following resources are referenced regularly in the text. In a small group it is a good idea to have different members of the group bring different reference works. For individual study, use a selection:
Study Bibles. There are a great number of study bibles available. Some take a more scholarly approach, while others are devotional. In selecting a study bible, it is best to begin by selecting a specific translation and then find a study bible that is based upon that text. The New International Version is very popular and there are a large number of study bibles related to it. While the NIV emerged from evangelical Protestantism, most mainline Protestant churches use the New Revised Standard Version. If you’re choice is the NRSV (as is true for me) then the leading options are: The New Oxford Annotated Bible, New Interpreter’s Study Bible, The Harper- Collins Study Bible, and The Access Bible. Again, these are not the only translations or study bibles available for consultation, especially since the ones mentioned are based on the New Revised Standard Version. A note on study bibles in general – one should be careful to separate in one’s mind the text from the commentary. It is easy to confuse them since the two are placed together. It is, of course, always good to look at resources from a variety of perspectives, and thus resources beyond one’s study bible should be consulted. Look at materials you are likely to disagree with in order to stimulate your thinking. (See Appendix B for information on these resources. The Participatory Bible Study web site, http:// www.deepbiblestudy.com, is regularly updated with ideas about materials.
1 Concordances. You may decide to consult either English language concordances, or those that include material on the original languages. If you get a concordance, find one that matches the Bible version you use. Besides print versions there are a number of free online sites that are helpful, including The Bible Gateway (multiple translations, but not NRSV) and the Oremus Bible Browser (NRSV).Bible Dictionaries. The information in a good bible dictionary overlaps what is found in many study Bibles and Bible handbooks, but they can be very useful for general study of topics being considered. It is important that if purchasing a bible dictionary to get an up-to-date one. See the resource list for suggestions.Bible Handbooks. The information found in a Bible handbook will be similar to what is found in many study Bibles, only it will lack the biblical text.Bible Commentaries. These resources offer more detailed exegetical explanations and interpretation of the actual text. They range from one-volume to multiple volumes. For the New Testament, I would recommend purchase of The People’s New Testament Commentary written by Fred Craddock and Eugene Boring. In purchasing commentaries, it is best to stay away from sets such as Matthew Henry or Jameson, Fawcett, and Brown. These were written several centuries ago and lack the kinds of historical and linguistic information you will need for deeper study. They can have some devotional value, but they can be found online.
When it comes to comparing passages you will find your study Bible, concordance, and any Bible with reference notes to be very useful. Remember, however, that even the cross-references are just someone’s opinion of how one passage is related to another. You don’t have to agree. Look at the passages yourself, and ask not just whether they are related, but how they are related.
Remember to keep an open mind and a receptive heart while studying the Bible. Study prayerfully. Meditate on what you read. Try to place yourself in the audience of people who might have first heard this book read to them aloud in a small house church.
The following pamphlets in the Participatory Study Series from Energion Publications may also be helpful in your study:
What’s in a Version?
What is Biblical Criticism?
I Want to Pray
You can find these free in various formats online at http:// www.participatorystudyseries.com.
Lesson 1:
Introduction and Background
OBJECTIVE:
At the end of this session participants will have developed a basic understanding of the setting, context, authorship, and other background information that are needed to understand the meaning of the Ephesian letter as well as its value to their own spiritual journey.
OPENING PRAYER:
It is important that this study be undertaken in an attitude of prayer and meditation. This is true even in the case of this particular study that attends to the historical, cultural, and linguistic aspects of our study of Ephesians. May this prayer of illumination serve as a guide to prayer as you begin this study.
Guide us, O Lord, by your Word and Holy Spirit, that in your light we may see light,
in your truth find freedom, and in your will discover peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(A prayer of illumination, Chalice Worship)
READING: EPHESIANS 1:12
Prior to beginning the study itself, read the letter in its entirety using a translation such as the New Revised Standard Version
(NRSV), the Revised Standard Version (RSV), the New International Version (NIV), or the Common English Bible (CEB)
Read an introduction to the Ephesian letter in the study Bible or dictionary of your choice.
Review an outline of Ephesians in a study Bible or Bible dictionary.
LESSON:
READING A LETTER
Having read the entire letter to the Ephesians, one is able to make some assessments of what lies before us. It isn’t a narrative, nor is it poetry. It is, in fact, written in the form of a letter, and a letter needs to be read in a particular way. Each letter is different from the next. Some are very personal, while others treat issues in a more general, less personal manner. Comparing this letter with the first letter to the Corinthians will give readers a sense of this spectrum. First Corinthians is very personal, while Ephesians has a very different feel. Whereas Paul seems very involved in the lives of his readers in Corinth, Ephesians lacks that intensity. Still, it follows the patterns of a letter, and should be read as a letter – a letter written to Christians living nearly two millennia in the past, Christians who lived in a Greco-Roman culture, who are being addressed by a Christian of Jewish descent.
Ancient letters followed a certain format, as do most modern letters. Although some of the New Testament letters (and Ephesians might be one of these) use the format of the letter they are in fact designed for public consumption – a sort of open letter. Nonetheless, a typical letter from the ancient world, including those found in the New Testament would follow this pattern.
1 Writer’s name
2 Recipient’s name
3 A greeting, such as “Grace and peace to you from God our Father . . .”
4 A Prayer or word of thanksgiving (this is the point at which there is the most variance in ancient letters – including form and whether it is present at all)
5 Body
6 Final greeting and farewell
Documents that are designated as letters, but are not true letters lack parts 1-3 and 6. The best example would be Hebrews, which is more
