The Ephesians play an important role in our knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, due to the epistle of Paul to the church there. They were the people of the city of Ephesus, which was a very important commercial center near the sea. It was the capital of the Roman province of Asia.
Paul visited Ephesus at the end of his second missionary trip and again on his third trip, when he stayed with them for two years.
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is considered particularly important because it teaches Paul’s instructions concerning the Church. Paul taught them they were to be unified in the faith—Jews and Gentiles who joined the church were now united, not two individual groups.
Paul outlined the organization of the Church as such:
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (Ephesians 4)
In chapter 5, Paul outlines suggestions for Christian marriage, with the husband as head of the home, but the husband answering to Christ for His leadership quality. Husbands are instructed to love their wives and wives to reverence their husbands and he compared the family to the church.
In chapter six, he advised the Saints to put on the whole armor of God in order to stand up against evil, with an emphasis on truth, righteousness, and preparation.
*This article was adapted from the LDS Bible Dictionary and Every Person in the New Testament by Lynn F. Price (Horizon Publishers, [2002], 25-26).