Where it fits

Ephesians is the tenth book of the New Testament, with six chapters. The letter says it was written by Paul from prison (3:1; 4:1), probably in Rome around AD 60. Some scholars question Paul's authorship because of the letter's style, while many others hold that he wrote it. Some early manuscripts leave out “in Ephesus” in the first verse, so it may have been meant for several churches. Read straight through, it takes about fifteen minutes.

Who, to whom, and why

Unlike Galatians or 1 Corinthians, Ephesians isn't answering a crisis. It reads like a long, thoughtful prayer followed by practical advice, and it divides neatly in half.

Chapters 1 to 3 describe what God has done. He chose people in Christ before the world began, forgave them, and raised them to new life by grace (1:3–2:10). He broke down the wall between Jews and non-Jews and made them one new people (2:11–22), and Paul prays that the church would grasp the breadth of Christ's love (3:14–21). Chapters 4 to 6 describe how to live in light of that. Believers are to keep unity, put off the old way of life and put on the new, speak truthfully, forgive, live in love, and follow Christ in marriage, family, and work. The letter ends with the armor of God for spiritual struggle (6:10–20).

Three ideas to hold on to

1. Grace runs from beginning to end. Believers are chosen, forgiven, and saved by grace through faith, not by their own effort (2:8–9).
2. God is making one new people. Jews and non-Jews are joined in one body, and Paul says this is part of God's plan to bring everything together in Christ (1:10; 2:14–16).
3. Faith shapes ordinary life. How we speak, handle anger, work, and treat our families all belong to the new life (4:25–5:2; 5:21–6:9).

Passages people ask about

• Ephesians 1:3–14. A single flowing sentence in Greek, praising God for what he has done in Christ.
• Ephesians 2:8–10. Saved by grace through faith, and created for good works.
• Ephesians 2:11–22. Walls come down. Paul describes Christ breaking the barrier between Jews and non-Jews and making the two groups one household.
• Ephesians 3:14–21. Paul's prayer that the church would know the width, length, height, and depth of Christ's love.
• Ephesians 4:1–16. A call to unity, with one body, one Spirit, one hope, and gifts given to build up the church.
• Ephesians 5:21–6:9. The household instructions. They begin with mutual submission and were written within an ancient setting. Christians still discuss how to apply them today.
• Ephesians 6:10–20. The armor of God. Paul says our struggle is not against flesh and blood.

How it points to Jesus

Ephesians puts Christ at the center of the whole universe. God's plan is to bring everything together in him (1:10), and he is head over all things for the church (1:22). Christ is the cornerstone of the new community (2:20), and his sacrificial love for the church is the model for marriage (5:25). The letter shows that the story that began in Genesis ends in unity under Christ.

A common misunderstanding

Many readers jump straight to the marriage instructions in 5:22 and miss the sentence before them, which calls everyone to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (5:21). Paul then spends far more words on the husband's duty to love as Christ loved, giving himself up, than on the wife's role. The passage is about sacrificial love, and it was striking in its setting. Christians still discuss how to apply it, but it can't be read as permission for control.