The Vision of Ephesians · Lesson 02 · October 11, 2026

Chosen and Adopted

Ephesians 1:1–6 · God’s Grand Plan in Christ

Before Paul tells the church how to live, he reminds believers who they are in Christ: blessed, chosen, holy, and welcomed into God’s family.

Identity in ChristGrace & PeaceAdoptionJew & Gentile

Schrader Lane Church of Christ · Ephesians: A Mandate for the Churches of Christ in the 21st Century

Previously · October 4

Last Sunday — The World of Ephesus

We explored Ephesus as a wealthy Roman center where Paul preached, taught, and encountered resistance connected with the worship of Artemis (Acts 18–19).

  • Paul visited Ephesus during his second journey and returned for an extended ministry during his third.
  • Priscilla and Aquila helped Apollos understand the way of God more accurately.
  • Teaching in the lecture hall of Tyrannus reached people throughout the province of Asia.
  • The riot stirred by Demetrius showed how the gospel challenged local religious and economic life.

Bridge to today: Why does a letter associated with a church Paul knew so well contain no personal greetings?

Central insight

The Big Idea

Our identity and belonging are gifts of God in Christ—not privileges reserved for one people or earned through human achievement.

Paul introduces himself as an apostle, greets believers with grace and peace, praises God for spiritual blessings, and announces that God chose people in Christ and destined them for adoption (Ephesians 1:1–6).

Course lens: Read the letter as relevant to the congregation at Schrader Lane today, while respecting its first-century setting.

Study the text

Dig Deeper · Ephesians 1:1–6

  1. To whom was it written? Some early manuscripts lack “in Ephesus” at 1:1. The class explored the possibility of a circular letter while recognizing its strong historical association with Ephesus (Eph. 1:1; 3:2; Col. 4:16).
  2. Who is speaking? Paul calls himself an apostolos—a commissioned representative. Compare Acts 9:15; Gal. 1:1; 1 Cor. 9:1; Rom. 11:13.
  3. Who are the recipients? God’s holy people, faithful in Christ Jesus; the lesson highlights the inclusion of Jews and Gentiles.
  4. What comes first? Grace and peace, then praise for every spiritual blessing in Christ (vv. 2–3).
  5. What is God’s purpose? To choose people in Christ to be holy and blameless and to adopt them through Jesus Christ (vv. 4–6).

Study method: Observation → Interpretation → Application. Note what the passage actually says before drawing conclusions or deciding how to live it.

Conversation starters

Think Together

  1. Why might Paul have omitted personal greetings to believers he knew so well?
  2. How does “in Christ” change the way we understand our spiritual identity?
  3. Why would calling Gentile believers “holy” and adopted have challenged first-century assumptions?
  4. How should a church respond when its members remember that God’s grace includes people from different backgrounds?
  5. What would change at Schrader Lane if we received Ephesians as a personal call to our congregation?
Interactive knowledge check

Test Yourself · 7 Questions

Test your understanding of Lesson 2. One question at a time, with immediate feedback and explanations.

Put truth into practice

Live It Out · Kingdom Impact

This week’s challenge: Let your identity in Christ shape how you treat someone who seems different from you.

  1. Remember: Begin each day by thanking God for grace, peace, and belonging in Christ.
  2. Include: Encourage or welcome someone who may feel overlooked.
  3. Reflect: Ask whether your words and actions demonstrate the unity God intends for his family.

Personal reflection: If God has welcomed me in Christ, whom am I being called to welcome?

Next lesson · October 18, 2026

Coming Sunday — Redemption and God’s Plan

Read ahead: Ephesians 1:7–14.

We will examine redemption and forgiveness, the mystery of God’s will, his purpose to unite all things in Christ, and the Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our inheritance.

Prepare: Where do you see the repeated phrase “in Christ” or related expressions? What do they reveal about God’s purpose?

This preview follows the course syllabus; it is not a transcript of a future class.

Study resources

Go Deeper · Read and Compare

For the class’s manuscript discussion, compare study Bible notes on Ephesians 1:1. The circular-letter proposal was presented as a possibility, not a settled conclusion.

You are invited

Join Us Sunday

Continue our six-month journey through Ephesians with the Schrader Lane Church of Christ adult Bible class. Bring your Bible, questions, and observations as we explore what God’s vision for the church requires of us today.

Next study: Sunday, October 18, 2026 · Ephesians 1:7–14

Our study rhythm: Observe the passage. Interpret it in context. Apply it to life.

“What does this passage reveal about God’s vision for His church, and what does that vision require of us?”