"Descended...Ascended..."

November 16, 2014

“Descended…Ascended…”

Blessings folk!

Remember what we have seen...context…One Lord, One Faith, One Body...One.

Ephesians 4:8-10
8 Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,     and he gave gifts to men.”
9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?
10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

“Therefore”, in light of this context…

Paul is reminded of a portion of Scripture that speaks to the context.
The Lord gave gifts to men.
When?
When He led a host of captives.
I believe this refers to the great cloud of witnesses that believed in the coming Messiah.
The Lord “cleaned out the cache” of the Bosom of Abraham and led them to glory.

The parenthetical statement of verses 9-10 are interesting and of no-ending discussion.

Simply put, the Lord descended into the lower regions of the earth and proclaimed the gospel to those in chains. Not unto salvation, but as a declaration of victory. This occurred on the three days when He was “in the grave.”

Then, the Lord ascended.
He arose from the dead.
Ascending far above all the heavens.
To the purpose that He might fill all things.

This provides the context for what we are about to see related to the functioning of the Body of Christ.

Forget it not.