Thursday 14 October 2010

Background

The letter to the Ephesians may not have been written by Paul(the style, vocabulary and theology is significantly different fromPaul's other letters) although it develops some of his ideas.

It is not concerned with issues about Jews and Gentiles (non Jews)in the Church, and the role of the Jewish Law, but with'Christology' - big ideas about Christ. And they don't come muchbigger than in these opening verses. After a typical Paulineopening, we are taken, literally, to another dimension. This is aChrist of cosmic significance, with an appeal to a wider Gentileaudience with little interest in the Jewishness of Jesus, but agreat interest in ideas of 'the heavens'. Not, perhaps, ourChristian idea of 'heaven' (singular), but "the heavenly places" inan astronomical and astrological sense - the domain of spiritualbeings, including Christ. The heavens are where one looks forperfection and ideals; the physical world being just an imperfectreflection. These ideas come much more from Greek philosophy thanfrom traditional Jewish thought, although cosmopolitan 1st centuryJews were beginning to absorb them too.

So this is a world away from Abraham, Moses and the Jewish Law -and the world of Jesus himself. Such ideas belong to Athens, notJerusalem.

It is in this heavenly domain that the Ephesians are to look forblessing, for their origins are to be found there "before thefoundation of the world", when they were chosen to be adopted asGod's children. And it is in this heavenly realm that the gracerevealed in the freely given life of God's son is truly effective.Sophisticated Greeks would understand the importance of "wisdom andinsight" and "mystery" - this is their religious language. And theywould warm to the idea that God's ultimate purpose was to transformearthly imperfections into spiritual perfection 'in theheavens'.

I'm not sure Jesus would have understood this in this way,though.

To Ponder

As Christianity spread to the wider Gentile worldit absorbed and adapted an increasing amount of sophisticated Greekphilosophical thought, which has shaped parts of the New Testamentas well as later Church thinking. How does that relate to ideas ofa 'simple biblical faith'?

Should Christians be more concerned with earth orwith heaven? Why? What do you think was Jesus' main concern?

Do you think Christianity should still beabsorbing and adapting ideas from the cultures that surround theChurch? Why? Are there any risks involved?