July 27, 2018
“Welcome to Ephesians”
Ephesians 1:2 is a common greeting from Paul… “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Grace” (Greek=charis), used 12 times in this letter and “peace” (Greek=eirene), found 7 times in the letter, are really more than simple greeting…they are themes in this letter.
Barclay writes… “The key thought of Ephesians is the gathering together of all things in Jesus Christ. In nature as it is without Christ there is nothing but disunity and disharmony…Man’s dominion has broken the social union which should exist between man and the beasts; man is divided from man; class from class; nation from nation; ideology from ideology; Gentile from Jew…Worst of all there is disharmony between God and man…So, then, in this world without Christ, there is nothing but disunity. That disunity is not God’s purpose but it can become a unity only when all things are united in Christ…The central thought of Ephesians is the realization of the disunity in the universe and the conviction that is can become unity only when everything is united in Christ.”
What better time than now to talk about the fractured nature of the world and the unifying love of Jesus. Please join us for a 5 week study of Ephesians beginning Sunday, July 29th, at 9:30 each Sunday, during worship. Feel welcome to bring your own Bibles and your questions…and a friend!!!
Blessings
Pastor Mike
“Welcome to Ephesians”
Ephesians 1:2 is a common greeting from Paul… “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Grace” (Greek=charis), used 12 times in this letter and “peace” (Greek=eirene), found 7 times in the letter, are really more than simple greeting…they are themes in this letter.
Barclay writes… “The key thought of Ephesians is the gathering together of all things in Jesus Christ. In nature as it is without Christ there is nothing but disunity and disharmony…Man’s dominion has broken the social union which should exist between man and the beasts; man is divided from man; class from class; nation from nation; ideology from ideology; Gentile from Jew…Worst of all there is disharmony between God and man…So, then, in this world without Christ, there is nothing but disunity. That disunity is not God’s purpose but it can become a unity only when all things are united in Christ…The central thought of Ephesians is the realization of the disunity in the universe and the conviction that is can become unity only when everything is united in Christ.”
What better time than now to talk about the fractured nature of the world and the unifying love of Jesus. Please join us for a 5 week study of Ephesians beginning Sunday, July 29th, at 9:30 each Sunday, during worship. Feel welcome to bring your own Bibles and your questions…and a friend!!!
Blessings
Pastor Mike