In Corinth, Aphrodite - the goddess of fertility - was worshipped. Paul explained that to join with prostitutes would have a spiritual effect. As Christians, our bodies belong to the Lord.

Paul explained his method of reaching all the people he met in his mission to the Gentiles. He identified with them so he could preach the gospel to them. Paul described the Christian life as a race with a prize at the end - eternal life.

Paul continues his teaching about idolatry and specifically eating food offered to idols. He teaches that there is no power in the food itself but in participating in the worship of idols by eating food known to have been offered for sacrifice. It is important to consider the witness to others.

Despite being under house arrest in Rome, Paul is convinced that God was using that situation to advance the gospel.

Paul prays that the Ephesians will know how wide, how long, how high and how deep God’s love is so that they can be strengthened in their faith and understanding of God.

In the light of God’s mercy shown to Jews and Gentiles, we should respond by living our lives wholly committed to God. our behaviour and thinking will change.

Paul states that government is God’s plan for society. Despite the different forms of government, Christians should respect and honour those in authority who are under God’s sovereignty. Christians should pay their taxes and pray for those in authority.

Following on Jesus' teaching, Paul also encourages the Christian community to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. Our neighbour is people in the church community who need help which we can give. He introduces a sense of urgency in the light of the Second Coming of Jesus and the question of how we have used our opprtunities.

Having encouraged the Roman Christians to be sensitive and kind to each other, Paul encourages them to have a long-term commitment to Jesus. He explains that the Old Testament is full of encouraging examples of faith. He traces the purpose of God to start with the Jewish nation and then to bring in the Gentiles to the faith.

Paul's goal is that a local church will have strong character development, increase of knowledge and skills to develop the church. There will be weak areas that should be addressed. Paul was called to plant many churches wherever he went. He wants to visit Rome and then move on to Spain with the help of the Roman church. His mission involves his teaching, his actions and miracles.