1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:1-2  Introduction

Intro to Bible Study Methods:  We will spend the first part of tonight doing a large-group overview of the basics of Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, and Application. 

Read through: Next, we will split into small groups and read through the entire book of Ephesians to get the big picture.  I suggest having one person read each chapter.  After reading through the book, take some of the remaining time to discuss some of these questions:

·         What seem to be some of the main themes of Ephesians?

·         Did you notice anything about the structure of the book?  How were the first three chapters different than the last three chapters?  [The first three chapters of Ephesians focus on teaching/doctrine.  The last three chapters focus on living/practice.] 

·         Why do you think that Paul wrote three chapters on theology and doctrine and then three chapters on application and living?  Do you think the order is significant or important?  Why didn’t Paul just write one and not the other?  [There is a lot of good opportunity for discussion here.  It is significant that Paul wrote about doctrine before turning to application.  We saw him do this in the book or Romans as well.  Application must be based on theology, and theology must lead to a change in how we live!  It is wrong to separate the two, even thought that is what seems to appeal to most people!  Too many people want advise on how to live a better life, but don’t want to hear “boring” teaching about God and salvation.  Some other people are interested in every detail of theology, but never stop to apply these truths to their lives.  Both are unhealthy.]

·         What other things stood out to you from Ephesians?  What are some of the questions you have as we start this study?  (Right now we’re just asking what some of those questions are.  Don’t try to answer them all now.)

vs. 1-2  Greeting

·         1: Who is the author of this letter?  What do you know about him?  [Ephesians was written by Paul the Apostle.  Paul, also known as Saul, used to be a Pharisee and was trained as an Old Testament expert.  He used to be an enemy of Christians and worked to persecute the early believers.  He was changed when the risen Lord Jesus appeared to him while Paul was on the road to Damascus to persecute more Christians.  (Acts 9)  After his conversion Paul spent the rest of his life as a missionary, traveling to tell people about Jesus.  He planted many churches including the church in Ephesus (Acts 19.)  Acts 21 records Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem and his being sent to prison in Rome to await trial on trumped up charges brought up by many of Paul’s fellow Jews.  It is during this time in prison that Paul probably wrote the four “prison epistles” of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.  Paul was probably released after two years of prison in Rome.  A few years later he was arrested again and killed under the persecution of Nero in 64 AD.] 

·         1: This letter was written to the Christians in the city of Ephesus.  In the Bible, all genuine Christians are called “saints” which means “holy ones.”  This letter was written to the Christians in the city of Ephesus, but was intended on being circulated to other churches as well.  Unlike most of Paul’s other letters, such as Colossians or Galatians, Paul does not deal with any problems specific to the church in Ephesus.  In many ways Ephesians in a very general letter of foundational Christian truth.  In fact, some of the earliest manuscripts of Ephesians do not contain the phrase “in Ephesus” which leads some scholars to conclude that this phrase was not in the original document.  Perhaps it was intended for several churches and Ephesus was the first on the circulation list.  It is similar in content to the book of Colossians, although Colossians deals with specific problems in that church.  It is likely that Paul wrote this letter from a Roman prison in the year 61 AD. 

·         2: Paul greets his readers with grace and peace.  He mentions the source of this grace and peace as being “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Both God the Father and Jesus Christ are both “God” and “Lord” but the New Testament commonly refers to God the Father as “God” and Jesus as “Lord.”  

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 

7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.  11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 

13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:3-14 Every Spiritual Blessing for the Praise of God’s Glory

Note: I have MP3s online of ten messages I did on Ephesians chapters 1 and 2.  You will find them at the bottom of the multimedia page of www.peaceyouthgroup.com.

Observations: 

In the original Greek, verses 3-14 are all one long sentence.  Paul is praising God for the spiritual blessings He has given to us through Christ.  It is easy to see the Trinity in this passage.  In verses 3-6 Paul focuses on the work of God the Father.  Verses 7-12 focus on God the Son.  Verses 13-14 focus on God the Holy Spirit.  I’ve also noticed that phrase “the praise of His glory” keeps reoccurring.  We should take notice when something keeps reoccurring because that is something that is being emphasized.  The emphasis here is that all of these blessings from God are for the specific purpose of the praise of His glory.  Even though we get huge benefits from these blessings, they are God-centered, not man-centered.  If our hearts do not praise His glory—if we do not treasure His greatness because of these things—we have missed the main point. 

It is also very interesting to notice that a statement about the praise of God’s glory comes at the beginning and end of each of these sections.

vs. 3-6  Blessings from God the Father

·         3: What is Paul praising God the Father for in this verse?  [He is praising Him for all of the spiritual blessings that God has given to us in and through Christ.]  What is a “blessing”?  [It is a good thing given to you.]  What kind of blessings are these?  Are they physical and material blessings like money, treasure or health?  [No.  They are spiritual blessings, and they are in the heavenly realm.  These blessings are far more important and permanent than any of the material blessings that God might give us.]  How did we get these blessings?  On our own?  [We received them in Christ and because of Him.] 

·         4: Verse 4 tells us about one of these spiritual blessings.  What is it?  [God chose us… to be holy and blameless in His sight.]  Through Jesus, we are made holy and sinless in the eyes of God.  Because genuine Christians are “in Christ” when God looks at us, He sees the righteousness of Christ.   

·         4: When did God choose us for this?  [Before the foundation of the world.]   

·         5: What is another one of the spiritual blessings listed in verse 5?  [God predestined us to be adopted as His sons.]  Is everyone one of God’s children?  [No.  We do not start out as one of God’s sons.  In John 8:44 Jesus told the Pharisees that their father was the devil.]  Why is it a blessing to be adopted as one of God’s sons?   

·         4-5: This is one of the places where the Bible teaches the doctrines of election and predestination.  Many people say that they don’t believe in predestination, but the actual word is used right here.  The word for “predestination” (proorizo) means “to mark out beforehand.”  It was a term used by surveyors.  Also, when a builder is going to build a building, he will put stakes in the ground where the building is to be.  He is marking it out beforehand.  Therefore, God marked out beforehand those who would eventually be adopted as His sons.  This was done “in accordance with His pleasure and will.”  This means that the decision was up to God’s wisdom and judgment.  Also, notice that verse 4 tells us that believers were chosen before the foundation of the world.  This is election.  To elect is to choose.  From our perspective it seems that we choose God, but from God’s perspective He choose us first.  The hard question is not, “Why did He choose some?” but “Why did He choose anyone!”  God didn’t have to choose anyone at all!  Also, the Biblical teachings of election and predestination do not eliminate human responsibility.  The Bible teaches both God’s complete sovereignty and human responsibility.  We see both in Acts 2:23: the murder of Jesus was “by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge” yet it was done by “wicked men.”  Many people find these teachings to be difficult and unacceptable.  Yes, they are difficult to understand, but we should accept them because God teaches them.  We should believe in both God’s sovereignty and human responsibility even if we can’t figure out how they fit together.  God is far more concerned that we believe both of these truths than if we can figure out how they work together without contradicting each other.  It all makes sense to God, and He has it figured out even if we don’t.  (We will talk about God’s sovereignty in youth group sometime soon.) 

·         6: All of this is “to the praise of His glorious grace.”  God has given us His grace “freely” in Christ.  It is not something we earn or deserve. 

vs. 7-12  Blessings from God the Son

·         7: What does “redemption” mean?  [The word redemption (apolutrosis) means to buy back, or to purchase in order to set free.  It was a term that was used in the slave market.  In the ancient world, when a person got into deep debt he might sell himself into slavery in order to take care of the debt.  If someone bought that slave in order to set him free, they would be “redeeming” that slave.  They would pay the price so that the slave could go free.  Jesus paid the price required to set us free from our slavery because of our sin.  Thus, we are doubly-owned by God.  First because He made us, and again because He paid the price to buy us back.] 

·         7: How do we have this redemption?  [Through Jesus’ blood.]  What does Jesus’ blood have to do with it?  [Jesus had to die for us to be forgiven and set free from the bondage of sin.]   

·         7-8: Based on verses 7 and 8, would you say that God was stingy or generous with the good things God has given us?  What makes you think this?  [God has not been stingy with His blessings.  He has been exceedingly generous.  Notice the word “lavished” in verse 8.  Also notice that verse 7 said that God given us His grace “in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”  God does not merely bless us out of His riches, but according to His riches.  If Bill Gates gave you a gift out of his riches, it might only be a small present, maybe a Chia Pet.  But if he gave you a gift according to his riches, you would be getting a very huge gift like a jet or something crazy.  If this is true for Bill Gates, how much more is it true of God.  Think about and appreciate what means to be blessed according to the riches of God’s grace!] 

·         9: Remember, in the Bible a “mystery” is a truth that God had kept hidden in the past but was now being revealed.   

·         10: If you are reading the NIV, you might think that verse 10 is saying that “even Christ” is one of the things that will be put under the “one head.”  The NIV is awkward here and that would be the wrong way to read it.  Christ Himself is the one head that everything else is brought together under.  God’s plan was to bring all things under the authority of Jesus Christ.   

·         11: Here is another reference to election and predestination. 

·         11:  How much does God work out in conformity with the purpose of His will?  [Everything.  Not just some things.  This is a reference to God’s sovereign will, His ultimate plan for everything.  This is not the same as God’s moral will, His desire for how we should live.  God’s sovereign will is usually secret, and always comes to pass.  God’s moral will is revealed to us, but we don’t always follow it.] 

·         12: What does it mean “to hope in Christ”?  [It means to set our firm hope or trust in Christ alone for salvation.  What do you hope will get you to heaven?] 

·         12: Notice the words “in order that.”  These words point to the purpose for what God did.  What was the purpose for all that Christ did for us?  [It is for the praise of His glory.] 

vs. 13-14  Blessings from God the Holy Spirit

·         13: When were Paul’s original readers included in Christ?  [When they heard and believed the word of truth, the gospel of salvation.  This is how people get saved.  First, people need to hear the message of salvation.  Second, they need to believe this message, placing their faith in the Lord Jesus alone for their salvation.  Two obvious applications for this verse are that (1) Christians need to tell the message, and (2) Non-Christians need to believe this message so they will be saved.] 

·         13: Notice the phrase “in Christ.”  This is a reoccurring theme.  We need to spend more time thinking about what it means to be “in Christ.”  Let this become the core of your identity. 

·         13-14: According to these verses, when are Christians sealed with the Holy Spirit?  [When they believed.  Therefore, all Christians have been sealed by the Spirit.  As we will see, the sealing of the Spirit has to do with security and ownership.]   

·         14: What does it mean that the Spirit is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance?  [All Christians receive the Holy Spirit into their lives at the moment they are saved.  One of the things that the Holy Spirit does is to guarantee our complete salvation and the inheritance that God will give us.  Sometimes when people intent to make a large purchase, they will give the seller “earnest money” or a deposit guaranteeing that the rest will be coming soon.  The Holy Spirit is the “nonrefundable deposit” that God gives guaranteeing that He won’t back out of the deal.  This means that one of the main benefits of this is the sense of security we can have.  It also means that the blessings that we have now are only the “down-payment” of all that God intends to give us!] 

·         14: The sealing of the Spirit also gives us security in this way: In the ancient world, kings and other important people would use a signet ring pressed in hot wax to make a seal to close scrolls.  The wax would bear the image of the signet ring and no one could open the scroll until it got to the person it was meant to be delivered to.  If someone else tried to open the scroll, it would break the seal which could not be recreated.  Therefore, if believers are sealed until the day of redemption, it means that our salvation is guaranteed until it is complete.  Notice that verse 14 does not say that we are sealed “until the day we sin” or “until the day we lose our salvation.”  I think this is another passage that teaches the eternal security of genuine believers. 

·         14: In addition to security, the sealing of the Spirit shows that we are God’s possession.  It has to do with God’s ownership of us.  The sealing of the Spirit is God putting His name on us.  Remember the movie Toy Story and what it meant to Woody and Buzz to have Andy’s name written on the bottom of their foot.  It meant that they belonged to Andy.  If you are a believer, know that God has chosen you to belong to Him.   Let that give you identity, meaning, and purpose. 

·         14: Again, all of this is to the praise of God’s glory. 

15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Ephesians 1:15-23 Prayer for the Eyes of Your Heart

vs. 15-18  The hope and riches of His glorious inheritance

·         15-17: Paul is telling the Christians what he has been praying about for them.  Pay close attention to the things that Paul is praying about for their lives.  What do we usually pray about for other people?  [health, safe travel, etc]  These things are not wrong, but they can be superficial.  What if we started to pray for the same things that Paul prays for here?  What if we started to ask God for these things for our youth group, our church, our friends, and our families? 

·         17: What does Paul ask for in verse 17?  Why are the words “so that” important?  [He asks that they would receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation.  (I believe that “a spirit” as in the ESV and the NASB is correct rather than “the Spirit” in the NIV.)  Paul wants them to have wisdom and revelation so that they may know Him better.  The purpose of knowledge about God is to get to know Him more and more.  The more we know Him, the more we can love Him.] 

·         18: Paul prays that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened.  What does this mean?  Why does Paul say that their eyes are on their hearts?  [The eyes that we have on our heads let us see the physical world.  However, Paul told us in verse 3 that the main blessings that God has given us are not physical blessings, but spiritual blessings.  They are real, but they are not like a pile of gold that we can reach out and touch.  Therefore, we need to use a different set of “eyes” to see these blessings.  In the Bible, the term “heart” refers to the center of all our thinking, willing, and valuing.  Paul is asking for the eyes of their hearts to be enlightened so that they will see and value these massive blessings that God has given to believers in and through Christ!  Sin blinds eyes and clouds the vision of the heart.  The blessings are there, but often we don’t see them or care much about them.  Because of sin, we have poor spiritual vision and do not see and value these blessings the way we should.  We care more about the big pile of gold, or other things that are worth even less.  Paul’s prayer request here is central to Christian growth and discipleship!  May God also continue to open and enlighten the eyes of your heart so that you care more and more about God.] 

·         18: Paul said that he wants us to be able to see our future hope and the riches of His glorious inheritance.  Look back at verses 3-14.  Paul just finished listing some of the blessings that God has given us through the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  What are they?  How valuable are these?  How would each of them compare to a pile of gold?  May God open the eyes of your heart to let you see them better and value them more!   

vs. 19-23  His incomparably great power for us who believe

·         19: In verse 19, what else is Paul praying that the Christians would know?  [His incomparably great power]  How does Paul describe this power?  How great is it?  [It is incomparably great.]  What does Paul compare it to?  [Nothing.  It is incomparable.  There is no other power like it.] 

·         19: Why are the words “for us” important in verse 19?  [It is not enough just to think about how great God’s power is.  We need to start thinking about the fact that God uses His power for us!  If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus as your Savior, it means that God is using His unlimited, incomparable power for your benefit!]  How should this affect your thinking and your attitude? 

·         19-23: What else did God do with His great power?  [Paul points out that this is the exact same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead.  Not only did God raise Jesus to life when Jesus was as dead as a doornail, but He also raised Jesus up above every power, ruler, and authority.  This power took Jesus from the grave to the highest position in all existence!  That is a long way to “lift” someone up, and God didn’t run out of power halfway.  Also, remember that this is the same power that God is using “for us who believe!”  In the next chapter Paul will show us how God did the same thing for you!  You were dead in your trespasses and sins but God raised you up together with Christ and seated us with Him.  It is almost completely unbelievable.] 

·         20-23: What all does Paul teach us here about the position to which Jesus has been raised?  What are all the things that He is above?  Observation: Paul is stating the same basic concept in many different ways in order to highly emphasis this point.  [Jesus is seated with God the Father (on His throne) in the heavenly realms.  He is at God’s right hand, the supreme position.  He is not just above, but far above, all rule, all authority, all power, and all dominion.  This means that Jesus is totally supreme in His authority.  He is above all other possible authority.  Jesus is above every title, such as king, president, or emperor.  Not only is Jesus above every title in this age, Jesus is above every title in the age to come!  Everything is under His feet.  To have something “under your feet” is to rule it.  Again, this means that He has authority over everything.  Jesus is the head over everything, which again means that He has authority over everything.  He is head over everything, not just the church.  He is head over all things, for the benefit of the church.  Paul is emphasizing the point that Jesus Christ is the supreme Lord of all.] 

·         22: In verse 22 (as well as Ephesians 1:10) Jesus is referred to as the head over everything.  There are some who claim that the word “head” in the New Testament has nothing to do with authority.  One author boldly writes, “But never does the New Testament define Christ’s relationship to the church as its head in terms of lordship, authority, or rulership.”  Based on Ephesians 1:20-23, do you think you would agree?  [Are you kidding?] 

·         20-23: Do you think that you are included as one of the items that Christ has authority over?  [Obviously yes]  If so, how does that change your life? 

1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 

4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 

8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:1-10 Saved by grace through faith  

vs. 1-3  Dead in your sins

·         1-3: Observation: How do verses 1-3 connect with Ephesians 1:20-23?  Remember, there were no chapter divisions when Paul wrote this.  [In chapter 1, Paul wrote about Christ being raised from the dead, by the mighty power of God, to His high position in heaven.  Now in chapter 2 Paul wants us to realize that, if you have been saved, God’s mighty power has raised you from the dead spiritually in the same way that He raised Christ from the dead physically.] 

·         1: If Paul had written that we are “sick” in our sins, how would that be different from what he actually wrote?  [Sick people can recover.  Sick people can contribute to their own recovery.  But if someone is dead, they can’t even reach their hand out to take medicine.]  There are three basic views of humanity.  Some people see humans as being well.  Some see humans as being sick.  And some see humans as being dead.  

o        Well: Many people think that humanity is well.  They believe that people are basically good.  If they do bad things it is because of a lack of education or difficult economic circumstances. 

o        Sick: Other people, including many Christians, view humanity as basically being sick.  They believe that we can cooperate with God in order to make ourselves well.  God does His part and we do our part. 

o        Dead: The Bible teaches that we are dead.  This is the doctrine of total depravity.  We are so dead that we are unable to help ourselves and unable to respond to God unless He does a miracle in our hearts first.  This is also taught in Romans 3:10-11.  (For those of you who have started to think about issues relating to Calvinism and Arminianism, you will want to keep this in mind.  Arminians seem to think that we can at least reach out our hand to be saved, but Calvinists believe that we are dead and unresponsive until God acts.) 

·         Most people don’t like to talk about sin.  Some churches make it a point never to bring up something as negative as sin.  Obviously, Paul didn’t think that way.  He also didn’t redefine sin as “lack of self-esteem” or something less offensive like that.  Paul knew that we need to be honest with ourselves about our spiritual condition.  If you don’t know that you are drowning, you won’t reach out for the life preserver.  Also, once we are saved, the more that we realize the depth of our sin, the more we will appreciate what God did for us. 

·         2: Who is the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” that Paul mentions in verse 2?  [Satan.  Before you were saved, you followed Satan, even if you didn’t know it.] 

·         3: What does verse 3 tell you about your former condition?  What does it mean to be an object of wrath?  Why is this a terrible thing? 

vs. 4-7  Made alive with Christ

·         4: After reading verses 1-3, why is it good to see the word “but” at the start of verse 4?  [The NASB, the ESV, and the original Greek start verse 4 with the two words “But God.”  In a way, the whole Bible can be summed up the phrase “but God.”  This is like the point in the movie where things are at their darkest, and there seems to be no hope, but suddenly, unexpectedly, everything changes!  We were dead in our sins and deserved God’s wrath, but God…”] 

·         4: What can you know about God from verse 4?  What was God’s motivation?  What does this passage tell us about God’s love?  [God saved us because of His great love.  This means that if God didn’t have this great love for us, He wouldn’t have done this!  Also it is important to realize that God’s love is different from the way we often think about love.  We tend to love people because they are lovely.  But God loved us despite the fact that we were unlovely.  God’s love is rooted in Him, not in us.]  What does it say about His mercy?  [God is rich in mercy.  Grace is when God gives us what we don’t deserve, and mercy is when God doesn’t give us what we do deserve.  I know that I deserve eternal punishment, not all the good that God continues to show to me.] 

·         5: What does it mean that God made us alive with Christ?  [He raised us from the dead just as He raised Christ.  If you are a Christian, you are “in Christ.”  You are connected to Him and hidden in Him.  What happened to Him happened to you.  God doesn’t just forgive us; He gives us new life.] 

·         5: Why is the phrase “even when we were dead in our transgressions” important?  [God didn’t wait for us to clean up our act or to get better.  If God had waited for this, no one would be saved.  Dead people don’t get well.  We are not saved by cleaning up our act, by trying to clean up or act, or committing to clean up our act.] 

·         5: Explain the phrase “it is by grace you have been saved.”  What is “grace?”  [Grace means “free gift” or “undeserved favor.”  This verse means that salvation not something we deserve at all.]  What are we saved from?  [Wrath. vs. 3] 

·         6: What does verse 6 mean?  Think back to Ephesians 1:19-23.  Jesus was completely dead, and God raised Him from the dead and seated Him on the throne at God’s right hand.  If God raised us from the dead and “seated us with Him in the heavenly realms” how incredible is this? 

·         7: Notice the words “in order that.”  The words “in order that” show purpose.  What was God’s purpose in raising us from the dead and seating us with Christ?  [God’s purpose is to show the incomparable riches of His grace.  The ultimate purpose of our salvation is the glory of God.  God doesn’t just save us just to save us.  He saved us to show how amazingly glorious He is in His love and grace!  Without the cross, and without God’s grace being shown to us despite our rebellion and sin, we would never know the love of God as it truly is.  We would never really know what God was like and how good He is.] 

vs. 8-10  By grace, through faith, not by works

·         8-9: This is one of the most important and useful verses in the Bible.  Every Christian should make sure to memorize Ephesians 2:8-9 stone cold.  This verse is incredibly helpful for explaining the gospel to other people.  If you only have two verses memorized, they should be John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:8-9 (and then Romans 8:28.)  Seriously, make a point to memorize this verse! 

·         8: Paul again states that salvation is by grace.  He already said this in verse 5.  Why does he repeat himself?  [He is emphasizing this point because of how important he knows it is.]   

·         8: What is faith?  [Faith is trust.  We are saved by trusting in Christ alone, and not trusting in ourselves, or church, ceremonies, baptism, good deeds, relatives, nationality, intentions, or anything else, to save us.]  So, are we save by grace or by faith?  [We are saved by grace through faith.]  What does it mean that we are saved through faith?  [Christ’s perfect life and His death on the cross as our substitute is what earned the gift.  Grace is the way that God gives the gift, freely.  Faith is the way that we receive the gift, simply by believing Christ and trusting Him for this gift.  We put our trust in Christ as our sin-bearer and our only basis, our only hope, for salvation.  Faith is simply taking the gift.] 

·         8: Why is it important to “take the gift?”  [If someone offers you a gift, but you never actually take it, you don’t actually have the gift!  In the same way, the most tragic thing in the world is that God offers this gift to anyone who will take it, but most people walk away and never receive it.  If you have never actually received the gift of salvation, please take it!] 

·         8: Why does Paul say, “And this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God...”  [Sometimes people ask if verse 8 specifically teaches that “faith” itself is a gift given to us by God.  I happen to think that it is true that ultimately God gets credit even for the faith that we have.  However, this verse doesn’t prove that as strongly as it might seem in English.  In Greek, nouns are either masculine, feminine or neuter in gender.  The word translated “faith” is feminine but the word translated “this” is neuter.  If “this” specifically referred to faith, the word for “this” would have also been feminine.  The word for grace is also feminine.  “This” doesn’t specifically match with any of these nouns so it is best to think of “this” as referring to the entire salvation process.  Everything about our salvation is a gift from God.  I think that this includes our faith, although it isn’t limited to just that.  Remember, verse 1 said that we were dead in sin.  Dead people can’t have faith unless God does something first.  As we realize this, we realize that God gets absolutely all the credit and the glory.]  

·         9: What is Paul making clear in verse 9?  What does he specifically say that salvation is not by?  [Works]  What are works?  What does this say about boasting?  [We are not saved by any type of good deeds, or human merit.  There is nothing good in us that causes us to be saved.  We are not saved by anything at all that we can pat ourselves on the back for.  If you can pat yourself on the back for your salvation, you aren’t really saved yet!  You need to trust in Christ alone.  Remember… we are saved by grace alone, based on Christ alone, received through faith alone.  The contribution of human works is 0.000%] 

·         10: What does verse 10 say about the role of works or good deeds?  [We are not saved at all by good works, but we are saved for good works.  God intends for us to do good works.  Good works do matter, but they are not the cause of our salvation at all.  They are the result of salvation.  If you throw a rock in a pond it will cause a splash.  The splash is the result or effect of the rock, not the cause of it.  Yes, there will be a splash, but the splash didn’t cause the rock to be thrown in.  In the same way, when someone is genuinely saved, there will be a changed life and good works—although they might come gradually—but they will come if it is real.]

11Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Ephesians 2:11-22 One in Christ 

vs. 11-13  Brought near

·         11: Why is the word “remember” important in this verse?  [The word “remember” is a command.  Paul is telling us that there is something we need to do.]  What is that?  [Paul is telling us that we need to remember our past situation.] 

·         11: Who are “Gentiles by birth” and who are “the circumcision”?  [The Jews, the Hebrew people, are called the circumcision because the practice of circumcision was the sign that designated that they were members of that covenant community.  They were chosen as God’s special people.  The “Gentiles” are all other people who are not Hebrews.]  Which group are you in?  [Unless you were born with Hebrew blood in your veins, you are a Gentile.] 

·         11-13: What are all of the ways that this paragraph describes the former situation of the Gentiles?  Think about each of these and why they are a big deal. 

o        11: Called uncircumcismed  [Although males in America are usually circumcised today, regardless of religion, in the ancient world only the Jews were circumcised.]

o        12: Separate from Christ 

o        12: Excluded from citizenship in Israel  [Many Americans take their citizenship for granted.  But think about what it would be like not to be a citizen?  Think about the great lengths that some people go to trying to become American citizens.  It is a big deal to them because they don’t take it for granted!  In the same way, remember that as a Gentile, you would not have originally been a member of God’s people.  Citizenship is a big deal.  Citizenship includes benefits, identity, loyalty, and responsibilities.]

o        12: Foreigners to the covenants  [The covenants are the promises of God.  However, God’s promises are only worth something to you if they are promises that apply to you.  This verse is reminding us that there used to be a time when Gentiles did not benefit from these covenants.  But now, because of Christ, we have been grafted in to the benefits of God’s covenants with His people, the Hebrews.  (Note: In the Old Testament, Gentiles could be saved, but they needed to fully convert to Judaism.)]

o        12: Without hope.

o        12: Without God in this world

o        13: Far away   

·         13: How was it that we who were far away have been brought near?  What made this possible?  [The blood of Christ] 

·         Applications: What are some ways that this matters for our lives?

o        Don’t take your salvation for granted.  Even if you’ve been a part of a family that has gone to church your whole life don’t assume that you have a “right” to be here.  Unless God had intervened, you would be as lost as some pagan on an unknown island.  This should make us grateful

o        This should give us humility.  We shouldn’t think of ourselves as “natural” Christians.  We should never look at our non-Christian neighbors with contempt. 

vs. 14-18  Making peace

·         14-15: How did Christ make us one?  [He broke down the border fence that divided us.  He did this by abolishing the Law in His flesh.]  What does that mean?  [Christ did away with the law by fulfilling it.  Christ lived a perfect life, fulfilling God’s law in every detail.  He then died in our place as the ultimate sacrifice, fulfilling the predictions of all the Old Testament sacrifices.  Thus, we no longer look to the Law or the sacrifices of the Law to be right with God.  We all, Jew or Gentile, should look to Jesus Christ as the one who fulfilled God’s requirements for us.] 

·         15: Verse 15 says that His purpose in this was to create “one new man” out of the two.   

·         16: What does the word “reconcile” mean?  [“to bring back together”]  How did God do this?  [Through the cross] 

·         17: Who was far away and who was near?  [The Gentiles were the ones who were “far away.”  The Jews were the ones who were “near.”  The Jews had many advantages that the Gentiles did not have, such as revelation from God and the covenants.  However, just because the Jews were “near” didn’t mean that they were automatically saved.  A near miss and a far miss are both still a miss.  For example, if your plane takes off without you, you’ve missed it no matter if you were 5 minutes too late or 5 hours too late.] 

·         18: Now, both Jews and Gentiles can both have access to the Father through Jesus Christ.  What does it mean to have access to the Father?  Talk about why this is a big deal.    

·         What applications can you draw from this passage about the topic of racism? 

vs. 19-22  The result... you are now part of God’s building

·         19: Verse 19 uses the word “consequently.”  What is the consequence of what?  [This is a good consequence!  The consequence of both Jews and Gentiles having access to the Father through Jesus, by the Spirit, is that now we are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens and part of God’s household.] 

·         20: In verse 20 what is the church described as?  [The church is being described as a building. But remember, the actual church is not a building.  The church is the people.  “The church” is composed of all genuine Christians, no matter what denomination they are in and no matter if they are on earth or in heaven.]   

·         20: In verse 20, what is the foundation of the church?  [The apostles and the prophets.]  What are apostles and what are prophets?

o        Apostles: All Christians are disciples but not all Christians are apostles.  Disciple means “follower” but an apostle is “one sent with authority.”  The apostles were the twelve men who were selected by Jesus to be the foundation of the Christian church.  Judas was replaced by Matthias in Acts 2, but after the original 12 apostles died, they were not replaced.  Paul, Barnabas, and James the brother of Jesus are also referred to in the New Testament as apostles.  The apostles received special revelation from God and apostolic authority (2 Cor. 13:10).  The apostles were all eyewitnesses of the risen Christ.  Paul specifically tells us that “sign, wonders, and miracles” are “the things that mark an apostle.” (2 Corinthians 12:12)   Revelation 21:14 tells us that the walls of the city of New Jerusalem has twelve foundations with the names of the twelve apostles on them.  Because of all this, I disagree with the view that missionaries and church-planters are modern-day apostles.  I think this office was more specific than that.  (Church-planters should be considered “evangelists” as far as Eph. 4:11.)  In any event, hardly anyone thinks that we have apostles today in the same sense as the original apostles. 

o        Prophets: Prophets were “the mouth piece” of God.  They spoke a message directly from God.  This is different from a teacher.  A teacher studies and explains God’s Word, but a prophet directly communicates God’s Word as fresh revelation from God.  Not all prophecy has to do with predicting the future, however Deuteronomy 18:17-22 teaches that the test of a true prophet is that the prophet is able to predict the future.  It also teaches that false prophets are to be put to death.  (Anyone today who wants to claim to be a prophet should take this into account first!)  Like the apostles, the prophets were very important in giving the early church information from God in the period before they had the completed New Testament.  This is the reason that the spiritual gifts of apostle and prophet are listed in the lists of spiritual gifts; they are the most foundational because they are the two gifts that directly gave the church information from God.  Without apostles and prophets, Bible teachers wouldn’t know what to teach and evangelists wouldn’t know what to tell people!  (For more information on the different views of prophets today, see my article “What Is Prophecy?  Are There Real Prophets Today?”) 

·         When a builder builds a house, do they build the foundation of the house first or last?  After they build the foundation, do they put down a new foundation with each level that they add to the building?  [Each building only has one foundation.  The foundation is laid first, and then does not need to be laid again.  Each new floor of the building depends on the original foundation, but each new floor does not need a new foundation.  In the same way, Christians today depend on the original apostles and prophets as the foundation of the church.  They started the church and wrote the New Testament.  We still depend on them and the revelation that God gave through them, but we do not need new apostles and prophets today.  Ephesians 2:20 is a major reason that I do not expect there to be apostles and prophets today.  The foundation has already been completed.  We do not need a new cornerstone and we do not need new apostles and prophets.] 

·         20-22: What was the function of the cornerstone in a building?  [In ancient stone buildings, the first thing to be laid down was the cornerstone.  The cornerstone was the most important stone in the building.  The builders would make sure that the cornerstone was absolutely square because they would use the cornerstone as the guide for the rest of the building.]  In Acts 4:11 Peter quoted Psalm 118:22 and said, “The stone you builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”  What does this mean?  Why is Jesus called the cornerstone?   

·         What does all of this have to say about keeping Christ central?  Why is that important?  How do we do that?  If someone doesn’t have Christ as their cornerstone, are they a part of the same building?   

·         Who is the building?  [The Church, that is, everyone who has trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ alone as their Savior.]  What kind of a building is being built?  [A temple.]  Why a temple?  [A temple is a building in which God lives.  God lives in His people, the church.]  Just like an ancient stone building, the church is being built with “stones” of all different shapes and sizes, fit together perfectly by a master builder.  There is diversity and there is unity.

1For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

2Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

7I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. 8Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:1-21 How Wide and Long and High and Deep is the Love of Christ 

vs. 1-6  The mystery made known

·         3-6: In the Bible, what is a “mystery?”  [In the Bible, a mystery is a truth which had been hidden but was now being made known by God.  It does not mean something “mysterious” or mystical.  A mystery is a previously unrevealed truth.  When the Bible tells us a mystery, it is talking about information that we can know now, not something that is fuzzy and unknowable.]  Read verses 3-6 carefully.  Does this definition seem to fit?  [It sure does.] 

·         3: What do the words “by revelation” mean in verse 3.  What is revelation?  [Revelation is the process by which God reveals truth to the writers of Scripture.  The Greek word literally means “uncovering.”  Revelation is when the Holy Spirit gives truth to an apostle or prophet.  Inspiration is when the Holy Spirit guides the apostle or prophet to write the message down exactly how God wants it, without error.  Illumination is the work of the Holy Spirit to help us understand and apply the truth of the Bible.  These are all works of the Holy Spirit.] 

·         4: We now live in what is called the “post-modern” era.  Many people no longer believe in truth, or that truth can be known.  Even many Christians are being influenced these ideas.  However, take a look at verse 4.  Does Paul think it is impossible or possible for us to know truth?  How can this happen?  [Paul says that we can know truth, and that we can know it by reading the Bible.  By reading Scripture, we can understand the insight that God gave to Paul and the other apostles and prophets.  Some people say that the Bible is too difficult to understand.  Paul would disagree.  The Reformers called this the perspicuity of Scripture, the radical idea that God is a good communicator.] 

·         5: When we discussed Ephesians 2:20 I made the case that the apostles and prophets are no longer needed today because their role was to provide the foundation for the church.  The foundation of the church only needs to be put down once, not over and over again.  Also, I said that this had to do with the fact that apostles and prophets were the ones who received direct information from God and who wrote inspired Scripture.  Does Ephesians 3:5 seem to confirm or contradict that interpretation?  [I think it confirms that view.  3:5 specifically says that God revealed this new truth to the apostles and prophets.  Both apostles and prophets have to do with directly receiving revelation from God.  Now that the New Testament is complete, this important task is complete.]  

·         6: So, what is the mystery that Paul is revealing?  [The formerly unrevealed truth is that the Gentiles are heirs along with the Gentiles!  Gentiles too can share in the promises that God gave to the Hebrews. This was new information at the time!]  Here is an illustration.  Imagine that you are in the audience of Deal or No Deal and a woman wins $200,000.  You are happy for her, but the gift is for her, not you.  Then Howie Mandel turns to the audience and says, “I have a secret to tell you.  Everyone in the audience is also getting $200,000!” 

vs. 7-13  The manifold wisdom of God

·         7-9: What do these verses say about Paul’s job description? Note: When Paul said that he was the least of the apostles, he literally wrote that he was the “leaster” of the apostles.  He coined a new word.  His point was that he was the “most least”!  Paul was a humble man.  (Also, notice that verse 9 again backs up the fact that a mystery is a previously unrevealed truth.)   

·         10: What was God’s purpose in all of this?  What did He want to make known?  [God’s ultimate purpose is His glory.  His primary purpose in everything is to let us know how unbelievably great He is!  This is right for God, and it is loving toward us because our highest possibly satisfaction is found in knowing and loving God for who He really is.  As John Piper always says, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”]  What does this verse say about God’s wisdom?  What does the word “manifold” mean?  [It means that God is wise and great in many, many ways, not just a few!  God’s plan is to let us see His multifaceted glory!]  Notice, God is putting Himself on display not only for us, but for His angelic servants and foes.  Some will see His glory and worship, others will see it and tremble.     

·         11-12: How is it that we may approach God?  [Because of Jesus and through faith/trust in Jesus.]  In what way can we approach Jesus?  What adjectives or adverbs does your translation use to describe our access to God? 

·         13: Remember, Paul wrote this in prison. 

vs. 14-21  To know the love that surpasses knowledge

·         14-15: What was Paul’s response to all of this truth?  [Prayer, humble obedience, and worship.  Revelation should lead us to bent knees before God.] 

·         16: What did Paul pray for?  [He started by asking that the Holy Spirit would internally strengthen them, by His power.  Paul asks that this would be done “according to” God’s glorious riches.  (The NIV is not correct here.  Paul uses the word for “according to” just as he did in Ephesians 1:7, not merely the phrase “out of.”)] 

·         17: Paul continues his prayer request for the Christians.  He wants them to be strengthened “so that” Christ may dwell in their hearts.  How does Christ dwell in hearts?  [Through faith]  He also wants us to be rooted and established in love.  This means that we have roots and a foundation that anchor us to Christ and His love.  Being rooted and established keeps us from moving.  (That is what roots do and that is what the foundation of a house does.)   

·         KEY VERSE: 18: And all of this is so that we would have the ability for what?  What does Paul want us to grasp?  [How wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ!]  This is an awesome verse.  Spend some time letting it soak in. 

·         19: God’s love is beyond our knowledge. Even if we spent our whole lives learning to know God’s love, we will never get to the end of it.  God’s love is like the ocean, and more.  Experience God’s love, but realize that there is an ocean more yet to enjoy. 

·         20: What does verse 20 say about God’s power in our lives?  What does this say about God’s ability to take care of His children?  [Not only is God able to do more than we could ask, He is able to do more for us than we could even imagine!  That, my friend, is a lot.] 

·         21: What is Paul’s ultimate focus?  [The glory of God.]  That should be our ultimate focus as well.