The Letter to the Ephesians Pt. 1
What do we believe and why do we believe it? While we might be tempted to make an itemized list, the Bible takes a different approach. The Letter to the Ephesians is a deep and rich expression of what is true about God and His world and what ought to be true about people who have been made new through the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians begins with a soaring song of praise that reaches from the heights of heavens to the depths of creation to declare God’s good plan. It is a declaration of God’s completely incomparable majesty.
The Helix Nebula, Photo taken by the Hubble Space Telescope - Also knows as “The Eye of God”
As we begin a walk through Ephesians that will take us about 18 weeks to complete, we will begin this week as the Apostle Paul begins His letter. With a glorious declaration of God’s goodness and extravagant grace.
Anchor Text:
Questions to Ponder:
Verse 3 begins with “blessed be” or “praise God” - what are the main things we are “praising God” for in this passage from vv. 3-10?
In Ephesians 1:1-10, look for the words “in” and “through” in your bible, better yet, with others use different translations to find every instance. What does it mean to be “in” or “through” these things?
Spend a few minutes pondering Ephesians 1:10 - what does it mean that “all things will be united in Jesus Christ, things in Heaven and things on Earth”?
Work through this passage as a personal prayer exercise. Bless God for the reasons given in each verse, and personalize it further - he has chosen you, he has given you a Spiritual family, he has redeemed you, he has forgiven you your trespasses etc.
The Theme in Video:
For older viewers here is a great summary of Ephesians provided by the Bible Project:
For Kids here is a great summary of Ephesians!