Sunday, July 31, 2011

Old and New, Part II

This is the second part of the study in Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 17-24.  The focal passages in the study begin where Part I ended, which is verse 20, and continues until verse 24, describing the new life in Christ.

20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. English Standard Version (ESV)

20 υμεις δε ουχ ουτως εμαθετε τον χριστον 21 ει γε αυτον ηκουσατε και εν αυτω εδιδαχθητε καθως εστιν αληθεια εν τω ιησου 22 αποθεσθαι υμας κατα την προτεραν αναστροφην τον παλαιον ανθρωπον τον φθειρομενον κατα τας επιθυμιας της απατης 23 ανανεουσθαι δε τω πνευματι του νοος υμων 24 και ενδυσασθαι τον καινον ανθρωπον τον κατα θεον κτισθεντα εν δικαιοσυνη και οσιοτητι της αληθειας WHNU

Verse 20, the overlap from Part I, reminds the Ephesians, after describing the old life in the verses preceding to verse 17, declares "But that is not the way you learned Christ!" , which uses the Greek verb μανθανω, which is "I learn", though it is in its aorist form in this verse.  It is from this verb we get the word for 'disciple', which is μαθητης in the Greek.  The emphasis here is put on the individual to strive for understanding, to devote oneself to study.  To be a disciple of someone is to study and learn about them, and from them.  the onus is on the student.

Verse 21 brings an expanded comment and challenge, "assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus" ESVει γε αυτον ηκουσατε και εν αυτω εδιδαχθητε καθως εστιν αληθεια εν τω ιησου.  The conjunction particle ει is 'if', as in "if it is a fact that".  The other form of 'if' in the Greek language is εαν, which is used to reference future events.  Here, ει is used with the enclitic particle γε, which draws attention and intensifies ει, "if it really is/indeed true...".  Further, the Greek construction of αυτον ηκουσατε is "him you heard", but with the use of the accusative, and its position at the beginning of the phrase, brings emphasis of Christ specifically in being about whom they heard.  Following with "and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus"; και εν αυτω εδιδαχθητε καθως εστιν αληθεια εν τω ιησου.  The phrase "and were taught in him" is rendered in the Greek "in him you have been taught", the "in him" portion referring to the whole realm of Christ -- the person and his teachings, again, taking the pre-eminent position in the clause.  We have combined, building upon the notion of learning, both hearing -- the student's responsibility, and being taught, which implies a teacher, whether Paul, another teacher of Christ, or the Holy Spirit.  Someone has to provide instruction, and the student must listen and apply himself to learning.  The second part of this phase καθως εστιν αληθεια εν τω ιησου (even as truth is in Jesus), harkens us back to John 14:6, when Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..."

Verses 20 and 21 form the basis for understanding what is to follow both in verses 22-24, and also the rest of chapter 4.

Verse 22 "to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires"; αποθεσθαι υμας κατα την προτεραν αναστροφην τον παλαιον ανθρωπον τον φθειρομενον κατα τας επιθυμιας της απατης.  The first thing the learner, the disciple must understand and do is to "put away. discard, abandon the former behavior and life conduct of the old man" (expanded translation, MP).  We must recognize that the trappings of the old life are the trappings of enslavement to sin, not deliverance in Christ.  We must therefore shed those trappings, renounce them, recognizing them for what they are and what they had done to us.  Continuing, "...the old man, the one having been corrupted and defiled on account of the desires/lusts of deceitfulness..." (expanded translation, MP).  Again, recognizing our condition from which we have been redeemed is an important base level of understanding for the disciple of Christ.

Verse 23 "and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds";  ανανεουσθαι δε τω πνευματι του νοος υμων   It is not often I find myself parting ways on interpretation of the Greek with the great AT Robertson, but I disagree with him here.  The infinitive, which is the verb form which opens this clause or phrase, requires the accusative form of the subject noun, and none is found here, so we go back to the infinitive of verse 22, as these are connected by the conjunction "and", and we find αποθεσθαι υμας, infinitive with the accusative.  The subject υμας, "you" plural is, by virtue of the "and" conjunction, the subject of ανανεουσθαι by ellipsis: "[you] are to be renewed". What follows is where the great ATR and I disagree: τω πνευματι του νοος υμων.  He, and one or two others, see this as "in the spirit of your mind" (mostly literal translation), though the word "in" (εν) is not present, they are assuming the locative of "the spirit" τω πνευματι.  The locative and the dative/instrumental have the same form, so I am inclined, and I think is consistent with Paul's writings throughout Ephesians and especially this section, "[you] to be renewed of your mind by the [Holy] Spirit", with the word order of infinitive--instrument--genitive (kind or type of renewing).  This translation, I think, fits best with the themes Paul has been addressing until now, and follows his pattern in this passage of placing the Godhead in a position of primacy in the clauses.

Verse 24 "and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness"; και ενδυσασθαι τον καινον ανθρωπον τον κατα θεον κτισθεντα εν δικαιοσυνη και οσιοτητι της αληθειας.  I translate this a little differently (I am also not restricted in economy of words): "and to put on/clothe with the new man, the one having been created according to God in righteousness and holiness of truth".  The verb, in its infinitive form here, ενδυσασθαι puts forth the idea the whatever one is putting on, it covers completely, even "hides" its wearer.  Putting on the new man should hide/overwhelm any portion of the old man.  This "new man" is not our own idea, but has been created by God (...we are His workmanship...Ephesians 2:10), and therefore represents His holiness and righteousness in Truth.

Let us envelope ourselves in Him, that we might be "hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3).

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Old and New, Part I

The study today begins a two-part lesson concerning the contrast between the old life and the new life. This section covers verses 17 through 24, and in the remainder of the chapter Paul illustrates the practical workings of the new life to the Ephesian believers. In the section at hand, we will look at the old life and its description by Paul.


This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye should no longer walk as the rest of the nations walk in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in understanding, estranged from the life of God by reason of the ignorance which is in them, by reason of the hardness of their hearts, who having cast off all feeling, have given themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greedy unsatisfied lust.  But *ye* have not thus learnt the Christ  Darby, 1884


 17 τουτο ουν λεγω και μαρτυρομαι εν κυριω μηκετι υμας περιπατειν καθως και τα εθνη περιπατει εν ματαιοτητι του νοος αυτων 18 εσκοτωμενοι τη διανοια οντες απηλλοτριωμενοι της ζωης του θεου δια την αγνοιαν την ουσαν εν αυτοις δια την πωρωσιν της καρδιας αυτων 19 οιτινες απηλγηκοτες εαυτους παρεδωκαν τη ασελγεια εις εργασιαν ακαθαρσιας πασης εν πλεονεξια 20 υμεις δε ουχ ουτως εμαθετε τον χριστον WHNU

Verse 17
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye should no longer walk as the rest of the nations walk in the vanity of their mind


τουτο ουν λεγω και μαρτυρομαι εν κυριω μηκετι υμας περιπατειν καθως και τα εθνη περιπατει εν ματαιοτητι του νοος αυτων


How well did Paul understand the Greek language? In this particular verse, he utilizes a subtlety in the Greek verb "to testify". This verb has both a standard active form, and a deponent form. In its active form, this verb means to "testify from one's own experience". In the deponent form, it means to "cite a witness, call a witness, exhort solemnly, beseech in the name of a higher authority". In his writings, Paul writes to the churches on the basis of his apostolic authority, and does not pretend to be speaking for God. Yet, we see that his writings are inspired of the Holy Spirit, and this is one of the few places where Paul himself declares that he is speaking as though from the Lord.


Paul exhorts the Ephesians to "no longer walk as the godless multitudes in the emptiness of their minds". This is my own translation, and expression "the godless multitudes" is often translated as "Gentiles", which would have little meaning to the Ephesians. The word used is Grecian, τα εθνη, and not the word that the Jews used for "the uncircumcised". It is a general word referring to multitudes, companies, tribes of people of a common understanding. Paul has taken the noun in its neuter form to refer to those people who are outside the Body of Christ. The expression "vanity of their mind" as Darby uses, builds on the idea conveyed about the Greek word ματαιοτητι which means "devoid of truth, depravation, useless". This is not to devalue them as humans, but to highlight to the Ephesians that the source of the world's thinking is utterly lacking in wisdom concerning the new life.


Verse 18
being darkened in understanding, estranged from the life of God by reason of the ignorance which is in them, by reason of the hardness of their hearts


εσκοτωμενοι τη διανοια οντες απηλλοτριωμενοι της ζωης του θεου δια την αγνοιαν την ουσαν εν αυτοις δια την πωρωσιν της καρδιας αυτων

These godless multitudes, τα εθνη, "having been darkened and understanding, being alienated and shut out from the life of God", are not reasonable models for people who have the new life in Christ. The phrase "having been darkened in understanding" is a participial phrase built upon the perfect passive participle (εσκοτωμενοι) of the verb "to darken". This would suggest that it is God himself who has darken their understanding, since the passive voice implies action upon the subject, not by the subject. This same darkness is coupled with expulsion and absolute separation from the life of God. Their condition is both desperate and harsh and absent of hope. As Darby completes the rest of the verse, "by reason of the ignorance which is in them, by reason of the hardness of their hearts". A more literal translation of the Greek would read, "on account of the ignorance being in them, on account of the callousness of their heart". This is true of any of us before the day the grace of God came upon us and redeemed us in Jesus Christ. Throughout Ephesians, Paul reminds us of what our lives were without Christ, of our condition, of the utter uselessness of our thinking and way of life. Paul knows that it is out of the same people, the godless multitudes, that more of the elect will be called, but yet we are not to him you like them in any way because of the new life that is within us.


Verse 19
who having cast off all feeling, have given themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greedy unsatisfied lust


οιτινες απηλγηκοτες εαυτους παρεδωκαν τη ασελγεια εις εργασιαν ακαθαρσιας πασης εν πλεονεξια 


This verse paints an even deeper picture of what it means to be alienated from the life of God. The substantive participle used for "having cast off all feeling" ( απηλγηκοτες) comes from the in transitive verb which means to cease to feel pain or grief, to become callous, to be insensible to pain, apathetic. In other words, there is an emotional and psychological deadness to those who are separated from God, those who are yet "dead in trespasses and sins" as Paul describes us all in Ephesians 2:1. As a result, the idea of sin does not prick them, and they give themselves up to all manner of uncleanliness and lusts. Rather than being free to enjoy sin, they are in fact slaves to sin, because it is the only element of their lives that stimulates any sensibilities within them, whether body or mind. But these are the ways of those who belong to this world, those who are not redeemed by Christ, or even those not yet redeemed by him.

Verse 20
But *ye* have not thus learnt the Christ


υμεις δε ουχ ουτως εμαθετε τον χριστον


"But you not in this manner learned Christ", and so Paul begins the transition into the second part of the study, which will continue next week.


Why does Paul go into such detail contrasting the old life to the new? It is because of the Romans chapter 7 effect: the flesh and the Spirit are in conflict constantly. It is easy for us to relax and fall into a "natural way" of behavior after we experience salvation, but we must fight these urges of the flesh. The Holy Spirit, fully manifested within us at our salvation, is constantly pointing us to the more excellent way, which is the Way of the Cross, the Way of Christ…


Grace and peace to you all…

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Steadfast in Understanding, Building Up in Love

Ephesians 4:14-16

In the study today, we discover a portion of what Paul means when he writes concerning the purpose of the offices of the church as "building up the body of Christ unto the works of ministry". I say a "portion", because one must extrapolate from what Paul says in the next three verses to get the broadest picture of the phrase "works of the ministry".

14 "that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, by cunning craftiness after the wily manner of error;"
15 "but holding the truth, may in love grow up into him in all things, who is the head, Christ;"
16 "from whom all the body, fitly framed together and compacted by means of every joint of the supply, according to the working in the measure of each single part, effects the increase of the body to the upbuilding of itself in love." American Bible Union, 1865

14 ινα μηκετι ωμεν νηπιοι κλυδωνιζομενοι και περιφερομενοι παντι ανεμω της διδασκαλιας εν τη κυβεια των ανθρωπων εν πανουργια προς την μεθοδειαν της πλανης 15 αληθευοντες δε εν αγαπη αυξησωμεν εις αυτον τα παντα ος εστιν η κεφαλη χριστος 16 εξ ου παν το σωμα συναρμολογουμενον και συμβιβαζομενον δια πασης αφης της επιχορηγιας κατ ενεργειαν εν μετρω ενος εκαστου μερους την αυξησιν του σωματος ποιειται εις οικοδομην εαυτου εν αγαπη WHNU

In verse 14 the first thing Paul addresses is the need for us to be steadfast in our understanding of the Gospel, so that we might not be "tossed to and fro"; ινα μηκετι ωμεν νηπιοι κλυδωνιζομενοι. The participle used for that expression refers to a tidal surge (κυμα is the word for "wave", κλυδωνιζομαι is the verb "to surge"), something which cannot be navigated even by the most skilled boatswain. Paul understood that there would be "sheep in wolves' clothing", and these false teachers would be detrimental to increasing the maturity of the body of believers. Nor did Paul wish us to be "carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of man", an expression used to describe the confusion that crafty and illicit teachers would use to prey upon believers. It is alarming, that already in the first century, in the days of the apostles themselves, Paul had to issue such warnings against teachers who are craftily deceitful; not teachers who are merely erroneous in this doctrine or that doctrine, but teachers who would purposely set themselves up as being something, for the purpose of deceiving the brothers and sisters of the Way.

We find Paul urging the believers onward in verse 15 when he says, "but holding the truth, me love grow up unto him in all things, who is the head, Christ". A more literal translation would be, "but telling the truth in love, let us increase in to him all things who is the head, Christ". The Greek for "telling the truth" is quite literally a verb meaning "to truth" αληθευω, from which the participle in verse 15 is derived (αληθευοντες). In this exhortation, Paul includes himself and his band with the believers of Ephesus in verb αυξησωμεν "we might increase...", reminding his readers that the ground is indeed level at the foot of the Cross, and that we all must be on guard and purposeful and vigilant in being faithful disciples, and thereby well functioning members of the Body.

Paul reminds the believers of our connection to Christ in verse 16. Building on the end of verse 15, "who is the head, Christ", Paul continues with, "from whom all the Body, fitly framed together and compacted by means of every joint of the supply, according to the working in the measure of each single part, effects the increase of the body to the upbuilding of itself in love". We move from that which we are to avoid, tidal surges and whirlwinds of vain teachings, to the analogy of a well constructed house. When we examine the Greek text, we find words like συναρμολογουμενον, συμβιβαζομενον, and "πασης αφης της επιχορηγιας" -- framing together, coalescing together, and "every supplied bond/binding" (emphasizing how critical each and every connection truly is). We see that it is not the individual members which give the house strength, but it is the quality of the joints – the place where the individual construction members meet and cooperate and balance and support – that effects the building up of this House.

As a runner, though not a great one by any means nor even a good one, I can tell you I pay a lot of attention to joints and members of the body. When every joint and every member of the body is doing what it should be, running is indeed effortless. But let's be realistic, there is not harmony all the time. When I get tired and need more air I tend to pull my shoulders back so that I might breathe more deeply rather than correctly use my diaphragm. If my shoulders are back a little too long, my lower back complains, and rightly so, for it is to the good of the body that my posture and breathing must change. Similarly, when my legs are relaxed and I am leaning slightly down the road, the whole body celebrates and enjoys the ride.

It is the same way with the Body of Christ. We members have different functions, functions which must be fulfilled if the body is to be healthy. We do not get to choose which part of the body we are, Christ himself has done that for us. None of us are superior to the other, we are all members of the one Body of Christ. But the Body of Christ is only healthy when all the parts are joined together and functioning well together. It is the strength of these connections that give strength to the Body. When every member is doing his or her part to be strongly bonded to the Body, not only do we increase "in all things", but we are also building up the Body in love, the love of Christ. Please note, I'm speaking of the Body of Christ, not "church growth". The building up of the Body of Christ is a result of each member's devotion to Christ, their sensitivity and awareness of the Holy Spirit, and their own humility to apply themselves to the role that Christ has uniquely and purposefully given them.

Grace and peace, my brothers and sisters…