Paul’s letter to the believers in Ephesus and Asia Minor has a richness and depth that can stir one’s soul. The concepts Paul presents in this short letter are profound enough that entire books have been written about them. Paul in this letter wants his readers to know union with Christ. Paul experienced this union and he knew that this coming together of Christ and the believer would transform the believer’s inner being—one’s very identity would change. This inner renovation would further change one outwardly—one’s behavior would then conform to one’s identity. Where does the power for this type of radical transformation come from? Ephesians 3:14-21 tells us that it is Christ’s love. In this passage, Paul reveals, as Klyne Snodgrass (1996) observes, that God’s “love is both the source and goal” (p. 181) of the Christian life. The love of Christ is what nourishes a believer to be strong and healthy and provides a strong foundation for living. …show more content…
837, 839). This, along with being a major seaport city, made Ephesus a primary route, by land and sea, through which travelers would journey between Rome and the East (Barton, Comfort, Osborne, Taylor, and Veerman, 2001, p. 799). Its prime location allowed Ephesus to become a leading political, economic, and religious center. Numerous deities were worshiped in Ephesus along with Artemis, the goddess of fertility who was revered around the world. Her temple, considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, along with a large amphitheater and other stadiums, made Ephesus a popular tourist attraction (Acts 19:27) (Douglas et al., 1982, p. 337). Consequently, Ephesus enjoyed a thriving tourism industry bolstering the city’s