The supreme Christ knew humanity and a church called to unity and maturity.

Ephesians lifts our eyes to who we are in Christ then shows us how to walk.

This is Seek Go Create.

You're listening to read the New Testament in 90 days, 27 books in order in context.

We're rocking through the New Testament, the way it was written, so you can hear it

the way the first churches did in context.

Just wanna keep reminding you, make sure that you're going to our

hub page K two M Foundation slash.

NT 90.

We're adding new information there, adding the links to all the episodes,

so it can be one place that you can go to get everything for this plan, and you

could download a printable plan there.

Also, make sure you check that out.

Today we are in Ephesians, a meditation on the mystery revealed in.

Christ some key facts.

Let's dive in.

The Author.

We are confident that this is Paul and we feel pretty good about the dates here.

We discussed that when we talked about Romans ad 60 to 61, so we're

into the sixties, the amazing 60 that we're gonna see a lot of activity,

a lot of stuff happening, so.

Buckle up.

This is about to get really, really interesting.

So we're around AD 60 for this one.

The audience, it's a circular letter that's going to churches in Asia minor,

Ephesus, and the surrounding region.

Here's the setting.

It's been about 30 years since the resurrection.

Paul is in prison, probably in Rome or Cesare.

And TCUs carries the letter.

All right, let's get some historical context.

Since Romans, which was about three years ago, Paul has delivered

the collection to Jerusalem.

He made a trip there and while he was there, he was arrested in the temple.

He spent two years in the caesarian prison, survived a shipwreck, and

now writes from Rome in chains.

It's, I'm sorry, I'm sort of chuckling a little bit because it's kinda like.

That's a lot of stuff going on, and he's about to write this letter that

has some of the gentlest things in it after he's been through all this.

We'll talk about that later.

But anyway, I'm sorry, I, I do not mean to mock or laugh at

anything that Paul went through.

I just find that interesting.

As we read this letter in context, the man who pinned Romans from Corinth

with plans to visit Spain is now awaiting trial before Caesar in Rome.

Niro is on the throne.

Paul is under house arrest, awaiting trial.

He's chained up, but his pen isn't.

And I just, I picture, and again, this is my.

Interjecting, but I picture there's a house.

We know he was able to have people during this arrest and there are

Roman guards that are sitting there hearing Paul taking all these guests,

probably dictating or writing a lot of these letters and I, and just.

Fascinated with that scene, and I try to picture it in my mind as I read

through some of these down in Jerusalem.

The temple is still intact and we are now into the sixties and we

know historically there are only 10 years before it is destroyed.

The storm is gathering.

Leadership senses the shift.

The church, the Ephesian believers and the surrounding region are

mature churches that need vision.

There's not any crisis that we're aware of going on, so this is not crisis management

like some of Paul's letters are.

Luke.

Is interviewing eyewitnesses and compiling the most carefully

researched account that we have.

We'll get to Luke soon.

The tension that's going on.

There's no specific crisis that we're aware of.

Paul writes to lift their eyes to the cosmic, the big

scope of what God is doing.

Why is he writing it now?

He may be released or executed.

He's not sure.

He's writing from prison and he's writing as his most elevated

vision of Christ and the church.

Just picture as you read this, the author, Paul, is in chains.

He is in chains.

As he writes this, he's writing about big vision, personal

warmth from a Roman house arrest.

Peter sees the suffering spreading and prepares believers to stand firm.

That's something that's going on currently.

That's what's going on At the same time, the old world.

The old covenant is about to collapse.

They can feel it coming.

They sense it.

you're gonna start seeing that in some of the things that are written

in these letters that are coming up.

Here's what you'll encounter in Ephesians.

It's exalted.

And practical at the same time.

There is identity before activity.

You'll hear about spiritual blessings chosen before the foundation of the world,

predestined for adoption, sealed with the spirit, powerful language from Paul.

The mystery is revealed.

Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body.

We'll hear about the dividing wall.

It's been broken down in Christ.

Jew and Gentile are made one in new humanity.

we will hear about the new temple.

Keep in mind the current temple still stands, but Paul is gonna start talking

about the new temple built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

He'll talk about walking worthy in humility, gentleness.

Patience, maintaining the unity of the spirit.

He'll talk about taking off the old self and putting on the new

self, put away falsehood, anger, theft, be kind, tenderhearted

forgiving, some practical things.

That was definitely good for that audience to hear, and of

course good for us to hear.

And of course, the famous armor of God.

We wrestle not against.

Flesh and blood stand firm.

Sit with chapters one to three as identity, and then watch chapters

four to six kind of be more related to activity that comes from that identity.

Why this letter?

Feels different.

There's really no crisis to solve.

There's no false teachers to correct.

It's just Paul in Change painting the biggest.

Picture he's painted up to this point.

So enjoy Ephesians.

what a great message from Paul.

We're gonna read Ephesians in one session.

You can split it into two, but try to read it in one session and enjoy that.

What's next?

Oh, one of my favorites.

Colossians Christ Supreme.

Overall, it's kinda like the theme that Paul's into during this time,

and, we get a good bit of it in Ephesians, and we're gonna get more

of it in Colossians, Christ Supreme.

Overall, when you're tempted to add something to Christ,

that letter answers Christ.

Is all in all, once again, make sure you're following along at K2 M Foundation

slash NT 90, getting all the information.

One other thing to do, if you haven't been doing this, if you're doing

this in order, if you're coming along later, you could kind of scroll back,

but jump to the YouTube channel.

And our community there, or go find me Tim Winders on my personal

Facebook page because I'm actually reading along and adding some

comments and thoughts along the way.

And I'd love for you to jump in and share some things that you're seeing from

reading this in context and in order.

Alright, before you read Ephesians, let's set the scene.

It is a D 60.

You gather with your church somewhere in Asia.

Minor times are hard.

There's pressure from your neighbors whispers about this

Jewish sect you've joined.

You wonder.

How long you can hold on.

Then TCUs arrives a familiar face.

We've seen him before.

He's carrying a scroll from Paul.

You've heard the news.

Paul was arrested in Jerusalem, beaten, imprisoned for two years in

Cesarea shipwrecked on the way to Rome.

Now he sits in chains awaiting trial before Caesar himself.

You wonder after all that, will he back off?

Will the letter be cautious, guarded, defeated?

TCUs unrolls the scroll and begins to read, and what you hear isn't retreat.

It's the highest, widest, deepest vision Paul has ever written.

Christ.

Above all.

You seated with him, a mystery revealed a new humanity armor for the battle

ahead Change didn't shrink Paul's faith.

They expanded it.

Now, let's read.