[CatherineTorpey]

Our new wonderful consulting minister, the Rev. Victor Greene is preaching a sermon called “Stand By,” and his scripture is Ephesians 6:10-20.

Last week, we read from the second chapter of Ephesians. This week, we read from its 6th chapter, which has some passages that definitely require our critical thinking skills, as it tells slaves to be subject to their masters. The section that Victor will preach about is the section which famously describes putting on “the whole armor of God.”

Paul mentions being “in chains” as he ends this passage. This is presumably in reference to the two years he spent in jail in Rome around the years 60-62, described in the book of Acts. He had been arrested in Jerusalem for having brought gentiles to the Temple, and had been held under arrest already in Israel for a couple of years and eventually asserted his right to be tried in Rome as a Roman citizen. So, either this letter is written while Paul is under arrest, or if it is written by a follower of Paul, this detail is meant to add to the perception that Paul has written it.

Please see my post from a couple of days ago (called Emphasis on Ephesus!) for a sense of the glory of the city of Ephesus.

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