What does real Christianity look like? Where shall we start on a subject as great as God’s church? Ephesians is the letter that deals with this subject most directly. One of its main themes is the church or “one body.” Consider Ephesians the core of this course. Surround Ephesians with the inspired books just described in this lesson. For the purposes of this course, we may call all these books “The Ephesian Collection.” In one way or another each book is tied to Ephesus. Together they supply a complete context for understanding the message of Ephesians. Parts of the Ephesian Collection, beginning with Ephesians itself, look at the church from a heavenly viewpoint. Other parts view the church in Ephesus from a historical perspective. As we watch, we see spiritual truth being worked out at a practical, down-to-earth level. Along with other key Scriptures, such as Matthew 16:18, these passages paint the full picture of the one church.
Why is the church of the Bible so important? Because this is the one church that hell “shall not prevail against” (Matthew 16:18). It is the “one body” of which Jesus is “Savior” (Ephesians 4:4; 5:23). Its members are citizens of heaven’s kingdom. They form the true temple in which God’s Spirit dwells. They are no longer foreigners, but belong to God’s household.
Do you love God? Then you need to honor Him as a faithful member of His family. Do you love truth? Then you want to help the church that is “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” Do you love life? Then your Father should be “the living God.” You need His Son, who overcomes Hades and shares eternal life with His brothers and sisters. He gathers His members and calls them, “God’s household, the church of the living God.” This is where you belong, or ought to belong. This is the family of God!
Research Subjects
- Priscilla and Aquila
- The apostle Paul
- The theme of “fullness” or “completeness” in Colossians and Ephesians
- The theme of “overcoming” in Revelation
Study Notes
- Ekklesia
- Gnosticism
People today have various meanings for the word “church.” In the Bible, however, “the church” means the people gathered into God’s spiritual family. Wherever on earth they may be, these people come together in local gatherings called “churches” (assemblies).
To illustrate the reality of God’s church, we look at an example: the congregation at Ephesus. Through the New Testament books of Acts and 1 and 2 Corinthians, we trace its beginnings. Through 1 and 2 Timothy and Revelation, we follow its history and discover more of its nature. As we explore our new life in Christ and in His Family, we especially focus on the letter to the Ephesians themselves, along with its companion letter Colossians. These inspired sources make an excellent study for any Christian who wants to fit into God’s great plan and grow spiritually.
Memory Verses
- Colossians 2:9-10 – For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
- Colossians 1:12-14 – Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
- Ephesians 2:19-22 – So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
- 1 Timothy 3:14-15 – I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
Thank You, God, for the high honor and privilege of calling You “Father.”
What an astonishing thought, that we are now your children! What a blessing, to have been born into Your family!
Help us to learn the full meaning of that blessing. Please guide us in this study of Your family, so that we fulfill Your loving plans for us…