The Book of Ephesians - BBE

Purpose of The Book of Ephesians:
To expand the horizons of the Ephesians by emphasizing God’s eternal purpose, grace, and mysteries. Like Romans, the letter to the church at Ephesus addresses very lofty and widely applicable theological issues. This makes it extremely difficult to determine a specific purpose for the letter. It seems that Paul, having just written a letter to the church at Colosse, is moved to write the church at Ephesus as well and send the two letters by the same messenger (Tychicus: Eph 6:21; Col 4:7). His themes are broad and general, but certainly not lacking in application. Like Romans, Ephesians has become one of the church's most treasured books, displaying the universal and timeless relevance of the theological issues with which Paul and his churches were wrestling.

Summary of The Book of Ephesians:
After describing the glorious calling to which God has called his people (Eph. 1-3), Paul describes how God’s people are to live out this calling in everyday life (Eph. 4-6). The main goal of the believer is to display the glory of Christ by showing love toward others in and outside the church.

Author and Dates of The Book of Ephesians:
The most likely imprisonment that Paul refers to in this letter is his Roman custody, which dates the letter's composition around 60 AD.

Paul's house arrest in Rome is chronicled in Acts 28:14-31, and this seems to be the circumstances in which the letter to the Ephesians was written.

Outline of The Book of Ephesians:

1. Greetings (Eph 1:1-2).
2. God's Purpose in Christ (Eph 1:3-23).
3. Christ's Accomplishment: Relationship with God (Eph 2 - 3).
4. Christ's Will: Relationships with each other (Eph 4 - 6).
5. Conclusion (Eph 6:21-24).

Themes of The Book of Ephesians:
Sovereignty: Paul emphasizes God's initiative in bringing His people to Himself. In a grandiose runon sentence (1:3-14) he rejoices in God's sovereign choice to rescue us from our own evil devices and the security that comes from knowing that the Almighty "works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."
Christ's Supremacy: Jesus is presented as our elder brother and ruler, both an intimate friend and a powerful king (1:15-23).
Equality: In light of the fact that we are God's people based on His choice and not our inherent worth, Paul stresses the fact that we have no business judging others or looking down upon them, nor must we feel inferior to those who would do so to us. God has placed all His children on equal footing, and sees them all as equally lovely. (2:11-22; 4:1-6)
Relationships: Although we are all one in Christ, and equally loved, God calls us in our various relationships to model His gentleness and humility. Whether in positions of power or powerlessness, authority or servitude, in whatever role God has placed us in we are to honor Him by honoring the authority of our superiors and using our authority to benefit others (5:21-6:9).
Spiritual Warfare: Ephesians 6 is probably the most well-known passage of Scripture calling us to acknowledge the presence and influence of spiritual forces at work in our lives.