Kress Biblical Resources :: Walking in Light of Our Responsibilities as the Church (Eph 4, 5, 6)

Detailed Outline of Ephesians

Our Riches in Christ Unify the Church, and Manifest His Glory in the Heavenly Realm

3. Walking in light of our responsibilities as the Church (Eph 4; Eph 5; Eph 6;)
   1. Walk worthy of your calling in Christ (Eph 4:1-16)
      1. We reveal God’s wisdom, power, and love by walking in love and unity (Eph 4:1-6)
         1. The example of Paul as a prisoner (Eph 4:1a)
         2. The exhortation to walk worthy of your calling (Eph 4:1b)
         3. The explanation of the worthy walk (Eph 4:2-3)
            1. Forbearing with one another in humility, gentleness and love (Eph 4:2)
            2. Fastidiously protecting unity and peace within the body (Eph 4:3)
         4. The expansion on the basis for our unity in Christ (Eph 4:4-6)
            1. One Spirit, one body, one hope (Eph 4:4)
            2. One Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph 4:5)
            3. One God and Father, who is over, in and through all (Eph 4:6)
      2. We reveal God’s wisdom, power and love by doing the work of the ministry (Eph 4:7-16)
         1. Every believer has a gift—not just pastors or church leaders (Eph 4:7-10)
            1. God’s grace has gifted a unified body with a diversity of gifts (Eph 4:7)
            2. God’s Word has revealed this beforehand (Eph 4:8-10)
               1. The citation from Psalm 68 (Eph 4:8)
               2. The commentary from Paul (Eph 4:9-10)
                  • The incarnation, death, burial and resurrection of Christ is assumed within the citation (Eph 4:9-10a)
                  • The exaltation and sovereign rule that verifies His right to bestow gifts is implicit in the text (Eph 4:10b)
         2. Every believer is to do the work of the ministry—not just pastors or church leaders (Eph 4:11-16)
            1. The leaders equip believers to do the work of the ministry (Eph 4:11-12a)
            2. Church members do the work of the ministry by building one another up in truth and love (Eph 4:12b-13)
               1. The ministry of building up the body (Eph 4:12b)
               2. The mission/goal of this ministry (Eph 4:13)
            3. Spiritual stability and maturity should be the combined result of this biblical approach to ministry (Eph 4:14-16)
               1. No longer children in regard to false teaching (Eph 4:14)
               2. Now growing in Christ (Eph 4:15-16)
   2. Walk with renewed thinking in Christ (Eph 4:17-32)
      1. The Sovereign directive concerning our thinking in Christ (Eph 4:17a)
      2. The summary and sequence of the world’s thinking (Eph 4:17b-19)
         1. Thinking that is empty/futile/confused (Eph 4:17b)
         2. Thinking that is dark, hard-hearted, and excluded from the life of God (Eph 4:18)
         3. Thinking that can no longer sense shame (Eph 4:19)
      3. The sanctified mindset of those who are in Christ (Eph 4:20-24)
         1. A disciple of Christ thinks differently than the world (Eph 4:20-21)
            1. The reality stated—a disciple has a different mindset than the world (Eph 4:20a)
            2. The reflection required—have you heard and been taught this (Eph 4:21ab)
            3. The revelation summarized—the truth is in Jesus (Eph 4:21c)
         2. A disciple of Christ pursues sanctification (Eph 4:22-24)
            1. Because of the truth in Jesus a disciple sheds his old way of life (Eph 4:22)
            2. Because of the truth in Jesus a disciple allows himself to be renewed in his thinking (Eph 4:23)
            3. Because of the truth in Jesus a disciple pursues righteousness and holiness in the truth (Eph 4:24)
      4. The sacred responsibilities that exemplify renewed thinking in Christ (Eph 4:25-32)
         1. Put off lying and put on speaking the truth (Eph 4:25)
            1. The responsibility (Eph 4:25ab)
            2. The reason (Eph 4:25c)
         2. Put off sinful anger and put on being quick to forgive (Eph 4:26-27)
            1. The responsibility (Eph 4:26)
            2. The reason (Eph 4:27)
         3. Put off theft and put on an ethic of hard work and generosity (Eph 4:28)
            1. The responsibility (Eph 4:28ab)
            2. The reason (Eph 4:28c)
         4. Put off corrupt speech and put on edifying speech (Eph 4:29-30)
            1. The responsibility (Eph 4:29ab)
            2. The reasons (Eph 4:29c-30)
         5. Put off hostility and hatred and put on kindness and forgiveness (Eph 4:31-32)
            1. The responsibility (Eph 4:31-32a)
            2. The reason (Eph 4:32b)
   3. Walk in love as God in Christ has loved you (Eph 5:1-6)
      1. The precept: Be imitators of God and walk in love (Eph 5:1-2)
         1. Walk in the ways of your Father (Eph 5:1)
            1. Kindness, tenderness, forgiveness (Eph 5:1a)
            2. Fatherly love (Eph 5:1b)
         2. Walk in the ways of Christ your Savior (Eph 5:2)
            1. Redemptive love (Eph 5:2ab
            2. Worshiping love (Eph 5:2c)
      2. The practice of love fleshed out (Eph 5:3-6)
         1. Thanksgiving rather than taking or tearing down (Eph 5:3-4)
            1. Immorality, impurity, and greed are not fitting for holy people (Eph 5:3)
            2. Filthiness, foolish talk, and foul jokes are not fitting for a thankful people (Eph 5:4)
         2. Taking seriously the eternal consequences of not having God as your Father, and therefore not walking in love (Eph 5:5-6)
            1. It is certain that no immoral, impure, covetous, idolaters [those who do not walk in love] will enter the kingdom of Christ and God (Eph 5:5)
            2. It is clear that the wrath of God comes upon those who are characterized by disobedience to God [those who do not have God as their Father] (Eph 5:6)
   4. Walk in truth and holiness as children of the light (Eph 5:7-14)
      1. Don’t partner with those characterized by disobedience to God (Eph 5:7-10)
         1. Because your Father forbids it (Eph 5:7)
         2. Because your Father has transformed you (Eph 5:8)
         3. Because your fruit confirms who you belong to (Eph 5:9)
         4. Because your fervor is to please the Lord (Eph 5:10)
      2. Don’t participate in the deeds of those characterized by disobedience to God (Eph 5:11-14)
         1. Expose sin as sin rather than participate in it (Eph 5:11)
         2. Even talking about what they do in secret is a disgrace (Eph 5:12)
         3. Expose sin by walking in the light of God’s Word (Eph 5:13-14)
            1. The truth stated (Eph 5:13)
            2. The truth supported (Eph 5:14)
   5. Walk in wisdom (Eph 5:15-33; Eph 6:1-9)
      1. Being careful and diligent about living for Christ (Eph 5:15-16)
         1. Careful to live according to God’s wisdom (Eph 5:15)
         2. Concerned about taking every opportunity to honor Christ (Eph 5:16)
      2. Being cognizant of the will of the Lord (Eph 5:17)
      3. Being controlled by the Spirit (Eph 5:18-33; Eph 6:1-9)
         1. The Spirit’s control introduced (Eph 5:18-21)
            1. Drunkenness vs. divine control (Eph 5:18)
            2. Devotion to edification, praise and thanksgiving (Eph 5:19-20)
               1. Edifying others (Eph 5:19a)
               2. Exalting the Lord (Eph 5:19b)
               3. Ever giving thanks for all things to the Father through Christ (Eph 5:20)
            3. Deference to one another in the fear of Christ (Eph 5:21)
         2. The Spirit’s control illustrated (Eph 5:22-33; Eph 6:1-9)
            1. In the relationship of wives and husbands (Eph 5:22-32)
               1. The Spirit-filled wife’s mandate (Eph 5:22-24)
                  • The responsibility stated—submission (Eph 5:22)
                  • The reason stated (Eph 5:23)
                  • The responsibility restated (Eph 5:24)
               2. The Spirit-filled husband’s mandate (Eph 5:25-32)
                  • The responsibility stated—sacrificial love (Eph 5:25)
                  • The reflection of Christ and the church elaborated (Eph 5:26-27)
                  • The responsibility restated (Eph 5:28-29)
                  • The reflection of Christ and the church expanded (Eph 5:30-32)
               3. The summary (Eph 5:33)
            2. In the relationship of children and parents (Eph 6:1-4)
               1. The Spirit-filled child’s mandate (Eph 6:1-3)
                  • The responsibility stated—obey your parents in the Lord (Eph 6:1)
                  • The reason stated—for this is right (Eph 6:1b)
                  • The reason supported with Scripture (Eph 6:2)
                  • The reward supported by implication in the Scripture (Eph 6:3)
               2. The Spirit-filled father’s mandate (Eph 6:4)
                  • Don’t provoke them to anger
                  • Discipline/train them to trust the Lord
            3. In the relationship of slaves and masters (Eph 6:5-9)
               1. The Spirit-filled slave’s mandate (Eph 6:5-8)
                  • The responsibility stated (Eph 6:5a)
                  • The reason—service to Christ (Eph 6:5b-7)
                  • The reward (Eph 6:8)
               2. The Spirit-filled master’s mandate (Eph 6:9)
                  • The responsibility stated—treat them in a way that is pleasing to the Lord (Eph 6:9a)
                  • The reason and reward—their master and yours will reward to each without partiality (Eph 6:9b)
   6. Walk as warriors for Christ, with the full armor of God (Eph 6:10-20)
      1. The Christian warrior² (Eph 6:10-11)
         1. The call to be empowered by the Lord (Eph 6:10)
         2. The call to be equipped for spiritual battle (Eph 6:11)
      2. The Christian’s warfare (Eph 6:12)
         1. A war not against flesh and blood (Eph 6:12a)
         2. A war against spiritual forces that are fighting for darkness and depravity in the heavenly realm (Eph 6:12b)
      3. The Christian’s weapons (Eph 6:13-20)
         1. The warrior’s mandate reemphasized—stand firm (Eph 6:13-14a)
         2. The weapons represented (Eph 6:14b-20)
            1. The belt of truth—integrity/faithfulness (Eph 6:14b)
            2. The breastplate of righteousness—trusting in Christ’s righteousness and doing what is right (Eph 6:14c)
            3. The boots of the gospel of peace—standing firm knowing you have peace with God (Eph 6:15)
            4. The broad shield of faith—to take cover from the weapons of the adversary (Eph 6:16)
            5. The battle-helmet of salvation—focus on the final salvation to be brought at the revelation of Jesus Christ (Eph 6:17a)
            6. The blade/dagger of the Spirit—the specific Word of God for that battle situation (Eph 6:17b)
         3. The warrior’s prayers requested (Eph 6:18-20)
            1. “All” prayer (Eph 6:18)
            2. Apostolic prayer—that the Word of God would go forth and accomplish its purposes (Eph 6:19-20)
               1. Clarity (Eph 6:19a)
               2. Boldness (Eph 6:19b-20)

²The Christian warrior; The Christian’s warfare; and The Christian’s weapons are taken from W. Graham Scroggie, Scroggie’s Bible Handbook, Revel, p. 429.