Preliminary Thoughts on Ephesians 2007 January 23^rd for February 20^th

Over twenty years ago I was in a Bible Study Fellowship introductory course that covered Ephesians over a period of six weeks, one chapter per week. Bible Study Fellowship is fairly intense. At each week’s meeting there was an hour of small group discussion and an hour of lecture. Then, participants took home handouts with an assignment for each of the remaining six days of the week. The first was an extensive set of notes on the lecture, six or eight pages typically, chock full of scripture references. The direction was to look up and study every one of them. Being obsessed with compliance, I did, though I’m sure my compliance was the exception, at least in the men’s groups. Each remaining day took a few verses in the chapter of the week and looked at them in depth, followed by several questions that would form the basis for the next week’s group discussion. Those in the groups were not allowed to speak to questions for which they had not written down answers. There were many other rules intended to enforce sit-still types of behavior.

Ephesians is a popular Bible study in situations like this, serious but relatively brief. I’ve been in several of them.

For all that, I don’t remember much about it. I do know that Ephesians is quoted often and that it deals with relational metaphors such as Christ as the head, the church as the body, or Christ as groom, the church as bride, and so forth.

Due to its brevity in terms of page count, we’ll be looking at Ephesians over about a week and a half. I’ve discussed the pros and cons of this approach at length before and won’t do it again here.

Ephesians 1 2007 January 24^th for February 21^st

Paul is pleased with the faithfulness and love of the Ephesians and gives thanks for this every day in his prayers. He also prays for more wisdom and revelation for them. God’s power and glory are above anything on earth, any ruler or nation or natural phenomena; they are above anything that can be imagined. All the church at Ephesus wants to do is know more and more about this. Christ is the head of it all, and the one whom through it has all become clear.

After the greeting, the word “predestined” is used numerous times in talking about the Christians to whom this letter is addressed. I don’t know Greek or what the Greek word being translated “predestined” really means here, but these are denominational fighting words in my background. The doctrine of predestination, which I was taught against, says that we were all chosen before the beginning of time to be who we are and to do what we will do. It is what we would today call a “Newtonian” view on the universe. Once the initial conditions are known, in this case, God’s choices, all that is left is for everything to just play out as ordained by the laws of the universe, also God’s choices.

Although some of the wording here seem to say this plainly, “he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—,” there are other things in the doctrine of predestination that are not stated here. It does not say that others were predestined to damnation while we are predestined to glory nor does it say that nothing can change what is “predestined,” good or bad. Here we have more a statement of praise, thanks, and comfort that we, through Christ, have the opportunity to be with God. The doctrines of deterministic, Newtonian predestination come from somewhere else, some amplification on this praise.

It could therefore be read that all were predestined to a fate with God and that some are able to accept and realize it. For instance, “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.”

We have also had wisdom and understanding lavished on us, and have learned mysteries towards the fulfillment of all things.

And, “having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.”

This is banking language. We can trust God to honor his deposit.

Ephesians 2 2007 January 25^th for February 22^nd

This chapter contains one of the most famous statements in the Bible. Concerning the Christians:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

To be without the Spirit of God is to be “dead in your transgressions and sins,” when following the spirit of the world, doing nothing but following the cravings of nature, sinful nature. But, “it is by grace you have been saved,” and this salvation puts us on par with Christ and his vast riches.

Also, it speaks of the Gentiles who had no hope for or in God previously, having been shut out by “the circumcision,” that is, those who are marked by “that done in the body by the hands of men.” Christ’s work has destroyed this barrier along with the law and regulations. All are reconciled through Christ. He preached to the insiders and the outsiders. All “have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

So the Gentiles are not foreigners anymore. All can join to form this building and “become a holy temple in the Lord.”

Somehow, this unity between Gentiles and Jews, which Paul preached here, has not lasted to the present day.

Ephesians 3 2007 January 26^th for February 23^rd

Paul now turns his attention to the Gentiles. As a “prisoner of Christ” he has been given the administration of a mystery, namely that the Gentiles and the Jews “are members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”

In order for all to be able to “approach God with freedom and confidence,” Paul, who is “less than the least of all God’s people,” has been given grace to preach this message of the “unsearchable riches of Christ.”

From these riches and strength, Paul now prays for the Ephesians, “… that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith,” that they, “being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that [they] may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

He then gives a benediction: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

This ends the first half of the letter.

Ephesians 4 2007 January 29^th for February 26^th

This chapter is one of the places where we get the idea that being Christian is largely about being “nice,” at least to each other. From the beginning: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Also, preserve unity. This all because we are “prisoners for the Lord.”

Paul also talks, parenthetically about Christ’s descent into “the lower, earthly regions,” that is, here, and then his ascent to “on high,” where he takes “captives” (which, I think, means us). It is this Christ who makes the assignments, variously, to people to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, and to other forms of service. These forms of service are the reasons for gifting and assignment from Christ and are the reason for keeping the peace and preserving unity.

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord,” (this means he is speaking ex cathedra) “that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.”

Sound familiar?

Having heard about Christ, however, we put away the old life. We quit being dishonest with our neighbors. We stop stealing but work honestly. This is followed by several final instructions concerning speech, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Rather, be kind, compassionate, and forgiving, as God is forgiving to you.

This is good advice. I find it exceedingly difficult.

Ephesians 5 2007 January 31^st for February 27^th

Continuing on the theme of how to be Christian by being nice, Paul now instructs on relationships and behaviors. Content of this chapter is often used to dictate compliant behaviors for church participation and Christian identity. This is so ingrained, that I am not able to be objective about it all, but I will point out some selectivity that I see in the application of what Paul instructs.

We are to imitate God, inasmuch as we are able, and here are some indicators that this is being done: “Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.”

He goes on to say that such people, immoral, impure, greedy, are “idolaters” and do not have inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

The selectivity that I see here in practice as we experience it in modern church morality is that this is nearly always preached, and even implicitly expected nearly entirely in terms sexual immorality, which is very broadly defined. We have little idea about what impurity is, possibly something to do with the obsolete law, and our modern working definition of “greed” is quite narrow, leaving considerable latitude for capitalism. No one is an idolater under these readings; we only worship in church, and only God.

In short, we interpret to our convenience and desire for someone else to act better so as not to be a problem for ourselves.

Live as if in the light. Some things that the “disobedient” do are improper to even be discussed in private.

Further, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Speak to each other in uplifting and Godly ways.

This is one support for a strict temperance stance, which is closely tied to many forms of modern Christianity (well, Protestant); but it doesn’t say never to touch alcohol, only not to be drunk, good advice in any case.

“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”

Paul, unmarried and unattached, seems to have no clue that some husbands, some men, are not the perfect image of Christ. Or perhaps this is the atomic level of crowd control. Whatever the case, this is usually read by one side of the debate as an absolute command that wives behave like dogs to their husband masters, no matter that their commands may be impossible, cruel, illegal, or ridiculous. The other side of the debate cites this as so Politically Incorrect that all Christianity (indeed, all religion) is hopelessly out of date and therefore irrelevant.

This is also one of the reasons why many men hate some church as institutions. Many men do not want to be the bride of the perfect man, nor do they care to compete with the perfect man for the women who do.

This is probably not the intent of Paul here, but it is the way it has come to me and, as I said before, the paradigm is so ingrained that I am unaware of most of my own bias and cannot see most of this critically. I suspect that Paul, a product of his own culture, had this problem as well, though some forms of our faith insist that these words, having made it past the Bible Inclusion Committee are essentially the Word of God himself.

Most preaching on this, dictating subservience of wives, seems to ignore the rest of the chapter, in which the role of the husband is described. He is to be like Christ to the wife. In addition to being an impossible human standard, save God’s infinite help, it means ultimately, to paraphrase C. S. Lewis, that he must die, indeed, be crucified for her salvation. I have not seen this aspect of husbandly leadership preached or practiced among the Protestants.

Then Paul wanders off into the convention of marriage, something else that is often overlooked in Christian practice, that a man and woman leave their parents and form their own unit, becoming, mysteriously, “one flesh.” This is mysterious, at least to Paul, who concludes by calling it the image of Christ and his church. Again.

Possibly a larger point is being missed by those strictly interpreting this chapter. Is Christianity merely a society of propriety, or something greater?

Ephesians 6 2007 February 2^nd for 28^th

Now we move on to children.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” He then cites the commandment, “Honor your father and mother…”

Again, some interpret this that children should be caged and whipped like dogs being trained by cruel and strict trainers. This is the definition of “obedience” that some hold, coercing those who are weaker to conform to those who are stronger because it is right and good. They fail to read the next sentence, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Paul then treats slaves and masters. “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.”

This and other similar passages were used in the relatively recent past, to condone and support the institution of Negro slavery in some of the United States. Many Negroes were, in fact, treated like dogs, or worse, by masters claiming Christianity.

Slavery in the Roman Empire, the time and place of Paul, was not racially based. Slaves were ordinarily of the same race of their masters. So, even by cultural precedent, this interpretation is seen now as wrong.

Again, these proof-texts do not continue to the next sentence, “And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.”

“their Master and yours…”

Today it is not uncommon to apply these ideas to employee – employer relationships, which have much more in common with Pauline era slavery than the forced labor slavery practiced in the American south more recently.

Paul now anthropomorphizes the spiritual battle, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Each point of defense has a metaphor from the armory. This is a favorite Sunday School memorization.

The accoutrements include the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. The shield of faith is to be used to “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

This armor is a helpful image to a Christian envisioning himself as a warrior in the cause of the faith.

The letter ends with the information that Tychicus will be bringing it to them and will fill the recipients in on how Paul is and what all he is doing.

“Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.”

Concluding Thoughts on Ephesians 2007 February 5^th for March 1^st

In the letter to the Ephesians, we have encountered and discussed predestination, the status of Gentiles with respect to the God and the faith which had originally been known through the Jews, and relationships: slaves and masters, men and women, parents and children. We have also seen some of the basis for the idea that being Christian is being “nice,” with examples such as abstinence from coarse joking, drunkenness, and so forth.

Not to challenge the norms of Christianity as they have been handed down to us, but in each of these cases I have offered interpretations that may be closer to the (translated, English) text than what I have been told is the proper understanding and practice. I strive away from extremes, some of which I have witnessed, towards a more sensible and empathetic balance. I have also tried to demonstrate, from extra-Biblical knowledge, that the institution of slavery in ancient Rome is more like the institution of employment (not entirely, but more like) today than it is to the institution of slavery in 18^th and 19^th century America and elsewhere. The text is moot on race relations, a dimension heavily involved in our own discussion of slavery.

So, in doing this, do I water down or negate the “faith once delivered?” In a word, yes. The faith as delivered to me is more about cultural norms and structures of control than it is about the Bible or anything that the authors of the Bible taught or intended. The premise in our study here is that we would not make yet another attempt to fit the Bible to what we feel should be normal, but rather to fit ourselves and understanding to what the Bible actually says, broadly, not narrowly speaking.

In my church leadership work, I am exposed to considerable material where a treatise is written on some subject and every sentence is punctuated with one or two Biblical references of two or three verses drawn from all over the Bible. The idea is that I will read the treatise and look up the references to see in them that God’s word supports it. At the beginning or end, explicitly or implicitly, it is all nailed down with the doctrine that God’s word is infallible so the treatise should be my rule of life. This technique is called “proof texting” and exist throughout all faiths and denominations of faiths. I grow less and less patient with this approach, well established though it is. My impatience is on two grounds.

First, I claim that I can support any worldview or system of thought in this way. Give me a set of principles that will be central to your belief system and a Bible (or any other sacred text) and I’ll come back in two or three days with the treatise and Biblical (or other sacred) references that supports it, nearly regardless of treatise and what sacred texts they are. Second, and related, this is the root of denominationalism. Different scholars have written different treatises unpacking and debating the meaning of the Bible in conflicting ways. Great heat is generated in the clash of such differing opinions, though the reference is to the same sacred texts, the same Bible. At best, the point is being missed. At worst, we spend our lives in trivialization and self-deception.

I mention this in Ephesians because Ephesians figures prominently in such writings when the subject is relationships, men and women, children and parents, employees and employers. Let us not be deceived into thinking that these teachings are the sole content of the Bible or the sole definition of Christianity.

© Courtney B. Duncan, 2007