Ephesians
In this course you will study the book of Ephesians in "two halves". In chapters 1-3 Paul develops his theology of the Christian life as "being in Christ". Then in chapters 4-6 he takes the reader through what it means to live in Christ as a member of His Church in a practical, spiritual and loving way.
Ephesus was noted for its witchcraft and its temple to the huntress goddess Artemis (also known as Diana). Thus it was a place of spiritual warfare, miracles and revival. Ephesians thus places great emphasis on the Christian's spiritual position in the heavenly realms, and our authority and power in the spiritual struggle.
First, read the two free ebooks, the commentaries, and bible dictionary articles on Ephesians that you can access for free using E-Sword. You may also want to purchase a Tyndale, Word, or NICNT commentary on Ephesians.
Second, discuss the book of Ephesians and the questions it raises. e.g. What does it mean to be "in Christ"? What is the relationship between works and salvation? What is Paul's view of the Church? Who is the Head of the Church? How can Christians live as "new creations" ? What is the role of spiritual warfare in the Christian life?
Third write - in your personal journals and finally in your assignments (see below). Make sure to include references to the sources you quote.
Assignments (you need to do both assignments):
1. Using the book of Ephesians as your primary source, write a 2 page essay on "What does it mean to be "in Christ"?
2. Using the book of Ephesians as your primary source, write a 2 page essay on "What does it mean to live the Christian life from a position of spiritual power and authority?
The ebooks are zip files, use WinZip or other compression utility to unzip into a folder on your hard drive. Files can be read in most word processors e.g. Open Office Writer, Word or WordPerfect
Ephesians 4-6 Living In Christ
Etexts and Other Links