The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the
▸ AUTHOR: All internal and external evidence strongly supports the Pauline authorship of Ephesians. In recent years, however, critics have turned to internal grounds to challenge this unanimous ancient tradition. It has been argued that the vocabulary and style are different from other Pauline epistles, but this overlooks Paul’s flexibility under different circumstances (as in Romans and 2 Corinthians). The theology of Ephesians in some ways reflects a later development, but this must be attributed to Paul’s own growth and meditation on the church as the body of Christ. Ephesians was written during his first Roman imprisonment in A.D. 60–62, perhaps around the same time as Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.
▸ TIME: c. A.D. 60–61
▸ KEY VERSES: Eph. 4:1–3
▸ THEME: Ephesians is like a grand landscape whose subject is the whole world. Paul paints a richly textured picture of God’s plan to bless the world through Christ. God is bringing light to darkness, healing to brokenness and reconciliation to the separated. Central to this teaching is the role of the church in the world and the gifts God has given it. God will bring about these things through the church. Once we understand and believe all that God has done and is doing, it is our responsibility to obey and live in light of His actions. Paul gives us much more than the theory in Ephesians. He makes critical connections between big-picture theology and the practical implications for living the day-to-day Christian life.