There are several key themes that are important to emphasize when teaching this text. 1. Our deeds are important, including the hard work of contending for the truth of the faith. We live in a pluralistic and secular culture, increasingly similar to that of first-century Ephesus. There are more and more religious voices claiming to possess absolute truth and demanding uncritical allegiance. Churches cannot afford to assume the doctrinal purity of potential church leaders; their
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