BACKGROUND NOTES ON PAUL'S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS

Author
     Once again the author is Paul, who defines himself as "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God".
 
Why was it written?
     This is the only letter of Paul that was not occasioned by events or problems in a specific church. It was probably not intended for just the church in Ephesus, but as a circular letter for the churches in the general area (Ephesus, Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colosse). A number of early manuscripts does not contain the words "in Ephesus" in the salutation — it may be that the letter became associated with the church in Ephesus because the original was first delivered to them, and then copied for or loaned to the other churches in the region.
     It is very likely that the heretical teaching confronted by Paul in his letter to the Colossians also affected the churches around it, albeit with Colosse being the focal point. In all probability Paul decided to use the opportunity and expand the key material of Colossians into fuller presentation that could be applied in a general way to other churches.
 
How and when was it written?
     The letter, as well as the letters to Colosse and Philippi, and the personal letter to Philemon, were probably written during Paul's house arrest in Rome, before his first trial before Caesar. This imprisonment lasted at least two years (Acts 28:30), probably AD 60-61, with AD 61 being a probable date of writing.
     The letter was probably composed and delivered with the help of Tychicus (6:20-21).
 
First audience and destination:
     Ephesus had a population of about 600,000, and was the most important city of the Roman province of Asia. It was a commercial port city, situated at the intersection of major north-south and east-west roads, a commercial and finacial centre with a 24,000-seater theatre and a large temple dedicated to the Roman goddess Diana (Artemis in Greek).
     Paul preached and established the church at Ephesus during his third missionary journey, and stayed there longer than in any other city. It was also his most visibly successful work, even to the point of causing a major riot because of the negative impact of his preaching on the sale of small silver shrines dedicated to the goddess Artemis (Diana)(See Acts 19).
     There is quite a lot of correspondence about Ephesus in the New Testament: 1 and 2 Timothy were written while Timothy was at Ephesus, and dealt with matters in that church,and one of the letters in Revelation was also adressed to the church in Ephesus. The church also had a long association with the apostle John, who settled there with the mother of Jesus. John wrote his three letters from there, and also wrote his Gospel there at the request of the Ephesian elders.
     It was also an important centre in the history of the early church - the Council of Ephesus took place in June and July of AD 431, and among other things confirmed the original Nicene Creed.
 
Literary style:
· All four parts of a standard first-century epistle appear in this letter.
· Probably because this letter was not occasioned by any problem in the church, Paul's style is deliberative and reflective, developing his thoughts and concepts fully before proceeding to the next. His writing, in Koine (common) Greek, is among his most composed and dispassionate material.
 
Special themes:
¤ The Trinity:
· In the fulness of time the eternal plan of God the Father for the church has now been revealed,
· Jesus, the Son, is the head of the church, his body, which exists for his glory,
· The church is the temple in which the Holy Spirit lives, but He also fills and lives within each believer.
¤ The gospel: The gospel is central to the whole letter, and in 2:8-9 Paul gives one of the definitive New Testament summaries of the gospel. The letter he focuses on the gospel and its effects in both individual and corporate life.
¤ The church: Ephesians gives the fullest teaching on the church, God's vehicle for taking the gospel to the world and equipping the saints for service.
¤ Unity: The great goal of God's plan through the church is to united all things under the headship of Christ. The old distinction between Jews and Gentiles, which caused such a lot of problems in the early church, is to be superceded by a unity based on the work of Christ.
¤ Paul refers to the church and the gospel as God's "mystery" - not meaning something obscure or hard to understand, but a previously hidden divine truth which has now been revealed by God.
¤ Ephesians vs Colossians: These two letters cover similar material - Christ and His church. Ephesians focuses on the church of the Christ, Colossians focuses on the Christ of the church
 
Special features
· Ephesians is about relationships in the Church, to God and to one another. The first 3 chapters is about our relationship to God, and in these chapters Paul refers to Jesus as "Christ"; the last 3 chapters is about our relationships with each other, and in these chapters he refers to Jesus as "Lord". As the "Anointed One" or Messiah, the Saviour, Jesus gives us our relationship with the Father; as "Lord" He has the final say over how we should live with others.
· Long sentences: Chapter 1:3-14 is a single sentence of 22 words in the original Greek text, followed immediately by verses 15-23, a single sentence of 169 words. Chapter 3:1-7 is a sentence of 107 words, 3:8-12 contains 82 words, Paul's prayer in chapter 3: 14-21 consists of 81 words, and 4:9-16 runs to 126 words!
· Chapter 2:8-9 gives a summary of the gospel, probably the best-known and most-loved in the New Testament.
 
General structure:
¤ Salutation — Chapter 1:1-2
¤ Thanksgiving (and prayer) — Chapter 1:3-23
 · for the spiritual blessings we have in Christ — Chapter 1:3-14
 · for the faith of the Ephesian believers, leading into a prayer for deeper revelation and understanding of who Christ is, and the fact that the church is His body — Chapter 1:15-23
¤ Main body, focusing on the church:
 · Doctrinal exposition, concluding with another prayer — Chapters 2-3
  ·· Believers made alive in Christ — Chapter 2:1-10
  ·· Reconciliation through Christ — Chapter 2:11-22
  ·· God's plan for the Gentiles — Chapter 3:1-13
  ·· Prayer for the Ephesians — Chapter 3:14-19
  ·· Doxology (prayer of adoration and glory to God) — Chapter 3:20-21
 · Practical application, focusing on the church on earth and applying doctrinal teaching to everyday living — Chapter 4:1-6:20
  ·· Unity and maturity in the church — Chapter 4:1-16
  ·· General Christian living — Chapter 4:17-5:20
  ·· Christian living in primary relationships — Chapter 5:21-6:9
  ·· The armor of God (how to stand strong in living out the faith) — Chapter 6:10-20
¤ Farewell: Greetings and final prayer — Chapter 6:21-24
 
 

---