The model of church as a new fellowship in Ephesians (original) (raw)

Paul's Ecclesiology of Ephesians

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."

Ephesians from the New Perspective on Paul

2013

Since the publication of E. P. Sanders, Paul and Palestinian Judaism+ several scholars have taken up a major thesis of this seminal work critiquing the "traditional" understanding of Judaism as a legalistic religion of works-righteousness, extending it to new understandings of the role of the apostle Paul and of his writings. James D. G. Dunn was the first to coin this revised view as the "new perspective on Paul."? While there are many "new perspectives" today, each shares a common view that Paul is speaking as a Jew and within the context of a Second Temple Judaism that was not grounded in a works-righteousness view of salvation. Rather, proponents of the new perspective see that when Paul argues against the law, he aims at those Jews and Gentiles who were trying to impose the "boundary markers" of the law-circumcision, dietary practices and Sabbath observance-on Gentiles who wanted to become part of the group acknowledging Jesus as Lord. In the last twenty-five years the many works written with this view as a controlling paradigm have largely focused on the undisputed letters of Paul-especially Romans, Galatians, and 2 Corinthians." I want to investigate the letter to the Ephesians to see how it might add to this conversation. Discussion of the relationship of Ephesians to the new perspective of Paul has been strangely silent.> One obvious reason, of course, is that many contemporaries consider Ephesians to be written by someone other than Paul.

A Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians

Charles Hodge A Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians Charles Hodge A Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians vi birth of Christ has conferred immortality on the author of the deed. All Greece and Western Asia contributed to its restoration, which was a work of centuries. Its vast dimensions, its costly materials, its extended colonnades, the numerous statues and paintings with which it was adorned, its long accumulated wealth, the sacred effigies of the goddess, made it one of the wonders of the world. It was this temple which gave unity to the city, and to the character of its inhabitants. Oxford in England is not more Oxford on account of its University, than Ephesus was Ephesus on account of the Temple of Diana. The highest title the city could have assumed, and that which was impressed on its coins, was Νεωκόρος, Temple-sweeper,-servant of the great goddess. One of the most lucrative occupations of the people was the manufacture of miniature representations of the temple, wrought in silver, which being carried about by travellers, or reverenced at home, found an extensive sale, both foreign and domestic. was soon fulfilled. The church is there commended for its faith and patience, and especially for its resistance to the inroads of heresy. § III. The date of this Epistle and the place whence it was sent. As the apostle speaks of himself in this epistle as being in bonds, it is plain it was written either during his imprisonment at Rome or at Caesarea. Every thing conspires to favour the assumption that it was written at Rome, which until a recent period has been the universally received opinion. In the first place, it is clear that the Epistles to the Ephesians, to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Philippians, all belong to the same period. As to the first three, it is expressly stated that they were sent together by Tychicus and Onesimus. Comp. Eph. 6, 21. Col. 4, 7-9. Philem. v. 12. And that the fourth belongs to the same period is plain, 1. Because Timothy is mentioned as being with Paul when he wrote to the Philippians, and he was with him when he wrote to the Colossians and to Philemon. 2. Because he enjoyed great liberty of preaching at the time when the Epistle to the Philippians was written, Phil. 1, 13; and so he did when that to the Ephesians was written. Eph. 6, 20. 3. Because he expresses both to the Philippians and to Philemon the expectation of being soon set at liberty. Phil. 2, 11. Philem. v. 22. If, therefore, one of these letters was written from Rome, they all were. But it is almost certain that the Epistle to the Philippians at least, was written during his imprisonment at Rome. In ch. 1, 12, 13, he says, "The things which happened unto me x have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; so that my bonds are manifest in all the palace and in all other places." Even admitting that the word πραιτώριον here used, does not necessarily refer either to the well known pretorian camp at Rome, or to the imperial palace, yet, when taken in connection with what is said in ch. 4, 22, there is little doubt that the reference is to the place of abode of the pretorian guard in immediate attendance on the Emperor. The phrase οἱ ἐκ τῆς Καίσαρος οἰκίας, can only mean, those of Caesar's household; and as they sent their salutations to the Philippians, there is no reasonable doubt that the Epistle to the church in Philippi was written at Rome. If, therefore, it was during the same imprisonment that he wrote the four epistles above mentioned, then it follows that the Epistle to the Ephesians was written from Rome. In the second place, every thing contained in the Epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians, and to Philemon, which are admitted to belong to the same period, agrees with this assumption. 1. The persons mentioned in these epistles are known to have been with the apostle at Rome, but are not known to have been with him at Caesarea. 2. Paul, according to Acts 28, 30, 31, enjoyed liberty to preach the gospel at Rome, but it is not known that he had that liberty in Caesarea. 3. He had at Rome the prospect of being soon set at liberty, which he did not enjoy during his imprisonment under Felix and Festus. 4. The reasons assigned by the few modern critics who refer these epistles to the time of his confinement at Caesarea, have very little weight. It is said that Onesimus, a fugitive slave, would more probably seek refuge in Caesarea than in a place so distant as Rome; that it is to be inferred from Eph. 6, 21, that Paul expected the Epistle to the Colossians to reach its destination before the letter to the Ephesians came into their hands. This would be the case if Tychicus travelled 6 Charles Hodge A Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians 7 Charles Hodge A Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians 9 Charles Hodge A Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians of divine truth more concentrated than they are here. Had it been first discovered in the nineteenth century, in a forsaken monastery, it would command the faith of the whole church. The genuineness of this epistle, therefore, has never been doubted, except by a few modern critics to whom nothing is sacred. These critics object: 1. That Paul was familiarly acquainted with the Ephesians, whereas the writer of this epistle had only heard of their conversion and of their faith and love. This objection is fully met by showing that the expressions referred to, may be understood of information received by Paul, during his long imprisonment, first at Caesarea, and afterwards at Rome; or, on the assumption that the epistle, though addressed to the Ephesians, was designed for a large class of readers, with many of whom Paul had no personal acquaintance. 2. They object that this epistle is merely a verbose imitation of the Epistle to the Colossians. Nothing can be more inconsistent with the fact. The relation between the two epistles, instead of being a xvi ground of objection against either, is a strong proof of the genuineness of both. Of this any reader may satisfy himself by a careful comparison of the two. 3. It is objected that the epistle contains no reference to the peculiar circumstances of the Ephesians, so that the address and contents are irreconcilable. This absence of specific reference, as before remarked, is accounted for from the design of the epistle as addressed to Gentile believers, as Christians, not as Ephesians. REUSS remarks in reference to such objections, "If Paul wrote friendly letters, these critics say they are spurious, because they are not doctrinal; and if he wrote doctrinal epistles, they say they are spurious, because not friendly." 4. It is objected that the style is not that of Paul. The very reverse, in the judgment of the vast majority of competent readers, is the fact. There is the same fervour and force of expression, the same length and complication in his sentences, clause linked with clause, till he is forced to stop, and begin the sentence anew. Idem in epistola, says Erasmus, Pauli fervor, eadem profunditas, idem omnino spiritus ac pectus. DE WETTE, the originator of these and similar objections, admits that they do not justify the rejection of the epistle, which, he says, contains much that is worthy of the apostle, and which all antiquity acknowledged as genuine. Unfortunately, however, he afterwards retracted this admission. It is to the honour of the German critics, for whom in general, novelty is every thing, the last opinion always being the best, that with the exception of the destructive school of Tubingen, few, if any, of their number attach any weight to the arguments against the apostolic origin of this epistle. 5. The principal objection urged by Baur of Tubingen, in addition to those suggested by De Wette, is that the Epistle to the Ephesians contains allusions to Gnostic opinions, which did not prevail until after the apostolic age. But, in the first place, the great majority of scholars deny that this epistle contains any reference to Gnostic sentiments; and, in the second place, even if it did, the Epistle to the Colossians affords abundant evidence that principles afterwards developed into Gnosticism, had manifested themselves in the age of the xvii apostles. If it be said that the allusions in the Epistle to the Colossians to those principles proved that it also is spurious; that would be only a dictum in the face of all evidence, and utterly subversive of all history. There is no portion of the New Testament the genuineness of which the church has from the beginning, with more cordial unanimity, acknowledged, than that of this epistle.

Reading Ephesians from the New Perspective on Paul

2006

2008 Daniel Mihoc_Aspects of Ecclesiology in the Letter to the Ephesians according to St John Chrysostom

In my short survey I point out some aspects which I consider to be relevant for the understanding of St John's contribution to the development of biblical exegesis, on the one hand, and of the skillful way in which he uses Pauline ecclesiology for edifying his community, on the other hand. In order to acquire this twofold perspective on St John Chrysostom, I focus on some of the most important ecclesiological themes of Ephesians. Commenting them, St John reveals himself as a noteworthy interpreter of the Pauline writings. His understanding of St Paul's ecclesiology is sometimes very close to that which one can see in modern scholarship, whereas his insights concerning its implications for the life of the ecclesiastical community and of each individual believer are always of greatest actuality. As for St Paul, for him the Church is a great mystery that one can only understand properly if one is "in Christ" and a partaker of the Holy Spirit. This great mystery is made up of other mysteries which the Apostle prefers to refer to in metaphors and allegories the meaning of which -points out St John -can only reveal itself fully to those who live in true unity with the others limbs of the Body and in close communion with the Head, through the Holy Spirit. Such an interpreter tries to be himself; therefore his insights into St Paul's ecclesiology give testimony not only to his exegetical effort, but also to his pneumatical life in Christ.

Introduction to Ephesians

An Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992), 306. 30 The onus of proof lies with those who deny the claim of authenticity. 31 Best, 15, disputes the conclusion that Clement knew Ephesians. He does concede, however, that there is 'a fair possibility that either Ignatius or Polycarp or both knew Ephesians' (17). Note his survey of the apostolic fathers on pp. 15-17. 32 O'Brien, P. T. (1999). The letter to the Ephesians (p. 4). W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 33 Kümmel, 251. 34 Cf. Young Kyu Kim's article in Biblica (1988) and our discussion of his essay in the introduction to 2 Peter. If Kim's dating is correct, then the discussion as to authenticity is over. I have discussed Kim's article with most of the recognized English-speaking NT textual critics, including

Topic: An Exegesis on Ephesians 5:1-5

Churches in Ephesus and the surrounding region A.D.62 while imprisoned in Rome (Acts 28) .During this time he also wrote Colossians and Philemon. All three letters were sent with Tychicus and Onesimus. 2 There are two arguments advanced to cast doubt on the letter's authenticity, the First Historical Argument-concerns a discrepancy between the Acts account of Paul's longstanding and intimate acquaintance with the Ephesian Church and the entirely impersonal and 'hearsay' relationship which the letter expresses. 3 Apostle Paul had intimacy with the elders of Ephesian church, and it was found in Acts 19:1-20:1, 31.Second, Theological In Ephesians as distinct from the letters of unquestioned Pauline authorship, the role of Christ assumes a cosmic dimension that the sphere of interest is 'the heavenly places' (a unique expression occurring five items) in which the principalities and powers operate, that the focus of concern is the church, that 'justification' is not mentioned, that 'reconciliation' is more between Jews and Gentiles than between the sinner and God, that salvation is portrayed not as dying with Christ but only as rising with him, and that there is no reference to our Lord's second coming 4. Ephesians strongly influenced the thought in I Peter. Polycarp A.D.156 echoes both words and ideas from the epistle. Several apologists in the second century, and Marcion. The stormy petrel of the early church, used this letter. Irenaeus quoted the letter as Paul's, not in any disputatious way, but as something accepted by Christians. This letter as Paul's was included in the Muratorian Canon (c.200) and in all subsequent lists of the New Testament

The Epistle of Ephesians (2024 edition)

The Three-Fold Thematic Scheme of the Epistle of Ephesians - The primary theme of the nine church epistles is the establishment of the doctrines of the New Testament church. Each of these epistles addresses one aspect of this doctrinal foundation as their secondary theme, so that collectively, they deliver the complete doctrinal creed of the church. The secondary theme of the epistle of Ephesians offers the testimony of the office and ministry of the God the Father in the believer’s sanctification, namely His divine foreknowledge regarding His plan of redemption for mankind. The third, imperative theme of Ephesians is the believer’s outward evidence of his sanctification demonstrated in walking a worthy walk and engaging in spiritual warfare to fulfill God’s plan of Redemption. Let me illustrate the theme of Ephesians in modern terms. Imagine that a family is taking a long journey together on a family vacation. There is the mother and father and three or four children. Now as God has created and designed a plan for our lives and for the Church as a whole, so did someone design the car, the highway, all of the signs, the hotels and eating places along the journey and even the route and destination for this journey. So, Dad and Mom get in the car. The father is like the pastor of our church, whom God has ordained as our leader. Just as the pastor has been to Bible school in order to learn how to guide a church, so has the father learned much about how to drive the car and how to read the road map. The father has checked out the car to make sure he can get there as fast and as safely as possible. He has a road map with him and he has listened to the advice from his buddies at work on which route to take. Mom has focused on the comforts of the journey, taking plenty of clothing, snacks in the car, pillows, sunglasses, etc. She wants to make sure the journey is made as enjoyable as possible. Now, look at the child. He has been bouncing a ball this whole time, excited about the trip, but completely in the dark as to how they will get there or what is needed for the journey. Now he is happy because he is carefree. His only concerns are his immediate needs, whether he is hungry or needs to go to the potty, or if his sibling is playing with his toy and he wants it back. Many Christians take this journey in life as a child and not as the adult. They are so consumed with their immediate childish needs that they want the pastor and other church workers to take them on the journey comfortably. They may do something good like sharing their toys and think that they are doing a great work for the Lord, but this is very insignificant compared to the real work for this journey. Thank God for the mature adults who will make sure that everyone makes the journey safely. The children are just along for the ride. God wants us to grow up and understand this journey that we are on. It is not a journey that someone takes by himself. It is a family matter requiring the support of each member. Thus, the major theme of this epistle is that God has blessed the Church with many spiritual blessings and equipped them in order to bring about His purpose and plan on earth. Did not the Lord Jesus refer to this role of the Church in bringing God’s will upon the earth in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,” (Matt 6:10). Therefore, the believer will find peace and joy only as he sets his heart and affections on these things above and not on the things of this earth. The epistle of Ephesians is structured like a journey and it teaches us how to find our role in God’s plan for our lives and the role of the Church in general of God’s great plan of redemption.

The model of church as a new fellowship in Ephesians (original) (raw)

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