Editing Epistle to the Ephesians (section)

==Purpose==
The purpose of the epistle, and to whom it was written, are matters of much speculation.<ref name=Bruce>Bruce, F.F. ''The New International Commentary on the New Testament''. Eerdmans, 1984, 1991. {{ISBN|0-8028-2401-3}}.</ref>{{rp|229}} It was regarded by [[C.H. Dodd]] as the "crown of Paulinism."<ref name=Bruce/>{{rp|229}} In general, it is born out of its particular socio-historical context and the situational context of both the author and the audience. Originating in the circumstance of a [[multicultural]] church (primarily [[Jewish]] and [[Hellenistic]]), the author addressed issues appropriate to the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds present in the community.{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=October 2016}}
[[File:Ein Herr Ein Glaube Eine Taufe.jpg|thumb|220px|right|German inscription of the text, "One Lord, One faith, One baptism," (Ephesians 4:5).]]

The author exhorts the church repeatedly to embrace a specific view of salvation, which he then explicates.

Frank Charles Thompson<ref>Thompson, Frank C. ''[[Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible]] (NIV).'' Kirkbride Bible Company, 2000. {{ISBN|978-0-88707-009-9}}</ref> argues that the main theme of Ephesians is in response to the newly converted Jews who often separated themselves from their Gentile brethren. The unity of the church, especially between Jew and Gentile believers, is the keynote of the book.