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{{Short description|Book of the New Testament}}
The '''Epistle to Ephesians''' is one of the [[books of the Bible]] in the [[New Testament]], written by [[Paul of Tarsus|Paul]] at [[Rome]] about the same time as that to the [[Epistle to the Colossians|Colossians]], which in many points it resembles.
{{Redirect|Ephesians|people who actually lived in Ephesus|Ephesus # Notable people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}


{{Paul}}{{Books of the New Testament}}[[File:Papyrus49reverso.jpg|thumb|[[Papyrus 49]], a 3rd-century manuscript of the Epistle to the Ephesians]]
==Contents==
The '''Epistle to the Ephesians'''{{Efn|The book is sometimes called the '''Letter of Paul to the Ephesians''', or simply '''Ephesians'''.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HiPouAEACAAJ |title=ESV Pew Bible |publisher=Crossway |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-4335-6343-0 |location=Wheaton, IL |pages=976 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603093159/https://www.google.com/books/edition/ESV_Pew_Bible_Black/HiPouAEACAAJ |archive-date=3 June 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> It is most commonly abbreviated as "Eph."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bible Book Abbreviations |url=https://www.logos.com/bible-book-abbreviations |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421100743/https://www.logos.com/bible-book-abbreviations |archive-date=21 April 2022 |access-date=21 April 2022 |website=Logos Bible Software}}</ref>}} is the tenth book of the [[New Testament]]. According to its text, the letter was written by [[Paul the Apostle]], an attribution that Christians traditionally accepted. However, starting in 1792, some scholars have claimed the letter is actually [[Authorship of the Pauline epistles|Deutero-Pauline]], meaning that it is [[pseudepigrapha]] written in Paul's name by a later author strongly influenced by Paul's thought. According to one scholarly source, the letter was probably written "by a loyal disciple to sum up Paul's teaching and to apply it to a new situation fifteen to twenty-five years after the Apostle's death".<ref name= "Ephesians">Authenticity of [http://www.bible-apologetics.com/history/ephesians.htm Ephesians], Bible apologetics.</ref><ref name= "Hoehner 2002">[[Harold Hoehner|Hoehner, Harold]]. ''Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary.'' Baker Academic, 2002. {{ISBN|978-0-8010-2614-0}}</ref><ref name= "Ehrman 2004 381–384">{{Cite book|last= Ehrman |first=Bart D.|author-link= Bart D. Ehrman |title=The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings |year=2004 |publisher=Oxford |location=New York |isbn= 0-19-515462-2 |pages=381–84}}</ref><ref name= "nccbuscc.org">{{Citation | publisher = USCCB | title = NAB – Ephesians | chapter = Introduction |access-date= 2009-01-17 |chapter-url= http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/ephesians/intro.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090104184919/http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/ephesians/intro.htm |archive-date=4 January 2009}}</ref><ref name=barth /><ref name= PerrinDuling1982>{{Cite book |last1= Perrin |first1=Norman |author-link= Norman Perrin |last2= Duling |first2=Dennis C. |title= The New Testament: An Introduction | edition = 2nd |year= 1982 |publisher= Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |location=New York |isbn= 0-15-565726-7 |pages= [https://archive.org/details/newtestamentintr0000perr_2ed/page/218 218–22] |url= https://archive.org/details/newtestamentintr0000perr_2ed/page/218}}</ref><ref name= Brown1984>Brown, Raymond E. ''The churches the apostles left behind'', Paulist Press, 1984. {{ISBN|978-0-80912611-8}}.</ref>


==Themes==
The Epistle to the Colossians is mainly polemical, designed to refute certain ideas that had crept into the church there. That to the Ephesians does not seem to have originated in any special circumstances, but is simply a letter springing from Paul's love to the [[church]] there, and indicative of his earnest desire that they should be fully instructed in the profound doctrines of the [[gospel]]. It contains (1) the salutation (1:1, 2); (2) a general description of the blessings the [[gospel]] reveals, as to their source, means by which they are attained, purpose for which they are bestowed, and their final result, with a fervent [[prayer]] for the further spiritual enrichment of the Ephesians (1:3-2:10); (3) "a record of that marked change in spiritual position which the Gentile believers now possessed, ending with an account of the writer's selection to and qualification for the apostolate of heathendom, a fact so considered as to keep them from being dispirited, and to lead him to pray for enlarged spiritual benefactions on his absent sympathizers" (2:12-3:21); (4) a chapter on unity as undisturbed by diversity of gifts (4:1-16); (5) special
According to New Testament scholar [[Daniel B. Wallace|Daniel Wallace]], the theme may be stated pragmatically as "Christians, get along with each other! Maintain the unity practically which Christ has effected positionally by his death."<ref name= Wallace>Wallace, Daniel B. [http://bible.org/seriespage/ephesians-introduction-argument-and-outline "Ephesians:Introduction, Argument, and Outline."] Bible.org, 1 January 2010</ref>
injunctions bearing on ordinary life (4:17-6:10); (6) the imagery of a spiritual warfare, mission of [[Tychicus]], and valedictory blessing (6:11-24).


Another major theme in Ephesians is the keeping of Christ's body (that is, the Church) pure and holy.
==Founding of the church at Ephesus==
{{Blockquote|Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.|Ephesians 5:1–2<ref>{{bibleverse|Ephesians|5:1–2}}</ref>}}


In the second part of the letter, Ephesians 4:17–6:20, the author gives practical advice in how to live a holy, pure, and Christ-inspired lifestyle.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4&version=NIV|title=Bible passage: Ephesians 4 – New International Version |website=Bible Gateway|access-date= 2020-01-15}}</ref>
Paul's first and hurried visit for the space of three months to Ephesus is recorded in Acts 18:19-21. The work he began on this occasion was carried forward by [[Apollos]] (24-26) and [[Aquila]] and [[Priscilla]]. On his second visit, early in the following year, he remained at Ephesus "three years," for he found it was the key to the western provinces of [[Asia Minor]]. Here "a great door and effectual" was opened to him (1 Cor. 16:9), and the church was established and strengthened by his assiduous labours there (Acts 20:20, 31). From Ephesus the gospel spread abroad "almost throughout all Asia" (19:26). The word "mightily grew and prevailed" despite all the opposition and persecution he encountered.


==Composition==
On his last journey to [[Jerusalem]] the apostle landed at [[Miletus]], and summoning together the elders of the church from Ephesus, delivered to them his remarkable farewell charge (Acts
According to tradition, the Apostle Paul wrote the letter while he was in prison in Rome (around AD 62). This would be about the same time as the [[Epistle to the Colossians]] (which in many points it resembles) and the [[Epistle to Philemon]]. However, many critical scholars have questioned the authorship of the letter and suggest that it may have been written between AD 80 and 100.<ref name="Ehrman 2004 381–384"/><ref name="nccbuscc.org"/><ref name=barth/>
20:18-35), expecting to see them no more.

==={{anchor|Authorship}}Authorship===
{{Main|Authorship of the Pauline Epistles}}
The first verse in the letter identifies Paul as its author. While early lists of New Testament books, including the [[Muratorian fragment]] and possibly [[Marcion|Marcion's]] canon (if it is to be equated with the [[Epistle to the Laodiceans]]), attribute the letter to Paul,<ref name="Bruce142">{{cite book |last=Bruce |first=F. F. |author-link=F. F. Bruce |title=The Canon of Scripture |date= 1988 |publisher=InterVarsity Press |place=Downers Grove, IL |isbn= 978-0-83081258-5 |pages=142, 158–60}}</ref> more recently there have been challenges to Pauline authorship on the basis of the letter's characteristically non-Pauline syntax, terminology, and [[eschatology]].<ref name= "HarperCollinsSB">{{cite book |title=The HarperCollins Study Bible |edition= rev. |date=2006 |publisher= HarperCollins |place=New York |isbn= 978-0-06122840-7 |editor-last1=Attridge |editor-first1= Harold W. |editor-last2=Meeks |editor-first2= Wayne A. |pages=1982–83}}</ref>

Biblical scholar [[Harold Hoehner]], surveying 279 commentaries written between 1519 and 2001, found that 54% favored Pauline authorship, 39% concluded against Pauline authorship and 7% remained uncertain.<ref name="Hoehner 2002" /> [[Norman Perrin]] and Dennis C. Duling found that of six authoritative scholarly references, "four of the six decide for pseudonymity, and the other two ([[Peake's Commentary on the Bible]] and the [[Jerome Biblical Commentary]]) recognize the difficulties in maintaining Pauline authorship. Indeed, the difficulties are insurmountable."<ref name=PerrinDuling1982/> Bible scholar [[Raymond E. Brown]] asserts that about 80% of critical scholarship judges that Paul did not write Ephesians.<ref name=Brown1984/>{{rp|p.47}}

There are four main theories in biblical scholarship that address the question of Pauline authorship.<ref>These four views come from Markus Barth, Ephesians: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary on Chapters 1–3 (New York: Doubleday & Co., 1974), 38</ref>
* The traditional view that the epistle is written by Paul is supported by scholars that include [[Ezra Abbot]], Ragnar Asting, [[Markus Barth]], [[F. F. Bruce]], A. Robert, and André Feuillet, Gaugler, Grant, [[Adolf von Harnack|Harnack]], [[Erich Haupt|Haupt]], [[Fenton John Anthony Hort]], [[Albertus|Klijn]], [[Johann David Michaelis]], A. Van Roon, [[James A. Sanders|Sanders]], Schille, [[Klyne Snodgrass]], [[John R. W. Stott]], Frank Thielman, [[Daniel B. Wallace]], [[Brooke Foss Westcott]], and [[Theodor Zahn]].<ref name="Ephesians"/> For a defense of the Pauline authorship of Ephesians, see ''Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary'', [[Harold Hoehner]], pp.&nbsp;2–61.<ref name="Hoehner 2002"/>
* A second position suggests that Ephesians was dictated by Paul with interpolations from another author. Some of the scholars that espouse this view include Albertz, Benoit, Cerfaux, Goguel, Harrison, [[H. J. Holtzmann]], [[Jerome Murphy-O'Connor|Murphy-O'Connor]], and Wagenführer.
* A third group thinks it improbable that Paul authored Ephesians. Among this group are Allan, Beare, Brandon, [[Rudolf Bultmann]], Conzelmann, [[Martin Dibelius|Dibelius]], Goodspeed, Kilsemann, J. Knox, W.L. Knox, Kümmel, K and S Lake, Marxsen, Masson, Mitton, Moffatt, [[Dennis Nineham|Nineham]], Pokorny, Schweizer, and J. Weiss.
* Still other scholars suggest there is a lack of conclusive evidence. Some of this group are Cadbury, Julicher, McNeile, and Williams.

===Place, date, and purpose of the writing of the letter===
While most English translations indicate that the letter was addressed to "the saints who are in [[Ephesus]]" (1:1), the words "in Ephesus" do not appear in the best and earliest manuscripts of the letter, leading most [[Textual criticism|textual critics]], like [[Bart Ehrman]], to regard the words as an [[Interpolation (manuscripts)|interpolation]].<ref name= "Ehrman 2004 381–384"/> This lack of any internal references to [[Ephesus]] in the early manuscripts may have led [[Marcion]], a second-century [[heresiarch]] [[Development of the New Testament canon#Marcion of Sinope|who created the first New Testament canon]], to believe that the letter was actually addressed to the church at [[Laodicea on the Lycus|Laodicea]]. For details see [[Epistle to the Laodiceans]].<ref name="Bruce142"/>

Furthermore, if Paul is regarded as the author, the impersonal character of the letter, which lacks personal greetings or any indication that the author has personal knowledge of his recipients, is incongruous with the account in Acts of Paul staying more than two years in Ephesus.<ref name="OBrien5">{{cite book |last=O'Brien |first=Peter T. |author-link=Peter O'Brien (theologian) |date=1999 |title=The Letter to the Ephesians |publisher=Eerdmans |place=Grand Rapids, Michigan |series=The Pillar New Testament Commentary |isbn= 978-0-80283736-3 |editor-last=Carson |editor-first=D. A. |editor-link=D. A. Carson |page= 5}}</ref> For these reasons, most regard Ephesians to be a circular letter intended for many churches.<ref name= "HarperCollinsSB"/><ref name= "OBrien5" /><ref>{{cite book |last= Snodgrass |first=Klyne |author-link= Klyne Snodgrass | series = The NIV Application Commentary | title = Ephesians |date= 1996 |publisher= Zondervan |isbn= 978-0-31049340-2 |page= 21}}</ref> The [[Jerusalem Bible]] notes that some critics think the words "who are" would have been followed by a blank to be filled in with the name of "whichever church was being sent the letter".<ref>Jerusalem Bible (1966), Footnote 'a' at Ephesians 1:1</ref>

If Paul was the author of the letter, then it was probably written from Rome during Paul's first imprisonment,<ref>{{Bibleref2-nb|Eph|3:1}}; {{Bibleref2-nb |Eph|4:1}}; {{Bibleref2-nb|Eph.|6:20}}</ref> and probably soon after his arrival there in the year 62, four years after he had parted with the Ephesian elders at Miletus. However, scholars who dispute Paul's authorship date the letter to between 70 and 80 AD.<ref name= "barth" /> In the latter case, the possible location of the authorship could have been within the church of Ephesus itself. [[Ignatius of Antioch]] seemed to be very well versed in the epistle to the Ephesians, and mirrors many of his own thoughts in his own epistle to the Ephesians.<ref name= "barth">Markus Barth, Ephesians: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary on Chapters 1–3 (New York: Doubleday & Co., 1974), 50–51</ref>

==Outline==
[[File:São Paulo (1740) - Vieira Lusitano (FRESS, Inv. 848).png|thumb|''Saint Paul'', 1740, by [[Vieira Lusitano]]. The saint is depicted preaching, holding an excerpt from the Epistle to the Ephesians ("''avaritia est idolorum servitus''", {{Bibleverse|Eph.|5:5|KJV}}) in his left hand.]]
Ephesians contains:
* '''Ephesians [[Ephesians 1#Greeting (1:1–2)|1:1–2]].''' The greeting, from Paul to the church of Ephesus.
* '''Ephesians [[Ephesians 1:3|1:3]]–[[Ephesians 2:10|2:10]].''' A general account of the blessings that the [[gospel]] reveals. This includes the source of these blessings, the means by which they are attained, the reason why they are given, and their final result. The whole of the section Ephesians 1:3–23 consists in the original Greek of just two lengthy and complex sentences.<ref>{{Bibleref2-nb|Eph|1:3–14, 15–23}}</ref> It ends with a fervent [[prayer]] for the further spiritual enrichment of the Ephesians.
* '''Ephesians 2:11–3:21.''' A description of the change in the spiritual position of [[Gentile]]s as a result of the work of Christ. It ends with an account of how Paul was selected and qualified to be an [[Twelve Apostles#Other apostles|apostle]] to the Gentiles, in the hope that this will keep them from being dispirited and lead him to pray for them.<ref>{{Bibleverse-nb|Eph.|2:11–3:21|KJV}}</ref>
* '''Ephesians 4:1–16.''' A chapter on unity in the midst of the diversity of gifts among believers.<ref>{{Bibleverse-nb|Eph.|4:1–16|KJV}}</ref>
* '''Ephesians 4:17–6:9.''' [[Household code|Instructions about ordinary life and different relationships]].<ref>{{Bibleverse-nb|Eph.|4:17–6:9|KJV}}</ref>
* '''Ephesians 6:10–24.''' The imagery of [[spiritual warfare]] (including the metaphor of the [[Armor of God]]), the mission of [[Tychicus]], and valedictory blessings.<ref>{{Bibleverse-nb|Eph.|6:10–24|KJV}}</ref>

==Founding of the church at Ephesus==
{{see also|Early centers of Christianity#Asia Minor}}
Paul's first and hurried visit for the space of three months to [[Ephesus]] is recorded in Acts 18:19–21. The work he began on this occasion was carried forward by [[Apollos]]<ref>{{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|18:24–26}}</ref> and [[Aquila (bible)|Aquila]] and [[Priscilla (Christian)|Priscilla]]. On his second visit early in the following year, he remained at Ephesus "three years", for he found it was the key to the western provinces of [[Anatolia|Asia Minor]]. Here "a great door and effectual" was opened to him,<ref>{{Bibleverse|1Cor|16:9||1 Cor 16:9}}</ref> and the church was established and strengthened by his diligent labours there.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Acts|20:20,31}}</ref> From Ephesus the gospel spread abroad "almost throughout all Asia."<ref>{{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|19:26}}</ref> The word "mightily grew and prevailed" despite all the opposition and persecution he encountered.

On his last journey to [[Jerusalem]], the apostle landed at [[Miletus]] and, summoning together the elders of the church from Ephesus, delivered to them a farewell charge,<ref>{{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|20:18–35}}</ref> expecting to see them no more.


The following parallels between this epistle and the Milesian charge may be traced:
The following parallels between this epistle and the Milesian charge may be traced:


# [[Acts]] 20:19 = Eph. 4:2. The phrase "lowliness of mind" occurs nowhere else.
# Acts 20:19<ref>{{Bibleverse|Acts|20:19}}</ref> = Ephesians 4:2.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Eph.|4:2}}</ref> The phrase "lowliness of mind".
# [[Acts]] 20:27 = Eph. 1:11. The word "counsel," as denoting the divine plan, occurs only here and Heb. 6:17.
# Acts 20:27<ref>{{Bibleverse|Acts|20:27}}</ref> = Ephesians 1:11.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Eph.|1:11}}</ref> The word "counsel", denoting the divine plan.
# [[Acts]] 20:32 = Eph. 3:20. The divine ability.
# Acts 20:32<ref>{{Bibleverse|Acts|20:32}}</ref> = Ephesians 3:20.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Eph.|3:20}}</ref> The divine ability.
# [[Acts]] 20:32 = Eph. 2:20. The building upon the foundation.
# Acts 20:32 = Ephesians 2:20.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Eph.|2:20}}</ref> The building upon the foundation.
# [[Acts]] 20:32 = Eph. 1:14, 18. "The inheritance of the saints."
# Acts 20:32 = Ephesians 1:14,18<ref>{{Bibleverse|Eph.|1:14,18}}</ref> "The inheritance of the saints."

==Purpose==
The purpose of the epistle, and to whom it was written, are matters of much speculation.<ref name=Bruce>Bruce, F.F. ''The New International Commentary on the New Testament''. Eerdmans, 1984, 1991. {{ISBN|0-8028-2401-3}}.</ref>{{rp|229}} It was regarded by [[C.H. Dodd]] as the "crown of Paulinism."<ref name=Bruce/>{{rp|229}} In general, it is born out of its particular socio-historical context and the situational context of both the author and the audience. Originating in the circumstance of a [[multicultural]] church (primarily [[Jewish]] and [[Hellenistic]]), the author addressed issues appropriate to the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds present in the community.{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=October 2016}}
[[File:Ein Herr Ein Glaube Eine Taufe.jpg|thumb|220px|right|German inscription of the text, "One Lord, One faith, One baptism," (Ephesians 4:5).]]

The author exhorts the church repeatedly to embrace a specific view of salvation, which he then explicates.


Frank Charles Thompson<ref>Thompson, Frank C. ''Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible (NIV).'' Kirkbride Bible Company, 2000. {{ISBN|978-0-88707-009-9}}</ref> argues that the main theme of Ephesians is in response to the newly converted Jews who often separated themselves from their Gentile brethren. The unity of the church, especially between Jew and Gentile believers, is the keynote of the book.
==Author and audience==


==Interpretations==
Though verse 1:1 clearly designates the church in Ephesus as the receiver of the letter and Paul as the writer, there are a few problems with this. First, the earliest known manuscripts omit the words "in Ephesus," rendering the phrase simply as, "to the saints... the faithful in Christ Jesus" (NIV). Second, the letter lacks any references to people in Ephesus, or any events Paul experienced there. Third, phrases such as "ever since I heard about your faith" (1:15, NIV) seem to indicate that the writer has no firsthand of knowledge his audience, but we know from the book of Acts that Paul spent a significant amount of time with the church in Ephesus, and in fact was one of its founders. There are numerous theories which try to explain these problems. One is that the letter was written not by Paul, but by someone who used his writings extensively, hailing him as the author in order to give him proper credit. This, however, fails to explain the omition of the phrase "in Ephesus." Another theory is that Paul sent several copies of the letter to several churches, changing the greeting as was fit.
Ephesians is notable for its domestic code treatment in Ephesians 5:22–6:9,<ref>{{bibleref2-nb|Ephesians|5:22–6:9}}</ref> covering husband-wife, parent-child, and master-slave relationships. In Ephesians 5:22, wives are urged to submit to their husbands, and husbands to love their wives "as Christ loved the Church." [[Christian egalitarianism|Christian Egalitarian theologians]], such as [[Katharine Bushnell]] and [[Jessie Penn-Lewis]], interpret these commands in the context of the preceding verse,<ref>{{bibleref2-nb |Ephesians|5:21}}</ref> for all Christians to "submit to one another."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Bushnell |first=Katharine |title=Dr. Katharine C. Bushnell: A Brief Sketch of Her Life Work |date=December 1930 |journal=Biblical Recorder |page=13 |access-date=5 July 2016 |url= http://godswordtowomen.org/bushnell_brief_sketch.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160625051650/http://godswordtowomen.org/bushnell_brief_sketch.pdf |archive-date=25 June 2016 |url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last= Haddad |first=Mimi |date=Spring 2008 |title=Jessie Penn-Lewis's Cross Theology: Gender Relations in the New Covenant |journal=Priscilla Papers |publisher= Christians for Biblical Equality |volume=22 |issue=2 |page=7 |access-date= 5 July 2016 |url= http://www.cbeinternational.org/sites/default/files/pp222_jplct_0.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705130500/http://www.cbeinternational.org/sites/default/files/pp222_jplct_0.pdf |archive-date=5 July 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Thus, it is two-way, mutual submission of both husbands to wives and wives to husbands. But according to [[Peter O'Brien (theologian)|Peter O'Brien]], professor emeritus at [[Moore Theological College]], this would be the only instance of this meaning of submission in the whole New Testament, indeed in any extant comparable Greek texts; by O'Brien's account, the word simply does not connote mutuality.<ref>{{cite book |last=O'Brien |first=Peter T. |author-link=Peter O'Brien (theologian) |date=1999 |title=The Letter to the Ephesians |publisher=Eerdmans |place=Grand Rapids, Michigan |series=The Pillar New Testament Commentary |isbn=978-0802837363 |editor-last=Carson |editor-first=D. A. |editor-link=D. A. Carson |pages=401–04}}</ref> [[Dallas Theological Seminary]] professor Daniel Wallace understands it to be an extension of Ephesians 5:15-21<ref>{{bibleref2-nb|Ephesians|5:15–21}}</ref> on being filled by the Holy Spirit.<ref name="Wallace" />


In the period leading up to the [[American Civil War]] (1861–65), Ephesians 6:5<ref>{{Bibleverse|Ephesians|6:5}}</ref> on master-slave relationships was one of the Bible verses used by [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] slaveholders in support of a slaveholding position.<ref>{{Cite book| editor-first = E.N. | editor-last = Elliott | place = Augusta, GA | title = Cotton is King and pro-slavery arguments comprising the writings of Hammond, Harper, Christy, Stringfellow, Hodge, Bledsoe, and Cartwright, on this important subject| via = Internet Archive| publisher = Pritchard, Abbott & Loomis| access-date = 2009-03-13| url = https://archive.org/details/cottoniskingand01harpgoog| last1 = Christy | first1 = David| last2 = Bledsoe| first2 = Albert Taylor| last3 = Stringfellow| first3 = Thornton| last4 = Harper| first4 = Robert Goodloe| last5 = Hammond| first5 = James Henry| last6 = Cartwright| first6 = Samuel Adolphus| last7 = Hodge| first7 = Charles| year = 1860}}</ref>
==Place, date, and purpose of the writing of the letter==


==See also==
It was evidently written from [[Rome]] during Paul's first imprisonment (3:1; 4:1; 6:20), and probably soon after his arrival there, about the year [[62]], four years after he had parted with the Ephesian elders at Miletus. The subscription of this epistle is correct.
* [[Earlier Epistle to the Ephesians]]
* [[Textual variants in the New Testament#Epistle to the Ephesians|Textual variants in the Epistle to the Ephesians]]


==Notes==
There seems to have been no special occasion for the writing of this letter, as already noted. Paul's object was plainly not polemical. No errors had sprung up in the church which he sought
{{Notelist}}
to point out and refute. The object of the apostle is "to set forth the ground, the cause, and the aim and end of the church of the faithful in Christ. He speaks to the Ephesians as a type
or sample of the church universal." The church's foundations, its course, and its end, are his theme. "Everywhere the foundation of the church is the will of the Father; the course of the church is by the satisfaction of the Son; the end of the church is the life in the [[Holy Spirit]]." In the [[Epistle to the Romans]], Paul writes from the point of view of justification by the imputed righteousness of [[Christ]]; here he writes from the point of view specially of union to the [[Redeemer]], and hence of the oneness of the true church of Christ. "This is perhaps the profoundest book in existence." It is a book "which sounds the lowest depths of [[Christian]] [[doctrine]], and scales the loftiest heights of Christian experience;" and the fact that the [[apostle]] evidently expected the Ephesians to understand it is an evidence of the "proficiency which Paul's converts had attained under his preaching at Ephesus."


==References==
==Relation between this epistle and that to the Colossians==
{{Reflist}}


* {{EBD|wstitle=Ephesians, Epistle to the}}
"The letters of the apostle are the fervent outburst of pastoral zeal and attachment, written without reserve and in unaffected simplicity; sentiments come warm from the heart, without the shaping out, pruning, and punctilious arrangement of a formal discourse. There is such a fresh and familiar transcription of feeling, so frequent an introduction of colloquial idiom, and so much of conversational frankness and vivacity, that the reader associates the image of the writer with every paragraph, and the ear seems to catch and recognize the very tones of living address." "Is it then any matter of amazement that one letter should resemble another, or that two written about the same time should have so much in common and so much that is peculiar? The close relation as to style and subject between the epistles to Colossians and Ephesus must strike every reader. Their precise relation to each other has given rise to much discussion. The great probability is that the epistle to [[Colossae]] was first written; the parallel passages in Ephesians, which amount to about forty-two in number, having the appearance of being expansions from the epistle to Colossae. Compare:


==External links==
Eph 1:7; Col 1:14
{{wikisource|Ephesians (Bible)|Ephesians}}
Eph 1:10; Col 1:20
{{wikiquote}}
Eph 3:2; Col 1:25
* [http://www.vts.edu/ftpimages/95/download/download_group10628_id432549.pdf A Brief Introduction to Ephesians] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906181141/http://www.vts.edu/ftpimages/95/download/download_group10628_id432549.pdf |date=6 September 2015 }}
Eph 5:19; Col 3:16
* [http://www.tyndale.ca/seminary/mtsmodular/reading-rooms/newt/ephesians Ephesians Online Reading Room] – extensive collection of online resources for Ephesians; Tyndale Seminary
Eph 6:22; Col 4:8
* [http://www.sermonsfortoday.org/browse_sermons/sermonsInSeries.php?series=Series%20on%20Ephesians Biblical Expository on Ephesians]
Eph 1:19-2:5; Col 2:12,13
* [http://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/ephesians Ephesians: The Calling of the Saints] – Ephesians Messages, Audio & Podcast by Ray Stedman
Eph 4:2-4; Col 3:12-15
* {{librivox book | title=Ephesians}} Various versions
Eph 4:16; Col 2:19
* {{Cite AmCyc |last=Schem |first=A. J. |author-link=A. J. Schem |wstitle=Ephesians, Epistle to the |short=x}}
Eph 4:32; Col 3:13
Eph 4:22-24; Col 3:9,10
Eph 5:6-8; Col 3:6-8
Eph 5:15,16; Col 4:5
Eph 6:19,20; Col 4:3,4
Eph 5:22-6:9; Col 3:18-4:1


{{S-start}}
The style of this [[epistle]] is exceedingly animated, and corresponds with the state of the apostle's mind at the time of writing. Overjoyed with the account which their messenger had
{{S-hou|[[Pauline epistles|Pauline]] Prison [[Epistles|Epistle]]|||}}
brought him of their [[faith]] and [[holiness]] (Eph. 1:15), and transported with the consideration of the unsearchable wisdom of God displayed in the work of man's redemption, and of his astonishing love towards the [[Gentiles]] in making them partakers through faith of all the benefits of Christ's death, he soars high in his sentiments on those subjects, and gives his thoughts utterance in sublime and copious expression.
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{{S-aft|after=[[Epistle to the Philippians|Philippians]]}}
Initial text from Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897 -- Please update as needed
{{s-end}}
{{Epistle to the Ephesians}}
{{Books of the Bible}}


{{Authority control}}
[[de:Brief des Paulus an die Epheser]]
[[es:Epístola a los Efesios]]
[[fr:Épître aux Éphésiens]]
[[ia:Epistola al Ephesios]]
[[la:Epistula ad Ephesios]]
[[nl:Brief van Paulus aan de Efeziërs]]
[[sv:Efesierbrevet]]


[[Category:New Testament books]]
[[Category:Epistle to the Ephesians| ]]
[[Category:1st-century Christian texts]]
[[Category:Canonical epistles|Ephesians]]
[[Category:Pauline epistles]]
[[Category:Prison writings]]
[[Category:New Testament books|Ephesians]]

Latest revision as of 21:20, 15 October 2024

"Ephesians" redirects here. For people who actually lived in Ephesus, see Ephesus §  Notable people.

Part of a series of articles on
Paul in the Bible
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Books of the
New Testament
Papyrus 46, one of the oldest New Testament papyri, showing 2 Cor 11:33–12:9
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Papyrus 49, a 3rd-century manuscript of the Epistle to the Ephesians

The Epistle to the Ephesians[a] is the tenth book of the New Testament. According to its text, the letter was written by Paul the Apostle, an attribution that Christians traditionally accepted. However, starting in 1792, some scholars have claimed the letter is actually Deutero-Pauline, meaning that it is pseudepigrapha written in Paul's name by a later author strongly influenced by Paul's thought. According to one scholarly source, the letter was probably written "by a loyal disciple to sum up Paul's teaching and to apply it to a new situation fifteen to twenty-five years after the Apostle's death".[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

Themes

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According to New Testament scholar Daniel Wallace, the theme may be stated pragmatically as "Christians, get along with each other! Maintain the unity practically which Christ has effected positionally by his death."[10]

Another major theme in Ephesians is the keeping of Christ's body (that is, the Church) pure and holy.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

— Ephesians 5:1–2[11]

In the second part of the letter, Ephesians 4:17–6:20, the author gives practical advice in how to live a holy, pure, and Christ-inspired lifestyle.[12]

Composition

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According to tradition, the Apostle Paul wrote the letter while he was in prison in Rome (around AD 62). This would be about the same time as the Epistle to the Colossians (which in many points it resembles) and the Epistle to Philemon. However, many critical scholars have questioned the authorship of the letter and suggest that it may have been written between AD 80 and 100.[5][6][7]

Authorship

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Main article: Authorship of the Pauline Epistles

The first verse in the letter identifies Paul as its author. While early lists of New Testament books, including the Muratorian fragment and possibly Marcion's canon (if it is to be equated with the Epistle to the Laodiceans), attribute the letter to Paul,[13] more recently there have been challenges to Pauline authorship on the basis of the letter's characteristically non-Pauline syntax, terminology, and eschatology.[14]

Biblical scholar Harold Hoehner, surveying 279 commentaries written between 1519 and 2001, found that 54% favored Pauline authorship, 39% concluded against Pauline authorship and 7% remained uncertain.[4] Norman Perrin and Dennis C. Duling found that of six authoritative scholarly references, "four of the six decide for pseudonymity, and the other two (Peake's Commentary on the Bible and the Jerome Biblical Commentary) recognize the difficulties in maintaining Pauline authorship. Indeed, the difficulties are insurmountable."[8] Bible scholar Raymond E. Brown asserts that about 80% of critical scholarship judges that Paul did not write Ephesians.[9]: p.47 

There are four main theories in biblical scholarship that address the question of Pauline authorship.[15]

Place, date, and purpose of the writing of the letter

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While most English translations indicate that the letter was addressed to "the saints who are in Ephesus" (1:1), the words "in Ephesus" do not appear in the best and earliest manuscripts of the letter, leading most textual critics, like Bart Ehrman, to regard the words as an interpolation.[5] This lack of any internal references to Ephesus in the early manuscripts may have led Marcion, a second-century heresiarch who created the first New Testament canon, to believe that the letter was actually addressed to the church at Laodicea. For details see Epistle to the Laodiceans.[13]

Furthermore, if Paul is regarded as the author, the impersonal character of the letter, which lacks personal greetings or any indication that the author has personal knowledge of his recipients, is incongruous with the account in Acts of Paul staying more than two years in Ephesus.[16] For these reasons, most regard Ephesians to be a circular letter intended for many churches.[14][16][17] The Jerusalem Bible notes that some critics think the words "who are" would have been followed by a blank to be filled in with the name of "whichever church was being sent the letter".[18]

If Paul was the author of the letter, then it was probably written from Rome during Paul's first imprisonment,[19] and probably soon after his arrival there in the year 62, four years after he had parted with the Ephesian elders at Miletus. However, scholars who dispute Paul's authorship date the letter to between 70 and 80 AD.[7] In the latter case, the possible location of the authorship could have been within the church of Ephesus itself. Ignatius of Antioch seemed to be very well versed in the epistle to the Ephesians, and mirrors many of his own thoughts in his own epistle to the Ephesians.[7]

Outline

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Saint Paul, 1740, by Vieira Lusitano. The saint is depicted preaching, holding an excerpt from the Epistle to the Ephesians ("avaritia est idolorum servitus", Eph. 5:5) in his left hand.

Ephesians contains:

  • Ephesians 1:1–2. The greeting, from Paul to the church of Ephesus.
  • Ephesians 1:3–2:10. A general account of the blessings that the gospel reveals. This includes the source of these blessings, the means by which they are attained, the reason why they are given, and their final result. The whole of the section Ephesians 1:3–23 consists in the original Greek of just two lengthy and complex sentences.[20] It ends with a fervent prayer for the further spiritual enrichment of the Ephesians.
  • Ephesians 2:11–3:21. A description of the change in the spiritual position of Gentiles as a result of the work of Christ. It ends with an account of how Paul was selected and qualified to be an apostle to the Gentiles, in the hope that this will keep them from being dispirited and lead him to pray for them.[21]
  • Ephesians 4:1–16. A chapter on unity in the midst of the diversity of gifts among believers.[22]
  • Ephesians 4:17–6:9. Instructions about ordinary life and different relationships.[23]
  • Ephesians 6:10–24. The imagery of spiritual warfare (including the metaphor of the Armor of God), the mission of Tychicus, and valedictory blessings.[24]

Founding of the church at Ephesus

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See also: Early centers of Christianity § Asia Minor

Paul's first and hurried visit for the space of three months to Ephesus is recorded in Acts 18:19–21. The work he began on this occasion was carried forward by Apollos[25] and Aquila and Priscilla. On his second visit early in the following year, he remained at Ephesus "three years", for he found it was the key to the western provinces of Asia Minor. Here "a great door and effectual" was opened to him,[26] and the church was established and strengthened by his diligent labours there.[27] From Ephesus the gospel spread abroad "almost throughout all Asia."[28] The word "mightily grew and prevailed" despite all the opposition and persecution he encountered.

On his last journey to Jerusalem, the apostle landed at Miletus and, summoning together the elders of the church from Ephesus, delivered to them a farewell charge,[29] expecting to see them no more.

The following parallels between this epistle and the Milesian charge may be traced:

  1. Acts 20:19[30] = Ephesians 4:2.[31] The phrase "lowliness of mind".
  2. Acts 20:27[32] = Ephesians 1:11.[33] The word "counsel", denoting the divine plan.
  3. Acts 20:32[34] = Ephesians 3:20.[35] The divine ability.
  4. Acts 20:32 = Ephesians 2:20.[36] The building upon the foundation.
  5. Acts 20:32 = Ephesians 1:14,18[37] "The inheritance of the saints."

Purpose

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The purpose of the epistle, and to whom it was written, are matters of much speculation.[38]: 229  It was regarded by C.H. Dodd as the "crown of Paulinism."[38]: 229  In general, it is born out of its particular socio-historical context and the situational context of both the author and the audience. Originating in the circumstance of a multicultural church (primarily Jewish and Hellenistic), the author addressed issues appropriate to the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds present in the community.[citation needed]

German inscription of the text, "One Lord, One faith, One baptism," (Ephesians 4:5).

The author exhorts the church repeatedly to embrace a specific view of salvation, which he then explicates.

Frank Charles Thompson[39] argues that the main theme of Ephesians is in response to the newly converted Jews who often separated themselves from their Gentile brethren. The unity of the church, especially between Jew and Gentile believers, is the keynote of the book.

Interpretations

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Ephesians is notable for its domestic code treatment in Ephesians 5:22–6:9,[40] covering husband-wife, parent-child, and master-slave relationships. In Ephesians 5:22, wives are urged to submit to their husbands, and husbands to love their wives "as Christ loved the Church." Christian Egalitarian theologians, such as Katharine Bushnell and Jessie Penn-Lewis, interpret these commands in the context of the preceding verse,[41] for all Christians to "submit to one another."[42][43] Thus, it is two-way, mutual submission of both husbands to wives and wives to husbands. But according to Peter O'Brien, professor emeritus at Moore Theological College, this would be the only instance of this meaning of submission in the whole New Testament, indeed in any extant comparable Greek texts; by O'Brien's account, the word simply does not connote mutuality.[44] Dallas Theological Seminary professor Daniel Wallace understands it to be an extension of Ephesians 5:15-21[45] on being filled by the Holy Spirit.[10]

In the period leading up to the American Civil War (1861–65), Ephesians 6:5[46] on master-slave relationships was one of the Bible verses used by Confederate slaveholders in support of a slaveholding position.[47]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The book is sometimes called the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians, or simply Ephesians.[1] It is most commonly abbreviated as "Eph."[2]

References

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  1. ^ ESV Pew Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 2018. p. 976. ISBN 978-1-4335-6343-0. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Bible Book Abbreviations". Logos Bible Software. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  3. ^ a b Authenticity of Ephesians, Bible apologetics.
  4. ^ a b c Hoehner, Harold. Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary. Baker Academic, 2002. ISBN 978-0-8010-2614-0
  5. ^ a b c Ehrman, Bart D. (2004). The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. New York: Oxford. pp. 381–84. ISBN 0-19-515462-2.
  6. ^ a b "Introduction", NAB – Ephesians, USCCB, archived from the original on 4 January 2009, retrieved 17 January 2009
  7. ^ a b c d Markus Barth, Ephesians: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary on Chapters 1–3 (New York: Doubleday & Co., 1974), 50–51
  8. ^ a b Perrin, Norman; Duling, Dennis C. (1982). The New Testament: An Introduction (2nd ed.). New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. pp. 218–22. ISBN 0-15-565726-7.
  9. ^ a b Brown, Raymond E. The churches the apostles left behind, Paulist Press, 1984. ISBN 978-0-80912611-8.
  10. ^ a b Wallace, Daniel B. "Ephesians:Introduction, Argument, and Outline." Bible.org, 1 January 2010
  11. ^ Ephesians 5:1–2
  12. ^ "Bible passage: Ephesians 4 – New International Version". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  13. ^ a b Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Canon of Scripture. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. pp. 142, 158–60. ISBN 978-0-83081258-5.
  14. ^ a b Attridge, Harold W.; Meeks, Wayne A., eds. (2006). The HarperCollins Study Bible (rev. ed.). New York: HarperCollins. pp. 1982–83. ISBN 978-0-06122840-7.
  15. ^ These four views come from Markus Barth, Ephesians: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary on Chapters 1–3 (New York: Doubleday & Co., 1974), 38
  16. ^ a b O'Brien, Peter T. (1999). Carson, D. A. (ed.). The Letter to the Ephesians. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-80283736-3.
  17. ^ Snodgrass, Klyne (1996). Ephesians. The NIV Application Commentary. Zondervan. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-31049340-2.
  18. ^ Jerusalem Bible (1966), Footnote 'a' at Ephesians 1:1
  19. ^ 3:1; 4:1; 6:20
  20. ^ 1:3–14, 15–23
  21. ^ 2:11–3:21
  22. ^ 4:1–16
  23. ^ 4:17–6:9
  24. ^ 6:10–24
  25. ^ 18:24–26
  26. ^ 1 Cor 16:9
  27. ^ Acts 20:20,31
  28. ^ 19:26
  29. ^ 20:18–35
  30. ^ Acts 20:19
  31. ^ Eph. 4:2
  32. ^ Acts 20:27
  33. ^ Eph. 1:11
  34. ^ Acts 20:32
  35. ^ Eph. 3:20
  36. ^ Eph. 2:20
  37. ^ Eph. 1:14,18
  38. ^ a b Bruce, F.F. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Eerdmans, 1984, 1991. ISBN 0-8028-2401-3.
  39. ^ Thompson, Frank C. Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible (NIV). Kirkbride Bible Company, 2000. ISBN 978-0-88707-009-9
  40. ^ 5:22–6:9
  41. ^ 5:21
  42. ^ Bushnell, Katharine (December 1930). "Dr. Katharine C. Bushnell: A Brief Sketch of Her Life Work" (PDF). Biblical Recorder: 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  43. ^ Haddad, Mimi (Spring 2008). "Jessie Penn-Lewis's Cross Theology: Gender Relations in the New Covenant" (PDF). Priscilla Papers. 22 (2). Christians for Biblical Equality: 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 July 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  44. ^ O'Brien, Peter T. (1999). Carson, D. A. (ed.). The Letter to the Ephesians. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans. pp. 401–04. ISBN 978-0802837363.
  45. ^ 5:15–21
  46. ^ Ephesians 6:5
  47. ^ Christy, David; Bledsoe, Albert Taylor; Stringfellow, Thornton; Harper, Robert Goodloe; Hammond, James Henry; Cartwright, Samuel Adolphus; Hodge, Charles (1860). Elliott, E.N. (ed.). Cotton is King and pro-slavery arguments comprising the writings of Hammond, Harper, Christy, Stringfellow, Hodge, Bledsoe, and Cartwright, on this important subject. Augusta, GA: Pritchard, Abbott & Loomis. Retrieved 13 March 2009 – via Internet Archive.
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