Frameworks
Paraphrased: Ephesians chapters 1 - 3
FRAMEWORKS:
Ephesians 1 (lightweight paraphrase)
In
this ‘Framework' we use our simple outline or lightweight paraphrase
explanation (simply following the NIV text) of what you find in
this letter of Paul, not the text, to enable you to, as
simply as possible, catch the sense of his writing.
v.1,2
Greetings
v.1
Paul, the apostle, to the
church at Ephesus
v.2
May you know grace &
peace from God
PART
1: v.3-14 About what God has done for us
v.3-10
God's work through Christ
v.3
Praise God for the blessings
He has given us ‘in Christ'
v.4
He chose
us
-
before the Creation
-
to be holy & blameless in His sight
v.5
He predestined
us
-
for adoption
-
according to His will
v.6
– through the grace that
comes from Him through Christ – so praise Him
v.7
We have redemption
-
in him through his blood
-
the forgiveness of sins
-
according to the riches of God's grace
v.8
that He lavished on us
With
wisdom and understanding
v.9
he shared the mystery
of His will
-
according to His good pleasure
-
purposed in Christ
v.10
to be put into effect
-
when the times reach their fulfilment
-
to bring unity to everything under Christ
(Lessons:
Paul's salvation package here reminds us of key elements
that undergird it. They establish our security because it all
comes from God.)
v.11-14
Its Effect
v.11
In Christ we were
-
chosen & predestined
-
according to God's will, His plan
v.12
so we will bring glory to
Him
v.13
This happened to these believers
-
when they heard the message of Christ, the Gospel of salvation
-
and when they believed they were sealed with the Holy Spirit
v.14
who is a deposit guaranteeing
our inheritance until we are fully redeemed to His glory.
(Lessons:
Because God has, through Christ, chosen and predestined us, redeemed
us and shared the mystery of salvation through Christ, we glorify
Him as we share the gospel and receive his Spirit who guarantees
our futures.)
PART
2: v.15-23 About Paul's Prayers
v.15,16
Thanksgiving
v.15
Thus because of this, having
heard of their faith and love
v.16
He hasn't stopped giving
thanks for them and praying for them.
v.17-23
Prayer Requests
v.17
Prayer requests that they
may receive the Spirit of wisdom & revelation to know Him
better
v.18
Prayer desires for their
hearts to be enlightened in order to understand their hope
v.19
and His great power in them,
the same power
v.20
that raised Christ from the
dead and seated him in heaven
v.21
far above all other rule
or authority both now and in eternity,
v.22
placing all things under
Jesus who He has appointed head over all things, for the church
v.23
which is his body, which is to be the full expression
of him reaching out to all things.
(Lessons:
Prayer, which is a vital element of Paul's life, is
expressed in his yearning for them to know God better, understand
their hope and the power their have received, the same power that
raised Christ, and made them part of Christ's body, the church,
expressing him.)
FRAMEWORKS:
Ephesians 2 (lightweight paraphrase)
In
this ‘Framework' we use our simple outline or lightweight paraphrase
explanation (simply following the NIV text) of what you find in
this letter of Paul, not the text, to enable you to, as
simply as possible, catch the sense of his writing.
v.1-3
Our past (1)
v.1
we used to be spiritually
dead because of our falling short and general sins
v.2
that's how we used to live,
following the ways of the world and Satan who now works in those
who are disobedient
v.3
that's how it was for every
one of us gratifying ‘flesh' - our senses - and following its
desires and thoughts
(Lessons:
We are reminded of our past, before we knew Christ,
when we were spiritually dead, following the world's example and
Satan's prompting, living according to our physical desires)
v.4-10
Made Alive in Christ
v.4
Because of God's merciful
love
v.5
He has made us alive with
Christ, even though we had been dead in our sins previously, saved
by grace.
v.6
so God raised us up and seated
us with Christ in the heavenly realms
v.7
so in the coming days He
might show the incomparable riches of His grace shown in his kindness
to us in Christ
v.8
this is all by grace through
faith, a gift from God
v.9
it's not by our activities
so we can't boast
v.10
we are made by God, made in Christ, to do good works
He's prepared for us.
(Lessons:
But now we have been transformed by God's love, made
alive with Christ, seated with him, works of grace, all His work
to enable us to do good works as led by Him)
v.11-12
Our Past (2)
v.11
Formerly we Gentiles were
called ‘the uncircumcised' by the Jews
v.12
being separated from Christ,
excluded from Israel and aliens to all the covenants of God, without
hope and without God
(Lessons:
we Gentiles used to be called the uncircumcised, distinguishing
us from the Jews, separated from God, different from the Jews
who had a relationship with Him, hopeless)
v.13-18
Christ's Reconciling Work
v.13
Now in Christ, although
once far away, now been brought near, by his blood.
v.14
He is our peace. Making
Jew & Gentile one, destroying the barrier previously there
between them.
v.15
by his sacrifice he did
away with the law and its demands, to create one new body from
the two.
v.16
by reconciling them he made
them into one through the Cross thus removing any grounds for
hostility
(Lessons:
Now by the work of Christ on the Cross we have been
made one with the Jewish believers in that we are now God's people.)
FRAMEWORKS:
Ephesians 3 (lightweight
paraphrase)
In
this ‘Framework' we use our simple outline or lightweight paraphrase
explanation (simply following the NIV text) of what you find in
this letter of Paul, not the text, to enable you to, as
simply as possible, catch the sense of his writing.
v.1-6
The
Mystery of Christ
v.1
Paul, a prisoner, writing
to the Gentiles
v.2
He assumes they have heard
of his call and gift from God for them
v.3
it is a mystery revealed
to him, as he's already written before to them
v.4
as they read they will be
able to see this mystery about Christ
v.5
it wasn't known or understood
by previous generations
v.6
this mystery (now revealed)
is that the Gospel shows it applies to Gentiles as well as Jews,
so all together are one body share the promises that come through
Christ
(Lessons:
The gospel used to be a mystery about Christ but now
it has been revealed.)
v.7-9
Paul's Part in the Mystery
v.7
he was called by God's grace
to proclaim the gospel by the power of the Spirit
v.8
although he sees himself
as the least of God's people, God's grace gifted him to tell of
the endless riches of Christ
v.9
to make known to everyone
how this works, a mystery in the past, hidden by God the Creator
(Lessons:
Paul was called to proclaim the gospel even though he
sees himself as a nobody, it was a gift of God.)
v.10-13
The Outworking of the Mystery
v.10
God's intent was that His
wisdom would be revealed through the church to the onlooking powers
and principalities in heaven
v.11
this was His eternal purpose
worked out through Christ
v.12
so that by faith we can
come to God
v.13
bearing this in mind (understanding
his calling) they shouldn't be discouraged by his present suffering
in prison
(Lessons:
This gospel revealed the wisdom of God so even the angelic
watchers could see it and understanding this means we don't need
to be discouraged by present limitations.)
v.14-19
A Prayer for the Ephesians
v.14
All this makes him kneel
before God
v.15
who has made every person,
every family
v.16
he prays they will be strengthened
in the Spirit by his wonderful riches of grace
v.17
with Christ in their hearts,
and thus being established in his love,
v.18
they may all have the power
to grasp the fullest extent of that love
v.19
a love that passes understanding,
so they can be filled with all of the goodness of God.
(Lessons:
The wonder of this makes Paul pray more and more for
the believers that they may be strengthened, established and grasp
the incredible extent of God's love.)
v.20,21
Glory to God
v.20
he speaks about God who
can do more than anything they can dream of by his power which
now works within us
v.21
desiring that God will be glorified in both the church
as well as in Christ – for ever!
(Lessons:
this all means that God can do much more than we think
and should be glorified through us.)