Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon. A.D. 61-63. All three letters are closely related and were written while Paul was under arrest in Rome. It appears that the relation between Ephesians and Colossians is like that between Romans and Galatians. The news of a crisis at Colossae led Paul to write a letter to the Christians there against the growing belief and trust in celestial and cosmic powers.

Paul accepts these powers as the angels of Jewish tradition but he shows that in the great scheme of salvation they have only a preparatory and subordinate part and now there is a new order in which Christ is all. About the same time he wrote a fuller and more systematic treatment of the same ideas and this is the letter that we know as 'Ephesians' though it was probably written for circulation through all the Church.

Some critics have questioned the authorship of both these letters and particularly of Ephesians, since it seems to borrow ideas from Colossians and not always to digest them smoothly. But we know nothing of any person capable of writing them; in parts of them, Paul is at his most personal and characteristic, and they represent a further reconsideration of themes which he had already explored in his earlier letters.

EPHESIANS - (1) Address and Greetings - The Mystery of Salvation and of the Church - God's plan of salvation - The triumph and the supremacy of Christ - Salvation in Christ a free gift - Reconciliation of the Jews and the pagans with each other and with God - Paul, a servant of the mystery - Paul's prayer - Chapter 1 to 3 - (2) Exhortation - A call to unity - The new life in Christ - The moral of the home - The spiritual war - Personal news and final salutation - Chapter 4 to 6 -

In summary : A letter to the church at Ephesus explaining the believer's position in Christ and God' plan of salvation.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-25 -