Book of Ephesians Quiz: Grace, Unity, and the Armour of God

1. What does Ephesians 1:3-14 declare about God's eternal purposes for believers?

1. 'I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you'
2. 'Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ'
3. Paul opens with a declaration about the Ephesian church's unique status — it was the most theologically sound of all the Pauline churches
4. Paul opens with a prayer for the Ephesians' growth — the blessing lists specific virtues he hopes they will develop

2. What does Ephesians 1:13-14 say about the Holy Spirit as a 'deposit'?

1. 'And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession'
2. The Holy Spirit is the deposit in the sense that he is given to earn God's favour — the Spirit rewards faithful obedience
3. The Spirit as deposit means that only some believers receive the Spirit — those who make a complete commitment are given the Spirit as a reward for full consecration
4. The Spirit deposit is available only to apostles and prophets — ordinary believers experience the Spirit's effects at second hand through the ministry of those who have received the deposit

3. What does Ephesians 2:1-3 say about the human condition before salvation?

1. 'As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient... All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath'
2. Paul says human beings are spiritually weak and in need of help — but they have some innate capacity to reach toward God if given proper guidance
3. Paul says the Gentile condition before faith was one of moral confusion — they did not know God's standards but had no culpability for their ignorance
4. Paul says the pre-conversion state was one of ritual uncleanness — the solution was water baptism which transferred people from the realm of the unclean to the realm of the holy

4. What does Ephesians 2:4-7 say about God's mercy and the reason for salvation?

1. 'But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace'
2. God saves because of the faith he foresaw believers would exercise — his mercy is the response to the faith he knew they would generate
3. Paul says God saves because of human potential — he saw what believers could become and acted on their latent goodness
4. Paul says God saves because of the prayers of righteous ancestors — the cumulative faith of the patriarchs created the conditions for Gentile salvation

5. What does Ephesians 2:8-10 declare about the basis of salvation and the place of good works?

1. 'By grace you have been saved — this means God's favour gives you the ability to perform the works that merit eternal life. Faith is the channel through which this enabling grace flows'
2. 'For it is by faith that you have been saved, through the works that produce grace — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works alone, so that no one can boast about the quality of their deeds'
3. 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do'
4. 'Salvation is by grace alone — and because works play no role in salvation, they are entirely optional in the Christian life'

6. How does Ephesians 2:14-16 describe what Christ has done with the hostility between Jew and Gentile?

1. 'For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility... His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross'
2. Christ has abolished the Jewish covenant entirely — the Mosaic law with all its practices has been permanently set aside and replaced by a Gentile-shaped Christianity
3. Christ has created separate but equal communities — Jewish believers maintain their distinctive practices while Gentile believers maintain theirs, united only in worship of the same God
4. Christ has temporarily suspended the distinction between Jew and Gentile — it will be restored in the millennial kingdom when Israel's covenantal privileges are fully reinstated

7. What does Ephesians 2:19-22 say about the church as God's building?

1. 'Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord'
2. Paul describes the church as a human construction — believers themselves are the architects, building according to their own gifts and abilities
3. Paul says the church is a temporary structure — the true temple will only be built during the millennium
4. Paul says the church is built on the foundation of the OT law — all spiritual growth happens within the Mosaic framework

8. What is 'the mystery' that Paul reveals in Ephesians 3?

1. 'This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.' The inclusion of Gentiles as co-equal members was hidden in previous ages but now disclosed
2. The mystery is the hidden plan of the incarnation — that God would become human, not revealed until the announcement to Mary
3. The mystery is the resurrection — that Christ's body was raised from the dead was not predicted in the OT and came as a complete surprise
4. The mystery is the second coming — God concealed the timing of Christ's return so that every generation would live in readiness

9. What does Paul pray for the Ephesians in 3:16-19?

1. 'I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you... may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God'
2. Paul prays for numerical growth — that the Ephesian church would grow large enough to plant daughter churches throughout Asia Minor
3. Paul prays for their financial generosity — specifically that they would give sacrificially to the Jerusalem collection
4. Paul prays they would be protected from false teachers — the prayer is entirely defensive, asking God to preserve doctrinal purity

10. What does the doxology in Ephesians 3:20-21 declare about God's power?

1. 'Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with everything good for doing his will'
2. 'Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen'
3. 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!'
4. 'To the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen'

11. What does Ephesians 4:4-6 declare about the unity of the church?

1. Paul argues that unity is achieved through agreement on all doctrinal questions — diversity of belief is the primary threat to church unity
2. Paul declares seven unities: 'There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all'
3. Paul declares that unity is a future goal — the church is currently divided but will be united at the second coming of Christ
4. Paul lists seven spiritual gifts that all believers must exercise to maintain the unity of the body

12. What does Ephesians 4:11-13 say about the purpose of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers?

1. 'Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God'
2. These offices were only temporary — they were needed to establish the early church but all four roles ceased with the death of the last apostle
3. These roles are listed in descending order of authority — apostles govern prophets, who govern evangelists, who govern pastors and teachers in a hierarchical structure
4. These roles are permanent and non-transferable — apostles and prophets hold authority over all other believers and their teaching supersedes Scripture

13. What does Ephesians 4:26-27 say about anger?

1. 'In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold'
2. Paul says all anger is sinful — believers should never experience anger and if they do, it is evidence of spiritual immaturity
3. Paul says anger is always justified when directed at injustice — righteous indignation is never spiritually dangerous
4. Paul says believers should express anger privately but never publicly — suppressed anger is the biblical model for spiritual maturity

14. What does Ephesians 4:30 say about the Holy Spirit, and what does it imply about his nature?

1. 'Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption' — the Spirit can be grieved, which implies he is a personal Being capable of emotional response, not merely an impersonal force
2. 'Do not put out the Spirit's fire — the Spirit is like fire in the believer, and sin cools and extinguishes this fire'
3. Paul says believers lose the Spirit when they sin — 'grieve' means the Spirit departs and must be sought again through repentance and prayer
4. Paul warns not to quench the Spirit in worship — excessive order or formality suppresses the Spirit's movement in gatherings

15. What does Ephesians 5:15-21 say about being filled with the Spirit, and how does it contrast with drunkenness?

1. 'Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil... Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing and making music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks'
2. Paul says one experience of Spirit-filling at conversion is sufficient — believers do not need to seek ongoing filling
3. Paul says spiritual experiences in worship should involve losing bodily control — just as wine removes inhibition, the Spirit removes self-control in worship
4. The Spirit-filled life means withdrawal from pagan society — believers should avoid all contexts where wine might be served or offered

16. How does Ephesians 5:22-33 describe the relationship between husbands and wives?

1. 'Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord... Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her... In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.' The relationship is mutually defined by Christ's self-giving love
2. Paul says that marriage is inferior to celibacy — the husband-wife relationship is a concession for those who lack self-control
3. Paul teaches that the husband-wife relationship is strictly hierarchical — the wife must obey in all things while the husband has no corresponding obligations
4. The passage teaches that wives submit to husbands for cultural reasons only — Paul was accommodating first-century Roman household norms without any universal theological intent

17. What does Ephesians 6:1-3 say about children and parents?

1. 'Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honour your father and your mother — which is the first commandment with a promise — so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth'
2. Paul addresses only fathers — mothers have no authority over children in the Pauline household code because authority flows through the male head alone
3. Paul says children owe obedience to parents only until age twelve — after that, individual conscience supersedes parental authority
4. Paul says the command to honour parents was part of the old covenant and has been superseded — the new covenant family is the church, which replaces biological family loyalties

18. What is the 'full armour of God' in Ephesians 6, and what is its context?

1. 'Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.' The pieces: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word, prayer
2. The armour describes the character of Christ that believers should imitate — Paul is citing Christ's full character as the model for Christian virtue
3. The armour is a metaphor for the sacraments — belt (baptism), breastplate (communion), shoes (confirmation), shield (confession), helmet (ordination), sword (anointing)
4. The armour is specifically for apostles and elders — the spiritual warfare described is a specialised calling for church leaders, not ordinary believers

19. What does Ephesians 6:18-20 say about prayer in relation to the armour of God?

1. 'And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains'
2. Paul says prayer is optional — the armour is sufficient without prayer, which is reserved for moments of special crisis
3. Paul says prayer should be spontaneous only — liturgical or set prayers are not acceptable because they do not arise from the Spirit
4. Prayer is the replacement for the armour — once believers are established in a prayer discipline, they no longer need the individual pieces of armour

20. What is the theological significance of Ephesians as a letter — what does it contribute that sets it apart from the other Pauline letters?

1. Ephesians is significant for its economic teaching — it provides the most detailed instruction on the relationship between wealth, poverty, and Christian community in the entire NT
2. Ephesians is significant mainly as a circular letter — unlike personal letters, its geographical breadth means it contains no specific local problems and therefore provides purely abstract theology
3. Ephesians is significant primarily for its practical ethics — it is the most detailed of Paul's letters in spelling out specific rules for Christian behaviour in family and society
4. Ephesians presents the most comprehensive vision of the church in all of Paul's letters — the church as body of Christ, building/temple, bride, and army; it connects cosmic Christology (Christ as head of all things) to the concrete community of Jew and Gentile united, and the ethical life this demands