The Vision of Ephesians: The Task of the Church and the Glory of God
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
In The Vision of Ephesians Tom Wright takes you on an exciting journey through one of the most profound texts in the New Testament.
In just a few powerful pages, Ephesians presents a sweeping panorama of the Christian gospel, tracing God's redemptive plan from the creation of the world to the time when God will be ‘all in all’. At its core, the book highlights the transformative work of Jesus the Messiah and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.
Wright masterfully unpacks Paul’s vision of the church—what it is, what it is for, and what it means to be part of the new humanity that God is creating in Jesus. This breath-taking vision of God’s purpose for humanity comes into sharper focus when we remember that Paul was writing from prison, urging his readers to engage in spiritual warfare, standing firm in the victory won on the cross as that victory unfolds across the world.
The Vision of Ephesians is a must-read for anyone seeking to grasp the depth and beauty of one of the New Testament’s most captivating letters.
- Presents a sweeping panorama of the Christian gospel.
- Highlights the transformative work of Jesus the Messiah.
- Unpacks Paul’s vision of the church.
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. Stll, 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
This immensely rich book takes readers deep into the heart of the vision of Ephesians. That vision is of a united and holy church, called to worship God and to engage in the divine mission of transforming humanity into recipients of the fullness of life. Tom Wright draws upon his many years studying the writings of Paul to offer a beautifully crafted study of Ephesians, replete with penetrating insights that will enrich the mind, the heart, and the spirit.
―Paul Foster, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, University of Edinburgh
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 epistles, Wright provides interpretive comments on Ephesians that are based on Paul's theological framework, the Old Testament, and relevant Jewish literature. This work is accessible, readable, and enjoyable.
―Benjamin L. Merkle, M. O. Owens, Jr. Chair of New Testament Studies and Research Professor of New Testament and Greek, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
N. T. Wright's vast store of insights and unique style of writing makes this book on Ephesians an enjoyable read. The work is practical and yet engages with the many, and sometimes perplexing, issues raised in this ancient letter. Wright's stimulating interpretations will not disappoint the readers regardless of whether they are reading him for the first time or are already familiar with some of his many studies."
―B. J. Oropeza, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Azusa Pacific University and Seminary
Paul's letter to the Ephesians is the most panoramic of his epistles, whisking readers from their present pedestrian rootedness to contemplate their eternal heavenly inheritance. Who better to unpack this letter than our most visionary contemporary interpreter of Paul? Readers looking to grasp the height and breadth and depth of Paul's theology of salvation in Christ can start here, and readers wishing to survey the vista of N. T. Wright's biblical theology may also now begin with this engaging, accessible book.
―Wesley Hill, Associate Professor of New Testament, Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Michigan
To read this book is to feel one has been treated to sitting in on the lectures on which it is based. With his usual flair, and writing in an accessible teaching style, Tom Wright indicates how Ephesians, whether or not by Paul himself, sets Paul's gospel in a universal context, relating it to God's purposes for the church and the cosmos. While sounding some of the familiar, if controversial, emphases of Wright's own theology, the enthusiastic section-by-section exposition enables readers to sense the worship and challenge evoked by the Christ-centered big picture of Ephesians.
―Andrew T Lincoln, Emeritus Professor of New Testament, University of Gloucestershire
With characteristic clarity and vivid metaphors, Tom Wright sets Ephesians within the biblical narrative of redemption, drawing on Old Testament passages and the historical milieux of the Jewish and Roman cultures of Paul's day. Building on Paul's joyous anticipation of new creation that pervades the epistle, Wright highlights the mission of the church, its unity and holiness. Under Wright's adroit pastoral care, The Vision of Ephesians sings with worship to the glory of God.
―Lynn H. Cohick, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Houston Christian University
With his familiar sparkling prose, Wright takes the reader on a journey through the letter to the church 'in Ephesus' (which is, he argues, a circular letter from Paul), sweeping across its expression of the story of cosmic redemption, brought to its climax in the creation of a new humanity in the Messiah. This wide-ranging theological vision proves the perfect canvas for Wright's expansive theological palette.
―Jamie Davies, Tutor of New Testament, Trinity College, Bristol
- Title: The Vision of Ephesians: The Task of the Church and the Glory of God
- Author: N. T. Wright
- Publisher: Zondervan Academic
- Print Publication Date: 2025
- Logos Release Date: 2025
- Pages: 150
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Bible. N.T. Ephesians › Commentaries
- ISBNs: 9780310172512, 0310172519
- Resource ID: LLS:THVNPHSNTKCHGLGD
- Resource Type: Bible Commentary
- Metadata Last Updated: 2025-12-02T19:47:48Z
Nicholas Thomas “Tom” Wright (1948–) is a New Testament scholar, Pauline theologian, and Anglican bishop and currently Research Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Early Christianity at St. Mary's College in the University of St Andrews and Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. Christianity Today named him one of today's top theologians.
Wright was born in Morpeth, Northumberland, and recounts an awareness of God's presence from a young age—and that relationship with God ever since is reflected in his life and work. He's a prolific author; one of his most popular books, Surprised by Hope, frames the resurrection of the dead as the appropriate hope for all believers rather than an overemphasis on just "going to heaven when you die." He's among the leading theologians in the New Perspective on Paul debate. Wright has several honorary doctoral degrees, and in 2014, the British Academy awarded him the Burkitt Medal "in recognition of special service to biblical studies." In 2015, he was made a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Wright served as chaplain at Cambridge from 1978 to 1981, then as assistant professor of New Testament language and literature at McGill University in Montreal. Before becoming a chaplain, tutor, lecturer, and fellow at Oxford in 1986, Wright served as dean of Lichfield Cathedral, canon theologian of Westminster Abbey, and the bishop of Durham from 2003–10. In addition to the entire New Testament for Everyone Series, some of N. T. Wright's books include The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians, Who Was Jesus, The New Testament and the People of God, God and the Pandemic, Evil and the Justice of God, Surprised by Hope, and Simply Christian. He coauthored Jesus the Final Days with Craig A. Evans.