When was Ephesians written?

The apostle Paul wrote the book of Ephesians while under house arrest in Rome. He addressed the letter to the Christian church in the city of Ephesus, located on the western coast of Asia Minor. In the book, Paul summarizes the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ and emphasizes the unity it creates among believers, whatever their ethnic or social background. Internal and external evidence suggests that Paul wrote Ephesians between AD 60 and 62.

Understanding what happened after Paul’s third missionary journey sheds light on when he wrote Ephesians. Roman officials arrested Paul in Jerusalem around AD 57, after he was accused of causing unrest at the temple, at the conclusion of his third missionary trip (Acts 21:27–33). Between AD 57 and 59, the authorities held him in custody in Caesarea. However, after Paul invoked his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar (Acts 25:10–12), soldiers took him to Rome c. AD 60.

While in Rome awaiting his appeal, Paul spent two years under house arrest, from AD 60 to 62. According to Acts 28:16, Paul “was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.” Acts 28:30 adds that he “stayed there two whole years in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.” He wrote Ephesians during this time.

Internal evidence that helps date the writing of Ephesians is Paul’s reference to being in prison. For example, he writes, “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles” (Ephesians 3:1; cf. 4:1). Later, he refers to himself as “an ambassador in chains” (Ephesians 6:20). Paul also wrote Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon during this same period. Together, these four letters are known as the prison epistles. The references to his imprisonment in these letters (e.g., Philippians 1:13–14; Colossians 4:3, 10, 18; Philemon 1:1, 9–10, 13) support the conclusion that Paul wrote Ephesians while under house arrest in Rome.

Paul also mentions the letter-carrier Tychicus in both Ephesians and Colossians. At the end of Ephesians, he writes, “Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you” (Ephesians 6:21–22). Similarly, in Colossians, Paul says, “Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts” (Colossians 4:7–8). These references suggest that Paul wrote Ephesians around the same time as Colossians.

Taken together, the evidence suggests that Paul wrote Ephesians between AD 60 and 62 during his imprisonment in Rome. Even while under arrest, Paul proclaimed God’s plan to exalt Jesus above all and to form a people united in grace, love, and maturity through faith in Him. As Paul declares, God raised Jesus from the dead “and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion” (Ephesians 1:20–21).