“Ephesians,” New Testament Institute Teacher Manual (2025)
Ephesians
Paul taught that the blood of Jesus Christ saves both Jews and Gentiles alike. He taught that the Lord’s Church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets and that Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone. Paul counseled husbands and wives to love and respect one another by looking to the Savior as their example. He also counseled the Saints to put on the whole armor of God.
Additional Resources
Scripture Helps: New Testament, “Ephesians”
Note: The “Introduction to the Course” provides guidance on how to use the four standard lesson elements that follow.
Encouraging Personal Study
Before class, consider sending students one or more of the following messages or some of your own:
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Watch “Welcome” (1:05). As you read Ephesians 2:11–22, consider what you can do to help all people feel like they belong in the Savior’s Church.
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As you study Ephesians 2:19–20; 4:11–16, look for possible reasons the Savior wants you to attend church.
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Are there any family relationships you would like to improve? Read Ephesians 5:21–33; 6:1–4 to learn what Paul teaches about families.
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What spiritual battles do you face right now? Read Ephesians 6:10–18 for guidance on how to win these battles.
Questions and Sharing
Provide time for students to ask questions and share insights and truths they discovered in their personal study of Ephesians.
Skill Training
Ephesians 6:10–18 might be a helpful place to use the skill “Understanding Symbolism in the Scriptures” in Scripture Study Skills.
Learning Activity Options
Multiple learning options are provided for you and your students. Prayerfully choose which option or options will be most meaningful for your class.
How can focusing on Jesus Christ increase our sense of belonging in His Church?
Invite students to think of times when they or someone they know felt like they did not fit in at church.
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What advice would you give to someone who felt this way?
Point out that in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul observed that some Church members felt like they were “strangers and foreigners” among the Jewish Saints (Ephesians 2:19). These Church members may have been Gentile Saints who did not feel like they fit in because of their past (see Ephesians 2:1–3).
Invite students to work with a partner or in small groups. Have them read Ephesians 2:11–22, looking for truths Paul taught that could help us increase our sense of belonging with other Saints.
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What do you think it means to be “fellowcitizens” (Ephesians 2:19) in the Lord’s Church?
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What truths did Paul teach that could help increase your sense of belonging at church? (Students may identify truths such as the following: Because of the Savior’s Atonement, all people can become Saints in the household of God. We become “fellowcitizens” with the Saints when we build our foundation on the teachings of apostles and prophets and on Jesus Christ, who is the chief cornerstone.)
If helpful, you could display the following image of a cornerstone and foundation and invite students to share what they find significant about this analogy.
Consider asking the following questions:
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Why do you think we experience a greater sense of belonging when we follow the teachings of the Lord’s apostles and prophets?
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How can making Jesus Christ the cornerstone of your life remove perceived barriers between you and other members of the Church? (If helpful, review “Ephesians 2:20–21. What is the importance of a cornerstone?” in Scripture Helps: New Testament.)
You could display and read the following statement by Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier:
I have come to realize that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the great equalizer. As we truly embrace it, … we, as well as others, “are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” [Ephesians 2:19].
I recently heard the branch president of one of our multicultural language units refer to this, as Elder Gerrit W. Gong has done, as covenant belonging. … We belong to a group of people who all try to place the Savior and their covenants at the center of their lives and to live the gospel joyfully. … In so doing, we begin to eliminate our own natural prejudices and biases toward others, which in turn helps them minimize their prejudices and biases toward us, in a wonderful virtuous cycle. (“We Are His Children,” Liahona, Nov. 2023, 115–16)
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How has placing your covenant relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ at the center of your life helped you eliminate your prejudices or biases toward other Church members?
Invite students to ponder what they can do to foster a greater sense of belonging for themselves and other members in their wards.
How are we blessed by participating in the Savior’s Church?
Invite students to imagine they are in a ward council and the bishop expresses concern that several ward members are wavering in their church participation. Some feel like they are not getting much out of their Church membership; some feel they don’t really need to participate in church to be spiritual; and others feel like their time would be better spent doing something else on Sunday.
During the meeting, the bishop asks you to prepare a Sunday School lesson for ward members about the blessings of participating in the Savior’s Church.
Point out that Paul wrote about the importance of the Lord’s Church for all Saints. Provide students with the handout titled “Blessings of Participating in the Savior’s Church,” and invite them to prepare a lesson outline.
After giving students time to work on their outlines, have them take turns sharing their three- to five-minute lesson with a partner. You could conclude this activity by inviting some students to share what they learned from each other’s lessons. You could also invite students to share their lesson with someone they know.
How can following the Savior’s example help me strengthen family relationships?
You could invite some students to share a positive experience they recently had with a family member. Then invite students to think of a relationship they would like to improve.
Point out that in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he emphasized how the Savior’s example can guide us in our family relationships. Have students read Ephesians 5:21–33; 6:1–4, looking for principles that could help strengthen family relationships.
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What principles did Paul teach that can strengthen your family relationships? (Students might identify truths such as the following: Wives and husbands are to love one another as the Savior loves us. The Lord blesses us as we honor our parents. Parents should raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.)
As students share, you could use one of the following teaching ideas that aligns best with your discussion:
Invite students to share examples from the Savior’s life that demonstrate His love for others. Discuss what these examples teach us about how spouses and family members should treat each other.
Invite students to discuss ways Jesus Christ honored His mother, Mary, and His Heavenly Father. If needed, students could search some of the following passages: Moses 4:2; Luke 2:42–51; 22:39–42; John 5:30; 8:29; 11:41–42; 19:26–27.
To conclude the activity, invite students to think about the family relationships they would like to improve. Invite them to reflect on what they have learned from the Savior’s example and identify what they will do to improve their family relationships.
Note: If students express concern about the language used by Paul to describe a wife’s relationship with her husband, you could read together “Ephesians 5:21–33. What is Paul’s message about submission in marriage?” in Scripture Helps: New Testament. You could also go to “Marriage” in Topics and Questions (Gospel Library) to find teachings from latter-day Church leaders about the equality of men and women in marriage.
How can the Savior protect me from the wickedness in this world?
You could begin by reading the following statement by Elder Ulisses Soares:
The war of good against evil will continue throughout our lives since the adversary’s purpose is to make all people as miserable as he is. Satan and his angels will try to shroud our thoughts and assert control by tempting us to sin. If they can, they will corrupt all that is good. Nevertheless, it is essential to understand that they will have power over us only if we allow it. (“Yes, We Can and Will Win!,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 75)
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In what ways is Satan trying to tempt young adults?
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What message of hope did Elder Soares give?
Invite students to quietly read Ephesians 6:10–18, looking for how we can have power over the adversary.
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According to Paul, how can you withstand the evil influences that surround us in our day? (Students may identify a truth like the following: If we put on the whole armor of God, He will protect us against evil.)
How does putting on the armor of God show your faith in Jesus Christ?
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Why do you think it is important to put on the whole armor of God, not just part of it? (You could watch together “The Armor of God” [2:06]).
To help students deepen their understanding of the symbolism of the armor of God, provide them with the handout “Putting on the Armor of God.” (For additional study, see “Understanding Symbolism in the Scriptures” in Scripture Study Skills.) Students could work with a partner or in small groups.
After students have had time to complete the handout, invite them to share what they learned about the armor of God. As part of your discussion, consider asking:
How has putting on the armor of God protected you against evil?
To help students apply what they are learning, you could display the following questions and invite students to ponder them. Students could record any impressions they receive.
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Which of these pieces of spiritual armor do you think you use best?
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Which is your weakest piece of armor?
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What can you do to ensure that you are putting on the whole armor of God each day?
Handouts