Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, writes of three doctrinal topics that he calls “mysteries.” The three mysteries include the dispensation of the fulness of times, the Gentiles becoming fellow heirs in Christ through the gospel, and marital living and stewardship.
Ephesians: A New Rendition. Download a Kindle or Deseret Bookshelf ebook for free with a new rendering of the ancient text.
Here is the full text of Ephesians in a new version, created by Philip Abbot, based on the Greek text with the Joseph Smith Translation. This is part of the BYU New Testament Commentary project. We hope reading this version adds insight into your study.
“Ephesians: Unfolding the Mysteries through Revelation,” by Matthew O. Richardson in Go Ye into All the World: Messages of the New Testament Apostles
“Paul’s weaving the mysteries, prophets, and administering the kingdom of God together was necessary to understand other topics considered as mysteries….Paul uses much of his letter to the Ephesians to endorse spiritual behavior which affords revelation and condemns those things that distance man from the Spirit (see Ephesians 4–5).”
“Internal Divisions: Ephesians in Historical Context,” by Thomas A. Wayment in Shedding Light on the New Testament: Acts–Revelation
“Understanding the divided background in the epistle helps makes sense of some of its more important teachings.”
“Unity and Atonement in Ephesians,” by Amy Blake Hardison in Go Ye into All the World: Messages of the New Testament Apostles
Paul is teaching the pragmatic side of the Atonement in Ephesians: how to become one.
Paul’s Use of the Word “Grace,” Brent J. Schmidt, from Relational Grace: The Reciprocal and Binding Covenant of Charis
When Paul uses the word “grace,” what does he really mean? This chapter tells how “grace” means entering a relationship of gifts, gratitude, service, and covenant.
Chart 14-7: “Ephesians & Philemon,” Charting the New Testament
In Ephesians we learn that the process of “perfecting of the saints” requires us to increase our faith and follow the admonition of church leaders. Chart 14-7 records the other central messages taught in Ephesians and Philemon that protect us from the world and lead us to Christ.
“The Four Discourses of Mormonism,” Joseph M. Spencer, BYU Studies 50, no. 1
Alain Badiou, a French philosopher, used a theoretical model of discourses to analyze the epistles of Paul. Joseph Spencer applies Badiou’s reading of Paul to Mormonism to answer the question, “What does it mean to be Mormon?” Badiou viewed Greek and Jewish thought as a closed circle—Hellenistic discourse as a totalizing universalism, and Jewish discourse as an exception to Greek universalism based on “the prophetic sign, the miracle, [and] election.” Paul’s apostolic discourse broke free from this closed circle, for he was concerned with faith, or fidelity, to a particular event, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
New Testament Commentary: The Epistle to the Ephesians, S. Kent Brown. ($29.99).
This volume provides an overview of Ephesians, a historical background, and a verse-by-verse commentary drawing on latter-day revelation and doctrine. The epistle teaches about a generous Father in Heaven, how saints join the household of God, and how we can be clothed in the sacred, protective armor of God. 688 pages, hardcover.
