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Introduction to the Ephesians
Introduction to the Ephesians
While Apollos was preaching at Corinth, Paul fulfilled his promise to return to Ephesus. He had made a brief visit to Jerusalem and had spent some time at Antioch, the scene of his early labors. Thence he traveled through Asia Minor, "over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia" (Acts 18:23), visiting the churches which he himself had established, and strengthening the faith of the believers. {AA 281.1}
While Apollos was preaching at Corinth, Paul fulfilled his promise to return to Ephesus. He had made a brief visit to Jerusalem and had spent some time at Antioch, the scene of his early labors. Thence he traveled through Asia Minor, "over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia" (Acts 18:23), visiting the churches which he himself had established, and strengthening the faith of the believers. {AA 281.1}
In the time of the apostles the western portion of Asia Minor was known as the Roman province of Asia. Ephesus, the capital, was a great commercial center. Its harbor was crowded with shipping, and its streets were thronged with people from every country. Like Corinth, it presented a promising field for missionary effort. {AA 281.2}
The Jews, now widely dispersed in all civilized lands, were generally expecting the advent of the Messiah. When John the Baptist was preaching, many, in their visits to Jerusalem at the annual feasts, had gone out to the banks of the Jordan to listen to him. There they had heard Jesus proclaimed as the Promised One, and they had carried the tidings to all parts of the world. Thus had Providence prepared the way for the labors of the apostles. {AA 281.3}
On his arrival at Ephesus, Paul found twelve brethren, who, like Apollos, had been disciples of John the Baptist, and like him had gained some knowledge of the mission of Christ. They had not the ability of Apollos, but with the same sincerity and faith they were seeking to spread abroad the knowledge they had received. {AA 282.1}
These brethren knew nothing of the mission of the Holy Spirit. When asked by Paul if they had received the Holy Ghost, they answered, "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." "Unto what then were ye baptized?" Paul inquired, and they said, "Unto John's baptism." {AA 282.2}
Then the apostle set before them the great truths that are the foundation of the Christian's hope. He told them of Christ's life on this earth and of His cruel death of shame. He told them how the Lord of life had broken the barriers of the tomb and risen triumphant over death. He repeated the Saviour's commission to His disciples: "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Matthew 28:18, 19. He told them also of Christ's promise to send the Comforter, through whose power mighty signs and wonders would be wrought, and he described how gloriously this promise had been fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. {AA 282.3}
A tentative chronology of Paul’s relationship to Ephesus:
A.D. 52: Paul’s initial, brief visit to Ephesus (Acts 18:18-21).
A.D. 53-56: Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-20:1). He composes 1 Corinthians near the end of his stay there (1 Cor. 16:5-9).
A.D. 57: While at Miletus, Paul meets with the elders from Ephesus (Acts 20:17-38).
A.D. 62: Paul composes his letter to the Ephesians, probably from confinement in Rome.
Letter of Paul to the Ephesians, also called Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians, abbreviation Ephesians, tenth book of the New Testament, once thought to have been composed by St. Paul the Apostle in prison but more likely the work of one of his disciples. The words “in Ephesus” are lacking in the earliest manuscripts and citations, and the author probably wrote the text sometime before 90 CE while consulting Paul’s letter to the Colossians (see Letter of Paul to the Colossians).
Of the 155 verses in Ephesians, 73 have verbal parallels with Colossians, and, when parallels to genuine Pauline epistles are added, 85 percent of Ephesians is duplicated elsewhere. It is thus most reasonable to consider it as “deutero-Pauline”—i.e., in the tradition of Paul but not written by him.
The letter declares that the Christian mystery (gospel) of salvation, first revealed to the Apostles, is the source of true wisdom (perhaps an indirect repudiation of Gnostic claims to esoteric knowledge of the supernatural) and that salvation through Christ is offered to Jews and Gentiles alike. The writer affirms that there is but “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (4:5–6), who united all things in Christ, through whose death all humans are redeemed. The author exhorts his readers—parents and children, masters and slaves—to lead exemplary Christian lives and to arm themselves with the “shield of faith,” “the helmet of salvation,” and “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (6:16–17), in order to resist the wiles of the devil.
Introductory Blessing (Eph. 1:3-14)
Praying for Believers to Receive Christ-Focused Wisdom (Eph. 1:15-23)
Once Spiritually Dead; Now Exalted With Christ (Eph. 2:1-10)
Christ’s Creation of the Church Out of Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 2:11-22)
Paul as Preacher of Christ to the Gentiles (Eph. 3:1-13)
Praying for Believers to Experience the Love of Christ (Eph. 3:14-21)
Hold On to the Spirit-Inspired Unity of the Church (Eph. 4:1-16)
Live the New, Unity-Nurturing Life (Eph. 4:17-32)
Walk in Love, Light, and Wisdom (Eph. 5:1-20)
Practice Christ-Shaped Life in the Christian Household (Eph. 5:21-6:9)
Stand Together: The Church as the Army of God (Eph. 6:10-20)
Closing Greeting (Eph. 6:21-24)
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Paul and the Ephesians - June 24-30, 2023
God's Grand, Christ-Centered Plan - July 1-7, 2023
The Power of the Exalted Jesus - July 8-14, 2023
How God Rescues Us - July 15-21, 2023
Horizontal Atonement: The Cross and the Church - July 22-28, 2023
The Mystery of the Gospel - July 29-August 4, 2023
The Unified Body of Christ - August 5-11, 2023
Christ-Shaped Lives and Spirit-Inspired Speech - August 12-18, 2023
Living Wisely - August 10-25, 2023
Husband and Wives: Together at the Cross - August 26-September 1, 2023
Practicing Supreme Loyalty to Christ - September 2-8, 2023
The Call to Stand - September 9-15, 2023
Waging Peace - September 16-22, 2023
Ephesians in the Heart - September 23-29, 2023
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