There are some epistles
shorter perhaps, some books in the Bible a little bit easier to follow
because perhaps they're a narrative like the book of Acts. A little easier to follow because the writer Luke is telling us events that take place that we
can follow. And here, more ideas than events. And
as far as our lesson today is concerned we're in the second
main section of the epistle where Paul is demonstrating
the universal nature of the church. By explaining
how God brings both Jesus, excuse me not Jesus but how God brings
both the Jews and the Gentiles into one body which is the church through Jesus
Christ. So the church is universal not because it does everything exactly
the same way they have exactly the same time for worship.
But rather because disparate peoples have been brought
together into one body. And that's the point he's trying to get across here in
Ephesians. So he's highlighted this idea by showing the extraordinary
lengths that God has gone to in order to bring the
Gentiles into the church. The assumption for the reader is that the
story of how the Jews were brought into Christ is well known having been documented
in the Old Testament in other words the Jews don't have to be taught how they
were brought into the church. They know that, they followed the
prophets and the prophecies in the life of Jesus, I mean Jesus was a Jew. And so he
doesn't have to teach the Jewish Christians how they were brought into the
church but he does have to teach the Gentiles about this idea. And
so the story of God's effort for the Gentiles is recounted
by Paul to his Ephesian brethren. Now the reason for this is
that there were problems between the Gentiles and Jewish
Christians. And they were having problems accepting each
other in the body of Christ. I guess
we call it the demographics. The Jews were in the minority
numerically in this church. No matter how many there
were the Jews were a smaller number. However they were the first to
receive the gospel. And then on the other side the Gentiles. They
were the numerical majority but they were the newer converts and they
were less educated religiously. So each had some kind of bragging
points if you wish. And that's what was causing some of the trouble. So in
the last lesson that we had on this book we looked at what Paul
says to remind these Gentile Christians what God had done for them
through Jesus Christ in order to get them to where they were. In other words you
don't have any reason to brag. You might be in the majority numerically but that's
not a reason you need to boast. He was doing this to counter
feelings of resentment towards the Jews which may have been poisoning their overall
Christian attitude which should have been one of gratitude. Never mind feeling proud
that you're a lot. Never mind the competitive nature that you have. Your
feeling ought to be humility because of the way that God had brought you into the
church. In other words the Gentiles should be grateful to God. Not resentful
towards the Jewish brethren in the church. And he says that before Christ, before knowing Christ,
they were apart from God. They did not belong with the people
of God. He tells them they had no hope of salvation. And he says even if they were converted
to Judaism they were still considered second class citizens. That's when they were
converted to Judaism. They should be happy now that they're converted to Christianity. They have full fellowship. They're no longer second class citizens. All reasons that they
should be grateful to be in the body of Christ. So Paul continues
as we we're going to pick up the lesson here Paul continues. Now
that they are in Christ he says they have direct access to God
through Jesus Christ. They don't have to go through some other
intermediary. And he tells them that they're equal partners with the Jews. They're
not second class citizens. They're equal partners in the kingdom of
God they're equal partners in the family of God they're equal partners in
the temple of God. And Paul uses all these terms the kingdom the
family the temple. All of these refer to the church in one way or another. Now in addition to this
Paul says that they now have hope of salvation. Didn't have that before but now
they have a hope of salvation. And we know in the Bible when we talk about hope, hope isn't
wishful thinking, it's not, I keep my fingers crossed. Some people say well I hope you don't, they keep their fingers crossed. That's not the kind of hope that is in the Bible. Hope
in the Bible is a confident expectation. You are confident that you
will receive the thing that God has promised you. That's biblical hope. So he says now that these Gentiles have
been added to the church they have a hope a confident expectation of
salvation something they didn't have as pagans. As pagans they had
no hope at all. He says they have unity with everyone. No longer second class citizens no longer the court
of the Gentiles, the court of the Israelites. Now everyone is equally
part of the body. And he says they now have
value as the people of God. No one person in the church
regardless of his or her gifts or talents or position in the church. No
one person is more valuable in God's sight than the other.
Everyone has equal value. So with this said Paul ends his comments
regarding what God has done for the Gentiles and he's going to offer a prayer of
thanksgiving on their behalf. He's going to begin this passage of thanks in
chapter 3 verse 14. But first, he has one other thing he wants to discuss
with him. So if you have your Bibles the the passages would be up on the on
the screen there. But if you'd prefer a reading in your Bibles go to
Ephesians and we'll be in chapter number three. So he's going to
begin this prayer of thanks in chapter 3 verse 14. But
before he gets there as I said he wants to talk about one of the
thing. And the other thing he wants to talk about is he wants to
give details of his own very special ministry among the Gentiles. Now
he's listed the things that God has done for them. Now he's going to
give them some information about the person that God chose
specifically to minister the gospel to the Gentiles. Yet one more
effort on God's part to bless them in Christ
Jesus. And so Paul's apostolic ministry to the Gentiles.
That's the information contained chapter 3 beginning in verse 1. So let's read
verse one it says, "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ
Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles." So he refers
back to the original reason why he's in jail. And if
we were to read Acts chapter 21 we find out the reason that he's in jail. "Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying
himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the
days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each of them. When the
seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began
to stir up all the multitude and laid hands on him, crying out, 'Men of Israel,
come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against
our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks
into the temple and has defiled this holy place.' For they had previously
seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that
Paul had brought him into the temple." That episode led to his
imprisonment. The idea being that he was associating with Gentiles. And so Paul says, I'm
associating with you and this association this ministry I've been given has
gotten me in a lot of trouble. I've been arrested for this. So he's been arrested by the Jews
because of their opposition to his work among the Gentiles. So because of
his ministry in Christ's name to the Gentiles by the time he's writing the Ephesians
letter he's already spent almost three years in jail. In chapter 3 verse 2 he reviews
the idea of his own special ministry, all in one sentence. Verse two,
let's read that. Now we're back in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 2 he says, "if
indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was
given to me for you;" So he says you have heard have you not of the
special ministry God gave me to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.
And so his Apostleship is referred to as grace. Because it was wholly undeserved.
You know in Paul's mind he didn't deserve to be an Apostle. He knew he was
an Apostle. He served as an Apostle. He had the authority of an Apostle, but he
always remember he didn't deserve to be an Apostle. Why? Well because he had persecuted the
Lord's church. That's why he calls his apostleship, the grace that was
given to me, not only his salvation with the ministry he's been given
it's a grace that he's received. And so he keeps going in verse three we're going to
read through the passage verse three, "that by the revelation there was made known
to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief." So his
Apostleship to the Gentiles He calls it a mystery. This
mystery was made known to him at his conversion. We don't have to
go back there, but in Acts chapter 22 the Lord says to him
"Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles." So he
knew what his ministry was. It's not just he thought well you know I know how
to speak Greek and I know how to get along with these people. I might as well go there. No
he was specifically given this ministry by Jesus. And so we continue
chapter three beginning in verse four, "By referring to this, when you read you
can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy
apostles and prophets in the spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are
fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the
promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a
minister according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according
to the working of His power." So he explains what God revealed to him when
He called him to his general ministry, his specific
ministry. A ministry that had as its objective the global news
that Gentiles were also eligible for God's grace and blessings.
That was news to the Jews. And he was a Jew and he was a Pharisee. I can just imagine how difficult, not only, oh Lord you really are the Lord. That first understanding that
he had been persecuting the one who was his Lord. And then the second wake up was
you're going to go preach the gospel to the Gentiles. And I don't know but I'm
wondering if Paul the Jew the Pharisee said, you want me to do what? That's the mystery. This was not made known before but now has been
revealed through the Apostles and through their ministry. And it had been
a difficult issue in the early church. I mean in Acts 15 we read about
you know the meeting in Jerusalem with Paul and the
Apostles in the church. To talk about his ministry
among the Gentiles. Was that a legitimate thing. And also did the Gentiles need to
become Jews before they became Christians. That was really the battle
going on. And at some point the Jewish Christians some were saying you know I guess the
Gentiles can become Christians. But first they need to be circumcised and then they need to do this.
In other words they had to become Jews. And Paul argued against
this idea and the idea of the mystery not only the mystery on how
God was going to save mankind but the other idea that He was going to bring all
people to Him in exactly the same way Jew and Gentile. And Paul was the
instrument of that bringing together and
unifying those people. So we keep going in verse 8 he says, "To me, the
very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the
unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the
mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things." So Paul
the persecutor was given the gift of revealing to the Gentiles
the riches available for them in Christ Jesus. Riches
created and preserved in time by God. Now remember we've talked about
the riches right at the beginning. All the riches of heaven: forgiveness,
righteousness, eternal life, Sonship. He's saying all of these riches I
was given the grace the wonderful task if you wish of
announcing to the Gentiles that these riches were for them not just for
the Jews. Riches that men could not obtain by
themselves. That's why it's grace. Riches that men couldn't even
understand. That's why it's enlightenment. And it is now revealed he says and given freely
to them by God through Christ through the ministry of Paul. So in
verse 10 he goes on and says, "in order that the
manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the
rulers and to the authorities in the heavenly places." Why
this revelation now? So that the revealing of God's
redemptive work would be done both in heaven and on earth. Let's go
to I Peter shall we. Just to shed some light on this particular
passage. In I Peter chapter 1 verse 12. Peter says when he
talks about 'it.' He's talking about the gospel and God's plan
and so on and so forth. Peter says, "It was revealed to them that they were not
serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those
who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven -
things into which angels long to look." So now men know.
And now angels know. And now the church is the
instrument of that revelation. Peter is saying that even the angels
didn't know God's full plan. And the prophets who spoke about Jesus
coming and what He would do, they didn't know the full picture of the plan. And Paul is saying now that plan has been
revealed heaven and earth to the angels and to men. Again he's talking about his own ministry
what a privilege it is. And you know what it continues to be a privilege. Even in
the modern age. There's nothing that I enjoy that gives me
more spiritual satisfaction than seeing someone who did not know the
gospel you know. Not a clue about what the gospel was about what God was about. And
have them through study and so on and so forth come to an understanding of the
gospel and obey the gospel and see the joy in their heart and see their life
changed. What a magnificent and wonderful moment it is for those who share in that
whether you're a minister or a member of the church with no particular gift
to speak publicly, many of you have brought your children your family and your
friends to Christ you know what I'm talking about. How wonderful that is. So Paul is saying hey
this was given to me. I'm the first one that has to go out and do
this. So we see how God considers the church as
a precious thing. Paul calls it the pillar and the support
of the truth (I Timothy 3:15). And so he rounds out
this passage in verse 11 and 12 and he says, "This was in
accordance with the eternal purpose which he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in
whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. Therefore
I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf for they
are your glory. This mystery hidden for all ages has come to be
known through Jesus Christ who is now our mediator between ourselves and the Father." And so let's
summarize a little what he said in this kind of long passage here
about his ministry about the church. First of all he says God had a plan to
group together all men into one body of saints which would
be reconciled to Himself. Next he says God prepared and worked
His plan to be fulfilled through Jesus Christ through the death burial
and resurrection of Christ. Then he says God used different men and
women and angels to accomplish His plan without them knowing the
full extent of the plan. And then he says now that Christ
has completed the work. He is using the body of saints,
which is the church, To reveal His plan to all
men and to angels as well. And of course in all of this he
kind of puts his own ministry into context. He's saying and I'm that Apostle to whom God has given the task of revealing
this mystery to the Gentiles. Now I read verse 13 but I'll
read it again here if we can get it up on the on the screen it says.
"Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they
are your glory." So he asked them not to be discouraged on account of his
imprisonment. Remember he's writing to them he's in prison. Why? Well he's been in prison for years. All the
work among the Gentiles seems doomed to stop. Their position is threatened. They may see things in this way. The leader of the cause if you
wish among the Gentiles he's in jail. What's going to happen? So Paul
reassures them in two ways. First he says, he describes how
their position has been in God's plan always. And He considers
them precious. In other words: Don't worry God is the one
who takes care of you not me. Yes I may have had the task of preaching the gospel to you, but God is the one who takes care of the church. I
might make an aside here sometimes when I'm talking to some of the brethren in
mission churches, small congregations 30 members 50 members and
so on and so forth and sometimes the preacher or the leaders may be a little
discouraged because the work is so hard in the field. And the thing I tell
them over and over again is hey it isn't your church. It's God's church. God is the one that takes care of His church.
God is the one who adds. You just keep ministering. You just keep
serving doing what you're supposed to be doing. Let God "worry" about
the church, it belongs to Him and He loves His church and He loves
it more than you do even. And so Paul is in a sense saying that don't worry God
is the one who takes care of us and secondly his imprisonment is a testimony to how
important the work among the Gentiles really is. He's like an
ongoing symbol. Sometimes people with causes. Nobody pays
attention. And then all of a sudden the leader of the cause is imprisoned somehow and
all of a sudden that cause gets a lot of attention sometimes it's not a worthy cause. We
know that. But in this case it was a worthy cause. And Paul is saying my
imprisonment is a witness it's putting our case in front of the entire
population. So if they realize these things they will not lose heart. And we
shouldn't either when we fail because you know God wants to save us. I've spoken to a lot
of people who feel sometimes a little hesitant about their
salvation not so sure. And I try to remind them,
God wants to save you. It's not like you're hanging on by your fingertips,
heaven is up here salvation is here and you're just hanging on with your fingertips and God's trying to get your finger. He wants to save you. He's put
all these things into place to save our souls. We should never think that God is trying
to push us away. He's not he's trying to draw us to Him. Satan is the one who
doesn't want us to be safe. So Paul's intercessory prayer for the
Gentile begins here. Verse 14 he says, "For this reason I bow my knees before the
Father." So he picks up where he left off in verse 1. And he says because of
God's provision for all men in this most extraordinary way
Paul is moved to pray. And so he says in verse 15, "from
whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name." He prays
to God the Father, the word father means source. Some people
think father, the original root word means
male, but it means source. So he prays to God the Father who is the
source of all mankind. That's why all men need to be united in Christ in order
to come to the Father to the source. So he says Christ makes it
possible for all men separated from God separated from one another to be
united back to one another and to their spiritual Father.
That's why Jesus you always hear Jesus is the answer. That can be just like a key, it
fits so many locked doors. He is the answer to revelation. If you don't
believe that Jesus is the Son of God you have a hard time understanding the gospel and
the prophets. He is the answer to our relationship with God the Father.
Because it's through Christ that we that we come to the Father. And then in verse 16 in his prayer he
explains these ideas and he continues he says "that He will grant you, according to the riches
of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man." So now he's asking for
something, before he asked that God would enlighten them so they could
better grasp the blessings that they have in Jesus Christ. Now he asks
that God strengthen them in various ways. So strengthen
he says the inner man which refers to what? Well the soul, the
heart, the spirit, strengthen that. Secondly strengthen with spiritual
power not human power not ability. Strengthen them according to
God's ability and resources and provide this strength through the Holy Spirit
not through self-will not through practice not through physical effort. But
through the Holy Spirit. Of course this brings us to another question which is
well how does the Holy Spirit strengthen the inner man with power? I
understand the words, but what I don't understand is
how does it get done? Well the Bible describes
two ways. First of all God strengthens the
inner man through His word. Acts 20:32 says, and here Paul is
speaking to the elders at Ephesus and he says, "And now I commend you to God
and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you
the inheritance among all those who are sanctified." The word has
the power to build up. Obviously he doesn't mean build up
like: put on muscles or gain an inch of height. He's talking about
building up strengthening the inner man. And Paul tells us in II Timothy 3:15-16 that God's word can lead us to salvation. It can teach us it
can examine and correct our thinking and understanding it can train us to live
righteously in service to God and others. So how does God strengthen us through
the Holy Spirit in the inner man? Through the word. I mean the Holy
Spirit is the one who brings us God's word. II Peter 1:20-21. Peter says men moved by the Holy Spirit
spoke from God. So how am I strengthen the inner man. Through God's word. Why do you think the elders have
thought it wise not only to have a communion service
on Sunday morning as we ought with preaching, but also to add another
period of teaching and encouragement on Sunday evening and even add to that
a third period where we can gather together to hear the word on Wednesday night. Why? Because of tradition? Well sometimes. But I believe it's because
of wisdom sake. Because our spiritual leaders understand that
it is through the Word of God that we are strengthened in the
inner man. And so the word is in competition with, what did
I hear 18,000 commercials a week. 18000 ads a week we see. Online on TV. We cannot go anywhere without seeing
an advertisement for something. Day after day and the younger you are the
more of those you see day after day after day bombarded with the world. And we set aside what for actual teaching of
the word may maybe an hour and a half to two per week. So he says the first way is through the word.
The second way is through in-dwelling Acts 2:38, what Peter said to them? Repent, let
each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your
sins and you shall receive what? The gift of the Holy Spirit. So Peter the
Apostle tells us that at baptism we not only receive forgiveness for sins
but the indwelling of the Spirit. Now some have taught that this is this only
means that the Holy Spirit dwells in us only through the Word. In other
words we read the Word of God and the concepts and ideas come into our
minds and into our hearts. And that's how the Holy Spirit dwells
in us. However Romans 8:11 Paul
describes a much more dynamic experience and reality of the
Spirit of God within us. "But if the Spirit of Him who raised
Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus
from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through
His Spirit who indwells you." That's twice he said that. I believe the Bible teaches that
the Holy Spirit not just words resides in the Christian. Now
I can't explain how God's Spirit co-exists with my
spirit in my body. I don't understand the metaphysical,
the mechanic how does that happen? I don't know how that happens. I
only know that the Bible says that the Spirit of God
indwells dwells within me and I believe that I don't have to explain
it. I have to believe it. And I do. But in Ephesians Paul says the Spirit
strengthens the inner man. And the question is how does He do this? And we
said He does it through the Word. But He also does it in another way.
First of all the Spirit within us intercedes for us stay in Romans
chapter 8 this time go down to verse 26 and Paul says, "And in the
same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray
as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with
groanings too deep for words." If the Spirit of God dwells in us
just through ideas then how do you reconcile Romans 8:26? The Spirit enables us to connect
with God with confidence in prayer. And this confidence
strengthens our faith and our hope. I know that God hears
me. I know that God understands me even when I'm
not understanding myself. Why? Because the Holy
Spirit intercedes for me. The Holy Spirit also comforts
us in Acts chapter 9 verse 31 says the following, "So the
church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed
peace," listen "being built up and going on in the fear of the
Lord. And in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and continue to increase."
Not the comfort that comes from counseling with a psychiatrist. Not the
comfort that comes from encouragement given to us from others that we
understand and appreciate. The Holy Spirit's direct comfort that
grants us the peace of mind and the peace within our heart that goes beyond human
understanding. What do you think Paul is talking about when he says
peace beyond understanding? Everything in my life
may be falling apart. And yet I have no fear because
the Lord is with me. This kind of comfort. Paul is saying this is the comfort that the
Spirit gives us and then we go back to Ephesians again another
way that the Holy Spirit encourages us is through
enlightenment. Chapter 1 of Ephesians we already went over this but
there is another reference he says, "I pray that the eyes of your heart
may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling,
what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." It's
the Holy Spirit that does this work of enlightening us to God's
will and purpose and His word. We should not be afraid of that. So Paul
prays for God to strengthen the Gentiles in all of these different
ways so they can achieve certain spiritual goals. He's prayed
for the means to reach the following two ends and so
we'll finish up chapter 3 verses 17 to 19 he says,
so he says "to be strengthened with power through
His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to
comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and
depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be
filled up to all the fullness of God." So I want you to be strengthened the inner man
through the word through the Spirit. For what purpose? Number one, the first goal: to
permit them to surrender more of themselves to Christ. Christians need
to be strengthened in the inner man and in faith so that Christ can
take a greater possession of them. Only the spiritually strong
can be meek as Christ is meek. Only the spiritually strong can crucify the flesh as
Christ was crucified. Christian life is not for
weaklings, it's not for scaredy cats. The idea is that the Holy Spirit strengthens us so that there can
be more of Christ in us and less of us in us. The second goal. The second goal, He wants the Spirit through
the Word through the Spirit to be strengthened in the inner man. Why? To enable them to
truly understand the capacity of God's love. There is a thing
in counseling, a dictum that people cannot give what they have
not received. If you've grown up as a child and you've not received
any encouragement. If you've not received any genuine
physical love which is proper. Than growing up, it's very hard for you to do
that. I'm not saying impossible. You can learn to do that but it doesn't
come naturally. Well in the same way we who are so small our
capacity for love is so small. It's hard for us to understand God's love
because we can't get our minds around it. But it's important to know and
understand how wide God's love is because it's the source of our joy. So as Christ dwells in us and we are
growing in Him we begin to see that God's love is endless.
It surpasses knowledge we can't know the end of it. If we're
growing in this understanding then there is no end to our development either and
consequently we begin to experience the nature of eternal life that we are
called to. Do you understand what he's saying? Please God, make their capacity to understand
grasp your love, open it up bigger capacity. Because in
doing so they'll understand you more and in understanding you
and in experiencing you they will begin to experience the life
that they have been called to in Christ Jesus, not this life. The next life. So in making this prayer
Paul wants them to be filled to the brim with the things of God: love and joy
and peace and understanding so on and so forth. The last two verses.
20 and 21 let's finish it off. It says, "Now to Him who is able to do
exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power
that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to
all generations forever and ever. Amen." Those two verses called
a doxology. A doxology refers to spontaneous prayers.
Paul is praying for them. He is explaining what blessings they have. And in the
middle of it he is so overcome by the grace and wonder of it all he
just breaks out into praise. And he praises God who he says is able
to do more than we ask more than we think more than we can
even imagine. I mean salvation through Christ. Who could
have ever imagined such a thing? And he talks about God who is also
able to do beyond our wildest imagination using what we already
possess, and what we already possess: the Word. The Spirit. So in this passage of spontaneous praise we see that God is
glorified and praised by His church. God is glorified and praised
only in connection with Christ. And God is glorified and praised in
this way forever. So just a couple of finishing thoughts here
and the lesson will be yours. First of all we need to understand we are
this church today. He's talking about us. We're these people. That prayer is for us. Secondly we are the instrument that
delivers the message of salvation in the 21st century. Why do you think we go to the trouble
of streaming the class and the sermons and the Bible teaching. Why? Because we're responsible to get this
message out to as many people as we can in our generation. I'm not responsible for
what happened in 1922. And I will not be responsible for what
happens in 2090. But in 2012, okay, I'm at
bat. It's my turn. It's your turn. Thirdly we have the
word and we have the Spirit today in the same measure as
they had it. And finally Paul's prayer should be our
prayer. More of Christ in us. More of God's love to grow deep in us
and instead of asking for more things or more time or more comfort we should ask
God to expand our capacity to be filled with spiritual blessings. In other words let's
ask Him to give us a better taste of the world to come, not the world that
we're in. Alright, we went over a little. I appreciate your attendance. That's
the class for this time. We'll pick it up in chapter 4 in lesson number 8. We are dismissed.
