The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians

By David J. Garrard

Ephesians' high Christology means that it is impossible to read without making the individual aware of the absolute supremacy of the One who took on flesh for mankind's salvation. Yet it is no simple study and one which requires careful examination of the numerous topics covered by Paul. The purpose of this book is to develop, not only Ephesians' interpretation, but facilitate a better understanding of the factors which have bearing upon everyday Christian living. It is vital to grasp how these factors influence our relationship with what Christ has already made available for his followers and assure them of the perfection which is yet to be fully established at Christ's return. The letter is full of unique material, including the fascinating section on spiritual warfare in the last chapter. As westerners our worldview tends to limit our understanding of the unseen world so that we often wrestle with such concepts as angels, the Devil, and demons, but Paul makes it very clear that not only are these powers quite real but that at every level Christ is supreme. This should give each of his followers the fortitude to aim at victorious living "in him."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Release date: Jan 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9781666742732

David J. Garrard

David J. Garrard is a missionary educator who has also been professor at the Assemblies of God Bible College at Mattersey Hall in the United Kingdom and associated lecturer attached to four British universities as well as two universities in Central and Southern Africa. He is also executive director of CAM International, a British missionary organization. He is the author of The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, several chapters in edited books, and numerous articles in journals, and is a contributor to The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements. His career began in 1973.

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The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians

David J. Garrard

The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians

Copyright © 2023 David J. Garrard. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

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January 30, 2023 9:35 AM

Unless otherwise indicated, the verses in this commentary are translated from Barbara Aland et al., eds., The Greek New Testament, 5th rev. ed. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2014).

Table of Contents

Title Page

Abbreviations

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Appendix A

Appendix B

Bibliography

Abbreviations

c. circa/about

ch. chapter

chs. chapters

DRCongo Democratic Republic of Congo

ESV English Standard Version

IVP Intervarsity Press

KJV King James Version

LXX The Septuagint

MS manuscript

MSS manuscripts

NT New Testament

OT Old Testament

v. verse

vv. verses

The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians

General Introduction

The purpose of this commentary is not to compete with the multitude of works already in print but to present a study that deals with the main issues of the text without being overly critical in its approach. This approach is followed because most leaders who are engaged in feeding the flock over which God has placed them are not too concerned with all the intricacies with which scholars delight as they want to know the meaning of the text and be able to communicate that to those who need bread for their souls. Nevertheless, this study does interact with the main issues raised when there are difficulties of interpretation involved. This presentation does not pretend to be original throughout and uses other sources where those are helpful. The approach taken is intended to help Christian leaders, especially in the majority world, where English is used and understood, and for that reason examples taken often include issues that are real in churches, especially in Central and Southern Africa, as that is the context with which the author is most familiar. ¹

The Authorship

Scholars like F. C. Baur deny the Pauline authorship of Ephesians on the grounds that Ephesians and Colossians are too much alike. The answer to that logic is that if Paul were writing to two churches in the same vicinity at the same time, there is no reason why there should not be much which was parallel. Preachers, with a subject burning on their hearts, often use the same sermon more than once with some variation. The changes introduced depend upon the location where the message is shared and any specific matters in a given place. Here Paul develops some themes in different ways because of the issues present in the lives of the members belonging to these two churches. Not only does Paul repeat matters in his letters to the Ephesians and Colossians but some of the same similarities are found in his other letters. For example: Paul writes about the fruit of the Spirit in Gal 5:22, but in Eph 5:9 he uses the term the fruit of light for the same subject.

One of the most important reasons for accepting the Pauline authorship of Ephesians is that from the earliest date it was accepted that Paul the apostle was its author. The list of those who held to this position includes: Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Eusebius.² There are also references from men like Polycarp who quote Eph 2:8–9.³ To ignore their understanding from a period so close to when it would have been written is to fly in the face of fact. More will be said on the subject when the destination is discussed.

Therefore, despite the doubt as to its authorship on the part of some, and without spending a lot of time on the matter, it will be assumed in this presentation that Paul is the author of the letter.

The Message of Ephesians

Authors are reticent to attempt to state the theme and purpose of the epistle because of its diversity and often complicated structure, especially at its commencement. Nevertheless, there are a number of factors that need to be recognized in any reading of the epistle. O’Brien identifies cosmic reconciliation and unity in Christ as the central message of Ephesians.⁴ It is not possible to produce a satisfactory Pauline Christology or ecclesiology without a thorough examination of this literature. This certainly is the case, because issues such as unity in Christ, firstly for all who are believers and therefore members of the church, are paramount. In addition, there is no possibility of reconciliation with God for anyone apart from the person and work of Christ. The church is the instrument God uses to make this fact known to the world. Of course, Christ is the head of this church. If we are to be unified under him, we need to be in unity and harmony with one another, and the epistle informs us of all that this means.

For these reasons the epistle of Paul to the Ephesians is considered to be a must for all who really want to examine the high view Paul has of Christ and his relationship to the individual as well as to the church. The role of the church and its place in God’s economy are central, as are other doctrines, such as the way in which we are to understand faith in the person and work of Christ, as well as the place of matters such as that of harmony between brethren in this body of Christ. Unlike some of Paul’s other letters, such as Galatians or 1 Corinthians, no specific doctrines or heretical practices are the focus of the writings. Nevertheless, numerous matters are addressed throughout. Again, any devotional study of Christian theology would be impossible without a careful examination of Ephesians.

The Similarities between Ephesians and Colossians

The similarities between Ephesians and Colossians are considerable. I recommend the introductory section in William Hendriksen’s Exposition of Ephesians⁵ for a quick comparative study of the parallels. As he points out, it is not only the language as represented by the Greek text but the thoughts that are similar in many of the areas developed. Hendriksen estimates that two-thirds of the material is parallel. However, although there are similarities, there are also considerable differences.⁶ For example: Colossians addresses the question of heretical teaching related to what Paul calls philosophy and empty deceit according to the traditions of men (Col.2:8, 16–18). This is nowhere part of the address to the Ephesians. Ephesians develops themes differently. Hendriksen points out that in the first chapter of Ephesians where Paul ascribes praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (vv. 3–6, 7–12, 13, 14) there are no parallels in Colossians.⁷ Again, there are neither exact parallels nor the frequency in mention of the Holy Trinity in 1:13, 17 or in 2:18, 22; 3:16; 4:3,4, 30; 5:18; 6:17, 18.⁸ There is nothing in Colossians similar to the passage in Eph 2:7–10 with regard to the matter of the grace of God and its relationship to faith and works.⁹ The matter of prayer in ch. 3 and the changed character of believers in chs. 4:17—6:9 of Ephesians, including the matter of relationships of husbands to their wives, children to their parents, and slaves and their masters, are unique.¹⁰

The question of darkness and light has parallels in both letters, but in Ephesians the question is perceived in terms of the work of the Holy Spirit (4:30). The relationship between Christ and his church and the wife and her husband, slaves and their master, is unique in the way in which it is presented, even if there are some similarities (Eph 5:23–32).¹¹ The Christian armor in 6:10–20 stands alone (but see the same matter addressed in 2 Cor 10:3–5).

The Destination of the Letter

The fact that the words en ephesō (at Ephesus) are missing from the earliest manuscripts has created considerable difficulty for all of us. It is missing from the papyrus manuscript 46, which is from the second century, and from Siniaticus and Vaticanus, both from the fourth century. However, since the second century, the title has always been To the Ephesians, apart from in the copy made by Marcion, who attributed it to the Laodiceans.¹² The major difficulty with that proposal is if the letter was originally sent to the Laodiceans how was it then known as the Epistle to the Ephesians? The problem is therefore: How can we account for absence of the words at Ephesus (en ephesō) in the text of 1:1? This, in spite of its early acceptance as the title of the epistle and the fact that nearly everyone during the early years accepted that it was originally written to the Ephesians.

Some Proposals

1.The letter was not intended for any one church but for all believers, no matter where they lived at any time. Consequently, it was a letter to the universal church. If this theory is correct, then Paul wrote to the saints who are and the faithful in Jesus Christ. This is how the translators of the RSV have rendered the verse. It is true that Paul wrote his letters not only to specific churches or individuals (Philemon), but the Holy Spirit intended that the letters be for everyone, and that is why they are included in the canon of Scripture. But the problem with this view is that in every letter where Paul writes who are or states a specific church, a place-designation is always also given. Therefore, there is no reason why this epistle should be any different.

2.The letter was sent to believers in a limited region but not Ephesus itself. Therefore, it was written to those living in Laodicea, Hierapolis, Colossae, and any other neighboring towns. There are no personal or other factors linking it to any particular place. However, the difficulty with this view is that Paul had spent such a considerable time in Ephesus. Why would he leave out this particular town, which had been his headquarters for so long, and write a general letter to those in the region without mentioning the place whence the evangelization of the region had taken place?

The next two views are close and may run together:

3.The letter was addressed to the believers who lived in the province where Ephesus was the capital. It was a circular letter that would have been carried to all the surrounding congregations in the province. This is the view most widely held today. Therefore, the Ephesians are not just those who live in the city itself but all those who are attached to the wider community of believers throughout the Ephesian or Asian province.

4.The letter was originally sent to one particular church, the church at Ephesus. It was the mother church and the church that oversaw all those planted out from it. It was addressed to the mother church at Ephesus but the name Ephesus was left out and therefore a blank. The purpose for the absence of any designated church was so that whoever went around to the churches and read it out would have filled in the name of the place where they were as they read it to any particular church when they visited. This is the view of R. C. H. Lenski.¹³

The third position appears the most likely. But it needs to be noted that whether the third or fourth are held, it is logical that the title to the Ephesians would therefore give veracity to the view that the letter was originally addressed to the Ephesians and that to the Ephesians in v. 1 should therefore be maintained, even if the manuscripts omit the designation.

The Purpose of the Letter

Paul demonstrates his pastoral heart, even though he is imprisoned awaiting sentence and unable himself to visit Ephesus. He takes the opportunity of encouraging the church by means of his ambassadors and in this case by Tychicus. He paints a picture of the consequences of God’s grace bestowed upon the world through Christ and the body, which is the church of the redeemed. He underlines the fact that all is dependent upon God’s eternal plan forged before all things in the person of Christ. This alone is the foundation of mankind’s salvation and has nothing to do with human effort but the grace of God. God will bring everything under his control in the headship of Christ (1:10). God’s work is ongoing and going to be perfected, so it needs to grow up into him (4:1–16). Because the work is not yet complete and the church is engaged in an ongoing battle, it needs to put on the provision of God’s armor in order to overcome (6:10–20). The entire letter is one of encouragement to greater engagement and the right kind of harmony between believers in this battle, which is not against people but spiritual powers in the heavenlies.

The declarations are such that they magnify the place and role of the divine Trinity and the significance of the church which is the creation of God. To summarize the similarities between Ephesians and Colossians, what Hendriksen writes—Though the two epistles have been called twins, these twins are by no means identical¹⁴—serves us well.

The Exegesis and Exposition of Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians

The way in which Paul addresses the recipients of this letter is often by means of long and complicated sentences that are not easy to follow. It is for this reason that there is such a diversity of views in the interpretation of many of the sections. However, if a careful reading of the sections is undertaken and time apportioned to their examination, the outcomes are certain to be rich and rewarding.

1

. The author was born in what is today the nation of Zambia. He lived in Africa for more than forty-five years and of that was a missionary in DRCongo for twenty-three years. He was involved in leadership training at different levels, working with pastors and leaders at undergraduate and postgraduate degree levels. He still visits the continent annually to teach in colleges and churches from the Horn of Africa to Zambia and Mozambique in the south.

2

. Irenaeus, Against Heresies (Adversus Haereses), I.viii.

5

; Tertullian, Against Marcion, V.

17

; V.

11

; Clement of Alexandria, Instructor, I.

5

; Origen, On Principles, II.iii.

5

; II.xi.

5

; III.v.

4

; and Against Celsus, ch.

72,

quotes Eph.

4

:

12

–

15,

saying that the apostle wrote it; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History III. iii.

4

,

5

.

3

. Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians, I.

3

.

4

. See Brannon, ‘Heavenlies’ in Ephesians,

117

n

5

; O’Brien, Ephesians,

58

. For an expanded treatment of this thought see O’Brien, Ephesians,

58

–

65

,

88

–

123

.

5

. Hendriksen, Exposition of Ephesians,

5

–

32

.

6

. Hendriksen, Exposition of Ephesians,

5

.

7

. Hendriksen, Exposition of Ephesians,

30

.

8

. Hendriksen, Exposition of Ephesians,

30

.

9

. Hendriksen, Exposition of Ephesians,

31

.

10

. Hendriksen, Exposition of Ephesians,

31

.

11

. Hendriksen, Exposition of Ephesians,

31

.

12

. In Paul’s Letter to the Colossians,

4

:

16

, he instructs them: Whenever this letter is read before you, cause its reading also among the Laodicean church and you also may read the letter from the Laodiceans. Since there is no extant letter to the Laodiceans Marcion says that this letter, which we know as the Epistle to the Ephesians, is in reality that Epistle to the Laodiceans.

13

. Lenski, Interpretation,

329

–

41

.

14

. Hendriksen, Exposition of Ephesians,

30.

1.

The chapter starts with Paul’s usual format of a salutation (vv. 1 – 2 ). This is followed by a section of thanksgiving, praise, and worship launched by the use of the Greek word eulogētos —which we know better as a eulogy or a well-spoken word. This is actually the introduction of worship focused on the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (vv. 3 – 14 ). It concludes with prayer for the followers of Christ based on the fullness of the Person of Christ and his resurrection (vv. 15 – 23 ).

v. 1 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ" Paul follows the custom of the day in the way in which he commences his letter by stating his name before continuing. This was because letters of this nature were written on parchment rolls, where it was not possible to look to the end of the communication to see who it was that was the author. Paul—Paulos in Greek. As he was the apostle or the sent one (apostolos, from the verb apostellō) to the non-Jew¹ and he was writing to people in the Greek world, he uses his Greek name rather than his Jewish one: Saul. Some have attempted to make a big thing out of the names, but it needs to be remembered that after his conversion on the road to Damascus in Acts 9, Saul is called by his Hebrew name only six times in the Acts of the Apostles (the other occasions are when he gives testimony as to what God said to him when he was called and once when he refers to King Saul, son of Kish [Acts 13:21]). On all other occasions he is called Paul.

The name apostle describes a function and is, as with the other functions in Scripture, such as pastor, prophet, teacher, evangelist, etc., not a title but a description of his work in the body of Christ: the church. I state this because today, as with the other functions given here, it is so often misused as an honorific title, attributing the idea of superior value and authority to an individual. This is nowhere the desire in New Testament writings (see also the gifts of Christ to the church in Eph 4:11).

Paul makes it very clear that his apostleship is one of service from and to Jesus Christ. In other words, he is identified with Jesus Christ in all the service and tasks which he has been sent to perform. This is a liberating factor because it means that he is not under the charge of any human authority and not sent to carry out any human endeavor. He is answerable to Christ and none other.

by the will of God As in Gal 1:1, Paul is reinforcing the fact that his apostleship does not follow any human appointment but is the result of the will of God. God, in his free will and purpose, has determined that Paul should be an apostle and fulfil this task at that particular time in history.

In this opening, Paul is stating who he is and what his credentials are. In other words, if anyone does not like the fact that Paul plays this role then he needs to dispute with God and not Paul himself, because God has a plan and in order to make it happen Paul is the one who would carry it out. The will of God is an important factor throughout the New Testament, not least in Paul’s writings (he uses this expression some twelve times in his writings), because it surpasses anything and everything mankind could possibly imagine and has all divine power behind it. Ultimately, God’s will can never be thwarted. This commentary is not a discourse on the will of God, but one cannot avoid the implications that are associated with this expression, since to do so would be to reject the fact that the Sovereign Lord plans and what he plans occurs. Here his plan was that Paul should be an apostle to the non-Jews, unlike the other apostles who were primarily sent to the Jews before others.² This aspect of his calling is clearly outlined