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General Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons of the Book

 

To Know God the Father

1.    Who is our Father (Eph.1:2);

2.    Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing (Eph.1:3);

3.    Who chose us before the foundation of the world (Eph.1:4);

4.    Who has the will which He purposed as well as His dispensation (Eph.1:8-9);

5.    Who gives us the spirit of wisdom and revelation (Eph.1:17);

6.    Who enlightens the eyes of one’s understanding (Eph.1:18);

7.    Who shows the exceeding greatness of His power (Eph.1:19-20);

8.    Who has the exceeding riches of mercy and grace (Eph.2:4, 7);

9.    Who raised us up (Eph.2:5-6);

10. Who is the householder of the great spiritual household (Eph.2:19; 3:14-15);

11. Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph.3:20);

12. The new man was created according to God (Eph.4:24);

13. Who is imitated by believers (Eph.4:32; 5:1);

14. Who is the origin of all blessings (Eph.6:23);

 

To Know Christ

1.    Who is the beloved son of God (Eph.1:6; 4:13);

2.    Who was with the Father before the foundation of the world (Eph.1:4);

3.    Who redeemed the church by His precious blood (Eph.1:7; 2:13, 16);

4.    Who is the incarnated Lord for us (Eph.2:15);

5.    Who has given Himself as a sacrifice to God (Eph.5:2);

6.    Who has risen again from the dead (Eph.1:20; 2:6);

7.    Who has passed through the heavens (Eph.1:20-22; 2:6; 4:8, 10);

8.    Who gave gifts to men (Eph.4:7-8);

9.    Who is the head of the church (Eph.1:22-23; 4:15-16; 5:23);

10. Who is the savior of the body (Eph.5:23);

11. Who is the chief cornerstone of the spiritual house (Eph.2:20);

12. Who abides in believers (Eph.3:17);

13. Whose love is beyond measure (Eph.3:19);

14. Who fills all in all and in the church (Eph.1:22-23);

 

To Know the Holy Spirit

1.    Who is promised by the Lord (Eph.1:13);

2.    Who is the seal of believers (Eph.1:13);

3.    Who is the guarantee of our inheritance (Eph.1:14);

4.    Who is the spirit of wisdom and revelation (Eph.1:17);

5.    Who presents us the access to the Father (Eph.2:18);

6.    Through whom, God dwells in the church (Eph.2:22);

7.    Who makes men know the mystery of Christ (Eph.3:5-6);

8.    Who strengthens the inner man with might (Eph.3:16);

9.    Who makes believers be in one (Eph.4:3-4);

10. Who grieves for the condition of believers (Eph.4:30);

11. Who can fill in believers (Eph.5:18);

12. Who makes the word of God be the sword for believers in warfare (Eph.6:17);

13. Through whom, believers can pray (Eph.6:18);

 

To Know the Spiritual Things

1.    The spiritual blessings (Chapter. 1);

2.    The spiritual status (Chapter.2 );

3.    The spiritual body(Chapter. 3);

4.    The spiritual gift (Chapter. 4);

5.    The spiritual life (Chapter. 5);

6.    The spiritual war (Chapter. 6);

 

To Know Believers

1.     The Origin of Believers:

a.       Who were chosen by God before the foundation of the world (Eph. 4, 5, 9, 11);

b.      Who were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ (Eph. 1:7; 2:13);

2.     The Life of Believers:

a.       Who partake in the risen life of Christ (Eph.2:6);

b.      Who have Christ that dwells in them (Eph.3:17);

3.     The Image of Believers (Eph.4:22-24):

a.       Who are the new men;

b.      Who were created in true righteousness and holiness;

4.     The Status of Believers:

a.       Who sit together in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph.2:6);

b.      Who are fellow citizens of the kingdom of God (Eph.2:19; see 5:5);

c.       Who are the members of the household of God (Eph.2:19; 5:1);

d.      Who are members of the dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph.2:21-22);

5.     The Walking of Believers:

a.       To learn Christ (Eph.4:17-32);

b.      To imitate God (Eph.5:1-21);

6.     The Seal of Believers:

a.       Who were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph.1:13; 4:30)

b.      Who have Christ dwelling in them (Eph.3:17);

c.       Who have the power of God working in them (Eph.1:19; 3:20);

7.     The Blessings for Believers:

a.       Who have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Eph.1:3)

b.      Who have the spiritual wisdom (Eph.1:17);

c.       Who have the exceedingly transcending power (Eph. 1:19-21);

d.      Who are filled with all the fullness of God (Eph.3:19);

e.       Who are strengthened by the Holy Spirit (Eph.3:16) and are inspired by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30);

f.       Who live in the love of God (Eph.5:1);

 

The Body of Christ ---- the Church

1.    The Knowledge of the Body of Christ:

a.    The blessings in Christ (Eph. 1:1-14);

b.    The revelation in Christ (Eph. 1:15-23);

2.    The New Image of the Body of Christ:

a.    The mercy in Christ (Eph. 2:1-10);

b.    The status in Christ (Eph. 2:11-22);

3.    The Capability of the Body of Christ:

a.    The mystery in Christ (Eph. 3:3-13);

b.    The connotation in Christ (Eph. 3:14-21);

4.    The Building up of the Body of Christ:

a.    The ministry in Christ (Eph. 4:1-16);

b.    The life in Christ (Eph. 4:17-32);

5.    The Testimony of the Body of Christ:

a.    The virtues in Christ (Eph. 5:1-21);

b.    The duties in Christ (Eph. 5:22-33);

6.    The Glory of the Body of Christ:

a.    The responsibility in Christ (Eph. 6:1-9);

b.    The warfare in Christ (Eph. 6:10-24);

 

The Being of the Church

1.    Who is the body of Christ, manifesting His riches (Eph. 1:23; 4:13)

2.    Who is the workmanship (Eph. 2:10);

3.    Who is a new man (Eph. 2:15);

4.    Who is the kingdom of God (Eph. 2:19);

5.    Who is the household of God (Eph. 2:19);

6.    Who is the dwelling place of God (Eph. 2:21-22);

7.    Who is the new bride of Christ (Eph. 5:24-25);

8.    Who is the spiritual warrior (Eph. 6:10-18);

 

The Church of Christ

1.    The plan of the church ---- the dispensation of God’s plan for the church (Eph.1);

2.    The fulfillment of the church ---- the fulfillment of God’s plan for the church (Eph.2);

3.    The riches of the church ---- the accomplishment of God’s plan for the church (Eph.3);

4.    The life of the church ---- the life to the church planed by God (Eph.4 -5:21);

5.    The family of the church ---- the family to the church planed by God (Eph.5:22-6:9);

6.    The war of the church ---- the power to the church planed by God (Eph.6:10-20);

 

The Fullness of the Church

1.    The full blessings of the church (Eph.1)

2.    The full status of the church (Eph.2)

3.    The full revelation of the church (Eph.3)

4.    The full relationships of the church (Eph.4)

5.    The full life of the church (Eph.5)

6.    The full power of the church (Eph.6)

 

To See the Book of Ephesians From the Key Words

1.    Redemption ---- the redemptive work of the Father, the Son and the Spirit (Eph.1);

2.    Peace ---- Christ makes peace between the Jews and the nations (Eph.2).

3.    Revelation ---- God reveals the hidden mystery (Eph.3).

4.    The new man ---- the ministry and life of the new man (Eph.4);

5.    Obedience ---- the attitude of the church toward life (Eph.5);

6.    Warfare ---- the spiritual warfare and the armor of God (Eph.6);

 

The Description of the Grace of God

1.    Grace (Eph.1:6)

2.    The glory of his grace (Eph.1:6);

3.    The riches of his grace (Eph.1:7);

4.    The surpassing riches of his grace (Eph.2:7);

 

The Life that Believers Should Have in Their Walking

1.    The basis of the principle ---- one shall not live in the old man, for one has put off the old man and put on the new man (Eph.4:17-24).

2.    The detailed rules of life (Eph.4:25-5:21);

 

Words that Believers Should Forsake

1.    Lies (Eph.4:25);

2.    Corrupt word (Eph.4:29);

3.    Evil speaking (Eph.4:31);

4.    Word that is not fitting for saints (Eph.5:3);

5.    Filthiness, foolish talking, and coarse jesting (Eph.5:4);

6.    Empty words ---- do not be deceived (Eph.5:6);

 

Words that Believers Should Have

1.    Truth (Eph.4:25);

2.    Word that is good for necessary edification (Eph.4:29);

3.    Word of thanks (Eph.5:4);

4.    Word of exposing the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph.5:11);

5.    Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Eph.5:19);

 

The Principles of Believers’ Walking

1.      They shall do good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Eph.2:10).

2.      They shall walk worthy of the calling with which they were called (Eph.4:1).

3.      They shall no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk (Eph.4:17).

4.      They shall walk in love (Eph.5:2).

5.      They shall walk as the children of light (Eph.5:8).

6.      They shall walk circumspectly as wise (Eph.5:15).

 

The Elements of Believers’ Interpersonal Relationship

1.    They shall connect with one another (Eph. 4:3).

2.    They shall knit together by what every joint supplies (Eph. 4:16).

3.    They shall forgive one another (Eph. 4:32).

4.    They shall speak to one another (Eph. 5:19).

5.    They shall submit to one another (Eph. 5:21).

 

Life in the Moral Human Relations

1.    The wife and the husband (Eph.5:22-33);

2.    The daughter and the parents (Eph.6:1-4);

3.    The bondservant and the master (Eph.6:5-9);

 

Several Contrasts in the Book of Ephesians

1.    The dead and the living men (Eph. 2:1-10);

2.    The condition before and after the nations’ being saved (Eph. 2:11-22);

3.    The perfect men and the children (Eph. 4:13-16);

4.    The old man and the new man (Eph. 4:17-32);

 

Sit, Walk and Stand

1.    The church need only “sit” and enjoy the full and surpassing salvation accomplished by Christ (Eph. 2:6);

2.    Regarding the journey in the world, the church need only “walk” in the grace of being called (Eph. 4:1);

3.    Regarding the power of the darkness, the church should “stand” steadfastly in the transcending and triumphant position (Eph. 6:14). And the latter two points of “walking” and “standing” are based on the former point of “sitting”.

 

Learn to Grow up from the Book of Ephesians

1.    To grow up from believing Christ to being like Christ (Eph.1:13);

2.    To grow up from being saved to foretasting the glory in the future (Eph.1:14);

3.    To grow up from knowing God to truly knowing God (Eph.1:17);

4.    To grow up from being called to hope of His calling (Eph.1:18);

5.    To grow up from possessing the Lord to being possessed by the Lord (Eph.1:18);

6.    To grow up from the faith of being saved to the faith that has exceeding greatness of the power (Eph.1:17-21);

7.    To grow up from communing with God in the status to communing with God in reality (Eph.2:13);

8.    To grow up from the church to the spiritual house where God dwells in (Eph.2:19-22);

9.    To grow up from weakness to strength (Eph.3:16);

10. To grow up from believing the Lord to loving the Lord (Eph.3:16-19);

11. To grow up from division to oneness (Eph.4:3);

12. To grow up from the Holy Spirit to being sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph.4:30);

13. To grow up from having the indwelling Spirit to being filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph.5:18);

14. To grow up from the objective word to the subjective word (Eph.6:17);

15. To grow up from prayer to prayer in Spirit (Eph.6:18-19);

 

The Work of God through Christ and the Holy Spirit

1.    We are through Christ First:

a.       We have received the adoption as sons through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:5).

b.      We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Eph.1:7).

c.       We both have access by one Spirit to the Father through Him (Eph. 2:18).

2.    God Works through the Holy Spirit:

a.       A dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph. 2:22);

b.      God strengthens us with might through His Spirit in the inner man (Eph. 3:16).

 

── Caleb HuangChristian Digest Bible Commentary Series

   Translated by Mary Zhou