Bible Dictionary
EPHESIANS (Epistle)
EPHESIANS (Epistle)
Paul wrote it while in prison (Eph. 3:1; 4:1; 6:20), probably in Rome, in the year 62 AD.
A few commentators place the writing of this epistle at the time of the captivity in Caesarea (Acts 24:27), but in this case it would not fit that the apostle wrote at the same time to the Philippians (Phil. 2:23-24). and to Philemon (Flm. 22) who hoped to be released soon.
This hope would not have been given in Caesarea, where he had appealed to Caesar.
On the other hand, he had sufficient freedom to preach the Gospel (Acts 28:30; Eph. 6:19-20; Col. 4:3-4), and the praetorium, as well as Caesar’s house of which he speaks, They are evidently found in Rome (Phil. 1:13; 4:22). Finally, the phrase “I am an ambassador” (Eph. 6:20) may suggest his presence in the imperial capital.
(a) RECIPIENTS.
The epistle is addressed “to the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus who are at Ephesus.” Some mss. very ancient ones omit the word “in Ephesus”, p. e.g., the two main ones of the NT, the Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Vaticanus, as well as the Chester Beatty papyrus, from the beginning of the 3rd century, the ms. oldest surviving version of Paul’s epistles.
Who then were the true recipients of the epistle? The most plausible explanation is that it is a circular letter sent to all the churches of the Province of Asia; Ephesus was the main city, thus leaving his name in it.
The absence of allusions to a specific situation and local difficulties seems to confirm this opinion. It is, in short, a treatise on doctrine and morals, in the form of an epistle.
(b) COMPARISON with the Epistle to the Colossians.
Like the letter to the Colossians, the one sent to the Ephesians was sent through Tychicus (Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7-8). The analogy of language and thought reveals that the two epistles were written at the same time. Compare, p. ex.:
Eph. 1:1, 2 with Col. 1:1, 2
Eph. 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12 with Col. 1:5; 3:1-3
Eph. 1:6, 7 with Col. 1:13-14
Eph. 1:9; 3:9; 6:19 with Col. 1:26; 2:2; 4:3
Eph. 1:10 with Col. 1:10, 25.
Eph. 1:11 with Col. 1:12
Eph. 1:17 with Col. 1:10
Eph. 1:19, 20 with Col. 2:12
Eph. 1:20 with Col. 3:1
Eph. 1:22 with Col. 1:18
Eph. 1:23 with Col. 2:9
Eph. 4:22-24 with Col. 3:8-10
Eph. 4:32 with Col. 3:13
This parallelism reaches such a point that, according to Lewis, of the 155 verses of Ephesians, there are 78, with more or less modifications (“International Standart Bible Encyclopaedia”, p. 959).
It is evident that the apostle wrote these two epistles under the pressure of the same circumstances. The epistle to the Ephesians seems to have been written immediately after that of Colossians, being of greater scope than the previous one.
(c) AUTHENTICITY.
The authenticity and Pauline paternity of this epistle is abundantly confirmed by internal and external evidence.
Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, Hermas, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Irenaeus and Hippolytus testify that it had been recognized and used very early in a constant manner.
It can even be stated that it is undoubtedly the most cited letter of the writers of the first centuries. It appears in Marcion’s list and in the Muratori fragment (170 AD).
Internal tests are equally decisive. The author mentions his name twice (Eph. 1:1; 3:1). The distribution of the themes is Pauline, beginning with the doctrine (Eph. 1-3) and ending with the practical theme, the fruit of the doctrine (Eph. 4-6). The way of expressing himself is totally Pablo’s. It is this epistle that marks the summit of the apostle’s teaching.
(d) TOPIC.
The main theme of the epistle to the Colossians is the preeminence of the person and work of Christ; that of Ephesians, the privileges and responsibility of the Church, which gathers “in Christ” all the redeemed of the New Testament.
The Epistle to the Ephesians summarizes, so to speak, all of Paul’s previous teaching; It develops the wonderful plan that God has set in motion by sending his Son, the liberation of his elect, the redemption that is to manifest to the entire universe the riches of his grace.
Expounding salvation by faith, the calling of the Gentiles, the divinity of Jesus, his perfectly finished work, the sanctification, fulness and victory granted to the saints, the Epistle to the Ephesians constitutes a complete theological treatise.
Chapter 1 exposes the consummated divine work in favor of the Church, constituted according to the eternal designs of the sovereign God (Eph. 1:3-6); The work of Christ carried out these designs (Eph. 1:7-12), which have been confirmed through the seal of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13, 14).
Paul prays that the Ephesians may understand the great hope that illuminates the Christian vocation, of which the risen and glorified Savior is both the firstfruits and the guarantee (Eph. 1:15-23).
Chapter 2 presents the human side of the salvation experience: unmerited grace frees the
BETHEL
is the name of a Canaanite city in the ancient region of Samaria, located in the center of the land of Canaan, northwest of Ai on the road to Shechem, 30 kilometers south of Shiloh and about 16 kilometers north of Jerusalem.
Bethel is the second most mentioned city in the Bible. Some identify it with the Palestinian village of Beitin and others with the Israeli settlement of Beit El.
Bethel was the place where Abraham built his altar when he first arrived in Canaan (Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:3). And at Bethel Jacob saw a vision of a ladder whose top touched heaven and the angels ascended and descended (Genesis 28:10-19).
For this reason Jacob was afraid, and said, “How terrible is this place! It is nothing other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven »and he called Bethel the place that was known as «Light» (Genesis 35-15).
Bethel was also a sanctuary in the days of the prophet Samuel, who judged the people there (1 Samuel 7:16; 1 Samuel 10:3). And it was the place where Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, was buried.
Bethel was the birthplace of Hiel, who sought to rebuild the city of Jericho (1 Kings 16:34).
When Bethel did not yet belong to the people of Israel, Joshua had to battle against the king of Bethel and other kings and defeated them (Joshua 12-16).
When the people of Israel had taken possession of the promised land, in the division by tribes it was assigned to the Tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18-22), but in later times it belonged to the Tribe of Judah (2 Chronicles 13:19).
It was one of the places where the Ark of the Covenant remained, a symbol of the presence of God.
In Bethel the prophet Samuel judged the people.
Then the prophet Elisha went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some boys came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him: “Go up, bald man; Come up, bald! When he looked back and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the forest and tore to pieces forty-two boys” (2 Kings 2:23).
After the division of the kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam I, king of Israel, had a golden calf raised at Bethel (1 Kings 21:29) which was destroyed by Josiah, king of Judah, many years later (2 Kings 23:15). .
Bethel was also a place where some of the Babylonian exiles who returned to Israel in 537 BC gathered. (Ezra 2:28).
The prophet Hosea, a century before Jeremiah, refers to Bethel by another name: “Bet-Aven” (Hosea 4:15; Hosea 5:8; Hosea 10:5-8), which means ‘House of Iniquity’, ‘House of Nothingness’, ‘House of Vanity’, ‘House of Nullity’, that is, of idols.
In Amos 7: 12-13 the priest Amaziah tells the prophet Amos that he flee to Judah and no longer prophesy in Bethel because it is the king’s sanctuary, and the head of the kingdom.
The prophet Jeremiah states that “the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel” (Jeremiah 48:13), because of their idolatry and, specifically, the worship of the golden calf.
PUTEOLI
(lat.: “small fountains”).
Two days after arriving in Rhegium, the ship carrying Paul arrived at Puteoli, which was then an important maritime city.
The apostle found Christians there, and enjoyed their hospitality (Acts 28:13).
It was located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Naples, near the site of present-day Pouzzoles.
The entire surrounding region is volcanic, and the Solfatare crater rises behind the city.
PUT
Name of a nation related to the Egyptians and neighbors of their country (Gen. 10:6).
Put is mentioned with Egypt and other African countries, especially Libya (Nah. 3:9) and Lud (Ez. 27:10; Is. 66:19 in the LXX. Put appears between Cush and Lud in Jer. 46:9; Ez. 30:5).
In the LXX he is translated as Libyans in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Josephus also identifies it with Libya (Ant. 1:6, 2), but in Nah. 3.9 is distinguished from the Libyans.
Current opinion is divided between Somalia, Eastern Arabia and Southern Arabia (Perfume Coast).
PURPLE
A coloring substance that is extracted from various species of mollusks. The ancient Tyrians used two types of them: the “Murex trunculus”, from which the bluish purple was extracted, and the “Murex brandaris”, which gave the red.
The ink of its coloring matter varies in color depending on the region in which it is fished.
Piles of murex shells, artificially opened, have been discovered in Minet el-Beida, port of ancient Ugarit (Ras Shamra), which gives evidence of the great antiquity of the use of this purple dye (see UGARIT).
Due to its high price, only the rich and magistrates wore purple (Est. 8:15, cf. the exaltation of Mordecai, v. 2, Pr. 31:22; Dan. 5:7; 1 Mac. 10 :20, 62, 64; 2 Mac. 4:38; cf. v 31; Luke 16:19; Rev. 17:4).
The rulers adorned themselves in purple, even those of Midian (Judg. 8:26). Jesus was mocked with a purple robe (Mark 15:17).
Great use had been made of purple-dyed fabrics for the Tabernacle (Ex. 25:4; 26:1, 31, 36) and for the high priest’s vestments (Ex. 28:5, 6, 15, 33; 39: 29). The Jews gave symbolic value to purple (Wars 5:5, 4).
PURIM
(Heb., plural of “luck”).
Haman cast lots to determine a day of good omen for the destruction of the Jews.
As Haman’s designs were undone, the liberation of the Jews was marked by an annual festival (Est. 3:7; 9:24-32) on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar.
This festival is not mentioned by name in the NT, although there are exegetes who assume that it is the one referred to in Jn. 5:1.
This festival continues to be celebrated within Judaism: the book of Esther is read, and curses are pronounced on Haman and his wife, blessings are pronounced on Mordecai and the eunuch Harbonah (Est. 1:10; 7: 9).
PURIFICATION, PURITY
In the Mosaic Law four ways to purify oneself from contamination were indicated:
(a) Purification of contamination contracted by touching a dead person (Num. 19; cf. Num. 5:2, 3),
(b) Purification from impurity due to bodily emissions (Lev. 15; cf. Num. 5:2, 3).
(c) Purification of the woman in labor (Lev. 12:1-8; Luke 2:21-24).
(d) Purification of the leper (Lev. 14).
To this, the scribes and Pharisees added many other purifications, such as washing hands before eating, washing vessels and dishes, showing great zeal in these things, while inside they were full of extortion and iniquity (Mark 7: 2-8).
In Christianity the necessary purification extends:
to the heart (Acts 15:9; James 4:8),
to the soul (1 Pet. 1:22), and
to the conscience through the blood of Christ (Heb. 9:14).
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Praise Resounds Throughout Creation
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BETHEL
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