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The Blue Letter Bible

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

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Detailed Outline of Ephesians

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

  1. 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)
            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)
            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.

Worshiping in Light of Our Riches as the Church (Eph 1, 2, 3) ← Prior Section
Conclusion (Eph 6:21-24) Next Section →
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