The three earliest witnesses to Ephesians (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, and an early papyrus [P 46]) do not contain the phrase “in Ephesus.” However, there are good reasons to believe it was the original reading. Clinton E. Arnold has a very helpful discussion on this debated phrase. Here are four of his six reasons for the authenticity of “in Ephesus.”

1. The Greek manuscript evidence: “[T]he inclusion of “in Ephesus” has the unanimous support of the Western and Byzantine text families in addition to the support of numerous Alexandrian witnesses. This tilts the favor largely in the direction of the inclusion. Granted, we still lack the support of three major witnesses of the Alexandrian (or proto-Alexandrian) tradition, but we need to be cautious about assuming that the combined testimony of Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, and an early papyrus will always convey the original text.”[1]
2. The versional manuscript evidence. “The inclusion of “in Ephesus” is the only reading known in all the extant versions.”[2]
3. The late first-century or early second-century evidence from Ignatius. Ignatius’ letter to the Ephesians (probably written toward the end of the first century) assumes that Paul wrote an epistle to the Ephesians.[3]
4. There is a plausible explanation for the omission of “in Ephesus.” The best explanation for its absence is that a scribe in a church left it out in order that the letter would appear more immediately relevant to his congregation and/or other congregations. The same problem occurs in Rom.1:7 where “in Rome” is omitted in several manuscripts. Arnold quotes Bruce Metzger who argues that its omission in Romans is best understood “as a deliberate excision, made in order to show that the letter is of general, not local, application.”[4] The same applies to its absence in some witnesses to Ephesians.

[2] Arnold, Ephesians, 27.

[3]  Arnold, Ephesians, 27-28.

[4] Arnold, Ephesians, 28.

Richard Barcellos

Dr. Richard Barcellos is associate professor of New Testament Studies. He received a B.S. from California State University, Fresno, an M.Div. from The Master’s Seminary, and a Th.M. and Ph.D. from Whitefield Theological Seminary. Dr. Barcellos is pastor of Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Palmdale, CA. He is author of Trinity & Creation, The Covenant of Works, and Getting the Garden Right. He has contributed articles to various journals and is a member of ETS.

Courses taught for CBTS: New Testament Introduction, Biblical Hermeneutics, Biblical Theology I, Biblical Theology II.