Summary
Ephesians is both soaring and structured. Paul can stack clause upon clause in praise, and then turn with striking directness to the everyday shape of a Christian home and church. A technical commentary on Ephesians needs to respect that double character. It must handle the Greek with care, and it must help you see how the theology drives the ethics.
This volume is built for that kind of close work. It aims to guide the reader through the long sentences, the dense theological claims, and the letter’s careful transitions. Ephesians is not a collection of inspiring themes. It is a unified argument about what God has done in Christ, who the church is because of that grace, and what new life looks like as the Spirit applies Christ’s victory to ordinary believers.
Because the letter is regularly preached and frequently quoted, it is easy to become familiar and therefore careless. A more technical treatment helps bring back the edges. It slows you down at precisely the points where the church is tempted to speak with confidence without actually tracking Paul’s line of thought. That is a gift for pastors, and for any teacher who wants to handle the text faithfully.
Strengths
First, it is strong on structure. Ephesians repays careful outlining, especially across chapters 1 to 3 and 4 to 6, and at the hinge in 4:1. This commentary helps you see how Paul’s imperatives grow out of his indicatives, so that application does not become moralism and doctrine does not become abstraction.
Second, it takes theological themes seriously as textual realities. Union with Christ, election, the new humanity, the church’s unity, and spiritual warfare are not merely topics. They are woven through the grammar and argument. A good technical commentary shows how Paul builds those themes, and why particular phrases matter. That is especially helpful in Ephesians, where the grandeur can tempt us to paraphrase rather than to interpret.
Third, it is useful for difficult passages. When preaching household codes, when dealing with the powers and principalities, or when handling the armour of God, a teacher needs both courage and care. This volume can support careful decisions so that the teaching is neither timid nor speculative.
Limitations
The main limitation is that it is not aimed at the beginner. Readers new to Ephesians may prefer a more introductory guide first, then come to this for deeper work. It also means that some sections will feel slow, because the author is doing the kind of careful tracing that the text requires. That is not a flaw, but it does shape who will benefit most.
How We Would Use It
We would use this commentary at the interpretation stage, once we have our own outline and have identified the key turns of the argument. Use it especially when you are tempted to reach for familiar phrases without checking what Paul is actually doing in the paragraph.
We would also use it in teaching teams, where leaders need shared clarity on the text. Because Ephesians speaks so directly to church unity, holiness, and maturity, it often becomes a strategic letter for shaping a congregation. A technical commentary can support that by strengthening the foundations of what is preached.
Closing Recommendation
This is a serious exegetical companion for a central Pauline letter. If you want help handling the detail of Ephesians without losing its doxological force, this volume is well placed to serve you.
Steven M. Baugh
Steven M. Baugh is a North American Reformed New Testament scholar of the contemporary era, shaped by confessional Presbyterian theology and long experience training ministers.
He has contributed to the church through academic teaching, Greek resources, and commentary work, often helping readers trace Paul’s argument with discipline and care. His work aims to keep grammar and context in service of theology, so that exegesis leads naturally to proclamation and pastoral comfort.
He remains valued for sober clarity, doctrinal steadiness, and a refusal to chase novelty. Many pastors have benefited from his work on Ephesians, and from his contributions that model careful, Christ centred handling of the text.
Theological Perspective: Reformed