EPHES-DAMMIM

(1 Ch 4"). 3. The first of a group of five heads of fathers' houses belonging to the half tribe of Mauasseh (1 Ch 5'").

EPHES-DAMMDH. — The place in Judah where the Philistines were encamped at the time when David slew Gohath (1 S 17'). The same name appears In 1 Ch 11" as Fas-Dammim.

EFHESIANS, EPISTLE TO.— This Epistle belongs to the group of Epistles of the Captivity, and was almost certainly, it genuine, written from Rome, and sent by Tychicus at the same time as the Epistles to the Co-lossians and to Philemon (see Colossians).

1. Destination. — To whom was it addressed? That it was specifically written to the Ephesian Church is improbable, for two reasons — (1) The words 'at Ephesus' in 1' are absent from two ot the earliest MSS, and apparently from the Epistle as known to Marcion (a.d. 140), who refers to it as addressed to the Laodiceans. Origen also had access to a copy of the Epistle from which they were absent. (2) The Epistle is almost entirely devoid ot the personal touches — references to St. Paul's long stay at Ephesus, greetings to friends, etc. — that we should expect to find in an Epistle to a Church with which the Apostle's relations had been as close as they had been with the Ephesian Church. On the other hand, early tradition, as shown in the title, associated the Epistle with Ephesus, and, except Marcion, no early writer associated it with any other Church. Moreover, personal touches are not wholly absent. St. Paul has heard of the faith and love of those to whom he writes (1"); they had been saddened by news of his imprisonment (3") ; they apparently know Tychicus (6"- »). Perhaps the best explanation of all the facts is to be found in the sugges-tion madeby Ussher, and adopted by'Lighttoot (Biblical Essays), that the Epistle is really a circular letter to the Churches of Asia (cf. the First Epistle ot St. Peter). Possibly the space where 'at Ephesus' now appears was left blank for Tychicus to fill in as he left copies ot the letter at the various churches on his line of route. If this solution is the true one, this Epistle is most probably the letter referred to in Col 4".

2. Purpose. — This Epistle, unlike most of St. Paul's, does not appear to have been written with a view to any particular controversy or problem of Church lite. Ot all the Pauline Epistles it has most ot the character of a treatise or homily. Its keynote is the union of the Christian body, Jewish and Gentile, in Christ, in whom all things are being fulfilled. It may be regarded as carrying on the doctrinal teaching ot the Epistle to the Romans from the point reached in that Epistle; and. Indeed, may not improbably have been so intended by St. Paul.

3. Authenticity. — The authenticity of the Epistle is well attested by external testimony, but has been disputed during the last century on internal grounds. The chief ot these are — (1) Difference of style from the earlier Epistles. This is very marked, but (a) the style is like that ot the Epistle to the Colossians, and resembles also the Epistle to the Philippians; (6) there are many definitely Pauline phrases and turns ot expression; (c) arguments from style are always unreliable (see Colossians). (2) Doctrinal differences. The chief ot these are; (a) the prominence given to the 'Catholic' idea of the Church; (6) the doctrine ot the pre-existent Christ as the agent of creation; (c) the substitution of the idea ot the gradual fulfilment of the Divine purpose for the earlier idea of an imminent return (Parousia) ot Christ. In these and other directions there is cer-tainly a development, but is it not such a development as might easily take place in the mind of St. Paul, especially when three years of imprisonment had given him opportunities for quiet thought, and had brought him into contact with Roman imperialism at its centre? (3) The references to 'apostles and prophets' in 3' 4",

EPHESUS

which seem to suggest that the writer Is looking back on the Apostolic age from the standpoint of the next generation. But in 1 Co 122« 'apostles' and 'proph-ets' stand first in the order of spiritual gifts, and both there and here the word ' apostle ' ought probably to be taken in a wider sense than as including only the Twelve and St. Paul. Apostles and prophets were the two kinds of teachers exercising general, as dis-tinguished from localized, authority in the early Church.

Those who deny the genuineness ot the Epistle have generally regarded it as the work ot a disciple of St. Paul early in the 2nd century. Some critics admit the genuineness ot Colossians, and regard this Epistle as a revised version drawn up at a later date. But the absence ot any reference to the special theological con-troversies of the 2nd century, and of any obvious motive for the composition of the Epistle at a later time, make this theory difficult to accept. Nor is it easy to see how an Epistle purporting to be by St. Paul, that had not been in circulation during his lifetime, could have secured a place in the collection ot his Epistles that began to be made very soon after his death (2 P 3"). There does not, then, seem to be any adequate ground for denying the Pauline authorship of this Epistle.

4. Characteristics. — The following are among the distinctive lines ot thought of the Epistle. (1) The stress laid on the idea of the Church as the fvlfilment of the eternal purpose of God — the body ot which Christ is the head (V^ 2" 3« 412- "), the buUding of which Christ is the corner-stone (2^-22), the bride (5"-"). (2) The cosmic significance of the Atonement (l'"- " 2' 31"). (3) The prominence given to the work of the Holy Spirit (1"- " 2'8 3'« i'- 3» S'). In this the Epistle differs from Colossians, and resembles 1 Corinthians. (4) Repeated exhortations to unity, and the graces that make for unity (4'-'- "■ ^-s" 5' etc.). (5) The concep-tion of the Christian household (S'^B') and of the Christian warrior (6'°-'').

6. Relation to other books. — The Epistle has lines ot thought recalling 1 Cor. See, e.g., in 1 Cor. the idea ot the riches (1*) and the mystery (2'-"i) ot the gospel, the work ot the Spirit (2i»- " 12«), the building (3s-". le), the one body (10" 12<-8- "-"), all things subdued unto Christ (.15^-^'). The relation to Colossians is very close. 'The one is the general and systematic exposition of the same truths which appear in a special bearing in the other' (Lighttoot). Ct. the relation of Galatians and Romans. Ephesians and Philippians have many thoughts in common. See, e.g., the Christian citizenship (Eph 212. is, Ph 1" 3™), the exaltation of Christ (Eph 1™, Ph 2'), the true circumcision (Eph 2u, Ph 3'), unity and stability (Eph 2i8«- 4» 6'3, Ph 1"). Ct. also Eph 618 with Ph 4«, and Eph 5^ with Ph 418. In regard to Romans and Ephesians, 'the unity at which the former Epistle seems to arrive by slow and painful steps is assumed in the latter as a starting-point, with a vista ot wondrous possibilities beyond' (Hort).

There is a close connexion between this Epistle and 1 Peter, not so much in details as in 'identities of thought and similarity in the structure of the two Epistles as wholes' (Hort). If there is any direct relation, it is probable that the author of 1 Peter used this Epistle, as he certainly used Romans. In some respects this Epistle shows an approximation of Pauline thought to the teaching ot the Fourth Gospel. See, e.g., the teaching of both on grace, on the contrast of light and darkness, on the work of the pre-incarnate Logos; and compare Jn 17 with the whole Epistle. Ct. also Rev 21i«- " with Eph 22«- 21, Rev 19' with Eph 52s-", and Rev 13» with Eph 3".

J. H. B. Masterman.

EPHESUS.— The capital of the Roman province Asia; a large and ancient city at the mouth of the river Cayster, and about 3 miles from the open sea. The origin of the name, which is native and not Greek, is unknown. It stood at the entrance to one ot the

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