The Apostle Paul wrote Ephesians in A.D. 61 from Rome while he was in prison. It was written to ordinary people -- tradesmen, craftsmen, a few doctors and lawyers, and politicians. Many of whom were once slaves.
Christianity was not a widely accepted religion in the Roman Empire at the time the Letter to the Ephesians was written. Emperor Nero came to power very shortly thereafter, in AD 64, and he was one of the most horrific persecutors of Christians ever in all of history. Under these circumstances, the Christians of the period - while their numbers were growing by the power of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit - did not enjoy open, public acceptance or presence within Roman society.
Ephesus was a large, multi-ethnic center of trade, commerce and culture. Ephesus was the third largest city in the Roman world behind Rome and Alexandria. Ephesus had approximately a quarter of a million people and was an important seaport. In addition to having a significant Jewish community, Ephesus was home to many Greeks, Romans and other settlers from throughout the entire Mediterranean world.
Travelers from all over the Roman world visited Ephesus in large numbers. Being on a main trade route and having a key harbor added to the picture of Ephesus as a bustling, multi-cultural city of trade and entertainment. There was a medical college, renowned doctors, and a large public library in Ephesus, as well as numerous shrines and statues, an underground sewer system, and an outdoor amphitheater which seated more 83,000.
Ephesus was the home of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon, protector of nature and animals, the goddess of fertility, and the great perpetual virgin mother of Heaven. Statues of Artemis, depicted with multiple breasts, were housed in temples, the most famous being the temple in Ephesus, which was one of the “seven wonders of the world.”
Ephesians is a letter of doctrine and practical application was brought from Rome by Tychicus who penned it for Paul. Circulated from church to church, and read in each one, it finally ended up in the church at Ephesus.
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1-2)
That is the shortest introduction in any of Paul's letters. Notice how Paul describes himself: "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God." An apostle is one sent with a message, a messenger. You will remember from Paul's letter to the Galatians, the Lord Jesus appeared to him directly. Paul did not learn what he knew about the gospel by discussing it with the other apostles. None of the other apostles taught the Apostle Paul, he learned directly from Jesus Christ. Paul speaks by the authority of Christ. He makes this clear in all his letters.
Notice how the recipients are described: "to God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus." The believer in Christ is holy because God has inhabited his spirit. Anything is holy because God is present with them.
The Apostle also refers to the believers in Ephesus as "the faithful in Christ Jesus." Paul uses the Greek word "pistis" which is translated faithful. Pistis is a very interesting word. It could be translated "divine persuasion." Pistis is God constantly convincing us to believe in Him.
The Greek word used for "holy" means different, whole, and belonging to God. That is the mark of the believer. It isn't that we do not have problems, only that we approach our problem differently. We handle them in a different way. He has a different culture.
In v.2, we read, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." The two great heritages of the Christian are grace and peace. Grace, a product of God's love, is receiving from the Lord what we do not deserve. Peace, on the other hand, is freedom from anxiety, fear, and worry.
Grace and Peace follows the usual structure of Paul's letters. First comes the doctrine, Grace. And then comes the application, Peace. The more we understand grace, the more we will realize peace.
