Epistle to the Ephesians

, consisting of six chapters, was written by St. Paul the Apostle at nearly the same time as the epistle to the Colossians, during the Apostle’s first imprisonment at Rome, and was sent to the Ephesians, together with this epistle, by Tychicus, a native of Asia Minor, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord (Eph. 6:21). In this epistle St. Paul, as apostle to the Gentiles, moved to the depths of his heart by his great calling, sets forth Christianity, in opposition to the murky speculations of false teachers, as the profoundest wisdom, whose source is redemption through Christ and the grace of justification through faith. In content it may be divided into two parts — doctrinal (chs. 1–3) and moral (chs. 4–6). The content and style of the epistle are especially lofty and edifying.