Ephesians 2 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Ephesians 2:1-5

A. Find Out:    

1. What HAD been their state? v.1
   • As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
2. What and who had they previously followed? v.2
   • in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
3. What had they been ruled by? v.3a,b
   • All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts.
4. What were they? v.3c
   • Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
5. Why had God moved? v.4
   • But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
6. When had He made them alive? v.5
   • made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.

B. Think:

1. What are we told about our motivation before we were Christians?
2. What does it tell us about our state previously?
3. How had God viewed us?

C. Comment:  

As Paul starts to think of the wonderful position that is ours in relation to Jesus, he first, by contrast, reminds us what we HAD been like before we knew Christ.

First, our SPIRITUAL STATE: dead! Our lives were filled with disobedience and rebellion against God and as such there was NO spiritual life whatsoever in us!

Second, our ACTIVITY: led along, simply following the godless and unrighteous ways of the godless world and led by Satan who works in all unbelievers!

Third, our MOTIVATION: to satisfy our own desires, desires to gratify sensual self and intellectual self. We were driven by desires rather than ruling over them.

Fourth, our POSITION BEFORE GOD: objects of wrath. Wrath is calm and controlled determination by God to deal with what is evil.

But then, and here is the wonder, Paul focuses on what God did: He made us come alive and share in Christ’s life. Why? Because He loves us, because He has mercy, because of His grace. Despite all that we were, God moved and made the way open for us to share in the very life of His Son, in the wonder of its purity and power.

D. Application?

1. We were DEAD, we were DISOBEDIENT, we were SELF CENTRED, we were OBJECTS OF GOD’S WRATH.
2. God made us ALIVE, brought about OBEDIENCE, made us CHRIST -CENTRED and RECEIVERS OF HIS GRACE.

Passage: Ephesians 2:6-10

A. Find Out:

1. Where has God seated us? v.6
   • And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
2. So that He might show what? v.7
   •  in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus
3. How have we been saved? v.8
   • For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God
4. Why not by works? v.9
   • not by works, so that no one can boast.
5. What are we? v.10a
   •  For we are God’s handiwork,
6. With what aim? v.10b
   • created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

B. Think:

1. What does our position, as stated here, tell us about living today
2. How does this passage counteract any tendency to strive to achieve our salvation?
3. What does it tell us about our purpose in life?

C. Comment:

Paul continues to speak of the wonder of what God has done for us. Yesterday we saw that first He has made us alive spiritually sharing in Christ’s life.

Second, today, we now see our POSITION: it is seated with Christ, who is reigning. As we share our lives with him all things are beneath our feet (see 1:22), not that we rule but that he rules through us.

Next we see our REST: because it is all God’s free gift, it is all His grace, we can simple receive it and not strive to achieve it. Receive not achieve!

Finally he reminds us of the ORIGIN of our EXISTENCE: we have been made by God, brought into being by God, and He has already got plans for our lives, so we don’t have to struggle with self-centred ambitions, we now simply change our ambitions to do His will as He gradually reveals it to us.

Yes, we are God-originated in order to share our lives with Christ and for him to share his life and purposes with us, for us to live out on a daily basis. This takes away all the stress and striving and leaves us with a Christ directed, relaxed and fulfilled life, and this is all the free gift of God that was not earned (no room for pride) and cannot be worked for (no room for boasting).

D. Application?

1. All I have is the free gift of God. Thank Him.
2. He has purposes for my life. Rest in them.

Passage: Ephesians 2:11-15

A. Find Out:

1. What were we called originally? v.11
   • Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (which is done in the body by human hands)
2. What 5 things were we then? v.12
   • remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, / excluded from citizenship in Israel / and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, / without hope / and without God in the world.
3. But what has happened and how? v.13
   • But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
4. But what has Jesus now done? v.14
   • For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
5. How did he do that? v.15a
   • by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations.
6. With what aim? v.15b
   • His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,

B. Think:

1. What were once the difference between Jew and Gentile?
2. How did Jesus bring the two together?
3. Why is there today, strictly speaking, no difference between Jew & Gentile?

C. Comment:

Paul now moves on to show that the work of Christ did away with the division that had previously been there between Jew and Gentile. First, note that Gentiles, or non-Jews, had been called the uncircumcised by the Jews who placed much importance on their relationship with God, sealed by circumcision. The Gentiles had not been given all the promises in the Old Testament that the Jews had received and, unlike the Jews, had no expectation of a coming Messiah or deliverer, i.e. no hope for the future from God. The Jews were, without doubt, the privileged ones. That at least was how it appeared!

Second, note what Christ did: by shedding his blood for sins, he made faith a requirement of salvation, not the keeping of regulations. Suddenly both Jew and Gentile are saved the same way, there are now no longer two groups but just one – the redeemed of God. As far as salvation is concerned God sees no distinction between Jew and Gentile now; they are both to be saved by faith in the blood of Christ. God’s means of salvation is the same for any and every person, whatever their national origins.

D. Application?

1. Before Christ, the Jews alone knew the wonder of a clear relationship with God and the promise of salvation. Gentiles just hoped.
2. Now we are ALL saved the one way – through Christ!

Passage: Ephesians 2:16-22

A. Find Out:

1. What was Jesus’ aim for the one body? v.15,16
   • His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,  and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
2. What did he come and do? v.17
   • He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
3. How do we now have access to the Father? v.18
   • For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
4. What are we now? v.19
   • Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,
5. How did that come about? v.20
   • built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
6. Of what are we now all part? v.21
   •  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
7. What is so marvelous about it? v.22
   • And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

B. Think:

1. What, out of today’s passage, was Christ’s first objective?
2. What in turn did this bring about?
3. With what final outcome?

C. Comment:

As Paul continues to expound on the one grouping that Jesus has now created, formed of both Jew and Gentile, he shows us that everything has been done in relation to God the Father. First note that we have been RECONCILED to God the Father, i.e. brought into a friendly relationship with him where there is no cause for God’s rejection of us, because Jesus has taken and dealt with the one thing that would cause God to turn from us, our sin.

Second, note that we have been made the HOUSEHOLD of God. Again there is a sense of nearness or closeness of relationship in this picture, a sense of being close to God, dwelling with Him. Third, note how Paul then swiftly develops this to use building terms and speaks of us as a BUILDING which is in fact a Temple.

This picture can be seen many times in the Old Testament, the temple, the dwelling place of God (see for example 2 Chronicles 7:1-3). Now Paul says that WE are the temple where God dwells, and this completes the picture of Jesus’ work in respect of God: we have been reconciled, brought back to God, made part of God’s family, and now indwelt by God. That is the amazing work of Jesus on our behalf.

D. Application? 

1. Jesus on the Cross opens the way for us to be restored to the Father.
2. Once restored we are made part of His family and then indwelt by God Himself.