Clinton E. Arnold on Ephesians (6)

Clinton E. Arnold, Ephesians, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 538pp., ISBN 9780310243731.

Earlier entries:

• Clinton E. Arnold on Ephesians (1)

• Clinton E. Arnold on Ephesians (2)

• Clinton E. Arnold on Ephesians (3)

• Clinton E. Arnold on Ephesians (4)

• Clinton E. Arnold on Ephesians (5)

Clinton Arnold summaries what he sees as the key reasons for Pauline authorship of Ephesians (46-50):

(1) The pseudepigraphical hypothesis cannot adequately account for the autobiographical material in the letter.

(2) There is early attestation of Paul as the author of Ephesians.

(3) The theological emphases are appropriate to a life-setting in first-century Ephesus and western Asia Minor.

(4) The alleged ‘differences’ between the theology of Ephesians and the theology of Paul are better explained as distinct emphases within his thought rather than as contradictions that the historical Paul could not have expressed.

(5) Paul was capable of writing with a range of styles and exhibiting his own literary flair.

(6) The hypothesis that the author of Ephesians used Colossians as a literary source is not persuasive.

(7) The evidence from Judaism and early church history casts doubt over the acceptability of pseuedepigraphical letter writing in Christian circles.