New Testament | Ephesians (Part 3), Philippians, & Colossians
In Dr. Michael McKay’s New Testament lecture on Ephesians 6, Philippians, and Colossians, he explores Paul’s final prison letters and how they call believers to stand firm in Christ, embody humility, and exalt Jesus as supreme over all creation.
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Dr. McKay concludes the book of Ephesians by unpacking Paul’s teaching on spiritual warfare, reminding believers that the real battle is not against people or institutions but against spiritual forces of evil. He explains that Paul’s command is not to attack but to stand firm—to rest securely in the believer’s identity in Christ. The armor of God symbolizes this defense: truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, and the Word of God all flow from being “in Christ.” Prayer and Scripture are presented as the believer’s active stance against deception and fear.
Turning to Philippians, Dr. McKay emphasizes Paul’s tone of gratitude and joy despite imprisonment. At the center of the letter stands the profound “Christ Hymn” of Philippians 2:5–11, which describes Jesus’ humility in becoming human, serving, and dying on a cross, followed by his exaltation to the highest place. This early Christian confession demonstrates that the church from its earliest days worshiped Jesus as both fully God and fully man. Paul’s point: true greatness in God’s kingdom comes through humility.
In Colossians, Dr. McKay connects Paul’s response to false teaching with the supremacy of Christ. The Colossian hymn (1:15–20) celebrates Jesus as the image of the invisible God, the creator and sustainer of all things, and the firstborn from the dead—the beginning of the new creation. Against mystical philosophies and angelic visions, Paul insists that Christ alone is sufficient, supreme, and preeminent in creation and in the Church.
Together, these prison letters call believers to stand firm in Christ’s victory, follow his humility, and recognize his unrivaled Lordship over all things in heaven and on earth.
0:00 Introduction — wrapping up Ephesians and overview of Philippians and Colossians
1:00 Summary of Ephesians — identity in Christ and relationships in the body
6:46 Ephesians 6 — spiritual warfare and the unseen cosmic conflict
7:52 Not against flesh and blood — understanding real spiritual enemies
10:01 Standing firm in Christ — defensive posture of faith and prayer
12:00 The armor of God — truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, and the Word
14:04 Sword of the Spirit — the Word of God as both refuge and defense
16:17 Transition to Philippians — Paul’s prison setting and context
18:40 Purpose of Philippians — gratitude, partnership, and gospel unity
21:01 The Christ Hymn (Philippians 2:5–11) — humility and exaltation of Jesus
25:02 Early Christology — Jesus as both fully God and fully human
26:44 The pattern of humility — servant, man, obedient, crucified
37:02 Exaltation — God bestows on him the name above every name
39:09 Application — believers called to humility and obedience
42:04 Why humility? — God’s redemptive reversal of human pride
42:25 Transition to Colossians — false teachings and Christ’s supremacy
45:09 Colossians 1:15–20 — Jesus as image of God and Lord over creation
46:10 Preeminent in creation and the church — firstborn from the dead
47:55 The firstborn of new creation — Christ’s resurrection as the dawn of the new age
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