Next Class April 9 @ 9:45 am
Class 1: Chapter 1:1-14
Class 1: Chapter 1:1-14
Ephesians Book Context
Paul may or may not have written the book. Scholars are pretty much divided down the middle. Paul’s Theology is definitely present, and some of the problems that he talked about in other letters is also there. But the ‘literary style’ is not like Paul’s other letters. On the other hand this this is not a full treatise but a summing up letter of all of Paul’s theology and practice – so he might have adopted a different style for it. But most scholars will say that if it wasn’t written by Paul it was written by someone who was probably his student and knew his letters and spiritual practices very well and was summing them up for others.
This was probably meant to be a “pocket book” for Christians of basic Christian theology leading to good practice that people could refer to as a quick reference.
Paul in Ephesus
Paul first visited Ephesus for about three months and started the church with Apollos, Aquila, and Pricilla. The next year he came back and stayed at the church for three years and used it as his “home base” Ephesus was the government center of the rejoin – like Hartford. The church grew and spread the Gospel throughout the area that we know today as Turkey, and over into the area of Iraq.
Purpose of the Book or Letter;
Deals with the mystery of Christ’s Salvation and its relationship to people who have decided to be Christian.
Also there is the idea of Christian Unity. Christians were both Jews and Gentiles in the early church, but there was conflict among them because some Jews thought that the gentiles couldn’t be Christian because they weren’t Jewish first. Paul tried to get people to see that everyone was becoming someone new in Christ and that they were equal once they became Christian.
The book is divided into the following Themes:
Chapters 1-3: Christian Theology
Chapters 4-6: Christian practice
Chapter 1: 1-14
1-2 Greetings to the church
The church consisted of Jews and Gentiles. In the early church that Jews and Gentiles had to figure out ways that they could worship together.
1:3-14 Eulogy on Christian Theology and Salvation
God gave us Christ
Who brought about our salvation through his sacrifice.
Sacrifice: (sacred) Giving up something to obtain holiness.
Because of his sacrifice we have Forgiveness of our trespasses/sins.
9: He has made us know to the mystery of His will – Q. What is the mystery?
God has a plan for each of us
God is unifying the world under Christ
Christ is in charge of the world
God will gather up all things/people to him
Through Christ the mystery of God’s purpose
and intention is revealed
and intention is revealed
11: We have entered into an inheritance –
Q. What is our inheritance from God? (Old Test.)
God gave us the physical world and universe and life for all creatures; the abilities to think, create, have relationships, and make choices; gave us the covenant of Abraham.
Q. What do we inherit from Christ? (New Test.)
Example of holy living by following Christ’s behavior and example; direct contact with God (the temple curtain was torn in two and the inner sanctuary is available for everyone); Gentiles can now be a part of the Abraham covenant.
12: We live for the praise of His glory – Q. How do we do that?
Pray, sing; go to church and worship with each other; respect others and God’s creation; acknowledge how God works in our lives.
13: When we believe we are marked with a Holy seal – Q. What does this mean?
This is part of the process of knowing God: 1st we hear about God; 2nd we learn about his salvation; 3rd we accept and believe in Christ; then we are able to have access to the Holy Spirit which guides us in our lives. To Methodists this is called “living in Grace.”
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