Authorship of Ephesians Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture

The Author and His Circumstances

Although no writer of the early Church expressed any doubt that the apostle Paul wrote Ephesians, during the last two centuries scholars have raised reasonable questions about whether Ephesians came directly from Paul.2 They point to differences in vocabulary, style, and theology between Ephesians and earlier letters and to similarities with Colossians that suggest a later author may have imitated and adapted that letter. These scholars suggest that an anonymous disciple wrote Ephesians fifteen to twenty-five years after Paul’s death in order to recall his teaching and apply it to new circumstances. If that is the case, all we know about the author is that he knew Paul’s writings very well, especially Colossians, Romans, and 1 Corinthians, and that he was a brilliant theologian who did not hesitate to develop Paul’s ideas in bold new ways.

Other scholars, however, do not regard these considerations as sufficient to overturn the judgment of the early Church. The distinctive vocabulary and style of Ephesians can be accounted for by Paul’s literary versatility or by his use of an amanuensis, a skilled secretary, to put his thoughts in writing—a common practice in Paul’s day. Several of the letters attributed to Paul show the work of a secretary (Rom 16:22; 1 Cor 16:21; Gal 6:11; 2 Thess 3:17), although it is not clear whether this role was confined to receiving dictation or was more extensive. The theological development of Ephesians can be credited as easily to Paul himself as to a later disciple. The similarities and differences to Colossians could well be due to Paul writing both letters around the same time but for different purposes. The arguments for and against Paul’s authorship of Ephesians are complex. A summary of the discussion and the reasons I am persuaded that the apostle Paul is the author is available on our series website at www.CatholicScriptureCommentary.com under “Reader Resources.”

From the perspective of Christian faith, whether or not Paul wrote Ephesians does not change its status as inspired Scripture or make a great difference in how it is interpreted, provided one accepts the underlying unity of Sacred Scripture. According to Catholic exegete Frank Matera, “Whether or not Ephesians was written by Paul, the fundamental task of New Testament theologians in regard to this letter remains essentially the same: to identify and clarify the letter’s theology, noting and explaining, when possible, its theological development in comparison with other Pauline writings.”3 Following the convention of the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, this volume will refer to Paul as the author of Ephesians since this is the way the letter presents its author and the way the lectionary introduces readings from Ephesians. This volume will also draw freely on what we know about the life and ministry of Paul from the Acts of the Apostles, since our goal is to understand Paul as the New Testament presents him to us. It is clear that the author of Ephesians intends his readers to understand themselves as addressed by the apostle Paul, so we will not err if we attend to Paul as he is depicted in the letter, as “a prisoner for the Lord” (4:1).

During his imprisonments Paul fulfilled his mission both by speaking (e.g., Acts 28:30–31) and by writing (Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, and 2 Timothy were also written from prison). As a prisoner Paul had the opportunity to preach to the soldiers who guarded him (Phil 1:13), to the judges who heard his case (Acts 24–26; 2 Tim 4:17), and to visitors who came to see him (Acts 28:23–31). Acts reports two extended periods Paul spent in legal confinement, first in jail in Caesarea (Acts 23:33–26:32) and then under house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:11–31). In contrast to 2 Tim 4:6 and Phil 1:20 and 2:17, Ephesians does not indicate that Paul feels he is in imminent mortal danger. Rather, the tone is tranquil, which fits both periods of imprisonment reported in Acts, perhaps especially the two years of house arrest in Rome mentioned in Acts 28:30–31, commonly dated between AD 61 and 63. Ephesians 6:20 depicts Paul as chained, probably handcuffed to a Roman soldier, the customary treatment of a prisoner in military custody. Even though prisoners could experience a greater freedom of activity when in military custody than in other forms of Roman imprisonment,4 they were real prisoners, bearing the shame of being under criminal prosecution. This entailed real suffering and restriction, and everyone knew it. Rather than pass over the matter in embarrassed silence, Paul calls attention to his imprisonment for Christ, inviting his readers to pay close attention to his word on account of what he is suffering: “I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received” (4:1). Indeed, Paul is imprisoned not only on behalf of Christ but also on behalf of his Gentile readers (3:1, 13), a fact that would have lent his words a particular poignancy.


Peter S. Williamson, Ephesians, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 13–15.