Rando's first exegesis

[Amazing Rando]

For my Greek Readings class, I was required to do a whole mess of stuff with Ephesians 4:1-16, including a word study, visual layout, interlinear grammatical analysis, textual criticism on a variant reading, and exegesis. What follows is my very first attempt at grammatically based exegesis. Hope you like it! Comments are welcome, as always.

Exegetical Reflections
It has become customary in this class to begin our reflections on the text with a complaint or wisecrack about the lengthy run-on sentences that characterize Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. While this section is no exception, I believe I’ll refrain from joining the crowd.

Coming so shortly after the prayer section of 3:14-21, this segment of the letter is a long exhortation. After Paul has established the theological framework of the "mystery" of chapter 3 in which he lays out the incredible gift of the unity of Jew and Gentile in one body, he urges his readers not to waste the good gift by living divisively. He begins 4:1 by urging his readers to live in a manner worthy (ἀξίως) of the calling they’ve received. Practically speaking, this includes the lists mentioned in verses 2 and 3, in which he says that living in an ἀξίως manner means living with humility, gentleness and patience, as well as “bearing with” or “holding up” one another in love.

The implications of this text are enormous. Paul’s entire argument rests on the idea that Jesus has done something that was heretofore unthinkable- uniting Jew and Gentile into one body- his own. The οὖν in verse 1 means “then” or “therefore,” signifying that the following passage grows directly out of the preceding passage. As a result of the unity Jesus has given to us, Paul says, don’t blow it! Live like one people! Do “your best to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace,” reads verse 4:3. When we form divisions within the church, or allow our selfish ambitions to consume us rather than living for the good of the whole body, we’re rejecting everything Jesus has done for us. That’s a message the church today sorely needs to hear, for as verses 4 and 5 go on to point out in a series of parallel grammatical constructions, there is only “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” and “one God and Father of us all, who is over all and through all and in all.” This all-pervasive God and Father is Lord of everything and is in everything- not just our Sunday worship, not just our pious prayers, and certainly not just our cognitive, rational minds. He should be the Lord of our ethics, our politics, our relationships, and every other facet of our lives.

And in case his readers had forgotten why he is Lord, or just what he has done, Paul reminds us again in another long sentence, verses 7-10. He has given us grace, which is forgiveness, freedom, and pardon, by descending to “the lower [part] of the earth” (i.e. hell- verse 9). By doing so, he literally “made captive captivity” (ᾐχμαλώτευσεν αἰχμαλωσίαν- verse 8). This phrase carries a dual connotation. It implies that he set the captives free, but also that he made captivity itself a captive, and it is this second meaning that I have tried to render in my translation of verse 8. This remarkable expression is indicative of the revolutionary nature of the cross. Bondage, chains, slavery, captivity, even death have all been abolished by Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. They hold no power over us because of the freedom he gives. As a result, we too should avoid inflicting them at all costs. This goes along well with the message of preserving unity in verses 1-3. Christians are not to subject anyone to bondage of any kind, for that destroys the unity that Christ died to accomplish. Finally, the passage finishes by noting that he ascended for the purpose of fulfilling τὰ πάντα- “all things” (verse 10).

The next major section, again utilizing a series of parallel grammatical expressions in verse 11, lists a series of gifts or offices that Christ has ordained us to possess. He gave us these gifts “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, and for the strengthening of the body of Christ,” until we attain everything he has planned for us (cf. the list in verse 13). This includes spiritual maturity. Paul notes that in our former condition we were, “being tossed by the sea and blown about by every wind” (verse 14). An interesting note is what he identifies as the winds and waves that have tossed us about- human lies and deception. The following clause contains no less that four words that can all be translated as “trickery” or “deceit.” I have rendered this clause as, “by every wind of the teaching by the craftiness of humans in deceit, in scheming of delusion,” (verse 14), but it can also successfully be rendered other ways that convey the same meaning. The idea is that without these incredible gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, we were carried off by the winds of change. Human ideas convinced us and held sway with us, but they are merely cunning lies, holding us in bondage.

By astounding contrast to the clause in verse 14 with four words meaning “deceit” or “trickery,” verse 15 begins with a confident participle- a word of truth (ἀληθεύοντες)! Paul writes that by “speaking the truth in love we might grow in every way into Christ” (verse 15). The lies of humans are nothing compared to the truth and love of Christ, into whom we are all invited to grow. We are meant to be one body, in unity and love, and to cast aside the lies of humanity that cause us to stumble and destroy the unity that Christ died to achieve. The good news of this passage is that by growing in the One who gave us amazing unity, we are no longer captive- either spiritually to sin, or physically to humans. We are freely called to be one body that loves and cares for its members, and to let nothing stand in the way of the unity Christ died to give us.

[Chappie]

Excellant presentation. Sounds like a good Sunday morning sermon... Do you mind...

[Amazing Rando]

You're welcome to it, but it's likely too heavy on the Greek to be totally "preachable. "

[Cheetah]

That's really good Rando, well done. Very interesting.

[Chappie]

You're welcome to it, but it's likely too heavy on the Greek to be totally "preachable. "

Even excluding the Greek, it is inspirational. You must know Greek for dummies, because I just happen to understand and am inspired by the way you presented even the Greek...

I can preach it....

I've been practicing using my tape recorder. My neighbors thought I was having church in my house. Even got a request for the tape...

[Dracula Girl]

Good job Rando.

My neighbors thought I was having church in my house. Even got a request for the tape...

Cool.

[Amazing Rando]

Thank you!

The passage didn't really "come alive" to me until after I'd done the exegesis. Got a course specifically in exegesis coming up this fall, so expect to see more of this type of writing from me!

[bar Jonah]

Very well done! :rithumb:

I naturally don't agree with 100% of it (as if you thought I would? LOL), but very impressive, good jorb!

[TheAnalogman]

Got a course specifically in exegesis coming up this fall, so expect to see more of this type of writing from me!

Exegesis?? I guess you won't become a Calvinist anytime soon.

[spiritmech]

"made captive captivity?" Sounds radical to me. Let no one ever say Christ is boring or mundane.

sm

[bar Jonah]

Exegesis?? I guess you won't become a Calvinist anytime soon.

:rilol:

[bar Jonah]

"made captive captivity?" Sounds radical to me. Let no one ever say Christ is boring or mundane.

sm

Of course, there are other views of what that passage means... :riwink:

[Amazing Rando]

"made captive captivity?" Sounds radical to me. Let no one ever say Christ is boring or mundane.

sm

That phrase went over quite well in class when we read it together.

[spiritmech]

That phrase went over quite well in class when we read it together.

I think it captures it quite well. That not only does God free the Israelites from the Egyptians, but that in a more transendental sense, God is Freedom. Similar to how God is love. He doesn't just act in specific instances of love. He embodies love. He is love.

I'm curious as to RI's other interpretations, but I don't think your translation goes against the grain of say, God's omnipotence or omnipresence or omniscience. He is our Saviour and He frees us from our captivity. That, even moreso than some of His more abstract attributes, is why we, as pieces of humanity, must be and will be interested in Him.

sm

[bar Jonah]

Well, another view is that this passage refers to Christ going to "Paradise" (ie. the Abraham's Bosom side of Sheol) to free those there who had died in a salvific relationship with God, freeing them to now go to Heaven, now that the cross had paid for their sins.

Jesus describes Abraham's bosom (where Lazarus went) as being in close proximity to the place where the rich man went, with only some kind of chasm separating them. This isn't consistent with the Lake of Fire, later on. So, it must take place prior to that. Later on, we see references to to people going to Heaven immediately after death, whereas prior to the cross, they went into the "grave" where they rested, waiting. So, some interpret this passage where He "led captivity captive" as referring to Him going to where these souls were captive, and leading them out and onward to heaven.

Just in a nutshell. :riblack: