Introduction
As one begins to read the letter to the Ephesians, he is intrigued not only by the many topics that the letter mentions, but also the fact that there are some major differences between this book and Paul’s other writings. The purpose of this essay is to explore the book of Ephesians by commenting on critical issues, such as date, authorship, and setting, major theological themes, the purpose of the letter, and to offer an outline of the book itself.
Critical Issues
Critical issues include those things such as the date the letter was written, who the letter was written by, and where the letter was written. This section of the essay will identify these elements and mention the problems that come about when one thinks logically about the information presented in the letter to the Ephesians.
The letter to the church at Ephesus was written about the same time as the letters to the churches at Colosse and Phillipi. A combination of all of my sources suggests this was somewhere between the years of A.D.60-64.
A major problem that needs to be addressed is the question of setting. Was the letter to the Ephesians only written to the church at Ephesus? Most sources suggest that it was not. The oldest manuscripts, such as codex Vaticanus and codex Sinaiticus, do not have the church at Ephesus as the recipient of the letter; this was added into later manuscripts (Donzé et al, 534). Many state that Ephesians was a circular letter, a letter that was meant to circulate among all of the churches in the area and not meant to be specifically addressed to one church. This theory is supported by the fact that there are very few proper names in the letter, unlike the other letters Paul wrote, and the fact that it does not address specific problems of the church, only general statements are mentioned. Also, if the letter were, in fact written solely to the Ephesians, Paul would probably have included some reference to the fact that he was the pastor of the Ephesian church for two years (Ramsay, 454). Instead of doing this, the author uses phrases such as “I have heard of your faith” (1:15), implyi...
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...ht into God’s plan
B. Verses 14-21-Paul’s prayer for understanding and strength
IV. Chapters Four ,Five, and Six-Four charges to Gentile converts
A. Verses 4:1-16-Promote the church’s unity
B. Verses 4:17-5:20-Part with pagan ways
C. Verses 5:21-6:9-Manifest Christian unity through Christian family life
D. Verses 6:10-20-Be good soldiers in God’s army
V. Chapter Six, verses 21-24-Concluding note and benediction
Conclusion
The letter to the Ephesians is a book of the Bible that creates many arguments between theologians and Bible commentators. It poses many questions about the critical issues in the letter and the authenticity of the letter. The arguments that are brought forth for each different stand or opinion are what make the book of Ephesians such an interesting piece of work, worthy of the critical eye of the reader.
Works Cited
Barclay, William. (1958). Letters to the Galatians and
Ephesians. Philadelphia. The Westminster Press.
Bowker,
Donzé, E.H. et al. (1942). Commentary on the New Testament.
Washington, DC. The Catholic Biblical Association.
Ramsay, William M. (1994). The Westminster Guide to the Books of the Bible. Louisville. Westminster John Knox Press.
The Bible: The Old Testament. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Sarah Lawall et al. Vol 1. 7th ed. New York: Norton, 1999. 47-97.
Scholars of the Pauline writings have divided them into the following categories: (1) those unquestionably by Paul: Romans, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, I Thessalonians, and Philemon; (2) a letter that was probably written by Paul, but has had serious questions raised about its' authorship: II Thessalonians; (3) letters that were not actually written by Paul but were developed from his thought: Colossians and Ephesians; (4) letters that bear Paul's name but clearly come from another time and different set of circumstances in the church: I and II Timothy and Titus (the so-called Pastoral Letters); (5) a letter not bearing Paul's name and which evidences a wholly different thought and religious vocabulary from that of Paul: the Letter to the Hebrews (Kee, 5th Ed. 224).
Wallace, Daniel B. "Ephesians: Introduction, Argument, and Outline." Bible.org. N.p., 28 June 2004. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
However, it’s evident that Paul had concerns of the people in Ephesus, and the nature of this letter was not addressed to a culture that did not know God, but to one that needed guidance in establishing a relationship with him. Jack J. Gibson stated, “While submission of wives to husbands was commonplace among Greeks and Jews, it was extremely rare for Roman wives to be in submission to their husbands. The average Roman wife did not submit to her husband. Instead, she continued to submit to her father (if she was in the more common marriage without manus), or if she had borne sufficient children and had been emancipated, she submitted to no one.”3
Ephesians is comprised of six chapters and is considered a Deutero-Pauline epistle meaning that it is considered dispute. In other words, Ephesians is thought to perhaps not been written by the apostle Paul. The audience that this book is directed towards are the people of Ephesus who are already considered to be following Christ (Ephesians 1:1). Later, in Ephesians 2:11, the author states that the audience was previously considered to be Gentiles but had since been converted into followers of Christ.
The rest of this letter to the Philippians is much more praise and thanks from Paul. The interesting part about this and something to remember is that Paul is in fact imprisoned and rather than complaining about his situation, he takes the opportunity to give God the glory. Paul in fact uses the word “joy” sixteen times throughout this letter and overall that is a summary of what he is expressing to the Philippians. Rather than Paul merely rebuking the Philippians and making a laundry list of all the things they were doing incorrectly, Paul was taking delight in knowing that the Philippians were doing God’s will. Along with this, ...
New Revised Standard Version. New York: American Bible Society, 1989. Print. The. Russell, Eddie.
An awareness of the historical-cultural background of Paul’s letter to Philemon will aid in interpretation of the text. The information gleamed should allow for a greater contextual appreciation. With this knowledge in hand, the reader can grasp a deeper understanding of the theological teachings of the book of Philemon.
Analysis of biblical writings has helped us to better understand the challenges and mysteries of scripture. In studying Ephesians 1: 15-23, research will help us draw out the bigger picture of what the writer intends to convey in his message. This passage is a prayer of thanksgiving and intercession in which Paul expresses gratitude to God upon hearing of the Ephesians “faith in the Lord Jesus and love toward all the saints” (1: 15 NRSV). This leads Paul to pray intensively that the Ephesians will gain an expanded awareness of the extraordinary and unsurpassed power of God manifested on their behalf. Paul writes this as encouragement and support to the readers.
...pse." In Current Issues in New Testament Interpretation, edited by W. Klaasen and G.F. Snyder, 23-37. New York, NY: Harper and Row, 1962.
The books of I and II Thessalonians, which are in the New Testament, are both letters to a church that Paul the apostle helped establish in the city of Thessalonica. First Thessalonians is agreed by biblical scholars to be written by Paul. The author of II Thessalonians, however, is still being debated about.
Jesus and Paul are two crucial characters in the New Testament. They both depict the Gospel on which Christianity is based upon, but there is debate about rather these two versions of the Gospel are complementary. Scholars like George Shaw claim that Paul is “anti-Christian,” and he “produced a fantastic theology” (Shaw 415-416). On the other hand, I believe that even though Jesus and Paul may present the Gospel different at times, they are still advocating the same religion. Through the understanding of the Gospels and Paul’s letters it is clear that Jesus and Paul have the same underlining goals and values.
Professor Barry D. Smith, The New Testament and Its Context, The Letter of II Peter http://www.abu.nb.ca/courses/ntintro/2Pet.htm.
In this paper I am trying to find out what true Biblical exegesis means. By finding that truth then I and the person reading this paper can leave with an understand-ing on how to comprehend the content of exegesis. Through out my paper you will see noted some of my sources. I have carefully read these books and have selected the best ones to fit the purpose of this document. I will be exploring many areas of exegesis and will be giving you a brief overview of these and then explaining different uses for exegesis.
Answering these questions is the purpose of this essay. I begin by arguing that the Bible cannot be adequately understood independent of its historical context. I concede later that historical context alone however is insufficient, for the Bible is a living-breathing document as relevant to us today as it was the day it was scribed. I conclude we need both testimonies of God at work to fully appreciate how the Bible speaks to us.