Laws in the Letter to the Ephesians

“Ephesians, the tenth book of the New Testament, was once thought to have been composed by St. Paul the Apostle in prison but more likely the work of one of his disciples. The words ‘in Ephesus’ are lacking in the earliest manuscripts and citations, and the author probably wrote the text sometime before 90 CE while consulting Paul’s letter to the Colossians (see Letter of Paul to the Colossians). Of the 155 verses in Ephesians, 73 have verbal parallels with Colossians, and, when parallels to genuine Pauline epistles are added, 85 percent of Ephesians is duplicated elsewhere. It is thus most reasonable to consider it as ‘deutero-Pauline’ — i.e., in the tradition of Paul but not written by him.

“The letter declares that the Christian mystery (gospel) of salvation, first revealed to the Apostles, is the source of true wisdom (perhaps an indirect repudiation of Gnostic claims to esoteric knowledge of the supernatural) and that salvation through Christ is offered to Jews and Gentiles alike. The writer affirms that there is but ‘one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all’ (4:5–6), who united all things in Christ, through whose death all humans are redeemed. The author exhorts his readers — parents and children, masters and slaves — to lead exemplary Christian lives and to arm themselves with the ‘shield of faith,’ ‘the helmet of salvation,’ and ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’ (6:16–17), in order to resist the wiles of the devil.” – Encyclopedia Britannica


Through Christ we have access by one Spirit to the Father. – Ephesians 2:18


When Christ dwells in your hearts through faith, you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, and you are filled with all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:17‑19


Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering; bearing with one another in love, to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. – Ephesians 4:1‑3


There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. – Ephesians 4:4‑5


Grace is given to each according to the measure of Christ's gift. – Ephesians 4:7


The Logos gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. – Ephesians 4:11‑13


Put off the old and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new which was created according to God. – Ephesians 4:22‑24


Do not let the sun go down on your wrath. – Ephesians 4:26


Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. – Ephesians 4:31


Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32


Imitate God and walk in love. – Ephesians 5:1‑2


Walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. – Ephesians 5:8‑10


Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. – Ephesians 5:11


All things that are exposed are made manifest by the Light, for whatever makes manifest is light. – Ephesians 5:13

Let each one of you love your spouse as yourself, and respect one another. – Ephesians 5:33


Children, obey your parents in the Lord … And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. – Ephesians 6:1, 4


Do the will of God from your heart, serving with goodwill, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord. – Ephesians 6:6‑8


You, supervisors, bosses, persons in authority, serve with goodwill also; giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. – Ephesians 6:9


Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. – Ephesians 6:11


We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12


Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. – Ephesians 6:13

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References

The Holy Bible. King James Version (KJV).

Purchase a Bible here: The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV). Thomas Nelson, Inc. [Via Christa does not profit from your purchase.]

The Holy Bible. Some Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Read the full text of the Epistle to the Ephesians at Bible Hub.