As we begin this set of studies on the letter to the Ephesians, here are a few quick points of context:

• Ephesians is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Ephesus, a city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).

• We note a real warmth and tone of encouragement towards the believers in Ephesus, and a desire to see them grow in their faith and knowledge of God.

• Paul refers to being imprisoned later in this letter (e.g. “I am an ambassador in chains” - 6:20) which might helpfully colour much of the discussion about blessing, power and authority, as well as what it looks like to be a Christian in a hostile world.

• The whole letter will in many ways be about the “grace and peace” that Paul greets the Ephesians with in Eph 1:2

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”

Note: we’ll end up skipping some sections of the letter in order to cover at least something from every chapter. There is so much great teaching in every part of this letter though, so feel free to be reading the whole thing alongside these studies.

To Begin: When (if) you pray, do you find it easier to praise God or to ask things of him? Why?

Read: Ephesians 1:3–14 (NIV)

³ Praise 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. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

¹¹ 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, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Bible Study Questions:

Observation:

1. According to this passage, why is God deserving of praise?
   

2. Make a list of “every spiritual blessing” mentioned in this passage, then discuss this statement: “The Christian person is someone who lacks absolutely nothing”
   

3. In this passage we see the Trinity at work. The Bible clearly speaks of: God the Son, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit. But emphasizes that there is only ONE God. How does each person of the Trinity participate in the work of saving us to be God’s people?
   

4. A helpful tool when studying a passage can be to look for the repeated words or phrases. This can help us to identify the important thoughts and themes that are going on.
   a. Circle every instance in the passage of the phrases “in him”, “in Christ”, and “in the One He loves”.

   
   b. What statements do we see connected to these phrases? What can you conclude from this?
   
   Meaning:

5. For what purpose did God choose us? Does this surprise you? Why/why not?
   

6. Verse 5 tells us that “In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship…” How do you react to this? How do you think Paul wanted his readers to react?
   
   
   Application:

7. University life often involves pressure to perform, achieve, and fit in. How can understanding that we were chosen, adopted, and sealed by God before we did anything (v. 4-5, 13) change how we view our identity and worth?
   

8. Verse 10 talks about God’s plan to “bring unity to all things… under Christ.” How should knowing we are part of this huge, cosmic plan affect our perspective on our daily lives, evangelism, studies, or future anxieties?
   

Pray:

As Paul leads us to in this passage!

“Praise 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” (Eph 1:3)

Spend some time praising God for who He is, for what He has accomplished for us “in Christ”, and guaranteed with the Holy Spirit.

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