Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 1:1)
In the Horæ Paulinas, [the author] Paley has touched on the much debated question, whether the present epistle [commonly referred to as the Letter to the Ephesians was] addressed to Ephesus or Laodicea, and has decided in favour of the latter view. Grotius, Wetstein, and others before him, and more recently Mr. Greswell in his Dissertations, give the same decision. There is a third alternative which he has not considered, in the view of archbishop Usher, Hammond, Koppe, Hug, Michaelis and others, that it was a circular epistle, designed for several churches, including both Ephesus and Laodicea.
The claim of Ephesus lies in the external evidence, since the name occurs in nearly all the existing manuscripts and versions. But there are two or three facts which diminish its force considerably. Marcian is blamed by Tertullian for calling it the letter to the Laodiceans. Again, in the Vatican manuscript, the words, “in Ephesus,” are only in the margin, though by the same hand. But the chief testimony is that of Basil, writing against Eunomius, in these words—
To continue reading this Bible article, click here.
Author: T. R. Birks
Keywords: Ephesians, Laodicea, Laodiceans, Church at Laodicea, Circular letter, Philemon, Onesimus, Paul's inprisonment, Paul's imprisonment, Paul at Rome
Bible reference(s): Ephesians 1:1, Colossians 2:1, Colossians 4:13, Colossians 4:15-16
Source: Horae Apostolicae (London: The Religious Tract Society, 1850).
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.