There are four commonly espoused views concerning authorship and dating of the epistle of james. The first verse in the letter identifies paul as its author. Listen to chuck swindolls overview of ephesians in his audio message from the classic series gods masterwork. Commentary on the bible and the jerome biblical commentary recognize the. Both texts seem to differ from the undisputed letters about concepts like baptism and the resurrection, while they also possess a very dissimilar writing style and vocabulary. Unlike other books like romans or 1 and 2 corinthians which are undisputedly pauline, it has been debated whether ephesians and colossians along with 2 thes. John knox asked that calvins sermons on ephesians be read to him on his deathbed. In addition, many individual phrases and expressions are unique to ephesians. Some suggest that pauls time in imprisonment enabled him to develop an exalted christology and a high appraisal of the privileges of believers in christ 11. Because the name ephesus is not mentioned in every early manuscript, some scholars believe the letter was an encyclical, intended to be circulated and read among all the churches in asia minor and was simply. Ephesians bible studies the gospel of john and the book of. Jan 02, 2020 in short, this book belongs in the bible.
Its authorship has traditionally been attributed to paul the apostle but starting in 1792, this has been challenged as deuteropauline, that is. While early lists of new testament books, including marcions canon and the. Letter of paul to the ephesians, new testament writing once thought to have been. Foster, there is little consensus as to the genre, structure, dating, and authorship of the book of james. Find the best ephesians commentaries for your specific needs, whether you are a pastor, professor, teacher, or you are looking for bible study aids. As ive preached through ephesians over the past two years, ive benefited from hoehner in many ways, and have read almost all of the. Biblical scholars are divided over the authorship of ephesians and colossians. John calvin called it his favorite book of the bible. For many contemporary scholars, ephesians is postpauline, perhaps written as a summary of pauls theology by a disciple of paul. Goodspeeds epochmaking book, the meaning of ephesians. I dont think opponents to pauline authorship come close to putting ephesians with the apocryphal books, so i cant deny its pauline authorship. Ephesus boasted international trade, a thriving silversmith guild, and a theater that seated 20,000 people. Epistle to the ephesians read the bible online bible study tools. Yet one of the first problems one encounters with commentaries on ephesians is a discussion of authorship.
Some have taken the absence of the usual personal greetings and the verbal similarity of many parts to colossians, among other reasons, as grounds for doubting authorship by the apostle paul. The book of ephesians overview of the book of ephesians the book of ephesians is a masterpiece of revelation that bridges the principles of grace and obedience into one solid irremovable form. To deny pauline authorship of a book in the bible is to challenge its authority as scripture. Authorship of ephesians at least three different scenarios are possible, and all three have attracted considerable support from interpreters in the modern era. Added to this is the fact that ephesians copies large chunks of colossians. So after laying out profound theological truths in the first half of the book, paul made his purpose clear. No particular problem is raised in the book unlike many of pauls other letters. Samuel coleridge called it the most divine composition of man 2. Letter of paul to the ephesians work by saint paul britannica. This is a lengthy commentary on ephesians over 900 pages, but well worth the purchase. The letter declares that the christian mystery gospel of salvation, first revealed to the.
Perhaps more than any other book of the bible, the book of ephesians emphasizes the connection between sound doctrine and right practice in the christian life. Paul intended that all who long for christlike maturity would receive this writing. Ephesians, epistle to the international standard bible. The truths of this book have impacted the lives of many saints. The book of ephesians is held in great reverence by both biblical scholars and lay. Ephesians places the burden of proof on contrary hypotheses. Far too many people ignore theology and instead want to only discuss things that are practical. 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 book of ephesians is a prison epistle letter written while in prison. 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. You will find commentaries for pastors, teachers, professors, and laypeople. Intro to ephesians biblica the international bible society. For example, ephesians contains 125 words not found elsewhere in pauls writings, and 41 of these occur nowhere else in the new testament. Jun 19, 2012 ephesians is a small book which makes a very large contribution to pauline theology.
It can be used offensively when needed and is a good reason for believers to hide gods word scripture in their heart or memorize it. The purpose and plan of ephesians preaching source. This summary of the book of ephesians provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and. 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. 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. This workbook was designed for bible class study, family study, or personal study. Many liberal american and european scholars have abandoned the pauline authorship of ephesians, although outstanding english and american scholars alike advocate its. The essence of goodspeeds theory is that toward the end of the first century pauls letters were collected, and ephesians was written by. Colossians and ephesians present a different problem. The author there is little doubt that the apostle paul wrote the book of ephesians and likely around ad 62. The pauline epistles are the fourteen books in the new testament traditionally attributed to paul the apostle, although many dispute the anonymous epistle to the hebrews as being a pauline epistle there is nearly universal consensus in modern new testament scholarship on a core group of authentic pauline epistles whose authorship is rarely contested. The epistle of paul to the colossians, or simply colossians, is the twelfth book of the new testament. The central organizing theological idea in ephesians is that through christs atoning work god has mightily brought about the churcha new humanity, i.
Enclosed within the book of ephesians is the discipline needed to develop into true children of god. A common proposal is that paul wrote the letter to the colossians to deal with. The fundamental principles of grace and mans responsibility to abide by gods laws are thoroughly revealed in the old testament. The author of the book of ephesus was the apostle paul. The author claims to be paul in the body of the letter in 3. As a result of the theological realities christians accept by their faith in god. The letter to the ephesian church is regarded as one of the masterworks of the nt, but it is also one of those books that the critics like to say wasnt authored by paul. Best ephesians commentaries updated for 2020 best bible. Book of ephesians ephesians chapter 1 ephesians chapter 2 ephesians chapter 3 ephesians chapter 4 ephesians chapter 5 ephesians chapter 6. In ephesians, paul argues that theology is practical. 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.
A mere mention of some of the basic problems will suffice as a background against which to note the purpose and plan of the letter. Objections to pauls authorship the first objections to pauls authorship of ephesians arose among scripture scholars in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century on the basis of internal evidence, that is, content that seemed inconsistent with pauls authorship. The letter is addressed to the church in the city of ephesus, capital of the roman province of asia asia minor, modern turkey. If such is truly the case, then paul wrote ephesians around 6163 a. Bible study questions on ephesians and philippians introduction. Book of ephesians overview insight for living ministries. The holy spirit was the divine author of hebrews, and of all scripture, even though we dont know who put the physical pen to the physical paper and traced the words. Pauls letter to the ephesians 8 hour course learn from new testament and pauline studies expert dr. Because the name ephesus is not mentioned in every early manuscript, some scholars believe the letter was an encyclical, intended to be circulated and read. Nov 18, 2015 the book of ephesians is an incredible book, rich in the doctrines of god that gives the reader hope, assurance, and the protection theyll need and well need it because the enemy is out. Hoehner also probably gives the most robust defense of pauline authorship of ephesians of any commentary over 100 pages. The letter states that it is from paul, writing from prison, however some commentators are not convinced due to its difference in style, different use of words such as church, and theological differences from other pauline letters. This epistle is addressed to the saints at the church in ephesus, a prosperous port city in the roman province of asia minor. Best commentaries and books on ephesians logos bible software.
Its authorship, origin and purpose, published in 1951, in which he basically agreed with goodspeeds hypothesis. Nov 27, 2009 to deny pauline authorship of a book in the bible is to challenge its authority as scripture. All tradition takes the epistle as being pauline until it was first disputed by erasmus. The word of god, the bible, is the only offensive weapon the believer has. The letter to the ephesian church is regarded as one of the masterworks of the nt. 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.
The indication is that the epistles to the colossians, philemon and the ephesians were carried to their destination by tychicus and onesimus cf. Lynn cohick as she guides you through each chapter and theological concept in ephesians, including salvation, the trinity, and the church. Karl barth on the authorship of ephesians and colossians. The letter abounds with statements in the first person d. The book of ephesians was very likely written between a. However, this was probably a circular letter, intended for other churches in addition to the one in ephesus see notes on 1. The author describes himself as one who has personally heard of the readers 1. The author exhorts his readersparents and children, masters and. The questions contain minimal human commentary, but instead urge students to study to understand scripture. Answering bible contradictions, misunderstandings, and misinterpretations.