Ephesians 3:1-13

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Church, in God’s Eternal Program and Purpose

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. Believers are an essential part of God’s eternal program.
    a. The revelation of God’s eternal program
    b. The proclamation of God’s eternal program

  2. Believers are an essential part of God’s eternal purpose.
    a. Angels and God’s eternal purpose
    b. Human beings and God’s eternal purpose

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Let’s have the same view of prison as Paul had.

QUESTIONS

  1. Review the broad outline of Ephesians.

  2. What is the great theme of the letter to the Ephesians?

  3. What is God’s eternal program?

  4. What is a “mystery” in the Bible?

  5. What is the mystery in Ephesians 3:6?

  6. Who are the principalities and powers of Ephesians 3:10-11?

ANSWERS

  1. Chapters 1-3 are mostly doctrinal in nature. Chapters 4-6 are practical, based on that doctrine.

  2. The Church as the body of Christ.

  3. God has put everything under the dominion of Christ and has given Him to be head over all things to the church.

  4. A mystery is a truth concealed in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament.

  5. That Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the Jews, becoming one body in the Messiah.

  6. Good angels and bad angels.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. Paul was given the primary responsibility for the proclamation of God’s eternal program (3:7-9). It had a humbling effect on Paul, and it should be true in our lives, as well. Paul was given the power, and the Lord will give us the power to do the job He has called us to do. Do you believe this? Do you act on it?

  2. What have the angels observed and learned about God from your life? What have they observed and learned this past week?

CHALLENGE

  1. Paul was a prisoner of Rome when he wrote to the Ephesians, but he did not consider himself a prisoner of Rome or of Nero, or of circumstances, but of Jesus Christ. Do you see yourself as a victim of circumstances or a prisoner of Christ?

KEY VERSES

  • “…by revelation God made known to me [Paul] the mystery…that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, of the same body, and partakers of Christ through the gospel.” Ephesians 3:3-6

  • “I [Pau], am less than the least of all the saints, but grace was given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Ephesians 3:8



Ephesians, New Testament, TalksDeb HarmsEphesians 3:1-13