Ephesians #4 – Study Questions
God’s Work in Us – Pt. 2
Ephesians 2:11-22 (CGS#4)
INTRODUCTION: As we have been walking through Ephesians, we have heard all about God. We have heard that he is sovereign and powerful, loving and rich in mercy, gracious and generous, and the one who both forgives and blesses. We have also heard about humanity. We’ve heard that we are rebellious and needy, that we have been blessed and loved by God, and that through Jesus, we are changed and have hope. So far, we have been given a profound picture of ourselves and God. One of the challenges that we can have as modern readers is that we bring such an individualist lens to what the Bible speaks to as both a corporate and individual experience. That is, too often, we only think about what God has done for us as individuals, and we might give a cursory glimpse at what God has done for us as a community if we think about it at all. The original readers of Paul’s letter lived their lives in a context of community and family ties that we just don’t experience completely in the American West. Yes, they had been saved as individuals by God’s grace, but their essential identity was much more communal than it was individual. So when Paul gives them a reminder of the communal nature of their salvation and what it has transformed them into, it is a fulfillment and competition of a present reality they had long experienced. For us today, Paul’s words are less of a reminder and more of a billboard that should arrest our attention and cause us to really consider the gospel implications on us as a community and not just individuals.
Here’s how Paul puts it, “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” (Eph. 2:14-16)
Paul is writing to a predominately Gentile audience who is quite familiar with making ethnic and racial distinctions. And had likely felt the ethnic distinctions the were made between Jewish and Gentile believers in the early days of Christianity. But all of that had been settled for some time now (cf. Acts 10 & 15). God, through Jesus, has brought down the dividing wall of hostility, and they are now a new people. They are, as Peter says, “exiles who are a people for God’s own passion.” (1 Pet. 2:9-11) Peter and Paul’s words agree, yes, we are saved as individuals, and we are transformed into a new community. That means we need to think in both “I” and “we” terms. When we think of “we,” it will require us to jettison anything that defines us outside of Christ. Why? Because it is only through Christ and by him that we have been made into this new community. That doesn’t mean we stop having convictions on secondary theological matters, political opinions, or individual personalities or preferences. It means we don’t elevate those things to the point of division and hostility. After all, since Jesus has brought down the dividing wall of hostility, we shouldn’t work to build it back up! But have you caught in all of Paul’s writing so far who the hero is? Hint: it isn’t you or me. It is God. He has done all of the work, and we are called to walk in what he has done and established. So again, we are called away from our “I” thinking and self-centered perspectives. After all, God’s work in us is primarily a reflection of God.
GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. What has been a time or situation where the way you acted (behaved, lived, spoke, etc.) was more of a reflection on someone else than you personally?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage(s). It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions.
- What does it mean to you to follow Jesus in a life-defining way? What values or perspectives are central or most important to that? What are secondary things that can still be important but shouldn’t divide?
- Is there anything in your life that you value more than your identity in Christ? If so, what? And what does it say about God when we value anything more than him?
- How can we purposefully and intentionally guard our hearts against division?
- If you are an exile as a Christian, how should that inform your everyday interactions?
- Why is it so important for us to keep the bond of peace and unity as a local church in the days we’re living in? And how can we intentionally do that?