Questions to Study Ephesians

First class

Introduction
What was Ephesis like before the Christians got there?
• Who ruled?
• What did they do for work?
• What was their religion?
• Who were the first Christians? What obsticals did they encounter?
• Who wrote Ephesians? What happened when he was in Efesus?
• What happened after the book was written?

Manuscript Method (whole book)

1. Divide the Book into paragraphs. For the first two classes it is important to do chapter 1-3 and Chapters 4-6 for classes 3 and 4.
2. Put titles on the paragraphs (no more than 4 words).
3. Indicate the things that God does red and what man does in Blue.
4. Indicate the words (in different colors) that repeat en the letter: Heavenly places, walk, in love, in Christ, church, body or temple (when used to mean the same thing), fullness, Spirit or Holy Spirit.
5. Indicate the contrastes (good-bad, death-life).

Chapter 1

Ephesians 1:1-14

1. How are the recipientes described?

2. What has God done?

3. For what purpose did God do it?

4. What did Jesus do? And for what purpose?

5. What did the Holy Spirit do? And for what purpose?

6. What have the recipientes (we) done?


Ephesians 1:15-23
1. What motivated Paul to pray?

What is the purpose of Paul's prayer?

2. What does this say about God's work?

Second class: Chapter 2 and 3

Ephesians 2:1-10
1. What is the contrast en this pasage?

2. Why is this contrast?

Ephesians 2:11-22
1. To whom is Paul talking to in this paragraph?

2. What has Christ done? How has he done it? And why?

Ephesians 3:1-13
1. To whom is Paul speaking to specifically?

2. What is the main idea of this passage?

3. How does this mistery that is revealed to Paul affect my life?

4. What was Paul's task?

5. What role does Jesus play?


Ephesians 3:14-21
1. What is Paul doing and why?

2. What is the center point in this paragraph?

3. What does this paragraph say about Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit?

4. If this paragraph had not been in this letter, what would have been missing?
Si no estuviera este párrafo en la carta, ¿Qué faltaría?

Third class: Chapter 4:1-5:2

Ephesians 4:1-16
1. How do you understand this passage?

2. What is Paul ask us to do here?

3. What are some of the barriers?

4. How is Christ presented here?

5. How does it change our lives if we live according to this paragraph?

6. What is the contrast between this passage and our reality?


Efesios 4:17- 5:2
1. What does God want us to do?
2. What is Paul's purpose in writing this paragraph?
3 What does Jesus do?
4. What is the contrast between the old and the new man?

Fourth class: 5:3-6:24

Efesios 5:3-14
1. What does Paul hope the Efesians understand?

Efesios 5:15-33
1. What contrastes are there in this passage?

2. What is the purpose for the demands?

3. In parragraph 5:25-32, what is implied when we imita a Dios?


Efesios 6:1-9
1. What does this parragraph have to say about personal relationships?

2. What is the purpose to this parragraph?

3. Is there a difference between how society relates and how this passage is instructing us?


Efesios 6:10-24
1. What metaphores does Paul use and why?
What relationship does these metaphores have with the whole book of Ephesians?

2. How does Paul ask us to pray and why?

3. What is the conclusion to this letter and what does it emphasize?

Leadership Training Encounter Tijuana 2010

Sweat is a great thing when the wind hits you. So we are thankful for fans within the house. But electrolytes are lost and heat exhaustion comes fast. So our home remedy is a half a glass of mineral water, a fourth glass of pop and 6 ice cubes.
But soon we will get a heat reprieve. Now the purpose is not to escape the heat….but that is one of the nice side benefits.
The 26th of June we will fly to Tijuana for an event that Alejandra Ortiz has organized. Tijuana is the farthest from central Mexico. It takes 52 driving hours to go to the training camp. So Ale has organized a house camp. Ale’s private school director is lending his home for 15 students and staff. It is within walking distance of the Pacific. (The ocean has the same glorious aroma in Baja California as in the Pacific Northwest.) Student leaders from four cities will be there.
Ale was one of four new staff who came to our home in January for intensive Bible classes. The second week we studied Ephesians. (She earned the highest grade in Latin America in the Ephesians exam.) What Ale learned changed her life, so she wants the student leaders to have the same opportunity.

When Ale was in junior high school, she gained the nick name: Chispa or Spark. Chispa is an adequate description of our friend. She is activity, reads and speaks English well. In the worldwide mission celebration in Edinburgh a few weeks ago, Ale was the Mexican student representative. God has given her special talents and opportunities. She is and will influence many students and others for JESUS.
Pray for them and us during these ten days.
John and Jan
PS: Not only will we teach Ephesians to the students, but John will give three workshops and a sermon in Chispa’s church. It just happens (?) that John taught the pastor in the Wesley Seminary in the 1980’s.

Training Encounter in Tijuana, Baja California

Jan and I are going to Tijuana, BC to teach Ephesians. This is a key book to understand the big picture in the Bible. What is God really up to? Ephesians answers the question.

We will be teaching the Manuscript Method. This is where you have a copy of the text printed on paper. You try and mark with colored pencils the things that repeat. You mark your own paragraphs and put your own titles on them.

John will be giving Bible expositions on Ephesians. So that if you didn´t get it on you own, you can get some help.

We will begin on Sunday evening to gather and start the studies on Monday morning the 28 of June, 2010. The studies will last the whole week.

Be praying that the students will read and understand what God has said.

Leaders Camp 2010

We will be participating in the Leadership Formation Encounter 2010, which is held anually in Valle de Bravo. We will be training Campus staff for Compa. Our task will be to teach two Moore courses. These classes are vital in preparing the staff to know the Bible and train students through out Mexico.

Be praying that what is taught will meet their needs to know the Bible and respond to the students needs. It is essential that the Bible be understood if the work is to be passed on to the next generatión of students.

Hermeneutics in Seminary

This semester we are teaching Hermeneutics in the Nazarene Seminary in México. This is an important course as a big part of pastoral work is interpreting Scripture. This is the fourth time we are giving this course in the Nazarene Sminary in Mexico.

As a part of this class we are having the students view God's Big Picture in a powerpoint presentation on line. This will help us cover the times that we are not able to give the class. We are looking for ways to give quality classes on line.

Ephesians in Tijuana

We have been invited to give an intensive course (8 days) in Tijuana the last week of June. This will be a course on Ephesians. In addition we will be teaching in several churches in Tijuana. Be praying the the Lord provide the resources to respond to these opportunities. There will be 15 students in this course.

Bible Summary On Line

A summary of the Bible can be now found on the renuevalamente blog.  This is a PowerPoint presentation with audio. We Hope to have a short presentation up in English, so you can see what we are doing. This presentation can be seen any where. This is a step toward a truly distance education. Be praying that those who watch the presentation better understand the Bible.

Holy Week 2010

We are preparing to go to the Nacional Camp for the university student ministry. Will you pray for this Camp. 250 to 300 students are expected at the Camp. This Camp has the goal of preparing the students to evangelize on their different campus´.