The Epistle to the Ephesians—The City and the Church. Title and Time of Writing. Subject. Principal Divisions and Chief Points.
The Epistle to the Philippians—The City and the Church. Occasion. Objects. Time of Writing. Principal Divisions and Chief Points.
III. PAUL'S WRITINGS
STUDY IX
THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST
THIRD GROUP OF EPISTLES
COLOSSIANS. PHILEMON. EPHESIANS. PHILIPPIANS.
THE QUESTION AT ISSUE
The Supremacy of Christ.—These Epistles mark a new stage in the writings of Paul. The great question discussed in the second group of Epistles was in regard to the terms of salvation. The question now at issue (in Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians) is: What is the nature, the rank, the dignity of the Mediator of salvation? Is He one of a series of Saviors? Does He belong to some angelic order (Col. 2:18), or, does He stand supreme (Col. 2:8, 9, 19) and solitary? Is He the Head and Chief of all creation (Col. 2:19; 1:16). Other matters are discussed in these Epistles, but this is the great doctrinal question and burden of the Apostle's thought.
The Reason for the Raising of this Question was the development of certain false religious beliefs among which were, "asceticism, the worship of angels, revelings in supposed visions and belief in emanations." These "degraded the object of faith and so destroyed its meaning and power."