Reference: Ephesians
Morish
Ephesians. Ephe'sians
The inhabitants of Ephesus. Ac 19:28-35; 21:29.
Ephesians, Ephe'sians Epistle to the.
Paul first visited Ephesus on his way from Corinth to Syria: he did not stay then, but left Priscilla and Aquila there, who were afterwards joined by Apollos. Ac 18:18-24. Paul soon returned and stayed there two years. There was thus time for the saints to be grounded in the truth. The opposition was so great in the synagogue that Paul separated the disciples, and they met daily in the school of Tyrannus. The word grew mightily and prevailed. Ac 19:1-20.
In 1Co 15:32 Paul speaks of having fought with beasts at Ephesus, doubtless alluding to the strong opposition manifested towards him there by the Jews. In Ac 20:17, etc., Paul exhorts the elders of Ephesus, as overseers, to feed the church of God. He warns them that grievous wolves would enter in, and some from among themselves would speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them. As their resource he commends them to God and the word of His grace. Following this was the Epistle he wrote to them during the two years he was a prisoner at Rome.
In 1Ti 1:3 Paul says he had besought Timothy to abide at Ephesus, and to exhort them to teach no other doctrine, and not to give heed to fables and endless genealogies. In 2Ti 1:15 there is the sad intelligence that 'all they which are in Asia' (which must have included Ephesus) had 'turned away from' Paul, doubtless signifying that they had given up the truth as taught by Paul, and settled down with a lower standard. In 2Ti 4:12 Tychicus had been sent to Ephesus. The great care and watchfulness with which Paul laboured for their welfare is very manifest. In Re 2:1-7 we have the address to this church, in which much is said in their favour, though the solemn charge had also to be made that they had left their first love, and the warning is given that if they did not repent their candlestick would be removed.
The Epistle to the Ephesians is remarkable in setting forth the counsels of God with regard to His people as connected with Christ. It is from this standpoint that they are viewed, rather than that of their need as sinners, and how it has been met. This latter is developed in the Epistle to the Romans. The state of the Ephesian believers enabled them to receive a communication of such a nature as this Epistle, in which glorious unfoldings of the mind of God about His own are given in the greatest fulness.
The key note is struck in Eph 1:3, where God is blessed as "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Paul having remained yet many days took leave of the brothers, and sailed to Syria; and Priscilla was with him, and Aquila, having shaved his head at Cenchrea; for he had a vow. And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, and entering himself into the synagogue reasoned with the Jews. read more. And they asking him to stay a longer time with them he did not consent, but taking leave of them and saying, I will return to you again, if God will, he sailed from, Ephesus, and coming down to Caesarea, and going up and saluting the church, he went down to Antioch; and having spent some time there he went away, passing in order through the country of Galatia and Phrygia, confirming all the disciples. AND a certain Jew by the name of Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus, being powerful in the Scriptures.
And when Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, passing through the higher portions of the country, came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples; and he said to them, Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? And they said to him, We have not heard that there is a Holy Spirit. read more. And he said to them, With what then were you baptized? And they said, With John's baptism. Paul said, John indeed baptized [administered] the baptism of a change of mind, telling the people to believe on him that was to come after him, that is, on Jesus. And hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus: and Paul putting his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve. And going into the synagogue he spoke boldly, for three months, reasoning and persuading in favor of the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and believed not, speaking evil of the way before the multitude, he left them and separated the disciples from them, and reasoned day by day in the school of one Tyrannus. And this was done for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. And God performed unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that napkins and aprons were brought from him to the sick, and their diseases left them, and the evil spirits went out of them. And some of the travelling Jewish exorcists undertook to call over those that had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches. And there were some seven sons of Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest, who did this. But the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped upon them, and overcome them, and prevailed against them, so that they escaped from his house, naked and wounded. And this was known both to all the Jews and Greeks who lived at Ephesus, and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified; and many of those who believed came and confessed, and showed their practices. And many of those who practised secret arts brought their books, and burnt them before all; and they computed the price of them, and found it to be fifty thousand [didrachmas] of silver [$8,333]. So the word of the Lord increased powerfully and prevailed.
And hearing this they were full of wrath, and cried, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians! And the whole city was full of confusion; and they rushed with one accord to the theatre, taking Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, fellow travellers of Paul. read more. And Paul wishing to go in to the people, the disciples did not permit him; and some of the rulers of Asia also, who were friendly to him, sending to him, besought him not to expose himself in the theatre. Some therefore cried one thing, and some another; for the assembly was confused, and the greater part knew not for what reason they had come together. And they advanced Alexander from the multitude, the Jews putting him forward; and Alexander motioning with his hand, wished to defend himself before the people. But knowing that he was a Jew, there was one voice from all, for about two hours, crying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And the clerk having stilled the multitude, said, Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great Diana, and of the Jove descended [image]?
And from Miletus sending to Ephesus he called for the elders of the church.
For they had before seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, of what advantage is it to me? If the dead rise not, let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [worlds] in Christ,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [worlds] in Christ,
which he performed in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly [worlds],
and raised us up and seated us together with Christ Jesus in the heavenly worlds,
that now to the principalities and powers in the heavenly [worlds] should be made known, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God,
This I say then and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the other gentiles walk, in the vanity of their minds,
for our conflict is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the potentates of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual [hosts] of evil in the heavenly [worlds].
As I requested you to remain at Ephesus, when going into Macedonia, that you might charge some not to preach another doctrine,
You know this, that all those in Asia left me, of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write, These things says he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, I know your works and your labor and your patience, and that you cannot bear the wicked, and you tried those who say they are apostles and are not, and found them false; read more. and you have patience, and suffered for my name, and did not faint. But I have against you that you have left your first love. Remember therefore whence you have fallen, and change your minds, and do the first works, otherwise I will come to you and remove your candlestick from its place, unless you change your minds. But you have this, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Let him that has an ear hear what the Spirit says to the churches; To him that conquers will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my God.