Thou hast become an Olah, and have released the captives, you took gifts in the Man, yea, for the rebellious also, that thou mightest dwell among them. Yahusha became an Olah accession offering having released the captives in the Paradise section of Abraham’s bosom, יהוה accepted and received the gifts contained in His Son alone (He’d previously rejected man’s gifts – Psalms 40:6) the gifts accepted in the Son even have the ability to cover the rebellious. The Hebrew verb laqach can mean ‘take to or for a person’ i.e fetching something that is later going to be distributed. So ‘laqach’ can mean ‘to give’ or ‘to take’ when you consider the whole action of the verb. In the Targum on Psalm 68 it says of Moses; ‘you ascended to the firmament, O prophet Moses, you captured captives, you taught the words of Torah, you gave gifts to sons of men, and even the stubborn who are converted turn in repentance, and the glorious pretense of the LORD God abides upon them.’ Paul’s usage in v.7 of the text of Psalms 68 which is attributed to events connected to the BoC mountain in the past, is brought into his present; our day -Paul’s future by the accession of Yahusha and the scene of angelic hosts and victory over principalities. Yahusha provided a link with the heavenly world that couldn’t be matched by Moshe and the seventy elders – even the paved work of sapphire stone (Exodus 24:10 comes all the way forward into the prophetic future in the