Last week we went through chapter 4 which dealt with how we should walk as new creatures in Christ, the ground upon which Christian unity is built (the 7 ones), the gifting of offices for the maturing of the saints and to prepare them for ministry, then commands on putting off the old man and putting on Christ. This is done through renewing the mind.

Last week we went through chapter 3 where Paul reveals to the Ephesians that this dispensation of the grace of God has been revealed unto him. The mystery that was hid in God from the foundation of the world is that God would call out a bride for His son that is a joint-body of Jew and Gentile, that Gentiles would be fellow-heirs and on the same ground as the Jews by the gospel. He recorded another prayer that he was praying for them, the first was for enlightenment and the second for enablement. He prays for them to know the love of Christ and be filled with the fulness of God and finishes with God’s exceeding abundant ability to do more than we ask or think.

Last time we went through chapter 2 where our salvation was laid out beautifully. We were like the rest of the world; we were dominated by the flesh and were influenced by the powers of darkness. But God saved us by His grace and showed us mercy because of His great love for us. We’re saved by grace through faith and are now His workmanship unto good works. We are no longer less than the Jews or at enmity with them because Christ has made peace between us and the church is the dwelling now for the presence of God.

Last time we went through our first chapter of which Paul spoke about salvation in eternity before the world was. He told us that we were chosen in Christ and predestinated unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to God Himself. He spoke about the purpose of God which is, at the end of all dispensations of time, He will gather everything that is redeemed by Chirst and unite it all in glory to Him.

Ephesus was a large, prosperous, and bustling port city in the Roman province of Asia Minor. At that time, there were approximately 350,000 people living there. Ephesus rivaled Corinth for its depravity due to the worship of Artemis (Diana). The temple of Artemis was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Paul spent nearly three years there, the longest he stayed in any single city to establish a church. He encountered significant opposition as people were being saved and turning from idol worship because it affected the livelihood of the silversmiths. At one point, a riot broke out that caught the attention of the whole city.