Ephesians Blog 1

Scholars debate whether or not Ephesians was written by Paul for different reasons. One reason is that “approximately 90 words in the letter do no appear elsewhere in Paul’s undisputed letters” (Thurston 2089). Early Church tradition claims that Paul wrote Ephesians from prison in 60 AD (Tafoya). However, scholars who do not thing that Paul wrote this letter feel that it was probably written closer to 85-90 AD (Thurston 2089). Taking the traditional view, Paul was probably aware of his “imminent persecution and the need for the church to be a good witness in society….He is also aware of the church’s struggle with its own background in the occult practices of Asia Minor—magic…astrology and attempts to escape the astrological power or Fate” (Keener 539-540). The letter was written either to Ephesus or generally to Christians at that time. Some of the letters do not contain the word “Ephesus” in 1:1. Ephesians is an epistle that may be a sermon of Paul’s (Tafoya). The reason for this letter may have been to prepare Christians for baptism. Scholars consider this letter to be really addressed to new Christians trying to understand and obey the Way (Tafoya).

Christianity is amazing because it is an equal-opportunity following. Nobody is more or less likely to be saved. You do not have to be born rich or poor in order to be let in. God does not care how much or little pigmentation that your skin has. You could be any shape or size. You do not have to have all of your limbs and organs in perfectly working condition. It is great like that! Unfortunately, sometimes people get I the way of God’s thinking. Suddenly one person is “better than” another person simply because one had more to give or was born in a higher rank. Maybe the person is just more eager to serve others. Whatever the case is, Paul in Ephesians 2 is very clear that those distinctions are not valid. In 2:8-9 Paul says “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works so that no one may boast.” God does not call us “Jew” or “Gentile” as an act of discriminating. Neither one is better than the other. After all, Jew and Gentile both sin. Jesus never sinned. That puts him at the highest point. Nobody can be as high as Christ. Yes, Christianity is beautiful like that!


WORKES CITED

Books:
Keener, Craig S. “Ephesians,” Pages 538-555 in The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993.


Thurston, Bonnie. “The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians.” Pages 2089-2090 in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible with the Apocrypha. Edited by Walter J. Harrelson et al. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003.

Lecture:
Tafoya, Stace. "Ephesians," lectured on BIB114. Colorado Christian University. 12 November, 2008.