Thomas B. Slater’s commentary on Ephesians transports the modern reader into the world of the early church. Slater asserts that Ephesians was written to persuade its original readership that an ethnically inclusive church based on religious affiliation and faithfulness was part of God’s plan and that both Jew and Gentile were equal partners in the new religious commonwealth. Slater addresses important questions:
• What does it mean to live in a racially inclusive community?
• What are Paul’s ethical requirements for living in such a diverse setting?
Following Christ’s model, Ephesians espouses virtues and relationships that could ensure harmony and peace within the Christian church. The commentary argues that Ephesians is deutero-Pauline but faithfully reinterprets the Apostle for a new generation of first-century Christians.
