Ephesians 3 Bible Study Guide
Ephesians 3
3:1-7
1: Prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles. Paul was sent called to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews).4-5: The mystery of Christ. That is, that Jesus would be the Messiah and that he who save not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles. This was not made known to the prophets of old, who did not know the exact time that the Messiah would come.6: There is no distinction between anyone; salvation is open to all who trust in Christ.Question: The gift of the Holy Spirit was not always available. Knowing that we are gifted the Holy Spirit, how should this affect our daily lives? Can you have the Holy Spirit in you and ignore Him? What are some practical ways we can be more aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives?
3:8-13
8: When Paul says he is the very least of all the saints, he is being genuine. As a former persecutor of Christians to now being an Apostle, we see from Paul that God can transform and use anyone. If you think Christ can’t save you, remember that Paul killed Christians and God saved him.13: Paul was in jail in Rome when he wrote this letter. Yet he doesn’t want the Ephesians to lose heart in his suffering.Question: What have you done, or what weaknesses do you have that make you feel like you couldn’t be used by God?Question: Do you struggle with thinking you don’t deserve to be forgiven? God not only forgave Paul, but also used him in great ways. How does this encourage you?
3:14-19
17-19: Paul is praying that the Ephesians (and all believers) would be grounded in love, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. Because Christ has so loved us, we must also love others.20-22: God who is at work in us, not us on our own, is able to do far more than we may think or imagine.Question: Going back to our weaknesses, how does this passage encourage you in your faith in Christ that he might do in and through you what you are not able to do on your own? In what areas of your life are you likely to think you don’t need Christ’s “help?”