Joel, how can I communicate to you how much I love your thoughtful posts? I now re-read Ephesians 5 not as disjointed commands to separate social groups but rather as a command to a Christian congregation. How meaningful is that? Your illustration of the starlings says it so well. Pieces like this bring home the radical difference between God’s world and the world as we know it. All of this being beautifully confirmed by experience. I confess to being an academic myself, my primary interest being the Greek language, and I resonate with all you write.
Thank you. I have always read the word as “deference” as mutual submission does not make sense. Now I have a good linguistic reason for my understanding!
I haven't thought about it in terms of how to read Ephesians, though the term's military background is certainly in play when we think of a translation like "find your place" (in the ranks). Achtemeier discusses this in his Hermeneia commentary on 1 Peter, but I don't think I've run across it in work on Ephesians....
You have just empowered (awakened, even) a wonderful mass of individuals who have turned off their thinking capacity because the decisions where 'not theirs to make'. May we hear the beloved call to choose one another actively and to "take [our] place responsibly within” our social orders.
So good. So important. So necessary. Lord gives us eyes to see and hearts to move in ways that honor everyone mutually with deference for the sake of Christ. ONWARD!
“The white space on the page is doing exegesis.” That’s a mic drop moment Joel. This is a very helpful reminder. Thank you for your efforts.
"Place yourselves at each others' service" perhaps?
Joel, how can I communicate to you how much I love your thoughtful posts? I now re-read Ephesians 5 not as disjointed commands to separate social groups but rather as a command to a Christian congregation. How meaningful is that? Your illustration of the starlings says it so well. Pieces like this bring home the radical difference between God’s world and the world as we know it. All of this being beautifully confirmed by experience. I confess to being an academic myself, my primary interest being the Greek language, and I resonate with all you write.
Fabulous article! Love how you pulled so much "meaning" into the analysis. PLEASE consider posting or offering this to The Priscilla Papers (https://www.cbeinternational.org/primary_page/priscilla-papers-academic-journal/)
They do great work and this post would be an outstanding addition.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll follow-up with our friends at CBE...
Thank you. I have always read the word as “deference” as mutual submission does not make sense. Now I have a good linguistic reason for my understanding!
Super article! I wonder if you’ve also considered the warfare overtones of ‘hypotasso’ in light of the overall context of Ephesians?
I haven't thought about it in terms of how to read Ephesians, though the term's military background is certainly in play when we think of a translation like "find your place" (in the ranks). Achtemeier discusses this in his Hermeneia commentary on 1 Peter, but I don't think I've run across it in work on Ephesians....
This is going into my notes. Super helpful post!
Another excellent article, Joel. I have forwarded it to our minister.
You have just empowered (awakened, even) a wonderful mass of individuals who have turned off their thinking capacity because the decisions where 'not theirs to make'. May we hear the beloved call to choose one another actively and to "take [our] place responsibly within” our social orders.
Thank you - that was super informative and helpful!
So good. So important. So necessary. Lord gives us eyes to see and hearts to move in ways that honor everyone mutually with deference for the sake of Christ. ONWARD!