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. '[T]his is Wright at his best, manifestly in love with his subject, manifestly seeking to set Paul free to speak as boldly and ambitiously as possible, urging the Church to be what it is meant to be, the poiema, the artwork of God, displaying God's eternal delighted commitment to the enrichment and fulfilment of what has been made.' -- ―Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury 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 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 epis