Ephesians
Summary[i]
Writer: The Apostle Paul (1:1).
Date: Ephesians was written from Rome
in A.D. 64. It is the first in order of the Prison Epistles. (Acts 20:1 -
27:44).
See Scofield
- Act_28:30) and was sent by
Tychicus, concurrently with Colossians and Philemon. It is probable that the
two greater letters had their occasion in the return of Onesimus to Philemon.
Ephesians is the most impersonal of Paul's letters. Indeed the words, "to
the Ephesians," are not in the best manuscripts. Col_4:16 mentions an epistle to the Laodiceans.
It has been conjectured that the letter known to us as Ephesians is really the
Laodicean letter. Probably it was sent to Ephesus and Laodicea without being
addressed to any church. The letter would then be "to the saints and the
faithful in Christ Jesus" anywhere.
Theme: The doctrine of the Epistle
confirms this view. It contains the highest church truth, but has nothing about
church order. The church here is the true church, "His body," not the
local church, as in Philippians, Corinthians, etc. Essentially, three lines of
truth make up this Epistle: the believer's exalted position through grace; the
truth concerning the body of Christ; and a walk in accordance with that
position.
There is a close spiritual
affinity between Ephesians and Joshua, the "heavenlies" answering in
Christian position to Canaan in Israel's experience. In both there is conflict,
often failure, but also victory, rest, and possession Jos_21:43-45; Eph_1:3;
Eph_3:14-19; Eph_6:16; Eph_6:23.
As befits a complete revelation, the number seven is conspicuous in the
structure of Ephesians.
The divisions are, broadly, four:
1. The apostolic greeting (Ephesians 1:1-2).
2. Positional; the believer's standing
"Christ" and "in the heavenlies" through pure grace
(Ephesians 1:3 - 3:21).
3. Walk and service (Ephesians 4:1 - 5:17).
4. The walk and warfare of the Spirit-filled believer (Ephesians 5:18 - 6:24).