As we proclaim the Letter to the Ephesians on the next seven Sundays, how will the letter be helpful for our faith journey?
The Letter to the Ephesians has been traditionally attributed to St. Paul. Many Scripture scholars now conclude that a disciple of Paul composed this letter sometime towards the end of the first century. The letter situates Paul in prison writing a letter to the believers at Ephesus, one of the Jesus communities he had evangelized.
Unlike Paul’s letters, which are rather specific in addressing particular communities and their special needs, Ephesians tends to be more general in tone and more universal in its directives. The Jesus community as the body of Christ is the dominant image in the letter. Similar to the images in 1 Corinthians, Ephesians stresses Christ as the head of the community with its members united in Christ and to each other. The gifts of each member are to be used to build up the community and create a sense of family unity and support.
This unity and communion within the body of Christ is all-inclusive, welcoming both Jew and Gentile, now uniquely bonded in Christ. Together the community is exhorted to battle all that would distract them from living like Christ, focusing on growing deeper in faith. Ephesians 5:1-2 captures the essence of discipleship: “So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us.”
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