Source edition
The New Testament in the original Greek. Westcott, Brooke Foss; Hort, Fenton John Anthony, editors. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1882-1892.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is an epistolary text addressed to the believers in Ephesus, expounding on the universal unity of the Church in Christ, God's plan of salvation, and the practical Christian life. It begins with a grand praise of God, who has blessed humanity in Christ from eternity and established the resurrected Christ as the head of the Church. The author then explains that the believers, once dead in their sins, have been saved by God's grace, and that the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles has been broken down through Christ's cross to form one holy temple. In the middle section, the author shares his mission to preach to the Gentiles and the hidden mystery of God, praying that the believers may deeply comprehend Christ's love. The latter half calls for unity as Christ's body and urges them to discard their old selves to live as children of light, providing concrete ethical guidelines for household relationships, such as between husbands and wives, parents and children, and masters and servants. Finally, the letter exhorts the believers to put on the whole armor of God to stand against the schemes of the devil, concluding with the commendation of a messenger and a final blessing.