Ephesians

Ephesians 3:16-19 is filled with syntactical oddities. My survey of the scholarly literature indicated that 3:17 has received less attention than the other verses. It is also enigmatic on the issue of the portrayal of Christ’s habitation in their hearts. The grammar seems to indicate a request for Christ to take up habitation (inception), while its context suggests they are already indwelt by Christ (2:22).

A majority of the consulted commentators understand the inception of Christ’s habitation and the inception of salvation as being equal. Naturally and sensibly an inceptive interpretation creates a problem for them, and so they interpret the prayer as a request for Christ’s work in the Ephesians. However, the verb κατοικῆσαι is an aorist tense verb, which leads a minority of the consulted commentators to interpret the habitation as inceptive. The majority view favours the context in forming an interpretation, while the minority view favours the grammar. This study seeks to contribute to the literature available on Ephesians 3:17 by inquiring into the nature of Christ’s habitation in this verse. The hypothesis is that the minority view is correct.

The first step is a philological analysis of κατοικέω and some cognates in the Old Testament and the New Testament. The second step is a conceptual and historical analysis of divine habitation in Second Temple Jewish Literature and the New Testament. The third step is a theological and exegetical analysis of Ephesians 3:17 and its context. Verbal aspect plays a major role in the exegetical section.
Verbal aspect indicates that Ephesians 3:17 is a prayer for Christ to take up habitation, which indicates that the minority view is correct. However, the communicative purpose behind the verbal aspect is in line with a durative reading, lending some credence to the majority view. Paul’s communicative purpose (aim) in asking for Christ to take up habitation in the Ephesian believers was found to be spiritual insight and maturity. The significance of the study is that it contributes to the literature available that specifically focus on Ephesians 3:17 and it also solves the enigmatic contradiction between the grammar and context of κατοικῆσαι in Ephesians 3:17.

Ephesians 2:11–22 is often thought to promote a tertium genus (“third race”) ecclesiology that entails the belief that the Torah has been abolished. If the Torah is abolished, this leads to the view that torah observance is rendered problematic for baptized Jews. I argue, however, that the assembly, the locus of participation in the Messiah’s salvation, should be understood as a dyadic unity (a nonhomogenous sociopolitical reality). Eph 2:11–22 renders the dissolution of torah-observant Jews within the assembly (church) soteriologically problematic. If baptized Jews are discouraged from remaining torah-observant (and therefore become functionally gentile), this leaves gentile believers in an ecclessial reality in which there is no genuine ongoing association with the torah-observant “circumcision,” thereby leaving them in the ironic state of being “estranged from the commonwealth of Israel” (2:12) yet again—the very condition the text claims Jesus overcomes by his blood (2:13).

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Podcast Interview with The Bible Project on this article here. I also talk about how my work intersects with Willie Jennings's work on the connections between White Supremacy and Christian supersessionsism: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bibleproject/id1050832450?i=1000509068152

Ephesians 6:10–17 is typically understood as either a call to engage in spiritual warfare with the "powers" or as a plea for ethical living. While these two interpretations are not necessarily incorrect, they are likely incomplete. More specifically, they do not account for the author’s use of Isaiah in v. 14–15, 17 and how this text summarizes the entire letter. When one considers these two factors, it becomes reasonable to conclude that this text portrays the church as a community of “divine-warriors” who continue Christ’s mission by extending the new creation inaugurated by His sacrificial death and resurrection.

The widespread disagreement about where to begin the Ephesian household code is largely based on an equally widespread agreement that the original text of Eph 5.22 has no verb. This article addresses the former by challenging the latter. Treating the textual problem as a choice between three readings rather than two means that ὑποτασσέσθωσαν emerges as the reading that is best attested, the more difficult, and the one that best explains the others. The result is a smooth flow throughout this section of Ephesians.

Enfin, mes frères et soeurs, fortifiez-vous dans le Seigneur et dans sa force toute-puissante. Revêtez-vous de toutes les armes de Dieu afin de pouvoir tenir ferme contre les manoeuvres du diable. En effet, ce n'est pas contre l'homme que nous avons à lutter, mais contre les puissances, contre les autorités, contre les souverains de ce monde de ténèbres, contre les esprits du mal dans les lieux célestes. C'est pourquoi, prenez toutes les armes de Dieu afin de pouvoir résister dans le jour mauvais et tenir ferme après avoir tout surmonté. Tenez donc ferme : ayez autour de votre taille la vérité en guise de ceinture ; enfilez la cuirasse de la justice ; mettez comme chaussures à vos pieds le zèle pour annoncer l'Évangile de paix ; prenez en toute circonstance le bouclier de la foi, avec lequel vous pourrez éteindre toutes les flèches enflammées du mal ; faites aussi bon accueil au casque du salut et à l'épée de l'Esprit, c'est-à-dire la parole de Dieu. Faites en tout temps par l'Esprit toutes sortes de prières et de supplications. Veillez à cela avec une entière persévérance et en priant pour tous les saints. Priez pour moi afin que, lorsque j'ouvre la bouche, la parole me soit donnée pour faire connaître avec assurance le mystère de l'Évangile. C'est pour lui que je suis ambassadeur dans les chaînes. Priez que j'en parle avec assurance comme je dois le faire.

For a study of the various "powers" in Ephesians, see at the following link:
https://www.academia.edu/8700158/Contextualising_the_Ephesian_potentates_principalities_and_powers_in_Citonga --
For a study outline of this Epistle, see at:
https://www.academia.edu/6952997/Bible_Study_Outline_of_EPHESIANS_with_review_questions

Mutual submission remains the best way to understand Paul's rhetorical goals. Walden's attempt to remove mutuality fails not on lexical ground, despite his overestimation of the role of αλλήλων. Yet his strongest argument is lexicographic as the word υποτάσσω does actually mean to submit to the authority of another. However, meaning is not carried at the lexical level alone. Stringing lexical items together does not necessarily produce meaning. The meaning of words themselves depends on semantic relationship to other elements in a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, etc.34 At the rhetorical level, then, Paul can take literal meaning and flip it over. Yes, Paul teaches wives, children, and slaves to be submissive to those "over" them. However, Paul also demands a level of "submission" from husbands, fathers, and masters premised on the self-giving nature of the incarnation.

In contemporary New Testament scholarship, the building metaphor as reflected in Ephesians 2:19-22 is usually considered to be based on traditional materials. Potential sources include (1) a (baptismal) hymn (cf. Nauck 1953; Pokorny 1962; Barth 1974), (2), Qumran texts (cf. Gnilka 1971), (3) Christian thought, in particular 1 Corinthians 3:9-17/Colossians 1:21-23 (cf. Merklein 1973, 1981; Muddiman 2001; Best 2004), and/or (4) Old Testament temple imagery (cf. Lincoln 1990; Hoehner 2002; Thielman 2010). However, the use of the anarthrous noun ναός (v. 21) implies no specific temple is in mind. In this paper, therefore, it is argued that even though the central message of Ephesians 2:19-22 is probably inspired by some of the Hebrew Scriptures (cf. McKelvey 1969), the metaphor itself originates from the author’s (and hearer’s) familiarity with the building of Graeco-Roman temples. Based on textual and archaeological evidence, it is shown that temple building not only was a social reality of urban life in Asia Minor (including Ephesus), its process of construction also informs the ongoing scholarly debate about the location of the ἀκρογωνιαῖος (v. 20).

Article accessible intégralement en ligne (voir lien).
L'article propose un réflexion sur la question des ministères à partir d'Éphésiens 4. Ce texte, lu à la lumière du reste du Nouveau Testament, ne peut servir à justifier l'organisation de l'Église autour de "cinq ministères". Il souligne néanmoins la valeur de la diversité des ministères, une diversité voulue par Dieu. L'article se termine par quelques suggestions en vue de prendre davantage en compte cette diversité au sein de l'organisation des églises évangéliques.

Resumen
Este artículo propone un análisis de tres pasajes paulinos en los que aparecen referencias al libro de los Salmos. Estos pasajes son Ro 3:10-18; Ro 4:6-8 y Ef 4:8-10. Pablo incluyó estos Salmos como apoyo a la extracción de conceptos del Antiguo Testamento o corrección de la comprensión de las Escrituras Hebreas en el argumento de sus epístolas. Como los textos citados en estas cartas contienen diferencias con las versiones originales en hebreo e incluso con la traducción al griego Septuaginta (LXX), se consideró de interés revisar cómo Pablo incorpora el texto veterotestamentario en su argumento epistolar.
Abtract
This article analizes three pauline texts in which he mentiones the book of Psalms. This texts are Ro 3:10-18; 4:6-8 and Eph 4:8-10. Paul included this Psalms to support the theology obtained from the Old Testament and to correct the understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures by the discussion in his epistles. As the texts cited in these letters contain differences from the original Hebrew versions ane even from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) translation, it was considered of interest to review how Paul incorporated the Old Testament text into his epistolary argument.

Christ has brought us near and removed the wall between ourselves and our brother the Jew, our sister the Hispanic, our niece the Arab, our nephew the drug addict, our cousins the Asians, our First Nations partners, or our neighbors who are mentally and physically challenged.

This remarkable passage is immensely practical both for the doctrines it highlights and the principles for prayer it models. The essence of Paul’s intercession is for the church to be filled in relation to all the fullness that God intends for them, and the goal of is ultimately God’s glory. It would serve Christians well to reform their prayers and their according to the profound God-centeredness found in this text.

This article examines Paul's use of apostles and prophets in Ephesians (2:20; 3:5; 4:11) and argues that they were foundational spiritually gifted men given to the early church. The views of Grudem and Ruthven on Ephesians 2:20 are presented and critiqued. Since apostles and prophets formed the foundation of the early church these spiritual gifts and offices are no longer needed today for the church.  This article was published in The Journal of Ministry and Theology 17.2 (Fall 2013), 5-32.

Resumen: La exhortación Gaudete et Exsultate del papa Francisco se apoya teo-lógicamente en la afirmación de Efesios 1,4: Dios eligió a los creyentes en Cristo "para que fuésemos santos e intachables ante él por el amor". El ensayo estudia este enunciado desde el punto de vista retórico de su composición y desde el valor semántico de sus términos. El estudio realizado conduce a enriquecer el concep-to de santidad como gracia divina, realización escatológica, relación cristológica, comunión eclesial, conocimiento revelado, esfuerzo humano y alabanza litúrgica.

Abstract: The exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate of Pope Francis relies theologically on the affirmation of Ephesians 1:4: God chose believers in Christ "so that we would be holy and blameless before him through love". The essay studies this statement from the rhetorical point of view of its composition and from the semantic value of its terms. The study carried out leads to enrich the concept of holiness as divine grace, eschatological realization, christological relationship, ecclesial communion, revealed knowledge, human effort and liturgical praise.

Author: Dennis J. Preato
Publisher: CBE International

Romans 16:7 presents two interpretive issues. First, was the person named Iounian, the form of the name in Rom 16:7, a man or a woman? Second, what is the meaning of episēmoi en tois apostolois: was Iounian counted as “highly regarded among the apostles” or only “highly regarded by the apostles”? This article serves two main purposes: First, to summarize in one place the arguments regarding Junia’s sex and apostleship. Second, to update the data relating to these arguments, especially regarding the several English Bible translations made available since scholars such as Bernadette Brooten, Linda Belleville, and Eldon Epp brought the issue to the fore. Over the last few decades, many Bible translations have been published and older ones revised to improve accuracy, replace obsolete words, correct translation errors, or appeal to different audiences. These newer translations, along with a careful examination of the historical record, provide conclusive evidence that Junia was indeed a female apostle.

Eric Covington examines the way in which Ephesians coherently holds together cosmological, Christological, ecclesiological, and ethical elements within its vision of the early Christian way of life. He begins by investigating the extent to which the categories of functional teleology featured within ethical reflection in both Greco-Roman and early Jewish traditions. Next, he analyzes the letter's Auslegungsgeschichte, focusing on Thomas Aquinas' medieval commentary, to demonstrate how Ephesians has previously been interpreted through the lens of teleology. Finally, he turns to an historical-exegetical examination of Ephesians to demonstrate the way in which the letter uses the categories and concepts of functional teleology. He concludes that Ephesians identifies the appropriate way of life in light of an individual and ecclesial telos within God's ultimus finis for all of creation.

In this article I survey the major views on the descent of Christ in Ephesians 4:8-10: (1) incarnation view, (2) grave view, (3) Hades view and (4) Pentecost view.  Then I analyze the major views of the identity of the captives that Jesus took when he ascended into heaven: (1) demons, (2) all believers, (3) spiritual leaders, and (4) Old Testament saints. I argue that Christ descended into Hades (Paradise side) after his death on the cross and when he ascended he opened Paradise and took the Old Testament saints with him to the third heaven. Christ's descent to Hades (Paradise, not hell fire) is an old view taught by the early church fathers and reformation leaders like Martin Luther.

The quotation in Eph 4:8 is one of the most perplexing exegetical challenges in the entire epistle. It occurs with significant changes, such that its meaning is in effect opposite that of the source text in Ps 68:18. In addition, the author’s elaboration on the text in 4:9-10 appears tangential to the broader subject matter of unity and diversity in the body. Many solutions have been proposed, yet commentators often end their treatments of this passage unsatisfied with the various interpretive options. For these reasons, this passage warrants careful reexamination, and all the more so because of its importance to the structure and message of the epistle as a whole. Recent scholarship has identified correlations between Ephesians and ancient Near Eastern divine warrior texts. These observations are particularly noteworthy in view of the longstanding recognition of Ps 68 as a divine warrior victory hymn. The divine warrior motif presents a new interpretive lens through which to view the crux of Eph 4:8 and understand the role of this modified OT quotation within the epistle. Unlike Rom 12 and 1 Cor 12, the gifts given in Eph 4 are people. In Ephesians, these people are the captives of the divine warrior; they are his plunder from the lower parts of the earth. When the divine warrior ascends in triumph, he becomes the church’s benefactor in distributing his plunder. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, serves as a chief example of those whom Christ has given for the sake of the church. The reference to Ps 68 thus functions as an external authority to substantiate the author’s explanation for Christ’s sovereignty over diversity within the church.

The present article comprises a socio-rhetorical analysis of Eph 5:21-33. The point of departure is the controversial Eph 5:22 where wives are called to be subject to their husbands as to the Lord. Is the author of Ephesians perpetuating the norms and values of the ancient patriarchal society instead of preaching the Gospel of freedom and equality? The much debated pronouncement in Eph 5:22 is first attributed to Paul and then shown as belonging to the so-called Haustafeln. Its double purpose consists in defending Christian communities from accusations coming from the pagan world and, more importantly, in showing the model of new life in Jesus. The author of the present article places Eph 5:21-33 in context within the letter to the Ephesians itself, sketches the inner structure of the passage in question, and analyzes its thought, focusing on the most important expressions. In the last part of the article the anthropological-cultural terminology by Bryan Wilson and the typology of cultures by Vernon Robins are applied to Eph 5:21-33. With the use of these analytical tools, the author demonstrates that Paul proceeds according to the reformist scenario, accepting the social institutions of his time and trying to change them from inside. The apostle, without making a revolution, proposes an alternative culture, one based on the model of love between Christ and Church, which aims at the transformation of the marital relations in the Holy Spirit and in the spirit of freedom and equality.

Βασιλείου-Δαμβέργης Αλέξανδρος- Νεκτάριος: Αριστοτέλους 1.Αθηναίων Πολιτεία, από τις απαρχές μέχρι το Σόλωνα:
διαθεματική διδακτική προσέγγιση στο πανεπιστήμιο.
2.Ο φιλόσοφος Ηράκλειτος η εποχή του: ο πολιτικός άνδρας, η πόλις και ο πόλεμος: διδακτική πρόταση στο πανεπιστήμιο.

Szesnat, Holger. 2015. "Gender-Based Violence and Ephesians 5: Reflections on the Ethics, Hermeneutics and Didactics of a Community Bible Study in Suva, Fiji." In Oceanic Voyages in Theology and Theological Education: Reflections and Reminiscences in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Pacific Theological College, edited by Feleterika Nokise and Holger Szesnat, 133-168. Suva, Fiji Islands: Pacific Theological College.

This thesis consists of an original translation, annotation, and analysis of Karl Barth’s Academic Lectures on Ephesians, delivered in Göttingen, winter semester, 1921-1922.  The translation is composed from a typescript of Barth’s handwritten manuscript, located in the Karl Barth Archives, Basel, and is annotated for scholarly research, including complete bibliographical information on Barth’s sources. 

Barth’s exposition is a detailed exegesis of the Greek text of Eph. 1:1-23, comprising 13 lectures, with a summary of Ephesians 2-6 in the final chapter.  Materially and formally, the exposition strongly resembles Romans II and Barth’s 1919 sermons on Ephesians, which the study examines.  It also exhibits the theological objectivity of the Göttingen period, chiefly because of Barth’s explication of gnosis in Ephesians and his appropriation of Calvin’s theology of the knowledge of God. 

Barth made a material discovery in his study of Ephesians that fundamentally shaped his subsequent theology.  He observes in Eph. 1:3-14 a train of thought which witnesses to God’s action to the creature in Christ and the creature’s subsequent movement to God.  He concludes that we have come from God, who has chosen us in eternal election, and we are moving toward the glory of God, our divinely appointed goal.  The exposition’s central theme is expressed in Barth’s claim that “the knowledge of God is the presupposition” and “the goal” of human existence. 

The distinguishing mark of Barth’s theological exegesis is its concreteness, that is, his ability to speak about the text’s contemporary meaning without lapsing into theological abstraction.  This concreteness is the consequence of his theological hermeneutic.  He describes the interpretive event as a field of action, consisting of the biblical text, the activity of the interpreter, and the divine speech act.

Long, Fredrick J. “Ephesians: Paul’s Political Theology in Greco-Roman Political Context.” Pages 255–309 in Christian Origins and Classical Culture: Social and Literary Contexts for the New Testament. Edited by S. E. Porter and A. W. Pitts. The New Testament in its Hellenistic Context. Leiden: Brill, 2012.

This article gives the historical context for the epistle to the Ephesians by examining the historical and religious background of the city of Ephesus. The religions of ancient Ephesus included the worship of Artemis, the worship of the Greek pantheon of gods and goddesses, the  Roman emperor cult and the practice of magic. The city experienced conflicts between Jews, Gentiles and the church established by Paul. The article surveys the spiritual war for Ephesus and explains how the gospel penetrated this pagan city in spite of spiritual and demonic opposition. This article was published in The Journal of Ministry and Theology 15.2 (Fall 2011), 77-131.

This work is an essential companion for understanding each book of the New Testament in its cultural context. It provides information and analysis on each biblical book, covering its cultural and historical background including the author and fresh outline of each biblical book. From the life of Jesus in the Gospels, to the life of Paul in Acts, you’ll find the answers you are looking for here. Cultural and archaeological discoveries are provided throughout, helping to bring the Bible alive for any reader. It is beautifully illustrated with over 200 colorful, maps, timelines, charts, photographs, and illustrations. A helpful glossary defines technical terms, and extensive footnotes with hundreds of commentaries and books listed in the For Future Study section, as well as an extensive bibliography, provide an invaluable resource to readers seeking further study.
    An engaging resource intended for laypeople who want to know more about the New Testament, whether in seminary courses, college classrooms, church groups or personal study.

The epistle to the Ephesians is considered one of the finest theological treatises in the New Testament. Its contents reveal the plan of the Father, expressed in a Trinitarian nature, to unite all as His chosen and root them in the knowledge of His love for them and what He has given them. Christ was sent as the enabler of this unification and those who have received His salvation have been granted a seat with Him in the heavenly places. The goal of this paper is to reveal distinctives of Ephesians despite its close association to Colossians. To do this, background of the writing, structure and theological issues will be examined.

This exegetical paper will focus on Ephesians 5:22-33.  In this passage, Paul uses Christ’s love for his bride, the church, and the church’s submission to Christ, her head, as the guiding metaphor for the relationship between a husband and wife.

This article examines the exegesis and history of exegesis of Eph. 4:11-12 to engage whether these verses allow for the popular interpretation of the theology and practice of “lay ministry.” “Lay ministry” is defined throughout the article as lay people who are not Called or ordained, but may be licensed by a district or congregation to publicly preach and administer Sacraments. The history of exegesis, as to why Eph. 4:11-12 has been used for lay ministry is shown, going back to the mid-20th century with the World Council of Churches, Markus Barth, and D. T. Niles. The popular Confessional Lutheran argument against lay ministry from Eph. 4:11-12 using the “comma” between key phrases, is looked at but ultimately challenged. However, a key argument against lay ministry is found exegetically analyzing the term καταρτισμὸν in Eph. 4:12, in which it is argued that the lay ministry popular interpretation has misunderstood and misinterpreted.

This journal article examines the use of the word "church" in Ephesians and determines that it refers to the universal church. The paper examines the Pauline metaphors and descriptions of the church in Ephesians: saints, the body of Christ, the fullness, one new man, citizens, the household of God, a holy temple, the whole family in heaven and earth, children and children of light, and the "bride of Christ."