Bible

We return to the Bible room today to continue reading our Getting Started Bible, as we begin the book of Ephesians with Session 1, chapters 1, 2, and 3.

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Ephesians

Session 1

Introduction:

Writer: Paul.

Scope: This book is a letter to the church at Ephesus, primarily Gentiles, giving them a general exhortation to continue in their faith, and hold fast to the teachings he had previously given them. Written from Rome around AD 60 while he was under house arrest.

Chapter 1. Authority

Paul, to the faithful Christians in Ephesus:

• May the peace of God be with you all; I thank God for blessing
• Us with His Son, our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ; And I am
• Thanking Him for choosing to bless me even before I was born;
• Before He created the earth, He chose us who are in Him, to be
• Adopted into His family with His son, Jesus Christ; He loves us
• So much that He accepts us as blameless before Him, and grants
• Us forgiveness for our sins; By His shed blood He has redeemed
• Us, and favored us with His grace from the riches of heaven;
• And He has now revealed to us what He has planned for those
• Who would place their trust in Christ: That we would be
• Brought together into one body of believers; Now, you have
• Heard the truth, believed in Him, and trusted in Him, so that
• He has sealed you with the Holy Spirit who guarantees our
• Inheritance in the glory which is to come;
• I am always praying for you, thanking God for your faith in
• Him, and for your love, and support, of all the believers; I am
• Asking Him to give you wisdom, and to keep revealing to you
• More about Him, and all you have inherited from Him in the
• Riches of His glory; And to give you more of His power which
• He showed when he raised Christ from the dead and seated
• Him at His right hand, giving Him authority over heaven and
• Earth, and His body, which is the church.

Chapter 2. Alive

You who were like the dead in your sins, He has now brought to life:

• At one time, we were all like everyone who lived their lives
• Under the control of the evil spirit who rules over everyone
• Living according to the desires of the flesh; But God loved us
• So much that He has made us alive, just as He brought Jesus
• Back from the dead, and we are now seated together with Him,
• In heaven; From here, we can see the riches of heaven that we
• Have in Christ; Through Him, we can see the kindness of God
• That he showed by giving us the free gift of our faith, by which
• You have been saved, not by anything you have done for which
• You could claim any credit, but it is a pure gift from God;
• He has granted that gift to us, and He has put into us, through
• Christ Jesus, the desire, and the ability to do good things for
• Others; Always remember that you were the Gentiles, called
• ‘The Uncircumcision’ by the Jews who looked down upon you;
• You knew nothing about Christ, and you had no hope away
• From the promise of God; But the blood of Christ has brought
• You near to God, and united in Him both Jews and Gentiles,
• Reconciling the requirements of the law with the peace of
• Christ; He preached peace to Jews and Gentiles alike, so that
• Both have equal access to the Father through the Spirit;
• Now, you are in the family of God, having a good foundation
• From the apostles and prophets upon which to build your
• Faith, Jesus Christ being the cornerstone; And you are growing
• Together to build the house of God within you in the Spirit.        

Chapter 3. Revealed

For you, Gentiles, I am now a prisoner of Jesus Christ,

• As I previously have written to you in a brief letter, telling
• You how God revealed to me the mystery of His grace given to
• Me so that I can tell you about it; In earlier times, the plan of
• God was not fully shown to the people on earth, but now it has
• Been revealed for everyone to know, and His apostles and
• Prophets can show the Gentiles how God has included them in
• His plan to save them through the gospel of Christ;
• Through the power of God, I have been blessed to become a
• Minister of this gospel as it was revealed to me by His grace;
• I know that I am the least among all believers, but I have been
• Favored to preach the limitless riches of grace to the Gentiles,
• And to teach all people everywhere God’s Divine plan of
• Salvation through Jesus Christ; And now, God is using the
• Church to spread the knowledge of Him throughout the world;
• So, I am asking you to not be discouraged over me being in
• Trouble for bringing the gospel to you, as it is to your benefit;
• I am earnestly praying to God the Father for you, that you will
• Be strong in His Spirit, and be able to understand the full limits
• Of the love of Christ for you; And that you will continue to be
• Filled to the fullest with the knowledge of God;
• I give thanks and praises to God who is able to do things for us
• Far above and beyond what we could ask or think, based on the
• Power we have working within us; And I pray for His blessings
• On the church all over the world, and in all ages, through
• Christ Jesus. Amen

End of Session 1 of the book of Ephesians.