New Testament Study Helps:
Paul's Letter to the Ephesians
Letter to the Church in Ephesus
1. Authenticity
- The traditional view.
This epistle had been regarded as a genuine epistle of Paul until nineteenth-century criticism questioned it. The following are the positive grounds upon which this traditional view was based.
- Its self claims.
In the opening address, which is identical with those of 2 Corinthians and Colossians, the writer not only claims to be Paul, but claims the authority of apostleship by the will of God. The whole epistle and particularly the section from 3:1 ff is full of statements in the first person and provides a picture which the author gives of himself. He has personally heard of the readers' faith and their love toward other Christians (1:15); he expresses his personal thanks to God for them (1:16); he describes himself as a "prisoner of Christ Jesus" (3:1; 4:1); he points out that he is writing about a mystery personally revealed to him (3:3 ff); he appeal to his own divine appointment to the ministry (3:7); he exhorts the readers not to lose heart over his present sufferings (3:13); he affirmes the readers' present need of a new way of living and of thinking against a background of Gentile ignorance and licentiousness (4:17 ff); he gives his own interpretation of the "mystery" (5:32); he appeals for prayer on his own behalf as a chained ambassador that he might have boldness to speak (6:19-20); and he concludes with a personal salutation.
- Its external attestation.
This epistle seems to have been in wide circulation by the middle of the second century among both Christian orthodox and heretics. It was included in the earliest formal canon, that of Marcion (ca 140 AD), though under the name "Laodicieans". Its Pauline origin was therefore at this time undisputed, since Marcion acknowledged only the apostle Paul as his authority. In the Muratorian Canon (ca 180 AD) it was included under the epistles of Paul. It forms part of the Pauline epistles in the earliest evidence for the Latin and Syriac versions. There are reminiscenes of its language in the writings of Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, Hermas and possibly the Didache. Most scholars are therefore agreed that Ephesians
must have preceded the epsitles of Clement of Rome to the Corinthians (95 AD).
- Its Pauline structure.
There are distinct similarities between Ephesians and others of Paul's epistles. We find the characteristically Pauline sequence of opening greeting, thanksgiving, doctrinal exposition, ethical exhortation, concluding salutations and benediction.
2. Destination
Although tradition has handed down this epistle as a letter sent to the Ephesian chruch, modern criticism, backed by an uncertainty regarding the text of Ephesians 1:1, has strongly disputed this opinion. The words "in Ephesus" are omitted from the oldest Greek codices of the Pauline epsitles. They were also omitted from some old codices known to Basil. It may also be inferred that the words are omitted from Marcion's text since he seems to have considered it addressed to the Laodicieans, not the Ephesians. On the strength of this evidence, particularly from the generally relaiable Alexandrian tradition, most modern scholars conclude that the original reading omitted the words. However other external evidence points at least to the possibility that the words "in Ephesus" belong to a purer text than the Greek MSS. Irenaeus (Adv Heresies v.2.36) cites Ephesians 5:30 as being in the Epistles to the Ephesians, and Clement of Alexandria (Strom 4.65; also Paed 4.65) cites words from Ephesians 5:21-25 in the same way. Moreover, Tertullian is in no doubt that the epistle was sent to Ephesus when he criticizes Marcion for having a strong desire to change the title (Adv Marcion 5.11,17). There is no doubt, therefore that these early church fathers regarded the epsitle as addressed to the Ephesian church whatever the reading of the first verse in their texts. It is widely held that Ephesians, designed as a circular letter (which could be distributed to multiple churches), was written at the same time as Colossians and Philemon and was probably taken to various churches in the province of Asia by Tychuicus. Some forms of this theory assume that a blank was left in the original copies and Tychicus was requested to fill in the name as he visited each church. If the original text did not possess the words "in Ephesus" it may be taken as addressed in a very general way "to the saints..., the faithful in Christ Jesus", which would well fit a general circular theory. It would then be suitable for the Christian communities of Asia and other provinces, especially where Paul was not personally known.
3. Purpose
If we assume some kind of circular letter theory we are able to suggest a probable purpose from the circumstances of the writer rather than of the readers. Since Paul was in prison he has clearly had time to reflect and this would well account for the more contemplative mood of the epistle, together with the absence of any tension connected with a specific situation with which he was dealing. His mind dwells of the theme of Christ and the church, resulting in an exalted Christology and a high appraisal of the privileges of believers in Christ. The close connection between this epistle and Colossians has a direct bearing on its purpose. The same themes are dealt with although in a modified way. It seems probable that the apostle, with the positive doctrine of the Colossian letter still in his miind, wrote it down again in a general way without the specific background of the heresy. Something of the same process may well have taken place in the case of the Galatian and Roman letters.
4. Date
Since Paul is a prisoner (Eph 3:1; 4:1), and since its close accociation with Colossians presupposes the same imprisonment as when that epstle was sent, the traditional assignment of this epistle to Paul's first Roman imprisonment seems most probably correct. The most widely held dating for this imprisonment if ca 80 AD. Those who deny Pauline authorship generally date the letter about 90 AD, the date when the pauline corpus is alleged to have been collected. Since Clement of Rome cites the epistle it must on any theory be dated earlier than 95 AD.
5. Outline
In progress
