Category: Lessons

Read: Eph 6:1-9 Comments on Eph 6:1-9: Most English translations have difficulty expressing 5:21 as is stands in the Greek which is a participial clause that connects with what precedes it grammatically but with what…

Read: Eph 5:1-21 Comments on Eph 5:1-21: This passage opens with a call to be “imitators of God.” This is made more specific in terms of living “in love” which is made even more specific…

Read: Eph 4:17-32 Comments on Eph 4:17-32: In 4:17 Paul turns to focus on the Christian’s social conduct. Actually, 4:17-5:20 forms one unit of text unified by repeated admonitions to “live” (4:17; 5:2, 8, 15)…

Read: Eph 4:1-16 Comments on Eph 4:1-16: With this passage Paul’s letter makes a transition from exposition to exhortation, from theology to practical application. This two part form and type of content actually has its…

Read: Eph. 3:1-21 Comments on Eph 3:1-21: This passage divides naturally into two parts, an autobiographical and theological defense of Paul’s ministry (3:1-12) and prayer report (3:13-19) combined with a more direct wish-prayer (3:20-21). This…

Read: Eph 2:11-22 Comments on Eph 2:11-22: This passage divides easily into the following three parts which form two outer panels (2:11-12 and 2:19-22) framing a central passage (2:13-18). Eph 2:11-12: The initial focus on…

Read: Eph. 2:1-10 Comments on Eph 2:1-10: In this passage there is a powerful contrast between the kind of life lived before and after their salvation in Christ. Paul starts off by referring to them…

Read: Eph. 1:15-23 Comments on Eph 1:15-23: Having opened the letter of Ephesians with a more formal, lofty blessing paragraph, Paul reverts to his more usual and personal thanksgiving and prayer report paragraph with which…

Read: Eph 1:3-14 Comments on Eph 1:2-14: Ephesians and 2 Corinthians are the only two of Paul’s letters that open after the initial prescript with a blessing formula that is expanded into a lengthy introduction….

Read: Eph. 3:11,12; Acts 26:9-19 Overview of Ephesians: In Ephesians Paul states that he is in chains (3:1; 6:20). Although it is possible that this is in Caesarea where he was in prison for “two…

Read: Acts 19, 20:17-38 Paul’s Experience in Ephesus: Before coming to Ephesus (Acts 19) to work Paul had briefly stopped there on his way back to Antioch and engaged in a discussion in the Jewish…