Overview of the Book of Ephesians

Moore's Corner Church

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The overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of Ephesians, written sometime around 60

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AD. This is probably the most impersonal of all Paul's letters because he's writing, most likely, this is most likely a circular letter written to a group of churches.

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So it may have been addressed to the Ephesians first, but then it was to be sent from church to church.

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At least that's the theory. Paul begins in chapter 1, verses 4 and 5,

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

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And that phrase, in Christ, is mentioned in Ephesians 12 times.

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He continues, just as he, that is God, chose us in Christ, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him, in love, having predestined us to the adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

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So being chosen in Christ, even before the world began.

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These are some of the deepest and most profound truths in the scripture.

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Something that believers still argue about and debate to this very day.

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Another word that comes up in this letter often is the word mystery. There is the mystery of God's will.

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There is the mystery of Christ. The church is described as a mystery.

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In this context, a mystery was something that people in ages past did not know about, but is now being revealed.

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Up until this point in history, God had primarily worked through the nation of Israel, but now in the

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New Testament, he is working in and through the church, which is made up of both Jew and Gentile together in a new creation, the body of Christ.

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So the first half of Ephesians is very doctrinal. The second half is very practical.

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Chapter four contains a great passage on Christian unity. Chapter five, Christian living in the

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Christian home. And then chapter six, there's that well -known passage about the spiritual warfare that believers face.

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And then chapter six, verse 19, before Paul closes, he goes back to that concept of mystery where he speaks about the mystery of the gospel.

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So in conclusion, what is this good news? What is this gospel that Paul is revealing?