At a glance
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorship | Paul (traditional); some critical scholarship debates |
| Date | ~60-62 AD (during Roman imprisonment) |
| Audience | Ephesian church and likely circular letter |
| Genre | Epistle |
| Purpose | God's cosmic plan in Christ and church and Christian living |
| Chapters | 6 |
Outline
| Section | Chapters | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Doctrinal, heavenly position | 1-3 | God's eternal plan and believer's identity and church mystery |
| Practical, earthly walk | 4-6 | Unity and Christian living and household codes and spiritual warfare |
Main themes
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| God's eternal plan | Ephesians 1, sealed in Christ before foundation of world |
| Salvation by grace | Ephesians 2:8-9, gift of God |
| One new humanity | Ephesians 2:11-22, Jew and Gentile in Christ |
| Church as bride and body and temple | Multiple images |
| Walking worthy | Practical living from new identity |
| Household codes | Ephesians 5:22-6:9 |
| Spiritual warfare | Ephesians 6:10-18, armor of God |
Key passages
- Ephesians 1:3-14, blessings in Christ
- Ephesians 2:1-10, dead in sin → alive in Christ → grace through faith
- Ephesians 2:11-22, Jew and Gentile reconciled
- Ephesians 3:14-21, Paul's prayer
- Ephesians 4:11-16, equipping ministries
- Ephesians 5:22-33, marriage as Christ and Church
- Ephesians 6:1-4, children and parents
- Ephesians 6:10-18, armor of God