Shining a light on the weekly Bible Lessons published in the Christian Science Quarterly®
Christ Jesus
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: . . . Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.
Many people of the ancient Near East believed in multiple heavens—sometimes seven or more. The highest heaven was considered the home of the greatest deity. The author of Ephesians repeatedly speaks of “heavenly places” to indicate the one heavenly realm—God’s kingdom, accessible through Christ Jesus (see v. 20; 2:6; 3:10 as well).
Amōmos, the Greek adjective rendered without blame, is a sacrificial term (also translated faultless and without blemish; see Jude 1:24; Ephesians 5:27; I Peter 1:19). “To say that Christians must be amōmos,” a scholar remarks, “is to banish contentment with everything that is second best; it means that the Christian standard is nothing less than perfection.”
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Resources cited in this issue
RR: Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible: The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew, 1955. Revised and updated by Saint Andrew, 2001. Reprinted as The New Daily Study Bible: The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2001–04.
Cit. 4: Buttrick, George Arthur, Nolan B. Harmon, et al., eds. The Interpreter’s Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes. Vol. 10, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians. Nashville: Abingdon, 1951–57.
Cit. 7: Bible Odyssey. https://www.bibleodyssey.org/articles/jesus-and-the-crowds/.
Cit. 18: Buttrick, George Arthur, Nolan B. Harmon, et al., eds. The Interpreter’s Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes. Vol. 7, New Testament Articles, Matthew, Mark. Nashville: Abingdon, 1951–57.
COPYRIGHT
Scriptural quotations marked Good News Translation are taken from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version—Second Edition, copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.
Scriptural quotations marked Contemporary English Version are taken from the Contemporary English Version, copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.
Scriptural quotations marked New International Reader’s Version™ are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version™, NIrV™. Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scriptural quotations marked International Children’s Bible® are taken from the International Children’s Bible®. Copyright © 1986, 1988, 1999 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scriptural quotations marked Amplified® Bible (AMP) are taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. lockman.org
Scriptural quotations marked New Living Translation are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scriptural quotations marked New Century Version® are taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
© 2025 The Christian Science Publishing Society. The design of the Cross and Crown is a trademark owned by the Christian Science Board of Directors and is used by permission. Bible Lens and Christian Science Quarterly are trademarks owned by The Christian Science Publishing Society. Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptural quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
