The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, often shortened to Ephesians, is the tenth book of the New Testament. Its authorship has traditionally been credited to Paul, but it is considered by some scholars to be "deutero-Pauline," that is, written in Paul's name by a later author strongly influenced by Paul's thought.[1][2][3][4] Bible scholar Raymond E. Brown asserts that about 80% of critical scholarship judges that Paul did not write Ephesians,[5] while Perrin and Duling[6] say that of six authoritative scholarly references, "four of the six decide for pseudonymity, and the other two (PCB and JBC) recognize the difficulties in maintaining Pauline authorship. Indeed, the difficulties are insurmountable."
AuthenticityMain article: Authorship of the Pauline Epistles
The first verse in the letter, according to the late manuscripts used in most English translations, reads, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus." (Eph. 1:1 NIV). Hence, the letter identifies Paul as its author, and these manuscripts designate the Ephesian church as its recipient. Ephesians is found in the two earliest canons, and many of the early Church Fathers (including Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Hermas, and Polycarp) support Paul's authorship. However, there are a few problems with this traditional position, including:
The earliest and best known manuscripts omit the words "in Ephesus", rendering the phrase simply as "to the saints ... the faithful in Christ Jesus" (NIV alternative translation).
The letter lacks any references to people in Ephesus, or any events Paul experienced there.
Phrases such as "ever since I heard about your faith"[1:15] might seem to indicate that the writer has no firsthand knowledge of his audience. This presents a problem as the book of Acts records that Paul spent a significant amount of time with the church in Ephesus, and in fact was one of its founders. However, "faith" in this verse is the start of a list of qualities displayed by the recipients of the letter, not a solitary statement about news of faith, full stop. Additionally, the author gives no indication that the report he "heard" was his introduction to the church in Ephesus. It could mean that he received word of the further development and growth of the church in Ephesus, and if Paul--co-founder of that church---wrote the letter, this illuminates his follow-up: "I do not cease to give thanks for you..."[1:16]
There are four main theories in Biblical scholarship that address the question of Pauline authorship.[8]
The traditionalist view that the epistle is written by Paul is supported by scholars that include Ezra Abbot, Asting, Gaugler, Grant, Harnack, Haupt, Fenton John Anthony Hort, Klijn, Johann David Michaelis, A. Robert, and André Feuillet, Sanders, Schille, Brooke Foss Westcott, and Theodor Zahn .[9] For a thorough defense of the Pauline authorship of Ephesians, see Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary by Harold Hoehner, pp 2–61.[10]
A second position suggests that Ephesians was dictated by Paul with interpolations from another author. Some of the scholars that espouse this view include Albertz, Benoit, Cerfaux, Goguel, Harrison, H. J. Holtzmann, Murphy O'Conner, and Wagenfuhrer.
As noted above, most critical scholars think it improbable that Paul authored Ephesians at all. Among this group are Allan, Beare, Brandon, Bultmann, Conzelmann, Dibelius, Goodspeed, Kilsemann, J. Knox, W.L. Knox, Kümmel, K and S Lake, Marxsen, Masson, Mitton, Moffatt, Nineham, Pokorny, Schweizer, and J. Weiss.
Still other scholars suggest there is a lack of conclusive evidence. Some of this group are Cadbury, Julicher, McNeile, and Williams.
The lack of any internal references to Ephesus in the early manuscripts led Marcion, a second-century heretical Gnostic who created the first New Testament canon, to believe that the letter was actually addressed to the church at Laodicea. The view is not uncommon in later traditions either, considering that the content of the letter seems to suggest a similar socio-critical context to the Laodicean church mentioned in the Revelation of John.
Interpretations
Ephesians is notable for its domestic code treatment in 5:22-6:9, covering husband-wife, parent-child, and master-slave relationships. In 5:22, wives are urged to submit to their husbands, and husbands to love their wives "as Christ loved the Church." Christian Egalitarian theologians, such as Katharine Bushnell and Jesse Pen-Lewis, interpret these commands in the context of the preceding verse, 5:21 for all Christians to "submit to one another." Thus, it is two-way, mutual submission of both husbands to wives and wives to husbands. This would be the only instance of this meaning of submission in the whole New Testament, indeed in any extant comparable Greek texts. The word simply does not connote mutuality.[13] Dallas Theological Seminary professor Daniel Wallace understands it to be an extension of 5:15-21 on being filled by the Holy Spirit.[7]
In the context leading up to the American Civil War (1861–65), Ephesians 6:5 on master-slave relationships was one of the Bible verses used by Confederate slaveholders in support of a slaveholding position.[14]
Slaves?! Since the bible is quoted by the RNTG to be strictly adhered to, this can only mean that they are all for the idea of SLAVES. But WAIT! The RNTG will say how the bible in todays society cannot be taken quite so literally and that slaves are from the past. Again, proving they pick and choose what they wish from the bible to suit their own agenda and all others are wrong.
