A humbled and open heart is fertile soil for God’s seeds of wisdom to be planted. Deeper Roots is focused on analyzing God’s word to discover truths, values, and lessons for application to our lives. Periodically, a scripture or passage calls for further exploration, like the book of Ephesians.
The book of Ephesians is in the New Testament. It was written to the church in Ephesus by the Apostle Paul in 60-62 AD. In it, Paul outlines the major themes of the Christian faith, such as the love of God, the unity of believers, and the call to holiness and righteousness. Paul emphasizes the way in which God is unifying all things in Christ, and how the Church is to live out this unity. He encourages believers to live lives of love, humility, and service to others. He also speaks of the Church’s role in the world, and the importance of the gospel for all people. Ultimately, the book of Ephesians is a powerful reminder to believers of the love and grace of God and the importance of living lives of holiness and righteousness. Paul instructs believers to walk as children of light, so deeply rooted in Christ that it influences the world around them.
This month, we are exploring the entire book of Ephesians in our Walk as Children of Light – Online Bible Study. It is not too late to join us – Walk as Children of Light.
Here’s an excerpt from Day 2…
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
ephesians 1:1-2 esv
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
When you check the mailbox, what do you look for? Letters! An epistle is a type of letter and there are several books of the Bible that fall under the epistle category. Epistles are important because they contain valuable lessons for living the Christian life. When we read epistles in the Bible, it is important to remember the writer and intended recipient. Understanding the writer and recipient provides context and helps us to rightly discern books of the Bible with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We know that Paul is the author of Ephesians and his audience is the church at Ephesus. But what is an apostle? The Greek word for “apostle” is derived from the verb apostellō, or “to send.” In the New Testament, the term apostle was used to designate a particular group among the disciples. Out of Jesus’ seventy-two disciples, he selected twelve to be His apostles. These were the men who were sent by Jesus to take his message to the world and then raise up churches. Paul also claims that description for himself in many of his letters.
- Read the Greeting (v1-2)
- Why do you think Paul called himself an apostle by God’s will?
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