Ephesians

Definition and Meaning

Ephesians is one of the Pauline epistles of the New Testament and consists of six chapters. The author identifies himself as a prisoner (Ephesians 3:1; 4:1). For this reason it is grouped with Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon as one of the "Prison Epistles" (letters written from prison). Chapters 1–3 explain God's plan of salvation and the nature of the church, while chapters 4–6 urge believers to live in a manner consistent with that teaching.

Biblical and Historical Background

Ephesus was a major port city in Asia Minor (present-day western Turkey). Acts 19 records that Paul stayed and taught there for an extended period. Traditionally, the letter is regarded as having been written while Paul was imprisoned in Rome.

Some early manuscripts lack the words "at Ephesus" in 1:1. For this reason, some hold that it was a circular letter read by several churches in turn. Since the modern era, some scholars have argued that a disciple of Paul wrote it, citing differences in style and its similarity in content to Colossians. Conservative scholars, by contrast, maintain that Paul wrote it himself.

Its principal themes include the following:

• Salvation received by grace through faith (2:8–9)
• Christ, who has broken down "the middle wall of partition" between Jews and Gentiles (2:14)
• Unity in one body and one Spirit (4:4–6)
• The various offices given to build up the church (4:11–12)
• The relationship between husbands and wives (5:22–33)
• The whole armour of God (6:10–17)

Use in the Korean Church

Ephesians 2:8 is a verse that many church members have memorized. Chapter 5 is frequently used as a sermon text at wedding services, and the whole armour of God in chapter 6 is widely used in sermons emphasizing spiritual warfare and prayer. The phrase in 4:12, "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry," is often cited as a basis for the discipleship training movement, which emphasizes the training of the laity.

Some passages are interpreted differently across denominations. Regarding "he hath chosen us … before the foundation of the world" in 1:4–5, the Calvinist tradition, including Presbyterians, reads it as a basis for the unconditional election of individuals, that is, for the doctrine of predestination. The Wesleyan tradition, including Methodists and Holiness churches, understands the passage as God's choosing of those who are in Christ, or interprets it in connection with God's foreknowledge.

Interpretations also differ on 5:22, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands." Some read it together with the preceding verse (5:21), "Submitting yourselves one to another," as a call to mutual submission, while others see it as describing order within the household. This verse is also frequently cited in discussions of women's ordination.