Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

For our New Testament readers, we just finished our 15th book, and for our full Bible readers,

we finished book 54.

Ephesus is in modern-day Turkey.

However, some scholars believe this book in particular may have been intended as some sort of

mass email to lots of churches in the area, which could be one reason why it doesn't

address any specific problems or offer rebukes, and instead seems to serve as more of a general

encouragement and vision casting letter.

Chapter 1 is dense.

If you were half awake when you read it, check it out again.

It is rich with theology and encouragement and the kindness of God.

Paul opens by reminding them that they were chosen by God in Christ before the world was made.

Reconciliation has always been God's plan, even before things fell apart,

and he's working out all things according to his will. One of his glorious purposes in all of this

is to give his kids an inheritance with Christ. He did, and the Spirit signed the paperwork.

Paul also reminds them that the Father raised the Son from the dead, and that the same power

God used in that action is the same power God used in

that action is the same power that resides in his kids via his spirit. Chapter 2 is an overview

of the past, present, and future of every believer. We were dead in our sins. We were slaves

to our flesh doing whatever it wanted. And by nature, we were children of wrath, just like everybody else.

There was nothing special about us. We weren't especially good or moral or awesome. So what happened?

How are we different? According to Paul, God's mercy happened. He intervened and made us alive in Christ.

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