CORNERSTONE BIBLICAL COMMENTARY

TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS, INC.

Contents

Contributors to Volume 16................................viGeneral Editor's Preface.................................viiAbbreviations............................................ixTransliteration and Numbering System.....................xiiiEPHESIANS................................................1PHILIPPIANS..............................................139COLOSSIANS...............................................2271 & 2 THESSALONIANS......................................313PHILEMON.................................................415

Chapter One

The letter to the Ephesians has long been a favorite among Christians over the centuries. It contains the leading themes of Pauline literature, and it expresses Paul's motive for his ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. The ideas in Ephesians represent the crown of Paulinism (Dodd 1929:1224-1225) or the "quintessence of Paulinism" (Bruce 1967:303). The book of Ephesians, presenting an exalted view of the church and its relationship to the exalted Christ, contributed richly to the first-century believers' understanding of eternal truths. Its message is just as rich and relevant to today's church.

AUTHOR

Prior to the last two centuries, Paul's authorship of this letter was not questioned, but much has been written in the past 200 years that casts doubts on his authorship. An examination of this problem will be divided into two parts: The traditional view of Pauline authorship will be stated, and then various arguments used to suggest that Ephesians was written by someone other than Paul will be introduced.

The Traditional View of Pauline Authorship. The traditional view of Pauline authorship is based on internal and external evidence. Regarding internal evidence, Ephesians clearly claims to have been written by Paul. In typical Pauline fashion, he opened his letter with the identifier: "Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus" (1:1; cf. 1 Cor 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; Gal 1:1; Col 1:1). He again mentioned his name in 3:1, which is consistent with his other letters (2 Cor 10:1; Gal 5:2; Col 1:23; 4:18; 1 Thess 2:18; 2 Thess 3:17; Phlm 1:19). Descriptions mentioned in the first person singular (3:1; 4:1) correspond with depictions of Paul from his other letters (Phil 1:13, 17; Col 4:3; Phlm 1:1, 9) and from Acts (Acts 25:14, 27; 28:17; cf. 16:37; 21:33; 24:27; 26:29). Thus, the internal evidence of Paul's claim of authorship of this letter clearly corresponds with other letters written by him.

Regarding external evidence, Ephesians has the earliest attestation of any New Testament book. As early as the late first century or very early second century, Clement of Rome (fl. 96) mentions "one God and one Christ and one Spirit," which probably alludes to Ephesians 4:4-6. Furthermore, Clement's prayer that God would "open the eyes of our heart that we might know you [God]" is an allusion to Ephesians 1:17-18, the mention of "the senseless and darkened heart" is an allusion to Ephesians 4:18, and his exhortation to "let each be subject to his neighbor" is reminiscent of Ephesians 5:21. Ignatius (AD 35-107/8), bishop of Antioch, seems to allude to Ephesians 5:1-2 when he mentions that the Ephesians were imitators of God by their demonstration of love to him, and he also shows familiarity with the armor of God described in chapter 6. Polycarp (AD 69-135), bishop of Smyrna, quotes Ephesians 4:26 and Psalm 4:5 and calls them both Scripture, making Ephesians the first New Testament epistle to be called "Scripture" by the apostolic fathers. Polycarp also makes reference to Ephesians 2:5, 8-9 and 6:11-17, further indicating his acquaintance with the letter. Furthermore, Irenaeus (AD 130-200), Clement of Alexandria (AD 150-215), the Muratorian Canon (possibly from Rome; ca. AD 170-200), and Tertullian of Carthage (AD 166-220) acknowledge that Ephesians is a letter by Paul. Hence, Ephesians is not only the first New Testament book to have been recognized as Scripture, but its attestation of Pauline authorship is very early and from various geographical areas of the New Testament world.

The Dispute over Pauline Authorship. Despite this early and diverse attestation to Paul as the author of Ephesians, many scholars throughout the past 200 years have posited arguments for rejecting Pauline authorship. Six of the major objections will be discussed here-each followed by an analysis and a rebuttal.

1. Impersonal nature. It was not until 1792 that an English clergyman named Evanson (1792:261-262) first doubted Pauline authorship of Ephesians. He posited that it was inconsistent for the writer of Ephesians to claim that he had just heard of the Ephesians' faith (1:15-16), when according to Acts, Paul had spent more than two years at Ephesus. Paul first arrived in Ephesus at the end of his second missionary journey in the autumn of 52, and after a short ministry he left for Jerusalem, leaving Priscilla and Aquila there (Acts 18:18-21). A year later (in autumn of 53), on his third missionary journey, he returned to Ephesus and remained there for two and a half years, leaving in the spring of 56 (Acts 19:1-20:1). A year after that (in spring of 57), he visited the elders of Ephesus at Miletus on his way to Jerusalem from Corinth (Acts 20:16-38). It is argued that since Paul spent considerable time with the Ephesians, it seems remarkable that he speaks of "having heard" of their faith and love (1:15) and further that he closes the letter with a brief impersonal farewell. In addition, Paul questions whether or not they had heard of the administration of the grace of God given him to minister to Gentiles, including those at Ephesus (3:2), and also questions their reception of the instruction they received (4:21). Interestingly, there are no personal greetings to individuals in the Ephesian church. By contrast, in letters such as the one addressed to Rome, a place he had never visited, there are extended greetings from him in the last two chapters of the book.

The impersonal tone of the letter, however, is not extraordinary. First, Paul was not obligated to give personal greetings at the end of each letter; there are none in 2 Corinthians, Galatians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, or Philippians, for example. In the case of 2 Corinthians, Paul had stayed with them for 18 months, and in that of Galatians, he had been with them only a few months before he wrote his letter. Even though greetings are absent in these books, very few deny their Pauline authorship. Second, though the letter addresses those in Ephesus, it may have been an encyclical letter intended for other churches in the area. An example of this is the Colossian letter, which was addressed specifically to the Colossians (Col 1:2) but was to be read by the Laodiceans, who in turn were to let the Colossians read the letter addressed to them (Col 4:16). It is not improbable to surmise that a letter addressed to a city like Ephesus may have been intended to go elsewhere as well. It is true that the letter to the Colossians is more personal, but this may be explained by the fact that Colossae and Laodicea were neighboring villages and the people of both communities knew each other. On the other hand, Ephesus was not only a commercial and political center in western Asia Minor but also the center of Paul's ministry from which many other churches were started by him and his disciples during and after his stay there. Hence, it is reasonable to think that this letter would go to many other churches within Ephesus and the surrounding areas, which would explain the lack of the personal element. As already mentioned, Galatians has no personal greetings and was an encyclical letter, since it was addressed to the "churches of Galatia" (Gal 1:2). Third, since Paul had not visited Ephesus for five or six years, it is likely that there were many new believers with whom he had little or no acquaintance. Furthermore, he may not have wished to single out those whom he knew since his emphasis was on the unity of all believers. Fourth, the letter to the Ephesians is not completely impersonal. Paul mentions the fact that he is praying for them (1:16), and he asks for their prayers (6:19-20), which indicate some familiarity with the believers there. Moreover, it seems that the better Paul knew a church, the fewer personal greetings he gave. For example, Romans, where Paul had never been, has the most extensive greetings, while in the letters to the church in Thessalonica, where Paul had been only a few weeks earlier, has no greetings. It may be that one of the reasons for personal greetings was to strengthen his credibility. If this were the case, greetings would be most necessary in the cities where he had never been. Conversely, it would be least necessary in letters to churches where the recipients knew him well. Thus, the impersonal tone of the letter in no way necessitates the denial of Pauline authorship of Ephesians.

2. Language and style. With regards to language it is suggested that Ephesians has too many unique words to be Pauline. Statistically, Ephesians has 2,425 words with a total vocabulary of 529 words. There are 41 words Paul used only in Ephesians while 84 words in Ephesians are not found elsewhere in Paul's writings but do occur elsewhere in the New Testament. How does this compare with other Pauline literature? Galatians has similar characteristics, namely, 2,220 words with a total vocabulary of 526 words; and virtually no one doubts its Pauline authorship. There are 35 words Paul used only in Galatians and there are 90 words in Galatians that are not found elsewhere in Paul but do occur elsewhere in the New Testament. Hence, the total vocabulary is about the same, Ephesians has slightly more words unique to the NT than Galatians, and Galatians has more words not used elsewhere in Paul but elsewhere in the New Testament-even though Galatians is ten percent

COMMENTARY ON Ephesians

* I. The Calling of the Church (1:1-3:21) A. Prologue (1:1-2)

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.

I am writing to God's holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.

2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

NOTES

1:1 This letter is from Paul. As with other Pauline letters, Ephesians follows the normal pattern of Hellenistic letters with respect to its opening, body, and closing. The opening is similar to openings of other letters by Paul. As discussed in the Introduction, there has been considerable debate in recent centuries as to whether or not Paul is truly the author of this epistle. Although some differences exist when compared to the other Pauline letters, there is no reason to doubt Pauline authorship, which has the earliest attestation among the church fathers concerning any New Testament book (see Introduction).

chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. This statement is in keeping with other Pauline literature; it affirms that Paul was not self-appointed.

I am writing to God's holy people in Ephesus. "God's holy people" is rendered "saints" in other translations. It refers to people who have put their trust in Christ Jesus. The word "saints" (hagiois [[sup.TG]40/A, [sup.ZG]41]) does not imply inherent goodness but rather separateness, that is, people set aside to serve God (L&N 53.46). As indicated in the Introduction (see "Audience"), many scholars have questioned the reading "in Ephesus," because the words are lacking in the three earliest mss (P46 [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] B) and the tone of the letter is very impersonal, strongly suggesting it was an encyclical (Comfort 2005:345-346). However, the words "in Ephesus" have decent manuscript support with widespread geographical attestation ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] A B2 D F G 0278 33 M it syr cop) and are included in most English versions (KJV, NASB, NEB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). Notably, the letter is not addressed to a church in Ephesus, but to the saints in that city, and this may well mean that there were many congregations within the city and also that it may have been read by many churches started by Paul or his converts in the surrounding area, namely, western Asia Minor.

who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. This may appear to imply that only faithful believers are being addressed. Actually in the Greek text it is not the relative pronoun "who" that introduces these words but the conjunction kai [[sup.TG]2532, [sup.ZG]2779] (and), which could be translated "that is," and the word "faithful" could be translated "believers"; the resulting translation would be "that is, believers in Christ Jesus." Hence, "God's holy people in Ephesus" are further defined as "believers in Christ Jesus."

1:2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. This is a greeting that is not unlike other Pauline letters (Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; 2 Thess 1:2; 1 Tim 1:2; 2 Tim 1:2; Titus 1:4; Phlm 1:3).

COMMENTARY

The writer of this letter immediately identifies himself as Paul, an apostle, belonging to and sent by Christ Jesus. The greeting is typical of letters in Paul's day. In modern-Western culture, a letter begins with the address followed by the date of writing, then we greet the recipient: "Dear ____." The body of the letter follows with our name signed at the end. In Paul's day the writer began the letter by identifying himself or herself. Translating the Greek text literally, the letter begins, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus." Here the sender is identified as Paul the apostle of Christ, and the recipients are identified as the saints who reside in Ephesus. The fact that he presents himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ gives Paul authority. An apostle is one who is sent as a messenger and who represents the full authority of the one who sent him or her. It is similar to a present-day ambassador who represents his or her country with the full authority of that country's government. Paul, as an apostle of Christ Jesus, had the full authority of Christ himself; therefore, he needed to be heard. To further enhance his claim as an apostle of Christ, Paul stated that this appointment was made through the will of God and not by self-appointment. As an ambassador is appointed by the head of state, so Paul was appointed by God to be his representative.

The recipients of the letter are "God's holy people" or literally "the saints." The Greek term for "saint" (hagios [[sup.TG]40/A, [sup.ZG]41]) can be translated "holy" and is used with reference to things, places, and persons. The term "holy" or "saint" did not indicate inherent goodness but rather that which was set aside for service. In fact, the related Hebrew root qadash [[sup.TH]6942, [sup.ZH]7727] was even used of foreign cult prostitutes (qadash [[sup.TH]6945, [sup.ZH]7728]; cf. Deut 23:17; 1 Kgs 14:24; 15:12; 22:46) that were set aside for "service" in temple ritual (TDOT 12.524). Today the term "saint" is used by some to identify those thought to have earned the title by holy living. However, the New Testament teaches that all who become believers in Christ are saints-that is, ones set apart for God's service. It is because of this position as saints that believers should live saintly lives. The fact that saints are not inherently holy is substantiated in Paul's letters, including Ephesians, where he exhorts saints to live holy lives. If saints were inherently holy, there would be no need for the exhortations. Paul further describes the saints as ones "who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus" or better "believers in Christ Jesus." Later (2:1-10) Paul writes that they were at one time unbelievers who were part of the world system, but by God's grace they were saved by faith. While the Ephesian believers were geographically located in Ephesus, they were spiritually positioned "in Christ." Paul used "in Christ Jesus," "in Christ," or "in him/whom" 11 times in 1:1-14. This applies to all Christians whether they live in Ephesus, Paris, Trivandrum, or San Francisco.

The greeting in verse 2 is not normal Greek style, but it accords with Paul's style in other letters (cf. Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Phil 1:2; 2 Thess 1:2; Phlm 1:3). Instead of the normal Greek greeting "rejoice," Paul uses "grace" and "peace" which had become a distinctively Christian greeting (cf. 1 Pet 1:2; 2 Pet 1:2; 2 John 1:3; Rev 1:4). Grace speaks of God's favor in providing salvation for sinners through Christ's sacrificial death (e.g., 1:7; 2:8; Rom3:23-24) and his empowering of the believer to lead a holy life (4:7, 29; 1 Cor 15:10). Peace was used as a common greeting in the Semitic world (shalom [[sup.TH]7965, [sup.ZH]8934]; Gen 43:23; Judg 19:20 [KJV]; 1 Sam 25:6), denoting the idea of "well-being" (Gen 29:6; 43:27; 2 Sam 18:29). In Ephesians it may signify the sinner's peace with God (e.g., 2:14, 17) and the believer's peace with others (e.g., 2:15; 4:3). Thus, grace expresses the motivation behind God's gracious work, and peace, the effect of God's work. Characteristic of Paul, these words of greetings are followed by "God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (cf. Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:3; Gal 1:3; Phil 1:2; 2 Thess 1:2; Phlm 1:3), indicating the source of grace and peace. God is not only called Father but "our" Father to denote personal relationship. Furthermore, grace and peace come not only from God but also from the Lord Jesus Christ. Since only one preposition is used to denote the source of grace and peace, from both the Father and the Son, it strongly implies that the Father and Son are equal and thus Jesus Christ is divine. In conclusion, then, believers are to appreciate and appropriate the grace that brought salvation and its resulting peace, both of which come from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from CORNERSTONE BIBLICAL COMMENTARYby Harold W. Hoehner Philip W. Comfort Peter H. Davids Copyright © 2008 by Harold W. Hoehner. Excerpted by permission.
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