Ephesians: A Pastoral and Contextual Commentary

The authors wade through waves of critical exegetical issues in Ephesians, aptly and lucidly expounding the deeper meaning of Paul’s words. With careful exegesis, they bridge the gap between the first century and our present-day Asian contexts, making the text come alive for us. This commentary will be a useful resource for pastors, students, and scholars alike and will help readers to appreciate the richness of this Queen of the Epistles.

Roji T. George, DTh

Professor of New Testament,

South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies, Bangalore, India

This commentary brings together the devotional and theological levels of meaning, indicative and imperative aspects of the text, and familial and social dynamics of the Epistle to the Ephesians. It blends a perfect balance of doctrine, theology, and application with a sole purpose of human transformation and social change. As a thoroughly researched and carefully written commentary, I believe that it will be a helpful resource to anyone who reads it.

Johnson Thomaskutty, PhD

Associate Professor of New Testament,

Union Biblical Seminary, Pune, India

EPHESIANS

Asia Bible Commentary Series

Brian Wintle with Ken Gnanakan

General Editor

Andrew B. Spurgeon

Old Testament Consulting Editors

Yohanna Katanacho, Joseph Shao, Havilah Dharamraj

New Testament Consulting Editors

Steve Chang, Brian Wintle

© 2020 Brian Wintle

Published 2020 by Langham Global Library

an imprint of Langham Publishing

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Published in partnership with Asia Theological Association

ATA

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Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Contents

Cover

Series Preface

Authors’ Preface

List of Abbreviations

Introduction

The Destination of the Letter

The Purpose of the Letter

The Date of the Letter

The Authorship of the Letter

Outline

Ephesians 1:1–2

Ephesians 1:3–3:21

1:3–14 An Opening Doxology: The Purpose of God from Eternity to Eternity

1:15–2:10 God’s Power That Gives Life to the Dead

2:11–22 One New Community of Jews and Gentiles

3:1–21 Paul, the Jewish Apostle to the Gentiles

Ephesians 4:1–6:20

4:1–16 Unity in Diversity in the Body of Christ

4:17–5:20 Transformed Relationships within the Community

5 :21–6:9 Transformed Relationships in the Household

6 :10–20 Defenses against the Forces of Division and Disunity

Ephesians 6:21–24

Selected Bibliography

About Asia Theological Association

About Langham Partnership

Endnotes

Series Preface

What’s unique about the Asia Bible Commentary Series? It is a commentary series that incorporates and addresses Asian concerns, cultures, and practices. As Asian scholars – either by nationality, passion, or calling – the authors identify with the biblical text, understand it culturally, and apply its principles in Asian contexts to strengthen the churches in Asia. Missiologists tell us that Christianity has shifted from being a Western majority religion to a South, South-Eastern, and Eastern majority religion and that the church is growing at an unprecedented rate in these regions. This series meets the need for evangelical commentaries written specifically for an Asian audience.

This is not to say that Asian churches and Asian Christians don’t want to partner with Western Christians and churches or that they spurn Western influences. A house divided cannot stand. The books in this series complement the existing Western commentaries by taking into consideration the cultural nuances familiar to the Eastern world so that the Eastern readership is not inundated with Western clichés and illustrations that they are unable to relate to and which may not be applicable to them.

The mission of this series is to produce resources that are biblical, pastoral, contextual, missional, and prophetic for pastors, Christian leaders, cross-cultural workers, and students in Asia. While using approved exegetical principles, the writers strive to be culturally relevant, offer practical applications, and provide clear explanations of the texts so that readers can grow in understanding and maturity in Christ, and so that Christian leaders can guide their congregations into maturity. May we be found faithful to this endeavor and may God be glorified!

Andrew B. Spurgeon

General Editor

Authors’ Preface

In the Letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul lays before his readers God’s plan of salvation, which is to be fulfilled when all things find their rightful place in Christ. He then elaborates on the role of the church in making known that wonderful plan. In the second part of the letter, Paul draws out the practical implications of God’s purpose, showing how the unity of a new humanity is revealed in the church as a token of the ultimate unity of all things in Christ.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was probably written shortly after Colossians. In Ephesians, Paul deals with God’s eternal purpose for the church and the implications of this for the church in the present age.

We are delighted to have had this opportunity to contribute to the Asia Bible Commentary Series. We hope that this commentary will help our readers not merely to understand this Queen of the Epistles but also appreciate its contemporary relevance.

Brian Wintle and Ken Gnanakan

List of Abbreviations

Introduction

Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians – sometimes called the Queen of the Epistles – ranks high in the devotional and theological literature of the Christian church. Despite being written many centuries ago, this letter has some timely reminders for the church today. Paul’s treatment of Christian doctrine and its application not only informs our understanding of Christ, salvation, and the church; it also addresses some vital issues faced by Christians today: relationships within the home and in society, the role of women, the impact of spiritual forces, and even some guidelines for Christians in the workplace. There is a marvelous balance of doctrine, theology, and application for everyday life.

While Ephesians is a systematic presentation of Pauline thought – like the Epistle to the Romans – it is unusual in form. It is quite different to, for example, 1 Corinthians or 1 Thessalonians, which bear a closer resemblance to a letter. Similar in content to Colossians, Ephesians has a rich christological emphasis, placing Jesus Christ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion . . . not only in the present age but also in the one to come (1:21).

The Destination of the Letter

Traditionally, this letter was thought to have been sent to the Ephesian church. The NIV text includes the words in Ephesus (1:1b) – perhaps an indicator that many authorities do support this reading – but the footnote states that some early manuscripts do not have in Ephesus. The RSV also omits in Ephesus, but the ESV has reverted to including this phrase in the body of the text. It is also apparent from their writings that several early church fathers – including Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria – assumed that the letter was addressed to the Ephesian church, irrespective of how verse 1 had been translated.

Scholars suggest that the language used in the letter indicates that it may not have been addressed solely to the Ephesians. For example, references to having heard (1:15; 3:2) and been taught (4:21) might suggest that Paul does not have firsthand knowledge of his readers. But we know that the apostle Paul founded the church in Ephesus (Acts 19:1–10). The language of intimacy used, for example, in 1 Corinthians and Galatians – my dear children (1 Cor 4:14; Gal 4:19) – is missing; the readers are never addressed as brothers – as Paul does in 1 Thessalonians and Philippians; and even the concluding benediction seems impersonal – Peace to the brothers (6:23) – compared with the benedictions in Paul’s other letters (Gal 6:18; Phil 4:23).

Therefore, it is necessary to consider other suggestions that have been made regarding the destination of this letter.

The Letter Was Sent to Laodicea

In Marcion’s canon, drawn up in the middle of the second century, this letter was identified as written to the church in Laodicea. In Colossians 4:14–16, Paul refers to the church of the Laodiceans and to two letters: this letter – that is, the Letter to the Colossians – and the letter from Laodicea. It has been suggested that since the words in Ephesus (Eph 1:1) were missing in Marcion’s manuscript of Ephesians, and since there was no trace of the letter from Laodicea (referred to in Col 4:16), Marcion concluded that these two letters were one and the same – that is, that the letter now referred to as the Letter to the Ephesians was actually written to the Laodiceans.

This is, however, an improbable hypothesis. Paul urges the Colossians to read the letter from Laodicea and to send their letter to Laodicea (Col 4:16). But if the letter from Laodicea was indeed Ephesians, there would have been little point in exchanging the two letters, since they are so similar.[1] Further, there is no manuscript evidence whatsoever in which Ephesus is replaced by Laodicea in Ephesians 1:1.

The Letter Was Paul’s Farewell Message to the Church

According to this view, this is the last of Paul’s letters written from prison and represents his farewell message to the church as a whole. But, while conceding that Paul is more reflective here than in his other letters, the fact remains that the letter appears to be addressed to a particular people rather than to the universal church.[2]

The Letter Was a Circular Letter

According to this widely held theory, Ephesians was a circular letter, written at the same time as Colossians and Philemon, and probably taken by Tychicus (Col 4:7–8) to various churches in the province of Asia. Since many existing manuscripts have a blank space in Ephesians 1:1, it is assumed that this was deliberate and that Tychicus was requested to fill in the name as he visited each church.

This is an attractive hypothesis, which accounts very well for many of the letter’s features noted above. There are, however, some objections to this theory:

1. The manuscript evidence does not support this theory since no manuscript has survived with any name other than Ephesus. However, even if the original text did not contain the words in Ephesus, it may be taken (as indeed the RSV does) to be addressed in a general way to the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus. This would fit a circular letter theory.

2. If written for a group of churches in the Lychus valley, it does seem strange that Paul did not include some general greetings – as he did when writing to the Colossians.

3. The theory of a blank space would be more convincing if the word in had not also been omitted. However, this difficulty is not insurmountable.

Therefore, of the various theories regarding the destination of the letter, the hypothesis that the letter is a circular one, addressed to a group of churches of which the Ephesian church is one, appears to be the most likely[3] – or rather, the one with the least difficulties.

The Purpose of the Letter

Since the letter’s destination is so uncertain, it is difficult to determine, with certainty, its purpose and occasion. Assuming, however, that the circular letter hypothesis is correct, we can suggest a probable purpose. The reflective mood of the writer has already been noted. This would be quite understandable if Paul had been in prison at the time, with ample time to reflect.

Turning to the text itself, we notice that Paul speaks repeatedly about the relationship of Christ to the church (1:20–23; 2:14–22; 4:11–16; 5:22–33). Although Colossians is written to combat false teaching, it is interesting that Paul does this by expounding the theme of Christ and the church. In other words, the content of Colossians and Ephesians is essentially the same. The difference is that the controversy-setting of Colossians is missing in the case of Ephesians. Further, both Colossae and Ephesus were in the same general area of Asia Minor. Therefore, some scholars suggest that, having dealt with the heresy regarding the doctrine of Christ in the Colossian church, Paul wrote Ephesians as a warning to other churches in the area in case they were infiltrated by the same heresy. The theme of this treatise, writes Metzger, is the glory of Christ in the Church wherein the unity of a new humanity is revealed as a token of the ultimate unity of all things in him.[4]

The Date of the Letter

If the suggestion above regarding the occasion and purpose of the letter is correct, then Ephesians must have been written around the same time as Colossians. Traditionally, Colossians is regarded as having been written during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment, dated in the early 60s AD.

The Authorship of the Letter

Traditionally, Ephesians was regarded as a genuine letter of Paul. But, in the nineteenth century, modern critical scholarship raised several objections to this view. We now assess the arguments put forward for and against Pauline authorship.

The Case in Favor of Pauline Authorship

The Letter’s Claims

The opening verses (1:1–2) are similar to those of Paul’s other letters. Paul introduces himself as the writer, then makes a comment about himself. Moreover, if the words in Ephesus are accepted as part of the text, he identifies his readers just as he does in his other letters. In other words, the letter’s opening is characteristic of Paul. Further, throughout the letter, the author expresses himself in the first person, and the picture of him that we gather from these references is quite consistent with what we know of Paul from his other letters.

External Attestation

Since Marcion acknowledged only the Apostle Paul as his authority, inclusion of this letter in the canon of Marcion (ca. AD 140) implies that Pauline authorship of the letter was assumed. In the Muratorian canon (ca. AD 180), Ephesians was included under the Letters of Paul. Therefore, it appears that, by the mid-second century, it was widely assumed that Ephesians was one of Paul’s letters.

The Structure of Paul’s Letters

A look at the major letters of Paul – Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Galatians – reveals a characteristic sequence: opening greeting, thanksgiving, doctrinal exposition, ethical exhortations, concluding salutations, and benediction. An examination of this letter reveals the same sequence.

Doctrinal Affinities

Admittedly, there are some new emphases in this letter – most significantly, the teaching on the church. But the letter also contains themes found in other Pauline letters: The conception of God as glorious and powerful; the privileges of the believer in Christ; the reconciliatory value of Christ’s work on the cross; the wonderful ministry of the Holy Spirit; and the awareness of God’s eternal saving purposes. All these are typical Pauline emphases.

So there is strong support – both external and internal – for the traditional position of Pauline authorship.

The Case Against Pauline Authorship

Linguistic Arguments

A number of words used in Ephesians are not used elsewhere in the New Testament; there are also words in Ephesians that are used in the NT but not used by Paul in any of his other letters. Consider some examples:

In his other letters Paul often refers to the evil one by the title, Satan (1 Cor 5:5; 2 Cor 2:11; 11:14; 1 Thess 2:18). In contrast, the most common title used in Ephesians is the devil (4:27; 6:11). This title does occur in the Pastoral Epistles but, since their Pauline authorship is also disputed, they are best left out of this discussion.

The phrase in the heavenly realms (1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12) is unusual, and appears nowhere else in the NT.

Paul’s use of the term brothers to address Christians, while a common form of address in his other letters, is used just twice in Ephesians (6:21, 23).

On this basis, it is argued that the language and terminology used in Ephesians is non-Pauline. However, in countering this argument it may be asked, Do we have enough instances of Paul’s writing to say definitively that he could not have written in the manner he displays in Ephesians? The theory appears to rest on the fallacy that a person must write in a limited number of ways on each and every occasion that he takes up a pen.[5]

Literary Arguments

The most important consideration here is the relationship between Ephesians and Colossians. Over one-fourth of the words in Ephesians are found in Colossians too; on the other hand, more than one-third of the words used in Colossians are also used in Ephesians. Therefore, several scholars suggest that an imitator – rather than Paul himself – is the author of Ephesians, because they find no parallel to this in any of Paul’s other letters.

Even more significant than the mere use of words occurring in Colossians is the observation that many of these words and terms are used in a different sense in Ephesians. Consider some examples.

1. The word mystery occurs in both letters but appears to be used in two different ways. In Colossians, the word appears to mean Christ (1:27; 2:2), whereas in Ephesians, it appears to mean the unifying of Jews and Gentiles in Christ (1:9–10; 3:3–9).

2. The Greek word oikonomia can be translated divine office, stewardship, or purpose. In Colossians, Paul uses the word to refer to his commission to preach the gospel to the Gentiles (1:25), whereas in Ephesians, it appears to mean God’s eternal purpose (1:10).

3. In Paul’s major letters, the term reconciliation refers to the restoration of relationship between human beings and God (Rom 5:10–11; 11:15; 2 Cor 5:18–20; Col 1:20–22); but in Ephesians the term also refers to the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles to one another (2:14–15).

Other examples could be given. After surveying the evidence, Best concludes, The author of Ephesians did not have a copy of Colossians in front of him as he wrote. He adds:

This, of course, would fit in with the view that Paul was the author or that the letters had a common author and that in either case phrases once used stuck in the author’s mind to be used again in a different context; it would also imply the letters being written within a fairly brief period of one another.[6]

Perhaps the important question to consider is whether it is psychologically possible for a person to repeat words and phrases with a different meaning. The onus is on those who dispute Pauline authorship to defend the position that this is not possible.

Historical Arguments

One of the strongest historical factors that weighs against Pauline authorship is the state of the Jewish-Gentile controversy as reflected in the letter. While this controversy seems to be active in Paul’s other letters, it seems to have been settled by the time of this letter. Those arguing against Pauline authorship claim that the controversy could not have been settled within Paul’s lifetime. Moreover, they claim that the reference to the breaking down of the barrier between Jew and Gentile (2:14) is intelligible only if the letter was written after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, when the temple was also destroyed.

These arguments, however, are not unanswerable. On the one hand, there is some similarity of emphasis on Jew-Gentile reconciliation in Christ between Ephesians 2:11–22 and Romans 11:17–24. In other words, it is not absolutely certain that the evidence demands the conclusion that the controversy about Gentiles