What you'll learn

Develop a deeper appreciation for the way Paul presents his message as a prisoner for Christ in this powerful epistle.
Discern the implications of Paul's message as you look at the present age and manner of life around you
Understand the heart of Paul's message to the Ephesian church
Apply the contents and principles of the letter to your own inner life of devotion
Present a coherent summary of this letter of which seeks to bring together the realities of 'heaven' and 'earth'
Learn to live out your commitment to King Jesus with the new reality of the one family of God

Course content

4 sections • 46 lectures • 4h 38m total length

Welcome to Paul and His Letter to the Ephesians by David P. Seemuth0:29
Introduction to Paul' Epistle to the Ephesians with Prof. N.T. Wright2:27
In this introduction, Prof. N.T. Wright begins to open our eyes to what we will encounter in Paul's wonderful Epistle to the Ephesians.
Ephesians 1:1-14 Reading by Prof. N.T. Wright2:13
Eph 1:1-14 KNT Text1:39
Session One: Ephesians 1:1-14 with Prof. N.T. Wright17:31
Ephesians 1-3 provides a glorious sense of worship. Here in Ephesians 1:1-14, Paul begins this journey with an expansive view of God's provisions for His people.
Comprehension Assessment on Session One: Eph 1:1-14 with Prof. N.T. Wright
Ephesians 1:15-23 Reading by Prof. N.T. Wright1:35
Prof. Wright reads Ephesians 1:15-23 from the Kingdom New Testament.
Eph 1:15-23 KNT Text1:16
Session Two: Ephesians 1:15-23 with Prof. N.T. Wright17:45
Paul, writing as a Jew, describes the victory of God over all the powers all the while understanding that Ephesus was a place with great emphasis of spiritual and political powers. What matters to Paul is that we 'understand' the greater realities of the world around the Ephesian context.
Comprehension Assessment on Session Two: Eph 1:15-23 with Prof. N.T. Wright
Practice Exercises #1: Processing Ideas and Probing Questions0:39

Ephesians 2:1-10 Reading by Prof. N.T. Wright1:47
Prof. Wright reads Ephesians 2:1-10 from the Kingdom New Testament.
Eph 2:1-10 KNT Text1:23
Session Three: Ephesians 2:1-10 with Prof. N.T. Wright18:06
Paul, in this section, describes what God has done for the whole world for those who are in Christ.
Comprehension Assessment on Session Three: Eph 2:1-10 with Prof. N.T. Wright
Ephesians 2:11-22 Reading by Prof. N.T. Wright2:13
Prof. Wright reads Ephesians 2:11-22 from the Kingdom New Testament.
Eph 2:11-22 KNT Text1:37
Session Four: Ephesians 2:11-22 with Prof. N.T. Wright17:48
Paul brings the theme of the New Temple into the framework of his thinking. Often this is set aside by many who read this section. Paul wishes to bring this into the forefront of our view.
Comprehension Assessment on Session Four: Eph 2:11-22 with Prof. N.T. Wright
Ephesians 3:1-13 Reading by Prof. N.T. Wright2:12
Prof. Wright reads Ephesians 3:1-13 from the Kingdom New Testament.
Eph 3:1-13 KNT Text1:36
Session Five: Ephesians 3:1-13 with Prof. N.T. Wright17:17
Paul writes this letter to the Ephesians from prison. This could lead to Paul having a poor reputation. Or, perhaps, people would think that God does not have power to keep him out of prison. But the fact that Paul is in prison means that something different has taken place which has been noticed by those in power.
Comprehension Assessment on Session Five: Eph 3:1-13 with Prof. N.T. Wright
Ephesians 3:14-21 Reading by Prof. N.T. Wright1:14
Prof. Wright reads Ephesians 3:14-21 from the Kingdom New Testament.
Eph 3:14-21 KNT Text0:57
Session Six: Ephesians 3:14-21 with Prof. N.T. Wright17:40
This is the momentous passage that sums up what he has written about in his previous passages in this great letter.
Comprehension Assessment on Session Six: Eph 3:14-21 with Prof. N.T. Wright
Practice Exercises #2: Processing Ideas and Probing Questions0:32

Ephesians 4:1-10 Reading by Prof. N.T. Wright1:22
Prof. Wright reads Ephesians 4:1-10 from the Kingdom New Testament.
Eph 4:1-10 KNT Text1:03
Session Seven: Ephesians 4:1-10 with Prof. N.T. Wright18:53
In this lecture, we move into the second half of the letter. This is about the nature and actions of who God's people are as God's image bearers.
Comprehension Assessment on Session Seven: Eph 4:1-10 with Prof. N.T. Wright
Ephesians 4:11-16 Reading by Prof. N.T. Wright1:23
Prof. Wright reads Ephesians 4:11-16 from the Kingdom New Testament.
Eph 4:11-16 KNT Text1:00
Session Eight: Ephesians 4:11-16 with Prof. N.T. Wright17:32
Paul points out that the unity of the church itself rests in the unity of the one God. The gifts may have the tendency to pull people apart. The gifts, however, should bring people together.
Comprehension Assessment on Session Eight: Eph 4:11-16 with Prof. N.T. Wright
Ephesians 4:17-24 Reading by Prof. N.T. Wright1:18
Prof. Wright reads Ephesians 4:17-24 from the Kingdom New Testament.
Eph 4:17-24 KNT Text0:56
Session Nine: Ephesians 4:17-24 with Prof. N.T. Wright16:02
Paul, in this section, emphasizes the fact that Jews and Gentiles are brought into the family of God. But the ways of the Gentile world must not be brought into the ways of the people of God, whether Jew or Gentile.
Comprehension Assessment on Session Nine: Eph 4:17-24 with Prof. N.T. Wright
Ephesians 4:25-5:2 Reading by Prof. N.T. Wright1:28
Prof. Wright reads Ephesians 4:25-5:2 from the Kingdom New Testament.
Eph 4:25-5:2 KNT Text1:05
Session Ten: Ephesians 4:25-5:2 with Prof. N.T. Wright15:59
Paul has two main themes in mind as he moves on in the letter: the lifestyle outside of the way of the Kingdom of God and the lifestyle of the people inside the family of God.
Comprehension Assessment on Session Ten: Eph 4:25-5:2 with Prof. N.T. Wright
Ephesians 5:3-20 Reading by Prof. N.T. Wright2:05
Prof. Wright reads Ephesians 5:3-20 from the Kingdom New Testament.
Eph 5:3-20 KNT Text1:34
Session Eleven: Ephesians 5:3-20 with Prof. N.T. Wright17:46
Paul addresses the idea of handling darkness in the world through the act of worship and singing within the realm of the people of God who live in a dark world. This emphasis on singing and worship is also an answer to those who have a tendency towards angry speech.
Comprehension Assessment on Session Eleven: Eph 5:3-20 with Prof. N.T. Wright
Ephesians 5:21-6:9 Reading by Prof. N.T. Wright2:46
Prof. Wright reads Ephesians 5:21-6:9 from the Kingdom New Testament.
Eph 5:21-6:9 KNT Text2:11
Session Twelve: Ephesians 5:21-6:9 with Prof. N.T. Wright19:53
God the creator has renewed the creation in Christ. The new temple reality is about the bringing together heaven and earth. Thus, marriage itself is to picture this. This is also reflected in other relationships.
Comprehension Assessment on Session Twelve: Eph 5:21-6:9 with Prof. N.T. Wright
Practice Exercises #3: Processing Ideas and Probing Questions0:32

Ephesians 6:10-24 Reading by Prof. N.T. Wright2:23
Prof. Wright reads Ephesians 6:10-24 from the Kingdom New Testament.
Eph 6:10-24 KNT Text1:49
Session Thirteen: Ephesians 6:10-24 with Prof. N.T. Wright18:26
This passage is one of the most vivid descriptions regarding the warfare with the powers of darkness.
Comprehension Assessment on Session Thirteen: Eph 6:10-24 with Prof. N.T. Wright
Practice Exercises #4: Processing Ideas and Probing Questions0:45
Bonus Lecture0:38

Requirements

Students should be curious to learn from one of Paul's most expansive, wonderful epistles, which examines the beauty of God's majestic work in Christ of breaking down barriers and bringing people to the new reality of a fully active family of God, living out its calling by the Spirit of God
The textbook is Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters– Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon. John Knox Press. ISBN:0664227880.

Description

Prof. N.T. Wright, renowned biblical scholar and historian, will walk you through Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. This course begins with the big picture of God's ultimate intention of bringing forth the joining of 'heaven' and 'earth', reuniting what had been fractured long ago. Paul explains that, through the Messiah, God has brought together one new humanity. This new family of God will lead to a different way of thinking, speaking, and living. In addition, attention is given to the reality of the unseen world as it plays out in the lives of this New Family which lives in unity and holiness. Dig deep into the New Testament through studying this wonderful and practical epistle.

This course is meant to take around thirteen weeks to complete. While you may take the course at your own pace, you are encouraged to take time to reflect upon the material presented in the textbook and in the lectures.

The textbook is Prof. Wright's commentary on Ephesians in the Paul for Everyone series published by John Knox Press in the U.S. and SPCK in the UK.

The structure of the course includes:

Lectures by Prof. Wright
Practice exercises to help you integrate what you learn with your everyday way of thinking and living
Quizzes to assess comprehension
Student discussions
Interaction with Prof. David Seemuth, your co-instructor for the course
Textbook readings
Interaction with the biblical text itself

If you are interested in a deeper knowledge of this important letter from the apostle Paul, then you will want to enroll in this course.

Who this course is for:

This course is intended for anyone who has an interest in the message of the New Testament and who would like to examine the expansive wonder Paul's Letter to the Ephesians of one of the Apostle Paul's most powerful letters.
This course is designed for a general audience. You do not have to have previous theological training to understand the concepts.
This course is meant to take time and reflection. It is not meant to be a 'crash course' in the study of the New Testament.

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction to the Course 'Paul and His Letter to the Ephesians' and Eph 1:1-239 lectures • 46min

Paul and His Letter to the Ephesians– Ephesians 2:1-3:2213 lectures • 1hr 24min

Paul and His Letter to the Ephesians– Ephesians 4:1-6:919 lectures • 2hr 5min

Paul and His Letter to the Ephesians– Ephesians 6:10-24 and Final Thoughts5 lectures • 24min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: