A faithful reader has asked for a Bible study. I will do my best. Here is the first installment in which I hope to inch my way through the Epistle to the Ephesians.
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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
St Paul constantly references himself as 'an apostle of Christ Jesus.' In doing so he audaciously establishes his authority as one of the twelve even though he was not one of those chosen by Jesus Christ during his lifetime. Nevertheless, St Paul makes his claim because he met the resurrected Lord on the road to Damascus and his authority was accepted and established by the apostolic church at Jerusalem under the leadership of Peter and James.
As "an apostle of Christ Jesus" St Paul is has been 'sent' by Christ because 'apostle' means 'sent one.' As such he fulfills Our Lord's words to his apostles, "as the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." His apostolic authority is therefore direct from Christ, who himself, has been given "all authority on heaven and earth" and before whom "every knee shall bow". That this great authority comes from God through Christ to St Paul is established when he says that he is 'an apostle of Christ Jesus'--'by the will of God.' This formal beginning to the letter establishes apostolic credentials of the writer and raises the letter from an ordinary personal letter to that of a formal apostolic encyclical.
He writes 'to the saints in Ephesus. First of all the 'saints' are the 'holy ones' and he therefore refers to all the baptized members of the Church, not only those who are formally perfect in Christ. They reside at Ephesus, the great trading city on the coast of Asia Minor. The second largest city in the Roman Empire and a prosperous, bustling metropolis. Ephesus was known for the great temple of Artemis the goddess also called Diana of the Ephesians. She was the goddess of the hunt, a virgin and protector of Virgins. St Paul is therefore writing to Christians in a city swamped with paganism and the mysterious cult of the virgin Diana. These saints he calls 'the faithful in Christ Jesus' for he knows their devotion to Christ in the midst of misunderstanding and persecution. His own visit to Ephesians had caused riots because the new Christian faith was making converts from paganism and destroying a lucrative business. (Acts 19)
It is into this context that St Paul gives his apostolic greeting, "Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." This greeting was very probably a liturgical greeting even in Paul's day as it is in ours. It is possible that the early Christian liturgy began with a similar greeting as our does, and so in the first words of the Epistle we see established the divine authority of the apostle, the grandeur of his liturgical greeting and a glimpse of his audience--his brothers and sisters in Christ, the faithful ones in the midst of a pagan and prosperous city and empire.
As such he establishes in the first words of the epistle an alternative structure of authority and power. To the formerly pagan inhabitants of the second largest city in the Empire, a city where the great goddess was worshipped in a temple which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, he establishes himself instead as the apostle of the Great Lord Christ sent with Divine mandate to offer the gifts of Grace and Peace.
9 comments:
St Patrick
according to the surviving document known as his
'Confession'
declared himself to be the
Apostle of Ireland
and was a bit ambivalent about the Bishopric of Rome, identifying his own Patriarchy of Eire as being descent from the practices of his spiritual Father St. Germanus of Auxerre
GAUL- as ye can see Writ Large.
This is great, thank you Father.
One thing that struck me, whilst rading, was that this scripture confirms hierarchy, in the Church and that God intended this and that he equips those He sends, with His authority. That's just what stood out immediately to me, anyway. I never really understood the why and wherefore of Church 'authority' before. I mean I accepted it, because I choose to be bound by the church's teachings, but this passage is a confirmation, no, a clarification, of it.
Thank you for this Father L. Much is made by some Protestants about the fact that Paul had a disagreement with Peter, but it's one thing to disagree, it's another to separate yourself totally from the Church of the apostles, and set yourself up in opposition. Paul didn't cut himself off from Peter and the other apostles, they had a council to resolve their disagreements, and find the truth of the matter.
Hey good Padre and Matushka Alyson
y'all lived over here and even tried your 'dimnedest' to rear children in blighted Blighty.
Have you, as if you have little else to do, heard or seen the Con-Lib (CON being the operative word) 'master plan' to save our beer and skittles:
Cut child benefit for those making LESS than £40k per annum, and keep the benefit for those making MORE than £80k.*
yup, that's what old DC (geddit re special relationship) sez.
Wot a relief; soon we shall retake India- thank God for the return of those:
'Tories at pray' just like the CofE should be.
dontcha think?
* does no one make between £40.1k and £79.999k...?
just wondering...
uh, oh, Bobo sez that is how much all Tories report on their 'official' returns. The offshore ones are better, better, better... you bet!
Please tell us more, Father.
Thanx for this post. I also note the photo of St Charbel on your Blog. I visited his shrine/monastery years ago.
God bless.
Thanks Father. We need more Bible Study. Greatly appreciated.
Yes, another word of encouagment Father, as well as a prayer of thanksgiving. Please do continue this study.
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