Inter-Varsity Press

The letter to the Ephesians is one of the most significant documents ever written. Samuel Taylor Coleridge called it "the divinest composition of man." The letter was John Calvin's favourite, and Raymond Brown claimed that, among the Pauline writings, only Romans could match Ephesians "as a candidate for exercising the most influence on Christian thought and spirituality." But Ephesians has not only had a significant impact on the lives of men and women in the past. It also speaks with great power to our contemporary situation.

Both of these important aspects of Ephesians - its message to Paul's original audience and its continuing meaning for Christians today - are skillfully brought together in this outstanding commentary. Peter O'Brien applies his careful and probing exegesis to the text of Ephesians, first treating the background issues of authorship, audience, purpose, message, and contents, then providing a rich verse-by-verse exposition of the text. Using the fruits of recent biblical research and drawing from his extensive experience as teacher, missionary, and pastor, O'Brien discusses in fresh and edifying details the most significant emphases of Ephesians: its broad sweep of the divine purposes, its grand themes and emphasis on unity, truth, and love, and its profound concern that God's people should live as his new humanity in Christ.