Again, in ch. iii. 2 Paul, at the word “Gentiles,” enters into a digression about his specific commission as their apostle. Just as to the Galatian Church he expatiates on the special grace bestowed by God and recognised by the “pillars” of the Church, so here he magnifies his office, and his words here no more prove that he had never seen his readers than the section of Galatians (Gal. ii. 6–9) proves that he did not know the Galatians. Even supposing they did, it surely would not be an astonishing thing that in the ever-shifting population of a seaport many may have joined the Church since St. Paul was in Ephesus. That this was the place to which St. Paul sent his messenger with the letter before us cannot be demonstratively shown; but we feel something like conviction by considering: (a) that the preponderant evidence of the MSS. says “Ephesus”; (b) that the versions are unanimous as an echo of the MSS.; (c) that the entire ancient Church has spoken of the epistle as “to the Ephesians,” Marcion’s voice being the only exception; (d) the improbability of St. Paul writing “to the saints which are” without adding the name of some place; (e) “Ephesus” more easily meets internal difficulties than any other place. This, in substance, is Bishop Ellicott’s view. Still, we cannot regard it as impossible that “Ephesus” may comprise many Churches in the vicinity, and therefore regard the letter as really encyclical, even though it were proved that St. Paul wrote “to the saints at Ephesus.”

Analysis of the Epistle.

i.1, 2.Salutation. Joy and well-being to those in Christ.
3–14.Hymn of praise to the Father, who worked out in Christ Hispre-temporal designs of beneficence, and gave pledge of theyet more glorious consummation of His Divine will in thebestowal of the Holy Ghost.
15–23.Thanksgiving of the apostle over their fidelity, and his prayerfor their complete illumination in the incorporation of theGentiles in the mystical body of Christ, “the Head.”
ii.1–10.The power that delivered Christ from bodily corruption in thetomb saved His members out of the corruption of fleshlylusts, thus silencing every human boast and magnifying theDivine grace.
11–22.Wholesome reminder of their former distance from Christ ascontrasted with present union with Him, and union with theJews in Him, being led to the Father with them.
iii.1–13.Paul’s familiar statement of the origin of his apostolate asspecially commissioned—“ambassador extraordinary” to theGentiles.
14–19.Prayer that by “power and faith and love” they may grasp“the mystery,” and become brimful of love Divine.
20, 21.Doxology to the doctrinal half of the epistle.
iv.1–16.Exhortation to a practical observation of this doctrinal unity bythe thought that every member of Christ is necessary in itsfull development to the perfection of the body of which Christis the Head.
17–24.Casting off the old and putting on the new man.
25—v. 21.Exhortation to conduct in harmony with the new nature.
v. 22—vi. 9.Relative duties of wives and husbands, children and parents,servants and masters.
vi.10–18.The Christian panoply.
19, 20.Apostle’s request for prayers.
21, 22.Personalia.
23, 24.A twin doxology, reversing the order of the salutation—“Peaceand grace.”

Genuineness of the epistle.—Dr. Ellicott sums up the matter briefly by saying, “There is no just ground on which to dispute the genuineness.” Arguments based on certain expressions in the body of the letter have been speciously urged against its genuineness by De Wette and others; and Holzmann has “learnedly maintained that the epistle is only the expansion of a short letter to the Colossians by some writer about the close of the first century” (Godet).

“We have, on the other hand, subjective arguments, not unmixed with arrogance, but devoid of sound historical basis; on the other hand, unusually convincing counter-investigations and the unvarying testimony of the ancient Church.” Adverse arguments have been answered so satisfactorily and sometimes so crushingly as to leave no room for doubt. Those who cannot read the epistle without being moved by the peculiar loftiness, by the grandeur of conception, by the profound insight, by the eucharistic inspiration they recognise in it, will require strong evidence to persuade them that it was written by some other man who wished it to pass as St. Paul’s.

The practical design of the epistle.—The object is to set forth the ground, course, aim, and end of the Church of the faithful in Christ. The Ephesians are a sample of the Church universal. The key to the epistle may be found in the opening sentence (ver. 3). Fixing his eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, the apostle opens his mind to the blessings which radiate forth from Him, and from the Father through Him, upon the whole world. The mind of God towards men unveiled in Christ, the relation of men towards God exhibited in Christ, the present spiritual connection of men with Christ, the hopes of which Christ is the ground and assurance, the laws imposed by the life of Christ upon human life—these are the blessings for which he gives thanks. Christ embracing humanity in Himself is the subject of the epistle. St. Paul tells with strict faithfulness what he has read and seen in Christ; Christ fills the whole sphere of his mind.

CHAPTER I.

CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.

Ver. 1. To the saints.—Dismiss the commonly accepted meaning. Not men who by hard and rigorous methods have reached the heights where but few abide, but those who, as the elect of God, are separated from everything unholy and kept for God’s peculiar possession (1 Pet. ii. 9). And faithful.—Sometimes the word may mean “believers,” sometimes “trustworthy.” “The use of the adjective for the Christian brotherhood cannot be assigned rigidly either to the one meaning or the other. Its very comprehensiveness was in itself a valuable lesson” (Lightfoot).

Ver. 2. Grace . . . and peace.—The light-hearted Greek salutation was, “Rejoice”; the more sober Hebrew—our Lord’s own—was, “Peace be to you.” Here both unite.