Ephesians- An Introduction

 Ephesians is a letter written to the church that is in a battle against the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (6:12) so it is suggested by Paul to "take up the armor of God."

Temple of Artemis

The city of Ephesus is located in present-day western Turkey. Ephesus was a booming commercial center of the area. It had an amphitheater that cold hold 25,000 people and was the home to the Temple of Artemis (one of the fabled seven wonders of the world). Paul visited Ephesus on his second missionary journey and also on his third missionary journey. These visits are dated to early-mid 50s. He possibly wrote 1 Corinthians from Ephesus! Historians think Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesians from prison, possibly around 62AD (but this is up for debate from several Biblical scholars-- in fact, there are many that believe Paul didn't even write this letter!).

Map of Ephesus

The introduction in my Bible (New Century Version) to this letter says "This book is like a grand musical celebration of the Christian faith. It sings about God, Christ, human redemption, the church, God's power, God's love and unity on Christ. Many people describe it as the climax of the New Testament."

The book is six chapters (as was Galatians) and contains some well known pieces of scripture. I look forward to reading this with you!

Enjoy the day!
Pastor Paul