"THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS"

                              Chapter Two

OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THE CHAPTER

1) To consider the riches of God's grace toward sinners and how we are
   saved by grace through faith

2) To understand the Gentiles' condition outside of Christ, the effect
   Jesus' death had on the Law, and what Gentiles can now become in
   Christ

SUMMARY

Having expressed his desire that his readers might know the exceeding
greatness of God's power toward those who believe (1:19), Paul reminds
them of how they had been dead in sin but made alive together with
Christ.  Indeed, they were raised and made to sit together with Christ
in the heavenly places, that God might show even more riches of His
grace in the ages to come.  All this God did by His love, grace, and
mercy.  While it involved their faith, it did not involve any works
whereby one could boast.  The end result is that they have been created
in Christ to walk in good works, as God planned beforehand (2:1-10).

Paul also wants them to remember how far they have come as Gentiles,
courtesy of Jesus Christ.  Once strangers from the promises made to
Israel and without God in the world, they can now draw near through the
blood of Jesus.  By His death on the cross, Jesus abolished the law of
commandments which separated Jews and Gentiles and has reconciled them
both to God in one body.  The Gentiles can therefore be fellow-citizens
and members of God's family; they are also part of that grand temple
being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus
as the cornerstone, and in which they serve as a habitation of God in
the Spirit (11-22).

OUTLINE

I. RAISED AND SEATED ON THE THRONE (1-10)

   A. OUR CONDITION OUTSIDE OF CHRIST (1-3)
      1. Dead in trespasses and sins (1)
      2. Walking according to the course of the world and the devil (2)
      3. Fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind, by nature the
         children of wrath (3)

   B. MADE ALIVE TOGETHER WITH CHRIST (4-10)
      1. God made us alive together with Christ (4-5)
         a. By virtue of His mercy and great love
         b. Even when we were dead in trespasses
         c. By His grace we have been saved
      2. God raised us with Christ (6-7)
         a. Made to sit with Him in heavenly places
         b. That in ages to come God might show the exceeding riches of
            His grace
      3. Saved by grace through faith (8-9)
         a. Not of ourselves, it is the gift of God
         b. Not of works, lest any man should boast
      4. We are thus God's workmanship (10)
         a. Created in Christ Jesus for good works
         b. Created to walk in good works which God prepared beforehand

II. RECONCILED AND SET INTO THE TEMPLE (11-22)

   A. THE GENTILES' CONDITION "WITHOUT" CHRIST (11-12)
      1. Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel
      2. Strangers from the covenants of promise
      3. Having no hope and without God in the world

   B. THE GENTILES' CONDITION "THROUGH" CHRIST (13-18)
      1. Made near by the blood of Christ (13)
      2. Can now be "one body" with the Jews because...
         a. Jesus has made Jew and Gentile both one, breaking down the
            wall of division between them (14)
         b. Jesus abolished in His flesh the law of commandments
            contained in ordinances that had separated them (15)
         c. Jesus now reconciles them both to God in one body through
            the cross (16)
         d. Jesus preached peace to those afar off and those near (17)
      3. Can now have access by one Spirit to the Father (18)

   C. THE GENTILES' CONDITION "IN" CHRIST (19-22)
      1. They are now "fellow citizens with the saints" (19)
      2. They are now "members of the household of God" (19)
      3. They are now part of "a holy temple in the Lord" (20-22)
         a. Built upon a foundation of the apostles and prophets, with
            Jesus the cornerstone
         b. Joined together and growing as a holy temple, a habitation
            of God in the Spirit

REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER
Move your mouse pointer underneath each question to see the answer.

1) What are the main points of this chapter?




2) What was our condition outside of Christ? (1-3)







3) What motivated God to save us? (4)



4) What did God do, even though we were dead in trespasses?  How? (5)



5) What else has He done?  Why? (6-7)






6) Upon what basis have we been saved?  Upon what basis have we not
   been saved? (8-9)





7) What are we now in Christ Jesus?  For what purpose?  (10)





8) What was the Gentiles' condition outside of Christ? (11-12)





9) What has Christ done through His blood? (13)



10) How has Jesus become "our peace" through His death on the cross?
    (14-17)










11) What do we both have through Christ? (18)



12) What can Gentiles now become because of what Christ has done? (19)




13) Upon what are we being built? (20)




14) What kind of building are we?  For what purpose? (21-22)