Ephesians is the first letter of the Prison Letters including Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon. Paul wrote them while imprisoned in Rome awaiting trial.

Ephesus was a major capital within the Roman Empire in Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey. Paul planted the church in Ephesus at the end of his second missionary journey. The leaders of the Ephesian church were Aquila and Priscilla, and Apollos.

On Paul’s third missionary journey he stayed and ministered in Ephesus for three years with great spiritual fruit. There was such a great impact of this ministry that it started a riot and treated the idol business at the temple of Diana which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Paul was able to teach in Ephesus because he had stayed there for a long time. He taught the Ephesian Christians some of the greatest and deepest truths of God. In this, he laid a strong foundation with them.

Within chapters one through three Paul outlines all the riches which are ours in Christ Jesus. He teaches the most imperative doctrine within the Bible on what it means to be the Church, the Body of Christ.

He lists our standing and position because of what Christ has accomplished for us. He brings us into the heavenliness, giving lofty truths of the mystery of Christ, the Gospel, and our salvation.

He clarifies that everything we have in God is only because of grace and never come from human performance.

In the last three chapters Paul applies the truths found in chapters one through three in practical fashion. First outlining the walk of the believer in the light of who we are in Christ.

While chapters one through three present some of the heaviest and deepest doctrinal and theological truths of the Bible, the last three chapters present the practical implications of these doctrines in a precise, simple, clear, and understandable manner.

Paul gives helpful teaching on the Church, the family, and the workplace. He also presents a dynamic description of how to experience victory in the spiritual warfare, by simply putting on the whole armor of God.

He gives the outline of the purpose of the church saying that God gives apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers “for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”(Ephesians 4:11-12).

The church of Ephesus was the first church Jesus spoke to in Revelation 2. Jesus addressed their issue was though they were prideful in thinking and pure in their works and doctrinal truths, they had left their first love.

This is the same problem for the Church today. Churches are in danger in leaving their first love. They loved and soak up the first three chapters of Ephesians, yet they neglect in applying the last three chapters: especially Ephesians 5:1-2, as Paul states, “Be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us.”. There is much to learn and apply from the letter to the Ephesians in our daily lives.