Certain expressions in the body of the letter are strange if the Ephesian Christians were the first readers of it. In ch. i. 15 the apostle says, "After I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus." One asks, "Did not the faith which 'cometh by hearing' result from Paul's preaching in Ephesus? Then how can he speak of hearing of it?" It may be answered, "Does not Paul say to Philemon, 'Thou owest unto me thine own self' (ver. 19), and yet says (ver. 5) that, _hearing_ of his love and faith, he thanks God?" Moreover, has any one quite demonstrated the impossibility of this faith being the continuity of that which began with the abjuration of magic in a costly offering of fifty thousand pieces of silver? (Acts xix. 17-20). "Faith" may take the form of fidelity as easily as of credence. Again, in ch. iii. 2 Paul, at the word "Gentiles," enters into a digression about his specific commission as their apostle. Just as to the Galatian Church he expatiates on the special grace bestowed by God and recognised by the "pillars" of the Church, so here he magnifies his office, and his words here no more prove that he had never seen his readers than the section of Galatians (Gal. ii. 6-9) proves that he did not know the Galatians. Even supposing they did, it surely would not be an astonishing thing that in the ever-shifting population of a seaport many may have joined the Church since St. Paul was in Ephesus. That this was the place to which St. Paul sent his messenger with the letter before us cannot be demonstratively shown; but we feel something like conviction by considering: (_a_) that the preponderant evidence of the MSS. says "Ephesus"; (_b_) that the versions are unanimous as an echo of the MSS.; (_c_) that the entire ancient Church has spoken of the epistle as "to the Ephesians," Marcion's voice being the only exception; (_d_) the improbability of St. Paul writing _"to the saints which are"_ without adding the name of some place; (_e_) "Ephesus" more easily meets internal difficulties than any other place. This, in substance, is Bishop Ellicott's view. Still, we cannot regard it as impossible that "Ephesus" may comprise many Churches in the vicinity, and therefore regard the letter as really encyclical, even though it were proved that St. Paul wrote "to the saints at Ephesus." +Analysis of the Epistle.+ i. 1, 2. Salutation. Joy and well-being to those in Christ. 3-14. Hymn of praise to the Father, who worked out in Christ His pre-temporal designs of beneficence, and gave pledge of the yet more glorious consummation of His Divine will in the bestowal of the Holy Ghost. 15-23. Thanksgiving of the apostle over their fidelity, and his prayer for their complete illumination in the incorporation of the Gentiles in the mystical body of Christ, "the Head."