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John Lavender's avatar

Hi Tony

Really enjoyed this edition and found helpful your work from Ephesians. For example, on preaching/proclaiming sharing the word with the world and your comment on prayer, which was a real rebuke on my lack of prayer and encouraged me to pray for my friends and contacts in ministry.

I found your footnote on Eph 3:10 interesting.

I cannot remember where I read or heard it, (was it Phillip Jensen?) but I seem to recall that the comment was made that Tyndale, when translating Eph 3:10, went for church and not (local) congregation which, in view of the person who wrote or made the comment, reckoned that it changed the emphasis quite a bit, moving away from the role and significant place of the local church and its witness to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms - thoughts?

Keep up the good work

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Tony Payne's avatar

Thanks John! As you'll see from the post that comes out tomorrow (which is a collaboration with Andrew Heard), not everyone thinks that 3:10 is a reference to the heavenly church. Even if we think it includes a reference to the local visible expression of that united congregation — the point is much the same: that what Jesus is building through the gospel is a cosmic reality. It testifies to the authorities in the heavens of God's infinite wisdom in creating a new people in his Son.

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John Lavender's avatar

Thanks Tony - looking forward to hearing the next instalment :)

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