Dear Christian Friends...

In the Living Bible, a paraphrase by Kenneth Taylor, the book of Ephesians begins:

"Dear Christian Friends at Ephesus, ever loyal to the Lord: This is Paul writing to you, chosen by God to be Jesus Christ's messenger, May his blessings and peace be yours, sent to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord." 

What a boon it must have been to receive such a letter. I wonder how the letter arrived and how long it took to be delivered. I wonder if it came by ship. I wonder what it looked like. I wonder how many hands it passed through before arriving at its destination? And I wonder how many people could actually read it? And did everyone get together to listen to it being read? How many Christians were there at Ephesus? So many questions!

We do know that the letter would have been written on papyrus. Britannica gives us some clues about papyrus (the precursor to paper):

Papyrus, writing material of ancient times and also the plant from which it was derived, Cyperus papyrus (family Cyperaceae), also called paper plant. The papyrus plant was long cultivated in the Nile delta region in Egypt and was collected for its stalk or stem, whose central pith was cut into thin strips, pressed together, and dried to form a smooth thin writing surface.

Location of Ephesus (in modern day Turkey)

(map may be subject to copyright)

Today's scholars believe that Paul was not the actual author of this letter. Britannica again:

Letter of Paul to the Ephesians, New Testament writing once thought to have been composed by Paul in prison but more likely the work of one of Paul's disciples, who probably wrote the text sometime before ad 90 while consulting Paul's letter to the Colossians.

No matter who wrote the letter, we can join in the thrill of reading it today. Its promises of 'wonderful kindness...and favour...poured out upon us' (1:6) and the 'richness of his grace' (1:8) are so stirring.

And what about this? '...ever since I heard of your strong faith...and of the love you have for Christians everywhere, I have never stopped thanking God for you....I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light...' (1:16, 18). What an image! Ah, but hear what Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy has said about flooding and light:

'Christian Science stills all distress over doubtful interpretations of the Bible; it lights the fires of the Holy Ghost, and floods the world with the baptism of Jesus. It is this ethereal flame, this almost unconceived light of divine Love, that heaven husbands in the First Commandment.'
(Message for 1902 5:6)

So, may our hearts be flooded with the vast 'light of divine Love'.

Julie Swannell