Instructions for the Church worship: (chap.2)
Apostle Paul exhorts men and women to behave and relate themselves, especially when they come to the Church worship. During Paul’s time, there were disturbances in the church just as we see in today’s churches. Changing attitudes of men-women relationship led to women to assert in ways that are contrary and disregard for Biblical and cultural distinctions between men and women.
Just as in Corinth church, the disturbance and disruption of church worship was due to inquiring of the meaning of prophecies (1 Cor.14:33-35). The Chapter also deals with disruptions due to anger and arguments of some men. With this picture, Paul brings out a beautiful and fitting exhortation to encourage appropriate behaviour of men and women when they come to Church worship. This I feel that every pastor or overseer must follow and practice in their local churches.
The importance of prayer in the church: (2:1-8):
Our God is God of omniscient, yet He expects His children to pray for all requests. Prayer is the important part for any Christian. Jesus said: “Ask and it shall be given.” Our God is not only a prayer listening God but also a prayer answering God. Through prayer, we can even move mountains i.e. God performs impossibilities through our prayer.
- Whom to pray: (2:2) The church of Ephesus was lacking in prayer. In fact some people were questioning, that “why we should pray for Gentiles?” The church must have prayer as the first priority. The terms “requests, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving” have some distinctions between them. Thanks giving should have a prominent place in the church’s prayer life. Paul puts emphasis to pray for everyone. There was a full blown resentment towards Christians by King Nero, after the fire in Rome on 18 July 64 AD
We should even pray for authorities and the leaders of civil government. We should understand that kings and kingdoms are established by God. “He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings” (Dan.2:21). Again in Daniel we see: “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will” (Dan.4:25). Paul did not specify here the content of these prayers, but almost certainly he was instructing that requests be made for the salvation of all those in authority and in the government.
- The ingredients of prayer: (2:1): The prayer in the church must be made for all the people right from authorities, Christians, friends and even enemies and to everyone. There is no one in this world who does not deserve our prayer. Paul gives wide categories of our communication with God viz.
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- Requests: These are the petitions or supplications we make before our Lord. It should not be all the time asking. .
- Prayers: Prayers is a general term referring to all communication with the Lord.
- Intercession: The requests we make on behalf of others. We must regularly pray for other’s needs.
- Thanks giving: It is showing our gratitude towards God. It is an essential part of our walk with God. Those who have no sense of gratitude in their lives lack a basic Christian virtue.
We should pray for all men evangelistically, that they may know the love of Jesus and come to a personal understanding with Jesus. We should give thanks for those who are in authority, because God has ordained government in society to keep order. We should pray for all the emperors, rulers that God may grant them long life, a secure government, a prosperous family, a faithful parliament, an obedient people that the whole world may be in peace.
Some members in Ephesian church were questioning the validity of prayer for the salvation of all men just as in our contemporary times. That’s why Paul had to give them such instructions that praying for all men is good and pleases our God.