Graduate 173: Advent & Ephesians, Day 1
A couple years ago, I did a series of Advent posts that followed the 'Jesse's tree' reading schedule. I really liked doing that series and wanted to do something similar but different. Unfortunately, it's been difficult to find an alternative. Many of the reading schedules for the month of December, that are associated with the Catholic or Episcopal churches, seem not to be focused on Advent itself. So I decided to set up a series of reflections on the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. I've been looking at that text with a Bible study group and been getting a lot out of it. The passage is dominated by Paul's reflections on the goodness and greatness and graciousness of God. So it seems an appropriate theme to take up during this season. Each day I will post just one verse of the chapter and make a few comments. As the days go by, you will probably see many recurring themes and hopefully be able to draw the connection to this Christmas season and see how Paul's observations are really relevant for us today.
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"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus..."
Paul begins this letter with a familiar greeting. It was common practice, in the Roman world, for the author to give his name at the beginning of a letter. Then, notice how Paul identifies himself: "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God." First, he points out his role and position; he is an apostle--a "sent one." He is an apostle "of Christ Jesus"--that is the one whom he represents. And then he emphasizes: "by the will of God." This is the first indication of a theme that will dominate the first chapter and play a significant part in the rest of the book. Paul is who he is and what he is by the will of God. Throughout chapter 1, he will draw our attention to the goodness and greatness of God's sovereign plan. Here he points out that he has a part to play in that plan just because God has willed that to be the case.
This letter is addressed to "the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus". These two descriptions can probably be taken as referring to the same group. "Saints" recalls the Old Testament way of referring to God's holy people--the "set apart" ones. Again, even in that time, the people of Israel were set apart by God, not because of some special merit or qualification that they possessed, but just by the sovereign will of God. "[T]he faithful in Christ Jesus" emphasizes the new thing that has taken place in the Incarnation, Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who are God's people are God's people in virtue of being "in Christ." This locution will also recur many times in the verses that follow. Here is what Francis Foulkes says about it:
"They [i.e. the faithful] are those who believe in the Lord, but the phrase in Christ Jesus means much more than alluding to the object of their faith. The phrase, so frequently used by Paul, especially in this letter, sums up very much of his understanding of the gospel. It, or an equivalent, is used eleven times in verses 1-14 alone. Christians not only have faith in him; their life is in him. As the root in the soil, the branch in the vine (cf. Jn. 15:1ff.), the fish in the sea, the bird in the air, so the place of the Christian's life is in Christ. Physically his or her life is in the world; spiritually it is lifted above the world to be in Christ (cf. Col. 3:1-3)." (TNTC, 52)
We should continue to pay close attention to what Paul says about being "in Christ." We will have many opportunities to make more concrete just what that means and entails. The merging of the old and new covenant ways of speaking also points to an important theme that we will be developing in what follows: that God's sovereign plan is being unfolded in history and that we also have the opportunity to enter into it and be a part of it.
Think about how Paul identifies himself and how he identifies the Ephesian Christians. Notice that he grounds both his own and their identity in Christ--in God. That foundation will be another recurring theme in what follows. Think on where your own identity is grounded and on the character of your own relationship with Christ.
As we enter into this Christmas season, we are reminded how, in the fullness of time--that is, at exactly the right time--God the Father sent His Son. In doing so, He opened the way for all people in the world to receive the grace and participate in the relationship that He had formed with the people of Israel under the old covenant. Jesus Christ changed everything when He came to earth as that little infant.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
--
"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus..."
Paul begins this letter with a familiar greeting. It was common practice, in the Roman world, for the author to give his name at the beginning of a letter. Then, notice how Paul identifies himself: "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God." First, he points out his role and position; he is an apostle--a "sent one." He is an apostle "of Christ Jesus"--that is the one whom he represents. And then he emphasizes: "by the will of God." This is the first indication of a theme that will dominate the first chapter and play a significant part in the rest of the book. Paul is who he is and what he is by the will of God. Throughout chapter 1, he will draw our attention to the goodness and greatness of God's sovereign plan. Here he points out that he has a part to play in that plan just because God has willed that to be the case.
This letter is addressed to "the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus". These two descriptions can probably be taken as referring to the same group. "Saints" recalls the Old Testament way of referring to God's holy people--the "set apart" ones. Again, even in that time, the people of Israel were set apart by God, not because of some special merit or qualification that they possessed, but just by the sovereign will of God. "[T]he faithful in Christ Jesus" emphasizes the new thing that has taken place in the Incarnation, Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who are God's people are God's people in virtue of being "in Christ." This locution will also recur many times in the verses that follow. Here is what Francis Foulkes says about it:
"They [i.e. the faithful] are those who believe in the Lord, but the phrase in Christ Jesus means much more than alluding to the object of their faith. The phrase, so frequently used by Paul, especially in this letter, sums up very much of his understanding of the gospel. It, or an equivalent, is used eleven times in verses 1-14 alone. Christians not only have faith in him; their life is in him. As the root in the soil, the branch in the vine (cf. Jn. 15:1ff.), the fish in the sea, the bird in the air, so the place of the Christian's life is in Christ. Physically his or her life is in the world; spiritually it is lifted above the world to be in Christ (cf. Col. 3:1-3)." (TNTC, 52)
We should continue to pay close attention to what Paul says about being "in Christ." We will have many opportunities to make more concrete just what that means and entails. The merging of the old and new covenant ways of speaking also points to an important theme that we will be developing in what follows: that God's sovereign plan is being unfolded in history and that we also have the opportunity to enter into it and be a part of it.
Think about how Paul identifies himself and how he identifies the Ephesian Christians. Notice that he grounds both his own and their identity in Christ--in God. That foundation will be another recurring theme in what follows. Think on where your own identity is grounded and on the character of your own relationship with Christ.
As we enter into this Christmas season, we are reminded how, in the fullness of time--that is, at exactly the right time--God the Father sent His Son. In doing so, He opened the way for all people in the world to receive the grace and participate in the relationship that He had formed with the people of Israel under the old covenant. Jesus Christ changed everything when He came to earth as that little infant.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
posted by Metaphysician_delta | 9:07 AM
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