At a glance
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorship | Paul (traditional); some critical scholarship debates |
| Date | ~60-62 AD (during Roman imprisonment) |
| Audience | Ephesian church + likely circular letter |
| Genre | Epistle |
| Purpose | God's cosmic plan in Christ + church + Christian living |
| Chapters | 6 |
Outline
| Section | Chapters | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Doctrinal, heavenly position | 1-3 | God's eternal plan + believer's identity + church mystery |
| Practical, earthly walk | 4-6 | Unity + Christian living + household codes + spiritual warfare |
Main themes
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| God's eternal plan | Eph.1, sealed in Christ before foundation of world |
| Salvation by grace | Eph.2.8-9, gift of God |
| One new humanity | Eph.2.11-22, Jew + Gentile in Christ |
| Church as bride + body + temple | Multiple images |
| Walking worthy | Practical living from new identity |
| Household codes | Eph.5.22-6:9 |
| Spiritual warfare | Eph.6.10-18, armor of God |
Key passages
- Eph.1.3-14, blessings in Christ
- Eph.2.1-10, dead in sin → alive in Christ → grace through faith
- Eph.2.11-22, Jew + Gentile reconciled
- Eph.3.14-21, Paul's prayer
- Eph.4.11-16, equipping ministries
- Eph.5.22-33, marriage as Christ + Church
- Eph.6.1-4, children + parents
- Eph.6.10-18, armor of God