Barth, Markus. Ephesians. Volumes 34 and 34A of The Anchor Bible. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1974 (labeled vol. 1 and 2 in the footnotes). Barth’s commentary is without equal. Over 800 pages are devoted to explanatory notes, extensive theological comments, and bibliographies. Greek words are transliterated and translated. Even when choices taken are not convincing, the information provided is a rich resource for reflection. Barth accepts Pauline authorship.

Lincoln, Andrew T. Ephesians. Vol. 42 of Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, 1990. Lincoln’s commentary is comprehensive (468 pages), summarizes the issues well, and provides good bibliographical material for further work. The commentary is based on the Greek text, but translations are provided. Lincoln rejects Pauline authorship.

Schnackenburg, Rudolf. Ephesians: A Commentary. Trans. Helen Heron. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1991. Although somewhat briefer (345 pages), this major technical commentary, originally published in German, is from a Catholic scholar. Some decisions may be questionable, but they always merit consideration. If Greek is used, it is translated. Schnackenburg rejects Pauline authorship.

Abbott, Thomas K. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians and to the Colossians. International Critical Commentary. New York: Scribner’s, 1902. This work is not as comprehensive as the three listed above, but is still helpful. It is based on the Greek text, but does not translate Greek or foreign language quotations.

Eadie, J. A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians. 2d ed. New York: Carter, 1861. This lengthy commentary (485 pages), although dated and sometimes taking unusual turns, is still insightful and worth reading. Foreign languages are usually translated.

Hodge, Charles. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians. New York: Robert Carter and Brothers, 1864. Often reprinted, this commentary provides 389 pages of exegetical and theological analysis. Greek is usually translated.

Robinson, J. Armitage. St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians. London: Macmillan, 1903. Of the older commentaries, this one is probably the most significant. Actually it is two commentaries in one, for the author goes through the text of Ephesians twice: once to provide an English exposition and a second time to provide a technical commentary on the Greek text. Foreign language material in the second section is not translated.

Westcott, Brooke Foss. Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians. London: Macmillan, 1906. A lot of information is packed into this commentary on the Greek text. Although cryptic because of its brevity, it deserves attention. Information on the theology of the letter and on a sizable number of specific phrases make up the last 75 pages of the commentary.

Bruce, F. F. The Epistle to the Ephesians. New York: Revell, 1961. This is the shorter of Bruce’s two commentaries (136 pages) and is based on the English text. Like all of Bruce’s works, it is straightforward and provides good information.

_____. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984. As is to be expected, there is some overlap with the shorter commentary. This one is almost 200 pages in length and has much more involvement with secondary sources. Greek is usually confined to the footnotes.

Caird, G. B. Paul’s Letters from Prison. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 1976. This short commentary has 94 pages of small print devoted to the English text of Ephesians. Although brief, Caird is often extremely insightful. This commentary merits use.

Foulkes, Francis. The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989. The discussion is based on the English text. Occasional comments of real insight make this commentary worth reading.

Hendriksen, William. Exposition of Ephesians. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1967. This commentary is longer than most in this category (286 pages). Capable exegetical work stands behind the theological and expositional discussion of the text. Greek words appear occasionally, but are confined to the footnotes.

Mitton, C. Leslie. Ephesians. New Century Bible. London: Oliphants, 1976. A practical treatment of the English text of Ephesians by a scholar who has worked extensively on the authorship question. See below.

Stott, John R. W. God’s New Society. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1979. Also published as The Message of Ephesians. This is probably the most helpful of all the nontechnical commentaries on Ephesians. Stott is a master preacher, but he is also a careful scholar. In this commentary he provides almost 300 pages of valuable discussion of the English text. If Greek is brought in, it is translated.

Zerwick, Max. The Epistle to the Ephesians. Trans. Kevin Smyth. New York: Crossroad, 1981. Zerwick is best know for his work on Greek grammar, but this commentary is nontechnical. It was originally published in German. Frequently Zerwick offers insights that others miss.

Calvin, John. Sermons on the Epistle to the Ephesians. London: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1973 (reprint of 1577). Calvin, of course, also has a commentary on Ephesians that merits attention, but this is a collection of 48 sermons on Ephesians that cover over 700 pages! The sermons are discursive, but it is interesting to watch the Reformer in Geneva give major witness to the importance of Ephesians.

Chrysostom, John. Homilies on Ephesians. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church. Edited by Philip Schaff. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988. Chrysostom has 24 homilies on Ephesians. They are similar to those of Calvin, but usually Chrysostom stays closer to the biblical text.

Mackay, John A. God’s Order: The Ephesian Letter and This Present Time. New York: Macmillan, 1953. This book contains the text of lectures on Ephesians originally given at the University of Edinburgh. The material here is insightful theologically and is presented in compelling fashion. This book deserves to be read.

Moody, Dale. Christ and the Church: An Exposition of Ephesians. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1963. Like Mackay, Moody was a theologian. His preaching on Ephesians provided the substance for this exposition. He communicates well the intent and value of Ephesians.

Morris, Leon. Expository Reflections on the Letter to the Ephesians. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994. This book reads like a Bible study being led by a scholar—which is exactly what it is. It is nontechnical, but well-informed and a practical, sane exposition of the text.

Arnold, Clinton E. Ephesians: Power and Magic: The Concept of Power in Ephesians in Light of Historical Setting. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1989. This is an important book on an important topic. Ephesians emphasizes power and spiritual forces, and Arnold helps the reader understand the significance of this topic in the first-century church. Exegetical attention is given to all pertinent texts in Ephesians.

Caragounis, Chrys C. The Ephesian Mysterion: Meaning and Content. Lund: C. W. K. Gleerup, 1977. This monograph is more than an investigation of the term mystery, for the author analyzes several major sections and subjects of Ephesians.

Hanson, Stig. The Unity of the Church in the New Testament: Colossians and Ephesians. Uppsala: Almquist, 1946. Although the subtitle suggests the focus is on Colossians and Ephesians, this book provides a technical discussion of unity in the New Testament, with about forty pages being devoted to Ephesians. Despite, or possibly because of, the broader focus, this book makes a helpful contribution to understanding the theme of unity in Ephesians.

Lincoln, Andrew T. Paradise Now and Not Yet. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1981. This is a general study of Paul’s thought about heaven and his eschatology. Only about 35 pages focus explicitly on Ephesians, but the importance of “the heavenly realms” in Ephesians makes this book worth mentioning.

Lincoln, Andrew T. The Theology of the Later Pauline Letters. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1993. About 90 pages are given to an explanation of the theology of Ephesians, how it (understood as a pseudonymous writing) relates to Paul’s theology, and how it may be appropriated in the modern period.

Rader, William. The Church and Racial Hostility: A History of Interpretation of Ephesians 2:11–22. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1978. This book provides a chronicle of the interpretation of 2:11–22 from the Apostolic Fathers right up to the modern period and brings this history into the modern discussion about race relations.

Mitton, C. Leslie. The Epistle to the Ephesians. Oxford: Clarendon, 1951. Mitton’s study is the classic treatment of the argument from one who rejects Pauline authorship. He makes too much of the parallels between Ephesians and other New Testament letters (excluding Colossians) and does not do justice to early Christian tradition behind all the writings.

Van Roon, A. The Authenticity of Ephesians. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1974. This massive study is of benefit not only for its argument in favor of Pauline authorship, but also because about 150 pages are devoted to investigation of cosmic and anthropological expressions in Ephesians (e.g., “heavenlies,” “powers,” “fullness,” “body,” and “head”).