Name of the tenth book of the New Testament, which was written by Paul of Tarsus and probably written from Rome during his first imprisonment, soon after his arrival there in the year 62 AD.

However, some critical theologians have questioned the authorship, suggesting the letter to be deutero-Pauline, i.e. written in Paul's name by another −perhaps even later− author, dating the letter as late as somewhere between 80 and 100 AD. Yet from the content of the text itself, as well as from the very first verse, which identifies Paul as the author, this hypothesis seems rather unlikely, although it might have been dictated by Paul, perhaps with interpolations from another author.

Besides the authorship, also the purpose of the epistle, and to whom it was written, are matters of much speculation, with some scholars suggesting that the letter was in fact addressed to the church at Laodicea and not to the saints in Ephesus, an opinion that has emerged because earlier manuscripts of the epistle simply state that it is addressed “to the saints”, omitting the words “in Ephesus”, which are found in later manuscripts.

The main theme of the letter is the unity and reconciliation of the whole of creation with God, in Jesus Christ, and through the agency of the true church, of whom Christ is both the foundation and the head.

In Greek, the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, which in English is usually shortened to Ephesians, is known as Epistole pros Ephesious (Επιστολή προς Εφεσίους), a title meaning ‘Epistle to the Ephesians’, which is likewise usually shortened to Pros Ephesious (Προς Εφεσίους) and translates as ‘To the Ephesians’.

Ephesians Chapter 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6.