The letter was thought to been written before A.D. 80 if not around that time then A.D. 70. Paul mentioned multiple times about being his imprisonment at the time he wrote this letter (mentions he is in chains in Eph. 6:20). Paul’s imprisonment made it even harder for him to disciple and build up the churches he was invested in. While in prison, letters became his only way to minister to the churches he needed to teach.
Ephesus was a booming city with a population of about a half a million. Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia, which is now present-day Turkey. Many civil leaders, who were wealthy, lived in this city. The city was very commercial and a political place because of the location. The Ephesian’s were living in an environment were extreme
…show more content…
pagan worship was prevalent. The goddess Artiemis, more commonly known as Diana was the focus of the pagan worship for this region. There were giant temples, one of them being one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. (NT Textbook for all of this!) Magic practices were also common for people in Ephesus to engage in. Even a brothel was placed in one of the giant intersections of the city also shows the corruption in the behavior of the residents who live in Ephesus. Paul’s prison situation and the environment of the Ephesians make the letter of the Ephesians in the Bible even more different.
Many scholars believe the address to the Ephesians was not included in the original writing. Since the city was in such a key area with a lot of important surrounding places the letter was not addressed for one place. It is believed the letter was not addressed to just one church because it traveled to all the people in the Asia region. The letter was written generally just to the “saints.” Since the letter was for all of the saints, chances are it was eventually addressed to the Ephesians because the location was central. Since the letter is for many different people and Paul was stuck in prison it reflected in his letter a non-real acquaintanceship with the recipients. A great example of this is in Ephesians 1:15 it says, “he heard”. The word heard shows that he has not seen it for himself. There are many elements to keep in mind while trying to interpretive scripture in the letter of Ephesians. The author and their situation, the recipients and the environment they live in, and ways the letter was written can have a huge influence on the meaning of the
scripture.
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).
Throughout many of Paul’s letters there are many debates pertaining to the authorship, destination, date, and the purpose. In the book of Ephesians many scholars debate on the authorship and if Paul actually wrote the letter, or if it was a scribe. Although there are some debates on whether Paul actually wrote it or not, he does refer to himself twice in the letter. In 1:1 and in 3:1 Paul states himself, 1:3 states, “For this reason, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles” (NIV) In verse 1:3 Paul states that he is a prisoner, therefore it is debated that he did not specifically write this because he was imprisoned in Rome at this time. According to Wallace “This, of course, is not to say that the letter must be by Paul, but it is to argue that without such internal testimony, no such claim could be made” (Wallace). Many scholars also debate on the vocabulary usage and the structure of the letter. Some believe that the structure is similar, but the vocabulary seems to be different than his New Testament epistles. Hoehner claims that,” Though the book has a close affinity with Colossians, critics claim that Ephesians is uncharacteristic of Paul” (Hoehner 613). The destination of Ephesians is somewhat debated, but many do believe that the letter was sent to the church of Ephesus. “Some to claim that Ephesus is a better starting point, others suggest Caesarea.” (Wallace) Although this is an argument that has many valid points, it is obvious that Paul was imprisoned in Rome while he wrote Ephesians. It is said by Hoehner that “Ephesians was probably delivered by Tychicus (Eph. 6:21-22), who also took Paul’s letter to Colossians (Col. 4:7-9)” (Hoehner 613). As for the date goes m...
The historical cultural situation of the writer and his audience is that in this time Paul is preaching to Ephesus, and that the audience are mostly gentiles. Pauls original name was Saul, and he was an apostle who spoke the Gospel of God, to the 1st century audience/world. The author is much undeinfed, but most have found that it can be paul, and little say it was a follower of paul. His background was personally chosen by God. Gods best messeng...
Grayston, Kenneth. The Letters of Paul to the Philippians and to the Thessalonians. CBC. London: Cambridge U.P., 1967.
The city Ephesus was founded in about 1044 B.C. It was considered to be a wealthy city due to the fact that it was a commercial center of trade. Ephesus was the most important city in the Roman province of Asia. It was a center of great commercial life and a crossroads of the empire. "The city was known throughout the Roman world as the center for the worship of the goddess Artemis, and the great temple of Artemis was located there. This great temple was larger than two football fields in length, and was one of the seven wonders of the world. (1)" Due to this, the city had a powerful influence in the Roman community. The church was began by Paul (Acts 19). Paul preached Jesus to some disciples who had been led to some knowledge of truth by Apollos, they believed and were baptized by the Spirit and so the church in Ephesus came into existence.
Without the aid of modern technology, early Christianity had to rely on the missionary trips of its advocates to promulgate news and information. In First Corinthians, Paul’s intention was to spread the new message of God’s Anointed One and change how people led their lives. When Paul made his initial visit to Corinth, he stayed for a substantial amount of time in order to effectively educate the residents of the area. Similar to other letters like his letters to the Galatians, this epistle is Paul’s follow on interaction with the community, in an attempt to clarify details which may have been confused or overlooked during his visit. In passages 1:20-21, Paul expresses his frustration with the community’s lack of appreciation for the message of Christ Jesus. These passages discuss the differences which stand between the wisdom of God and what had been the prevailing wisdom of the world. Prior to the message of Christ Jesus, the wisdom of the world is what was universally known, however, the resurrection has communicated the wisdom of God. This is what Paul and the other apostles are attempting to communicate. The goal of this letter is to delineate the correct wisdom, and to further illustrate the actions and lifestyle required to be a truly devoted believer in God.
There has always been a discussion as to who wrote the letter of Colossians but no definitive answer has been found. The argument against Paul's authorship was that Paul never visited the church there and Paul has a record of at least visiting churches before he sends letters to them. Also, the vocabulary is different from the other letters that actually were written by Paul then in Colossians and other books that are in question. The argument for Paul's authorship is in the first sentence of Colossians, Paul identifies himself and not someone else. He also identifies himself late in the first chapter. The big fact for Paul to be the undisputed author would be the connection between Philemon and Colossians. The two letters would have been closely
The ruins of Ephesus can be found today on the west coast of the country of Turkey. Ephesus was a port city for the west coast of Asia during the period of the New Testament. “The city of Ephesus was aptly called the “mother city” of Asia because of her influence over the politics, commerce, and religious atmosphere of the province. Ephesus was the headquarters of the Roman proconsul and the seat of the “Confederacy” of the Greeks in Asia. ” Ephesus had a thriving economy which drew people from the rural areas and poorer cities to it. Ephesus was renowned throughout the world for the temple of Diana (Artemis), for skill in sorcery and magic, and as a destination spot for people from all the surrounding countries. Ephesus was multiethnic and religiously pluralistic. Paul reportedly labored for nearly three years (AD 52-55 /AD 54-57 ) in Ephesus during which time the word of the Lord spread to “all the residents of Asia,” (Acts19:10).
He felt the need of these letters important, due to the fact that he was once a zealot in the Jewish faith and that it he felt it was his priority to restore peace. The all-loving God perception was extremely vital to Paul and he wanted to teach everyone that, even if your previous choices were sinful, as long as you repent you are welcome in the Kingdom of God. The passage goes along the lines, that if you are truly committed to Christianity you will then be Abraham’s seed and successors, according to the promise. The notion of freedom is quiet evident in the previous and following passage, which can relate back to being the heirs to the throne. Abraham is featured towards the end of the passage, along with the promise that God said to him. Although the passage doesn't directly say it, but it comes off to the reader as a type of persuasive text that helps preach God to the cities lacking Christianity. This would have been more than likely the case, as the Jewish religion had a supremely high influence over most of the world at this point, and Paul’s preaching would have had reached many different desolate
Here’s a little back story on the book of Philemon. It’s estimated that Paul wrote this letter around 59 or 60 A.D. but perhaps as late as 62 A.D. Paul was at the time a prisoner in Rome awaiting trial. While in prison Paul had been mentoring a man named Onesimus, who was a slave that fled and was led to Jesus Christ though Paul’s ministry.
Philippians is one of Paul’s four prison epistles, whereas like Ephesians, Paul wrote to the Philippians from a Roman prison. He begins his letter in Philippians 1:12-14, “Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the good news. For everyone here, including the soldiers in the palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, many of the Christians here have gained confidence and become bolder in telling others about Christ.” Paul continued to express the seriousness of his circumstances in Philippians 1:19-26, where he speculates about the fate of his future, whether he would live or be executed. While imprisoned in Rome, Paul received a visitor name Epaphroditis. Epaphroditis was a member of the church in Philippi, who was sent to Rome to deliver a financial gift from the church to Paul and to learn of his circumstances and upcoming trial in prison. There are
The relationship between a figure in authority and one who is subordinate is a focus of Paul’s epistle to the Colossians. One of the relationships discussed is that between a slave and his master. It is also the main theme of Paul’s letter to Philemon, his fellow brother in Christ. In his letter Paul urges Philemon to accept his earthly slave, Onesimus, back in love and as a brother rather than merely a slave. It is evident in both epistles that Paul seeks to enlighten his audience to a new perspective on these relationships. While he addresses both the master and the slave, he often puts the core of the responsibility on the master. On the other hand, he often even refers to himself as a prisoner in chains or a slave to God so that the function
Paul travelled a lot and wrote Ephesians in a series of letters explaining how Christians should live through love even though they lived in a time of persecution. He spoke about people unifying and following in Jesus' footsteps of kindness, forgiveness and honesty towards each other (Smith, 2004 - 2016). However, Paul was imprisoned twice in Rome because of his preaching before he was beheaded (St. Paul, 2018). Paul constructed Ephesians in around 60-62 AD while he was imprisoned for the first time (Smith, 2004 - 2016). Paul portrayed tax collectors through a label. He called them “thieves” in the scripture passage to accompany what people were used to hearing them called. However, Paul inspired by Jesus, also believed that they were innocent for doing their jobs and trying to make an income, even though they would often torture citizens (St. Paul,
In Ephesians (6.10-17), Paul provides Christians a sense of protection and the ability to withstand the forces that were and continue to come against us. As a Catholic, the thought of waging war for my faith was not something I often thought about growing up. Having gone through Catholic schools for 16 years, I was always surrounded by like-minded people. When I entered graduate school and, eventually, the work force, the challenge of defending my belief in Christ and my Catholic faith became more prevalent. Ephesians provides the necessary tools for any Christian to stand against the powers that may present themselves. The beauty of this armor, is that it reflects all the positive power of being a Christian. I can “put on the armor of God” (The Catholic Study Bible, Eph. 11) and live my life being protected and able to fight those forces that may come against me.
The beginnings of my life are an interesting jumble, and they highlight the cosmopolitan world that was the Roman Empire. I was born in an Asian city now located on the southern coast of Turkey called Tarsus in about the year 10. My parents were Jewish, presumably strict Pharisees. They were also Roman citizens.