The letter’s closing commends Tychicus and explains his task (6:21-22) and wishes grace, love with faith, and grace to its readers (6:23-24)
21 But that ye also may know my affairs, [and] how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: 22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and [that] he might comfort your hearts. 23 Peace [be] to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace [be] with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. (KJV; for other versions, see https://www.blueletterbible.org/)
Explanation of Tychicus’ Task (6:21-22)
F. F. Bruce comments, “The words at the beginning of v. 21–‘so that you also may know my affairs’–most probably mean ‘so that you, in addition to others who are receiving news of me, may know my affairs.’ This would be natural if Colossians and Ephesians were written and sent at the same time. Tychicus, who was evidently in Paul’s company at the time of the writing, would be able to convey further information about him by word of mouth.” (The Epistles to Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians in The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1984, page 414)
J. Armitage Robinson summarizes well what we know about Tychicus from Scripture: “The words which concern the mission of Tychicus are found also in the Epistle to the Colossians (Col. iv 7), with hardly a difference, except that there Onesimus is joined with him. Tychicus is mentioned in Acts (Acts xx 4) together with Trophimus as a native of proconsular Asia, who met St Paul at Troas on his return from Greece through Macedonia in the year 58 A.D. [57 A.D., according to F. F. Bruce, Apostle of the Heart Set Free, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977, page 340]. This was the memorable journey which issued in the apostle’s arrest in the temple at Jerusalem, and his imprisonment at Caesarea (Acts xxi 29). It is probable that as a delegate of the Colossian Church he went, as Trophimus did on behalf of the Ephesians, the whole of the way to Jerusalem. But at least we may think of him as present when the Apostle preached and broke bread at Troas, and when he addressed the Ephesian Elders at Miletus. This was five years before the present epistle, which he carried from Rome to several Asian Churches. [Robinson and many other scholars view Ephesians as a circular letter for many churches in Asia Minor rather than as a letter specifically for Ephesus because “in Ephesus” is absent from some of the oldest and best manuscripts of Ephesians and because it lacks details about Paul’s ministry in Ephesus and personal greetings.] Five years later we find him again with St Paul, who speaks of sending him or Artemas to visit Titus in Crete (Tit. iii 12), and who actually sent him not long afterwards to Ephesus (2 Tim. iv 12). [On this occasion Tychicus probably carried five letters–Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, 2 Timothy, and Titus–and may have relieved two of Paul’s apostolic delegates–Timothy and Titus.] So by acts of service extending over a period of ten years he justified his title of ‘a beloved brother’ and the Apostles’ ‘faithful minister.’ (St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1903, pages 136-37)
On verse 22 Albert Barnes writes, “The churches where Paul had preached, would feel a great interest in his welfare. He was a prisoner at Rome, and it was doubtful what the result would be. In this situation, he felt it proper to despatch a special messenger to give information about his condition; to state what was doing in Rome; to ask the prayers of the churches; and to administer consolation to them in their various trials. The same sentiment in regard to the embassy of Tychicus, is expressed in the Epistle to the Colossians, Colossians 4:7-8. No small part of the consolation which he would impart to them would be found in these invaluable letters which he bore to them from the apostle.” (Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1975 reprint, page 1016)
Final Benediction (6:23-24)
Paul concludes his letter with a benediction of peace and grace upon the church, as he’d done in the opening, “Grace [be] to you, and peace, from God our Father, and [from] the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:2). “Grace” is the unmerited favour of God, and “peace” includes peace with God, peace with others, and inner peace. “Love with faith” signifies that love is accompanied by faith. The ESV has “with love incorruptible” and the NIV has “with an undying love” instead of “in sincerity.” (Thus they have “love” three times in verses 23-24, which is suitable for a letter in which “love” is a prominent theme.) Although my commentaries give much consideration to the meaning of the phrase and to what part of the sentence it is connected–“grace,” “love,” or “our Lord Jesus Christ,” I’ll just share Barnes’ comment on “in sincerity”: “With a pure heart; without dissembling; without hypocrisy. There could not be a more appropriate close of the Epistle than such a wish; there will be nothing more needful for us when we come to the close of life than the consciousness that we love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. To writer and reader may this be equally the inestimable consolation then! Better, far better then will be the evidence of such sincere love, than all the wealth which toil can gain, all the honors which the world can bestow – than the most splendid mansion, or the widest fame. The subscription to this Epistle, like those affixed to the other epistles, is of no authority, but in this instance there is every reason to believe that it is correct. Compare notes at the end of the Epistle to the Romans and 1 Corinthians.” (page 1016)
Update on my Introduction to Ephesians (https://opentheism.wordpress.com/2022/04/19/introduction-2/)
I opened my introduction to Ephesians with:
“In my personal reading of Albert Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament accompanied by the reading of other commentaries, I’m now reading Ephesians. Albert Barnes (1798-1870) was a American minister (Presbyterian), theologian, and author. His Notes on the New Testament was so popular that more than one million copies were sold before his death. His notes on Ephesians can be read at https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/cmt/barnes/eph.htm. The other commentaries that I plan to consult regularly are those by F. F. Bruce, Harold W. Hoehner, Andrew T. Lincoln, Peter T. O’Brien, and Klyne Snodgrass.”
Subsequently I decided to consult all of my commentaries on Ephesians in doing my study of it. A list of them appears at the end of this article.
I closed my introduction to Ephesians by considering Paul’s object in writing Ephesians:
“After noting that various opinions have been proposed on why Ephesians was written, Barnes affirms that ‘one object was to show that all Christians, whether of Jewish or heathen origin, were on a level, and were entitled to the same privileges.’ He also gives an outline of the epistle, which I’ll follow in my exposition of it, and points out the importance of the doctrine of predestination in it.
“In considering the nature and purpose of Ephesians in his [commentary on] Ephesians, F. F. Bruce, a scholar on the life and ministry of Paul, suggests that it was written to encourage Gentile Christians to appreciate their heavenly calling and to lead lives worthy of that calling.
“[Harold W.] Hoehner agrees that Ephesians reveals those themes but notes that other epistles of Paul also do so. Observing that most commentators agree that unity is a theme of Ephesians, that true unity is accomplished when people love one another, and that “love” occurs more frequently in Ephesians than in the other Pauline epistles, [he] concludes that the purpose of Ephesians is to encourage believers to love one another more deeply.
“Another recent commentator, Peter T. O’Brien, proposes in his [commentary on Ephesians] that cosmic reconciliation and unity in Christ is the central message in Ephesians, asserting that this initially emerges from Ephesians 1:9-10, ‘[God has] made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him,’
“At this time each of their suggestions…sounds good to me.”
Subsequently I decided to make my own outline of Ephesians instead of following Barnes’ outline of it. My outline appears below.
Throughout my study of Ephesians I kept in mind the question of Paul’s object in writing it. Although thinking that Paul’s stated reason for sending Tychicus to them–“that ye might know our affairs, and [that] he might comfort your hearts”–was also his reason for writing Ephesians, I agree with Bruce that in writing it Paul aimed “to encourage [its Gentile readers] to appreciate their heavenly calling and to lead lives worthy of that calling.”
The Outline of Ephesians Used in This Series of Articles
I. Doctrinal Exposition (1:1-3:21)
A. Salutation (1:1-2)
B. Doxology: Praise for What God Has Done for Us (1:3-14)
C. Prayer for His Readers (1:15-23)
1. Thanksgiving for Them (1:15-16a)
2. Supplication for Them (1:16b-19)
3. The Supreme Exaltation of the Heavenly Christ (1:20-23)
D. Made Alive in Christ (2:1-10)
E. The Reconciliation of Jew and Gentile (2:11-22)
1. Statement (2:11-13)
2. Explanation (2:14-18)
3. Consequences (2:19-22)
F. Paul A Minister of the Mystery (3:1-13)
1. The Introduction (3:1)
2. The Mystery (3:2-6)
3. The Ministry (3:7-12)
4. The Injunction (3:13)
G. Another Prayer for the Ephesians (3:14-21)
1. Introduction (3:14-15)
2. Prayer (3:16-19)
3. Doxology (3:20-21)
II. Practical Exhortation (4:1-6:24)
A. Unity in the Body of Christ (4:1-16)
1. Exhortation to Unity (4:1-6)
2. Demonstration that Unity Is Served by Diversities of Gifts (4: 7-16)
B. The Changed Life (4:17-24)
1. Exhortation Not to Live as the Gentiles Do (verses 17-19)
2. The Lifestyle Expected of Those Who Have “Learned Christ” (verses 20-24)
C. Practical Injunctions About Living for Christ (4:25-5:2)
D. From Darkness to Light (5:3-14)
1. Commands to Avoid Certain Shameful Sins (5:3-7)
2. The Relation of Christians and the Disobedient (5:8-14)
E. Wise and Spirit-Filled Living (5:15-20)
F. Instructions for Wives and Husbands (5:21-33)
1. Submit Yourselves (5:21)
2. To Wives (5:22-24)
3. To Husbands (5:25-33)
G. More Instructions for Christian Households (6:1-9)
1. To Children and Fathers (6:1-4)
2. To Slaves and Masters (6:5-9)
H. The Whole Armour of God (6:10-20)
1. Be Strong Against Evil (6:10-13)
2. Stand in the Armour of God (6:14-17)
3. Pray Constantly (6:18-20)
I. Final Greetings (6:21-24)
1. Explanation of Tychicus’ Task (6:21-22)
2. Final Benediction (6:23-24)
Commentaries Consulted in My Study of Ephesians
- T. K. Abbott, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians in The International Critical Commentary, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1897
- J. Wesley Adams and Donald C. Stamps, “Ephesians” in Full Life Commentary to the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: ZondervanPublishingHouse, 1994
- Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1975 reprint (originally published in the 1830’s) (available online)
- S. M. Baugh, “The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians” in ESV Study Bible, Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Bibles, 2008
- Francis W. Beare, “The Epistle to the Ephesians” in The Interpreter’s Bible, Nashville, Tennessee, 1953
- John Albert Bengel, “Word Studies in Ephesians” in New Testament Word Studies, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1971 (originally published in 1742 in Latin)
- F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians in The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1984
- John Calvin, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians in Calvin’s Commentaries, Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1965 (originally published in French 1548)
- Saint Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians…Philemon in A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969 reprint (originally composed in Greek before 392)
- Matthew Henry, A Commentary on the Whole Bible, Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, reprint (Ephesians completed after Henry’s death in 1714) (available online)
- Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002
- R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, and to the Philippians, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1937
- Walter L. Liefeld, “Ephesians” in NIV Study Bible, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2011 edition (original copyright 1985)
- Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians in Word Biblical Commentary, Dallas, Texas: Word, 1990
- Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians in Pillar New Testament Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999
- J. Armitage Robinson, St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1903
- Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians in NIV Application Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1996
- A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978