1. AUTHOR. — Paul.

2. DATE. — Between 62 and 64 A. D.

3. TO WHOM WRITTEN. — To the Christians at Ephesus, though perhaps all Christians in that region were included in the ad dress.

4. HISTORICAL OCCASION. — While Paul was in prison at Rome the first time.

5. LEADING TOPIC. — God had determined from the beginning that the Gentiles should be adopted as sons, and should share in the blessings secured by Christ to those who accept him, and being thus turned from darkness to light by the power of the Spirit, and forming one body with the Jews, that they should live together in peace, and be built up into a perfect manhood in Christ.

6. CHIEF PURPOSE. — To show that the adoption of the Gentiles into the church, whereby they were to form with the Jews one body in Christ, though revealed now for the first time to the Gentiles, had been determined from the beginning, and is an exhibition of God's wondrous wisdom; and farther, to secure in these Gentile and Jewish Christians harmony between them selves and righteous living, by which they were to be distinguished from the world.

7. GENERAL ANALYSIS.

Part 1. Doctrinal:

(a) Gentiles share in the adoption, Ch. 1-2:10.

(b) Thus they are made one with the Jews, Ch. 2:11-22.

(c) Paul appointed to preach this truth, Ch. 3.

Part II. Exhortation:

(a) To unity and harmony, Ch. 4:1-16.

(b) To conduct befitting their calling, Ch. 4:17-5:21.

(c) To faithful observance of social duties, Ch. 5:22-6:24.

8. SPECIAL TEACHING OF THE BOOK. — Gen tiles predestined to belong to the body of Christ; all to be one in him; enmity between Jew and Gentile removed by him; the body of Christ to be edified; Christians not to live as the world,

9. RELATION TO OTHER N. T. BOOKS. — Colossians and Philemon were written and sent at the same time as this Epistle. While this shows that the Gentiles were to form a part of the body of Christ, Colossians emphasizes Christ's headship over this body, and Corinthians dwell upon the fact that the body of Christ is to be separated from the world.

10. TOPICS FOR SPECIAL STUDY. — The teaching of the Old Testament about the salvation of the Gentiles; the view of this that prevailed among the Jews at the time of Christ.