The church at Ephesus receives special attention in Scripture. In all of the New Testament, Ephesus and the Ephesian saints are directly mentioned twenty-two times; only one of these mentions is found in the epistle itself. It is rivaled only by Rome and its citizens (twenty-two mentions, including unsaved Roman people and the Roman government) and Jerusalem and the Jewish people (three-hundred-seventy-eight mentions). Antioch, where the term “Christian” first appeared, receives only eighteen mentions. Damascus, the location of Paul’s encounter with Christ Himself, receives only fifteen mentions, along with fifteen mentions for the carnal believers at Corinth. Philippi receives twelve mentions, and Galatia receives ten. The infamous Laodicea receives nine mentions (and is subsequently the seventh most mentioned church in the New Testament, which is fitting as it is the final church of this dispensation).
The reach of Ephesus spreads throughout the New Testament. Of the seven churches that Paul wrote to in Scripture, and the seven churches addressed by Christ in Revelation, Ephesus is the only church common to both. It accounts for three chapters of the book of Acts. We have two Pauline epistles addressed to this church’s pastor (I and II Timothy), and the parallels in both Colossians and Philippians are noteworthy. Some use Acts 11:26 suggest that Antioch served as Paul’s “home base” during his ministry, but Scripture makes a compelling case for that privilege possibly belonging to Ephesus. Although Paul did frequent Antioch, Dr. Jeff Williams notes that Paul visited Ephesus on both his second and third missionary journeys, spending a total of three years there (Acts 20:31), seemingly making it the center of his operations as he invested more time there than any other location. Dr. Williams goes on to say that Paul had close bonds with these people based on Acts 20:17-38, which further suggests that Ephesus was a special place for the apostle (331). We could heckle over the minutia of this point, but for our purposes here there is no need to go beyond the obvious facts recorded in Scripture: the church at Ephesus is an especially important New Testament location.
In edition to its prominence in Scripture, there are also notable elements in the structure and content of the epistle itself. The “fingerprint” of Paul’s writing style is consistent across his epistles, but only in Romans, Colossians, and Ephesians does his pattern alter. Rather than addressing the church in these three cities, he chooses to address simply “the saints.” This is a much broader greeting, and the implication is that he has something beyond a local church in mind; the address suggests that, more so than other epistles, the content in Romans, Ephesians, and Colossians is especially applicable for the individual believer.
I would take a tentative step forward and suggest that not only is the content of Ephesians especially applicable for the individual believer, but that it might have additional relevance for the Bible believer in the closing days of the church age. The historical context of the city of Ephesus lends itself to this conclusion. Despite the esteemed scriptural position of the church at Ephesus, the city was a central hub of paganism. The Temple of Diana, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was a religious, financial, and social juggernaut. It centered on the worship of Diana, a deity loosely based on the Greek goddess Artemis. Edith Hamilton says of Diana, “She was the Lady Of Wild Things, Huntsman-in-Chief to the gods, an odd office for a woman" (31). This “odd office” seems to be the very heart of Diana worship, as her perpetual virginity is emphasized. For the Greeks, this virginity held additional meaning: "When a woman married, she moved into her husband's home and became subject to him. Virgin goddesses such as Artemis and Athena remained free of men's control, enabling them to live independently and to pursue traditionally masculine activities such as hunting and warfare" (Connor 152). The virginity of the goddess did not translate into chastity among her followers, however; the Diana idol at Ephesus was a several-breasted visage, and the pagan worship rituals were often highly sexualized. On this matter, pastor James Knox says, “As one might guess, everything about this religion was a violation of modesty and purity" (Survey 164). This certainly gives contextual weight to Paul’s comments on God’s expectations for a woman in the fifth chapter of Ephesians: the religion of Diana runs contrary to all that Scripture says about a woman's role, whether single or married.
How apt then is the Ephesian epistle for the church today, beset by a Diana-esque rebellion against the God-ordained roles of men and women! Gender confusion has reached a fever pitch, with emasculated men skulking about given over to all manner of sin, and “empowered” women desperately attempting to fulfill roles and complete tasks that God never intended for them, nor designed them to complete. We even have our very own version of Diana exalted in the media today. A cursory search on the internet shows that Hollywood film culture lauds Wonder Woman (2017) as one of the great super hero films of our day. Coincidentally, the protagonist – named Diana – is rooted in Greek mythology, hailing from Themyscira, an island of warrior women known as the Amazons. In the film, and the decades of comics on which the film is based, the heroine embodies all of the moral and physical qualities attributed to her male counterparts (oftentimes more so), while still maintaining an alluring femininity. She is portrayed as being superior, displaying more wisdom, more benevolence, and more compassion than her violent, brutish male counterparts; she is often deeply distraught at the failures of the “world of men” and considers herself on a mission to show mankind a better way, even if that sometimes demands that she take on the mantle of a warrior and a leader.
What makes the popularity of Wonder Woman truly disturbing is the deeply perverted roots from which the character sprang. Dr. William Marston, the character’s creator, was a Harvard graduate, professional psychologist, and a consummate liar who concealed his adultery (which later became polygamy), lascivious fantasies, and feminist inclinations at a time when such things were still unacceptable in the public eye; he characterized this as an “experimental life” (Lepore). Naturally, the stains of Marston’s reprobate mind made their way into his signature comic book heroine. Even worse, much of this was a deliberate agenda: “As Marston once put it, ‘Frankly, Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who, I believe, should rule the world’” (Lepore). Consider his elaboration on this point in light of ancient Ephesian culture: "In February 1941, Marston submitted a draft of his first script, explaining the ‘under-meaning’ of Wonder Woman’s Amazonian origins in ancient Greece, where men had kept women in chains, until they broke free and escaped. ‘The NEW WOMEN thus freed and strengthened by supporting themselves (on Paradise Island) developed enormous physical and mental power.’ His comic, he said, was meant to chronicle ‘a great movement now under way—the growth in the power of women.’" (Lepore).
Initially, there was resistance. In March of 1942, “the National Organization for Decent Literature put Sensation Comics on its blacklist of ‘Publications Disapproved for Youth’ for one reason: ‘Wonder Woman is not sufficiently dressed’” (Lepore). In a 1954 Senate subcommittee hearing, Fredric Wertham presented the case against all comic books, but specifically against Wonder Woman, saying, “Women in these stories are placed on an equal footing with men and indulge in the same type of activities” (Lepore). Wertham, and others, were aghast at the blatant feminism being peddled to children by a reprobate psychologist, but unfortunately their cries of alarm went unheeded. Now this very character – promoting a distinctly masculine form of womanhood while also provoking sensuality and lewdness – has resurfaced as a prominent member of a “heroic” pantheon presented for audiences to worship. While ancient Ephesus is long gone, its spirit quite clearly lives on.
On the subject of Ephesians relevance for Bible believers at the close of the church age, we should also consider the proximity of Ephesus to Laodicea. The distance is close enough that some have suggested that the letter to the Ephesians is actually a letter intended for the Laodiceans. While it is not impossible that this letter would be shared with the Laodiceans, if we take the plain meaning of God’s word, then this letter is plainly to the Ephesians, as it is addressed to the saints at Ephesus in verse one. Geographically, it would make much more sense for the letter to the Colossians or the Philippians to be shared with the Laodiceans, as they are the closest of the seven churches to whom Paul wrote; indeed, the Laodiceans are even mentioned by name in Colossians 2:1, where Paul expresses a concern that he shares for both churches. The distance from Ephesus to Laodicea is approximately one hundred miles, whereas the distance between Colosse and Laodicea is just short of twenty miles. We should also note that these three churches are the only in Asia written to or even mentioned by Paul. It is plausible, then, that the content of Scripture pertaining to these three locations has some overlap and significance to each other.
The idea that the letter to the Ephesians has some connection to the Laodiceans is not without value, however, as the relative nearness of these two churches – which are also the first and the last mentioned in Revelation – allows for some interesting devotional application. When we consider the Ephesian culture that beset the church at Ephesus, its relative proximity to Laodicea, and the character of the church at Ephesus (based on both Paul’s epistles to the Ephesians and their pastor, Timothy, along with Christ’s comments in the second chapter of Revelation), we may be looking at a composite reflection of the condition of old-path, Bible-believing Christians in the last days. We reject Nicolaitanism in every form, holding fast to “sola scriptura.” Neither are we lukewarm, like the much-maligned Laodicea. However, we could be accused of backsliding on some matters. We understand our position in Christ (Ephesians 1-3), we strive to live separated from the paganism and carnality of our surroundings (Ephesians 4-5), we are keenly aware of the spiritual battle (Ephesians 6), but we have forgotten our first love (Revelation 2:4) in the sense that we have traded our love of the Lord for pride in our works, labor, and patience for His name’s sake (Revelation 2:2-3). In other words, we get so preoccupied with what we’re doing for the Lord (and measuring it with hands raised, confessions made, surrenders to ministry, etc.) that we forget the Lord Himself!
This devotional application of the historical context can extend one step further. If indeed the remnant of faithful Bible-believers at the end of the church age mirror the church at Ephesus, then there is significance to the note made by Rockwell (et al) on Romans 16:5: “Groups of believers met in ordinary private homes in those days, partly because of poverty, partly for fear of those who hated them. It is possible that that church age will end as it began, but where two or three are gathered together in Christ’s name, He in in the midst” (1600). The reasserted Roman Empire and a cultural mindset like that of pagan Ephesus could severely limit the formal church, and believers would find themselves virtually isolated, or in significantly smaller groups, meeting in homes rather that church buildings. As such, this epistle may become increasingly precious to Bible-believers as the church age comes to a close.
In sum, the epistle to the Ephesians may not just bear special significance to Paul’s ministry, the unfolding of the early church, and establishing great doctrinal truths for the church, but it may also bear special relevance to the sober, watchful saints in these last days before the return of the Lord to take us up to glory. We must keep in mind that this special relevance is nothing more than a devotional application for our consideration. I would never propose that what has been suggested here is doctrine, however the repeated coincidences that aligned so well with the spiritual terrain Christians find themselves in today was sobering, and seemed noteworthy. If this portion of the commentary accomplishes nothing more than cause us to read more careful and apply more personally the content of this epistle, then it has served a valuable purpose as we prepare to look more closely at God’s word.
NEXT IN THIS SERIES:
Ephesians 1:1-2
Sources Referenced:
Connor, Nancy. Classical Mythology: From Mount Olympus to the Underworld. Fall River Press, 2013.
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. Little, Brown and Company, 1969.
Knox, James W. New Testament Survey. Expanded Edition, James W. Knox, 2008.
Lepore, Jill. “The Surprising Origin Story of Wonder Woman.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Oct. 2014, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/origin-story-wonder-woman-180952710/. Accessed 7 January 2019.
Rockwell, Jerry L., et al. Rock of Ages Study Bible. 6th ed., Rock of Ages Press, 2017.
Williams, Jeffery G. Line Upon Line. 2nd ed., Daystar Publishing, 2008.