Introduction
The church at Ephesus probably had a special place in Paul’s
heart. Paul made his initial visit to Ephesus during his second missionary
journey, briefly stopping there after passing through Corinth (Acts 18:19-21).
Then during his third missionary journey, he stayed in Ephesus for three years
(Acts 20:31), teaching the Word of God and performing many miracles (Acts
19:1-20). Then later on his way to Jerusalem, expecting to be bound and
afflicted there, Paul sent for the elders of Ephesus for an emotional farewell
and prayer at Miletus (Acts 20:17-38). Now imprisoned in Rome, Paul was writing
to the Ephesian church in order to confirm the gospel he had taught there.
The epistle to the Ephesians is one of 4 epistles written
during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, along with the epistles to the
Philippians, the Colossians, and to Philemon, who was a Colossian himself
(compare Philem.[1]
1:2,10 and Col. 4:9,17). Within the epistle, Paul made several references to
his status as a prisoner, such as in verses Ephesians 3:1, 4:1, and 6:20,
providing internal supporting evidence that the epistle was written during
imprisonment. Of the 4 epistles written in imprisonment, the epistles to the
Ephesians and to the Colossians were both delivered by Tychicus (Eph. 6:21-22,
Col. 4:7-8), were, therefore, likely
written one after the other, and contain many parallel verses. The
central themes of these two epistles, however, have a slightly different focus,
with the epistle to the Colossians focusing on the all-sufficiency of Christ
and the epistle to the Ephesians developing the idea of unity of all things in
Christ and the role of the Church as the body of Christ[2].
The first three chapters of the epistle to the Ephesians are
chiefly occupied with commending the grace of God, which was extended to His
church[3]. In the
first chapter, Paul describes how God has predestined His elect in Christ to be
His children according to His pleasure, how the elect were saved through the
blood of Christ, and how the Holy Spirit acts as the seal and deposit
guaranteeing the redemption of the elect. The apostle then breaks out into a
prayer that God would give the Ephesian church the Spirit of wisdom and
understanding of God’s grace.
In the second chapter, Paul reminds the Ephesians that they
were formerly “by nature children of wrath”[4] (Eph.
2:3) and “separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and
strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the
world” (Eph. 2:12). But they are now God’s “workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in
them” (Eph. 2:10) and “also are being built together into a dwelling place for God
by the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22). In the third chapter, while declaring that he has
been appointed to be an apostle to the Gentiles, Paul again reminds them that
they are now “fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the
promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Eph. 3:6). He then prays for the
Ephesians that Christ may dwell in their hearts through the Spirit and that
they may comprehend the love of Christ.
The remaining chapters provide practical exhortations on how
the Ephesians ought “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which (they)
have been called” (Eph. 4:1), how they ought “to put off (their) old self”
(Eph. 4:22) and “to put on the new self” (Eph. 4:24), and how they ought to “be
imitators of God, as beloved children” and “walk in love, as Christ loved us”
(Eph. 5:1-2). Paul then demonstrates how one who has “put on the new self”
should live and walk in various relations such as between spouses, between
children and parents, and between slaves and masters.
The final passage beginning in Eph. 6:10 with the phrase Τοῦ λοιποῦ and extending to Eph. 6:20
is a conclusion of his practical exhortations. The passage describes in detail
what children of God are putting on, as they put on their “new self”, and what
the purpose is in putting on the new self. Children of God are being commanded
to put on the characters of Christ and use His words to fight “against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).
Textual Issues
The apparatus of the UBS Greek New Testament (NT)[5] lists
only one textual variant in these 6 verses. In verse 19, following τὸ μυστήριον, some variants contain the
phrase τοῦ εὐαγγελίου (Reading 1), while other
manuscripts omit it (Reading 2).
When considering the internal evidence or the probabilities
of what a scribe might have done, a reading that is harder, shorter, and
characteristic of the writer’s style is to be preferred. In the present
variant, neither Reading 1 nor Reading 2 appears to be particularly difficult
to interpret. Now if an intentional change is thought to have been made by a
scribe, then the shorter reading without the phrase τοῦ εὐαγγελίου (Reading 2) would be considered
to be more likely to be the original, with the phrase added to clarify and
explain τὸ μυστήριον. If an unintentional
error is thought to have been made, then the longer reading may be preferable,
but the words μυστήριον and εὐαγγελίου are sufficiently
different so that an unintentional error such as homoioteleuton or error in
transcription is unlikely to have been made. As far as the author’s style is
concerned, there is no other use of the phrase τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου in Pauline epistles. So the internal evidence may be said to
slightly favor Reading 2.
For the external evidence, manuscripts containing the phrase
τοῦ εὐαγγελίου (Reading 1) are
tabulated below:
|
|
Alexandrian
|
Western
|
Caesarean
|
Byzantine
|
Unknown
|
|
Papyri
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Uncials
|
א A I Ψ
|
D
|
|
[K L
P]
|
075
0150
|
|
Miniscules
|
6 33
81 104 424 1175 1739
|
1912
|
|
|
256
263 365 436 1241 1319 1573 1852 1881 1962 2127 2200 2464
|
|
Versions
|
cop sa,ho,fay
ms arm eth(?)
|
it at,d,f,o
|
syr pal(?)
|
|
vg syrp,h
geo slav
|
|
Fathers
|
(Origen)
|
|
|
Chrysostom
|
Basil
Theodore lat Jerome Pelagius
|
And manuscripts omitting the phrase τοῦ εὐαγγελίου (Reading 2) are as follows:
|
|
Alexandrian
|
Western
|
Caesarean
|
Byzantine
|
Unknown
|
|
Papyri
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Uncials
|
B
|
F G
|
|
|
|
|
Miniscules
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Versions
|
cop fay
ms
|
it h,g,mon
|
|
|
|
|
Fathers
|
|
|
|
|
Marcion
acc to Tertulian Victorinus-Rome Ambrosiaster
|
Thus, Reading 2 is supported by a small, but important
Alexandrian uncial B, a part of the Western manuscripts and a few Fathers. On
the other hand, Reading 1 is supported by the majority of the Alexandrian
manuscripts, including the uncial א, a part of the Western, and all known
Caesarean and Byzantine witnesses. Thus the distribution and number of
witnesses would favor Reading 1. Thus the internal and external evidence may be
split in their support of either Reading 1 or 2. What is important may be that
with either reading, the key message of the passage is probably not
significantly altered.
Most authoritative English translations have chosen to
include the phrase τοῦ εὐαγγελίου or
“of the gospel.” Formal equivalent versions with literal translations such as
NKJV, NASB, ESB and ASV all include the phrase. NIV, a prototype of a dynamic
equivalent version with “thought for thought” translations, also includes the
phrase.
Significant Words
The entire passage consists of two long sentences. In the
first sentence covering verses 14 through 16, Paul uses a series of aorist
participles to command the act of putting on different parts of the armor of
God. These participles are περιζωσάμενοι,
ἐνδυσάμενοι, ὑποδησάμενοι, and ἀναλαβόντες, which together with the aorist
imperative δέξασθε of verse 17,
complete the quintet of action verbs/verbals.
When one considers that in Eph. 4:24, Paul uses the AMInf ἐνδύσασθαι to
command to “put on the new self,” the word ἐνδυσάμενοι, AMP NPM of ἐνδύω,
in verse 14 along with its imperative form ἐνδύσασθε (AMImp 2P) of verse 11, may help
elucidate what Paul had in mind when exhorting the church to put on the full
armor of God. ἐνδύω, in its
middle sense, can signify not only clothing oneself in or wearing, but also
taking on of characteristics, virtues or intentions[6]. Between
ἐνδύσασθαι, ἐνδυσάμενοι and ἐνδύσασθε, these words occur only nine times in NT, all in
Pauline letters (Rom. 13:14, 1 Cor. 15:53, 2 Cor. 5:3, Eph. 4:24, 6:11,14, Col.
3:10,12, 1 Thess. 5:8). Review of these verses suggests that what Paul had in
mind in exhorting to put on the full armor of God might have been to clothe
oneself with Christ-likeness. The command in Romans 13:14 is explicit in this
regard: “ἀλλα ἐνδύσασθε τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.” The armor that Christians
are to wear is the same armor that God Himself puts on – the breastplate of
righteousness and the helmet of salvation (Isa. 59:17).
The work of salvation that God accomplishes for us is
likened to putting on a new nature throughout the Bible. After the fall in the
Garden of Eden, God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife (Gen. 3:21).
Isaac blessed Jacob, after catching the smell of someone else’s clothing that
Jacob was wearing (Gen. 27:27). In a
vision revealed to Zechariah, the Lord God takes off Joshua’s filthy clothes
and puts on new, rich garments (Zech. 3:4). The bride of the Lamb will be given
fine linen, bright and clean, to wear (Rev. 19:8).
For Christians, to put
on Christ-likeness is to put on τὸν νέον τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν κατ᾽εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτον (Col. 3:10). With the new creation come all the attributes of being
Christ-like, such as σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ, χρηστότητα, ταπεινοφροσύνην, πραΰτητα, and μακροθυμίαν (Col. 3:12), as well as ἀληθεια, δικαιοσύνη, εἰρήνη, πίστις, and σωτήριος (Eph. 6:14-17). Thus, the first part of
preparing ourselves in our spiritual battle is to put on a renewed self in the
image of Christ.
A second key word
in this passage may be μάχαιραν,
ASF of μάχαιρα, signifying a large knife or a dagger and probably corresponding
to the Roman gladius with its long point good for penetration. In our
passage, τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύμματος is equated with ῥῆμα θεοῦ. Likewise, in Heb. 4:12, the word of God (ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ)
is said to be “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of
soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and
intentions of the heart.” This two-edged sword (ῥομφαία δίστομος ὀξεῖα) is what comes out of the mouth of Jesus
Christ (Rev. 1:16, 2:12). Thus in different Bible passages, the word of God,
whether ῥῆμα or λόγος, is likened to a sword, whether μάχαιρα or ῥομφαία.
Thus, what is
important may be that the word is of God (τοῦ θεοῦ, Heb. 4:12), of Jesus (ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, Rev. 1:16), and of the Spirit (τοῦ πνεύματος, Eph. 6:17), and not so much whether it
is written (λόγος) or spoken (ῥῆμα) or revealed to us in some other way, and even less whether
it is likened to a short dagger (μάχαιρα) or a long sword (ῥομφαία). A key characteristic of the word of God, it should be
noted, is that it is two-edged or literally two-mouthed (δίστομος). The word of truth that God speaks or
reveals to us is a message of both life and death and of blessing and curse (Deut. 30:19). The
message of the gospel that Christians proclaim will bring life to some, but
death to others (2 Cor 2:15-17). The word of Jesus brings eternal life to the
believers (John 5:24), but will judge those who reject Him on the last day
(John 12:48).
Grammatical Features
The whole passage consists of two sentences, each starting
with an aorist imperative followed by a series of participles, which are best
described as adverbial participles of means, making explicit how the action of
the main finite verb is to be carried out, but are often translated as if they
are independent verbals with imperatival force. For instance, in ESV, in verse
16, ἀναλαβόντες, AAP NPM, is
translated as an imperative “take up” and, in verse 18, ἀγρυπνοῦντες, PAP NPM,
is simply translated as “keep alert.” This illustrates the versatility of Greek
participles.
In the first sentence from verse 14 through 16, the main
finite verb is the imperative στῆτε,
AAImp 2P. Because this verb is aorist, the aorist participles that follow (περιζωσάμενοι, ὑποδησάμενοι, and ἀναλαβόντες) do not necessarily indicate
antecedent time, but can and do indicate contemporaneous time. In the second
sentence from verse 17 through 19, the main finite verb is the imperative δέξασθε, AMImp 2P. This verb is
followed by two present participles, προσευχόμενοι (PMP NPM) and ἀγρυπνοῦντες
(PAP NPM). With the use of the present participles, the continuous nature of
the command to pray and to be wakeful may be emphasized.
In verse 19, the verbal idea that the phrase ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ modifies is not
within the verse nor is made explicit. The phrase could be adverbial and
modifying the participle προσευχόμενοι or ἀγρυπνοῦντες or the verbal idea
implicit in the noun δεήσει.
ESV has chosen the third option, translating the DSF noun δεήσει as a verbal “making supplication” so
that the ensuing phrases περὶ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐμου could be translated as “for
all the saints, and also for me.” NASV has supplied the missing verb “pray”
in front of ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ (“on my
behalf”). NKJV might be more literal here in that δεήσει is left as a noun “supplication” and
no extra word is supplied in front of “and for me.” This may also illustrate
the versatility and possibly ambiguity of Greek verbs, especially participles.
Yet, the overall gist of Paul’s entreaty to the readers is not altered.
Historical and Cultural Backgrounds
At the time of writing the epistle to the Ephesians, the
known Western world was dominated by the Roman Empire. This domination
depended, in a large part, on having a well-organized, powerful army. What
started out as a local militia for the city of Rome gradually became a
professional force, with the armor and weapons issued by the state as part of
the soldier’s compensation[7],[8].
The principal garment of a Roman soldier was a long tunic, over which were worn
mail or flexible armor and a cuirass, including a breastplate, affording both
protection and mobility. To help distribute the weight of the armor between the
shoulders and the hips, the soldier had to wear a belt, on which a sword and/or
a dagger could also be suspended. A soldier’s boots (caligae) had the
open appearance of sandals with straps and the sole was heavily studded for
prevention of a skid. The helmet had multiple additions that showed
preoccupation with protection of the head and neck: In addition to the helmet
proper, there was a thick reinforcing band to protect against a slashing
weapon; neck guards to protect the neck and shoulders; cheek and ear covers;
and a padded lining inside the bowl to cushion any blow delivered to the
helmet. The legionary shield or scutum was made of layers of wood glued
together, covered with canvas and hide, and the edges being bound with iron.
The front of the shield was normally decorated with the unit’s insignia, often
highly elaborate. A Roman soldier’s offensive weapons consisted of a pilum
or a throwing spear with a range of up to about 50 feet, a gladius or a
sword with a tapering blade and a long point good for penetration, and a pugio
or a short dagger.
Roman soldiers in uniform were probably a common sighting in
the lives of the first century Christians. In describing the armor of God with
components of a Roman soldier’s uniform, Paul might have been alluding to
several similarities between a Roman soldier and a Christian soldier. First,
the uniform and insignia gave identity to the wearer and declared what he was.
A Christian, wearing the Christ-like character (Rom. 13:14), identifies himself
as a member of the body of Christ. Second, just as the Roman soldier’s uniform
was issued by the state, the Christian character is not a result of self-made
discipline and training, but originates with the King, who renews His people to
“put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of
its creator” (Col. 3:10). Third, the main offensive weapon as well as what
holds the defensive armor together as the belt is the Word of God, which is the
Truth. In the Christian’s battle against
the devil, the father of lies (John 8:44), truth will enable him to overcome
and be victorious. Though a spear is not described as part of the armor of God,
the main long-range artillery available to the Christians is prayer and
supplication, to help enable proclamation of the truthful words of the gospel.
Theological and Practical Implications
Putting on the armor of God is a way of describing Christian
transformation or what Paul calls “to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
and to put on the new self” (Eph. 4:23-24). Regarding Christian transformation,
John Calvin writes[9]:
“This
is the wonderful exchange which, out of his measureless benevolence, (Christ)
has made with us; that, becoming Son of man with us, he has made us sons of God
with him; … that, taking the weight of our iniquity upon himself (which
oppressed us), he has clothed us with his righteousness.”
Christ has indeed transformed us by
clothing us with his righteousness and by making us “partakers of the divine
nature” (2 Pet. 1:4).
This passage further teaches us that Christian
transformation consists of transformation in being (or of nature) and
transformation in doing (or of fruits). Whereas
we used to be the object of the wrath of God by nature, we have been made to
partake in Christ’s nature: We get to put on his righteousness, girding it with
his truth, ready to go forth and proclaim his gospel of peace, and have the
faith that because of his fatithfulness our salvation is secure despite all the
lies and accusations that the evil one may throw at us. Our being, our essence,
our nature has been transformed and we are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
Wearing the armor of God is displaying our new nature.
The fight that the
soldier wearing the armor of God fights demonstrates his transformation in his
deeds. In this passage, the soldier’s deeds mainly consist of continually being
wakeful, praying and imploring so that the Word of God may be proclaimed
boldly. It is not that the soldier himself does the fighting, but that he prays
for the Word to defeat the enemy. The Christian soldier must remember that “The
LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Ex. 14:14). “You will
not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the
salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.” (2 Chron. 20:17).
The word out of Jesus’ mouth is what strikes down the nations of this world
(Rev. 19:15). The Christian soldier, having been properly identified as
belonging to Christ and put on His character, only needs to stand with Him
(Rev. 14:1) and follow Him (Rev. 19:14).
Implications for Preaching and Teaching
Ideally, teaching Eph. 6:14-19 should be a part of a larger
series on the entire epistle. In the epistle, Paul expounds how God has carried
out His plan of salvation from before the creation of the world and has saved
His elect in Christ and sealed them in the Spirit. With salvation came
transformation of nature, so that whereas formerly we were all given over to
the desires of the flesh and were corrupted in body, mind and will, now we have
been made anew and should put on “a new self.” The second half of the epistle
consists of practical exhortations on how the one who has put on a new self is
to live his life in imitation of Christ. The passage on the armor of God
including Eph. 6:14-19 is a conclusion of these practical exhortations.
In teaching Eph. 6:14-19, after a brief review of the
preceding chapters, I would draw on the imagery of a soldier to say that
putting on the armor amounts to putting on Christ-like character and standing
ready to fight. The actual fight, however, is done by the Lord Himself and we
only need to stand with Him, being wakeful, persevering and praying for one
another and for the Word to be proclaimed and thus defeat our enemy. An outline
follows:
Christian Soldier (Eph. 4:14-19)
Introduction: A
Christian has received the gift of salvation by God’s grace manifested in
Christ and sealed in the Spirit and has been made a new creation. He stands
ready as a soldier in the spiritual battle against the evil forces.
I.
Christian soldier’s armor –
Christian’s newly created character
A. Girding with Truth
B. Breastplate of Righteousness
C. Sandals of readiness of the Gospel of Peace
D. Shield of Faith
E. Helmet of Salvation
F. Sword of the Spirit, the utterance of God
II.
Christian soldier’s enemy
A. The evil one
B. His flaming arrows
III.
Christian soldier’s fighting
strategy
A. Being wakeful
1. in perseverance
2. in entreaty
B. Praying
1. in every opportunity in Spirit
2. for all the saints
3. for those who proclaim the mystery of the gospel
[1]
Bible book abbreviations in this paper follow the conventions of The Holy
Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright Ó 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers; all rights reserved.
[2]
William Barclay, The New Daily Study Bible: The Letters to the Galatians and
Ephesians. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), 76-77.
[3]
John Calvin, Commentaries on Galatians and Ephesians, trans. William
Pringle (Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 1847), 156.
[4]
All Scripture quotations in English in this paper are from The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version (ESV), copyright Ó 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers; all rights reserved.
[5]
Barbara Aland, Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, et al., The Greek New
Testament, 4th ed. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1993)
[6]
Frederick W Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other
Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (Chicago, IL: The University
of Chicago Press, 2000), 333.
[7]
Adrian Goldsworthy, The Complete Roman Army. (London, UK: Thames &
Hudson Ltd, 2003), 118-141.
[8]
Nicholas V Sekunda, Simon Northwood, Michael Simkins, Caesar’s Legions: The
Roman Soldier 753 BC to 117 AD. (Oxford,
UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2003), 109-142.
[9]
John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, trans. by Ford Lewis
Battles. (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1960), 1362.
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