Colossians aims at presenting the head of the church christ, ephesians focuses on the body of christ the church. The book of ephesians is a prison epistle letter written while in prison. The book of ephesians, introduction the reason for writing. Introduction to the epistle of paul to the ephesians. Twice noting himself as the writer of this epistle, eph 1. Author the apostle paul date the letter to the ephesians was written during pauls roman imprisonment between 60 and 62 ad audience paul wrote to the network of house churches in western asia minor, in and near ephesus. Introduction to the epistles to the corinthians study resources. The book of ephesians, introduction the reason for. Why is the new testament divided into parts under the doctrine of verbal plenary inspiration, 2 tim 3. Purpose, background and structure posted on may 12, 2014 by matt dabbs 1 comment a few weeks ago, i started a wednesday night series on the book of ephesians. A later admirer of paul wrote ephesians in pauls name to continue pauls legacy and to gain an audience for the letters teachings.
This would be in keeping with the sweeping contents of the letter as a whole. However, the identity of paul as the author has been challenged, so before establishing a date for the letter, we should first address the. Looking at the first ten verses of ephesians chapter one, cite three verses that explain the purpose or reason for gods plan for our salvation. For this reason i, paul, the prisoner of christ jesus and ephesians 4 with as a. The church has received wondrous blessings in union with christ. To teach the christians at ephesus the wonder and practical implications of being the church in christ. It was written some time around 61 ad whilst paul was a prisoner in rome, awaiting his trial by the emperor nero. Mar, 2019 the book of colossians, despite being written nearly 2,000 years ago, is stunningly relevant today, with its warnings against following false philosophies, worshiping angels, and becoming mired in legalism. Introduction to the book of ephesians faithlife sermons. The book of colossians is very similar to that of ephesians, in fact both books have passages with similar themes and phrases. The church has been brought from death to life in christ. This morning we come for our bible study to a book that is indeed a treasure of mine and of every believer, the book of ephesians.
Book of ephesians overview insight for living ministries. Nov 01, 2010 the letter of instruction to the ephesians was written by paul to correct some problems that had been noted in that congregation. The book of ephesians was written to gods holy people in ephesus ephesians 1. Pauls letter to the ephesians an overview david andersons. If this is so, then the book was written to the churches in that reason. The epistle to the ephesians, also called the letter to the ephesians and often shortened to ephesians, is the tenth book of the new testament. The reason is that the revelation of john the last book in the bible begins with letters to the seven churches of asia, the. Ephesians 1 paul, an apostle of christ jesus by the.
Letter of paul to the ephesians work by saint paul britannica. The reason why this ephesian epistle has authority is because. Pauls letter to the ephesians an overview david anderson. To analyze this letter fully, it is important to consider it in conjunction with colossians and in. Once we have a good idea as to why the book was written we can begin to interpret it. Pauls prayers for the ephesian believers ephesians 1. Enclosed within the book of ephesians is the discipline needed to develop into true children of god. It was intended to be circulated, and as it was a few scribes deleted the words in ephesus as some also did with romans. It is interesting to note and observe that while the new testament often refers to the church, it does not speak of going to church in the way we. In this lesson, we will commence our study of the book of ephesians.
Ephesians intro to ephesians biblica the international bible. We should also note that ephesians is not the first epistle written to the. The epistle to the ephesians, also called the letter to the ephesians and often shortened to ephesians, is the tenth book of the new. The epistle of paul to the colossians, or simply colossians, is the twelfth book of the new testament. Ephesians is the great pauline letter about the church. The city of ephesus was a large commercial port city in asia minor present day turkey located at. The letter was written to the ephesians and addressed to them even though paul wrote it in a form which would make it suitable for other churches. Paul wrote the letter to the ephesians sometime in ad 6061, around the same time he wrote colossians and philemon, as he sent all three letters by the hand. Our bible does not include an epistle called a letter to the laodiceans, but many have felt that it is the same one we call the letter to the ephesians. Unlike several of the other letters paul wrote, ephesians does not address any particular error or heresy. Ephesians chapter 1 answers free online bible study lessons. For this reason, there is debate about whether it was specifically intended. The book of colossians, despite being written nearly 2,000 years ago, is stunningly relevant today, with its warnings against following false philosophies, worshiping angels, and becoming mired in legalism.
But whereas colossians focuses on christ of the church, ephesians focuses on the church of christ. Why ephesians is the best book in the bible entreating favor. It deals, however, not so much with a congregation in the city of ephesus in asia minor as with the worldwide church, the head of which is christ, the purpose of which is to be the instrument for making gods plan of salvation known throughout the universe eph 3. The reason we use this method is that the purpose of the writer must control the interpretation of the reader. The reason we use this method is that the purpose of the writer must. The bible ephesians, written while a prisoner in rome. For these reasons, most regard ephesians to be a circular letter intended for many churches. Paul intended that all who long for christlike maturity would receive this writing. In other words, each of these letters they arent books were written as instruction for the purpose of attempting to unify the teachings of the emerging religion. The book of ephesians gives practical, encouraging advice on living a life that honors god, which is why its still relevant in a conflictridden world. A source on that site says, hoehner surveys 279 commentators from 1519 to 2001, finding 54% favor pauline authorship, 39% conclude against pauline authorship, and 7% remained uncertain. Ephesus boasted international trade, a thriving silversmith guild, and a theater that seated 20,000 people. It may have been written for the purpose of being read by other churches in asia minor as well.
The letter to the ephesians the letter to the ephesians is traditionally understood to have been written by paul while he was in prison eph 3. Undoubtedly, 1 corinthians is a single and complete letter that fulfills its intended. We learn from the book of acts that during pauls stay in the city of thessalonica, he preached in a. Ephesians 1 paul, an apostle of christ jesus by the bible. What arguments are given that ephesians was not written by paul. Ephesians is written to challenge and to change our center of gravity.
Ephesians chapter 1 answers free online bible study. His character and perhaps even his teaching seem to have been questioned by some, as a result of his imprisonment philippians 1. The traditional view that the epistle is written by paul is supported by scholars that include. It was written to encourage believers to walk as fruitful followers of christ and to serve in unity and love in the midst of persecution. Why was the book of ephesians written in the bible. However, a clear majority of modern new testament scholars believe it was written in pauls name, long after his death. Pauls letter to the church at ephesus in modern day turkey is not an admonishment, like some of his other letters, but rather an encouragement.
The reason for this is not that the letter is in some type of conflated form, but that paul was addressing problems and answering miscellaneous questions that the corinthian church had. According to the opening paragraph of the article for the book of ephesians on wikipedia, it is not universally held that ephesians was written by paul. Early in the history of grace church, the history of john macarthur at grace church at least, it was obvious to me that god had something very special in mind for this church. Overview of the book of ephesians third millennium ministries. A disciple or companion of paul wrote ephesians after pauls death, providing the church a generic statement of what the apostle would have written.
It was written, according to the text, by paul the apostle and timothy to the church in colossae, a small phrygian city near laodicea and approximately 100 miles 160 km from ephesus in asia minor scholars have increasingly questioned pauls authorship and attributed the letter to an. This letter has been known traditionally as the epistle written to the saints at ephesus. When we are seeking to understand a book of the bible, our first question must be, why was this particular book written. We are still faced with a world that is lost in sins, similar sins to those being committed when this book was written, sins carrying the same consequences before god. As a result, many scholars believe ephesians was written as a general letter that paul intended to circulate among a number of churches in western asia minor. The reason is that the revelation of john the last book in the bible begins with letters to the seven churches of asia, the first being to ephesus and the last to laodicea.
Its authorship has traditionally been attributed to paul the apostle but starting in 1792, this has been challenged as deuteropauline, that is. The letter of instruction to the ephesians was written by paul to correct some problems that had been noted in that congregation. Ephesians 3 niv bible for this reason i, paul, the. It was written, according to the text, by paul the apostle and timothy to the church in colossae, a small phrygian city near laodicea and approximately 100 miles 160 km from ephesus in asia minor.
Its a book full of encouraging words and practical advice that will serve you well. As we continue in our faith from day to day, month to month, and year to year, the temptation to get comfortable will always exist. We cannot interpret any verse in the bible in a way. This epistle is addressed to the saints at the church in ephesus, a prosperous port city in the roman province of asia minor. Ephesians was written by paul when imprisoned in rome. It was the capital of the roman province in asia minor and an important. The book of ephesians was written to gods holy people in. I chose to teach ephesians because i think christians today need some help with two things. Ephesians 3, the books of the bible nt books the bible app. Ephesians is primarily written to gentile nonjewish followers of. All the same, it is hard to imagine why in ephesus would have been. It is believed that the reason for this is that this letter was intended to be circulated among several churches and paul did not want to stir up any hard feelings over personal greetings to.
Paul wrote to expand the horizons of his readers, so that they might understand better the dimensions of gods eternal purpose and grace and come to appreciate the high goals god has for the church. This summary of the book of ephesians provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of ephesians. An introduction to the book of ephesians related media. To the saints in ephesus, a the faithful in christ jesus. The first letter 1 thessalonians was written to a community of believers who had been christians for only a short period of ti me, probably no more than a few months. We cannot interpret any verse in the bible in a way that the writer never intended. There is no smooth flow to the letter like that of romans or ephesians. The key personalities of ephesians are the apostle paul and tychicus. However, the identity of paul as the author has been challenged, so before establishing a date for the letter, we should first address the question of authorship.
Ephesians, written around the same time as pauls epistle to the colossians, remains an important piece of historical evidence that also preserves some important doctrinal concepts. The book of ephesians hits on a wide range of moral and ethical behaviors, designed to ensure believers are living up to our heavenly calling. Gods message of in the book of ephesians is still for the church today. His ministry may have appeared to have been hindered. Feb 07, 2015 the book of ephesians was written to gods holy people in ephesus ephesians 1. Introduction to the epistles to the corinthians study. In any case, we can be sure that paul was clarifying the teaching of christ, the church, salvation and sanctification for these saints.
Christ should stand up in full functioning form in his body the church just as he did in his human body in his incarnation. It is for this reason that individual book studies can be a lifesaver. However, paul presented the gift of god in christ and the benefits we. Overview of the book of ephesians reformed answers to. Paul wrote to expand the horizons of his readers, so that they might understand better the dimensions of gods eternal purpose and grace and come to appreciate. Its authorship has traditionally been attributed to paul the apostle but starting in 1792, this has been challenged as deuteropauline, that is, written in pauls name by a later author strongly influenced by pauls thought, probably by a loyal.
May 15, 2017 the new testament book known as the epistle to the ephesians is signed as written by paul, an apostle of jesus christ. The apostle paul wrote the epistle to the ephesians see ephesians 1. For these early critics, who had no reason to be suspicious of the text and no adequate critical text to consult in any instance, there could be only one conclusion. A few weeks ago, i started a wednesday night series on the book of ephesians. The book of ephesians was written by paul in a prison in rome in 61ad the untold story of the new testament church by frank viola. What arguments are given that ephesians was not written by.
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