In the last post, we saw how Paul starts the second half of Ephesians with a call to unity. But we left that study with the recognition that unity is only half of the equation; for unity exists in a dialectical (positive-positive) relationship with diversity. Without unity, diversity is nothing but anarchy and individualism run … Continue reading Gifts of Grace and Growth: Ephesians 4.7-16
One of the major themes of Paul's writings is the importance of unity within the Christian community. While it would be nice to think that this reflected a time when Christians were indeed unified, the fact that he felt the need to write so much about it demonstrates that it has always been something elusive. … Continue reading Unity as Witness: Ephesians 4.1-6
Now that we’re half way through our study of Ephesians, I thought I’d do something different to wrap up the first half and prepare us for the second. What I’d like to do is a targum, an extended paraphrase of the Scriptures applied to contemporary circumstances. This is an ancient rabbinic practice, but has been … Continue reading A Targum on Ephesians 1-3
One could make a case that the first three chapters of Ephesians unite around the theme of power. The basic theological thrust thus far has been that God’s power over all of the world’s other so-called powers was expressed in the vindication, raising, and glorification of Jesus that puts all other claims to power — … Continue reading God’s Power for Us: Ephesians 3.14-21
The first two chapters of Ephesians have been pretty heavy; Paul has covered a lot of material and used a lot of different images to talk about it. Here at the start of chapter 3, we get a breather, an opportunity to look back at the ground already covered before we continue on. Here is … Continue reading A Matter of Meaning: Ephesians 3.1-13
Matthew Root 