Tradition, then, points to two Churches of Pro- consular Asia, Ephesus and Laodicea, and internal evidence is consistent with this. As long as it was regarded as addressed only to Ephesus, the lan- guage of 1" 3^ 4" and the absence of any special ref. to the circumstances of a Church in which St. Paul had spent three years, and on which he had been on the intimate terms implied in Ac 20, was a stumbling-block ; but this difficulty entirely dis- appears on the theory that the letter was intended for several Churclies.
That Ephesus was one of these Churches is prac- tically certain ; the unanimity of Church tradition in its favour is conclusive itself ; but besides this the points of similarity with the speech to the elders of Ephesus (Ac 20" TaiT(,vo<ppoaiur]i—i'). H)^' th« stress on x^P's ; v." itaui (of. 3'), v." fiovKiiv
(cf. 1"), v.'-" Trtfiieirotriaaro (c£. r'j, Troi)iaiv(W (ci ■jToifiJi/as 4"), KXripoyo/dav (cf. !"• ")); with the Gospel of St. John and esp. with the Prologue (see aOove), with the letter of Ignatius to the Eph. (see above) i in a less marked degree with 1 Ti (e.g. 2'"' 4'' the stress on the universality of creation and redemp- tion ; 3"" 5^' the appeal to the angels as witnessing the Christian life ; 3° the treatment of the family as a type of the Church), — all strongly confirm the tradition.
It may be added that the mention of Tychicus (cf. Ac 20^, 2 Ti 41='), the ref. to the power of tlie spirits of evil (cf Ac 20"""), the stress on the unity of Baptism (cf. Ac 20'"'), all fall in mth the sama tradition, though too indeterminate in themselve'* to prove the destination.
1 he address to Laodicea is borne out by Col 2' 4""", which A\'itness to St. Paul's anxiety for Laodicea at this moment, and show tliat he was writing at the same time a general letter — not necessarily addressed to Laodicea only, but one which could be obtained from Laodicea (7-r;c ^k AaoSiKilas), and is quite consistent with Rev 3"'^, wliere the Church at Laodicea is rebuked for luke- warmness.
Nor is there any reason why the destination should be limited to these two Churches. Col 4" suggests that it may also have been sent to Hiera- polis, while the analogy of Rev 1-3 and 1 P 1' might lead us to infer that it was intended for all the Gentile converts of Proconsular Asia (cf. Ac 19'»).
iv. Place of Composition.— St. Paul was at the time a prisoner, suffering imprisonment on behalf of the Gentiles (3' 4'), and an imprisonment lasting long enough to have caused anxiety to his converts (31s gM) Hence the place must be either Ccesarea (Ac 24") or Rome {ib. 2S**). As between these two places this Ep. gives no guidance, save that the points of similarity with the Pastoral Epp. (cf. Salmon, Introd. cap. xx. ) indicate the later date, and the tone of imperialism (see below) suits Rome better. But owing to the great similarity with Col we may certainly use any indications of date found there ; and this is linked on by the personal allusions in it to the Ep. to Philemon (Col 4'- " with Philem **), so that indications there too may be used ; again, the allusions to the im- prisonment in Ph 1'^' make it probable that that too was written at the same place. Some commentators would place Ph at Cu'sarea, the other three at Rome, but more probably all are to be placed at Rome ; for the phrase iv o\if tQ TpaiTupl(fi (Ph 1'^), though applicable to Herod's priBtorium at Caesarea (Ac 23"), is equally applic- able to the praetorian soldiers or the Supremo Court at Rome ; the phrase ol iK rfi^ Kalaapot ok/as (Ph 4-^) is more applicable to Rome ; the state of feeling between Jewish and Gentile Christians as reflected in Ph l""*" corresponds well with that implied in the Ep. to the Romans : the freedom for preaching which St. Paul enjoys, and the importance which he attaclies to it (Ph 1", Eph 6*'), are more natural at Rome : the expectation of a speedy release (Philem '") points the same way ; and, although C.T>sarea was nearer for a runaway slave from Colossa?, yet there were more frequent opportunities of communication with Rome, a greater chance of hiding, and an easier access there to St. Paul. Finally, the points of contact between all four Epp. and the Pastoral Epp. in phraseology, in stress on organized church and family life, and in Christology, all favour the later date. We place, then, all four Epp. at Rome. Of their relative order it is again impossible to speak with certainty ; but most probably (so Lightfoot, Phil. ; Hort, Eom. and Eph. p. 102 ; but see on the other side, Ramsay, St. Paul ths
EPHKSIAXS, EPISTLE TO
EPHESIAXS. EPISTLE TO 719
Traveller, p. 357) the Ep. to tlie Phil, stands by itself comparatively early in the Rom. imprison- ment ; for it oilers more points of comparison in phraseology and doctrinal discussion with tlie earlier group ; there is more discussion of the doctrine of iustilication by faith, more protest against the Judaizing Chn.stians. On the other hand, Eph Col Philem form a j^roup by tliem- selves, written comparatively late in the imprison- ment— with fewer points of contact with the earlier group, and witli more agreement with the Pastoral E[>istles. They may, then, be all placed about A.D. 63 at Rome.