Ephesians Week 5

Day 1 

READ 

Ephesians 2:17-18 

17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. 

Whereas hostility existed between the Jews and Gentiles, Paul brought believers from both groups a message of peace. It was not for something physical but spiritual. Members of both groups could come to God by means of the Holy Spirit because of what Christ had done for them. No one is forced to come to the heavenly Father but Paul made known that “all of us can.” 

REFLECT 

When did you trust Jesus as your Savior? Thank the Lord that you could do that. 

RESPOND 

Some to whom you witness may think they are too bad for God to accept them. Remind them of the apostle Paul who considered himself the chief of sinners. Read 1 Timothy 1:12-16 in this regard. 

Day 2 

READ 

Ephesians 2:19-20 

19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 

The Jews considered the Gentiles to be far from God, but Paul tells them they are no longer “strangers and foreigners.” By trusting in Jesus as Savior they become members of God’s family. The teaching of the apostles and New Testament prophets laid the foundation and the cornerstone, which means the rock is Christ Himself.  

REFLECT 

Whether one is Jewish or Gentile, believers from both ethnic groups are in the same family of God when they trust Jesus as Savior. 

RESPOND 

Read Acts 2:42 to see the practice of the early church that reveals it was based on the teaching of the apostles. 

Day 3 

READ 

Ephesians 2:21-22 

21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. 

Nothing would be more special to the Jewish people than the temple. Here Paul says that both Jews and Gentile believers are joined with Him “becoming a holy temple.” In the Old Testament, God’s presence was considered to dwell in the temple. In the New Testament all believers are part of “this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.” Even the believer’s body is considered to be the temple of God. 

REFLECT 

Think of the tremendous privilege you have to be part of the holy temple of God and even have the Holy Spirit living within you. 

RESPOND 

See 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 where Paul wrote more about the believers in Jesus being considered “the temple of the living God.” 

Day 4 

READ 

Ephesians 3:1-3 

1 When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . . 2 assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. 3 As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. 

The reason for the ellipses at the end of verse 1 is that Paul inserts other information and then continues verse 1 in verse 14. Paul had a lot to think about. He was a prisoner, not of the Romans but of Christ and was thankful to be one extending grace to the Gentiles. God had revealed a mystery to him; that is, something unknown in the Old Testament but now revealed in the New Testament. Do you wonder what it is? Read on to the following verses. 

REFLECT 

When coming on something you do not understand in the Bible, keep reading because it may be later explained. 

RESPOND 

With your disciple, look at Revelation 12:7 that refers to a “dragon.” Who is the dragon? Verse 9 gives the answer. This reveals a student of the Scriptures needs to search in the context for answers. 

Day 5 

READ 

Ephesians 3:4-5 

4 As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. 5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. 

Paul keeps building up to what the plan is but first he has more to say about it. The plan was not revealed to previous generations. That is, it was not known in the Old Testament. Some say it was only revealed to Paul, but notice he says the Holy Spirit has “revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.” Others knew of this mystery but Paul was the key person God had appointed to be the apostle to the Gentiles (see Romans 11:13).  

REFLECT 

This reveals the need to know the New Testament as well as the Old Testament. Some things were not revealed in the Old Testament that are clearly revealed in the New Testament. 

RESPOND 

With your disciple, talk about the importance of knowing both the Old and New Testaments. For instance, the book of Genesis gives the beginning and the outworking of human history, but the New Testament tells of the Church Age that began at Pentecost (see Acts 2).