Ephesians - Intro

Ephesians is quite different from a number of Paul's other letters in that, unlike Galatians or the Corinthian letters, it does not address a specific theological or church issue. Rather in this letter Paul gives a grand overview of what the church is and how it is to function. Central to all this is the role of Christ as head of the Church. Some people have cast doubt on its Pauline authorship, but there really are no grounds for this. There are some differences in style between this and some of his other letters, but it was a different type of letter, so this is to be expected. Moreover, the letter quite clearly claims to be written by Paul, and the early church accepted its Pauline origins.

It was written during Paul's first imprisonment in AD62-63. It was probably intended as a circular letter, intended to go to several churches in the region of Ephesus. The letter has some similarities to Colossians.

Ephesus was a major city in the Roman empire, with a population of several hundred thousand, and Ephesus figures largely in Acts. The city was wealthy, had a significant Jewish population, and was the home to the temple of Artemis. The temple was a mainstay of the local economy. The gospel brought a challenge to this pagan worship and threatened their livelihoods, hence the riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:21-41).

Paul spent about two years in Ephesus. Many people turned to Christ and abandoned their pagan worship and the associated idols.