Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, ¶ To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed), by the will of God [that is, by His purpose and choice], To the saints (God's people) who are at Ephesus and are faithful and loyal and steadfast in Christ Jesus: |
Bible Question: Was EPHESUS the first place of this letter or a GENERAL letter |
Bible Answer: The letter probably had a broader audience than Ephesus alone. Some of the oldest Greek manuscripts do not include “in Ephesus” in the address of the letter (1:1), reading instead: “to the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus.” Several early Christian writers seem unaware of a specifically Ephesian address. The letter lacks the personal references and greetings Paul almost always includes in his correspondence. At the same time, no manuscripts name any other city as the address of the epistle. Many scholars believe Ephesians was written as a general letter to a number of churches in the region. This would be in keeping with the sweeping contents of the letter as a whole. It is likely that Paul originally sent the letter to Ephesus, but as the letter was sent from church to church the address was omitted because the contents had little to do with Ephesus in particular. Or it may be that the letter was originally in two forms, one for the Ephesians and one for general circulation. Characteristics and Themes Like the letter to the Romans, Ephesians provides a special view into Paul’s thought, since he had the luxury of addressing an important issue without the distraction of having to settle a local controversy. The focus of Ephesians is the mystery of the church. The church is God’s new humanity, a colony where the Lord of history has established a foretaste of the renewed unity and dignity of the human race (1:10–14; 2:11–22; 3:6, 9–11; 4:1–6:9). New Geneva study Bible. 1997, c1995 (electronic ed.) (Eph 1:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson. |