Ephesians
Introduction to the book of Ephesians
Pauline Epistle. One of four Prison Epistles, along with Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Paul summarizes his gospel of salvation by grace through faith alone and describes the nature and role of the church in God's eternal plan.Theme & Overview
A twin theme runs through the letter. First, believers compose the body of Christ. Second, they—both Jewish and Gentile Christians—share the same intimacy in God's family. Both stand before Him on the same common ground of grace. Jesus has made the Jewish and Gentile believers into "one new man" (2:15). The focus of Ephesians is on growing the church of Jesus Christ. Important themes include predestination (Ephesians 1:3–14), Christ's leadership over the church (Ephesians 1:22–23), the church as God's building and temple (Ephesians 2:21–22), the mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3:1–21), spiritual gifts (Ephesians 4:7–16), the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25–33), and the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10–18). Chapter 1 includes a brief introduction (Ephesians 1:1–2) followed by two key sections. First, Paul describes the spiritual blessings in Christ believers have (Ephesians 1:3–14). Second, he focuses on thanksgiving and prayer for his readers (Ephesians 1:15–23). Chapter 2 emphasizes the theme of salvation by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. First, Paul describes the process of salvation coming as the result of God's grace through faith (Ephesians 2:1–10). Second, Paul transitions to a focus on unity in Christ (Ephesians 2:11–22). This includes tearing down the previous divide between Jews and Gentiles, who are now one family in Christ. Chapter 3 speaks about the mystery of Christ revealed (Ephesians 3:1–13). The second part of this chapter emphasizes Paul's prayer for spiritual strength for the Ephesian church (Ephesians 3:14–21). Chapter 4 describes both the unity of believers and the new hope Christians have in Jesus. The first part of the chapter begins with Paul mentioning his imprisonment and his focus on Christian unity (Ephesians 4:1–16). The second part develops the concept of believers' new life in Jesus (Ephesians 4:17–32). Chapter 5 covers two important themes: love and the relationship between husbands and wives. First, Paul discusses how believers are to be imitators of God and focus on the love of Christ (Ephesians 5:1–21). Second, wives and husbands are given clear biblical teaching regarding mutual love and submission in relationships to Christ (Ephesians 5:22–33). Chapter 6 consists of four major sections to complete Paul's brief letter. First, he provides instruction regarding children and parents (Ephesians 6:1–4). Second, he gives instructions for the relationship between masters and servants (Ephesians 6:5–9). Third, Paul discusses the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10–20). Fourth, Paul's final greetings to his readers (Ephesians 6:21–24). This book answers the question men and women have asked throughout all time: Why am I here? The answer has to do with eternity, making peace with God and understanding the believer's new identity in Christ. The "NIV Quest Study Bible" says Paul wrote this letter to believers in Ephesus (a city in modern-day Turkey) to encourage them to think of themselves in a whole new way. He wanted them to think of themselves not as people who had once been involved in idol worship, illicit sex, and foolish philosophies but as people in Christ—people with a radically new identity. The book offers practical ways to live in unity with God and others.Author
(The apostle Paul is the author of Ephesus.) After Paul left Ephesus, he went north to Greece and ultimately made his way back home to Jerusalem with a final stop on the island of Miletus (an island near the coast where the city of Ephesus was located). He did this because he wanted to avoid any problems or delays in his travel plans that might arise if he stopped in Ephesus itself (Acts 20:1-38). While there, he called for the elders from Ephesus to meet with him and gave them important instructions concerning their work. They, in turn, bid him a tearful farewell. Once he returns to Jerusalem, we learn from the final chapters of Acts that Paul is imprisoned for a long time and ultimately goes to Rome to stand trial before Caesar. While Paul is under house arrest in Rome (61-63 AD), he is visited by a succession of preachers and messengers from various congregations giving him various reports on the condition and progress of different congregations Paul had established or had worked with. For example, people like Epaphroditus, Timothy, and Tychicus were all sent back with letters Paul had written to encourage and teach their different churches. We have copies of four of these letters written by Paul while in Rome. He may have written more, and there is evidence that he did, but four remain: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Three of these four were written at the same time and sent by one messenger. Onesimus, a runaway slave, was converted by Paul in prison and returned to his master, Philemon, with a letter. Philemon was a member at Colossae, so the letter for that church was also brought by Onesimus. Ephesus was 100 miles west of Colossae, so Onesimus and Tychicus dropped it off on his way home. In traveling to Colossae, Tychicus accompanied Onesimus, the former slave who was returning to Philemon. The fourth letter, to the Philippians, was delivered by Epaphroditus. There is little doubt that Paul is the author of the letter to the Ephesians because he names himself in the first verse. Many historical writings show that the early church universally credited Paul as the author of these four epistles. In other words, this is an authentic letter from the Apostle Paul. Date & Place of Writing
Approximately AD 60–62, during Paul's first Roman imprisonment.Recipients
The epistle may have been an "encyclical" or circular letter. That means it was not sent just to one church but circulated among all the churches of Asia Minor. This conjecture is generally based on four arguments: (1) The words "at Ephesus" of 1:1 are omitted in some of the oldest Greek manuscripts. Perhaps "a space" was originally left vacant so each church, upon reading the epistle in its public worship services, could fill in its own geographical locale. (2) There are no personal references as would be expected if sent to only one church. (3) In Ephesus 3:2, the language implies that not all the readers knew its writer personally but at least had "heard" of him. (4) The epistle addresses itself to no specific problem such as a particular church might have; it speaks only of general problems that believers everywhere have in common. This epistle was presumably addressed to the Christians in the various churches of Asia Minor. As Ephesus was the major city in Asia Minor, the letter was identified more with it than with the other cities; this may account for the words "at Ephesus" being found in most Greek manuscripts.Background
Ephesus was a great city for that time and served as a major port for Asia Minor. There was a street 70' wide that ran from the port through the entire city. The population at that time was approximately 300,000 people. Many streets were lined with marble and had public baths and a theatre that held between 25,000 and 50,000 people. The temple to the goddess Diana, regarded as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world (100 pillars held the roof), was situated there. Diana was a fertility goddess and drew pilgrims from all over the world. Around the temple was a community that housed artisans who made a good living making coins, statues, etc. They had a guild/union. In Ephesus, culture, religion, and politics were mixed together as one entity. (Read Acts 19:8-20) and note that the church's growth was confined to Ephesus's city, but Christians from Ephesus evangelized the entire region. Paul felt that the church was well established, so he sent two workers ahead of him to prepare for his next trip to northern Greece and Rome and then return home to Jerusalem. After sending his men ahead, he remained a little longer to strengthen Ephesus's church. This is when trouble happens. (Read Acts 19:23-41). The preaching of the gospel had begun to threaten the business surrounding the "worship of Diana," so the local businessmen stirred up a riot accusing Paul and his companions of civil disruption and disrespect for the local deity.Artemis is the Greek word for Diana (Latin).Diana was said to have fallen from the sky. In reality, it was a meteorite that fell and was eventually encased in the entrance to the temple.Artemis was the sister of Apollo, daughter of Jupiter and Latona in Greek mythology.
Eventually, one of the city leaders quelled the riot by pointing out that they were breaking Roman law by doing this. The riot and the threatened execution of a Roman citizen (Paul) were unlawful since Rome controlled this territory. The problem that Paul was having in Ephesus was that Christianity refused any form of syncretism (the mixture together of religions). Pagan religions were often a mixture of several belief systems; Hinduism, for example, is like this. Many Hindus accept Christ and add Him to their Hindu belief system.A feature of true biblical Christianity is that it refuses to be mixed with any other religion and does not include the non-biblical principles of other religions in its theology. This refusal to allow pagan Diana worship to influence the Christian faith and the demand that idol worshippers abandon this practice caused all the trouble for those preaching Christ and His exclusive demands on His followers.The Purpose & Audience (Reasons for the letter)
The 1stcentury church faced many problems as it sought to be established and grow in a pagan society. There were the immoral influences of pagan culture within the Roman Empire of that period, as well as the open and active persecution of the church. There were also the dangers of false teachers creeping into the church with uninspired teachings. For example, many teachers of that time mixed Greek philosophical thoughts and ideas with Christianity, and many mixed Jewish law-keeping and ceremonial law with the gospel of grace. Then there was the danger of syncretism with pagan religions that were common in that time and place. There was also the problem of getting Jewish and Gentile converts to live together harmoniously as brothers and sisters in Christ. These people came from wildly different cultures and religious practices. Most of Paul's letters deal with difficult issues: immorality and proper conduct (I Corinthians), mixing of the Greek and Jewish ideas with the gospel of Christ (Colossians), an appeal to Jewish Christians to accept their Gentile brethren in Christ (Galatians). In Ephesians, Paul appeals to Gentile Christians not to exclude Jewish Christians (or anyone else for that matter) from inclusion in the church. It was an appeal to those (Gentiles) who had no sentimental, cultural, or historical ties to the Jewish religion. Paul encourages them to be tolerant and accepting of those whose history and relationship to a Jewish messiah were still very important! Paul did not want to see two churches: one Jewish and one Gentile, and he wanted both of these to be accommodated in one body and one body only. His defense of the Gentiles was seen in his teaching and associating with them while calling out to his Jewish brethren to accept them as full partners in Christ. His appeal (from Gentiles to Jesus) was seen in his effort to collect money from Gentile churches in order to help the Jews in Jerusalem suffering from a crippling famine (I Corinthians 16). If Christian Jews had problems accepting Gentile Christians, this gift was meant to break down resistance and suspicion. In his letter to Ephesians (who were experiencing divisiveness between Jews and Gentiles), Paul describes a church that is big enough and loving enough to include Jewish and Gentile Christians, as well as people of different genders and viewpoints and experiences. In addition to this, Paul demonstrates in this epistle how unity and order in the church, the family, in society, and in the spiritual world can be achieved through Jesus Christ, who is the head of the body of believers. It is interesting to note that Ephesians is the only letter where Paul uses the word "church" in the "universal" and not in the local congregational sense. One commentator has called Ephesians the epistle of the church. The book of Acts describes the physical history of the church, and the book of Ephesians describes its character.The Purpose & Audience (Reasons for the letter)
Ephesians was written to a group of believers whom Paul served alongside Aquila and Priscilla. This was during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:18–19). During his third missionary journey, he ministered in this city for at least two years, with the gospel spreading throughout the area (Acts 19:10). After Paul, Timothy led the church in Ephesus for some time (1 Timothy 1:3). The apostle John also served in this city. The letter was likely intended not only for the Ephesian Christians but to be read at multiple churches in the area. For example, some early manuscripts do not include "at Ephesus" in 1:1. This letter does not deal with particular controversy related to a particular church like many of Paul's other letters. There is also a lack of references to personal friends, something Paul often included in other letters. This letter likely first came to Ephesus with Tychicus (Ephesians 6:21–22) and may be the same letter referred to in Colossians 4:16.Key Verses (ESV):
Ephesians 1:3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places."Ephesians 2:8–10: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."Ephesians 4:4–6: "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."Ephesians 5:21: "…submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."Ephesians 6:10–11: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil."Key Passages (NLT):
Eph 1:1–2:10"This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God's holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. All…"Eph 2:14–3:10"For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and…."Eph 3:19–4:1"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than…."Eph 6:12"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."Eph 6:19–22"And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God's mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God's ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.…."Outline
Blessings of the church – 1:1-23The universality of the church – 2:1-3:21Obligations of the churchUnity – 4:1-16Righteousness – 4:17-6:9Faithfulness – 6:10-24
More than any other epistle, Ephesians demonstrates how important and central the church is to God's plan and His purpose for mankind.