Ephesians Bible Study

[Radagast]

This Bible Study will work through the Epistle to the Ephesians, bit by bit (taking it slowly over Christmas).

To begin with:

Ephesians 1:1-2: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)

Alternatively: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)

Some background questions to start with:

1. When was this letter written?

2. Where was Ephesus? (can someone find a map, please?)

3. What kind of city was Ephesus?

4. Who were these "faithful saints" in Ephesus? Where did they come from? (can someone look up some passages in Acts, please?)

And, now at Christmas and for the coming year, I pray for grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[Joy]

I am answering these questions and will post them in next couple of days

 

[Radagast]

I am answering these questions and will post them in next couple of days

 

[Radagast]

As part of the background, here is a street from the city of Ephesus as it is today:

 

[Radagast]

The large theatre tells us something about the Greek culture of the city. It was also a place for the citizens to assemble:



The brothel tells us something about the morality of the city:

 

[Radagast]

Happy Christmas, everybody!

 

[Joy]

Happy Christmas

 

[Joy]

1. When was this letter written?

The book of Ephesians was likely to be written between A.D. 60-63.

2. Where was Ephesus? (can someone find a map, please?)

3. What kind of city was Ephesus?Ephesus

With Ephesus as their base of operation, Paul and his associates spread the Christian Gospel into the adjacent cities and regions of Asia. Ephesus was a big, cosmopolitan, multicultural, and a political, economic, and religious center, a meeting place for people, goods, and ideas from all over the Mediterranean. Such diversity of culture, cult, and ethnicity was not benign but spawned culture conflict, simmering hostility and ethnic hatreds.
The story of Paul in Ephesus is told in Acts 19:1-20:1. Acts says that he went first to the synagogue, but Ephesus has yet to yield any synagogue remains. From there he moved to the hall of Tyrannus for his ministry of preaching and healing. Paul called his hearers to join a new community, one stripped of ethnicity, and built on self sacrifice and mutual helpfulness.Out of almost three years, Acts details only two incidents to highlight what Paul encountered in Ephesus. The city was known as a center for magic and miracles and the first story is about itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to heal in the name of Jesus as Paul did, but were unsuccessful (Acts 19:13-16). Later a number of converted magicians burned their books on the magic arts. (19:19).
The second incident was the near riot in the theater prompted by the silversmiths' protest against Paul. According to Acts, Paul was so successful ("the word of the Lord grew and prevailed mightily" - Acts 19:20) that he threatened the livelihood of the craftsmen who made silver souvenirs of the Temple of Artemis and sold them to the foreign tourists and pilgrims. Most of the Greek and Egyptian pantheons were present in Ephesus, but Artemis was the patron goddess. Scholars disagree about what she represented, but she seems to have been an amalgamation of the Greek Artemis, the virgin goddess of chastity, and an ancient mother goddess. One source said that the goddess' religion was not characterized by base sensualism or focused on sexuality and fertility, but that it was internationally recognized as a premier religion which appealed to both the social need and personal pietism of the Ephesians.

 

[Joy]

4. Who were these "faithful saints" in Ephesus? Where did they come from? (can someone look up some passages in Acts, please?)
Acts 18 mentions Aquila and Priscilla, a husband and wife team who sometimes worked with Paul in spreading the Gospel.
'After that Paul went from the city of Athens and came to the city of Corinth. 2 He met a Jew there named Aquila who was born in the country of Pontus. He had lived in the country of Italy a short time. His wife Priscilla was with him. Claudius, who was the leader of the country, had told all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla They were tent makers and Paul did the same kind of work so he stayed with them, they worked together and encouraged each other.
In Paul's letters, he refers to Aquila and Priscilla as "his fellow workers in Christ" (Romans 16:3).
They travel with Paul and form a home church in another city (1 Corinthians 16:19).
Thus Paul's friendship encouraged Aquila and Priscilla to become ministers themselves.

God told Paul that there were many believers in this city. In order not to miss anyone,
Further Paul spent three years in Ephesus teaching. Paul teaches them the Word of God and many were baptised in the As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues[b] and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

This was really exciting to study

 

[Radagast]

1. When was this letter written?

The book of Ephesians was likely to be written between A.D. 60-63.

Yes. From Ephesians 6:20 ("I am an ambassador in chains") we learn that it was written from prison -- probably from Rome.

A timeline would be:

* Paul's First Journey 46-49 AD (see map)

* The Council at Jerusalem 49 AD

* Paul's Second Journey 49-52 AD (including a visit to Ephesus -- see Acts 18:18-21)

* Paul's Third Journey 53-58 AD (including 3 years in Ephesus -- see Acts 19, which tells us: "all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks" -- so this letter was written to both Jewish and Greek Christians)

* Paul's Imprisonment in Judea 58-60 AD

* Paul's Voyage to Rome: 60-61 AD

* Paul's Imprisonment in Rome: 61-63 AD

* Ephesians written: about 62 AD

* Paul dies: about 65 AD

 

[Radagast]

Ephesus was a major city in the Roman province called "Asia" -- marked in red on this map of the Roman Empire:

 

[Radagast]

Ephesus was the site of the Temple of Artemis (whom the Romans called Diana). This temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It looked something like this:



Today only a few pillars remain standing:



This Roman coin labelled "DIANA EPHESIA" shows an image of the goddess (photo from British Museum). The fondness for such images lies behind the riot recorded in Acts 19:23-41 as Caron123 said (this passage also mentions the theatre -- see the photograph posted earlier).



Acts 19:23-41: About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. 25 These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. 26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”

28 When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theatre {see photograph of the theatre}, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel. 30 But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. 31 And even some of the Asiarchs {high-ranking officers of the province of Asia}, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theatre. 32 Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defence to the crowd. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

35 And when the town clerk had quietened the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky? 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. 40 For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” 41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly. (ESV)

 

[Radagast]

4. Who were these "faithful saints" in Ephesus? Where did they come from? (can someone look up some passages in Acts, please?)
Acts 18 mentions Aquila and Priscilla, a husband and wife team who sometimes worked with Paul in spreading the Gospel.

Thanks for posting that. Aquila and Priscilla were certainly two important saints, but the "faithful saints" also included all Greek and Jewish Christians in the city.

 

[Radagast]

Any more background material?

After Christmas we'll start to look at the letter itself.

Happy Christmas everyone!

 

[Radagast]

Ephesians 1:1-2: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)

The Greek here is a little confusing, but the words here refer to one group of people -- the faithful saints (who include both Jewish and Gentile Christians). Similar words are used in Colossians 1:2.

As John Calvin writes: "He gives the name of saints to those whom he afterwards denominates faithful in Christ Jesus. No man, therefore, is a believer who is not also a saint; and, on the other hand, no man is a saint who is not a believer."

 

[Radagast]

Ephesians 1:1-2: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)

The words "in Ephesus" are left out of a few manuscripts (e.g. the Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus, and Papyrus p46), although those manuscripts still call the letter "To the Ephesians."

We can therefore be confident that the letter was indeed sent to the Ephesians, although perhaps it was circulated around the province of Asia, with each church substituting their own city, like this:

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in London, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in New York, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

And, of course, the letter also applies to us Christians today, whatever town we live in.

Here is the first page of the letter to the Ephesians in Papyrus p46 (an Egyptian copy of the New Testament from around the year 200 AD). Note the title "to the Ephesians" (προϲ εφεϲιου&#1010 at the top:

 

[Radagast]

Starting at verse 3 after Christmas...

 

[Keachian]

Looking good, I'll have a read of Ephesians tomorrow and start to have a look.

 

[Joy]

Ephesians 1:1-2: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)

The words "in Ephesus" are left out of a few manuscripts (e.g. the Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus, and Papyrus p46), although those manuscripts still call the letter "To the Ephesians."

We can therefore be confident that the letter was indeed sent to the Ephesians, although perhaps it was circulated around the province of Asia, with each church substituting their own city, like this:

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in London, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in New York, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

And, of course, the letter also applies to us Christians today, whatever town we live in.

Here is the first page of the letter to the Ephesians in Papyrus p46 (an Egyptian copy of the New Testament from around the year 200 AD). Note the title "to the Ephesians" (προϲ εφεϲιου&#1010 at the top:

Love how you personalised this

 

[Joy]

Looking good, I'll have a read of Ephesians tomorrow and start to have a look.

Welcome