Of all of St. Paul's Epistles, for me the Letter to the
Ephesians is his masterpiece. This 225-page book can be used
for personal study, Sunday school classes, small group
discussion, and sermon preparation for preaching.
Though written from prison in
Rome, the first half of the Letter is full of praise and
worship, an exalted understanding of Christ, and a
transcendent view of the Church. He challenges us to leave
our lowest selves and inspires us to seek our highest potential
in Jesus, seated with him at the right hand of the Father. Here
is salvation by grace through faith, as well as the unity and
mission of the church. Paul's prayers are amazing in their
breadth and scope!
The second half turns from doctrine to
application. He spells out what unity looks like and how gifted
ministry functions in the church body. Paul's condemnation of
sinful attachments is matched by his conviction that the power of
Christ can free us to become like "light in the Lord." He paints
a portrait of a loving Christian marriage between believing
spouses, and compares it to Christ and his Church. This prison
epistle concludes with a challenge to "put on the whole armor of
God" and to struggle in prayer for victory. All in all, it is
an uplifting, glorious epistle, indeed!
The chapters were used as the basis of an online Bible study
encompassing 1,800 participants and 86 countries in Fall 2006.
For use with groups, the book includes handouts with regular
discussion questions as well as a set of inductive Bible study
questions for more advanced groups.
Part 1. Doctrine
Spiritual Blessings in Christ (1:1-6)
God's Gracious Plan of Redemption (1:7-14)
The Greatness of Our Christian Inheritance (1:15-23)
From Deadness in Sin to Coming Alive in Christ
(2:1-7)
Salvation by Grace through Faith (2:8-10)
Scheduled one-week break
Fellow Citizens with the People of God (2:11-22)
The Mystery, Mission, and Ministry of the Church
(3:1-13)
Paul's Prayer and Doxology (3:14-21)
Part 2. Application
One Body -- Unity and Diversity (4:1-10)
Preparation, Ministry, and Maturity (4:11-16)
Putting on Clean Clothes (4:17-32)
Imitate Your Father, Children (5:1-20)
Scheduled one-week break
Christian Husbands and Christian Wives (5:21-33)
Children and Parents, Employers and Employees
(6:1-9)
Wrestling with the Enemy of Our Souls (6:10-18)
Prevailing through Prayer (6:18-24)
"A thorough yet tangible study for beginners and scholars
alike. We studied this as a group, with women from a number
of different denominations as well as different generations
-- a great opportunity for inspiration, education, and
fellowship." -- Stacy Mowry
"I have really learned a lot from the intriguing questions
that Pastor Ralph poses." -- Eudora Olsen
"Biblical, Spirit-filled, and pragmatic... Unites Christian
doctrine with application to our daily lives." -- Bob Sutton
"A
conversational style that is easy to read. He speaks in the
warm style of a favorite teacher." -- Stephen Cram
"I came into this study thinking I pretty well knew what was
in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, but I was wrong ... there
was so much more." -- Pastor Ralph E. Prinkey II
"An excellent expository study of the Bible."-- Jeane Corbett
"Stimulates
your thinking, challenges your mind while being easy to
understand." -- John Luis Jr.
"Spiritually nourishing. I am planning to teach the lessons
in my own Bible Study group." -- Edgar Caina
"I am using this study with a men's Bible study I lead every
other week.... Learning and sharing at the same time." --
Brother Ed
"I recommend this study to others.... There are too many
'fluff' studies out there that people seem to flock to and it
breaks my heart." -- Dixie L. Gramke
"Simple and easy to comprehend, not so 'heavy' for a new
Christian like me." -- Romy Ismael
Order the book. It will enrich your thoughts, your prayers,
your worship, and your life -- as well as provide a rich study
for your class or small group.
You can purchase this 225-page book either as an e-book or a
printed book.
Printed
format, $17.95 plus
shipping. The 225-page book is printed in black and white
on 8-1/2" x 11" white paper, bound with a
plastic spiral binding that opens flat for easy
reference. California residents pay 7.25% sales tax. In the US for a single copy: Media Mail (1 to 2
weeks) is
$2.47, Priority Mail (3 to 5 days) is $4.60. Outside the US we ship by
Priority Mail International: Canada and Mexico $9.00, other
countries $11.00. Shipping weight 22 oz.
Reprint License, $2.50. Once you've
ordered this item, set quantity field for the number of
reprints you plan to make and click on "recalculate." One
license is required for each additional copy you make beyond
the initial book you purchased. This reprint license
prohibits sale of the book to individuals outside your local
area or congregation.