Ephesians Introduction - KJV (King James Version)
Synopsis:
The apostle Paul wrote Ephesians to the churches around Ephesus (Acts 19) to display the scope of God's eternal plan for all humanity-for Jews and Gentiles alike. This is the mystery of God, hidden for ages but now made known in Jesus Christ. The first three chapters focus on what Christians should believe, unfolding the glorious riches of God's grace in Christ. Dead sinners are made alive and gain eternal salvation "by grace... through faith" (2:8). The last three chapters explain the implications of God's grace for the church, for individuals, and for families. This second section comes to a climax with a command to stand with the armor of God against the devil. Paul wrote this letter while in prison, probably in Rome about a.d. 60.
Topic: Son of God
Authorship: Paul
- Ephesians is considered a disputed epistle, meaning liberal scholars don't attribute the work to him but classify pseudepigraphic. They will argue over different stylistic traits within Ephesians compared to other of Paul's epistles. The affect of trying to classify the letter for later authorship is to portray a slow development of Christian doctrine especally in regards to its Christology.
Date of Composition: 62-63 AD
Simple Outline:
1. Christian Belief (Eph 1-3)
A. Redemption in Christ (Ch 1:1-14)
B. Prayer for Wisdom (Ch 1:15-23)
C. Position In Christ (Ch 2:1-3:13)
D. Praise for Realization (Ch 3:14-21)
2. Christian Behavior (Eph 4-6)
A. Unity (Ch 4:1-16)
B. Holiness (Ch 4:17-5:21)
C. Conduct (Ch 5:22-6:24)
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