How does Paul begin and end his letter to the believers in Ephesus? What do we learn about his deepest desires for them? See Ephesians 1:1-2; Ephesians 6:21-24.
At the outset of the letter, Paul identifies himself as the author (Ephesians 1:1). Near the middle of the letter, Paul again identifies himself by name, labeling himself “the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles” (Ephesians 3:1, NKJV), which introduces a personal reflection on his work as an apostle (Ephesians 3:1-13).
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Near the end of the letter, he again refers to his imprisonment (Ephesians 6:20) and concludes with personal words (Ephesians 6:21-22). While some scholars deny that the letter was written by Paul, it is important to note that the epistle clearly lays claim to Paul as its author. Most Christians accept, and rightly so, Paul as the author.
How does Paul worry about the effect his imprisonment will have on believers in Ephesus? See Ephesians 3:13.
Ephesians seems to share the same general timing and circumstances with other letters Paul writes from prison, Colossians (see esp. Colossians 4:7-8) and Philemon. Also, considerable time seems to have passed since Paul’s ministry in Ephesus (Ephesians 1:15; Ephesians 3:1-2). Paul probably composed Ephesians in a prison in Rome about A.D. 62.
In Ephesians, Paul offers few specifics about the situation of his audience in Ephesus. The scope of his attention is wide. He deals with a grand span of time, beginning with God’s decisions made “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), and reflects broadly on grand themes of God’s salvation offered in Christ. In doing so, the letter exhibits an exalted, literary style, with long sentences, repetitive expressions, and developed metaphors. Paul can use such a style elsewhere (e.g., Romans 8:31-39), but it is concentrated in Ephesians, which features a great deal of praise, prayer, and worship language (Ephesians 1:3-14, Ephesians 1:15-23, Ephesians 3:14-21) and offers carefully crafted, highly rhetorical passages (e.g., Ephesians 4:1-16, Ephesians 5:21-33, Ephesians 6:10-20).
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