Answers for a study in the book of Ephesians: “The Hermeneutics”

1. Who was the author? What do we know about him, and did he author any other books of the Bible?

Author: The Apostle Paul (his Roman name; Saul is his Jewish name)

From gotquestions.org:

Paul was actually born as Saul. He was born in Tarsus in Cilicia around AD 1–5 in a province in the southeastern corner of modern-day Tersous, Turkey. He was of Benjamite lineage and Hebrew ancestry (Philippians 3:5–6). His parents were Pharisees—fervent Jewish nationalists who adhered strictly to the Law of Moses—who sought to protect their children from “contamination” from the Gentiles. Anything Greek would have been despised in Saul’s household, yet he could speak Greek and passable Latin. His household would have spoken Aramaic, a derivative of Hebrew, which was the official language of Judea. Saul’s family were Roman citizens but viewed Jerusalem as a truly sacred and holy city (Acts 22:22-29).

At a young age (13) Saul was sent to Judea to learn from a rabbi named Gamaliel, under whom Saul mastered Jewish history, the Psalms, and the works of the prophets. His education would continue for five or six years as Saul learned such things as dissecting Scripture (Acts 22:3). It was during this time that he developed a question-and-answer style of teaching known in ancient times as “diatribe.” This method of articulation helped rabbis debate the finer points of Jewish law to either defend or prosecute those who broke the law. Saul went on to become a lawyer, and all signs pointed to his becoming a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court of 71 men who ruled over Jewish life and religion. Saul was zealous for his faith, and this faith did not allow for compromise. It is this zeal that led Saul down the path of religious extremism.

In Acts 5:27–42, Peter delivered his defense of the gospel and of Jesus in front of the Sanhedrin, which Saul would have heard. Gamaliel was also present and delivered a message to calm the council and prevent them from stoning Peter. Saul might also have been present at the trial of Stephen. He was present for his stoning and death; he held the garments of those who did the stoning (Acts 7:58). After Stephen’s death, “a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1). Saul became determined to eradicate Christians, ruthless in his pursuit as he believed he was acting in the name of God. Arguably, there is no one more frightening or more vicious than a religious terrorist, especially when he believes he is doing the will of the Lord by killing innocent people. This is exactly what Saul of Tarsus was: a religious terrorist. Acts 8:3 states, “He began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.”

The pivotal passage in Paul’s story is Acts 9:1–22, which recounts Paul’s meeting with Jesus Christ on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, a journey of about 150 miles. Saul was angered by what he had seen and filled with murderous rage against the Christians. Before departing on his journey, he had asked the high priest for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for permission to bring any Christians (followers of “the Way,” as they were known) back to Jerusalem to imprison them. On the road Saul was caught in a bright light from heaven that caused him to fall face down on the ground. He heard the words, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He replied, “Who are you Lord?” Jesus answered directly and clearly, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (verses 4–5). As an aside, this might not have been Saul’s first encounter with Jesus, as some scholars suggest that young Saul might have known of Jesus and that he might have actually witnessed His death.

From that moment on, Saul’s life was turned upside down. The light of the Lord blinded him, and as he traveled on he had to rely on his companions. As instructed by Jesus, Saul continued to Damascus to make contact with a man named Ananias, who was hesitant at first to meet Saul because he knew Saul’s reputation as an evil man. But the Lord told Ananias that Saul was a “chosen instrument” to carry His name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel (Acts 9:15) and would suffer for doing so (Acts 9:16). Ananias followed the Lord’s instructions and found Saul, on whom he laid hands, and told him of his vision of Jesus Christ. Through prayer, Saul received the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17), regained his sight, and was baptized (Acts 9:18). Saul immediately went into the synagogues and proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 9:20). The people were amazed and skeptical, as Saul’s reputation was well known. The Jews thought he had come to take away the Christians (Acts 9:21), but he had in fact joined them. Saul’s boldness increased as the Jews living in Damascus were confounded by Saul’s arguments proving that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 9:22).

Saul spent time in Arabia, Damascus, Jerusalem, Syria, and his native Cilicia, and Barnabas enlisted his help to teach those in the church in Antioch (Acts 11:25). Interestingly, the Christians driven out of Judea by the persecution that arose after Stephen’s death founded this multiracial church (Acts 11:19–21).

Saul took his first of three missionary journeys in the late AD 40s. As he spent more time in Gentile areas, Saul began to go by his Roman name Paul (Acts 13:9). Paul wrote many of the New Testament books. Most theologians are in agreement that he wrote Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Philemon, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus. These thirteen “letters” (epistles) make up the “Pauline Authorship” and are the primary source of his theology. As previously noted, the book of Acts gives us a historical look at Paul’s life and times. The apostle Paul spent his life proclaiming the risen Christ Jesus throughout the Roman world, often at great personal peril (2 Corinthians 11:24–27). It is assumed that Paul died a martyr’s death in the mid-to-late AD 60s in Rome. (mine: Church history tells us that he was beheaded under the Emperor Nero)

2. Who was the audience? Put yourself in their shoes for a minute: What was the culture and society like at that time, and how would it have influenced their daily lives (in other words – what would a day in their life look like)?

• The original audience was the Church at Ephesus
  • This letter was latter circulated throughout the early Churches, locally and eventually worldwide
  • Ultimately it is intended for all believers everywhere
• The culture of the day, in Ephesus (sources: Life Application Bible; gotquestions.org)
  • Ephesus was a strategic city, ranking in importance with Alexandria, Egypt and Antioch, Syria as a port city; it was the most important port on the Aegean Sea on the main route from Rome to the east.
  • Ephesus was a commercial, political, and religious center for all of Asia Minor; and the temple to the Greek goddess Artemis (Diana is her Roman equivalent) was located there – this fact provided the locals opportunity for commercial wealth in things such as idol making and ritual merchandise.
  • As a port city, this city would host people of different cultures, backgrounds and religious practices; it would have also been a mecca for drunkenness, prostitution and other types of debauchery common to port cities.
• As Christianity grew, Christians would find themselves in opposition to the culture (as is common today), yet they would have abundant opportunity to share the Gospel with people of many backgrounds and faiths.
• First century culture in this area and in general was patriarchal, somewhat class oriented with servanthood/slavery a common practice and often the only option for lower class. Under Roman rule, during early to mid-first century, various religions could be practiced as long as they did not conflict or contradict Roman authority and the ultimate worship of the emperor (this did change in the late first century as persecution of Christians grew, and Christianity (along with Judaism) was outlawed. This came to a head with the destruction of the Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70.

Additional information about the city of Ephesus and the other mentions it has in the Bible…

Ephesus was the capital city of a Roman province in Asia. Ephesus was a significant center of trade, located near a harbor at the mouth of the Cayster River in western Asia Minor. The city lay in a long, fertile valley. Major roads connected Ephesus to all the other significant cities in Asia Minor.

Ephesus was known for its amphitheater, the largest in the world, designed to hold up to 50,000 spectators. Ephesus was also the location of the great temple of Artemis, or Diana, built in 550 BC. This temple, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was “425 ft. long and 220 ft. wide; each of its 127 pillars which supported the roof of its colonnade was 60 ft. high” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia). Much Ephesian industry was related to this temple. Craftsmen sold shrines and household images of the goddess that worshipers could take with them on long journeys. The Ephesians were proud of their religious heritage and its accompanying legends (Acts 19:35).

Ephesus is mentioned often in Scripture. Paul journeyed to Ephesus during his second missionary trip and stayed there for two years so that “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:10). Ephesus was a prime site for evangelizing the whole province, due to the city’s accessibility and prominence in the region. It was in Ephesus that Paul and his companions were taken into the massive amphitheater where for two hours the mob shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:23–41). Despite the strong objections to the gospel, many Ephesians came to faith in Christ through the faithful ministry of Paul and his companions. A church began there, and a few years later, Paul wrote to them a letter that we now call the book of Ephesians. Four hundred years later, Ephesus was the site of a major church meeting known as the Council of Ephesus.
Ephesus was the setting for many New Testament events:
• God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, such that even handkerchiefs and aprons touched by him healed sickness and cast out demons (Acts 19:11).
• Paul wrote the epistle of 1 Corinthians.
• The seven sons of Sceva, Jewish exorcists, attempted to imitate Paul’s power and were attacked by demons because the demons did not recognize their spiritual authority (Acts 19:13–16).
• Many new believers “who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone” (Acts 19:19, BSB). The total value of the sorcery books they destroyed was 50,000 silver pieces.
• Priscilla and Aquilla discipled Apollos (Acts 18:24–26).
• Timothy had his first pastorate (1 Timothy 1:3).
• It’s thought that the apostle John and Jesus’ mother, Mary, lived in Ephesus after Jesus returned to heaven (see John 19:26–27).
• Paul may have faced wild beasts in the amphitheater (1 Corinthians 15:32).
• Jesus directed to Ephesus one of His seven letters in the book of Revelation (Revelation 2:1–7).

Jesus’ letter to the church at Ephesus contains Jesus’ famous rebuke: “You have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4). The believers at Ephesus, struggling beneath the weight of a godless and immoral culture, had maintained the letter of the law but had lost the Spirit of the law (see Romans 2:29). Jesus commended them for their hard work, perseverance, rejection of false teaching, and hatred of sin. But He was grieved that they had become routine in their service for Him rather than serve Him with the passion they once had. Their actions were there, but their hearts were not.

Jesus’ words to the believers in Ephesus should challenge all servants of the Lord. It is easy to get caught up in the busyness of ministry, church work, or volunteering and not realize our passion for the Lord has cooled. We are no longer propelled into service by love, but by some other selfish or worldly motivation. We may think God doesn’t mind, as long as we are outwardly obeying, but He does mind. It hurts Him, and it violates the greatest commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Mark 12:30).

Jesus gave the church at Ephesus time to repent, and He gives us time as well. Every moment we resist His call to humble ourselves and return to our first love is one more moment that we forfeit the love, joy, and peace He offers (1 Peter 5:6; Galatians 5:22–23). Jesus was so concerned about the church at Ephesus that He dictated a letter through the apostle John (Revelation 1:1–2). And He is so concerned about the church of today that He made certain that letter was preserved for us (Rev. 1:3; 22:18–19).

3. What was the date the book was written? How can we know?

• The book of Ephesians is dated ca. 60
• We know Paul wrote most of his Epistles during his Roman imprisonment, including this one, and Church history has Paul martyred for his faith in Rome, ca. 65, prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70
• It is important to know the apologetics for the early dating of this letter, and the rest of the New Testament, because of modern day skeptics and atheist’s denial of Biblical reliability.

4. What was the purpose and genre of the writing? Was there a specific event(s) or situation(s) going on that prompted the author to write to this audience?

Genre: An Epistle, or letter, written to a specific group of people that addresses specific concerns, or makes specific commendations or corrections.

From bakerpublishinggroup.com:

Some biblical scholars have sought to make a distinction between letters and epistles. According to this distinction: A “letter” represents an actual correspondence written on a particular occasion to address matters of the moment. Most people who write a letter do not imagine that the correspondence will be read by anyone other than those to whom it is addressed. An “epistle” is a public treatise that uses the letter format to present an essay or homily intended for general reading. With regard to the New Testament writings, Paul’s brief note to Philemon is said to be a classic example of a letter, whereas the exposition to the Hebrews is said to be an epistle. Most modern scholars, however, do not find this sort of distinction to be very helpful: all twenty-one of the New Testament writings were targeted for specific contexts (like letters), but none of them was intended to be kept private or confidential. Today the terms “letter” and “epistle” often are used synonymously, with a recognition that all twenty-one books are public documents linked to particular audiences and particular occasions.

Purpose of Writing: 

From the Life Application Bible Commentary:

The letter was not written to confront any heresy or problem in the churches. It was sent with Tychicus to strengthen and encourage the churches in the area. Paul had spent over three years with the Ephesians church. As a result, he was very close to them. Paul met with the elders of the Ephesian church at Miletus (Acts 20:17-38)—a meeting that was filled with great sadness because he was leaving them for what he thought would be the last time. Because there are no specific references to people or problems in the Ephesian church and because the words “in Ephesus” (1:1) are not present in some early manuscripts, Paul may have intended this to be a circular letter to be read to all the churches in the area.

From gotquestions.org:

Paul, writing from a Roman prison, intended that all who long for Christlike maturity would receive this writing. Enclosed within the Book of Ephesians is the discipline needed to develop into true children of God. Furthermore, a study in Ephesians will help to fortify and to establish the believer so he can fulfill the purpose and calling God has given. The aim of this epistle is to confirm and to equip a maturing church. It presents a balanced view of the body of Christ and its importance in God’s economy.

Key Verses:
Ephesians 1:3: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
Ephesians 2:8-10: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 5:21: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Ephesians 6:10-11: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

5. Discuss: What are some things that you already know about this book (basic outline, key people and places, etc.)?

(Answers will vary…)

From the Life Application Bible:

The Blueprint:

Chapters 1 – 3: Unity in Christ

Chapters 4 – 6: Unity in the body of Christ

Megathemes:

God’s purpose; Christ the center; living church; new family; Christian conduct

Key people:

Paul, Tychicus

Outline:

Ch. 1: The blessings of redemption; Ch. 2: Made alive in Christ; Ch. 3: Paul’s stewardship; Ch. 4: Unity of the Spirit and the Christian walk; Ch. 5: Be imitators of God; Ch. 6: Family relationships and the “Armor of God” in spiritual warfare

Please join us as we continue to study Ephesians as part of our Christian Apologetics’ class!

Note: Class presentation, videos, reflections and Bible study questions are posted on the weekend – Bible study answers (like these) are posted mid-week.

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Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15