Ephesians Outline Chapters 1, 2 and 3

This is an outline of Ephesians so that I can get a better understanding of what the entire book is about. It will be easier to summarize each chapter if I have them written out in bullet format.

Ephesians

• Written by Paul to the church in Ephesus (modern Turkey) while he was in prison*
• first 3 chapters emphasize New Testament doctrine*
• last 3 chapters are practical and focus on Christian behavior*
• letter of encouragement to remind believers their blessings in Christ*

(*taken from John MacArthur study Bible notes)

Chapter 1 {God's Purpose for the Church (1:3-3:13*)}

Greeting/Redemption in Christ {Predestination, Redemption, inheritance and resources in Christ*}

• Blessed be the God and Father who has blessed us with every spiritual gift in the heavenly places (v.3)
• He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world so that:

      -we should be holy

      -we should be without blame before Him in love (v.4)

• predestined us to adoption as sons of Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will (v. 5)
• He made us accepted (v. 6)
• In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to His grace (v. 7)
• in Him, we also have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him (v. 11)
• In Him you also trusted, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (v. 13)
• [the Holy Spirit] is the guarantee of our inheritance (v. 14)

Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom

• Paul is thanking God for believers and praying for their wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, that we may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance (vv. 16-18)
• Paul wants us to know what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe (v. 19)
• God's power was shown in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead (v. 20)
• Christ is the authority over all things (vv. 22-23)

Chapter 2 {New Life in Christ, Unity in Christ*}

By Grace Through Faith

• He (Christ) made us (children of God) alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the power of the prince of the air who now works in the sons of disobedience (vv. 1-2) 
• among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others (v. 3)
• But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) (vV. 4-5)
• For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of works, lest anyone should boast (vv. 8-9)

Brought Near by His Blood

• Remember, that we were once without hope and without God in the world (vv. 11-12)
• But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (v. 13)

Christ Our Peace

• For He Himself is our peace (v. 14)
• He has abolished the law of commandments (v. 15)

Christ Our Cornerstone

• We are now members of the household of God (v. 19)
• Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone of the foundation (v. 20)
• In Christ the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you are also being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (vv. 21-22)

Chapter 3 {God's Fullness for the Church*}

The Mystery Revealed

• For this reason [truths about the unity of believers*] Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles- if indeed you have heard of the dispensation (stewardship*) of the grade of God which was given to me for you (vv. 1-2)
• God made known the mystery to Paul [there were many truths hidden and later revealed in the NT*] that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel (vv. 3-6)

Purpose of the Mystery

• Paul says, to him, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ (v. 8) [Paul shows he acknowledges his unworthiness of God's grace]
• This was done to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which had been hidden before (vv. 9-10)
• God's eternal purpose was accomplished in Christ, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him (vv. 11-12)

Appreciation of the Mystery

• He wants to strengthen us, we should bow our knees to Him, we should be rooted and grounded in love so we can comprehend what is the width and length and depth and height of God's love (vv. 14-19)