P. Derek Overfield PhD Thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

In the post-Apostolic texts discussed
thus far there has been no positive sign of the reemergence
of any of the traditions that we have seen
to be basic to the theme of ascension as it is
related in Ephesians.
But this is not to say that
there are no affinities between the epistle and the
later writings.
Quite obviously there is no direct
relationship in terms of tradition between the Gospel
of Peter 39-42 or Ascension of Isaiah III, 16-18 on
the one hand and Eph 1:20ff on the other, but yet in
all three texts the resurrection is described in terms
more applicable to an ascension and, moreover, in all
three inst2.nces the immediate conseq'lence of the
resurrection is understood to be enthronement.
A
further similarity exists between Ascension of Isaiah
IX, 16-18 and Eph 2:6 in that both texts refer to the
fact that believers are also participants in the
ascension.
The differences between these two texts
are of course many and we should not overlook the fact
that in Eph 2:6 there is no mention of any heavenly
journey as such whereas this is very definitely the
case in the Ascension text.
It is perhaps more
accurate, strictly speaking, to say that the similarity
exists only in that in both texts the believer participates
in the consequence (rather than the act) of ascension.
The single instance where there may be a dependence on
a tradition known to the author of Ephesians is Ascension
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