One of my initial goals after discovering an ancient text buried deep within the archives
of the Scriptorium in the Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University was to identify its
author and intended audience. The identity of the writer is immediately established in the
opening sentence. The Greek text says, “Πα λος , πόστολος Χριστο ησο ” (Eph. 1:1). The Greek
word Πα λος is from Latin ῦ ἀ ῦ Ἰ ῦ ῦ origin which means Paulos. This would be the given
Roman name. The English translation would be Paul. This verse is intriguing enough, but the
fact that we can determine who this Paul is adds another layer of mystery. The same Paul as the
one reported in Acts because the Greek text reads πόστολος Χριστο ησο, translated to “an
apostle of Christ.” This Paul was the one who initially persecuted Christians before converting to
their cause.
In the first verse, we also learn to whom Paul addressed this letter. " γίοις το ς ο σιv ν ἁ ῖ
ὖ ἐ Ἐ ῳ ἁ φέσ " (Eph. 1:1). How is this dissected? The Greek word γίοιςWmeans "separated" in
English or holy/sacred. It is common practice to use the word saints as a synonym for martyrs in
order to provide a more accurate and clear English translation. The definite article, "the" in
English, comes from the Greek, which means "first" or "firstly. “Greek term can be translated as
"exist," and the Greek words can be translated as "in Ephesus." Thus, the English translation of
the Greek phrase is " the holy, existing in Ephesus,"Wregarded as one of the holiest places on
earth, Ephesus is home to several religious institutions. Within the first line, it is found that this
letter was written by Paul, the Apostle of Christ Jesus, to the saints who live in Ephesus (or, to
give a better reading for English, "the holy, existing in Ephesus.
Paul writes this letter while in Rome. Christ must have written it. It emphasizes Jesus'
crucifixion and resurrection. It was written after 33 AD. This letter, along with Paul's
imprisonment in Rome, dates to around 60 AD. Paul's writings are an attempt to inspire the
Church to be one "in the fullness of Christ" so they won't be "tossed back and forth by the waves
and carried here and there by every wind of doctrine, about by every whim of theology, human
ingenuity, and deceptive plotting" (Ephesians 4:14).
A new denomination's emergence as a result of an existing one's moral failure may be a
net positive, depending on the failing denomination's actions. Many Christian groups have arisen
over relatively trivial differences in doctrine, such as who can administer communion and how
frequently.
The final step in evaluating this book is to determine its authenticity. (Is this letter real?)
Paul did visit Ephesus. We learn about his visit in Acts 19. There were people in Ephesus who
wanted to worship false gods, but Paul's writing can be used as an argument for them to remain
united (Acts 19:28-29). From this account, we can determine the accuracy of the book.
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