historical background of ephesians pdf

Date – The letter to the Ephesians was written during Paul’s Roman imprisonment between 60 and 62 AD. ÕÇXÁ±þ0 Õta° This view is the background of much of 1 John (see 1:1; 2:22; 4:2–3 and notes). Paradoxically, this dualism also led … 26.5% of the words used in Ephesians are found in Colossians. They were the tribes of the nation Israel that descended from the family of Jacob. Ephesians Historical Background We must understand Ephesus if we want to understand the Book of Ephesians. The Book of Ephesians was written to “God’s holy people in Ephesus” (Ephesians 1:1, NIV). 1 Much of what follows is adapted from Donald Guthrie, New Testament Introduction, pp. 0000002315 00000 n One of the seven wonders of the world was in Ephesus. 99 0 obj <> endobj Because it was also at an intersection of major trade routes, Ephesus became a commercial center. It was a large temple dedicated to a goddess named Diana (Artemis). Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: (NIV) Ephesians 1:1-3 From: Sha'ul ("Shaa-ool"), by God's will an emissary of the Messiah Yeshua. endstream endobj 100 0 obj <> endobj 101 0 obj <> endobj 102 0 obj <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/ExtGState<>>> endobj 103 0 obj <> endobj 104 0 obj [/ICCBased 108 0 R] endobj 105 0 obj <> endobj 106 0 obj <> endobj 107 0 obj <>stream It is interesting to note and observe that while the New Testament often refers to the church, it does not speak of going … God Worked in Creation, Making Humans Workers in His Image (Colossians 1:1–14) God at Work, Jesus at Work (Colossians 1:15–20) Jesus, the Image of the Invisible God (Colossians 1:15–29) “I’m … ��{��9 ��BwX�D8��]RDW��*�"f"�+��V-��N`c-�]��K��N��n�:��)z��b��T� #�HtbJB�b��Y^8�ӹH�.``h`�` ��*��-�T��\�\I(��,��a Q� �yB�T ��k��AS^*��1�w�4΀X�`�hF٧@� �m�8��Q/H3? %%EOF 0000002237 00000 n Jewish believers at this time grew up following the law and believing that their obedience meant their salvation.… hޜ�wTT��Ͻwz��0�z�.0��. Some assumptions about Ephesians itself and the role of this passage in this letter. Ephesus was a port city for the west coast of Asia during the period of the New Testament . Ephesians describes the church as God's new humanity, a colony in which the Lord of history has established a foretaste of the renewed unity and dignity of the … Audience – Paul wrote to the network of house churches in Western Asia Minor, in and near Ephesus. For a brief time at the end of his second missionary journey, and then for more than two years on his third missionary journey, )ɩL^6 �g�,qm�"[�Z[Z��~Q��7%��"� uJǹ�'c��~��v��[�Ϣ�lQ��[��T�!�w��ƌ��|յX9��Y�H��:jBaJ��n�ks��ͮ3��lF.�JJ�Ij|A��-��Ǯ)��9(�Ot�Q�M��}��4�3X��Me��R=h��f��^��3�%��D�W>�أe�^�,�� 0 �&ր Colossians are found in Ephesians. ��3��R� `̊j��[�~ :� w��! The temple and streets were lined with immoral goddess prostitutes. The book of Joshua describes the conquest and possession of the land of Canaan and may be divided into three simple divisions: (1) invasion or entrance, (2) conquest, and (3) possession or division of the land. The Historical and Cultural Context of the Text The writer "The most uncontroverted matter in the study of Galatians is that the letter was written by Paul, the Christian apostle whose ministry is portrayed in the Acts of the Apostles. The City of Ephesus was a center of trade in the Roman Empire largely due to its geographical location on the Mediterranean Sea thus enabling the city to be a vital port in the region of Asia Minor. Eventually, the city clerk was able to bring order to the theater and dismiss the crowd. trailer 0000002849 00000 n 3:1, 4:1). 0000000948 00000 n Doing a historical background study is helpful in understanding the specific situation and setting of the author and the reader of biblical literature. $O./� �'�z8�W�Gб� x�� 0Y驾A��@$/7z�� H��e��O��OҬT� �_��lN:K��"N��3"��$�F��/JP�rb�[䥟}�Q��d[��S��l1��x{��#b�G�\N��o�X3I��[ql2�� $�8�x��t�r p��/8�p��C��f�q��.K�njm͠{r2�8��?��. It was written to encourage believers to walk as fruitful followers of Christ and to serve in unity and love in the midst of persecution. It had a harbor that at that time opened into the Cayster River (see map, p. 2429), which in turn emptied into the Aegean Sea (see map, p. 2599). To analyze this letter fully, it is important to consider it in conjunction with Colossians and … The city of Ephesus was a large commercial port city … 0000001993 00000 n We can do this by learning the historical … x�b```f`` Introduction to Ephesians AUTHOR: The apostle Paul (Eph 1:1; 3:1). �tq�X)I)B>==�� ȉ��9. This background information comes in handy when James starts to reference things like “the Law”. It's also important to discover the author's intended meaning of the text in order to interpret it. 4). Written in 62 A.D. Apostle Paul explains the identity of the newcomers in Christ both Jews and Gentiles having been brought together into one body with Jesus Christ at the head. }��\C��ܝ4�*�Z�M�C$��9Ar��S�{P��\mkoq�ԞV.겴�"0;�_d�)��9� Historical Background In the beginning of the book of Ephesians, Paul specifically states that he is the author of the letter to Ephesians, though the authenticity of Paul’s authorship has been questioned. This is the land God had promised Israel through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Why do we give background? He sailed to Macedonia and then traveled to Greece where he stayed for three months. hތ��n�0��#q��:��D9� !.�[o1Jȁ��c��t[��d��3��y��EK�fZ��`�w��|N��-��v�P��U��E��DxF z=fAO��4�I��[Bc�ˍ��m>��o��+X�r��DR��? Polycarp (125 A.D.) attests to its canonicity in his own epistle to the Philippians (chapter 12). 612-614, Brevard S. Childs, The New Testament as Canon: An Introduction, pp. This ascetic form of Gnosticism is the background of part of the letter to the Colossians (see Col 2:21,23 and notes). Ephesians towers over Paul’s thirteen known epistles in its exaltation of the glory of God and His grace toward the church. Ephesians chapters 1-3 wonderfully expound the Gospel while Ephesians chapters 4-6 provide a clear picture of how those doctrines change our lives. endstream endobj 210 0 obj <>stream 0000000516 00000 n As a chief commercial center, Ephesus was a “melting pot of nations and ethnic groups.” All people are by nature spiritually dead. BACKGROUND: . THE LITERARY SOURCES AND HISTORICAL IMPLICATIONS OF EPHESIANS A. J. DICKINSON, D.D. Joshua describes the military triumph of God’s people through faith and obedience. Here God fulfilled that promise, though not exhaustively since there still remains a rest for the people of God (Heb. xref The Acts of the Apostles - History & Background Preface This is the second of a two volume set of Luke's writings, it's companion volume being the Gospel of Luke.At the end of the Gospel of Luke Jesus says "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." After this, Paul called the disciples together, embraced them, and de-parted for Macedonia (Acts 20:1). The City of Ephesus Ephesus was the most important city in western Asia Minor (now Turkey). Paul is sending the slave Onesimus back to his master Philemon, in the care of Tychicus. HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK OF FIRST CENTURY EPHESUS. EPHESIANS Pastor David Legge 4 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ". Historical, Sociopolitical, Cultural Context of Ephesians The ruins of Ephesus can be found today on the west coast of the country of Turkey. 0000001196 00000 n Early sources in church history that attribute this letter to Paul include: Irenaeus (200 A.D.), Clement of Alexandria (200 A.D.), and Origen (250 A.D.). Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the hymnwriter, wrote these words about the book of Ephesians - he said: 'It is the divinest composition of It was not necessarily written to the believers in the city of Ephesus. 479-521, T. K. Abbott, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians, ICC, pp. The below chart will help underline and point out these similarities. HtT[o0~Ï¯8 j{TUÚÒMZ¥JÊj¢Á Þ(FÆõßïØ&4½ì!`s¾ï;×òfõív«pyyq»ýq 4««¯×æ²,c PVÊ=àcÊðMÌ+#!8JBt(VôË?Á30æÀ<0øMÝw@BB)( ÜØS¿åØ1áÎ Ñ¬ýIa%Y¡õÊûÕ ýòÉfÎÐ&`!c±s¹÷@@7îz¡öCÈ`çÅ. Therefore, prior to carefully exegeting Ephesians, it is important to gain an understanding of the epistle’s authorship, its recipients, its historical background, and its themes and central message. The book of Ephesians is a Prison Epistle (letter written while in prison). This would further seem to suggest, as I have believed, that not only did Paul write the book of Colossians, but that he wrote Colossians before writing the book of Ephesians. 0000001956 00000 n 99 11 Then, he, with his Ephesians Summary by Jay Smith. 311-328. Background on Colossae and the Colossians; Colossians and Work. Qf� �Ml��@DE��H��b!(�`HPb0��dF�J|yy��ǽ��g�s��{��. Paul wrote it about 60-62 A.D. "1 The reason is because the writer … Author – The Apostle Paul. Contrary to what is probably the majority opinion in current New Testament scholarship, I think the Ephesian letter is by Paul. Since the body was considered evil, it was to be treated harshly. Ephesians Historical Background for Passage Originally named Ephesians. Furthermore, I think the letter has to be kept in its historical context as a companion letter with Colossians and Philemon. What stands out about Ephesians is the awe with which it contemplates the mystery of the Church. 0000001081 00000 n They disobey … 0000000016 00000 n Ephesians, written around the same time as Paul’s epistle to the Colossians, remains an important piece of historical evidence that also preserves some important doctrinal concepts. startxref Birmingham, Alabama The more we study Paul the more we see that Paulinism is the application of the gospel to human affairs. 0 Study Notes on Ephesians Page #6 Introductory Thoughts about Commentaries Only the Scriptures provide an infallible, authoritatively inspired revelation of God’s will for man (2 Timothy 3:16,17). <<9CE847119CE8DA4E8380EBCFA419AA85>]>> For example, in chapters 1-3 Paul depicts the birth and purpose of the church while in the later section, we get a picture of … The letters of the apostles are not studied productions but are born of … The key personalities of Ephesians are the Apostle Paul and Tychicus. Signing the name of an influential person of the period was common practice from “the third century BC to the first century AD.” Historical Background- Ephesians The letter to the Ephesians was written probably during Paul’s imprisonment in Rome between 60 and 62 AD. @� ��_� Ephesians: Background • Context: Written in 61-62, when Paul was a prisoner in Rome (cf. the Ephesians” (Acts 19:34). %PDF-1.4 %�� For the purpose of our study of the book of James - or of any epistle - it is of interest to note whether the audience was made up of mostly Jewish or Gentile believers. i-xxiii, Harold W. Hoehner, “Ephesians,” in BKC, pp. The letter seems to have been written to the church that he founded in Ephesus, and it seems that he intended for it to circulate around the churches in Western Asia Minor (present day Turkey). He also sent along the letter to the Colossian church. Genesis 49:1-28tells you exactly who the 12 tribes are. $E}k��yh�y�Rm��333��:� }�=#�v��ʉe endstream endobj 108 0 obj <>stream Because the only way to understand a piece of literature is by using the Grammatical-Historical or what we call the Literal Method of Interpretation, one branch of which is the historical background which forms the context for … 0000000866 00000 n Ephesians offers general instruction in the truths of God’s redemptive work in Christ; the unity of the church among diverse peoples; and proper conduct in the church, the home, and the world. Ephesus was a large prosperous city in Asia Minor. Key Themes. 109 0 obj <>stream Ephesians : Introduction & Background.