(Ephesians 4:21) “If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:”
Years before the Ephesians received the gospel; the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified and rose from the dead. So then how could they have “heard Him” and been “taught by Him?”
The Jesus these believers received was the same Jesus taught by the Apostle Paul himself day and night for 3 years with tears of passion for the gospel (Acts 20:31). This Jesus was the One “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” (Ephesians 1:13). So again, how could they have “heard Him” and been “taught by Him” if Jesus no longer walked the earth and it was left to His followers to continue the ministry?
One of the mysteries and most amazing thing about Christianity is that even death could not stop the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, the crucifixion and resurrection only empowered His message by providing the means for salvation. In Romans 1:16, we see the gospel is the “power of God unto salvation.” But not only does this provide the means for soul-salvation, it also provides the means for God Himself to indwell the one saved. As the gospel from the Word of God is preached by someone who is indwelt by God, then it really is “Him” we hear and “Him” who teaches. The words are God’s words and the messenger is the mouthpiece of God.
If we are the vessels to carry on His ministry in this dispensation of grace, then it is a heavy responsibility to ensure the message is His message for today. We must ensure our words are really His words. We must ensure our message is really His message. We are not preaching a meek and lowly Jesus who travels by foot from place to place demonstrating the power of God to communicate the coming Kingdom of Heaven. We are preaching the Lord of glory who sits on the right hand of the Father demonstrating His power through His message of redemption giving all who believe resurrection life in Himself. This is how all of us in Christ “heard Him” and were “taught by Him.”
Renewed Thought – What redemption, what power, what eternal value is there in a gospel that does not communicate the death, burial and resurrection of Christ?