“... according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air ...” [Air is created, Satan temporarily rules due to the Fall. May I be more like You every day, resolute in placing You first, resolved to draw nearer to You. 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 2:5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!—. To what or whom are the sinners dead in their sins being compared? In Section (A) from verses 1 to 3 Paul gives the description of their life before they became committed to Christ. Eph. In this portion, Paul recognises the barrier that existed between Jew and Gentile. 2:11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh—who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands—. All Rights Reserved. Paul reminded the people that Jesus arose and “preached peace” so that all are welcomed to accept His gift through the Holy Spirit. The apostle describes, The conjunction of the gentiles with Israel, Ephesians 2:14,15.And, The conjunction of both with God, Ephesians 2:15 - 18. (21) In him the whole building is joined together and grows into a holy temple for the Lord. Does debt affect giving in modern times in light of the Israelite tithe and slaves? | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Sitemap. The Paul concluded that although they had been “far away” they “... had now been brought near by the blood of Christ” and were “in Christ Jesus”—peers with all believers, Jew and Gentile alike. ], “... in whom you are also being built together ...” [It is a community process. May I be careful to test every influence to be certain that it if of-You and not of-the enemy. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you a place in your walk, alone and in community, where you have allowed other things to displace Christ as the indispensable and irreplaceable center. In my 30's the Lord led me through some changes and challenges, and despite my resistance, He broke through and I finally came to faith in 1990. It is characterized by dignity and serenity which is in harmony with the elevation of its thoughts. << Ephesians 2 | Ephesians 3 | Ephesians 4 >> (Read all of Ephesians 3 ) The whole of chapter 3 is a parenthesis unfolding the mystery; and presenting at the same time, in the prayer that concludes it, the second character of God set before us at the beginning of the epistle, namely, that of Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; and this is the way in which it is here introduced. It was written to encourage believers to walk as fruitful followers of Christ and to serve in unity and love in the midst of persecution. ], “... and this is not from yourselves ...”. May we, as believers, celebrate Your rescue through lives sold-out to You. Therefore, they can receive the hope and promise in Christ and no longer be separated from the love of God. May I celebrate Your gift with a life sold-out to You. Ephesus was the chief city of the coastal area of Asia Minor. Lord, You have made every believer, and every fellowship of faithful believers a dwelling place where You make Your presence and Your plan known. “... so that we may do them.” [We are allowed to choose to serve God well or poorly.]. "THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS" Chapter Two OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THE CHAPTER 1) To consider the riches of God's grace toward sinners, how we are saved by grace through faith 2) To understand the Gentiles' condition outside of Christ, the effect Jesus' death had on the Law, and what Gentiles can now become in Christ SUMMARY Having expressed his desire that his readers might … Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a fellow believer who will be edified and encouraged to learn of the most-Biblical definition of “The Church”. He then returns to his job, where he righteously exacts revenge on all who “deserve it.”. When have you observed genuine unity among believers that overcame, and or is overcoming, worldly divisions and fears? We are “saved by grace” because we could never have been saved through Works alone. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace. ], 5. He said that Christ’s blood also covers their sins in order to bring them close to Him. Why is there such a major problem with worldly things displacing Christ in our gatherings and in our separate daily walks? In the last half of the first chapter (vv. Previous Next . Paul said that the Gentiles were no longer strangers. “... among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives ...”, 7. Of the miserable condition of these Ephesians by nature (v. 1-3) and again (v. 11, v. 12). Only Mostly Dead . Do we not therefore have exceptional power, privilege, and purpose? New International Version. The Lord God “sees” us through eyes of grace—the eyes of Jesus Christ. Today I will share the truths of these verses with someone “considering Christ” and/or with a fellow believer who would be blessed and encouraged to revisit their salvation. All Bible text is from the NET unless otherwise indicated—http://bible.org. “... that is now energizing the sons of disobedience ...” [From Adam and Eve on, all are sons—and daughters—of disobedience absent salvation. 2:19 So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household. (1) Christians are alive from the dead. “... according to the ruler of the spirit ...” [Pre-salvation our spirit is accessible by Satan. “... and were by nature children of wrath ...” [God’s wrath for rebellion against Him.]. Today I will encourage a fellow believer to reconsider the Biblical meaning of “The Church” and ask them to then prayerfully consider where the Enemy may have caused distraction and diversion in their relationship with God as the result of a non-Biblical definition of “The Church”. What does each element of Paul’s summary mean to you? 2:3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, a. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you someone whom He has led to ‘consider-Christ’. He desired for Christ to dwell in the hearts of the church of Ephesus by faith (Ephesians 3:17). 2:12 that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Ephesians and Colossians Summary The Epistle to the Ephesians. I will not pressure them to make any sort of decision but will pray for them to choose Christ. Commentary text is from David M. Colburn, D.Min. The dominion of Satan in the lives of the unsaved is broken and there is a new-found freedom experienced by children of God. Chapter 2 speaks indeed of the body (v. 16); but the introduction of the house is a new element and requires some development. Brief summary of Chapter 2 in Lamentations analyzed by PhD students from Stanford, Harvard,... Ephesians Commentary, Summary, and Key Verses What are some obvious evidences of evil in modern society as listed by Paul? God has a purpose and a plan for each of us: We are to “partner” with Him and invite Him to do whatever He has to do to shape us into useful servants of His perfect will. Commentary on Ephesians 2:1-10 View Bible Text . How would you explain the Biblical phrases “brought near by the blood of Christ” and “in Christ Jesus” with someone to whom they would be very foreign expressions and perhaps even unpleasant expressions? Eph. ], “... into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” [The Holy Spirit is our common bond.]. 2:14: For he is our peace - Not only as he purchased it, but as he is the very bond and centre of union. 2:10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them. Each had power, privilege, and purpose. Today I will tell someone who is “considering Christ” my story of before and after salvation. … Note 1: These Studies often rely upon the guidance of the NET Translators from their associated notes. Paul continued with a clarification of how saving faith is actualized: “For by grace you are saved though faith ...” [Faith is an act of the will, a 100% surrender of free will. 2:14 For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility. Lord, You rescued us from the eternal spiritual junkyard to which we were condenmed by our first ancestors, Adam and Eve. Shmoop Bible guide: Lamentations Chapter 2 summary. The Lord God draws together those who are His, building us into a “holy temple” and a “dwelling place of God in the Spirit”. The “people of the Law” (Jews) and those not of the “chosen tribe” are now forever one in Christ. How might you use that clarification to draw fellow Christians away from an obsession with buildings and organizations and instead to relationship (with God) and purpose (in Christ)? The purpose of the book of Ephesians was to warn the church elders about the false teachers that were teaching a false gospel and to maintain their first love that they held when they first became believers. Happy New Year: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives, 4. How do you express the proper Biblical definition of “The Church” as the community of believers? Paul used again the term “saints” to describe “fellow citizens” and “members of God’s household.”, He further explained that who they were as believers was because they “have been built on the foundations of the apostles and prophets ...”, Then, Paul used another construction metaphor “... with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.”. Are we provided with what we truly need? The double-gift of Christ to Gentiles, they (mostly “we”), not only gained the knowledge that a Messiah was needed and was coming, but the knowledge that He has come and He welcomes us now to His salvation-party as an honored guest—if we will but come in faith. They were never alone, backed up one another, were provided with the best of everything, and acted in ways designed to change the world. This text may be used for non-profit educational purposes only, with credit; all other usage requires prior written consent of the author. Q. In books and movies like Harry Potter, young people turn to witchcraft for magical powers. ], “... by which the hostility has been killed.” [the curse at the Fall as recorded in Genesis.]. The are many ways we can choose to enhance the centrality of Christ and to resist the distractions of the enemy. Paul continued with a checklist of their circumstances: 1. 2:20 because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In Section (B) from verses 4 to 10 he shows the difference in their new status as a result of their being united “with” Jesus in His death, resurrection , ascension and session at the right hand of God. ], “... one new man out of two ...” [Jew and Gentile, Law-keeper and Law-stranger. The apostles and the prophets taught what was necessary to an adequate knowledge-base, and they demonstrated the power of the Holy Spirit to equip believers to be unified in the love of Christ; how is that explained and practiced in your fellowship? 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Rom 5:15], “... having been created in Christ Jesus ...” [Or, re-created, “made new”. Paul explains in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by grace, not by works, but then he clarifies in Ephesians 2:10 that works are still important when he says, "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." 1. New Life Individually 2:1 And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2:2 in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, 2:3 among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest… Lord, You have made Your redemption of humankind available to anyone who surrenders to the Lordship of Christ, regardless of age, gender, national origin, or race. Identify the independent and dependent variable, and state the research hypothesis for your study. The Lord led me to transfer from my then-current masters studies at the State university to the seminary where I earned my masters in cou... More, 4. There is scarcely even an echo of the great controversies which ring so loudly in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians. EPHESIANS SUMMARY The Book Of Ephesians is a letter from Paul to Christians at Ephesus. Summary ; Ephesians Chapter 2; Study Guide. Click here to download these questions as a PDF file Day One. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the … But now you, who were once far off, have been made near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:11-17). See Ephesians 2:20-22 (printed below) You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. What was the result? Paul … Copyright © 2011 by David M. Colburn. Chapter 11. It is … Here in Ephesians 2 we find not only the progressive and surely constructed work, but the present building together as a fact in the blessing of it, without reference to human responsibility in building. ], “... the surpassing wealth of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”. "Not of works, lest any man should boast." And are we ever really alone? Obviously, if it is true that salvation is all by God’s grace, it … Paul began by setting up the context “... you were dead in your transgressions and sins ...”, the he paused a moment to let that sink in. Ephesians: Chapter 2. You may remember him from such New Testament letters as Romans and 1 Corinthians.This time, Paul's writing to the church in Ephesus and, boy, does he have a lot to say. 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 2:9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. He bowed on his knees (Ephesians 3:14), asking God to give the Ephesians strength through His Spirit (Ephesians 3:16). Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to a Biblically-accurate but less religious-sounding explanation of the Biblical phrases “brought near by the blood of Christ” and “in Christ Jesus”. He continued his construction metaphor “... the whole building ...” [The corporate commonality of believers. The need for reconciliation. See Ephesians 2:8-9 (printed below) It is by grace that you … And you He made alive: The words He made alive are in italics, which indicates that they … 2. What are some ways that you were clueless and hopeless, in your life, as a result of unawareness of the promise of a Messiah? 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 17-23), Paul tells the Ephesians of his prayer for them. ], 4. Chapter Summary Ephesians 2 Essay On. Paul then reminded them that they also were strangers to the knowledge of God, something the Jews did possess. Do we act in ways that change our world? Your email address will not be published. The Search OF the Savior: Why Jesus Came, Part 2 (Gal. Through Jesus the Christ, the Lord God has abolished the demands of the Law upon man and has instead taken them upon Himself. There has been an amazing change in you before and after salvation, how your self-image was transformed (or should have been) from a slave to the world to a child of God in a love-relationship with the Creator-God of everything. Lord, You made a way for us to benefit from Your 'cross of grace'. ], “He did this to create in Himself ...” [the body of believers; “The Church”, exists as an adopted part of the Lord’s family—a unique intimacy of ‘being’. In Wanted the gang of mercenaries is presented as a family with a home that looked like a castle. Christian life is examined in terms of a “before and after” contrast resulting from divine intervention. Despite the failure of Adam & Eve the Lord God provided a way that we might return to what He had planned for them before the Fall and to begin-again that relationship, this time “farming” and “fishing” for a spiritual harvest and catch. 15:22], “... for good works ...” [This is post-salvation.]. I will ask a fellow believer to pray in agreement with me for wisdom and will share with that prayer-partner the outcome of my sharing. 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. When have you been confronted by an unsaved person who is unwittingly enslaved as Paul described? Okay, so these Christians are good now, but it wasn't so long ago that they were living pretty sin-filled lives. Which of us has not dreamed of such glorious “get-evens”? ], “... in the Lord ...” [The centrality of Christ again. The Apostle Paul, having reminded his readers of the glory and promises of God, as well as our need for His grace and provision, moves on to our new standing before God, both as individuals and, corporately, as a family of Believers. May I remember to refuse to treat people differently based on anything—other than the only thing that matters—their relationship with You. Now begins, after the intervening clauses, Ephesians 2:2-3, the resumption, and that with the subject, which Paul already had in mind at Ephesians 2:1. It is critical to remember that Christ is in all and defines all and brings to all perspective and purpose and nothing we do as believers must ever be apart from Him as our center. We have now become “aliens” in this fallen world, whose prince is Satan. Careful attention has been given to cite that source where it has been quoted directly or closely paraphrased. He who hath made both - Jews and gentiles, one church. To what must we attribute our salvation? 2:6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 2:7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Can you recall a parallel passage elsewhere in the Bible? Paul began by speaking to the Gentiles, reminding them that they lacked the Jewish hope of a Messiah, and were labeled “uncircumcised” by those who associated ritual circumcision with works-salvation. This text presents the immeasurable nature of God’s grace which has totally changed both our reality and conduct forever. 2:16 and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed. Chapter 2 This chapter contains an account, I. (Hint: Fruits of the spirit, telling His-story, loving fellow believers, using our gifts fully.). Do we back up one another? 2:17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. Cancel {{#items}} {{/items}} Ephesians 2. I will do so humbly and respectfully, I will not condemn or pressure them, I will merely engage a conversation and allow the Holy Spirit to be in control. 2:21 In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 2:22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 1 Ephesians 3 … Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the opportunity to gently show these verses to an unsaved person whose respect and trust you have previously earned. May I seize every opportunity to “grow together” with like-minded intentional Biblical-Christians. 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