Lesson 4: Ephesians 2:11-3:13 (DUE FEB 16)

Hello All,
Here's the next lesson. Due Feb 16

READ
Read:  Ephesians 2:11-3:13
WATCH
Session 4: Ephesians 2:11 - 3:13

Questions

1. Who is Paul addressing in Ephesians 2:11–13 and why?

2. What are the divisions in our society that are like the division between Jews and Gentiles?

3. How would you describe the human tendency to divide ourselves into groups? What are some of the effects of this tendency?

4. What is Jesus called in Ephesians 2:14? In what way is that true?

5. What do verses 14–18, say that Jesus has done, or is doing? How does this impact you? Those you know?

6. How do you feel about our new humanity that JD talks about?

7. What does it mean to you that we are being built together into a dwelling place for God?

8. Chap 3 talks about the mystery of the gospel that has been revealed. Briefly what is your understanding of this revealed mystery?

9. How does this mystery impact you?

10. How does this mystery make known the wisdom of God?

LIVE IT OUT
Try out the following and we can get together and talk about your experience.

Prayer: Ask God to show you how you can reach out to someone on the other side of a social “wall.” Begin praying specifically for individuals in your life who might not share your culture, circumstances, or beliefs.

Invite: All too often we assume that people know they can come to any church service they like. Maybe they don’t know this. And maybe they’re waiting for an invitation.

Listen: Have a conversation with someone of another faith, or no faith at all. Ask them what they think about God, or faith, or forgiveness, or death, or morality. And listen. Do not use this as a trick to tell them what you think. If they ask, be ready. And feel free to ask follow-up questions, but the main point here is to listen to them.

1. Paul is addressing the Gentile Christians to remind them that they "who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." Paul is reminding the Gentiles that they were, at one time, separated from God.

2. J.D. Greear presents, as a parallel to the division between Jew and Gentile, divisions based on race, culture, piety, education, and political affiliation. However, none of these divisions properly represent the divide that existed between Jew and Gentile in the first century. This is because those two were divided by all these to a high degree.

Race: Jews were the chosen people of God. The Gentiles were strangers, at best, or enemies of God.

Culture: Jews lived in a distinctive culture, following the commands of God (dietary laws, the Sabbath).

Piety: Jews worshipped Yahweh, the one true God; Gentiles worshipped idols and demons and were considered to be unclean in every sense of the word.

Education: Jews were ignorant of Greek philosophy, and Gentiles were ignorant of the Jewish Scriptures.

Political Affiliation: Gentiles were oppressors of the Jews.

I can think of no division so sharp as this that someone in recent time, in America, can relate to with first-hand experience. Modern America places great value on inclusivity and tolerance; while you may find some people who look down at others that are different than themselves, you will be hard-pressed to find any group that looks at another with the disdain of the Jews toward the Gentiles.

3. We tend to divide ourselves into groups around commonalities. This often creates an "Us vs. Them" mentality, where people who are different are viewed as an enemy.

4. Jesus is called "our peace." I can think of, at least, three ways He could be called "our peace."

Peace in General: Christ's reign will be characterized by peace (Micah 4:3-4, Isaiah 9:7, 32:17-18).

Peace with God: Christ has made us at peace with God (Romans 5:1).

While both of these are true, this verse has in mind the third way Christ can be called "our peace."

Peace Between Jew and Gentile: Christ has united both Jew and Gentile and has destroyed the dividing wall of hostility.

5. He has abolished the law of commandments, created one new man, reconciled Jews and Gentiles to God, preached peace to both, and given us access in one Spirit to the Father.

This shows that, though the Jews were God's chosen people, they (Jews who submit to Christ) have no special standing with God when compared with their non-Jewish brothers and sisters in the Lord.

6. It is incredible to think that, out of all the races we usually think of (white, black, indian, hispanic, asian), God only sees two: Jew and Gentile. And then there is a third race, not passed down by genetics, separate from Jew and Gentile yet taken from among both: Christian. When someone undergoes the new birth, they are born as a different race, no longer to identify primarily as a member of any earthly group but as a member of a heavenly group: the church.

7. It means that we, all believers, Jews and Gentiles, are united in one building, to the glory of our God. Also, it means we should be holy so that we will be a house befitting our Thrice-Holy God (Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:.
Note: that was supposed to be chapter 4 verse 8.

8. The mystery is that Gentiles are able to partake of the Gospel in the same way Jews are able. Both are members of the same body.

9. This mystery impacts me greatly. Since I am not a descendent of Abraham by the flesh, without the revealing of this mystery, I would not be able to be reconciled to God.

10. While the angels have a much clearer view of God than we currently have, we experience facets of God's character that the angels only learn of by observing God's dealings with us. Through the church, God is able to reveal His grace, mercy, and forgiveness to the angels (even though the angels have never been the recipients of those things).

1. Who is Paul addressing in Ephesians 2:11–13 and why?

Paul is addressing the "Gentiles in the flesh" who were once physically separated from God in traditional Judaism but became near to God through Jesus Christ. Paul is saying that through Jesus, everyone can believe and become part of God's family regardless of background or status.

2. What are the divisions in our society that are like the division between Jews and Gentiles?

These divisions include things such as political parties, education, wealth, culture, and race.

3. How would you describe the human tendency to divide ourselves into groups? What are some of the effects of this tendency?

The human tendency to divide ourselves into groups is based on seeking out commonalities and the familiar. People who are not in the same group can be seen as a threat and we tend to separate ourselves from them.

4. What is Jesus called in Ephesians 2:14? In what way is that true?

Jesus is called our peace. Because of what He did, we can be at peace with God. He has also "broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility" which refers to the separation between Jews and Gentiles. Now, both Jews and Gentiles are able to be part of the family of God.

5. What do verses 14–18, say that Jesus has done, or is doing? How does this impact you? Those you know?

Jesus has allowed all to become part of the church of God and have access in one Spirit to the Father regardless of your status, backgrounds, or preferences. This means that anyone in this world can potentially join God's family and that we shouldn't discount anyone.

6. How do you feel about our new humanity that JD talks about?

Our new humanity, based on sharing the commonality of having Jesus's blood and Jesus's spirit is essentially a new race of people. It's amazing that God has brought together so many different groups of people and made us one group of God's people.

7. What does it mean to you that we are being built together into a dwelling place for God?

We are being built together as a collection of believers as a temple where God dwells by His Spirit.

8. Chap 3 talks about the mystery of the gospel that has been revealed. Briefly what is your understanding of this revealed mystery?

"This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." -Ephesians 3:6

9. How does this mystery impact you?

This mystery means that I am responsible (plan A) to tell the others in the community and the world about Christ and bring them into God's family as fellow heirs.

10. How does this mystery make known the wisdom of God?

"so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known"

Sorry my response is late, I've been busy the last two weeks.

1. He is addressing the Gentiles that were separated from God but brought back to Jesus Christ.
2. Culture, race, religion, social status, wealth, politics… are all division in our society like the division between Jews and Gentiles.
3. Humans seek to find things that we have in common with others and we think that we tend to be more if we have things in common with others.
4. Jesus is called “our peace” and this is true in many ways as we can look to him in times of our need to show us the way and to mend our relationship with others.
5. It says that he has taken down the wall that separated us and brought us together so we can all have access to he Father by one Spirit.
6. It is amazing to think that God has brought all the people of this world and taken away what makes us different and made us his people.
7. All of us together are made for God to dwell in us.
8. The mystery is that the Gentiles are also members of the same body through the Gospel.
9. This mystery tells me that I should spread the word of God so that others can inherit his kingdom and promise.