Ephesians 1:1 Communion Of Saints

Target year level: Year Six

Scripture text

Introduction

The text is part of the Epistle or Letter to the Ephesians. Modern scholarship is inclined to assign Ephesians to the Deutero-Pauline Epistles written after Paul’s death (circa 67 CE) but in line with Pauline tradition.

For an overview of the Letter to the Ephesians see the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) Introduction to Ephesians.

World behind the text

Just as contemporary scholarship asserts that the Apostle Paul is probably not the actual author of the Letter to the Ephesians, it likewise notes that the Christian community at Ephesus was not the sole Christian community envisaged by the letter’s author. For a detailed discussion of authorship and audience of the Letter to the Ephesians, see Michael Fallon p. 538 (pdf).

Many scholars favour Pauline authorship while acknowledging the Deutero-Pauline alternative. Scholars who think that the Apostle Paul is the actual author of the letter tend to date the Epistle to the Ephesians in the early 50’s CE. Those who place the letter as a Deutero-Pauline Epistle, of unknown authorship, tend to date the letter as having been written between 80 CE and 100 CE. These latter Deutero-Pauline advocates say that the ecclesiology, or theology of Church, in the letter reflect a more developed stage in the history of the Christian community than was the case during Paul’s own lifetime (circa 5-67 CE).

World of the text

Ephesians 1:1 is part of an Opening Address Eph.1:1-2 preceding the letter’s Introduction Eph.1:3-23. A major focus of the letter is the Christian Community (the Church). The Church is understood as a communion; as the Body of Christ. Key themes in Ephesians are oriented to the Church as the Body of Christ. God’s plan is that all are gathered into the Church, Jews and Gentiles alike. Unity in the Church is achieved and maintained by diligent use of the gifts of the Spirit, living a moral Christ-like life and engaging in harmonious relationships with others. This means entering into the daily struggle to curb behaviours that destroy relationships and acting in ways that promote a Christlike life. Ephesians 1:1 emphasises the centrality of Christ Jesus in the Church and the importance of holiness of life (‘the saints’ = those who live their lives in ‘faithful’ ways after the example of Christ Jesus). Such lives are to be lived ‘in Christ Jesus’, i.e. in the Church, the Body of Christ. For a fuller commentary on the Opening Address Eph.1:1-2 go to Michael Fallon p. 542.

World in front of the text

When you click on the Bible Gateway link Ephesians 1:1 you find a note to the effect that there is an alternate reading of Eph.1:1 in which the word ‘Ephesus’ is not present. This is a reminder that the original text of Ephesians as written by its original author has been incorporated in a number of manuscripts. In these manuscripts there are variant versions of particular texts as in the case of Eph.1:1. Also, the original text of Ephesians circulated among the Christian communities of the ancient world. In time, the language of the original manuscript required translation into a variety of languages. It is the work of scripture scholarship down the ages and up to the present time to study the variations in texts in the Letter to the Ephesians to determine, as accurately as possible, what the original author wanted to communicate. It is then the task of translators to translate the text in ways which are both faithful to scholarship on the text and meaningful to contemporary readers.