The Vision of Ephesians - by N T Wright (Hardcover)

About the Book

N.T. Wright offers an accessible introduction to Ephesians that works through the letter in nine sections, exploring the vital challenges Paul offers his readers, then and now.

Book Synopsis

An accessible introduction to the book of Ephesians from New Testament scholar N. T. Wright.

Ephesians presents a wide-ranging panorama of the Christian gospel and its implications. It looks backwards toward the creation of the world, and it looks forward to the time when God will be "all in all." It foregrounds the work of Jesus the Messiah and the work of the spirit, and it positions the church as central to the purposes of God--a small, working model of new creation. This understanding of the church is central to the New Testament, but nowhere is it clearer than in Ephesians. Paul's view of salvation is not about being rescued from the world, but about the coming together of heaven and earth in Jesus the Messiah. Against this backdrop, many of the most challenging parts of Ephesians--spiritual warfare, women in the church, powers and principalities, what Paul means by "salvation"--come into sharper focus.

In The Vision of Ephesians, well-known New Testament scholar N.T. Wright offers an accessible introduction that opens the text in a way that helps what may seem dense and allusive become clear, fresh, challenging, and encouraging. Wright works through the letter in nine sections, exploring both apocalyptic insights and bracing challenges for the church, whether in the first century or the twenty-first.

Review Quotes

Ephesians has been aptly described as 'the Bach of the Bible' and as 'the Switzerland of the New Testament.' In The Vision of Ephesians, renowned New Testament scholar and biblical theologian N. T. 'Tom' Wright offers an insightful, accessible treatment of this highly lauded, deeply beloved Pauline letter. In his exposition of Ephesians, Wright devotes particular attention to the recurring themes of worship, mission, unity, and holiness, which he rightly regards to be constitutive of the vocation of the church--a small working model of the new creation. Here the literary beauty and theological profundity of Ephesians are on full display.----TODD D. STILL, Charles J. and Eleanor McLerran DeLancey Dean & William M. Hinson Professor of Christian Scriptures, Baylor University, Truett Seminary

Ephesians is like a beautiful song written by Paul in honor of the world-transforming gospel of Jesus Christ. And there is no one better qualified to perform that song than Tom Wright. His academic voice is uniquely experienced and full of character to draw out the themes of the church's worship and mission embedded in Paul's letter. If you have found yourself struggling to understand Paul in general, or Ephesians in particular, this book will not disappoint.----NIJAY K. GUPTA, Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary

Hanging his scholar hat and putting on the pastoral one, Bishop Wright makes Ephesians come alive for both layperson and clergy in accessible style, lucid articulation of complex theological issues, and refreshing pastoral insights. This is one of a kind in simplicity, brevity, and his compelling case for Paul's authorship in the tradition of the church. This is an excellent book for small-group Bible studies, family devotions, and personal spiritual growth. This is not a book to read through in one sitting. Read a portion, read the passage in Ephesians, meditate on it, and acquire greater appreciation for God's revelation through Jesus Christ and his purpose for the church.----DAN DARKO, Dean for Global Engagement and Professor of Biblical Studies, Taylor University

N. T. Wright has provided a fresh reading of Ephesians, not by jettisoning the old but by infusing it with an even older perspective. Based on his deep knowledge of Paul's epistles, Wright provides interpretive comments on Ephesians that are based on Paul's theological framework, the Old Testament, and relevant Jewish literature. This work is accessible, readable, and enjoyable.----BENJAMIN L. MERKLE, M. O. Owens, Jr. Chair of New Testament Studies and Research Professor of New Testament and Greek, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

N. T. Wright's vast store of insights and unique style of writing makes this book on Ephesians an enjoyable read. The work is practical and yet engages with the many, and sometimes perplexing, issues raised in this ancient letter. Wright's stimulating interpretations will not disappoint the readers regardless of whether they are reading him for the first time or are already familiar with some of his many studies.----B. J. OROPEZA, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Azusa Pacific University and Seminary

Paul's letter to the Ephesians is the most panoramic of his epistles, whisking readers from their present pedestrian rootedness to contemplate their eternal heavenly inheritance. Who better to unpack this letter than our most visionary contemporary interpreter of Paul? Readers looking to grasp the height and breadth and depth of Paul's theology of salvation in Christ can start here, and readers wishing to survey the vista of N. T. Wright's biblical theology may also now begin with this engaging, accessible book.----WESLEY HILL, Associate Professor of New Testament, Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Michigan

The Vision of Ephesians is Wright in his finest scholarly form, which is also his finest pastoral form. I refer to Wright's extraordinary knack for condensing extensive scholarly learning into the accessible prose of scriptural commentary. 'Lucid brevity'--the eloquent 'summing up' of the scholar's oft-untidy intellectual labor--is prized by interpreters of the New Testament. Paul similarly celebrates summation in his vision of the cosmos as 'summed up' in the Messiah (Eph 1:10)--a Messiah who is 'the microcosm, the new creation in person, ' as Wright puts it. With arresting clarity and insight, The Vision of Ephesians points readers to Paul's way of seeing the world ('the heaven-plus-earth cosmos') as ultimately resolved in God's Messiah. As for Paul's way of speaking about this world, it is 'the gospel of your salvation.' This is a book for anyone concerned with such matters.----T. J. LANG, Senior Lecturer in New Testament, University of St Andrews

This immensely rich book takes readers deep into the heart of the vision of Ephesians. That vision is of a united and holy church, called to worship God and to engage in the divine mission of transforming humanity into recipients of the fullness of life. Tom Wright draws upon his many years studying the writings of Paul to offer a beautifully crafted study of Ephesians, replete with penetrating insights that will enrich the mind, the heart, and the spirit.----PAUL FOSTER, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, University of Edinburgh

To read this book is to feel one has been treated to sitting in on the lectures on which it is based. With his usual flair, and writing in an accessible teaching style, Tom Wright indicates how Ephesians, whether or not by Paul himself, sets Paul's gospel in a universal context, relating it to God's purposes for the church and the cosmos. While sounding some of the familiar, if controversial, emphases of Wright's own theology, the enthusiastic section-by-section exposition enables readers to sense the worship and challenge evoked by the Christ-centered big picture of Ephesians.----ANDREW T. LINCOLN, Emeritus Professor of New Testament, University of Gloucestershire

With characteristic clarity and vivid metaphors, Tom Wright sets Ephesians within the biblical narrative of redemption, drawing on Old Testament passages and the historical milieux of the Jewish and Roman cultures of Paul's day. Building on Paul's joyous anticipation of new creation that pervades the epistle, Wright highlights the mission of the church, its unity and holiness. Under Wright's adroit pastoral care, The Vision of Ephesians sings with worship to the glory of God.----LYNN H. COHICK, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Houston Christian University

With his familiar sparkling prose, Wright takes the reader on a journey through the letter to the church 'in Ephesus' (which is, he argues, a circular letter from Paul), sweeping across its expression of the story of cosmic redemption, brought to its climax in the creation of a new humanity in the Messiah. This wide-ranging theological vision proves the perfect canvas for Wright's expansive theological palette.----JAMIE DAVIES, Tutor of New Testament, Trinity College, Bristol