Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-11-16
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON NOVEMBER 81
EPH. 6:1O-2I.
Golden Text: BE Strong in the Lord,
and In the Power of His Might
EpI,. O :IO-The Christian Armor and
How to Wear II.

Thn EpiStle to the EpheSianS is the first
n CIDER OF those written from Rome
Pa n, first visit TO Ephesus is recorded
N Acts Is. 1921. 1t was very short, and
his work was carried on by Apoilos and
Uy Aquila and Priscilla. After visiting
Jerusalem and Asia Minor he returned
thIther Acts 10. y. and remained three
years {Acts 70. ~. On his last visit TO
Jerusalem he sailed by Ephesus (Acts 70
IL Some time later he left Timothy at
Ephesus q Tim. /. 81. The object of the
epistle is general, the only special circum-
stance alluded 20 being a mission oil
Tychicus, and his own imprisonment
probably at Rome. about y. ID. 62).
Contents OF the Episte.--The Epistle to
the Ephesians has TWO great divisions:
l. Chapters J. ., 3, doctrinal: .. Chapters
l, ), g. practical. The object of the form
er part is set forth the foundation. growth,
purpose and destiny Of the Christian
Church; the latter deals with the mo-
mentOuS responsibilities and consequences
resulting therefrom. 1t is, perhaps, the
most sublime OF all the cpisties of Paul.
The Apostolic give this remarkable
passage its full force we must try to pic
ture Eaul'S situation when he wrote it.
He is a prisoner at Rome, some time dur
ing the two years" of Acts y. 80; not
(as afterward) IN the dungeons Of the
Mamertine prison; but in his own hired
house." probably quarters in the barracks
attached 10 the Pretorium Cthe palace"
OF Phil /. 49,, on the Palatine Mount
which, as Roman citizen" he was per-
mitted TO have separately. He was in
what was technically called military Gus
tody," which was not confinement in
common jail (as at PhilippD. In this
military custody he had been ever since
that day at Jerusalem when Lysias and
his soldiers rescued him from the Jewish
crowd. Now, although considerable lib
erty was allowed 10 a prisoner of this
kind-of which we have several instances
in Pauls case, for example Acts a. %;
y. 3-there was one hard thing seldom or
never dispensed with The prisoner was
kept chained by his right hand to the
left hand of Il soldier, who was responsible
for his safety. and incurred death If he
escaped. Again and again do We find al
lusions to this, both in the Acts and in
Pauls own letters during the period; see.
particularly, Acts 2s 10, suffered to dwell
by himself with soldier that kept him.
also Acts "A. q; 20. H. 26. 90; Eph. 3. /:
Phil. ]. Z; Col. 4. IS: Philem. 10. where
the words bond and bound" refer to
this chained condition. In Acts 2S. 20 the
stronger word Chain" itself is used; and
so, in the Greek, it is in our present pas
sage, for verse 20 is literally, Il am an
ambassador in a chain"
/ The Roman Soldier.-As we have seen.
for three or four years the apostle had
never been alone. A rough Roman SOL
der was always close to him. Not the
same soldier, of course. Day after day
the guards in the Pretorum would be
hanged. They We're the emperor's own
yards; so that man might be employed
n the morning in executing one of NeroS
ends (perhaps his wife OctaviaD and
~ the evening in keeping hold of PauPs
&c in. We see at once how the faithful
. site would use such an opportunity.
a how the Gospel spread 'in all the
Pc ace" Chat is. Pretorium) Phil. /. 49,.
But as the weary days and weeks passed
2" ay Paufs active mind was charging
elf with 1.-The care of all the churches"
essengers went and came to and from
STA, Macedonia, Greece. Letters were
lictated and signed with the chained
and-see that touching verse Col 4. IS:
The salutation by the hand OF me, Paul
remember my bonds" And as he thought
and thought of the trials and ternpta-
ions of his converts. and of the sore con-
lets many of them were maintaining he
1oHed at the familiar arnor of his SOL
ier-companiOn. and saw what beautiful
lustrations it suggested of the spiritual
ms he would like Christs soldiers to
EAR That Roman legIonary himself too
W firm, resolute, invincible, o, If the
hesians and Colossians and Philippians
l Thessalonans would stand in the
ritual battle like that! And then he
penned our passage of to-day.
The Christians Enemies.-We have a
willy and powerful enemy. That enemy
! does not, indeed. find IL easy TO overcome
| you now that you have to some extent
| subdued the flesh, which is the traitor
within that opens the city gates to the
| foe; but there he is, nevertheless. as Bit
| ter and subtle an adversary as ever; and
| he brings new weapons and new engines
| of temptation. which he does not need TO
| resort to with the unconverted man, to
| bear upon the Christian. 1t is not to
1 - EN.,1l
| invites you now-that would be like firins,
| a pistol at an ironclad-but it is to ambi-
I ton and vanity in religion, to slothfulness
| the spiritual life, TO contempt of others
! making less profession, to party spirit
| 10 using religion as a lever for the at
| tainment of selfish ends. How many a
| true Christian falls into sins like these In
| absolute Inconsistencies. How few are
| 'eally on their guard against them, Now,
| Paul knew all this. In Cor. IL he
| peaks Of Satan getting ian advantage
| n u.s. and says. I'VE are not ignorant
| his devices" AS he looks at the stern
| der by his side, who had. perhaps
! dght with barbaraus on the Rhine or
| e Danube he thinks of the more ardu-
| is conflict that Christ's soldiers must
! age I'VE wrestle not with flesh and
| ,lood but with''-and here follows a mys-
| ferrous list of adversaries. the fun mean
| ing of which our limited knowledge of the
| invisible world does not enable us to
| fathom. but which gives us a startling
| glimpse of the unseen powers that are at
| work for our ruin.
! Lesson Hymn
| soldiers of Christ. arise. And nut your
| afmor OF.
Strong in the strength which God sup
plies Through his eternal Son:
| Strong I'm the Lord of hosts And in his
| mighty power,
| Who in the strength of Jesus trusts Ia
| more than conqueror
| Leave no unguarded place, No weakness
| of the soul:
! Take every vi tue. every grace, And for.
| tify the whole:
| Indissolubly Joined, To battle all proceed.
| But arm yourselves with all the mind
That was in Christ. your Head
Charles Wesley.