I PAGE 1C EPHESIANS 1:1-3, 5-8

ABOUT THE  EPHESIANS

• The Apostle Paul wrote the letter of Ephesians sometime in 62 or 63 AD and was a very troubled time for the Middle East countries--certainly Israel and Jerusalem.

CALLED OF GOD!

He probably wrote this letter from a Roman prison, and sent it by a messinger along the route he came to Rome.

READ EPHESIANS 1 :3-8

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ;
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love;
having predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved,
in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence


 QUESTIONS TO BE PONDERED

1. Paul claims to be an apostle. 
What is an apostle?
 "And He gave some as Apostles,and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the bodyof Christ."  Ephesians 4:11-12


2. Who made Paul an Apostle?

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints

Today we tend to blame others, parents, relatives, sometimes even God, for our problems or situation. It is interesting to view the Apostle Paul's regard for God when he did suffer terms in prison and many things for his apostleship and stand for Christ.

3. What do you see in this opening salutation about Paul's regard for God?

4. When did God "chose us?" Why did He chose us? (John 3:16) 
READ ROMANS 5:8-9

GOD CHOSE US BEFORE THE WORLD

 BEFORE THE CREATION                                                                                   
  OF THE

WORLD   
                                                                                                             GOD CHOSE USTO BE

                                             HOLY & BLAMELESS                                                   BEFORE HIM

QUESTIONS 

5. Who are considered in the plural pronoun "us," 'we?" 

6.To what end were we chosen-"that we should be?"

7. What does redemption mean?

8. WAS THERE A PRICE FOR OUR REDEMPTION?

8. What was the price of the believer's redemption?