Imagine taking a trip with the purpose of seeing the vastness of creation. Start by looking to the skies through a giant telescope—a vast range of the galaxy flooding your perspective. Then move to a great overlook like the Grand Canyon in Arizona or Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Move to the delivery room of your local hospital and see the birth of a little baby girl. Finally move to an electron microscope and see the beauty of human cells pulsating with life.
In a way, this is the theological majesty of Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. It lays out the theological richness of the gospel and its cosmic impact on the world through Jesus and His body, the Church. The letter tells the story of how Jesus takes on every separation, whether massive or modest, and through His sacrifice, brings things back together.
His means? The Saints. The Ephesians. The greater region of Asia Minor. You and me. Paul’s discourse takes this sweeping cosmic vision and presents a cosmic challenge—how we who call Jesus King should live so that even “the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” take notice.
You. Your families. Your workplaces. Your very lives are designed to be a signpost to the cosmos.
First Thoughts
These are simple ice-breaker questions. They are to engage your group into the conversation about the letter.
The Text
Read through the Bible text together. This is important to get the feel of Paul’s thought. Take turns if necessary, but make sure to read the text aloud.
Open
The opening thought is to be read aloud as well. It will give you a starting point before going into the questions for the study.
Reflect
This section includes a series of questions designed to help you think through the text, how it may relate to other similar texts in the Bible, and provide a bridge to consider how these truths speak to us in our lives today.
Respond
We all need to recognize our walls. Walls that separate us from others, Walls that have been erected internally to shelter and insulate us from reality. Applying what we learn is often difficult, but critical. DON’T SKIP THIS OPPORTUNITY. Read this section together at the end of your study and take action. Throughout your week, think and pray about what you should do (or stop doing). Find others in your group or elsewhere to help keep you on the path.
