Like the book of Romans, Ephesians is a great book to lay out doctrinal arguments important for any believer to apprehend. The Apostle's message to the Ephesians was general because Paul was writing to a growing and healthy church in which he, in fact, spent much time and effort but was a major church in a region that was recognized for its leadership role...."to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: (Eph.1:1b)"...to the saints..." The word "saints" means "sanctified ones" or "those set aside ...
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Like the book of Romans, Ephesians is a great book to lay out doctrinal arguments important for any believer to apprehend. The Apostle's message to the Ephesians was general because Paul was writing to a growing and healthy church in which he, in fact, spent much time and effort but was a major church in a region that was recognized for its leadership role...."to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: (Eph.1:1b)"...to the saints..." The word "saints" means "sanctified ones" or "those set aside by God". We sometimes get the impression that the term "saints" is some title for a select few, but look at how Paul uses it. It is a title Paul is using to greet a group of believers in the city of Ephesus. Each and every one of those in that church who had come to Christ are included in "the saints at Ephesus". Each believer is a member of this class of people, the saints. God has been working for the last 2000 years through one and only one primary organization, the local church. You may enjoy supporting a local charity or a national or international organization that is doing good work; but God has one primary organization He is working through and that is the local church. Born-again believers, bought by the grace of God, collected into local units for the purpose of doing the work of ministry. What is that work? It is primarily the face-to-face teaching of God's Word! In the Great Commission our Lord commanded His church to...Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)The church will be built and carried along by the faithful preaching of God's Word. There are many members of local churches who have been given a variety of gifts, but those gifts were given to support the work of preaching and teaching God's Word.Paul's epistle to the Ephesians constitutes a good part of the background of the church's thinking on doctrine and duty. Let's study!
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