Intro to Ephesians

Pre-Study Check-Up

Personal: Devotions & Prayer

Did you read all 7 devotions and Bible Passages from Devotions on F.I.R.E. last week?

What did you learn from your devotions?

What are you praying about?

Any answered prayers?

Public: Service & Witnessing

How did you serve inside of church last week?

How did you serve outside of Church last week?

Did you witness to anyone last week?

Intro To The Book of Ephesus

The book of Ephesians

Be careful

...as you walk down this road of Biblical knowledge. It will challenge you, break you, confuse you, and test you. This road is paved with a few familiar roads and passages which you think you can navigate with your eyes close. However, these passages quickly turn into narrow paths and deep valleys that confuse the fool and confound the wise.

Three Roads

As you approach the book of Ephesus you have three choices or paths you can go down.

The first path is cold and analytical.

If you processed down this path you will find the book to be dull and the study tedious. Each verse you read will be followed by the thought, “are we there yet?” You will watch the clock and count how many pages you have left to read. You will think, “I just want this book finished, travel this path, and check it off my list.” You will pick up this book cold, and you will put it down cold.

The second path is the windy path.

Like a warm day in the spring, you are excited to open the book and bask in its beauty. However, as time passes, the rains come and wash away the newness of the book. The winds blow and you mind wanders faraway. Instead of focusing, your mind blows from place to place until the book seems distant and out of sight. The once fresh book simply becomes one of many on your bookshelf which go unread. The excitement of reading blows away, and so does the wisdom you could have gained.

However, the third path is filled with an all-consuming fire.

You burn to open the pages of the book and read. Your eyes pour over every single word as you see the will of God. The words burn down the walls you have set up in your mind and blaze with the fire of God’s truth. Just like a fire, you cannot contain it, so you are compelled to share it and live it. Your mind changes, your life style changes, and you become more like Jesus Christ.

Which path will you take?

Opening Questions

Now since we have approached this book called Ephesians – we need to ask a few important questions that will prepare us as we enter into it.

Now since we have approached this book called Ephesians – we need to ask a few important questions that will prepare us as we enter into it.

What questions do you think we should ask?

2. What should we know about the Ephesian Church?

3. What is the outline of Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians?

Tonight’s Goal

We will focus on understanding these three questions

Familiarity

Question #1: Who wrote the book of Ephesians?

Question #2: When was this book written?

Question #3: What is the simple outline of the book?

Question #4: What should we know about the Ephesian Church?

Question #5: Where was Ephesus and what should I know about it?

Interpretation

Question #1: Who wrote the book of Ephesians?

We are told in the first verse that Paul wrote this book. We will get into great detail next week as we look at the life of Paul.

Question #2: When was this book written?

2. What should we know about the Ephesian Church?

This book was written during Paul’s 1st imprisonment in Rome. This means the book was written around the years 60 or 62.

Question #3: What is the simple outline of the book?

See Nelson Chart...

What are the two main focuses of the book?

The Position of the Christian

The Practice of the Christian

Question #4: What should we know about the Ephesian Church?

Wiersbe tells us how the Ephesian Church was started...

The Book of Acts records three missionary journeys that took Paul throughout the Roman Empire in one of the greatest evangelistic endeavors in church history. About the year 53, Paul first ministered in Ephesus but did not remain there (). Two years later, while on his third journey, Paul stayed in Ephesus for at least two years and saw that whole vast area evangelized (). During these years, he founded a strong church in the city that was dedicated to the worship of the goddess Diana. For a description of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, read , and for an explanation of the opposition to Paul’s ministry there, read .

It was nearly ten years later when Paul wrote to his beloved friends in Ephesus. Paul was a prisoner in Rome (; ; ), and he wanted to share with these believers the great truths the Lord had taught him about Christ and the church. Compare with and Philemon to get a better understanding of the historical background. Onesimus, a slave, ran away from Philemon, his master, who lived at Colosse. While in Rome, Onesimus met Paul and was converted. Tychicus, one of the pastors of the church at Colossae, which may have met in Philemon’s house, was also in Rome to discuss some problems with Paul. So Paul took advantage of the presence of these two men to send three letters to his friends: the Epistle to the Ephesians, the Epistle to the Colossians, and the Epistle to Philemon. At the same time, he sent Onesimus back to his master.

So, the letter was written from Rome about the year a.d. 62. Though Paul was on trial for his life, he was concerned about the spiritual needs of the churches he had founded. As an apostle, “one sent with a commission,” he had an obligation to teach them the Word of God and to seek to build them up in the faith ().

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 8). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

John would write to the Church in Ephesus (in the book of Revelation.) Tradition teaches that John was the pastor at their church.

Question #5: Where was Ephesus and what should I know about it?

Question #5: Where was Ephesus and what should I know about it?

Here is some basic information about Ephesus.

On the west coast of Asia Minor. Made the capital of the Roman province of Asia Minor by Augustus (27 bc—ad 14). The city was originally founded ca. 1000 bc by the Greeks. It came under Roman control in 133 bc.

… Ephesus was the third largest city in the Roman empire. Its population is estimated to have been around 250,000 during the time of early Christianity...

...Ephesus was a major commercial port...

Seal, D. (2016). Ephesus. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

The people in Ephesus worshiped many different gods. This included:

Emperor Worship

The goddess Artemis

Witchcraft & Magic

Gnosticism

Relationship

Paul who is nearly the focus of 1/3 of the New Testament include key doctrines in this book that can be seen throughout the entire New Testament.

To list all of the relationships between the book of Ephesians and the rest of the New Testament would take too much time and could be the focus of an entire study!

Employment Point

Which road will you choose; Cold, Windy, or Fire – You Choose!

Cold

Windy

Fire

You choose.