Bible in one year 3/7/2022 Ephesians-Introduction & Chapter 1-3
By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian Arts Ministries:
Biblical precepts &Gospel Music; Pastoral ministry & Counseling
Ephesians Introduction
The Author Paul Date
:61
The
Prison Epistles - Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon are
sometimes referred to as the Prison epistles, since they were all written
during Paul’s Roman imprisonment (Eph.3:1;Phil.1:7;Col.4:10;Philem.9). Whether
he was imprisoned once or twice in Rome is debated, though two imprisonments
seem to fit the facts better. During the first, Paul was kept in or near the
barracks of the Praetorian Guard or in rental quarters at his own expense for
two years (Acts28:30), during which these epistles were written. He anticipated
being released (Philem.22) and following his release he made several trips,
wrote 1Timothy and Titus, was rearrested, wrote 2 Timothy and was martyred.
These , then, are the first Roman imprisonment letters, whereas 2 Timothy is
the second Roman imprisonment letter.
An Encyclical
- Several things indicate that Ephesians was a circular letter, a doctrinal
treatise in the form of a letter, to the churches in Asia Minor. Some good
Greek manuscripts omit the words “at Ephesus” in 1:1. There is an absence of
controversy in this epistle, and it does not deal with problems of particular
churches. Since Paul had worked at Ephesus for about three years, and since he
normally mentioned many friends in the churches to whom he wrote, the absence
of personal names in this letter strongly supports the idea of its encyclical
character. It was likely sent first to Ephesus by Tychicus (Eph.6:21-22;
Col.4:7-8) and is probably the same letter that is called “my letter…from
Laodicea” in Colossians 4:16.
The City of Ephesus – Christianity
probably came first to Ephesus with Aquila and Priscilla when Paul made a brief
stop there on his second missionary journey (Acts18:18-19). On his third
journey he stayed in the city for about three years and the gospel spread
throughout all of Asia Minor (Acts19:10). The city was a commercial, political
and religious center, the great temple of Artemis (Diana) being there as a
major trading center, it ranked with Alexandria and Antioch. After Paul,
Timothy had charge the church in Ephesus for a time (1Tim.1:3) and later the
apostle John made the city his headquarter.
Contents – The great theme of this
letter is God’s eternal purpose to establish and complete His body, the church
of Christ. In developing this theme, Paul discusses predestination (1:3-14),
Christ’s headship over the body(1:22-23;4:15-16), the church as the building
and temple of God (2:21-22), the mystery of Christ (3:1-21), Spiritual gifts
(4:7-14), and the church as the bride of Christ.
Ephesians Chapter 1 The Position of Believers; Chosen and Sealed.
1:1 Paul, an apostle
of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in
Christ Jesus:
1:2 Grace and peace to
you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise for Spiritual
Blessings in Christ
1:3 Praise be to the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly
realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the
world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
1:5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--
1:6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has
freely given us in the One he loves.
1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
1:8 that he lavished
on us with all wisdom and understanding.
1:9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will
according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
1:10 to be put into
effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things
in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
1:11 In him we were also
chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out
everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
1:12 in order that we,
who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you
heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised
Holy Spirit,
1:14 who is a deposit
guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's
possession--to the praise of his glory.
Thanksgiving and
Prayer
1:15 For this reason,
ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the
saints,
1:16 I have not
stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
1:18 I pray also that the
eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to
which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
1:19 and his
incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of
his mighty strength,
1:20 which he exerted
in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in
the heavenly realms,
1:21 far above all
rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not
only in the present age but also in the one to come.
1:22 And God placed
all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the
church,
1:23 which is his
body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
『憑神旨意，作基督耶穌使徒的保羅，寫信給在以弗所的聖徒，就是在基督耶穌裏的忠信者：』弗一1
『願恩典與平安，從神我們的父，並主耶穌基督歸與你們。』弗一2
『我們主耶穌基督的神與父，是當受頌讚的，祂在基督裏，曾用諸天界裏各樣屬靈的福分，祝福了我們；』弗一3
『就如祂在創立世界以前，在基督裏揀選了我們，使我們在愛裏，在祂面前，成為聖別、沒有瑕疵；』弗一4
『按著祂意願所喜悅的，豫定了我們，藉著耶穌基督得兒子的名分，歸於祂自己，』弗一5
『使祂恩典的榮耀得著稱讚，這恩典是祂在那蒙愛者裏面所恩賜我們的；』弗一6
『我們在這蒙愛者裏面，藉著祂的血，照著神恩典的豐富，得蒙救贖，就是過犯得以赦免，』弗一7
『這恩典是神用全般的智慧和明達，使其向我們洋溢的，』弗一8
『照著祂的喜悅，使我們知道祂意願的奧祕；這喜悅是祂在自己裏面豫先定下的，』弗一9
『為著時期滿足時的經綸，要將萬有，無論是在諸天之上的，或是在地上的，都在基督裏歸一於一個元首之下；』弗一10
『我們既在祂裏面，照著那位按祂意願所決議的，行作萬事者的定旨，蒙了豫定，也就在祂裏面成了所選定的基業，』弗一11
『以致我們這首先在基督裏有盼望的人，可使祂的榮耀得著稱讚；』弗一12
『你們既聽了真理的話，就是那叫你們得救的福音，也在祂裏面信了，就在祂裏面受了所應許的聖靈為印記；』弗一13
『這聖靈是我們得基業的憑質，為使神所買的產業得贖，使祂的榮耀得著稱讚。』弗一14
『因此，我既聽見你們中間對主耶穌的信，並對眾聖徒的愛，』弗一15
『也就為你們不住的感謝，在我的禱告中常題到你們；』弗一16
『願我們主耶穌基督的神，榮耀的父，賜給你們智慧和啟示的靈，使你們充分的認識祂；』弗一17
『光照你們的心眼，使你們知道祂的呼召有何等盼望；』弗一18上
『祂在聖徒中之基業的榮耀，有何等豐富；』弗一18下
『以及祂的能力向著我們這信的人，照祂力量之權能的運行，是何等超越的浩大，』弗一19
『就是祂在基督身上所運行的，使祂從死人中復活，叫祂在諸天界裏，坐在自己的右邊，』弗一20
『遠超過一切執政的、掌權的、有能的、主治的、以及一切受稱之名，不但是今世的，連來世的也都在內，』弗一21
『將萬有服在祂的腳下，並使祂向著召會作萬有的頭；』弗一22
『召會是祂的身體，是那在萬有中充滿萬有者的豐滿。』弗一23
Chapter 2
Saved by Grace; United in One Body
2:2 in which you used
to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the
kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
2:3 All of us also
lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and
following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of
wrath.
2:4 But because of his
great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
2:5 made us alive with
Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.
2:6 And God raised us
up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
2:7 in order that in
the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed
in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
2:9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to
do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
2:11 Therefore,
remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called
"uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the
circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)--
2:12 remember that at
that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel
and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in
the world.
2:13 But now in Christ
Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of
Christ.
2:14 For he himself is our
peace, who has made the two one and
has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
2:15 by abolishing in his
flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create
in himself one new man out of the
two, thus making peace,
2:16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God
through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
2:17 He came and
preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
2:18 For through him
we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners
and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's
household,
2:20 built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
2:21 In him the whole
building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
2:22 And in him you
too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
『而你們原是死在過犯並罪之中，』弗二1
『那時，你們在其中行事為人，隨著這世界的世代，順著空中掌權者的首領，就是那現今在悖逆之子裏面運行之靈的首領；』弗二2
『我們眾人從前也都在他們中間，在我們肉體的私慾裏，行事為人，行肉體和思念所意欲的，生來就是可怒的兒女，和其餘的人一樣；』弗二3
『然而神富於憐憫，因祂愛我們的大愛，』弗二4
『竟然在我們因過犯死了的時候，便叫我們一同與基督活過來，（你們得救是靠著恩典，）』弗二5
『祂又叫我們在基督耶穌裏一同復活，一同坐在諸天界裏，』弗二6
『好在要來的諸世代中，顯示祂在基督耶穌裏，向我們所施恩慈中恩典超越的豐富。』弗二7
『你們得救是靠著恩典，藉著信；這並不是出於你們，乃是神的恩賜；』弗二8
『也不是出於行為，免得有人誇口。』弗二9
『我們原是神的傑作，在基督耶穌裏，為著神早先豫備好，要我們行在其中的善良事工創造的。』弗二10
『所以你們應當記念，你們從前在肉身上是外邦人，是那些憑人手所行，在肉身上稱為受割禮之人，所稱為未受割禮的；』弗二11
『那時，你們在基督以外，和以色列國民隔絕，在所應許的諸約上是局外人，在世上沒有指望，沒有神。』弗二12
『但如今在基督耶穌裏，你們這從前遠離的人，靠著基督的血，已經得親近了。』弗二13
『因祂自己是我們的和平，將兩下作成一個，拆毀了中間隔斷的牆，就是仇恨，』弗二14
『在祂的肉體裏，廢掉了那規條中誡命的律法，好把兩下在祂自己裏面，創造成一個新人，成就了和平；』弗二15
『既用十字架除滅了仇恨，便藉這十字架，使兩下在一個身體裏與神和好了；』弗二16
『又來傳和平為福音，給你們這遠離的人，也傳和平為福音，給那相近的人，』弗二17
『因為藉著祂，我們兩下在一位靈裏，得以進到父面前。』弗二18
『這樣，你們不再是外人和寄居的，乃是聖徒同國之民，是神家裏的親人，』弗二19
『被建造在使徒和申言者的根基上，有基督耶穌自己作房角石；』弗二20
『在祂裏面，全房聯結一起，長成在主裏的聖殿；』弗二21
『你們也在祂裏面同被建造，成為神在靈裏的居所。』弗二22
Chapter 3 Equal in the Body; God’s Marvelous Plan for
the Gentiles
3:1 For this reason I,
Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--
3:2 Surely you have
heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you,
3:3 that is, the
mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
3:4 In reading this,
then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
3:5 which was not made
known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to
God's holy apostles and prophets.
3:6 This mystery is
that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members
together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
3:7 I became a servant
of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his
power.
3:8 Although I am less
than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
3:9 and to make plain
to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept
hidden in God, who created all things.
3:10 His intent was
that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known
to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
3:11 according to his
eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
3:12 In him and
through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
3:13 I ask you,
therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are
your glory.
3:14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,
3:15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on
earth derives its name.
3:17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts
through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
3:18 may have power,
together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is
the love of Christ,
3:19 and to know this love
that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the
fullness of God.
3:20 Now to him who is
able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power
that is at work within us,
3:21 to him be glory in
the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!
Amen.
『因這緣故，我這為你們外邦人作基督耶穌囚犯的保羅，為你們祈求─』弗三1
『諒必你們曾聽見那為著你們所賜給我，神恩典的管家職分，』弗三2
『就是照著啟示使我知道這奧祕，正如我前面略略寫過的，』弗三3
『你們念了，就能藉此明瞭我對基督的奧祕所有的領悟，』弗三4
『這奧祕在別的世代中，未曾給人們的子孫知道，像如今在靈裏啟示祂的聖使徒和申言者一樣；』弗三5
『就是外邦人在基督耶穌裏，藉著福音得以同為後嗣，同為一個身體，並同為應許的分享者；』弗三6
『我作了這福音的執事，是照著神恩典的恩賜，這恩賜是照著祂大能的運行所賜給我的。』弗三7
『這恩典賜給了我這比眾聖徒中最小者還小的，叫我將基督那追測不盡的豐富，當作福音傳給外邦人，』弗三8
『並將那歷世歷代隱藏在創造萬有之神裏的奧祕有何等的經綸，向眾人照明，』弗三9
『為要藉著召會，使諸天界裏執政的、掌權的，現今得知神萬般的智慧，』弗三10
『這是照著祂在我們的主基督耶穌裏，所立的永遠定旨；』弗三11
『在祂裏面，我們藉著信祂，就篤信不疑，放心大膽的進到神面前。』弗三12
『所以我求你們，不要因我為你們所受的患難喪膽，這原是你們的榮耀。』弗三13
『因這緣故，我向父屈膝，』弗三14
『在諸天裏以及在地上的各家族，都是從祂得名，』弗三15
『願祂照著祂榮耀的豐富，藉著祂的靈，用大能使你們得以加強到裏面的人裏,』弗三16
『使基督藉著信，安家在你們心裏，』弗三17上
『叫你們在愛裏生根立基，』弗三17下
『使你們滿有力量，能和眾聖徒一同領略何為那闊、長、高、深，』弗三18
『並認識基督那超越知識的愛，』弗三19上
『使你們被充滿，成為神一切的豐滿。』弗三19下
『然而神能照著運行在我們裏面的大能，極其充盈的成就一切，超過我們所求所想的；』弗三20
『願在召會中，並在基督耶穌裏，榮耀歸與祂，直到世世代代，永永遠遠。阿們。』弗三21
Bibliography,
King
James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company
Lee,
Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream
Ministry, 1985.
Ryrie, Charles C. The
Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986
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