Ephesians - Lesson 3

By Curt Niccum

The Resurrection Power. Ephesians 2:1-10

Objectives:

  1. The student can identify power as the topic of 2:1-10.
  2. The student will be able to recite 2:4-6 from memory.
    1. The student can explain the significance of the tense of three verbs used in those verses.
    2. The student can explain the significance of the prepositional prefixes of three verbs used in those verses.

Preparation:

  1. Bibles and pens as needed.
  2. Distribute handouts showing the contrast between the Christian's former life and present life or provide some other means of visually representing these distinctions. (Two versions of the handout can be found on the last pages of this lesson.)

Theme:

The power of the resurrection at work in us.

Lesson Plan for Conducting the Class

Introduction:

  1. Call the roll or have someone check it. (It is very important to know who is present so someone can check on those who are absent.) Introduce and welcome visitors, take prayer requests, and make any necessary announcements.
  2. Prayer and songs as desired.
  3. Review the previous lesson.
    1. Q: Last week we looked at faith, hope and love. As you considered the lesson during the past week, did you think of any other ways the congregation displays these virtues?
    2. Q: As you considered the lesson during the past week, did you think of other ways this class or the congregation could address or fix areas where the congregation might be weak? (Again, make sure that good suggestions get acted upon. Do not make this merely an oral exercise. Learning a lesson results in life changing behavior.)
  4. Introduce this week's lesson.
    1. Q: In addition to the triad of faith, hope, and love, Paul focused on another grouping of three, which we have already identified as the main themes of the letter. According to his prayer (1:18-19), what three things did Paul want theEphesian Christians to know? A: Purity, placement, and power.
    2. Q: Briefly describe what each of those terms mean. A: Power refers to the resurrection power that places us above the evil spiritual beings. Placement refers to our full inheritance and share in the Kingdom (especially as it relates to believing Jews). Purity refers to the lifestyle that reflects those empowered byGod and named as His heirs.
    3. Today we begin studying the body of Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. In the body he addresses the three topics mentioned in 1:18-19 in reverse order. So we begin with power.

Learning Experience:

  1. We live in a divided world. We create barriers that separate people all of the time. Q: What are some of the divisions that separate people today? A: Some would be race,gender, economic status, age, education, membership in organizations, married vs.unmarried. (This list is not exhaustive, and the class will probably provide these and many others. Do not allow this to monopolize time. A few examples should suffice.)
  2. From Paul's perspective, only one barrier truly exists. Read out loud (or have the class read) 2:1-10. Q: What truly divides humanity? A: Good and evil, or better said, God and Satan.
    1. Interestingly, both God and Satan have their "children." Satan has children marked by disobedience (2:2). (Note that Paul works from the Ten Commandments here.)
    2. God has beloved children (1:2, 5, 17, and 5:1). Paul addresses their obedient nature later in the letter. Here he concerns himself only with contrasting them with the people of "this world."
    3. The marvel of God's grace is that he adopted His children from among those who walked in darkness. Twice Paul reminds the Ephesian Christians of their origins (2:1 and 5) which contrasts strongly with the love outpoured by God. Those who have accepted His gospel message undergo a transformation that truly creates them in the likeness of their Creator (as will be seen later). For the time being, Paul assures his readers that the power behind their initial transformation continues in their spiritual growth. Their change of lifestyle itself attests to the power of the resurrection in their lives.
    4. The following table charts this dramatic change of existence. The teacher can use a handout (using a blank form or a version with the left column complete or some other form of media) so the class can discuss the implications. It is best to begin with the descriptions of the former life (left column) and to find corresponding opposites in the present life (right column). The means (center column) can then be more easily identified. The purpose of this exercise is to help students see the great heights they have reached from the amazing depths from which they have come, and especially to realize that only God's grace through Christ could accomplish this transformation. (If time permits the teacher might also want to have the class recall those spiritual blessings Paul recites in 1:3-14 which provide the basis for his claims here.) Former life Means of transfer 1 Present life dead (v. 1) in Christ (v. 5) made alive (v. 5)walked 2 in trespasses and sins (v. 2) by grace (v. 8) walk in good works (v. 10) under the ruler and age of this world (v. 2) in Christ (v. 6) under God in the heavenly realms (vv. 4-6) doing own will of lusts and desires (v. 3) in Christ (v. 10) God's workmanship (v. 10) children of wrath (v. 3) by mercy (v. 4) loved (v. 4)
  3. Three verbs in verses 4-7 confirm the validity of this change.
    1. For Paul, the power of Christ's resurrection has already established our own. The future is now. Christians have already been made alive, raised, and seated in the heavenly realms. Each of these verbs is past tense. We live eternally now! The kingdom has come!
    2. Paul also constructs each of these verbs using a prepositional prefix meaning"together with." The significance of this construction is that Paul completely unites our reality in Christ's. He pictures us as already seated at the right hand of God precisely because Jesus is!
    3. Each verb has additional significance.
      1. The first, "made alive," alludes to the creation story, and creation plays a significant role throughout the letter (see 1:4; 2:10, 15; 3:9, 16; and4:23-24). Paul always associates creation language with baptism. Certainly this word would remind the Christians of their initiation into God's community and the power of resurrecting to a "newness of life."
      2. The next two verbs, "raised" and "seated," connect directly to the description of God's work in Christ's exaltation (1:20). Here Paul confirms his assertion that God has given the saints special power in the Kingdom. Christ's people stand "above the fray" and outside the realm of demonic influences.

Application:

  1. Have the class recite Ephesians 2:4-6 in unison three times. Challenge the class to memorize these verses before the next meeting.
  2. After repeating the passage, close with a discussion of the following:
    1. Q: What do you see as the significance of the prepositional prefixes meaning "together with" that occur with the three main verbs in that passage? A: No matter what our pasts, no matter how disgusting our previous lives, we have been reborn in Christ's image and exist fully now with him. Salvation occurs
      1. Each of the prepositions in this column is represented by the same Greek word although translated as either "in" or "by" in English.
      2. The Greek verb "walk" occurs in verses 2 and 10. Some English translations may use a more contemporary sounding translation such as "live." only "in Christ." As the song states, "It is not what I have done but who you are. It's not who I am but what you've done."
    2. Q: How do you see the importance of the three past tense verbs in your own life? A: It provides confidence for facing the troubles of today and the fears of tomorrow. It provides a glimpse of how God sees our existence. We are already in the heavenly realms participating fully in our salvation in and through Jesus Christ.
    3. When humanity rests on its own resources, we prove to be "disobedient children" and objects of divine wrath. Salvation comes through sacrificing our wills/desires to God's. This, though, does not remove human response. Indeed, this passage requires two responses: first, a response of faith (v. 8),and second, a response consisting of "good works" (again pointing to the ethical aspect of being "holy and blameless" and not to the idea of gaining salvation through works).
      1. Q: What are the good works we are to be doing? A: A number of valid answers exist, most of which you will probably find paralleled in the second half of Ephesians. Some of these would include tasks appropriate to every Christian such as generosity, benevolence,kindness, and evangelism. Others could be more specific such as personal giftedness (some of which Paul notes in 4:11).
      2. Basically, "Kingdom people do kingdom things." Our words and actions must reflect our reality, which for believers is "made alive with, raised with, and seated with Christ in the heavenly realms."
  3. Close with a prayer of thanksgiving to God for making it possible through Christ for us to be able to make the transition from a life of sin as children of disobedience to a life of good works in Jesus Christ.
Conversion The Life Chnging Experience
dead (v.1) in Christ (v.5) made alive (v.5)
walked in trespasses and sins (v.2) by grace (v.8) walk in good works (v.10)
under the ruler and age of this world (v.2) in Christ (v.6) under God in the heavenly realms (vv. 4-6)
doing own will of lusts and desires (v.3) in Christ (v.10) God's workmanship (v.10)
children of wrath (v.3) by mercy (v.4) loved (v.4)

  1. Three verbs in verses 4-7 confirm the validity of this change.
    1. For Paul, the power of Christ's resurrection has already established our own. The future is now. Christians have already been made alive, raised, and seated in the heavenly realms. Each of these verbs is past tense. We live eternally now! The kingdom has come!
    2. Paul also constructs each of these verbs using a prepositional prefix meaning"together with." The significance of this construction is that Paul completely unites our reality in Christ's. He pictures us as already seated at the right hand of God precisely because Jesus is!
    3. Each verb has additional significance.
      1. The first, "made alive," alludes to the creation story, and creation plays a significant role throughout the letter (see 1:4; 2:10, 15; 3:9, 16; and4:23-24). Paul always associates creation language with baptism.Certainly this word would remind the Christians of their initiation intoGod's community and the power of resurrecting to a "newness of life."
      2. The next two verbs, "raised" and "seated," connect directly to the description of God's work in Christ's exaltation (1:20). Here Paul confirms his assertion that God has given the saints special power in the Kingdom. Christ's people stand "above the fray" and outside the realm of demonic influences.

Application:

  1. Have the class recite Ephesians 2:4-6 in unison three times. Challenge the class to memorize these verses before the next meeting.
  2. After repeating the passage, close with a discussion of the following:
    1. Q: What do you see as the significance of the prepositional prefixes meaning"together with" that occur with the three main verbs in that passage? A: No matter what our pasts, no matter how disgusting our previous lives, we have been reborn in Christ's image and exist fully now with him. Salvation occurs only "in Christ." As the song states, "It is not what I have done but who you are. It's not who I am but what you've done."
    2. Q: How do you see the importance of the three past tense verbs in your own life? A: It provides confidence for facing the troubles of today and the fears of tomorrow. It provides a glimpse of how God sees our existence. We are already in the heavenly realms participating fully in our salvation in and through Jesus Christ.
    3. When humanity rests on its own resources, we prove to be "disobedient children" and objects of divine wrath. Salvation comes through sacrificing our wills/desires to God's. This, though, does not remove human response.Indeed, this passage requires two responses: first, a response of faith (v. 8),and second, a response consisting of "good works" (again pointing to the ethical aspect of being "holy and blameless" and not to the idea of gaining salvation through works).
      1. Q: What are the good works we are to be doing? A: A number of valid answers exist, most of which you will probably find paralleled in the second half of Ephesians. Some of these would include tasks appropriate to every Christian such as generosity, benevolence,kindness, and evangelism. Others could be more specific such as personal giftedness (some of which Paul notes in 4:11).
      2. Basically, "Kingdom people do kingdom things." Our words and actions must reflect our reality, which for believers is "made alive with, raised with, and seated with Christ in the heavenly realms."
  3. Close with a prayer of thanksgiving to God for making it possible through Christ for us to be able to make the transition from a life of sin as children of disobedience to a life of good works in Jesus Christ.

Notes:

  1. Each of the prepositions in this column is represented by the same Greek word although translated as either "in" or"by" in English.
  2. The Greek verb "walk" occurs in verses 2 and 10. Some English translations may use a more contemporary sounding translation such as "live."

dead (v.1)

                                                                                    

walked in trespasses and sins (v.2)

under the ruler and age of his world (v.2)

doing own will of lusts and desires (v.3)

children of wrath (v.3)

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