May 4 2020 - Introduction to the Letter to … the Ephesians?

Why have we placed a question mark after the word "Ephesians" above? The answer is that after the words, "To the saints who are", in Ehesians 1:1, a number of ancient manuscripts omit the words, "in Ephesus". This omission has led to the suggestion that the letter may have been produced originally as a general letter, intended for a number of churches in Asia Minor, the phrase "in Ephesus" being later inserted into the copy sent to or retained by that city. Acts 19:10 tells us that as a result of Paul's extended ministry in Ephesus "all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord." It is not unreasonable then to suppose that Paul, now in prison (perhaps in prison in Ephesus), wrote to encourage these surrounding churches. 

Given this scenario, it is hardly surprising that there are many similarities with Paul's letter to the Colossians – the church at Colossae was one of the churches formed at this period. What we know as "Ephesians" may even have been the lost letter to the Laodiceans (see Colossians 4:16).

The Message of Ephesians

The central message of Ephesians is that Christ's work involves the reconciliation of all things to God (Eph 1:9-10). This reconciliation flows from the cross and is displayed in the church where the barrier between Jew and Gentile has been broken down (Eph 2:14-16). In the church, God's new-creation has appeared, a new creation which reflects his glory (Eph 1:18-19; 3:20-21), sharing the exalted glory of the risen Christ (Eph 2:6). The church is "God's pilot scheme for the reconciled universe of the future" (F.F.Bruce). But not all things are yet subject to God through Christ. There are still powers both heavenly and earthly which are opposed to him – powers which still hold men and women captive (Eph 2:4-7). Christ has won a decisive victory at the cross but these 'powers' continue to wage war against Christians who are urged to stand firm and resist them (Eph 6:10-20). But that resistance is not merely passive: God's people are also the means used of God to wage war on the realm of darkness and extend the kingdom of God and his Christ (see particularly Eph 6:15, 19-20).

We conclude this brief introduction with an extended quote from Peter O'Brian:

The letter to the Ephesians is one of the most significant documents ever written... 
Whether it is because of its magnificent sweep of God's saving purposes from election before the foundation of the world to his summing up of all things in Christ, the place of the exalted Christ within those purposes and believers' relationship to him, God's victory in Christ over the powers, the grand presentation of the church, its language of worship and prayer, or the scope and depth of its ethical teaching, Ephesians has had a profound influence on the life of many.

But the letter has not only had a significant impact on the lives of men and women in the past. It also speaks with great power to our contemporary situation. To a world that seems to have lost all sense of direction, and a society that for all its achievements is in a mess, the divine analysis of the human predicament along with God's gracious and comprehensive salvation, such as is found in Ephesians 2:1-7, ultimately provides the only hope for a world that stands under divine judgment. Klyne Snodgrass aptly remarks, 'The understanding of the gospel in Ephesians challenges and redefines the superficial understanding of the gospel prevalent in our day.'

Peter Misselbrook