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NEW TESTAMENT FOUNDATIONS NT 102 LETTERS FROM PRISON (II)

NEW TESTAMENT FOUNDATIONS NT 102 LETTERS FROM PRISON (II). EPHESIANS Introduction A. Substance B. Ephesus. Theater of Ephesus. Ephesus’ Marketplace. C. Authorship Many reject Pauline authorship due to 1. absence of any personal word 2. uncharacteristic style. Authenticity

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NEW TESTAMENT FOUNDATIONS NT 102 LETTERS FROM PRISON (II)

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  1. NEW TESTAMENT FOUNDATIONSNT 102LETTERS FROM PRISON (II)

  2. EPHESIANS • Introduction • A. Substance • B. Ephesus

  3. Theater of Ephesus

  4. Ephesus’ Marketplace

  5. C. Authorship • Many reject Pauline authorship due to • 1. absence of any personal word • 2. uncharacteristic style

  6. Authenticity • A. Options for authorship: either Paul or a Pauline disciple • B. Issues of authorship: • 1. Style and vocabulary: non-Pauline • a. sentence structure is long & complex • b. poetic cadences instead of typical Pauline rhetoric • c. new vocabulary, or old vocabulary in new ways • d. hazardous basis?

  7. 2. Linguistic & theological relationship to Colossians: • a. examples of closeness to Colossians • b. lingering questions

  8. 3. Theological concerns • a. Theology goes beyond Paul • b. Perspectives uncommon for Paul • (1) cosmic view of the church • (2) foundation of the church • (3) Jews & Gentiles now made one • (4) “being saved for good works”

  9. c. Response: • (1) Cosmic church: but where else would Paul begin? • (2) Foundation of the church • (3) Unity in the present • (4) Good works

  10. C. Evaluation of Ephesians in terms of authorship • 1. The arguments are complex • 2. Unique among Paul’s letters: both in occasion & purpose

  11. 3. Other considerations: • a. Early testimony of the church unanimous • b. Unquestionably Pauline in thought (90- 95%) • c. Who could possibly be Paul’s disciple? • d. Historical improbability

  12. Destination, Occasion & Purpose • A. Destination • 1. To Ephesus? • 2. To where, then? • a. Cover letter for the Pauline Epistles • b. The Laodicean letter (Col. 4:16) • c. Circular to Pauline churches in Asia Minor

  13. B. Purpose • 1. Difficulty in determining purpose • 2. Gentile audience • Typical Pauline affirmations of the gospel • (1) salvation as God’s free gift (1:13- 14; 2:5, 7-9) •   (2) reconciling Jew & Gentile as God’s new humanity (1:10; 2:11- 22)

  14. (3) effected by Christ’s atoning work (1:7; 2:15-16) • (4) received through faith (1:13; 2:8-9) • (5) experienced through Christ’s gift of the Holy Spirit (1:13-14; 2:18, 22) who through his graces nurtures (1:17ff; 4:11-16), transforms (4:17—6:9), and empowers (6:10-18) God’s people

  15. 3. Recognition of dominant emphases • a. Considerable interest in the “powers” & their subjugation to the cosmic authority of Christ (1:21; 2:2; 3:10; 6:12) • b. Jewish & Gentile reconciliation (esp. 2-3) • c. Affirmation of the unity of the church

  16. d. Allusions to the Colossian heresy: • (1) “in the heavenlies” (1:3, 20; 2:6) • (2) faith not works (2:9) • (3) circumcision (2:11) • (4) commandments & ordinances of the Law (2:15): • (5) not being deceived by empty words (5:6)

  17. 4. Striking characteristic: magic & the powers • a. Significance of magic & the “powers”, especially for Asia Minor (Arnold) • (1) social preoccupation with ideas of magic • (2) individuals apparently living in fear of these powers • (3) Colossian heresy is a particular manifestation of a general tendency

  18. b. Paul’s response: • (1) Christ is far above any of these (1:21-22; cf. 1:17-20) • (2) they reign with him “in the heavenlies” (2:6; cf. 1:22b) • (3) nevertheless there is still conflict (6:10-18)

  19. 5. The Jew-Gentile reconciliation and unity • a. forestalling any Colossian infection based on Jewish supremacy • b. emphasizing unity & peace as a sign of Christ’s supremacy

  20. 6. The cosmic exaltation & authority of Christ over the powers and their place in Christ • a. There is no need to fear the powers • b. Christ’s enthronement

  21. c. Christ has overcome the alienation caused by the powers • … between God & man (2:1-2) • … between Jew & Gentile (2:11ff) • … between one another (cf. 4:17ff) • d. So then, work with the Spirit in his effecting of Christ’s work in the world.

  22. Content • A. Structure • 1. Praise & Prayer (chs. 1-3): • a. Opening doxological blessing (1:3-14) • b. Bracketing prayers (1:15-23; 3:14-21) • c. Message that work of Christ characterized by peace, reconciliation, and unity

  23. 2. Parenesis (“exhortation”, chs. 4-6): urging them to co-operate with the Spirit in his effecting Christ’s work of reconciliation & unity • a. in their lives (4:1—6:9) • b. in the world (6:10-20)

  24. B. First half: What God has done in Christ (ch. 1-3) • 1. Opening doxology (1:3-14) • a. Features • (1) Blessed be God for accomplishing his preordained purposes • (2) “for the praise of his glory” • (3) Trinitarian formulation: Father, Son, Spirit

  25. b. Content • (1) God the Father for blessing us in keeping with his eternal purposes of reconciling all things • (2) effected through the redemptive work of Christ in history • (3) appropriated to both Jew & Gentile, sealed and guaranteed through the Holy Spirit

  26. 2. Prayer that the Spirit will grant them wisdom & insight into what God has done (1:15-23) • a. Through the Spirit • b. To know three things • (1) hope • (2) riches • (3) power

  27. 3. Christ’s power in overcoming the powers’ alienating activity (2:1-22) • a. Reconciling God & humanity (2:1-10) • (1) we were dead because of sin • (2) but now with Christ • (a) made alive • (b) seated in heavenlies (above the powers) •  (3) God’s new creation masterpiece or “handiwork” of reconciliation to do what HE does: good works

  28. b. Reconciling humanity to one another: especially characterized by Jew & Gentile (2:11-22) • (1) the great antagonism of the ancient world • (2) the dividing wall of the Temple

  29. Herod’s Temple

  30. (3) Jew vs. Gentile • (4) through Christ’s death • (5) peace

  31. 4. Return to the prayer (3:1-22) • a. Now another digression on his role in this “mystery” (3:1-13) • b. Finally the prayer (3:14-22)

  32. C. Second Half: Responding to God’s work in Christ, living a reconciled life of peace & unity (chs. 4-6) • 1. Be careful how you “walk” (4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15): a life of peace, reconciliation & unity • 2. Sustained exhortation: maintain unity! (4:1-16) • a. Centrality of Christ • (1) Christ-like qualities • (2) Christ’s gifts through the Spirit

  33. b. Trinitarian basis for unity (cf. 1:3-14): • (1) one body through one Spirit • (2) one Lord in whom we have one faith and to whom we are joined by one baptism • (3) one God & Father of all over all and through all and in all • c. Spirit ministries for unity & fullness under one head in love

  34. 3. Cautionary words: avoid those things that destroy unity (4:17—5:14) • 4. Emphatic message: life in the Spirit as the key to unity (5:15—6:10) • a. Watch carefully how you walk • b. Maintain attitude of submission • (1) Marriage • (2) Household code

  35. 5. Concluding ideas: joining with Yahweh in effecting his work of reconciliation (6:11-20) • a. Yahweh’s armor (Isa 59:15b-21; 61:1-6) • b. collective • c. concluded with prayer of all kinds • d. for Paul’s evangelism

  36. Conclusion • A. The problem of alienation • B. Unity and Christian witness • C. Trinitarian work • D. Seriousness of division

  37. COLOSSIANS • Introduction • A. Questions of Authenticity • 1. Traditional vs. contemporary position • 2. Arguments surrounding theology • a. Absence of important Pauline concepts • b. Cosmic conception of Christ & supposed realized eschatology

  38. B. Responses to Questions • 1. Significance of occasion & purpose • 2. Evidence of development • 3. No good reason to assume Colossians inauthentic

  39. City & the Church • A. Colossae • 1. Location

  40. Map of Asia Minor

  41. 2. Part of a triad of cities: Colossae, Laodicea, Hierapolis • 3. Significance • a. Strategic cross-roads of N-S and E-W traffic • b. Mineral springs • 4. Jewish population

  42. B. Church • 1. Paul’s relationship to the church • 2. Constitution of the church • 3. Leadership in the church

  43. Occasion • A. Ecclesiastical concern • B. Practical concerns

  44. The “Colossian Heresy” • A. Difficult to delineate • 1. Paul has only second hand information • 2. Evidence from the Epistle is enigmatic

  45. B. Features of the heresy (2:6-23) • 1. Philosophy aimed at acquiring “knowledge,” “spiritual wisdom,” and “understanding” • a. Deriving from “elemental spirits” & human tradition (2:8; cf. 4, 18)

  46. Astrology: Augustus & Capricorn

  47. b. Offering superior or deeper wisdom, knowledge, understanding (1:9, 10; cf. 1:25-26; 2:2-3) • c. Claiming path to maturity & fullness (1:19, 22, 28; 2:9; 4:12) • d. Becomes grounds for “boasting” (2:18, 23)

  48. 2. Jewish elements (2:11, 16-23) • a. Jewish law & regulations (2:14), including … • (1) Circumcision (2:11; cf. 1:28) • (2) Jewish dietary laws (2:16, 20-21) • (3) Festivals & Sabbath (2:16f) • b. Physical asceticism (2:18, 20-23)

  49. 3. Enigmatic statements in 2:18: precisely what is in view here? • a. Worship of angels • b. Mystical visionary experience • c. Syncretism

  50. C. Indications from Paul’s response • 1. Strong affirmation of the all-encompassing cosmic supremacy of Christ (1:16; cf. 2:9, 15, 20) • 2. Heresy almost certainly included: • a. Emphasizing special wisdom & asceticism as the path to maturity • b. Weakening & devaluing of the person & work of Christ • c. Undermining Christian ethics

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