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Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday April 5, 2026

Special: Ten Implications Of The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ

This morning I am going to present to you ten implications of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

John 20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11 but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”      22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” 24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (NIV84)

The first implication is that the resurrection of Jesus Christ sharply distinguishes Christianity from all the world’s religions since the bones of Abraham, Moses, Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius, Lao-Tzu and Zoraster are still here on earth.

The second implication is that the resurrection of Christ was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, which Peter communicated to the Jews on the day of Pentecost (See Psalm 16:10 and Acts 2:22-28).

The third implication is that Jesus Christ’s resurrection demonstrated that He was the greatest of Israel’s prophets since He predicted His resurrection several times (Matthew 12:38-40; 16:21; 17:9, 22-23; 20:18-19; 26:32; 27:63; Mark 8:31-9:1; 9:10, 31; 10:32-34; 14:28, 58; Luke 9:22-27; John 2:18-22; 12:34; 14-16).

The fourth implication is that the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth demonstrates that He is in fact God (Romans 1:1-4; cf. 10:9-10).

The fifth implication is that Jesus Christ’s resurrection demonstrated to the entire human race and the angels that His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross were acceptable to the Father as payment for the sins of the entire world.

Our Lord’s resurrection demonstrated that our Lord’s spiritual death solved the problem of personal sin in the human race and His physical death and resurrection solved the problem of the sin nature.

It demonstrated that both of these unique deaths redeemed and reconciled sinful humanity to a holy God and propitiated the Father’s holiness, which demanded that sin and sinners be condemned.

Romans 4:25, “Who has been delivered over to death because of our transgressions and in addition was raised because of our justification.”

Christ was raised for the Christian’s justification in the sense that the resurrection of Christ demonstrated that God the Father had accepted His Son’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross to resolve the problem of personal sin and the sin nature in the human race.

The sixth implication is that the resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees that those who trust in Him for eternal salvation will receive eternal life and will live with God forever and those who reject Him will suffer eternal condemnation in the Lake of Fire (John 3:16-18, 36; Acts 4:12; Revelation 20:11-15).

Paul in Romans 10:9 teaches that faith that the Father raised Jesus from the dead is in fact an acknowledgement of the deity of Christ since the resurrection demonstrated that Jesus is God.

Paul in Romans 10:10 continues his thought from verse 9 by teaching that a person believes with his heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead resulting in righteousness while on the other hand with his mouth he acknowledges to the Father Jesus is Lord resulting in salvation.

Romans 10:9 Because, if you acknowledge with your mouth Jesus is Lord in other words, exercising absolute confidence with your heart that God the Father raised Him from the dead ones, then you will be delivered. 10 For you see, with the heart, one, as an eternal spiritual truth, does exercise absolute confidence resulting in righteousness on other hand with the mouth, one, as an eternal spiritual truth, does acknowledge resulting in deliverance. (Pastor’s translation)

The seventh implication of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is that it demonstrated the fact that our Lord is the head of the new creation (Romans 5:12-21; Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18; 2:10).

The eighth implication is that the resurrection of Christ resulted in the Holy Spirit indwelling those who trust in Him for eternal salvation (John 14:16-20, 26; 15:26; 16:7-16; Acts 2; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 5:5, 16-25; Ephesians 3:16-19; 5:18; 1 John 2:20-27).

The ninth implication is that the Father has delegated Jesus Christ authority to judge mankind (John 5:22-29; Acts 17:31; Philippians 2:5-11).

The tenth is that the resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees that all those who trust in Him for eternal salvation will receive a resurrection body like Him (Rom. 6:4-5; 8:11).

Romans 6:4 Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism with respect to His physical death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead ones through the glory of the Father, in the same way, we, ourselves will also walk in the realm of an extraordinary life. (Pastor’s translation)

Romans 6:5 Therefore, if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that we are entered into union with Him, conformed to His physical death. Of course, we believe this is true. Then, certainly, we will also be united with Him, conformed to His resurrection. (Pastor’s translation)

Romans 8:11 However, if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument the Spirit, proceeding from the One (the Father) who raised the unique Person of Jesus from the dead ones, does dwell in all of you. Of course, He does! Then, the One (the Father) who raised Christ from the dead ones, will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who does permanently dwell in all of you. (Pastor’s translation)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday April 5, 2026

Special: Christ Died Because of Our Sins and Was Raised Because of Our Justification

The Lord Jesus Christ was raised for the Christian’s justification in the sense that the resurrection of Christ demonstrated that God the Father had accepted His Son’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross to resolve the problem of personal sin and the sin nature in the human race.

In Romans 4:25, the apostle Paul declares that the Lord Jesus Christ died because of our sins and was raised from the dead because of our justification. 

Romans 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” 9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. 13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (NIV84)

“He was delivered over” is the verb paradidōmi (παραδίδωμι), which is used of the judicial act of God the Father in delivering His Son Jesus Christ over to the Jewish and Roman authorities in order that He might suffer spiritual and physical death.

John 3:16-18, 1 John 4:9 and 14 also teaches that God the Father delivered over His Son to death because of His love for sinners.

Peter declares on the day of Pentecost that it was according to the Father’s plan from eternity past and His foreknowledge that His Son was delivered over to sinners to suffer spiritual and physical death (Acts 2:22-24).

It was the will of the Father that His Son might suffer spiritual death as our Substitute in order to rescue us from the cosmic system of Satan (Galatians 1:3-5).

Also the Scriptures teach that the Lord Jesus Christ chose to give Himself up for sinners (Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:1-2, 25-27).

His spiritual and physical deaths dealt with the problem of the sin nature, personal sins, the devil and his cosmic system, sinful mankind’s inability to obey the Law perfectly (Matthew 27:45-46; cf. Isaiah 53:10-11).

However, his physical death was necessary in order that He might be resurrected from the dead in fulfillment of prophecy, to demonstrate that He was who He claimed to be, the eternal Son of God and to affect our justification.

The reason why our Lord’s spiritual death was the payment for our sins is that spiritual death is the root of the problem with members of the human race. 

The penalty of sin is spiritual death, which means the inability to experience fellowship with God in time.

Romans 6:23 For you see the sin nature pays out spiritual death however God the Father graciously gives eternal life in the Person of Christ, who is Jesus, our Lord. (Pastor’s translation)

Spiritual death originated with Adam in the Garden of Eden when he chose to disobey the command of the Lord not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17), which resulted in Adam and his wife losing fellowship with God (see Genesis 3:6-8). 

Adam and his wife did “not” die immediately physically but rather they died immediately spiritually when they disobeyed and this is demonstrated by their actions after their disobedience when they hid themselves from the Lord. 

Since then, every human being past, present and future receives the imputation of Adam’s sin in the garden, which makes every human being physically alive but spiritually dead (Romans 5:12).

The reason why God did this is found in Galatians 3:22.

Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (NASB95) 

In John 19:30, the Lord triumphantly said “It is finished” while He was still physically alive and which statement refers to the payment of our sins, thus indicating that His physical death did not pay for our sins but rather His spiritual death.

Isaiah 53:11 records that the Father was satisfied by the anguish of the soul of the sinless human nature of Christ on the cross caused by His spiritual death as the payment for the sins of the entire world.

“Suffering of His soul” refers to the intense suffering of our Lord’s human soul as a result of being separated from the Father on the cross and which suffering no angel or man will ever be able to identify with since no angel or man has kept themselves experientially sinless.

The anguish of the Son’s soul was valued much more than His blood since blood is inanimate but the human soul is created in the image of God. 

Our Lord’s loss of fellowship with His Father in His humanity during those last three hours in darkness on the cross was infinitely more painful to our Lord than the physical suffering He had endured and was enduring. 

Our Lord’s loss of fellowship with His Father in His humanity during those last three hours in darkness on the cross was valued infinitely more by the Father than the shedding of His literal blood or His physical suffering. 

This is not to say that the Father did not value the physical suffering of His Son, or His literal blood, which was sinless, He did, but literal blood though sinless cannot resolve man’s problem of separation from God under real spiritual death.

The separation from God of a perfect human being whose soul was never contaminated by sin was the penalty that had to be paid in order to redeem human souls from the curse of Adam’s sin of disobedience and spiritual death. 

Romans 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (NIV84)

“For our justification” indicates that the sinner’s justification as a result of exercising faith in Jesus Christ is the cause or reason why the Father raised His Son Jesus Christ from the dead.

Christ’s spiritual and physical death are meaningless if He isn’t raised from the dead since His resurrection demonstrates who He claimed to be all along, the Son of God (See Romans 1:3-4).

Therefore, since He has been raised from the dead demonstrating He is the incarnate Son of God, His command to believe on Him for eternal salvation must be obeyed.

Furthermore, since He has been raised from the dead, without compromising His perfect integrity, the Father can declare the sinner justified who exercises faith in His Son.

“Justification” is a judicial act of God whereby He declares a person to be righteous as a result of crediting or imputing to that person His righteousness the moment they exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ. 

Consequently, God accepts that person and enters that person into a relationship with Himself since they now possess His righteousness.

The mechanics of justification are as follows: (1) God condemns the sinner, which qualifies them to receive His grace. (2) The sinner believes in Jesus Christ as His Savior. (3) God imputes or credits Christ’s righteousness to the believer. (4) God declares that person as righteous as a result of acknowledging His Son’s righteousness in that person.

Romans 3:24 teaches that justification is a gift of God’s grace and is made possible by the voluntary, substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Galatians 2:16 teaches as do the rest of the Scriptures that the only way that a member of the human race can ever be declared righteous by God is through receiving the gift of divine righteousness by grace through faith alone in Christ alone.

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday April 8, 2026

Fellowship Series: The Believer Will Suffer Undeservedly When Experiencing Fellowship with God

Lesson # 9

A believer who experiences fellowship with God will eventually experience underserved suffering since the Father employs this type of suffering to conform the believer into the image of His Son Jesus Christ.

The Bible teaches that God uses undeserved suffering to advance His children to greater spiritual growth.

The believer must experience undeserved suffering since it is through undeserved suffering that the believer is conformed to the image of Christ.

There are three agencies that God employs to bring about suffering: (1) Old sin nature (2) Cosmic system (3) Satan.

Now there are different categories of suffering: (1) Self-induced misery (2) Divine discipline (3) Undeserved Suffering for Blessing.

The power of God in our lives is never more noticeable or conspicuous as when we are suffering, going through adversities and even going through the process of dying.

When self has been crucified then the life of Jesus can be manifested in the believer.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 illustrates this Biblical principle that divine power is manifested in human weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:1 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.         5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say. 7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10   That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (NIV84)

Tribulation and undeserved suffering will be the lot of God’s people while living in enemy territory.

The problems, difficulties and adversities which take place in a believer’s life were already decreed by God the Father in eternity past to occur and are now controlled in time by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the believer should have confidence and comfort in the midst of these things.

Romans 8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (NASB95)

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (NASB95)

2 Corinthians 4:17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (NASB95) 

1 Thessalonians 1:6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. (NASB95) 

The believer who is executing the plan of God and learning Bible doctrine will go through suffering which is undeserved (1 Thess. 3:4).

It is called undeserved because they did not bring this suffering upon themselves (1 Pet. 2:19-20; 2 Cor. 1:6).

It is a privilege to suffer undeservedly for Christ’s sake.

Philippians 1:29 It has been graciously granted (the privilege) because of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also, to suffer (hardship) because of Him. (Pastor’s translation)

God never permits us to undergo any testing that we don’t have the capacity for.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (NASB95)

Just as the Father’s plan for the Lord Jesus Christ involved undeserved suffering so the plan of God for our lives involves undeserved suffering.

In 2 Corinthians 3:17-4:18, Paul writes to the Corinthians regarding his experience with undeserved suffering and his attitude regarding it.

The believer’s sole ambition in life must be to become like Christ in His death in order to grow to spiritual maturity.

Paul’s sole ambition in life was to become like Christ by experiencing identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.

Philippians 3:10 that I come to know Him experientially and the power from His resurrection and the participation in His sufferings by my becoming like Him with respect to His death. 11 If somehow (by becoming like Him with respect to His death), I may attain to the exit-resurrection, namely, the one out from the (spiritually) dead ones. (Pastor’s translation)

The believer can only interpret his cross by our Lord’s cross since the believer’s spiritual life is an extension of His and finds its source in His spiritual life (Philippians 2:5-8).

The cross is the chief mark of the Christian since the Holy Spirit states in the Word of God that the believer has been crucified, died and buried with Christ (Romans 6:4-8).

The believer applies the Word of the Cross by appropriating by faith the Spirit’s revelation in the Word of God that they have been crucified, died and buried with Christ (Galatians 2:20).

It is only when the believer appropriates by faith the Spirit’s revelation in the Word of God that they have been crucified, died and buried with Christ that they can live in the life of Christ and experience the power of God in his life.

Applying the Word of the Cross refers to becoming His disciple and imitating the Lord Jesus Christ and carrying one’s own cross (Matthew 10:24-39).

Taking up one’s cross means acquiring God’s viewpoint of ourselves, namely that we have been crucified with Christ at the cross: (1) Self (Ga. 2:20). (2) Flesh (Rm. 6:6, 11; Ga. 5:24). (3) World (Ga. 6:14). (4) Rudiments of the world (Col. 2:20).

Taking up one’s cross is being willing to experience identification with Christ in His death on a daily basis (cf. Lk. 9:23-25).

The believer must deny self in order to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ and carry their own cross (cf. Lk. 14:25-27).

If our Master, the Lord suffered undeservedly, so we, His servants will as well.

John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” (NASB95) 

Those who desire to live spiritually will be persecuted.

2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live spiritually in fellowship with Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (Pastor’s translation)

Suffering challenges the believer to rely upon the invisible assets that God has provided rather than their human resources and it confronts them with their total dependence on the grace of God.

Suffering impresses upon us our need to conform to His plan.

Wenstrom Bible Ministries

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Saturday April 11, 2026

www.wenstrom.org

Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:14a-Church Age Believers Who Are Characterized by Spiritual Light Reveal Sin to Unregenerate Sinners

Lesson # 345

Ephesians 5:12 For these unfruitful activities being practiced by them secretly are a shameful disgrace to even mention. 13 However, because each and every one of these things are being habitually exposed by those who are characterized by spiritual light, they are being habitually revealed (as sin to those characterized by spiritual darkness and disobedience) by those who are characterized by spiritual light. 14 For anyone who for their own benefit makes it their habit of revealing (to those characterized by spiritual darkness that their unfruitful activities practiced secretly are sin against a holy God) is characterized by spiritual light. Therefore, it says, “Those who sleep, awake forever! Correspondingly, rise from the dead ones! Consequently, the one and only Christ will as a certainty shine upon you.” (Lecturer’s translation)

Ephesians 5:14 is composed of the following:

(1) Causal clause: pan gar to phaneroumenon phōs estin (πᾶν γὰρ τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστιν), “For anyone who for their own benefit makes it their habit of revealing (to those characterized by spiritual darkness that their unfruitful activities practiced secretly are sin against a holy God) is characterized by spiritual light.” (Lecturer’s translation)

(2) Marker of an Inferential Quotation: dio legei (διὸ λέγει), “Therefore, it says” (Lecturer’s translation)

(3) Command: egeire, ho katheudōn (ἔγειρε, ὁ καθεύδων), “Those who sleep, awake forever!” (Lecturer’s translation)

(4) Command: kai anasta ek tōn nekrōn (καὶ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν), “Correspondingly, rise from the dead ones!” (Lecturer’s translation)   

(5) Result clause: kai ⸂epiphausei soi ho Christos (καὶ ἐπιφαύσει σοι ὁ Χριστός), “Consequently, the one and only Christ will as a certainty shine upon you.” (Lecturer’s translation)

The causal clause in Ephesians 5:14 contains the adjective pas (πᾶς), which pertains to anyone of a totality.

The referent of this word is identified in Ephesians 5:13 as those who are characterized by spiritual light, which we noted is a reference to church age believers.

This is indicated by the fact that this adjective is employed with the noun phōs (φῶς), “those characterized by spiritual light,” here in Ephesians 5:14.

In fact, the latter is making an assertion about the former that they are characterized by spiritual light.

This interpretation of the adjective pas (πᾶς) in Ephesians 5:14 is indicated by the fact that it is in the neuter singular form whereas in Ephesians 5:13 it is in the neuter plural form whose referent is the unfruitful activities practiced secretly by unregenerate humanity.

Therefore, the referent of this adjective in Ephesians 5:14 is not the referent of the adjective pas (πᾶς) in Ephesians 5:13.

These activities are identified in Ephesians 5:3 as sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, sexual impurity of any kind, and greed.

Therefore, in Ephesians 5:14, the referent of the neuter singular neuter singular form of the verb phaneroō (φανερόω) is also the church age believer.

Consequently, the verb phaneroō (φανερόω) in Ephesians 5:14 should be interpreted as being in the middle voice or as a medial passive rather than a passive, which was the case when the word appears in Ephesians 5:13.

Here in the former, the verb means “to reveal” since it pertains to causing something to be fully known by revealing clearly and in some detail.

Thus, it refers to the church age believer revealing to unregenerate members of the human race that the activities practiced by them in secret are sin against a holy God.

Many expositors like Thielman argue that “in the forty-eight other uses of φανερόω (phaneroō) in the NT (and one in the LXX), the term never appears in the middle voice, and Paul has just used the term in the preceding phrase in the passive voice. A middle sense here, then, is unlikely in the extreme.”

This assertion is incorrect because in several passages φανερόω (phaneroō) functions as a medial passive.

For example, in John 7:4, it is employed with the reflexive pronoun seautou (σεαυτοῦ), “yourself,” which indicates that although verb is in the passive form, it is middle voice meaning.

Here it would be interpreted as a redundant middle, which is used in a reflexive manner with a reflexive pronoun.

Thus, this would indicate that the Lord’s family was demanding that He “show Himself” to the world that He is the Messiah of Israel.

This construction also appears in John 21:1 expressing the idea of Jesus “revealing Himself” to His disciples after His resurrection and in 1 Peter 5:4, Peter asserts that when Christ, the believer will receive the crown of glory that never fades away.

Clearly, the verb is middle in meaning and functions as a causative middle, which means that the subject has done something for or to himself or herself and implies both source and results expressing that the Lord Jesus Christ “causes Himself to appear” at the rapture.

The verb appears in the same fashion in relation to the rapture in 1 John 2:28 and in this verse the middle voice is also a causative middle expressing the idea of the Lord “causing Himself to appear.”

In both 1 Peter 5:4 and 1 John 2:28 there is no expressed agency in these passages and in the context of each of these verses, there is no unexpressed or implied agency to be found, which would be required if the verb was in the passive voice.

In Ephesians 5:14, the middle voice of the verb phaneroō (φανερόω) is an indirect middle which expresses the idea that the church age believer is “benefiting themselves” by revealing the activities practiced in secret by unregenerate humanity as sin against a holy God.

It would benefit them because by leading unregenerate sinners to exercise faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior would result in rewards for them at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10-12), which immediately follows the rapture or resurrection of the church, which is imminent.

In Galatians 6:9-10, Paul teaches the Galatian Christian community that they will be rewarded not only for doing good on behalf of the Christian community but also the non-Christian.

In this passage, reaping speaks of receiving rewards at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church which takes place immediately after the rapture or resurrection of the church, which is imminent.

Galatians 6:9 So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith. (NET)

Now, in Ephesians 5:14, the present tense of the verb phaneroō (φανερόω) is a customary present which expresses the idea of the church age believer being characterized by spiritual light “making it their habit” of revealing to the non-believer that the unfruitful activities practiced by them in secret are sin.

As was the case in Ephesians 5:8, 9 and 13, the noun phōs (φῶς) in Ephesians 5:14 is used in a metaphorical or figurative sense to describe a regenerate human being who has been spiritually enlightened as a result of the Father declaring them justified through faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

Specifically, it refers to the recipients of this epistle who are members of the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia. Therefore, this word is a figurative reference to church age believers.

Church age believers are characterized by spiritual light because they are enlightened children of God as a result of the imputing His Son’s righteousness to them the moment they exercised faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

At that moment, the Father imputed or credited His Son’s righteousness to them and also placed them in union with His Son and identified them with His Son in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at His right hand through the baptism of the Spirit.

Furthermore, at justification, they received eternal life through regeneration by the Holy Spirit, which resulted possessing the nature of Jesus Christ within forever.

Now, in this causal clause in Ephesians 5;14, the verb eimi (εἰμί) means “to possess a particular characteristic,” which is identified by the nominative neuter singular form of the noun phōs (φῶς), which functions as the predicate nominative of this verb.

This indicates that it is making an assertion about the subject, who we noted were those revealing to the non-believer that the unfruitful activities practiced by them in secret are sin against a holy God.

The assertion is that they “are characterized by” spiritual light.

Therefore, this construction indicates that those members of the human race who are revealing to the non-believer that the unfruitful activities practiced by them in secret are sin against a holy God are characterized as being spiritual light, i.e., regenerate human beings.

The present tense of the verb eimi (εἰμί) is a customary or stative present which would express the idea that those members of the human race who are revealing to the non-believer that the unfruitful activities practiced by them in secret are sin against a holy God “exist in the state of” being characterized by spiritual light, i.e., regenerate human beings.

The present tense of the verb (ἔχω) is also a gnomic present, which expresses the idea that those members of the human race who are revealing to the non-believer that the unfruitful activities practiced by them in secret are sin against a holy God “as an eternal spiritual truth” exist in the state of being characterized by spiritual light, i.e., regenerate human beings.

Wenstrom Bible Ministries

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Thursday April 9, 2026

www.wenstrom.org

Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:14-Two Interpretative Problems

Lesson # 344

Ephesians 5:12 For these unfruitful activities being practiced by them secretly are a shameful disgrace to even mention. 13 However, because each and every one of these things are being habitually exposed by those who are characterized by spiritual light, they are being habitually revealed (as sin to those characterized by spiritual darkness and disobedience) by those who are characterized by spiritual light. 14 For anyone who for their own benefit makes it their habit of revealing (to those characterized by spiritual darkness that their unfruitful activities practiced secretly are sin against a holy God) is characterized by spiritual light. Therefore, it says, “Those who sleep, awake forever! Correspondingly, rise from the dead ones! Consequently, the one and only Christ will as a certainty shine upon you.” (Lecturer’s translation)

Ephesians 5:14 is composed of the following:

(1) Causal clause: pan gar to phaneroumenon phōs estin (πᾶν γὰρ τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστιν), “For anyone who for their own benefit makes it their habit of revealing (to those characterized by spiritual darkness that their unfruitful activities practiced secretly are sin against a holy God) is characterized by spiritual light.” (Lecturer’s translation)

(2) Marker of an Inferential Quotation: dio legei (διὸ λέγει), “Therefore, it says” (Lecturer’s translation)

(3) Command: egeire, ho katheudōn (ἔγειρε, ὁ καθεύδων), “Those who sleep, awake forever!” (Lecturer’s translation)

(4) Command: kai anasta ek tōn nekrōn (καὶ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν), “Correspondingly, rise from the dead ones!” (Lecturer’s translation)   

(5) Result clause: kai ⸂epiphausei soi ho Christos (καὶ ἐπιφαύσει σοι ὁ Χριστός), “Consequently, the one and only Christ will as a certainty shine upon you.” (Lecturer’s translation)

Now, in Ephesians 5:14, we have the same interpretative problem as we did in Ephesians 5:11-13.

Namely, are these verses designed to govern the conduct of the members of the Christian community with regards to their interaction with the members of the non-Christian community or the apostate or unfaithful members of the Christian community or both?

I believe that all these verses are related to the Christian community’s interaction with the non-Christian community.

This is indicated clearly by the preceding and following context.

First of all, this verse belongs to a section, which begins in Ephesians 5:6 and ends in Ephesians 5:14.

Ephesians 5:6 required that the recipients of this epistle continue to make it their habit to never let absolutely anyone cause any one of you to be deceived by means of words devoid of truth because these things are the reason why the one and only God’s wrath is and will be exercised for His own glory against those members of the human race characterized by disobedience.

“These things” is a reference to is the sins of sexual immorality, impurity and greediness, which are listed in Ephesians 5:5.

“Those members of the human race characterized by disobedience” is a clear reference to the non-Christian.

Ephesians 5:7 required that the recipients of this letter must continue for their own benefit to not make it their habit of conducting their lives as fellow partakers with them.

Again, Paul is speaking of believers partaking in the practice of the sins listed in Ephesians 5:6, which characterize the lifestyle of the non-Christian.

Furthermore, the light/darkness motif in Ephesians 5:8-14 is clearly presenting an emphatic contrast between the lifestyle of members of the Christian community who are characterized by spiritual light as a result of being regenerated by the Spirit at justification and the lifestyle of non-Christian.

Those belonging to the darkness of Satan’s cosmic system are characterized by sin. Those characterized by spiritual light are of course the members of the Christian community.

Lastly, the reference to the sleeper in Ephesians 5:14 and the command for the unbeliever to rise from the dead is clearly a reference to the Holy Spirit’s appeal to the non-Christian to repent by exercising faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

This faith results in the Holy Spirit regenerating them so that they become enlightened children of God.

Ephesians 5:14 contains another interpretative problem, which revolves the meaning of the assertion pan gar to phaneroumenon phōs estin (πᾶν γὰρ τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστιν), “For everything made evident is light” (NET) and its relationship with the assertion in Ephesians 5:13.

Now, I interpret the post-positive conjunction gar (γάρ) as functioning as a marker of cause, which means that the assertion pan…to phaneroumenon phōs estin (πᾶν…τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστιν), which it introduces, presents the reason for the assertion in Ephesians 5:13.

In our study of Ephesians 5:13, we noted that the contents of this verse present a contrast with the assertion in Ephesians 5:12.

The former asserts that because each and every one of the unfruitful activities practiced secretly by unregenerate humanity are being habitually exposed by those who are characterized by spiritual light, the unfruitful activities practiced secretly by unregenerate humanity are being habitually revealed to unregenerate humanity as sin against a holy God.

On the other hand, the latter asserts that the unfruitful activities being practiced by unregenerate members of the human race secretly are a shameful disgrace to even mention.

Therefore, a comparison of these two assertions indicates that the contrast is between the practice of these unfruitful activities secretly by unregenerate humanity and these activities being habitually revealed as sin against a holy God by church age believers because they are habitually exposing them as sin against a holy God.

The assertion in Ephesians 5:14, which is introduced by the conjunction gar (γάρ), states that anyone who is for their own benefit revealing the activities of unregenerate people, as sin to them, is characterized by spiritual light.

The one characterized by spiritual light is the church age believer.

They are characterized as such because they are enlightened children of God (cf. Eph. 5:8).

Therefore, a comparison of these two assertions indicates that the reason why the activities practiced in secret by unregenerate humanity are being revealed to them as sin against God is that church age believers, who are revealing to them that these activities constitute sin against a holy God, are characterized by spiritual light.

Thus, this causal statement in Ephesians 5:14 actually completes the thought in the declarative statement in Ephesians 5:13 by presenting the reason for this statement by identifying who is doing the revealing.

Together, they assert that the sinful activities practiced secretly by unregenerate humanity are being habitually revealed to them as sin against God “because” those habitually revealing their sin to them are characterized by spiritual light.

The causal clause in Ephesians 5:14 therefore parallels the one in Ephesians 5:13, which we noted asserts that unfruitful activities practiced in secret by unregenerate humanity are being habitually exposed to them as sin by those who are characterized by spiritual light.

Ephesians 5:14 identifies church age believers as those who are revealing to unregenerate people that their secretive activities are sin against a holy God because they themselves are characterized by spiritual light because they are enlightened children of this holy God.

In other words, when the church age believer’s lifestyle is governed by obey Paul’s Spirit inspired apostolic teaching presented in this letter, the church age is convicted the non-believer that they are a sinner in the eyes of a holy God and are in need of a Savior to deliver them from the wrath of this God who is holy (cf. Rom. 1:18-32).

Wenstrom Bible Ministries

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Tuesday April 7, 2026

www.wenstrom.org

Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:13b-The Godly Lives of Believers Reveal Sin in the Life of the Non-Believer

Lesson # 343

Ephesians 5:12 For these unfruitful activities being practiced by them secretly are a shameful disgrace to even mention. 13 However, because each and every one of these things are being habitually exposed by those who are characterized by spiritual light, they are being habitually revealed (as sin to those characterized by spiritual darkness and disobedience) by those who are characterized by spiritual light. (Lecturer’s translation)

Ephesians 5:13 is composed of the following:

(1) causal participial clause: ta de panta elenchomena hypo tou phōtos phaneroutai (τὰ πάντα ἐλεγχόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς), “because each and every one of these things are being habitually exposed by those who are characterized by spiritual light. (Author’s translation)

(2) elliptical declarative statement: phaneroutai (φανεροῦται), “they are being habitually revealed (as sin to those who are characterized by spiritual darkness and disobedience) by those who are characterized by spiritual light. (Author’s translation)

The elliptical declarative statement in this verse contains the passive voice of the verb phaneroō (φανερόω), which means “to be revealed” since it pertains to causing something to be fully known by revealing clearly, which was previously secret and hidden from view.

Specifically, it speaks of the unfruitful activities practiced secretly by unregenerate humanity being revealed as sin to them by the godly lives of members of the Christian community.

The present tense of this verb is a customary present which indicates that the unfruitful activities practiced in secret by unregenerate humanity are being “habitually” or “regularly” revealed to unregenerate humanity as sin to them.

The passive voice of the verb phaneroō (φανερόω) indicates that the unfruitful activities practiced in secret by unregenerate humanity receives the action of being habitually revealed to unregenerate humanity as sin against a holy God by members of the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia living godly lives in obedience to Paul’s Spirit inspired apostolic teaching presented in this letter.

There is a distinction between the verb elegchō (ἐλέγχω) and the verb phaneroō (φανερόω) here in Ephesians 5:13.

Paul’s is not being redundant.

There are two different ideas expressed by these two verbs which are related to each other.

The former has the idea of the members of the Christian community living godly lives as “disclosing” the activities practiced by unregenerate humanity “as sinful and opposed to a holy God.”

The latter contains the idea of these activities being “revealed” to unregenerate humanity as sinful and which activities they practiced in secret and were hidden from public view.

Furthermore, we noted that the verb elegchō (ἐλέγχω) functions as a causal participle indicating that it is presenting the reason for the action of the verb phaneroō (φανερόω).

We noted this expresses the idea that the unfruitful activities practiced secretly by unregenerate humanity is being revealed publicly to them as sin “because” members of the Christian community are habitually exposing these activities as sinful by living holy lives in obedience to Paul’s Spirit inspired apostolic teaching.

In other words, Ephesians 5:13 is teaching that the sinful activities of the non-believer are revealed to them as sin against a holy God by the godly lives of members of the Christian community because the latter is exposing them as such.

Both the action of “exposing” and “revealing” are performed by church age believers living their lives in obedience to Paul’s Spirit inspired apostolic teaching.

Ephesians 5:8-9 asserts the recipients of this letter must continue to make it their habit of living their lives as enlightened children of God because the fruit, which is unique to the light and produced by the light is characterized by the fullest expression of the practice of goodness, which is divine in quality and character.

It is also characterized by the fullest expression of the practice of righteousness, which is also divine in quality and character and is also characterized by the fullest expression of the practice of truth, which is also divine in quality and character.

So therefore, the Holy Spirit is revealing the activities practiced by unregenerate humanity as being sinful to them “because” of the members of Christian community living godly lives, which are in obedience to the Spirit’s teaching in Scripture.

The purpose of which is to convict the members of unregenerate humanity of their sin through the godly actions of the members of the Christian community with the result that they will see their need to trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior in order to avoid the wrath of God forever in the lake of fire.

This is indicated by the contents of Ephesians 5:14.

Ephesians 5:14 For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says: “Awake, O sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!” (NET)

This is what took place with the recipients of the Ephesian epistle, who we noted were members of the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia, who prior to justification were also characterized by spiritual darkness.

Ephesians 5:6 Continue to make it your habit to never let absolutely anyone cause any one of you to be deceived by means of words devoid of truth because these things are the reason why the one and only God’s wrath is and will be exercised for His own glory against those members of the human race characterized by disobedience. 7 Therefore, each and every one of you as a corporate unit for your own benefit must continue to not make it your habit of conducting your lives as fellow partakers with them. 8 For each and every one of you as a corporate unity formerly were characterized by spiritual darkness. However, each and every one of you as a corporate unit now at the present time are characterized by spiritual light. Like enlightened children, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of living your lives. (Lecturer’s translation)

This principle taught by Paul in Ephesians 5:13 is also taught by the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 3:19 Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God. (NET)