Forge Church

Having taught the Ephesians concerning the House Law thatt Holy Spirit was implanting into the churches regarding husbands, wives, slaves, master, parents and children, Paul concludes his Epistle by introducing, by Holy Spirit, his cosmology, his knowledge of the demonic forces arrayed against the churches of Asia Minor. He urges the new believers to "arm up" to resist Satan and to stand, using the armor of God.

Pau; laid out the "House Law" for husbands an wives, and now turns to Parents and children, and masters and slaves. All the above were in the house churches scattered throughout Asia Minor. Children were to obey their parents, an honor them, while Fathers took responsibility for them. Slaves were to relate to Masters even as they trusted Christ. Masters, likewise, were to trust Christ, give up threatening, an be godly owners.

Paul chose to set the controlling verb of this section in v. 21 "be being in submission to one another, in the fear of Christ." That pours over into his teaching to husbands and wives. The order is the reverse, but the weight of instruction falls mostly on husbands. Paul has changed his outlook on marriage from 9 years previous in 1 Cor. 7, to the point where he must apostically address the exploding churches in Asia Minor regarding God's "house law."

Paul is concluding his teaching to the churches of Asia Minor by way of his circular Epistle to the Ephesians. He urges them to Walk in Light and not partner with darkness. Further, he turns to teaching them about wisdom, not folly, as they follow Jesus as Lord. He concludes with commands concerning drunkenness vs. being filled with Holy Spirit, the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to one another as evidence of that filling, and the giving of thanks.

Paul commands that each and every Believer strive to become an imitator of Christ. Then, he turns to issue of the immorality that saturate the Gentile culture, and made its way into the churches with the new converts. He commands that immorality, impurity, and greed not even be named among the believers. At the root of much immorality is idolatry, which takes away the access to the Kingdom of God.

Paul shifts from his instructions to the new Gentile converts and begins to address general needs in the churches scattered over Asia Minor. He begins with teaching about anger and its necessity and its bitter hook of sin. Then he moves on to a lifestyle of thievery, teaching radical Gospel correction, and finally to the command to not grieve the Holy Spirit.

Paul urges the new Gentile converts to lay down their old, tattered wardrobe of blindness, hard hearts, and recklessness, and take up the new wardrobe of life which has been taught to them by Christ, and have their minds renewed. Neither of those two take place once and for all....it is a daily laying down of the old and putting on of the new.

Today, Isaac, a young man whom I have known all his life will teach us from Ephesian 4 about the 5 fold ministry that is gifted from God to help lead and unify the Body of Christ. Paul is urging the new Gentile converts to accept the graced gifts from God so that the unity of the Body is clearly evident, and godly leadership sets righteous boundaries.

Paul writes from house prisoner Rome to the new Gentile believers, urging them to walk worthy of their being called out from eternity past, adopted as sons and daughters, and made into one new race. This "worthy" walk focus on humility, gentleness, and forbearance with one another. The power to do so is drawn from the the one faith, one hope, one baptism in Christ, made possible by the One God who is in all, overall, and through all.

Paul prays for 3 specific blessings to come to the new believers who are part of the Third Race....the Church made out of the converted Jews and Gentiles, together. The prayer is for strength, for love, and fullness of God, poured out for them. At the end of the passage, Pul shifts from doctrine to doxology, from theology to high praise.