- I. Letter Opening (1:1–2) - A. Author and audience (1:1) - B. Apostolic benediction (1:2) - II. Opening Benediction (1:3–14) - A. For the Father’s eternal, gracious purpose (1:3–6a) - B. For the Son’s climactic, redemptive accomplishment (1:6b–10) - C. For the Spirit’s down payment of the new creation (1:11–14) - III. Paul Reports on His Prayer for Insight (1:15–23) - A. When and how Paul is praying (1:15–16) - B. Object of this prayer for the audience (1:17–18b) - C. Content of the insight for which Paul prays (1:18c–19) - D. Expansion on Christ’s exaltation in power over creation (1:20–21) - E. Christ’s exaltation and the church (1:22–23) - IV. Deliverance from Death to Life in Christ (2:1–10) - A. The old life in death (2:1–3) - B. Even while dead, believers are made alive in Christ’s life (2:4–7) - C. Expansion on this new life as a divine work leading to new obedience (2:8–10)
- V. The Unified New Creation Inaugurated (2:11–22)
- A. Gentile separation from Israel and from God (2:11–12)
- B. Christ has united Gentiles with the saints into a new human race (2:13–18)
- C. The unified church household as new creation temple (2:19–22)
- VI. The Mystery of Redemption and Its Revelation (3:1–13)
- A. Opening to (delayed) prayer (3:1)
- B. Redemptive revelation as a mystery (3:2–7)
- C. The revelation of this mystery (3:8–12)
- D. Conclusion not to grow disheartened (3:13)
- VII. Paul’s Resumed Prayer (3:14–21)
- A. Posture of prayer before the Father (3:14–15)
- B. Report of content of intercession for audience (3:16–19)
- For divine indwelling and love (3:16–17)
- For understanding (3:18–19)
- C. Concluding blessing of God (3:20–21) - VIII. Paul’s Exhortation to Unity in Love (4:1–6)
- A. The exhortation proper (4:1–3)
- The worthy walk (4:1c–2a)
- Patient endurance in love (4:2b)
- Zeal for the church’s unity in peace (4:3)
- B. The basis of the exhortation (4:4–6)
- IX. Gifts from the Ascended Messiah to Unify His Church (4:7–16)
- A. Gifts from Christ’s triumphant victory and ascent (4:7–10)
- Gifts of grace (4:7)
- Psalm 68:18 (4:8)
- Gifts given to loyal subjects after Christ’s victory in zeath (4:9–10)
- B. Word-based church officers as gifts for edification (4:11–13)
- C. The outcome of the gifts in operation (4:14–16)
- Protection from error and deceit (4:14)
- Doctrinal maturity in love (4:15)
- Ecclesiastical unity in love (4:16)
- A. Gifts from Christ’s triumphant victory and ascent (4:7–10)
- X. The New Way of Life versus the Old (4:17–24)
- A. Solemn exhortation to turn away from the old life (4:17)
- B. The old life is futility, ignorance, and impurity (4:17–19)
- C. Converts to Christ have made a definitive break with the past (4:20–24)
- XI. The New Creation Walk in Love (4:25–5:2)
- A. In word (4:25)
- B. In thought (4:26–27)
- C. In deed (4:28)
- D. In word again (4:29)
- E. In thought and word (4:31–32)
- XII. The Saints and the Sinful World (5:3–14)
- A. The sinful world’s practices (5:3–5)
- B. Exhortation to resist enticements of the world (5:6)
- C. Central exhortation (5:7)
- D. Walk wisely in the light and bear its fruit (5:8–14)
- XIII. Summarizing Exhortation to the Whole Church (5:15–21)
- A. Walk in wisdom, not folly (5:15–17)
- B. Not in drunken excess and license (5:18a)
- C. The church in God’s presence in the Spirit as the new temple and priesthood (5:18b)
- D. Service in song (5:19)
- E. Service in thanksgiving (5:20)
- F. Service in submission (5:21)
- XIV. Exhortations to Christian Households 1: Wives and Husbands (5:22–33)
- A. Exhortation to Wives (5:22–24)
- Manner and motive 1 (5:22)
- Rationale (5:23)
- Manner and motive 2 (5:24)
- B. Exhortation to Husbands (5:25–32)
- Manner and rationale (5:25–27)
- Exhortation repeated with stress on union (5:28)
- Rationale in archetype of Christ and the church (5:29–32)
- C. Final Exhortation to Both Husband and Wife (5:33)
- A. Exhortation to Wives (5:22–24)
- XV. Exhortations to Christian Households 2: Children and Parents in the Lord (6:1–4)
- A. Children to be obedient, as is right (6:1)
- B. OT justification (6:2–3)
- C. Parents’ nurture of children in the Lord (6:4)
- XVI. Exhortations to Christian Households 3: Slaves and Masters in the Lord (6:5–9)
- A. Slaves obey their masters (6:5–8)
- With sincerity of heart (6:5)
- As to the Lord (6:6–7)
- Mindful of their eternal inheritance (6:8)
- B. Masters’ mild treatment of their slaves (6:9)
- A. Slaves obey their masters (6:5–8)
- XVII. The Church Equipped for Its Struggle (6:10–20)
- A. Urged to stand fast in the spiritual struggle (6:10–13)
- B. Urged to stand fast in the Lord’s battle armor (6:14–17)
- C. Urged to persevering prayer (6:18–20)
- XVIII. Concluding Thoughts and Benediction (6:21–24)
- A. The ministry of Tychicus (6:21–22)
- B. The closing apostolic blessing (6:23–24)