Generally acknowledged to be one of the richest and most profound of the New Testament letters, the depth and grandeur of its concepts, the richness and fullness of its message, and the majesty and dignity of its contents have made this letter precious to Christians in all ages and in all places. Its profound truths and vivid imagery have deeply penetrated into the thought and literature of the Christian Church. Ephesians was the first of the New Testament letters that I read when I began to first read the Bible on a continual basis. I have found great comfort from it as well as been challenged in my walk of faith with Christ. This exegetical paper will be dealing with Ephesians 2:1-10 In this passage, the apostle Paul lays out the fact that
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According to Dr. Frank Gæbelein, “The letter to the Ephesians was generally regarded as the work of the apostle Paul until the rise of rationalistic criticism at the turn of the eighteenth century.” Dr. Gæbelein also states the following regarding Pauline authorship: “ Ephesians clearly claims to have been written by Paul. In the introduction the writer identifies himself and then proceeds in typically Pauline fashion to ascribe his apostolic authority to the will of God (Eph. 1:1; cf. 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:1; Col. 1:1).”
Many have suggested that Paul could not have been the author of Ephesians for various reasons. Arthur Patzia, in his commentary on Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, notes the following: “Of the factors that raise question about the Pauline authorship of Ephesians, there is, first of all, the vocabulary of the epistle. About ninety words and phrases in Ephesians, including such things as “the devil,” “in the heavenly realms,” and “the One he loves” (as a title for Christ), are not used elsewhere in Paul’s …show more content…
Greek colonies that surrounded the Mediterranean and Black Seas were its main trading ports. Built near the shrine of an old Anatolian fertility goddess, Ephesus became the seat of an oriental cult. The Anatolian deity had been taken over by the Greeks under name of Artemis, the Diana of the Romans. There was much trade round about the cult. Ephesus became a place of pilgrimage for tourist-worshipers, all who were eager to carry away talisman and souvenir, hence the prosperous gold guild of the silversmiths whose livelihood was the manufacture of silver shrines and images of the meteoric stone that was said to be Diana’s image “fallen from heaven.” Clinton Arnold, in his commentary on Ephesians, makes some observations about Artemis: “For those who gave her their allegiance, Artemis was a benevolent deity. She was an incredibly powerful deity and would sympathetically use her power on behalf of her devotees. Thus she was acclaimed “Queen of Heaven,” “Lord” (Κúρια), and “Savior”
According to Dr. Frank Gæbelein, “The letter to the Ephesians was generally regarded as the work of the apostle Paul until the rise of rationalistic criticism at the turn of the eighteenth century.” Dr. Gæbelein also states the following regarding Pauline authorship: “ Ephesians clearly claims to have been written by Paul. In the introduction the writer identifies himself and then proceeds in typically Pauline fashion to ascribe his apostolic authority to the will of God (Eph. 1:1; cf. 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:1; Col. 1:1).”
Many have suggested that Paul could not have been the author of Ephesians for various reasons. Arthur Patzia, in his commentary on Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, notes the following: “Of the factors that raise question about the Pauline authorship of Ephesians, there is, first of all, the vocabulary of the epistle. About ninety words and phrases in Ephesians, including such things as “the devil,” “in the heavenly realms,” and “the One he loves” (as a title for Christ), are not used elsewhere in Paul’s …show more content…
Greek colonies that surrounded the Mediterranean and Black Seas were its main trading ports. Built near the shrine of an old Anatolian fertility goddess, Ephesus became the seat of an oriental cult. The Anatolian deity had been taken over by the Greeks under name of Artemis, the Diana of the Romans. There was much trade round about the cult. Ephesus became a place of pilgrimage for tourist-worshipers, all who were eager to carry away talisman and souvenir, hence the prosperous gold guild of the silversmiths whose livelihood was the manufacture of silver shrines and images of the meteoric stone that was said to be Diana’s image “fallen from heaven.” Clinton Arnold, in his commentary on Ephesians, makes some observations about Artemis: “For those who gave her their allegiance, Artemis was a benevolent deity. She was an incredibly powerful deity and would sympathetically use her power on behalf of her devotees. Thus she was acclaimed “Queen of Heaven,” “Lord” (Κúρια), and “Savior”