Gal6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
Gal6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Gal6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Gal6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Gal6:11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.
Gal6:12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
Gal6:13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
Gal6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Gal6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Gal6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Gal6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
Gal6:18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Ephesians
The author identifies himself as Paul (1:1; 3:1; cf. 3:7,13; 4:1; 6:19-20). Some have taken the absence of the usual personal greetings and the verbal similarity of many parts to Colossians, among other reasons, as grounds for doubting authorship by the apostle Paul. However, this was probably a circular letter, intended for other churches in addition to the one in Ephesus (see notes on 1:1,15; 6:21-23). Paul may have written it about the same time as Colossians, c. a.d. 60, while he was in prison at Rome (see 3:1; 4:1; 6:20; see also chart, p. 2261).
Ephesus was the most important city in western Asia Minor (now Turkey). It had a harbor that at that time opened into the Cayster River (see map, p. 2429), which in turn emptied into the Aegean Sea (see map, p. 2599). Because it was also at an intersection of major trade routes, Ephesus became a commercial center. It boasted a pagan temple dedicated to the Roman goddess Diana (Greek Artemis); cf. Ac 19:23-31. Paul made Ephesus a center for evangelism for about three years (see note on Ac 19:10), and the church there apparently flourished for some time, but later needed the warning of Rev 2:1-7.
Unlike several of the other letters Paul wrote, Ephesians does not address any particular error or heresy. Paul wrote to expand the horizons of his readers, so that they might understand better the dimensions of God's eternal purpose and grace and come to appreciate the high goals God has for the church.
The letter opens with a sequence of statements about God's blessings, which are interspersed with a remarkable variety of expressions drawing attention to God's wisdom, forethought and purpose. Paul emphasizes that we have been saved, not only for our personal benefit, but also to bring praise and glory to God. The climax of God's purpose, 'when the times will have reached their fulfillment,' is to bring all things in the universe together under Christ (1:10). It is crucially important that Christians realize this, so in 1:15-23 Paul prays for their understanding (a second prayer occurs in 3:14-21).
Having explained God's great goals for the church, Paul proceeds to show the steps toward their fulfillment. First, God has reconciled individuals to himself as an act of grace (2:1-10). Second, God has reconciled these saved individuals to each other, Christ having broken down the barriers through his own death (2:11-22). But God has done something even beyond this: He has united these reconciled individuals in one body, the church. This is a 'mystery' not fully known until it was revealed to Paul (3:1-6). Now Paul is able to state even more clearly what God has intended for the church, namely, that it be the means by which he displays his 'manifold wisdom' to the 'rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms' (3:7-13). It is clear through the repetition of 'heavenly realms' (1:3,20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12) that Christian existence is not merely on an earthly plane. It receives its meaning and significance from heaven, where Christ is exalted at the right hand of God (1:20).
Nevertheless, that life is lived out on earth, where the practical daily life of the believer continues to work out the purposes of God. The ascended Lord gave 'gifts' to the members of his church to enable them to minister to one another and so promote unity and maturity (4:1-16). The unity of the church under the headship of Christ foreshadows the uniting of 'all things in heaven and on earth' under Christ (1:10). The new life of purity and mutual deference stands in contrast to the old way of life without Christ (4:17 -- 6:9). Those who are 'strong in the Lord' have victory over the evil one in the great spiritual conflict, especially through the power of prayer (6:10 -20; see note on 1:3).
Greetings (1:1-2)
The Divine Purpose: The Glory and Headship of Christ (1:3-14)
Prayer That Christians May Realize God's Purpose and Power (1:15-23)
Steps Toward the Fulfillment of God's Purpose (chs. 2-3)
Salvation of Individuals by Grace (2:1-10)
Reconciliation of Jew and Gentile through the Cross (2:11-18)
Uniting of Jew and Gentile in One Household (2:19-22)
Revelation of God's Wisdom through the Church (3:1-13)
Prayer for Deeper Experience of God's Fullness (3:14-21)
Practical Ways to Fulfill God's Purpose in the Church (4:1 -- 6:20)
Unity (4:1-6)
Maturity (4:7-16)
Renewal of Personal Life (4:17 -- 5:20)
Deference in Personal Relationships (5:21 -- 6:9)
Principle (5:21)
Husbands and wives (5:22-33)
Children and parents (6:1-4)
Slaves and masters (6:5-9)
Strength in the Spiritual Conflict (6:10-20)
Eph1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Eph1:2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of
