Ephesians 5:1
Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.
Permalink Verse page
Interpretation

Paul urges a imitate god that is worked out in relationships and commitments in Ephesians 5:1—look for "therefore" and "imitators". Choose imitate god with time and attention—bind joy to obedience.

Context

Ephesians speaks here as epistle/letter writing, developing imitate god. Read in Ephesians 5, its force becomes clearer. Listen for “therefore” alongside “imitators”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Ephesians was received under the name of Paul. Many scholars judge Ephesians as follows: Deutero‑Pauline (disputed).. Scholars commonly date Ephesians AD 80–90. Here the thread of apostolic community comes into view.

More details
Traditional:Paul
Modern scholarship:Deutero‑Pauline (disputed).
Date:AD 80–90
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Greek text is preserved in more than 5,800 manuscripts, exceeding other ancient writings in manuscript count. 2nd-3rd century papyri like P46, P66, P75 provide text roughly 100-150 years after composition. Major uncial codices (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, 4th century) contain complete or near-complete texts. The Byzantine text family represents the majority of later manuscripts. Textual variants exist but are mostly minor: word order, articles, spelling. No central Christian doctrine depends on any disputed text. Modern critical editions compare all manuscript families to determine the best reflects the earliest recoverable text reading.
Sources & witness notes
SinaiticusVaticanusP46