Saturday, October 23, 2010

Blood, and The Man of Peace, part II

In the second part of this three part study, we look at the Man of Peace, and the peace He wrought.


The Man of Peace
It is interesting that while the blood of Jesus is mentioned in the preceding verse, Jesus is not presented as "the Lamb of God", but rather, as we shall see, "a new man, making peace".  The Ephesians were Greek by culture, and would not have been so moved by the sacrifice of a lamb, but a man, a man whose very blood brought peace, that had a basis for connection in their mindsets.

Ephesians 2:14-16
14 for he is our peace, who did make both one, and the middle wall of the enclosure did break down, 15 the enmity in his flesh, the law of the commands in ordinances having done away, that the two he might create in himself into one new man, making peace, 16 and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity in it  (Young's Literal Translation)

14 αυτος γαρ εστιν η ειρηνη ημων ο ποιησας τα αμφοτερα εν και το μεσοτοιχον του φραγμου λυσας 15 την εχθραν εν τη σαρκι αυτου τον νομον των εντολων εν δογμασιν καταργησας ινα τους δυο κτιση εν αυτω εις ενα καινον ανθρωπον ποιων ειρηνην 16 και αποκαταλλαξη τους αμφοτερους εν ενι σωματι τω θεω δια του σταυρου αποκτεινας την εχθραν εν αυτω

Remember I said very early in this study that we must be careful with verse numbers and punctuation?  This is one of those cases.  I think the break between verses 14 and 15 should have come after "in his flesh" and before "the law of the commands".  Why do I think that?  I will get to that in a minute or two.

14 αυτος γαρ εστιν η ειρηνη ημων ο ποιησας τα αμφοτερα εν
Third person pronoun αυτος used in the substantive reference back to Jesus from verse 13.  "He is our peace".  Plain and simple, much like the bumper sticker "No Jesus, No Peace; Know Jesus, Know Peace".  But is that a peace that makes us feel all quiet and content inside?  A peace that keeps our blood pressure low?  Or is it more than that?  It is all of the above and more!  ο ποιησας τα αμφοτερα εν "the One who made the both one", with the "both" referencing the Gentiles and the Jews, Jesus made them into one people: The Possession (Ephesians 1:14).

...και το μεσοτοιχον του φραγμου λυσας 15 την εχθραν εν τη σαρκι αυτου, which I suggest should simple be: ...και το μεσοτοιχον του φραγμου λυσας την εχθραν εν τη σαρκι αυτου, without the break for verse 15.  I was confounded by the structure of this phrasing, and it was not until I removed the verse break (remember, such was not a part of the original text) that is made sense.  It did not completely resolve the complexities, for this is a case of the flexibility of the Greek language not reading well into English.  Literally translated, word for word, in order: "and the middle wall of the fence (enclosure implied) having destroyed the hatred in his flesh".  Now here is where translation comes into play.  How do we phrase this in English so that reads sensibly to us and does not violate its original meaning?  We need punctuation, something not in the original text.  Simply "and the middle wall of the enclosing fence having destroyed -- the hatred -- in His flesh".  I see in this phrase "the middle wall of the enclosing fence" and "the hatred/enmity" as being the same thing, and Paul was clarifying this for the Ephesians.  The hatred the Jews and Gentiles had toward one another was a wall that divided them.  The Jews' access to the oracle so of God and the Gentiles being far away from the same was a wall that divided them.  The sign of circumcision was another wall between them (this even created an argument in the early church, Acts 16).  Unlike some other commentators (though they are more esteemed than me, obviously), I do not think this dividing wall was associated with the temple of Jerusalem, as the Ephesians would have no appreciation of such.  The point Paul is trying to make here is that all the differences that divided them, which were very real spiritually, emotionally, physically and socially, have been destroyed "in His flesh", "by means of His flesh".

I think also of Paul's reference to our sonship in Christ being "predestined" (Ephesians 1:5),προορισας.  If we look at the root of that word, οριζω, it means "to draw a line around, to set limits, to determine".  The verb in Ephesians 1:5 says God pre-determined, drew a line or boundary around beforehand, us into His sonship.  This included both Gentile and Jew, that God has chosen His possession of both Gentile and Jew, and even until Christ, God had a middle wall between the two groups enclosed in the boundary that is His Possession, which is also what Christ destroyed by means of His flesh.

τον νομον των εντολων εν δογμασιν καταργησας "...the law of the commandments in regulation made null/of no effect.".  As the dividing wall was destroyed, so also was the Law nullified.  The Law, possessed by the Jews, their banner of self-righteous (though in fact, our sin-teacher), was nullified, made of no effect.  The Jews had nothing left to claim as a special right not possessed by the Gentiles.  They are both now sheep of the same Shepherd, indistinguishable from one another.

ινα τους δυο κτιση εν αυτω εις ενα καινον ανθρωπον ποιων ειρηνην "...in order that the two (He) might create by means of Himself into one new man, making peace..."  Jesus Christ brought the nature of man and the demands of the Law unto Himself, making peace between the two; making peace, because the two are polar opposites, and in doing so, He is the new man, the Eternal Son now also first-born of the redeemed.

"...και αποκαταλλαξη τους αμφοτερους εν ενι σωματι τω θεω δια του σταυρου αποκτεινας την εχθραν εν αυτω..."  "and fully reconcile the two in one body to God, through the cross having put to death the enmity in Himself"  The verb αποκαταλλαξη means to reconcile to the point that all is restored to its original harmony, as though no enmity ever existed -- no scars, no wounds, no memories -- fully and complete restoration.  This added emphasis comes from placing the preposition απο (back, from) as a prefix to the verb καταλλασσω "I reconcile".  The compound word means "to reconcile or restore all the way back, from the current state to the original state".  The phrase δια του σταυρου reminds us that the final means, the landmark event, the milestone, the passage for this reconciliation is the cross.  The complete reconciliation is not possible apart from the necessity of the cross.  There are no other ways for this reconciliation to take place.  For it is through the cross alone that the great enmity between Jew and Gentile, more importantly, God and man, was put to death -- not just nullified, not voided, not rendered ineffective, but put to death once and for all.  This, Jesus -- the New Man -- did in Himself through His suffering and death on the cross.

The enmity destroyed, the peace restored.

Grace and PEACE,

Mark

PS: Part III will be posted in a couple of weeks; as I am preparing to preach at an evangelistic event in Romania this coming weekend.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Blood, and the Man of Peace

In the remainder of chapter two of Ephesians, we will look at a more detailed analysis that Paul brings concerning the Great Grace about which he spoke in the first 10 verses of this chapter.  The first 10 verses are so cosmic, almost other-worldly, that it would be (it IS) easy to get caught up in them and forget the very price of that grace, and how we, who are so unmeritorious, might be recipients of it.  Paul brings humility, history, and hermeneutics into the remainder of  chapter 2 of Ephesians (yes, I know, he did not know this would become chapter 2, please humor me ).  I break these verses into two sections: The Blood, verses 11-13, and the Man of Peace, verses 14-22.

You may note that I use different English translations in the studies.  This is intentional and random.  In other words, I do not choose a version that best fits my interpretation, nor is the most contrary to it.  I just pick one.  The Greek New Testament has been translated into English many times, both for good reasons and otherwise, but mostly good, to try and remove denominational influences (such as suffered by the KJV), and get at the real meaning of the text inasmuch the English can extract it.  So please, do not view the translations I use as endorsements, but as a part of the history of textual transmission of God's Word into the native tongues of Its readers.

The Blood
The first part of this section, verses 11 through 13, brings humility into the picture, as Paul reminds the Ephesians from whence they have come, and yet sheds some important and dramatic light on our own salvation, and the grace by which it is wrought.

Ephesians 2:11-13

11 Wherefore, remember, that ye were once the nations in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that called Circumcision in the flesh made by hands, 12 that ye were at that time apart from Christ, having been alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope, and without God, in the world; 13 and now, in Christ Jesus, ye being once afar off became nigh in the blood of the Christ  (Young's Literal Translation)


 11 διο μνημονευετε οτι ποτε υμεις τα εθνη εν σαρκι οι λεγομενοι ακροβυστια υπο της λεγομενης περιτομης εν σαρκι χειροποιητου 12 οτι ητε τω καιρω εκεινω χωρις χριστου απηλλοτριωμενοι της πολιτειας του ισραηλ και ξενοι των διαθηκων της επαγγελιας ελπιδα μη εχοντες και αθεοι εν τω κοσμω 13 νυνι δε εν χριστω ιησου υμεις οι ποτε οντες μακραν εγενηθητε εγγυς εν τω αιματι του χριστου

After the soaring verses 4-7, Paul calls the Ephesians (and us) back to earth with the imperative verb "remember" (μνημονευετε).  When the 2nd person plural is used in the beginning of a sentence, and not preceded by a subject pronoun (which is never required in Greek), the imperative voice may be assumed:  "Remember, that when you (were) nations (tribes) in flesh...", Paul is pointing them back to their lives without the indwelling Holy Spirit, "in flesh" (εν σαρκι), without the article, referring to the realm in which they existed.  I put the verb "were" in parenthesis because it is implied, and not present in the Greek.  This is used even in modern languages today, for example, Russian has no conjugated present form of the verb "to be" (neither does Hebrew, BTW).  "The tree green", "the green tree", are equivalent to "the tree IS green".  When the description in the predicate position is so strongly identified with the nature of the subject, the use of the ellipsis is obvious, and some would suggest it is so obvious it is not an ellipsis at all.  However, I think (my opinion) the linking of the pronoun with the predicate descriptor without a "be" form constitutes an ellipsis, especially since it would require, by context, a past tense form.

It is good for us to remember from whence we have come; that we, too, were wholly undesirable and our ways could easily have gone the way of the world we now despise.  We must remember that the only thing that separates us (the Redeemed, the Possession) from someone who is a slave to sin today is grace.  That is all.  Nothing more, nothing less than the grace of God.  "There but by the grace of God, go I", is founded upon a great Christian truth.

"...who are called Uncircumcision by that called Circumcision in the flesh made by hands..."  I share the following because it is interesting:  that which is translated "uncircumcision" in the Greek (ακροβυστια) literally references the tip of the male sex organ (an unkind and vulgar slang even used today), while the word "circumcision" (περιτομης) means "a cut around", accurately rendered by its English equivalent.  I hope you get some idea of the harshness of the Jewish bigotry toward non-Jews.  It was not merely, "I am Jewish, and you are something else, and it is OK."  No, it was more, "I am Jewish, and you are something far less, get out of my face."  This is not being Anti-Semitic, just being historical so you can see the significance of what Paul will describe later.  But Paul also reminds the Ephesians that what the Jews have, the Circumcised, is "in the flesh made by hands" (εν σαρκι χειροποιητου).  It is the same "in flesh" phrase (εν σαρκι) used to described the Ephesians' previous condition -- just as absent of the Spirit of God, χειροποιητου, one of those great Koine Greek compound words "of handmade (origin)".  It is in the genitive, alluding to the type of circumcision, one "hand-" (χειρο-) made (ποιητου).  In other words, who were the Jews to be calling the Ephesians vulgar names?  They were both in exactly the same spiritual state.

Verse 12 continues with "that ye were at that time apart from Christ, having been alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope, and without God, in the world" (οτι ητε τω καιρω εκεινω χωρις χριστου απηλλοτριωμενοι της πολιτειας του ισραηλ και ξενοι των διαθηκων της επαγγελιας ελπιδα μη εχοντες και αθεοι εν τω κοσμω).  The adverb χωρις can be translated as "far off" or "without", and the total strength of that adverb comes into play here.  Paul describes them as being "far off" from Christ figuratively; whatever Christ is and represents they were polar opposites (as are all of the unredeemed, even us), and they were literally "without" Christ.  The only advantage the Jews had over the Gentiles was this: an awareness of "των διαθηκων της επαγγελιας", "the covenants (plural) of the promise (singular)".  "The covenants" refers to the conditions God gave the people of Israel with respect to His one promise: the Redeemer.  Because the Ephesians, as Gentiles, were not a part of the community of Israel, and because of this separation or estrangement, they lived unaware of this promise -- ελπιδα μη εχοντες, "not having hope".  Without the knowledge of the promise of the Redeemer, Paul reckons their lives as without hope, and therefore αθεοι εν τω κοσμω, "godless in this world".  Ironically, the word for "godless" is αθεοι, which is plural and means "without/against the gods", an accusation hurled at Gentile Christians for rejecting the gods of the state.

After Paul helps the Ephesians (and us) to "remember!", he brings us back to grace:

 13 and now, in Christ Jesus, ye being once afar off became nigh in the blood of the Christ 
13 νυνι δε εν χριστω ιησου υμεις οι ποτε οντες μακραν εγενηθητε εγγυς εν τω αιματι του χριστου


νυνι δε,  "...and now...", using the prolonged form of the Greek word for "now", νυν; the -ι is used to bring both emphasis and immediacy to the adverb, and thusly Paul begins to "wrap up" verses 11-12.  εν χριστω ιησου "in Christ Jesus", whatever is to follow, it is "in Christ Jesus", it abides in Him, with Him, a part of His realm, and this holds primacy.  υμεις οι ποτε οντες μακραν εγενηθητε εγγυς, "...when you being far off have become near..."  εγενηθητε comes from the root form γινομαι, "I become", a deponent verb; that is, a verb in the passive form but being active in meaning.  It is a verb indicating a change of state, condition, or status.  Had Paul stopped with εγγυς, or "near", one might think that the Ephesians morphed themselves, but Paul does not risk such a notion, adding the prepositional phrase εν τω αιματι του χριστου "in the blood of Christ", with the phrase εν τω αιματι (in the blood)  indicating and emphasizing the instrument by which this change of state takes place.  It is only because of the blood of Christ that we can be brought near, once and for all.  His blood was the chosen instrument of God the Father whereby the Father's Possession might be brought near to Him for all time, eternity.


Remember your past, remember the grace, remember the blood...


Grace and peace,


Mark