Введение

1. Founding of the Ephesian Church Ephesus is a seaside city in Asia Minor, on the Caistra River, surrounded by a valley bordered by mountains. Opposite it the sea makes a spacious depression in the ground, on which the island of Samos lies to the south. The advantageous position of Ephesus made it a center of trade, and from ancient times it dominated the region of the Ionians. In the beginnings of Christianity, it was the metropolis of the proconsular province of Asia. In addition to trade, the arts also flourished in it; it was also a center of learning. Saint Chrysostom writes about him: “Ephesus is the main city of Asia. It was dedicated to Artemis, where she enjoyed special respect as the highest goddess. The reverence of her admirers for her was so great that they did not want to make known the name of the one who burned her church; and he was burned. There were many philosophers from Ottol; and even now many philosophers can still be found there.” Here was the seat of pagan magic, emanating from the mysteries of Artemis. They wrote some words, fragmentarily or in phrases, the meaning of which no one understood, but to which they attributed great power. Clement of Alexandria mentions them in his Stromata. They were called εφεσια γραμματα, which some memorized, some took them written on scraps of parchment and wore them like an amulet, as Plutarch writes about this in his Symposiacs. Many Jews lived in Ephesus, and they had their own synagogue here, but it does not appear that they acquired a predominant position in any respect. Among the multitude of pagans, with the diverse development of pagan life, they were almost invisible. Judging by all this, Saint Paul had a lot of work and struggle here; but the grace of God, which acted in him and guided him, helped him and taught him to overcome everything and found here the famous Christian Church, the heir to the glory and influence of the Churches of Jerusalem and Antioch. When Saint Paul first visited Ephesus, there were no Christians there yet. This was at the end of the second preaching journey of Paul the Apostle, after his one and a half year stay in Corinth, on the way from which to Jerusalem he had to stop in Ephesus. Having some free time and not wanting to waste it, Saint Paul went down to the city and, entering the synagogue, discussed with the Jews, of course, about the hopes of Israel. The word sown by the Apostle found favorable soil here. Those who heard him and truly understood his power asked Saint Paul to stay with them longer. But he, having a need to be in Jerusalem for the approaching holiday, did not agree to this, but promised to come to them again on purpose, if the Lord willed (Acts 18:19-21). This was the first Gospel sermon heard in Ephesus. Whether anyone was converted by her is not noticed; but when Saint Paul arrived here for the second time, he found both Christians and half-Christians here. The continuers of the sermon he began were after him Aquilla and Priscilla, who arrived with him in Ephesus and were left here by him. As zealots for the glory of Christ the Lord, they, of course, did not remain silent, but spread the word about Him wherever necessary and where success was promised. - Their word was soon joined by the bold and strong speech of Apollos, a Jew, an eloquent man and knowledgeable in the Scriptures, who came at that time from Alexandria to Ephesus. He was instructed in the rudiments of the path of the Lord and, burning in spirit, spoke and taught about the Lord correctly, knowing only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. Hearing him, Aquilla and Priscilla accepted him and more accurately explained to him the path of the Lord. Of course, this circumstance served not to weaken, but to further inflame the teacher’s jealousy of Apollos. But he could not stay long in Ephesus, and without waiting for Saint Paul, he sailed to Corinth. The Ephesian brethren gave him letters of recommendation to the Christians there in order to induce them to accept him as brothers (Acts 18:24–27). - Now there are the brethren in Ephesus, by whom it is not enough to mean only Aquilla and Priscilla, although, it must be assumed, they were at the head of the others, as personally acquainted with the Corinthian brethren about Christ. While this was happening in Ephesus, Saint Paul, having been in Jerusalem and Antioch and passing through Phrygia, Galatia and the upper countries, finally arrived in Ephesus, as promised, and, of course, was met and accepted by those who understood him for the first time and already knew the path of the Lord with a joyful heart. The Apostle’s work in evangelism began immediately. First of all, he completed the unfinished ones. There were about twelve people among the believers, who, like Apollos, only knew and accepted the baptism of John. It is not surprising that they were disciples of Apollos. Realizing what they were, Saint Paul taught them what they did not yet know, and taught them what they did not yet have. The difference between Christians is the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit, from whose anointing they get their name. Meanwhile, those disciples did not even hear that there is the Holy Spirit, having been baptized only with the baptism of John. Saint Paul explained to them that John's baptism is only the threshold to the Kingdom of God. The door into it is baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus, and the making of sons of the Kingdom is the grace of the Holy Spirit. Having accepted the word of the Apostle with full faith, they were baptized with Christian baptism and, after the Apostle laid hands on them, they received the influx of the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues and prophesy (Acts 19:2–7). After this, the announcement of the Gospel to the Ephesians began. First, Saint Paul, according to custom, turned to the Jews. For three months he went to the synagogue, fearlessly preaching and assuring everyone that the Kingdom of God had come in the Lord Jesus Christ. But since there was little success, and on the contrary, they argued with him, became bitter against him and his holy teaching, reviling the way of the Lord, Saint Paul left the synagogue, separated those who believed and went over to the pagans to preach, which he offered every day in the school of a certain Tyrannus (Acts 19:9). The Apostle taught here for two years. Jews and Greeks, local and non-local, near and far, came to him, so that all the inhabitants of Asia heard the sermon about the Lord Jesus. The Church of God has put forth wide branches (Acts 19:10). It is true that the holy Apostle did not spare his labors and words, proclaiming the will of God and interpreting the deepest mysteries of the faith, as St. Chrysostom notes. But success does not come from verbal convictions, but from the power of the Spirit that set the Apostolic word in motion, especially from impressive signs and wonders. What Saint Mark said: “they (the Apostles), having gone out preaching everywhere, made haste for the Lord and confirmed the word with subsequent signs” (Mark 16:20), was repeated with each Apostle. This happened with Saint Paul, both in all the places of his preaching and in Ephesus. St. Luke notes in Acts: “God performed many miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs and aprons from his body were placed on the sick, and their illnesses ceased, and evil spirits came out of them” (Acts 19:11, 12). And the name of the Lord Jesus, preached by Saint Paul, was glorified, so that some exorcists began to use this worshiped name over those who had evil spirits in order to drive them out. Probably, there were also actions from this, just as they were during the Lord’s life on earth, as Saint John reported to Him (Luke 9:49). This could have been due to the fearfulness of the demons, who, having been completely defeated by the Lord, did not know where to go from the mere sound of His name, according to the word of Scripture: “The wicked runs away and persecutes not a single one” (Proverbs 28:1), - especially the demon, as Saint Anthony the Great notes in the word preserved by Saint Athanasius the Great in his life. The Lord Himself tolerated this for a time. But then it was necessary to show everyone that in the realm of God it is not words and names that are terrible, but even more so the spirit of faith with which they are pronounced. Why did he allow the demon in one demoniac to rise up against these exorcists, and with the word: “I know Jesus and Paul, who are you?.. rushed at them... and, overpowering them, took such power over them that they, naked and beaten, ran out of the house where the demoniac was.” There were seven of them (Acts 19:13–16). When the news of this spread among the Jews and Greeks, fear fell upon everyone, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. As a result, the charm of sorcery disappeared and warlocks lost their value. The warlocks themselves, having collected their books, burned them in front of everyone. The sacrifice is no small one. The price of books in complexity reached up to fifty thousand drachmas. This meant that paganism here was broken and its roots were being shaken. The number of believers increased, and those who converted came and confessed their evil deeds, of course with a vow to abstain from them, as was required of everyone approaching baptism, in the hope of accepting the gift of the Holy Spirit, through the laying on of Apostolic hands. “With such power the word of the Lord increased and became powerful” (Acts 19:20). The activity of Saint Paul, during such a long stay in Ephesus, must be assumed, was not limited to this city alone, but extended to all of Asia and even beyond its borders. The Asian churches mentioned in the Apocalypse, except Ephesus, in Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea (Apoc. 1:11), also in Colossae and Hierapolis (Col. 4:13), probably now received their beginning, either personally from Paul himself, or through his collaborators, at his direction and leadership. In this regard, we can say that Ephesus has now become the same for the Apostle as Antioch had hitherto been - the starting point of his Apostolic activity. It is also known that St. Paul wrote his epistles to the Galatians and the first to the Corinthians from here; this is at the beginning of his stay in Ephesus, and this is just before the end. Finally, seeing that very strong foundations for Christianity were laid here, Saint Paul proposed to leave Ephesus and, having visited the Macedonian and Achaian churches, stay in Jerusalem, and then head to Rome. He had already made an order about this, sending Timothy and Erastus before him to Macedonia, when a considerable rebellion arose in Ephesus against the path of the Lord, stirred up by Demetrius the silversmith. This hastened the departure of Saint Paul from Ephesus, and he, after the end of the rebellion by the prudence of the local guardian of order, having given the necessary instructions to the disciples, said goodbye to them and went to Macedonia (Acts 19:21-40, 20:1). Having visited the Macedonian churches and taught abundant instructions to the believers everywhere, he came to Hellas, where he could stay only three months, because the indignation raised against him by the Jews forced him to leave this country (Acts 20: 2, 3). The Apostle returned from there again through Macedonia. The path then lay past Ephesus, but Saint Paul decided not to enter it, so as not to be delayed in Asia, for he wanted to be in time for Pentecost in Jerusalem. The ship stopped at Miletus, a little south of Ephesus. Time allowed, and the Apostle invited church rectors here from Ephesus and, probably, from other places, to give them the last instructions and say goodbye to them (Acts 20:14-17). When they arrived, he said to them: You know how I acted among you from the day I came to Asia. I taught you publicly and from house to house and did not miss anything useful, proclaiming to the Jews and Greeks “repentance before God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Now, at the pull of the Spirit, I go to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there; only in all the cities the Holy Spirit testifies that bonds and sorrows await me there. But I do not value my life, just to properly perform the ministry that “I received from the Lord Jesus Christ - to preach the Gospel of the grace of God.” You will no longer see my face. But I have already announced to you the whole will of God. Observe the devotion and continue to build on the right foundation. Pay attention to yourselves and to the flock, in whom the Holy Spirit has installed bishops to shepherd the Church of the Lord and God, which He acquired with His blood. After me, wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock, and from among you will arise foolish people who will distract you from the truth in the wake of their philosophies. Stay awake, remembering that for three years, day and night, I taught each of you with tears. From now on, may God and His grace edify you more and more, so that, having completed, you will be brought to inheritance with all the sanctified. - Then remembering how, living among them, he not only did not take anything from anyone, but, with the labor of his hands, supporting himself and those with him, he also gave to the poor, remembering the word of the Lord that it is more blessed to give than to receive - Saint Paul, falling on his knees, prayed with all of them. Everyone cried and, falling on his neck, kissed him, grieving especially that, as he said, they would no longer see his face. So they escorted him to the ship and said goodbye to him (Acts 20:17–38). This ended the personal relations of Saint Paul with the Ephesians; but his concerns about them and his spiritual communication with them did not end, as evidenced by the letter written to them. 2. The circumstances of the writing of the letter to the Ephesians. This epistle was written by Saint Paul from prison, as it is repeatedly mentioned in himself (Eph. 3:1, 4:1, 6:20). But the bonds of Saint Paul began soon after his farewell to the Ephesians. Following his departure from Miletus, in the places where he visited, decisive indications are heard from the lips of the prophets about the inevitable bonds for him, which he himself foresaw (Acts 21:4, 10-14). And as soon as he appeared in Jerusalem, a few days later he was captured by the Asian Jews and betrayed to the hatred of the people, by whom he would have been deprived of his life if the pagan authorities had not stood up for him. It took him and kept him in bonds, first in Caesarea and then in Rome. So the pagans preserved for the right time beyond the appointed preacher of the Gospel truth! So the bonds of Saint Paul began in Jerusalem, lasted two years in Caesarea and ended after continuing them for two years in Rome. The writing of the epistle can be attributed to any place of the Apostle’s captivity. But there was no time to write in Jerusalem; one must assume - in Caesarea or Rome. Where? “It’s better to put it in Caesarea.” What makes us lean towards this assumption is that it will be more convenient to resolve some of the confusion that arises regarding the features of the message, as we will see. But you can find some hints of this in the message itself. The message does not contain the slightest indication of any changes in the Church of Ephesus, for good or for bad. It sees her the same as she was left by Saint Paul. If anything worthy of note had happened there, the Apostle would not have failed to remember what he did later in his letter to the Colossians. Judging by the changeability of human affairs, we must admit that if the Ephesians were still the same when St. Paul wrote this epistle, then it is true that there was no time for them to change and that, therefore, it was written to them soon after St. Paul left there. If so, then it was written from Caesarea, for the writing from Rome will no longer be soon, but in the third or fourth year after the Apostle’s separation from them. In the same period of time, who knows what could have happened in Ephesus, as we see in Thessaloniki, Corinth and Galatians?! – And the Apostle would not have kept silent about that. This can also be suggested by the fact that the Apostle asks the Ephesians to pray that the word may be given to him, with his mouth openly, with boldness, to proclaim the mystery of the gospel (Eph. 6:19). This prayer refers more to the captivity of Caesarea than to the Roman one: for in Rome the Apostle enjoyed greater freedom, but in Caesarea he was definitely imprisoned, and only a few were allowed to enter to him (Acts 24:23). In addition, you can take into account the following. Did Saint Paul really spend two years in Caesarea (Acts 24:27) idle? He couldn't sit here with his hands folded; but since he did not have the opportunity to personally enter into relations with those converted to Christianity by him and act on the conversion of others, he probably wrote. Perhaps at this time he wrote some of those messages that are considered lost. But he wrote closest to the Ephesians, with whom he had just parted and the memory of whom was crowded in his mind. What prompted you to write such a message? The message does not indicate any special reason for writing it, as has already been noted. But, judging by the inspiration and high tone of the entire letter, it can be considered probable that St. Paul was disposed to write by his desire to communicate to the Ephesians those high contemplations into which he was led by the Spirit of God in his captivity and which delighted his spirit. Let us go to this God-led prisoner. He endured bonds for Christian freedom and for preaching the Gospel to tongues, to which he was called by the Lord Himself, who confirmed this calling shortly before in Jerusalem (Acts 23:11). The attention of Saint Paul could not help but remain on this subject; now it was chained to him with bonds. Just as in the bonds of Caesarea only a few relatives were allowed to come to Saint Paul, and then for the sake of service (Acts 24:23), so he was almost all the time only with himself. It was natural for him, standing before the Lord in an intelligent conversation, to delve deeper into the work that was entrusted to him. The work of calling the pagans has already begun, according to the clear will of God and according to instructions from above. Simple faith illuminates every event by including it in the plans of God's Providence. But the very contemplation of the place and significance of current events in the series of actions of God’s Providence is not given to everyone, and not everyone strives to enter into it. The finger of God was visible in calling the pagans, and the Apostle touched it. But he had not yet entered into the very mysteries of God about this, and the Spirit of God did not lead him there: for the truths are not suddenly revealed to God’s chosen ones in every way, but gradually, as they need them and are prepared to accept them. And now only the Spirit of God, who drew the Apostle to Jerusalem for bondage, leads his spirit into full contemplation of the mystery of God in the calling of tongues along with the Jews and the formation of both of them of the one saving Kingdom of Christ. It is not surprising that the Jews are called: they have been chosen for this from ancient times. But what is the calling of tongues? - Entering into this, the Apostle did not stop at one external manifestation of this event, but went back to its very beginning in the eternal council of God, put it in relation to the persons of the Most Holy Trinity, with the angelic world, human and with all creatures, and extended behind its movement through all centuries - to the head of everyone in Christ Jesus in eternity. And he was the servant of this mystery. Through him, God in Christ united Jews and pagans, so that from both of them they could form a new race, which, united with God in the Lord Jesus and being united within itself by the spirit of love and brotherly communication, would grow in perfection, like a healthy body, harmoniously developing, or a strong building, wisely constructed. Filled with such contemplations, the spirit of the Apostle naturally wanted to share them with his beloved spiritual children and convey them to them in appropriate words. The last Church on which he worked so much was the Church of Ephesus. He conveys to her an image of this fullness of God’s wisdom in the structure of the Church and the salvation of all only so that they too may become partakers of this knowledge and be delighted by it. That is why he does not concern any particular cases in the Church of Ephesus, nor his own presence among them. All this did not represent anything special that would be in harmony with what his spirit was occupied with. The height of his contemplation did not allow him to descend. He pays all his attention to the great mystery of God, now as it is in God, now as it is realized in the Lord Jesus Christ, now as it is received by the earthly, now as it is seen by the heavenly, then how it will finally be revealed in eternity in all its glory. Only in depicting the duties of Christian community does he descend to earth, but even here you see that he looks at everything from the point of view of the same mystery of combining everyone into one body under the head of Christ. That he enthusiastically expounds all this to the Ephesians so that they too may learn the mystery of the wisdom of God and rejoice—this is directly stated in the epistle. Thus, at the beginning of it, Saint Paul prays, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: the aim of the heart may be enlightened, so that they may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Eph. 1:16-18). And at the end again “he bows his knees to the Father of our Lord... that he may grant them... to understand with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height (of this mystery)... and to understand the love of Christ that overcomes understanding" (revealed in calling them into His Kingdom) (Eph. 3:14-19). So palpable in these words is the Apostle’s desire that the Ephesians also enter into the contemplation of the same mystery and be filled with that blessed admiration that overshadowed him. But while such a consideration sufficiently explains the origin of the Epistle to the Ephesians, judging from a human perspective, the Spirit of God, acting in the spirit of the Apostle, could not limit itself to this. It can be understood that He disposed the Apostle to present the revelations communicated to him to the leadership of the entire Church for all subsequent time, to leave, as it were, a memorial book about the great work of creating the Church of God from Jews and pagans. Let us take into account the current state of affairs in the Church at that time. The Apostle Paul, wherever he preached, always turned first to the Jews and from them he already passed on to the pagans. The first believers were Jewish everywhere. They were joined by believers and pagans. But everywhere things went in such a way that the latter soon outnumbered the former, who seemed to disappear in their mass. So it was in Thessaloniki, so in Corinth, so among the Galatians, so, finally, in Ephesus and throughout Asia. Everywhere in the circle of the Apostle’s activity it happened that the Hellenes absorbed the Jews. But if then, in the beginning, it was so, then even more so it should have taken place in subsequent times. The Apostle could not help but see that after that the difference between Jew and Greek would be completely erased and only Christians would be seen everywhere without such external differences. But despite all this, the truth that the root of Christianity in the Old Testament and the Greeks were grafted into the tree of Israel must always be known and contained by faith. If you forget it, Christianity will appear as something torn off. Pagans, out of a sense of gratitude, should never forget that they entered into someone else's property, solely by the grace of God. It became easy to forget this when the individuals who could remind of this by their mere presence (that is, the Jews) became more and more smooth before our eyes. So there was a need to let future generations know who they were and how they became partakers of so many blessings - so that they would remember this, and, remembering, thank God, and try in every possible way to behave worthy of such a high title. Saint Paul does this in his letter to the Ephesians. Therefore, he concludes his explanation of the mystery of the calling of tongues into the Kingdom of Christ with the commandment: remember, you Gentiles, that you were once without Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and being godless in the world, but now in Christ you, who were once far off, have become close by the blood of Christ... you are no longer strangers and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (Eph. 2:11–19). This is not a lesson for the Ephesians alone, but also for all non-Jewish believers of subsequent times. Therefore, so do we. "Remember!" – Hasn’t Saint Paul noticed that they have definitely begun to forget; forgetting - not having a proper attitude towards the Jews, being separate from them or despising them; and then, perhaps, forget the greatness of the gift of God’s calling into the grace of Christ, hence the fact that living worthy of the calling is not a special concern. The elimination of all such irregularities may have been what St. Paul had in mind, by the way. In his letter to the Romans, he already admonished the pagans regarding this. Now he looks deeper into this truth in order to have a stronger impact on minds and imprint it indelibly on hearts. One should not ignore what the Apostle also says: “I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations for your sake, which is your glory” (Eph. 3:13). – Didn’t the bonds of the pagan believers confuse him, some because he suffered because of them, others because they could not understand how a person so tall and armed with such signs was in bonds? “He dispels this embarrassment with one word: “do not be discouraged...” without expanding too much, due to the insignificance of the matter and the smallness of the embarrassed persons. After explaining to them the secrets of the structure of the Church, it came naturally: when there is such benefit from preaching, is it worth paying attention to my sorrows? What kind of sacrifices can be spared in order to communicate it to my brothers? Features of this message. From this view of the origin and purpose of the epistle to the Ephesians, the features that sharply distinguish it from all others are themselves explained. The first of these features is the height of the content, with the corresponding enthusiasm of speech and versatility of thoughts. Saint Chrysostom writes: “They say that Saint Paul, when he was still speaking orally to the Ephesians, had already entrusted to them the deepest truths of the faith. At least the message itself is full of sublime contemplations and dogmas... It is full of sublime and immense contemplations; in it he explains what he almost never wrote about.” Everyone will see for himself as soon as he begins to read the message. The vision of the endless blessings of which we have become partakers in Christ Jesus delights the Apostle and stirs up holy thoughts and feelings in him in such abundance and with such speed that he does not have time to capture them in words. Thought after thought flows uncontrollably until they exhaust the entire subject that inspired the Apostle. And the word multiplies: for the Apostle only wanted to outline every speculative object, without, however, stopping at it in particular, but noting it in the general series of mental visions flowing through consciousness. Judging by the nature of the content of the epistle and the tone of speech in it, it is also among the other epistles of the Apostle Paul, like the Gospel of John among the Gospels. The second feature of this message, a direct consequence of the previous one, is community. The Apostle depicts the general essence of Christianity - how from the beginning God decided to save us in His Son, how the Son of God came to earth and arranged this salvation, how we all become participants in this salvation and how, as a result, we must live and act. He does not point to any historical cases. Everything he says can apply to every Christian society. You can see one difference in the faces under the words we and you. It is we, the Jews, and you, the pagans, whose fusion in the single body of the Church about the Lord served as the starting point of all the contemplations that captivated the Apostle. Based on this generality of the message, some have called it a general Christian catechism. And new religious preachers can indeed have it as a norm in the first catechumens of Gentiles. Of the first two, the third feature of the epistle is that it does not indicate any historical circumstances of either the Apostle himself or the Ephesians to whom he wrote it, and that it does not contain greetings to any persons, especially significant in the Church of Ephesus and close to the Apostle, as he does in all other epistles. The only mentions are about the bonds of the Apostle and his election to preach the Gospel to the tongues, and about Tychicus, the famous companion of St. Paul and the bearer of his messages. – The Apostle did not want to descend to any commonplaces among such unusual and comprehensive contemplations, which, of course, he continued to adhere to even after they were presented in words. And they note about philosophers that when they happen to go deeper into any metaphysical speculations, then they occupy their soul for a long time, and they are reluctant at that time to engage in anything current. 3. There is confusion as to whether this epistle was written to the Ephesians? Such features of the epistle, together with some expressions in it, make others perplexed and hesitate whether it was written to the Ephesians. That it was written by St. Paul, there are almost no doubters about this, or there are so few of them, and the grounds for their unbelief are so insignificant that it is not worth dwelling on it. But, many say: this epistle was written by St. Paul the Apostle, but it was not written to the Ephesians. a) Saint Paul recently left Ephesus, where he stayed for so long, where he was so sincerely loved and revered, and, of course, he himself had many people towards whom he had a special affection. Is it possible that, while writing a message to them, he did not say a word to any of them? – But this is already sufficiently explained by the state of mind in which Saint Paul was when writing this epistle, as noted before this. This is finally explained from the fact that the epistle was written from Caesarea, where the ties were tighter and the enemies closer and more evil. For the first time, Saint Paul fell into such long and strong bonds. There are enemies everywhere who are angry with him. Judging from a human perspective, he could not help but fear all sorts of untruths and troubles on their behalf. The Jews probably kept a vigilant watch over him and were ready to do anything just to embitter him in some way. Knowing this, when he wrote the letter, he did not mention anyone from either the Jews or the pagans, fearing that the message would fall into the hands of his enemies and they would cause trouble because of this to him and to the persons mentioned, whether they were Jews or pagans: from the Jews, because they were still hierarchically dependent on the Jerusalem authorities; from the pagans, because regarding them they could tell the ruler: he and seduces yours, leading them away from Caesar and subordinating them to a certain Christ. In addition, the ruler was already expecting a ransom from the Apostle Paul (Acts 24:26), and having learned how wide the circle of his admirers was and how significant they were, he would have resorted to something more idle than waiting. For all this, Saint Paul considered it necessary not to mention in his letter any persons from the Ephesian Church, to which he wrote. In the event of the epistle being taken away, no one could be approached except the Apostle Paul himself and Tychicus, who were present and known to everyone whose spirit they were. The same need to greet someone and especially could be satisfied verbally by Tychicus, who was there with the Apostle and knew everyone well. b) This can also explain the second bewilderment, which is taken from the words of the Apostle: “having heard about your faith” (Eph. 1:15). How, they say, could he write this to the Ephesians, whom he himself converted and whose faith and deeds he personally knew? It is true, he did not write this to them, but to others, to the Laodiceans, for example, or somewhere else. - But - besides, this hearing can be understood not about the initial conversion, but about firmness and success in faith and love, as Theodoret interprets that place - and besides, in the word “hearing” one can see the thought: being confident - this image of expression, one can believe, was forced by the Apostle by the same circumstance of the severity of the bonds and the proximity of evil enemies. That’s why he didn’t make greetings, he said “hearing,” in order to fence everyone off and not give rise to torture and questions. Even if they had been offered, Saint Paul could now say: I wrote to everyone whom I had not even seen. If you need them, look for them yourself, whenever you want. c) The third bewilderment arose from the fact that in some manuscripts in the inscription of the epistle there is no saying: “in Ephesus”, in the words: “to those who are holy in Ephesus,” but only: “to those who are holy and faithful in Christ Jesus.” If this reference to Ephesus is not in the text, then it is true that the message was not written there, but rather to all Christians. This, they say, is a circular epistle to the Hellenes or Asiatics, similar to the Epistle to the Hebrews. – In terms of content, it is exactly like that; but, if its original purpose from the Apostle had been this, then the inscription would not have used such a phrase at all: “to those who are holy and faithful,” but rather: to the saints who are everywhere, or, as in the second epistle to the Corinthians, “who are in all Asia,” or as in the first to the same Corinthians - “to all who call on the name of the Lord Jesus,” or as in the epistle to the Galatians: “to the churches of Asia.” (2 Cor. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:2). In the same form as it appears in the cited manuscripts: “to the holy beings,” without a designated place, the word “to beings” remains hanging in the air. When pronouncing it, you immediately expect an indication of the area, as in all other messages; for example, “those who are in Rome, those who are in Philippi, those who are in Colossae,” and so on. – And when there is no such indication, you cannot avoid the desire to fill this gap with a similar indication. The word “in Ephesus” replenishes it and returns the flow of speech to its proper order. But is it worth paying attention to this omission in two or three manuscripts? - If only this word was missing in these two or three manuscripts, it would certainly be possible not to dwell on this case, especially with the general testimony of antiquity that this epistle is the epistle of St. Paul and was written by him specifically - to the Ephesians. But in ancient times there were hesitations about the reading of this word in the text. And this particular circumstance requires explanation. Precisely, antiquity presents two cases, from which it is clear that some then still hesitated whether to read in the text: “in Ephesus.” - But in the same cases, the same persons who remember this, certifiably testify that they and the entire Church consider this letter to be undoubtedly written by St. Paul to the Ephesians. The conclusion from this will be this: the epistle was undoubtedly written to the Ephesians, but for some reason in some copies in the text the inscription of the epistle does not include: “in Ephesus.” The bewilderment comes down not to whether the epistle was written to the Ephesians, but to how it happened that in the text after “being” in other lists there is no “in Ephesus”, while all antiquity recognizes this epistle as written to the Ephesians, and the form of expression in the text is such that it certainly makes one expect an indication of the place. So it turns out that the whole dispute here is about the letter. And it is possible, without prejudice to the cause of truth, to answer the proposed question: we don’t know how this happened. Some insist on proving that this word was in the original Apostolic Epistle, not noticing that it is much more difficult to explain how it, being in the original, later appeared in some copies, than how it, not being in the original, then began to be included in it, and, moreover, in such a way that subsequently this image of writing became dominant. The possibility of the latter case is easily explained from the same circumstance, which helps to solve other perplexities - that is, that the epistle was written from the bonds of Caesarea, under fear from enemies, so as not to cause trouble to those to whom the epistle was written, by indicating the location of its destination. Saint Paul did not order the one who was rewriting the epistle to put: “in Ephesus”, after “to those who exist”, explaining to Tychicus the reason for this and instructing him, along with other verbal instructions (transferring greetings to well-known persons), to explain why this was being done, and giving the Ephesians the freedom to enter this word or not to enter it. Of those who copied this message, those who knew about this order of the Apostle inserted “in Ephesus,” and those who did not know omitted it. This is how the general belief arose that this epistle is the epistle to the Ephesians, while in some lists it was written “in Ephesus”, and in others it was omitted. The first hint of the non-existence of this word in other ancient copies is seen in the words of Tertullian against Marcion, a famous misinterpreter and daring spoiler of the New Testament Scriptures. In the 5th book against Marcion, ch. 2, he says that the letter that we write is “to the Ephesians,” but the heretics write it to the Laodiceans. And below, in ch. 17, adds: “According to the undoubted certification of the Church, the epistle was written to the Ephesians, and not to the Laodiceans, but Marcion changed its inscription.” - From this it is concluded that neither Marcion nor Tertullian had in their lists the epistle in the text - “in Ephesus”. If Marcion had written “in Ephesus” in his text, he would not have been able to write at the top: “to the Laodiceans.” If he did this, then he probably took advantage of the opportunity that he came across a manuscript without this word in the text. If Tertullian had included “in Ephesus” in his list of messages, he would have attacked Marcion not as a changer of the upper inscription, but as a distorter of the text of the Scriptures. The last guidance is not entirely strict. Tertullian mentions this in passing and could have limited himself to a slight indication of the change in the inscription, without going into a detailed consideration of the entire subject. Tertullian used the Latin translation of Itala, which reads - in Epheso. In this circumstance, Tertullian’s testimony about the general voice of the Church regarding the message is dear to us. Marcion’s act, about which it is known how capriciously he treated God’s Scripture, does not represent anything important and only gives a hint that, it is true, he had a manuscript without Εν Εφεσω. The second case, which gives reason to assume that in ancient times there were lists in which it was not read “in Ephesus,” is found in the words of St. Basil the Great against Eunomius. Eunomius rejected the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Having collected against him a lot of evidence from the Scriptures that the Lord Jesus Christ is the true God, without beginning, eternally living, “He who is,” (Exodus 3:14), he among other things cites the following: “In one place the Apostle calls the pagans not being because they had no knowledge of God: “He who is not was chosen by God” (1 Cor. 1:28). In fact, since God is the One, the Truth, and the Life, then people who are not united by faith with God, Who is the One, and who are akin to the insignificance of lies due to their delusion regarding idols, are rightly, as I think, called non-existent - for lack of truth and for alienation from life. On the contrary, this same Apostle, in his letter to the Ephesians, called them, in a special sense, existing, as united sincerely, through knowledge with Existence, saying: “to those who are holy, and to those who are faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1). So those who were before us betrayed this, and we ourselves found it in the ancient lists. So the servants of Christ participate in this name; and Eunomius did not want to honor our God Himself with this name, but called Him non-existent, Who brought creation from nothing into being” (Creations of the Holy Fathers in Russian translation. Vol. 3. Against Eunomius. Book 2). From this place it is clear that Saint Basil the Great’s attention is not occupied with how to read the inscription of the epistle - with or without εν Εφεσω - but with how those of the ancients who did not read this word interpreted the word - “by being”, without entering into consideration of whether it should be read this way or not. Finding it possible to use this interpretation against Eunomius, Saint Basil cites it. But so that it does not seem that he believes every rumor, he says that he has seen manuscripts in which the word in Ephesus does not appear, but only “by those who exist.” It is not clear that Saint Basil the Great attached any importance to this reading or non-reading - “in Ephesus”; but he did not fail to turn this into a weapon in the fight against Eunomius. Saint Basil himself is convinced that the epistle was written to the Ephesians, for he says: “The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians.” - And the list of messages of St. Paul in the Church of Caesarea apparently had “in Ephesus,” and all the neighboring regions of the church also read this word: otherwise St. Basil would have referred to them. - Thus, if we abstract from the words of Basil the Great only what is relevant to our subject, we get: if you want - read, if you want - don’t read - in the text “in Ephesus”; just keep the conviction that the epistle was written to the Ephesians. Blessed Jerome, citing this interpretation of the word “existent,” calls it too refined, deriving it from Origen. He himself retains a simple and direct understanding of this word: “by existence,” that is, “in Ephesus.” Thus, antiquity accurately represents what was not read in some lists - “in Ephesus.” But this had no effect on the conviction that the letter was written to the Ephesians. This conviction remained generally unchanged. From him, the lists with “in Ephesus” almost completely replaced the lists without this word. This can be seen from the oldest translations of Pescito and Italus, in which it says “in Ephesus.” Two or three manuscripts, however, have reached us, from which we can conclude that there is hesitation regarding the reading of this word. This word is not in the Sinai manuscript; in the Vatican it stands in the margins and is written down, some say with the same hand, and some with another; in the manuscript, listed under No. 67, it appears in the text, but then crossed out. – There is only one definitive manuscript; the other two hesitate. But if they all spoke decisively, what are they compared to all the other respected manuscripts in which this word is read? But just as with all this one cannot ignore this omission in a few manuscripts, it is sufficiently explained by the above assumption about the possibility of the formation of both readings, without prejudice to the confidence that the epistle was written to the Ephesians. Based on this omission of the word “in Ephesus,” some believed that this was a conciliar letter, not to one place appointed, but to all or many. But in this case, nothing prevented anyone from writing to those who exist everywhere, or to everyone who calls on the name of the Lord, as noted. And as it stands in those manuscripts, then the existing ones certainly require a certain place. This is also required by the announcement at the end that everything concerning the Apostle will be told by Tychicus. There must be a certain place where Tychicus was sent with the message; Otherwise, such an order is inconvenient to carry out literally. Even more untenable is the assumption that a gap was left after the beings so that Tychicus would write after it the place where he brought the message. Several copies were written. And one cannot imagine any need for such a funny procedure. As for the opinion that this letter was written to the Laodiceans, it is all an omission and at the same time requires explanation. But in order for it to be written to the Laodiceans, what makes it difficult to admit is the impossibility of explaining how it could have happened that the epistle was recognized throughout antiquity as a letter to the Ephesians, when, in addition to the Laodicean Church, evidence of this also came from the Church of Colossians, to which St. Paul wrote to read that epistle. – You shouldn’t pay attention to Marcion’s willful action. Let us therefore dwell on the thought that the omission of space was definitely for the reason stated earlier, but that the epistle was intended for the Ephesian Church. This is how all antiquity recognized him; Some lists were made with the entry “in Ephesus,” and others were made without this. 4. Place and time of writing. Where the message was written from, we have placed our thought about this at the beginning, because it conveniently resolves some of the features of the message and the bewilderments aroused by it. But, dwelling on it, the time of writing the epistle should already agree with it. - Saint Paul arrived in Ephesus in 55 or 56. Stayed there for 3 years. Several months were then spent traveling around Macedonia and staying in Achaia. Then the attack on the Apostle in Jerusalem, after which the bonds of Caesarea began. The writing of the letter to the Ephesians falls, therefore, to 60 or 61 years. 5. Content and division of the message. And before it has been said more than once that the main subject of the epistle is the mystery of calling the pagans to salvation, which is arranged for the entire human race in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, promised to the Jews, and the mystery of establishing from all people the one Church of God, whose head is Christ the Lord. Having outlined this at length and with inspiration, Saint Paul then proposes the rules of Christian life, in what spirit those called to such a combination into a single body should live and in what actions this spirit should be expressed in all orders of life in which every person is usually placed. The first subject takes up the first three chapters, the second the last three. At the beginning, they are accompanied by an inscription and a greeting (Eph. 1:1, 2) and at the end a short conclusion (Eph. 6:12–24). A more detailed development of the thoughts of each part will be offered in the interpretation of the message itself. You might be interested in: