Life-Study of Ephesians

Life-Study of the Bible #25

by Witness Lee

In the Lord’s recovery during the past five hundred years the church’s knowledge of the Lord and His truth has been continually progressing. This monumental and classical work by Brother Witness Lee builds upon and is a further development of all that the Lord has revealed to His church in the past centuries. It is filled with the revelation concerning the processed Triune God, the living Christ, the life-giving Spirit, the experience of life, and the definition and practice of the church. In this set Brother Lee has kept three basic principles that should rule and govern every believer in their interpretation, development, and expounding of the truths contained in the Scriptures. The first principle is that of the Triune God dispensing Himself into His chosen and redeemed people; the second principle is that we should interpret, develop, and expound the truths contained in the Bible with Christ for the church; and the third governing principle is Christ, the Spirit, life, and the church. No other study or exposition of the New Testament conveys the life nourishment or ushers the reader into the divine revelation of God’s holy Word according to His New Testament economy as this one does.

822 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1984

About the author

Witness Lee (李常受, pinyin Lǐ Chángshòu) was a Chinese Christian preacher associated with the Local Churches movement and the founder of Living Stream Ministry. He was born in the city of Yantai, Shandong Province, China, in 1905, to a Southern Baptist family. He became a Christian in 1925 after hearing the preaching of Peace Wang and later became a close coworker of Watchman Nee. Witness Lee moved to Taiwan in 1949 as the Communists were advancing in mainland China. During the 1950s, his ministry extended throughout Southeast Asia and in 1962 Lee moved to the United States, relocating the base of his ministry to Southern California. He gave his last public conference in February 1997 at the age of 91. Many of Lee's spoken messages have been published in over 400 books and translated into more than fourteen different languages. Lee's major work is Life-study of the Bible, comprising over 25,000 pages of commentary on every book of the Bible from the perspective of the believers' enjoyment and experience of God's divine life in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Lee was also the chief editor of a new translation of the Bible entitled the Recovery Version.

Reviews

[Kyle Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life-Study of Ephesians is spectacular—97 chapters unpacking this short but prodigious epistle. The focus in this volume is the Triune God’s operation in the economy of salvation to dispense Himself into His chosen elect to produce the church. It is the church itself as the masterpiece of the divine operation that is front and center here, presented in eight aspects. As such, Lee shows how the activity of the divine Trinity and the existence of the church are organically related in Paul’s thought. I’ve been amazed to see how every chapter of Ephesians is structured with the Trinity and the church.

Especially enlightening have been the sections on Christ’s abolishing the ordinances for the new man, learning Christ as the reality is in Jesus, the relationship between Ephesians chapters four and five, Christ’s work of sanctifying, cleansing, nourishing, and cherishing, and putting on the whole armor of God.

Life-Study of Ephesians brings together some of Lee’s most central teachings and distinctive theological contributions and therefore has value beyond that of an exposition of an individual book. To me, his study of Ephesians is to the New Testament what his study of Genesis is to the Old Testament. If you’ve never read any of Lee’s writings, this would be a great place to begin (provided you’re ready for a lengthy endeavor)!

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Praise the Lord for the book of Ephesians! There's so much riches stored in this book and thank the Lord that we're in this ministry and all these riches have been released for our experience and enjoyment! I'm particularly touched by the matter of ordinances. Apostle Paul had such a clear vision that there cannot be any ordinances in the Body for they have been abolished completely in the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's so easy in our daily, and even church life to hold ordinances, such as doctrines, preferences, and even many good things. However, the brother's burden is so strong that we have to drop all these ordinances so that we might have the genuine building up of the Body of Christ. Here's a quote that should really be our daily reminder:

"How much building we have universally as well as locally depends on how much we give up the ordinances and realize in a practical way that Christ is everything in God’s economy. Since He is the all-inclusive One, we should not hold on to anything in place of Him."

Praise the Lord!

[Reese Walling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witness Lee's exposition of the epistle to the saints in Ephesus brought the 6 chapter letter into a brand new light for me. Whether he was shedding light on the grammar of "to the praise of the glory of His grace" or expounding upon the spiritual significance of the one new man, this commentary of the book of Ephesians is a masterpiece that must be prayerfully read by all who desire to come to the full knowledge of the truth.

[Kimmi Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

If you're a Christian then this book is for you. You be able to grow in the way our Savior wants. Amazing. As is all the books in the life study series. You will such a change in your Christian walk.