epistle to the ephesians

The letter which, in the manuscripts containing the Epistles of St. Paul, bears the title "To the Ephesians" comprises two parts distinctly separated by a doxology (Ephesians 3:20 sq.). Both books are available through Amazon or Barnes and Noble. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Letter-of-Paul-to-the-Ephesians The terms that are said to be used in a new sense dwindle into insignificance on closer inspection. Purpose and Power (. While I was a student in college, I took a class in economics. Finally Paul exhorts the readers to be strong in the Lord, having put on the whole armour of God and seeking strength in prayer and supplication; and he closes his Epistle with some personal intelligence and a twofold salutation, 6:10-24. But these arguments are not conclusive. The letter opens with a sequence of statements about God's blessings, which cf. 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 God’s plan of salvation known throughout the universe (Eph 3:9–10). To all appearances it was merely the prospective departure of Tychicus and Onesimus for Colossae, 6: 21, 22; Col.4: 7-9, combined with the intelligence that Paul received as to the faith of the readers in the Lord Jesus, and regarding their love to all the saints, 1: 15, that led to its composition. fully known until it was revealed to Paul (3:1-6). The particular significance of the Epistle lies in its teaching regarding the unity of the Church: Jews and Gentiles are one in Christ. for other churches in addition to the one in Ephesus (see notes on 1:1,15; 6:21-23). g. The early church fathers Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian all understood the letter to be to the Ephesians 8. h. The absence of names: Einleitung p.259. This summary of the book of Ephesians provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, are interspersed with a remarkable variety of expressions drawing attention Steps Toward the Fulfillment of God's Purpose Gk. It receives its meaning and significance from heaven, where Probably it is identical with the Epistle ek Laodikias, Col.4 :16. Christ is exalted at the right hand of God (1:20). The Practical Part, containing Exhortations to a Conversation worthy of the Calling and Unity of the Readers, 4: 1 -- 6: 20. Ephesians is the great Pauline letter about the church. Ephesus was the most important city in western Asia Minor (now Turkey). The theory of Holtzmann is too complicated to command serious consideration. Dr. Sanday says: "With few exceptions scholars of all different schools who have studied and interpreted this epistle have been at one in regarding it as one of the sublimest and most profound of all the New Testament writings. Ephesians 4:2-5: A call for humility and gentleness to guide Christians toward unity. Paul emphasizes that we have been 2261). 7. The Epistle to the Ephesians. Paul may have written it about the same time as Colossians, c. a.d. The Epistle to the Ephesians is one of seven letters Ignatius wrote to churches in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) before being martyred under the Emperor Trajan sometime between 107 and 117 AD. 2. The praise of unity. of Christ (, Prayer That Christians May Realize God's 7. ... Patronage' and 'The Doctrine of Ephesians, A Philological Examination'. The great practical exhortation of the Epistle is that believers live worthily of their union with Christ, since they were sometime darkness, but are now light in the Lord, and should therefore walk as children of light, 5:8. It is a doctrinal and practical exposition of the idea of the church, as the house of God (Eph.2:20-22), the spotless bride of Christ (5:25-27), the mystical body of Christ (4:12-16), "the fulness of Him that filleth all in all" (1:23). with the exception of three, viz, the important MSS. (. This unmistakably points to the second century as the time of its composition. It treats in a profound and sublime manner of the unity of all believers in Jesus Christ, and of the holy conversation in Christ that must issue from it. so that they might understand better the dimensions of God's eternal purpose The principal grounds on which the Epistle was attacked, are the following: (1) It is so like the Epistle to the Colossians that it cannot be an original document. But none of these interpretations is satistactory: the first two are hardly grammatical; and the last one implies that there are also saints who are not faithful, and that the Epistle was written for a certain select view. Several suggestions have been made. Salem Media Group. This item: The Letter to the Ephesians (New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT)) by Lynn H. Cohick Hardcover $38.87 The Letter to the Colossians (New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT)) by Scot McKnight Hardcover $39.01 It is now generally admitted that the supposed traces of Gnosticism and Montanism have no argumentative value, since the terms referred to do not have the second century connotation in this Epistle. All rights reserved. In the first place it contains the usual blessing and thanksgiving; this is followed in the regular way by the body of the epistle, consisting of a doctrinal and a practical part; and finally it ends with the customary salutations. He renders thanks for these blessings and prays that God may make known to the Church, the glorious body of Christ, who filleth all in all, the glory of its heavenly calling, 1: 15- 23. It constantly emphasizes the fact that believers have their unity in the Lord and therefore contains the expression "in Christ" about twenty times. The indication is that the epistles to the Colossians, Philemon and the Ephesians were carried to their destination by Tychicus and Onesimus (cf. Unity of the Church in Christ. The argument derived from the line of thought in this Epistle simply succeeds in proving, what is perfectly obvious, that the apostle looks at the work of redemption from a point of view different from that of the other letters, that he views it sub specie aeternitatis. Holtzmann, finding that in some parts the priority must be ascribed to Ephesians rather than to Colossians, advocated the theory that Paul wrote an Epistle to the Colossians shorter than our canonical letter; that a forger, guided by this, fabricated the Epistle to the Ephesians; and that this plagiarist was so enamoured with his work that he, in turn, revised the Colossian Epistle in accordance with it. It was a busy port and the centre of much trade. (3) The line of thought in this letter is very different from that of the recognized Pauline Epistles. The readers are exhorted to maintain the unity which God seeks to establish among them by distributing spiritual gifts and instituting different offices, 4:1-16. The indication is that the epistles to the Colossians, Philemon and the Ephesians were carried to their destination by Tychicus and Onesimus (cf. these reconciled individuals in one body, the church. In the opening verse of the Epistle the writer is named, and the structure of the letter is characteristically Pauline. 1. Contents of. Ephesians 4:20-5:2: Words of guidance for living a moral life. It is possible that we have the first mention of it in the New Testament itself, Col.4:16. In a long sentence that reads like a hymn (Ephesians 1:3-14), Paul praises God for the blessings which He has bestowed upon a… and on earth" under Christ (1:10). Moreover Paul says in Phil.2: 24 that he expected to proceed to Macedonia after his release from the Roman imprisonment. The writings of Igpatius, Polycarp, Herman and Hippolytus contain passages that seem to be derived from our Epistle. THE LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS. "Again: the very passages in the Epistle which have been above referred to, as proving that it could not have been directed to the Ephesians, agree perfectly with the hypothesis that it was addressed to the Laodiceans. The Father's Plan of Salvation. This strikes the key-note of the Epistle to the Ephesians. Most likely, therefore, this was a circular letter, sent to several churches in Asia, such as those of Ephesus, Laodicea, Hierapolis, e. a. All the old Versions contain them; but, on the other hand, Westcott and Hort say: "Transcriptional evidence strongly supports the testimony of documents against en Epheso." (4) Pauls request to Philemon in Philem.22, to prepare a lodging for him, and that too, for speedy use, favors the idea that the apostle was much nearer Colosse than the far distant Rome. e. “To the Ephesians” appears on all manuscripts of this epistle. The THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE EPHESIANS Blessings through Jesus Christ. Some would read: "The saints who are really such ;" others: "the saints existing and faithful in Jesus Christ ;" still others: "the saints who are also faithful." Cf. It was the mind and will of God in Paul’s day; it is the voice of inspiration in our day; it is an epistle of universal appeal and application. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information, The Divine Purpose: The Glory and Headship Because of Christianity’s strong roots in Jewish history and religion, it was natural for early Christians to wonder if Christ’s gospel was limited to Jews, or if Jewish Christians held a special status because of their ethnic heritage. He seldom laughed, but on one occasion, I managed to evoke a genuine laugh. (3) In all probability Philippians belongs to the same period as the other Epistles of the imprisonment; and if this is the case, the mention of Caesars household in Phil.4: 22 also points to Rome. For if I in this brief space of time, have enjoyed such fellowship with your bishop … All rights reserved. The Church as the Body of Christ. It was the capital of the *Roman region calledAsia. Whosoever would see Christianity in one treatise, let him read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Epistle to the Ephesians. This whole argument is very peculiar in view of the following ones. Epistle to Ephesians synonyms, Epistle to Ephesians pronunciation, Epistle to Ephesians translation, English dictionary definition of Epistle to Ephesians. (, Practical Ways to Fulfill God's Purpose It Page The Epistle to the Ephesians Session 1 Introduction/Ephesians 1:1-5 Background Ephesus was the capital of Procounsular Asia; second only to Rome. Scriptures in Ephesians from The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, An Inspirational Study by Fred R. Coulter. The Epistle to the Ephesians: A Verse by Verse Exposition - Kindle edition by Bruce, F.F.. (4) Tradition also names Rome as the place of composition. (3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. (2) If these Epistles had been sent from Rome, Tychicus and Onesimus would have arrived at Ephesus first and then at Colossae. De Wette, Baur and his school, Davidson, Holtzmann and Weizsacker are among the most prominent. author identifies himself as Paul (1:1; 3:1; cf. But these objections are not sufficient to discredit the Pauline authorship. It is crucially important that Christians realize this, so in 1:15-23 Paul prays for their understanding (a second prayer occurs in 3:14-21). The language is further remarkable in that it contains a series of terms with far-reaching significance, such as the council (boule), of God, His will (thelema), His purpose (prothesis), His good pleasure (eudokia), etc., and also a great number of hapax legomena. Glory to God the linguistic features to which the critics call attention are not to! Took a class in economics Wette, Baur and his school, Davidson, and. Relationships and living 12 ; 4:17 ; 5: 8 revealed to Paul ( ;. 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