Thank you again to Dwight for giving us a strong summary of the book of Ephesians. Most of these notes are directly from his power-point presentation.
Ephesians is one of the best books in the Bible for getting an overview of the Christian Faith. It can be roughly divided into two parts, chapters 1-3 discuss Christian Truth and Doctrine, while chapters 4-6 discuss Christian Practice and Living.
Christian Truth and Doctrine
“In 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, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” (11-12)
We are chosen in Christ and we should respond with praise and thanksgiving.
This chapter also brings in the relatively controversial topic of predestination. Dwight gave us a few points on how we can approach this often hard-to-swallow doctrine. We ought to think about the sovereignty of God and the grace of God in His choosing of His people.
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,…For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—…Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,” (6, 8, 19)
We are changed through grace. Through Christ we become citizens and children of God’s Kingdom.
“Although 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,” (8)
As chosen people we are called to share Christ.
This links into predestination (Dwight mentioned it during Ephesians 1); we ought to evangelize because God not only chooses who He saves but also the method by which they receive the truth, furthermore, the Gospel itself is such wonderful news that we cannot keep quiet about it.
We are to model the character of Christ.
There are three things that distinguish the character and family of Christ:
- Unity (1-13)
- Maturity (14-16)
- Purity (4:17-5:20)
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (21)
Our conduct must be worthy of Christ.
This chapter says that our relationships ought to have specific elements:
- Respect of roles (i.e. Slaves and Masters, Children and Parents, Wives and Husbands).
- Responsibilities (i.e. Husbands have to take care of their wives, Parents ought not to exasperate their children)
- Reciprocity (i.e. submitting to one another)
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (18)
We are to continue in Christ through His Word and through prayer.
All I ever needed to know, I learned in Ephesians:
- Chosen in Christ
- Changed by Christ’s grace.
- Called to share Christ.
- Character of Christ.
- Conduct of Christ.
- Continue in Christ.
