Lesson No. 50—Study this the Deepest Book of the Bible.

LESSON THEME:—EPHESIANS

Ephesians 1:1-7.

• KEY WORD—”IN CHRIST.”

• KEY VERSE—Ephesians 1:3.

• KEY PHRASE—”THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST.”

THE CHURCH was probably founded by Jews from Pentecost, but Paul visited it twice, and on the second visit preached there for three years. So effective was Paul’s work that the Diana idol-makers were afraid they would lose their business. The Apostle John was later a pastor there.

PURPOSE—To give a deeper knowledge of the believer’s high calling in Christ Jesus.

Home Readings.

Read the whole book carefully. For family altar read:

• Sunday—The believer’s position in Christ,—Ephesians 1:1-14.

• Monday—A prayer for knowledge and power,—Ephesians 1:15-23.

• Tuesday—Once aliens now fellow citizens,—Ephesians 2:1-13.

• Wednesday—Jews and Gentiles are one in Christ,—Ephesians 2:14-22.

• Thursday—That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs was formerly a mystery,—Ephesians 3:1-13.

• Friday—The walk of God’s children,—Ephesians 5:1-17.

• Saturday—Warfare of spirit-filled believers,—Ephesians 6:10-18.

WRITER—Paul.

DATEandPLACE—62 A. D. during the first imprisonment at Rome. He wrote at the same time Philemon, Colossians and Philippians. These four are known as the Prison Epistles.

EPHESUS was the capital of the Roman province of Asia and was famous for the beautiful temple of Diana which was one of the seven wonders of the world. Also for the theatre which would seat 50,000 and was the largest ever built by the Greeks. To it rushed the mob that had seized Paul, Acts 19:29. The city also possessed a great stadium or circus where men fought with wild beasts, 1 Corinthians 16:32.

GREAT FACTS:—

1. Position.

2. Mystery.

3. Godliness.

4. Domestic Life.

5. Warfare.

Great Fact I. The Believer’s Position in Christ.

Ephesians 1; Ephesians 2.

We have here the saint’s inheritance in the Land of Promise, or the spiritual blessings with which God has blessed us in heavenly things, (not places) in Christ. There are at least nine blessings unfolded in this section for the believer who is in union with Christ through faith. He is:

1. Chosen in Christ to be holy and blameless, Ephesians 1:4. In the remote ages of past eternity God was thinking about us, loving us and planning to bless us. Before Satan ever appeared to spoil the innocence and happiness of earth, God laid plans to make all who should believe in Christ to be holy and blameless.

2. Prepared for adoption to Himself, Ephesians 1:5. We become children of God by the new birth, but we enter immediately upon all the privileges of full-grown sons by God’s act of adoption.

3. Redeemed from the bondage of sin, Ephesians 1:4. By nature man belongs to sin and Satan, death and hell, but Christ with the infinite price of His own blood has released us from these things.

4. Given insight into the will and ways of God, Ephesians 1:9. The world knows nothing of God’s ways with man in the past or in the future, but Goa opens up His secret things to the believer.

5. Sealed by the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:15. God stamps upon man’s spirit all the blessed traits of the Holy Spirit, love, joy, peace, etc.

6. Made alive through Christ, Ephesians 2:5. It takes half a dozen pallbearers to carry a dead man, but alive man can carry himself and somebody else besides. Christ’s life throbbing in the heart, makes us alive to enjoy everything from God and to do everything for God.

7. Raised to the realm of heavenly things, Ephesians 2:6. When we are born again, we share the resurrection privileges of Christ, and as we grow in grace we share the ascension privileges of Christ. We rise above the trials, temptations and fascinations of the world, and have a joyful experience in heavenly things that this world can never afford.

8. Brought nigh by the blood, Ephesians 2:13. We were as prodigals in the far country, away from Christ and the right to heaven. The blood of Christ, however, has brought the believe-: into the covenant, into precious nearness to Christ, and into eternal nearness hereafter.

9. The believer, whether Jew or Gentile, is made part of the one glorious church, Ephesians 2:21. The church is Christ’s body, and all true believers are joint-members of the body, but note carefully that:

   1. Christ, and He alone, is the Head of the body.

   2. He was also the foundation of it.

   3. The church should be a holy and growing thing.

   4. When completed it will exhibit the manifold glory of God.

LESSON—We may come to this wonderful epistle as some go shopping. They will go into a store that has a hundred thousand dollars’ worth of goods, buy a packet of pins and walk out; that is what they went for. Rather let us become the happy possessor of all the blessed spiritual truths in the storehouse of God’s grace.

Great Fact II A Mystery of God Revealed.

Ephesians 3.

Paul here tells how God held back from other generations the secret that the Gentiles should be heirs of and shareholders in the gospel, and have free admission to the church on equal terms with the Jews, whether in heaven or on earth as forming one family and deriving its name from God, Ephesians 3:15. The petitions of Paul’s exalted prayers are four:

1. To be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.

2. To have Christ dwelling in the heart by faith.

3. With all saints to understand the breadth and length, the depth and the height of the love Of Christ.

4. To be filled with all the fullness of God.

Great Facts III. Appeals for Godliness.

Ephesians 4 to Ephesians 5:20.

Paul here entreats us to walk worthily of our heavenly citizenship, to be humble, gentle and patient, and to keep the seven unities of the Spirit. These are one church, lone Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. Use the spiritual gifts that the acceded Christ bequeathed to the church and thus attain ideal spiritual manhood. Lay aside like an old garment the old life, and put on like a new garment the new life. Let all bitterness, passion, anger, malice and harsh language be banished from among you, and be kind to one another, tender hearted, ready to forgive one another, just as God for Christ’s sake forgave you. Have nothing to do with deeds of darkness for you are children of light and should live in the open. Arise from spiritual death, and Christ shall give you light. Make the most of every opportunity for good. Find exhilaration not in wine but in the power of the Spirit. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord, and always give thanks for everything.

LESSON—Godliness is having the heart and eye turned towards God until we become like God. We should have Godly fear, Godly sincerity and Godly zeal and Godly compassion. Every created thing has its bounds, but Godliness has none. God’s wells can never be too full of water. The tree of righteousness cannot bear too many fruits of the Spirit. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

Great Facts IV. Domestic Life Should Be Spiritual.

Ephesians 5:21 to Ephesians 6:9.

Let wives acknowledge the headship of their husbands, even as the church acknowledges the headship of Christ. Let the husbands serve their wives, and love them as they love themselves, for Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it to purchase, cleanse and make it perfect. Children, obey your parents, as children of the Lord, for this is but right, besides it will mean long life and prosperity. Servants, always obey your earthly masters, not only when their eyes are on you. Give your se.-vice heartily and cheerfully as it working for the divine Master, for everyone will be rewarded by this Master for any honest work he has done. Masters, show the right spirit to your servants, and do not threaten them, for both your Master and theirs is in Heaven, and before Him there is no distinction of rank.

LESSON—No man can love his wife too much unless he loves her more than Christ loves the church. No wife can have the home too spiritual for if many a husband is to get to heaven, he must be helped through the gracious life of the wife. The Christian family is the cradle and protection of the Christian faith. Parents, lead your boys and girls to Jesus. Children, obey to succeed.

Great Facts V. The Christian Life Is a Warfare.

Ephesians 6:10-24.

Find strength in your union with the Lord, and in the power of His might, for life is a campaign against the various powers of evil that hold sway in the darkness around us, against the spirits of wickedness in the air. Therefore, as spiritual soldiers put on the whole armour of God, with your breastplate, and the shoes of Peace. In every battle take up Faith for your shield, for this will protect you from the fiery depths of the Evil one. Let the hope of Complete Sanctification be your helmet, and for a sword use the Word of God.

LESSONS:—

1. Armour is God’s, not ours.

2. We are to put it on.

3. We are to put on the whole of it.

4. The results of putting it on are security, comfort, victory.

5. No armour is provided for the back, showing that the Christian soldier was not meant to run from his enemies.

Fight the good fight with all thy might. Christ is thy strength and Christ thy light; Lay hold on life and it shall be;

Thy joy and crown eternally.

Questions on the Lesson.

1. Give the key word and key verse.

2. Give writer, date and place of writing.

3. Tell about Ephesus.

4. Tell about the church.

5. Give the purpose.

6. Name the great facts.

7. How many blessings for the believer in Christ?

8. How are we chosen in Christ?

9. What the meaning of adoption?

10. From what is man redeemed?

11. Should we know God’s secrets?

12. In what sense are we sealed?

13. What the effect of being alive through Christ?

14. What is meant by being in the realm of heavenly things?

15. Bow have we been brought nigh?

16. Give the four points about the church.

17. What mystery has God revealed?

18. Give Paul’s petitions.

19. Name the seven unities of the Spirit.

20. Tell about Godliness.

21. What should wives and husbands do?

22. What should children do?

23. What should servants and masters do?

24. Give the five points about the Christians armour.