For the month of June we are reading the book / letter of Ephesians.
Ephesians is a great book.
Here are some words of introduction from the NIV's "Books Of The Bible":
As he often does in his letters, Paul uses the opening thanksgiving and prayer (which are quite lengthy in this case) to introduce his main theme. He writes that God raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority. In this way, God brought everything together under the rule of Jesus the Messiah. Paul echoes a phrase from Psalm 8— God placed all things under his feet— to show that Jesus is the truly human one.
Jesus fulfills the original human calling to rule over the creation properly. Paul immediately draws the implication from this, in the first part of the main body of his letter, that Jews and Gentiles have been brought together into one body, with Jesus at the head. This means that Gentiles who believe in Jesus are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.
As Paul puts it, God is creating one new humanity through the reconciling work of Jesus. Paul tells his readers he’s praying they’ll understand the implications of their new identity. In the rest of the letter’s main body, he explains those implications. These believers are part of a body that God has given the resources to ensure that each of its members becomes godly and mature. So they must give up their former way of life and practice purity in daily living and integrity in their relationships.
As in the case of Colossians, the responsibilities of those in and under authority— husbands and wives, parents and children, servants and masters— are used as an important example of the new kind of relationships God is expecting. Paul also cautions his readers that by seeking to live a new kind of life in this world, they’re entering a spiritual battle. God’s people must be on their guard and arm themselves with all the resources that God has provided— the full armor of God.
Paul’s closing greetings are understandably brief, because this is a letter to people he’s never met and doesn’t know well. While we can’t determine exactly who they were, all who seek to take up their roles in God’s drama will gain from this big-picture overview of salvation in Christ. It documents God’s dramatic transformation of human communities when the message of truth about the exalted Jesus is heard and believed, looking ahead to the day God will bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
Here is a video outlining Ephesians:
If you are joining the discussion on July 4 at the Lund's, open the pdf document below. There are some points to ponder with before sharing at the meeting.