Ephesians Lesson Three

Ephesians, Lesson Three

Dale Sullivan

Ephesians, Chapter 2: What we were; What we are

Ephesians 2: 1-10. Transitions are words or phrases that show the reader that the writer is shifting thought in some way. Not only do they signal a change in thought, they also usually indicate how the new material is related to the material that has just been discussed.

What words indicate a transition of thought in verses 1, 4, and 8?
What do these transitions indicate about the relationships between the blocks of material?
Between vs 1 of chapter 2 and the preceding verses?
Between vs 4 and the first 3 verses of chapter 2?
Between vs 8 and the the first 7 verses of chapter 2?
Compare the positions of Christ in Ephesians 1: 20-23 with the positions of believers in Ephesians 2: 1-6. What parallels do you see?
Verses 8-10 in Ephesians 2 are famous verses and key verses in Lutheran doctrine. How do they characterize the relationship between God's grace, believers' faith, and good works?
Sum up verses 1-10.
What condition were we in?
Who ruled over us? What did we do?
What was God's disposition toward us?
What was our destiny?
What is our new condition?
What is the source of the change and what qualities of God were involved in the change?
What is our new position?
What is our destiny?
How did this change come about?
Who did it and how?
What is a false view of the change?
What is our purpose in this new life?

Ephesians 2: 11-22. We will continue looking at transitions. We will also pay attention to repeated or related words or phrases which show the passage's topicality.

Verses 11-13. What is the key transition word in verse 11 and what does it indicate about the relations of the new material being introduced to the first the material just covered?
What words are used more than once in verses 11-13? You may include synonyms.
What paired words (usually contrasting pairs) appear in this passage?
What transition word appears in verse 13 and what does it indicated about the relationship between verses 11-12 and verse 13?
Verses 14-18. What is the key transition word in verse 14 and what does it indicate?
What repeated words appear in verses 14-18?
What paired words appear in these verses?
Verses 19-22. What is the transition word in verse 19 and what does it indicate about the relationship of the preceding material to the new material?
What repeated words appear in these verses?
What paired words appear in these verses?
Sum up verses 11-22.
What condition were we in?
What was our claim on God's covenant and promises?
What was our relationship to God's chosen people?
What is our new position?
What is our new relationship with God's people?
What is our new relationship with the Father?
What is our new relationship God's plan?
How was this change brought about?
Who did it?
What, specifically, did he do?
How did he do it?

Sum up the likenesses and differences between the verse block of verses (1-10) and the second block (11-22).

What is the governing metaphor in each block?
How do these different metaphors create different pictures of God's work in our lives?
What parallels exist between the two metaphoric images of God's work?
What should be our response to these revelations and how should the knowledge of our new condition affect our day-to-day lives?

The online version of this study has active links. You can access it at http://sullivanfiles.net/Bible/.