EPHESIANS: INTRODUCTION TO THE LITERARY STRUCTURE

A copy of the complete text from which the following condensation was derived may be had by simply contacting me at elmerphd21@hotmail.com.

Divisions

In terms of the internal divisions within the epistle, a cursory survey of a number of commentaries showed none of them to be in total agreement. However, there was general consensus that the body of the letter, 1:3-6:21, falls into two major divisions: a doctrinal section (1:3-3:21) and a practical section (4:1-6:20). The first half stresses the security of the faithful and the consequences of their election while the second half concerns the Christian’s way of life. In this context, R. E. Brown notes that the first half starts and ends with a doxology and a prayer, suggesting to some that the letter has its origin in a liturgical setting.

Confirmation of the basic nature of the second half of the epistle is found in the 36 imperative verbs appearing between 4:1 and 6:20. These same two bracketing verses contain similar references to Paul’s status under arrest: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord” and “I am an ambassador in chains.” Within the first major division, Ephesians 3:2-13 (or 3:1-13) is often treated as a digression to the flow of thought, as indicated by repetition at 3:14 of the phrase “for this cause” of 3:1. However, this is not the only explanation of this phenomenon, as discussed below.

Proposed Structure

The divisions proposed in Fig. 1 resemble those given by Guthrie, at least for the first half of the letter. They are based on an overall symmetrical plan for the epistle, as shown.

Figure 1: The Structure of Ephesians

I. Introduction (1:1-2)

II. Position with God through Christ (1:3-14)

III. Power in Christ (1:15-23)

IV. Gentiles’ Past and Present Position Contrasted (2:1-22)

V. The Mystery of Christ: Position and Power (3:1-21)

IV'. Gentiles’ Past and Present Behavior Contrasted (4:1-5:20)

II'. Position with Others through Christ (5:21-6:9)

III'. Power in Christ (6:10-20)

I'. Conclusion (6:21-24)

The above scheme is useful in identifying the main thrust of this letter. It is the revelation of the gospel message, “the mystery hidden for ages,” of God bringing together one new people for himself. Other commentators share in this contention. The words “gospel” and “mystery” are appropriately found only at the start, center and end of the body of the composition.

gospel: 1:13      3:6             6:15,19

            mystery: 1:9     3:3,4,9       6:19

Also symmetrical disposed are the three mentions of “fullness” in the epistle: 1:23 (end of III), 3:19 (end of V), and 6:11 (start of III') as well as the listing of principalities and powers in 1:21, 3:10, and 6:12.

This action of God was not deserved by man but was one of pure “grace.” This fact is stressed by the appearance of this key word eleven times throughout the epistle, a more frequent appearance than in most of Paul’s other writings. Simpson and Bruce zero into this aspect of the letter, especially as stated in 2:8-9, as a major theme.

The effect of God’s initiative as it relates to believing Gentiles is, first and foremost, to change their relationships with God and with their fellow beings. This implication is spelled out in the symmetrically disposed literary units II / II' and IV / IV' as well as in the first half of the center Section V. Another result of God’s grace is that it makes the power of God available in the believer’s life (the emphasis in sections III / III' and the last half of Section V).

Sections I (1:1-2) and I' (6:21-24)

These short bookend sections share language such as “faithful” and “from God our/the father and the/our Lord Jesus Christ.” The reversed order of “our” and “the” in this latter phrase is mirrored in the blessings in these two sections: “grace...and peace” (1:2) vs. “peace...grace” (6:23-24).

Section II (1:3-14)

The most obvious reason for considering these verses as a discrete unit is the fact that they constitute a single sentence in the Greek. Simpson and Bruce analyze this section as a seven-fold benediction with a repeated (vv. 6, 12, 15) refrain “to the praise of his/the glory.” An interesting verbal pattern in this section is shown below:

        “according to...his will” (1:5)

                “his will, according to” (1:9)

        “according to...his will (1:11)

The flow of thought in Section II can be seen as structured around the Trinity or in a temporal pattern in which God’s redeeming work is described from past to future.

Section II' (5:21-6:9)

There are reciprocal command given here to wives and husbands; children and parents; and slaves and masters. These various interpersonal relationships outlined in this section are overshadowed by the relationship of a believer to his Master, stressed in 5:21 and 6:9b as an inclusio for Section II'. It is therefore no surprise that the simple designation “Lord” appears exactly seven times here.

Sections II and II'

The most obvious verbal parallels between these paired units are the phrase “holy and without blemish” (located in 1:4 and 5:27) and two words found in Ephesians only near the beginnings of these two sections: “will” (1:11; 6:6) and “promise(d)” (1:13; 6:2). Sections II and II' end on a similar note reminding believers of their future inheritance and reward (1:13-14 and 6:8-9).

Section III (1:15-23)

These verses actually constitute a single sentence in which, as Marcus Barth has noted, “it is easier to describe the various themes, subdivisions, ambiguous elements and literary forms of this structure than to explain why they are coherent.”

Section III' (6:10-20)

One unifying factor in III' is found in allusions to Isaiah in Ephesians 6:11, 14-15 and 17. Thielman notes that the respective passages in Isaiah have the same literary pattern: “sin, punishment, and restoration for the repentant.”

Sections III and III'

Besides the common theme of God’s power, these literary units both utilize the phrase “in the heavenly places” in a context referring to various spiritual entities (1:20-21; 6:12). Prayer and “all the saints” are found coupled together in 1:15-16 and 6:18 as are “hearts” and “that you may know” in 1:18 and 6:22.

Section IV (2:1-22)

“Christ Jesus” is the favorite expression used for the Lord in this section (5x), which is internally structured according to an ABA'B' pattern:

Figure 2: The Structure of IV

A. Their previous life (2:1-3): beginning “you...were” “ alive, dead” (2:1)

B. God’s Grace (2:4-10): beginning “but God” and ending in “Christ Jesus” “dead,                                                                                                               alive” (2:5)

A'. Their previous life (2:11-12) beginning “you were” “separated” (2:12)

            B'. God's Grace (2:13-22): beginning “but in Christ Jesus” and ending in “Christ Jesus”                                                                                                       “joined together” (2:21)

Section IV' (4:1-5:20)

Not only are specific references to God as Father located near the start (4:6) and conclusion (5:20) of this long section as a unifying factor, but all three persons of the Trinity are present in 4:3-6 and 5:18-20. A possible overall structure for Section IV' is pictured in Fig. 3. The approximate second half of this structure corresponds to those verses characterized by Meye as “concerning the spirituality of ordinary human speech.”

Figure 3: The Structure of IV'

A. Horizontal Relations Affected by the Godhead (4:1-6)

B. Christian Living in the Body (4:7-16)

C. Contrast between the Old and New Life (4:17-32)

B'. Christian Living in the World (5:1-17)

A'. Vertical Relations Affected by the Godhead (5:18-20)

Sections IV and IV'

Both these sections are replete with contrasts such as “dead / alive,” “separated / brought near” and “falsehood / truth” that outline the distinction between the Gentiles’ past and present lives. The seven appearances of the word “walk” in Ephesians appear only in these paired units (two in IV and five in IV'). The dual admonition to do “good works” (2:10) and avoid the “works of darkness” (5:8-11) also unites these two sections.

Section V (3:1-21)

The structural importance of this section is stressed by its opening words in which Paul gives his name for the first time since Ephes. 1:1. This central unit in the epistle is composed of two parts: 3:1-13 and 3:14-21, both introduced by the phrase “for this reason.” In the first, Paul presents himself as the chosen minister to the Gentiles of the mystery (a word used three times in this section) of God. In the second half of V, Paul begins with a prayer for the strengthening of the Gentile believers and ends with a benediction and doxology climaxing in “Amen.” Each subsection ends with occurrences of the words “glory” and the rare word aiteo (“ask”). The designation “Christ Jesus” acts as an inclusio for the whole.