The epistle to the Ephesians,can be divided up into two sections,according to John Stott,exhortation,and exposition.The first 3 chapters are exposition
where Paul seeks to explain the mystery of Christ. Again JS writes,''the
mystery is a truth hitherto hidden from human knowledge or understanding, but now disclosed by the revelation of God''The mystery is this ,that Gentile
and Jewish Christians together are now fellow heirs of the same blessing, fellow-members of the same body and fellow -partakers of the same promise''. Again JS writes ,the mystery of Christ is the complete union of
Jews and Gentiles with each other through the union of both with Christ''
I suppose it is hard for us to grasp what this meant to the Jew.The Jew would thank God he had been born a Jew,the Gentiles where despised,as indeed where women.Now all that was coming to an end,the sinful defiled
Gentiles,were now being brought into the kingdom of God. In the temple
there was a petition a wall that separated the Gentiles from Jews.With Christs coming that was now changing,there would be one people of God.
No longer would contact with Gentiles be forbidden they would be sought
out,and told the good news,the gospel of Christ.Christ through his death on Calvary,welcomed everyone,for many Jews it was step to far,but not for God,now there was a welcome mat,on the entrance to the kingdom of God,
with Christ standing there to give every seeking sinner a great big hug of acceptance.
A prayer.
Dear God we praise you and thank you for mercy shown to us Gentiles,
that we who were not a people have now become the children of God,
through Jesus your Son Amen.
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