The letter to the Ephesians is traditionally understood to have been written by Paul while he was in prison (Ephesians 3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,… , Ephesians 6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds:…). Why would any challenge the identity of Paul as the author? So, before establishing a date for the letter, Let’s first address the question of authorship.
Unlike most other Pauline letters, Ephesian does not contain personal greetings to any individuals in Ephesus. This is surprising, since the book of Acts describes a close and intimate relationship between Paul and the church there. Ephesians 1:15 could be read to indicate that the author had heard about the faith of the Ephesians without personally experiencing it – something that would not be true of Paul. However, this is not the only way to understand the verse. Interestingly, the phrase, “at Ephesus” in 1:1 is not in all manuscripts of the book, and there are no other references in the book that clearly tie the book to the actual church of Ephesus.
Despite some objections, the overall evidence seems to weigh in favor of Pauline authorship. First of all, in Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God…, the author calls himself Paul. Although it was not uncommon in that day to falsely attribute a writing to a more famous person in a sort of reverse plagiarism, this doesn’t seem to be the case in Ephesians. The final closing has a promise to send Tychicus to Ephesus (Ephesians 6:21-22 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.) with all the latest personal news about Paul. If this passage was not written by Paul, it would be a very subtle attempt at deception indeed. The theology of Ephesians is typical of Paul, with the emphasis on salvation by grace through faith and not works. The pattern of the book is also typical of Paul, with theology first and practical instructions afterward.
Ignatius of Antioch (37-107 A.D.) wrote to the Ephesians near the end of his life (Ignatius to Ephesians chapter 6) and said “And ye are, as Paul wrote to you, one body and one spirit, because ye have also been called in one hope of the faith. Since also there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all. Such, then, are ye, having been taught by such instructors, Paul the Christ-bearer, and Timothy the most faithful.” Ignatius here is quoting from Ephesians 4:4-6, and attributing it to Paul and Timothy. Since the life of Ignatius significantly overlapped that of Paul, his early witness to Pauline authorship is compelling.
This then is a letter written by Paul while he is in prison. Paul had an emotional parting from the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:17-38, and this imprisonment should be understood as being after that, either in Caesarea (57-59 AD.) or Rome (60-62 AD.). It is not possible to definitively decide which location is correct, but the best guess may be based on the connection between Ephesians and Colossians. Tychicus (Colossians 4:7, Ephesians 6:21-22) is bringing news of the imprisoned Paul in each. Since Colossians was apparently carried along with Philemon and a now unknown letter to Laodicea, it seems likely that all these letters were carried by Tychicus together, as a package. Ephesus was about 100 miles from Colossi, and a traveler from Rome to Colossi might pass through Ephesus. Thus, we should date the letter to the Ephesians in 61 or 62 AD.
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