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New Testament Overview – Ephesians– Session 6

Written by

Jay Downes

in

Led by Central Pastor Jake Rosekopf Vox Church

My Personal Class Notes-

Ephesians

Historical Background of Ephesians

  • Author: The Apostle Paul
  • Scribe: Not listed
  • Date: Around AD 60–62, during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment (see Acts 28)
  • Audience: The church in Ephesus (Acts 19), a major city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). It was a center for commerce, pagan worship (notably the temple of Artemis), and early Christian evangelism.
  • Church Origins: Paul spent over two years in Ephesus (Acts 19), building strong relationships and establishing deep discipleship. This letter reflects his maturity and theological depth.

Purpose and Why It Was Written

Ephesians was written to encourage spiritual maturity and unity in Christ, especially among a diverse body of believers—Jew and Gentile alike. Paul isn’t correcting major sins like in 1 Corinthians; instead, he’s laying out a grand vision of God’s eternal purpose, the identity of the Church, and the believer’s new life in Christ. Paul writes this while imprisoned—chained but full of divine insight.

Ephesians: Chapter Breakdown with Verse Highlights

Chapters 1–3: Our Wealth in Christ (Doctrine)

Paul reveals what God has done for us in Christ—blessing, saving, uniting, and empowering.

1. Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Key Verse: Ephesians 1:3 — “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”

  • Chosen by the Father (Eph. 1:4)
  • Adopted as sons (Eph. 1:5)
  • Redeemed through His blood (Eph. 1:7)
  • Sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13)

2. Alive in Christ by Grace

Key Verses: Ephesians 2:8–9 — “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

  • Once dead in sin, now alive with Christ (Eph. 2:1–6)
  • Seated with Him in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6)
  • Reconciled Jew and Gentile into one body (Eph. 2:14–16)

3. Mystery Revealed: Jew and Gentile United

Key Verse: Ephesians 3:6 — “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

  • Paul’s stewardship of the mystery (Eph. 3:2–5)
  • The church is one new humanity, built together as a dwelling place for God (Eph. 2:19–22)

Theological Reflection:

“It is sometimes said that the doctrine of predestination exposes God to the charge of injustice. But this is hardly correct. We could speak of injustice only if man had a claim on God, and God owed man eternal salvation. But the situation is entirely different if all men have forfeited the blessings of God, as in fact they have. No one has the right to call God to account for electing some and rejecting others. He would have been perfectly just, if He had not saved any.”
— Louis Berkhof, Dutch-American Theologian

Chapters 4–6: Our Walk in Christ (Application)

Paul teaches how to live out our calling in unity, purity, relationships, and spiritual warfare.

4. Unity and Maturity in the Body

Key Verses: Ephesians 4:1–3 — “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Ephesians 4:11–16 — 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine,
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

5. Walk in Love and Light

Key Verse: Ephesians 5:2 — “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

  • Avoid impurity, darkness, and foolishness (Eph. 5:3–12)
  • Be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18)

Ephesians 5:25–33 — 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
30 because we are members of his body.
31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

6. Armor of God and Final Encouragement

Key Verse: Ephesians 6:11 — “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

  • Be strong in the Lord and His might (Eph. 6:10)
  • Full armor: belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:14–17)
  • Pray at all times in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18)

Closing Thought: Ephesians challenges believers to see their place in God’s cosmic plan and live with spiritual clarity, unity, and resilience.

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