Scholars refer to three biblical epistles as “prison epistles” because Saint Paul authored them while imprisoned in Rome. Ephesians is one of them. This epistle has some notable differences from other Pauline Epistles, causing some to doubt whether Paul was indeed the author.
Authorship and Date
As in the case of Colossians and Philemon, Ephesians was written while Paul was in prison or under house arrest in Rome. He sent the letter with Onesimus and Tychicus. In the Biblical canon, it is the first of these three “prison epistles.” Unlike the other two epistles, Paul does not mention Timothy as a co-sender. The letter is generally dated to 62 CE.
According to tradition, the letter is authentically Pauline and it has been accepted as such because it self-identifies him as the author and because early church figures like Polycarp and Ignatius agreed that Paul was the author. The content of the letter is also like other epistles by Paul.
However, recent scholarship casts doubt on the Pauline authorship, largely because of stylistic differences, the significantly more developed ecclesiology and Christology compared to other Pauline Epistles, and the lack of personal greetings to members of the church. Scholars argue that Ephesians uses other Pauline Epistles as a source for this letter.
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Historical Context
The port city of Ephesus was one of the four largest and most influential cities in the Roman Empire in the first century CE. It had a population of about 250,000 inhabitants and was only surpassed by Rome in its notoriety for arts, culture, and trade. The Temple of Artemis was located here and it was one of the seven wonders of the world. The practice of magic was common in Ephesus.
Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey and stayed there for three years during his third missionary journey. The Epistle to the Ephesians is likely a circular letter meant to be sent to the churches that were founded from the Ephesian base. Early copies of the letter did not contain the words “to Ephesus,” which supports the theory that it was not meant for the local church only. It may also explain the lack of personal greetings to members like other Pauline Epistles have.
Structure
Salutations (Ephesians 1:1-2)
Paul self-identifies as the author of the letter to the Ephesians before continuing with his typical blessing of grace and peace.
Theological Foundations (Ephesians 1:3-3:21)
Paul lays down certain theological principles. Among them is salvation by grace through faith for Jews and Gentiles alike. He explains his role in sharing the gospel to a Gentile audience.
Paul addresses the need for the practical application of theological principles. His advice serves as a guide for Christian living and unity in the faith community. Paul teaches practical relational issues between parents, children, and slaves, but also highlights the importance of guarding the mind from negative influences.
Greetings (Ephesians 6:21-24)
Paul states that Tychicus, the letter-bearer, will provide more teaching to the Ephesians and greets them in typical Pauline style.
Main Themes
Blessings in Christ
Paul highlights the spiritual blessings believers have through Christ. These blessings include election, adoption, redemption, and sealing by the Holy Spirit. He then describes the transformation from spiritual death to life by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works.
Jews and Gentiles
Paul explains his ministry to the Gentiles and the mystery of their inclusion in God’s plan. He calls for barriers between Jews and Gentiles to come down. He then offers a prayer for the Ephesians, asking that God strengthens them by his Spirit and that they will know the love of Christ.
Unity and Maturity in Relationships
As in many of his letters, Paul calls for unity in the faith community and describes the importance of a renewed mind to Christian living. Such a renewal helps the believer to avoid sin and exhibit a transformed character. The renewed individual will walk in love and light.
Instructions for Christian Households and Family Relationships
Paul instructs on the relationships between husbands and wives, emphasizing the importance of love and respect. He continues to guide family interactions and the importance of respect, obedience, and fairness in these relationships. During this discussion, Paul includes relationships with slaves.
The Armor of God
One of the most well-known passages in Ephesians uses the military attire of a Roman soldier to explain the role of faith, hope, salvation, and other aspects of the Christian life in resisting evil.
Key Passages
Ephesians 2:8-9
“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.”
This verse expresses a central pillar of the Christian faith: that salvation cannot be realized through works, but comes as a gift from God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:13-16
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”
Paul highlights how the Gentiles have a role to play in God’s plan and the divisions between Jews and Gentiles have been broken down so that the body of Christ can function in unity.
Ephesians 3:20-21
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
In this beautiful doxology, Paul glorifies God for what he does in and through believers and points out that God can do so much more than we realize.
Ephesians 6:11-12
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Roman soldiers were a common site throughout the Roman Empire. As such, people were familiar with their armor and weapons. Paul uses the armor of a Roman soldier to explain by analogy what the role of truth, righteousness, the willingness to spread the gospel, faith, salvation, and the word of God is, in the life of the believer.
Contemporary Relevance
The Epistle to the Ephesians helps believers of all ages to understand their identity in Christ. It highlights that God chooses, adopts, redeems, and seals them in the Holy Spirit today. It reminds the contemporary believer of their role in the greater scheme of God’s plan.
Ephesians addresses the issue of unity and reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles. Even though that is not an issue in Christianity anymore, we can gain much from this teaching on unity and reconciliation when we apply it to race and nationality within Christianity.
The Epistle to the Ephesians explains the core principle of salvation by grace through faith which is as imperative to understand today as it was when Paul explained it to the Ephesians. It sets the Christian faith apart from all other faiths and focuses on the works and merit of one man, Jesus Christ.
His teaching on Christian living also applies today as much as it did in his day and serves as a guide for many contemporary Christians to compare their family relations.
Though the contemporary believer may be less familiar with the armor of a Roman soldier, the analogy is still very effective in describing the battle against evil. Christian leaders often go to great lengths to explain the analogy and educate Christians on the significance of each element of the soldier’s armor to help them understand what Paul aimed to convey by it.
An element that is common in more than just the letter to the Ephesians is community and growth. This problem in early Christianity remains a challenge to this day. Paul’s description of the faith community as a body with various parts that have unique abilities, gifts, and roles is an apt image to address problems in modern churches.
