Ep. #11 "EPHESIANS" [Series: PAUL'S LETTERS]

Episode: Paul’s Letters Series No. 11 Narrator: Tychicus Primary Scriptures: Ephesians 1-6 Story Summary: Paul’s letter to the churches in Ephesus Location: Roman Empire; Asia; Ephesus Time: AD 30 Jesus crucified and resurrected; Pentecost; Holy Spirit arrives AD 48 Paul’s “famine visit” to Jerusalem; First Missionary Journey starts AD 50 Council at Jerusalem; Start of Second Missionary Journey. AD 53 Start of Third Missionary Journey AD 61 Paul writes Ephesians while imprisoned Suggested Memory Scriptures: Ephesians 1:4-6, 11-12, 18; 2:1-2, 8-10; 3:10, 16-17; 4:12-13 22- 24; 29-30; 5:3, 15-17, 21; 6:4, 11-13 This episode assumes Paul wrote Ephesians in about 61 AD, while imprisoned in Rome. A few years earlier, Paul lived in Ephesus for about three years during the Third Missionary Journey, so he knew many of the Christians in the church there. From Paul’s interactions with their elders at the end of that journey, we know the people of Ephesus loved him, and he loved them back. The church at Ephesus had been founded and established by Priscilla, Aquila, and Paul. It seems they built a firm foundation because Paul does not have to address any obvious problems in this letter to them. If you were to be banished to an island and only got to take one of Paul’s letters, which one would you take? Ephesians would be well worth considering because in it, Paul shares theological insights and very practical information for living a Christian life. In his opening statements, Paul offers insights about God’s will and predestination that have kept theologians befuddled and arguing through the centuries. One thing not up for disagreement is this truth: God is above all things and over all things. Through His mercy and grace, He has given life to those who follow Him. Ephesians 2:8-10 are some of the most familiar, and influential, verses in the Bible. It is worth the time to read these verses in various versions of the Bible in an effort to glean everything you can from them. Ephesians 4-6 give guidance about powerfully living in unity in the church, within families, and among individual Christians. The Ephesians lived in a society that reveled in drunkenness, sexual excess, and idolatry. The information Paul gives them about righteous living may sound elementary to modern Christians, but it would have been surprising news to many of them. Nevertheless, everything Paul tells the Ephesians remains relevant in the modern world. That is one reason Ephesians is so important to contemporary Christians. Discussion Questions: 1. Since Ephesians is written to the entire church at Ephesus, choose some passages at random and explain how they could be applied both to the church and to individuals. 2. The phrase “to the praise of his glory” appears three times in Ephesians 11. What does that mean in general? What does it mean to your life today? 3. The idea of predestination permeates Ephesians 1:3-14. How would you define predestination? What does that