This is the final post in the series on Tony Merida's Exalting Jesus in Ephesians. I hope the explanation for the context of the book of Ephesians gives all of us greater perspectives on what Paul is saying in this powerful letter.
Before I go, there is one more thing I'd like to share that Merida pointed out on page 17:
- As stated before, Paul was in Ephesus for 3 years, from AD 50-52. It was his longest stay in one place on a missionary journey.
- He wrote Ephesians in AD 62 from Rome, about 7-8 years after he left.
- And in AD 90ish, when John wrote the book of Revelation, Ephesus is mentioned as one of the 7 churches: the one that lost its first love.
"What is interesting about the church in Ephesus is that even though it had an amazing history, the final mention in Revelation 2:1-7 about this great church is that they 'abandoned the love [they] had at first. Think about it: Priscilla and Aquila, Apollos, Paul, Timothy, and later, John, ministered to this church. What a heritage! Yet about 40 years after the first generation of believers, they had lost their love.... They had a cold orthodoxy. We must ask ourselves: Is our service to Jesus mechanical? Do we love Him, or are we just using Him for our own ambitions?" (page 17).
What happened to the church in Ephesus? Could that happen in our own lives and churches?
That's it for our study on the context of Ephesians! Go buy this book! Also, if you love historical fiction, check out Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion series. Book 2 is set in Ephesus... and you even catch glimpses of John!
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