Exalting Christ in Ephesians: The Church of Ephesus

Now that we've explored the context of the letter of Ephesians and the cultural context of Ephesus, we're going to look at bit at the local Church, as described in Exalting Jesus in Ephesians by Tony Merida.

It's not an exaggeration to say that the church of Ephesus was birthed under opposition. It would be hard to read about the culture of the day and not think that. The church was made up of some Jewish believers that were in Ephesus before Paul ever went there (Acts 18:24-27), but it was mostly Gentile. "The Ephesian churches were perhaps made up of about 30-40 people, meeting in homes. Since they hadn't seen Paul in about 7-8 years, "They needed instruction. There may have been a lack fo unity amount the pre-Paul converts and those who came later, as well as division between the Jewish and Gentile groups....[It is no wonder, then, that] Ephesians mentions union with Christ and being 'in Christ' more than any other letter, about 36 times" (page 13).

The author concludes his description of Ephesus by stating something I think is especially important in 2019: "Remember, may of us still live in a culture filled with idolatry, superstition and the occult, demonic activity, public sexual immorality, materialism, a love for education devoid of God, and the worship of political leaders. Remember, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is powerful enough to break through these forces and bring people to saving faith in Jesus Christ" (page 12).

How can understanding the cultural and historical contexts for the book of Ephesians give us greater insight into the Truth it proclaims? 

*for a fictional representation of the Church of Ephesus in the late first century, check out Francine Rivers' 2nd book in the Mark of the Lion series, A Voice in the Darkness.

Exalting Christ in Ephesians: Cultural Context of Ephesians

Now that we've explored the context of the letter of Ephesians, in this post we're going to look at the cultural context of Ephesus, as described in Exalting Christ in Ephesians by Tony Merida.

Ephesus, which sits in modern-day Western Turkey, was a busy port city on a river that connected to the Aegean Sea. "It was the 4th or 5th largest city in the world at that time... its massive amphitheater held about 25,000 people. The city hosted athletic events similar to the Olympics. It was at the junction of 4 major roads in Asia minor, which several villages surrounding it. It was the gateway of Asia that became the gateway of the Gospel, as Paul's ministry in the city reached out to 'all... of Asia' (Acts 19:10)" (pages 8-9).

(photo from Kudadasi.biz)

This was an important city, and it was full of spiritual warfare.

First, the city was known for different forms of paganism. The more sophisticated example of this is those who pursued the Greek idea of true enlightenment, "which involved rising to high levels of mysterious knowledge. This knowledge was obtained not just by learning but my experience, though erotic and ascetic practices.... The culture was steeped in materialism, sensuality, and perverted idolatrous practices" (page 9). (For a fictional portrayal of this, An Echo in the Darkness, book 2 in Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion series, shows the time and culture of Ephesus in the late first century.

Second, it was home to the Roman emperor cult, where the emperor himself was worshipped as a god. For example, Caesar Augustus was called "Savior", so the author points out that this led to a "Gospel conflict": "Coins, statues, temples, and other items proclaimed the gospel of Augustus, but the church was proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus.... When Christians were saying, 'Jesus is Lord,' they were saying that Caesar was not" (page 9).

(example from here)

Third, Ephesus was also the headquarters for the cult of the Roman goddess Diana (Greek: Artemis), whose temple was gigantic and beautiful (4x as large as the Parthenon in Athens!), and located a mile from the ancient amphitheater. Funny... the author points out that while the remains of the amphitheater still stands, only small portions of pillars remain from what was once called one of the 'Seven Wonders of the World'. (God was definitely saying something clearly there!). "Paul's Ephesian ministry threatened the commerce of those who made silver models of Diana (Acts 19:23-41).... Ephesus seems to have been obsessed with demons, magic, and idolatry, particularly the worship of Diana" (page 10).

(photo from Ephesus.us)

Fourth, in Acts 19:11-24, Paul talks about pretty intense demonic oppression to the spiritual awakening that was going on. "These Christians were turning 'the world upside down' in Ephesus" (page 11)!

Fifth, there was opposition from the silversmiths. As previously stated, the silversmiths in the cities made graven images of Diana that weren't being purchased anymore. The Gospel literally disrupted the socioeconomic system, which highlights the materialistic and superstitious nature of the culture. As a result, they dragged Paul and his companions into the amphitheater where they were all but killed (Acts 19:25-41), because in the words of Demetrius in verses 25-27, "Not only did [the silversmiths] run a risk of [their] businesses being destroyed, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis might be despised and her magnificence come into the verge of ruin" (page 12). 

Sixth (and finally), there were the Jews (mentioned in Acts 20:19), who plotted as well! In fact, after two months teaching at the synagogue, Paul ended up moving to teaching in a lecture hall where Gentiles were able to hear it!

Okay, next week will be our final post of this series exploring the context of the book of Ephesians. We're going to look at the Church itself.

Exalting Jesus in Ephesians: Context for the book of Ephesians

As I said last week, in this post we are going to study the cultural/historical context of Ephesus in connection with the book of Ephesians, using the information found in Exalting Jesus in Ephesians by Tony Merida.

I said last week that Ephesians is likely my favorite book in the Bible. In the introduction to this exposition, the authors point out that it is likely the "most contemporary" epistle in the New Testament, because, "apart from the mention of slavery, which is addressed later in the book, it literally could have been written to the modern church" (page 4). The author points out that instead of writing to correct something Paul wrote more reflexively. "It was a circular letter, distributed and read by the churches in the Asia Minor region and therefore, comes to us in a general form.... Ephesians resonates with contemporary Christians because it seems Paul could have written the letter to a 21st century church" (page 4).  It was sent to mostly Gentile believers throughout Southwestern Asia (we'll explore this more in a later post).

Believed to have been written near the end of his 2-year imprisonment in Rome, the letter is a contemporary of Colossians and Philemon, likely written around AD 62. Paul wrote this while chained to a Roman soldier! He was free to receive visitors, so one was likely a a secretary who wrote down his words, and then those letters were sent to the churches.

The author points out that this book was written 7-8 years after Paul left Ephesus, where he spent 3 years (AD 50-52) on his longest stay of any missionary journey (Acts 19). He spent 3 months teaching in the synagogue, then 2 years teaching in a lecture hall during siesta time, and then "some time" after that. It's also where he faced the wild beasts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:32 (page 8).

Okay, now that we've looked at the context of the letter, we're going to learn more about the culture of Ephesus next!

Exalting Jesus in Ephesians

Happy New Year!

So, I've said it a lot in this blog, but I love all Biblical history (even though Israel is probably my favorite part). In addition to wanting to return to Israel and having visited Rome, I want to explore Egypt, Jordan, Greece, Turkey, and any other locations associated with the Bible.

That's a lot of places! But it's good to dream, right?

So, this year I started a study on the book of Ephesians, which is one of my favorite books of the NT... actually of the Bible. I think, as far as the NT, it goes Ephesians... then Acts and Philippians are tied. Why? Because it ties directly to history I love (the Roman Empire) and discusses the early church, which fascinates me. And the message of Ephesians is just incredible. If Ephesians 1 doesn't make you want to praise God... or Ephesians 3:14-21... then... well...

So, I started a study of Ephesians using the book: Exalting Jesus in Ephesians by Tony Merida (edited by David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida). This is a book in a series on books Christ-centered exposition of the Bible.

The book starts with an introduction/cultural/historical context for Ephesians, and then moves verse-by-verse through the text. What a treasure! For the sake of this blog, I'm only going to talk about the historical/cultural things I learned—starting next week. So, stay tuned! I hope you're as excited as I am! 

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: Get this Book!

That's it for our study of Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus!

I hope it gave you a fresh perspective on some of the things we might not see as modern, Western readers. I also hope it inspired you to get this book as part of a study of your own! I only touched on a few things inside, because like I always say—if the authors went to this much trouble to write a book, then it deserves to be read, not just summarized.

So, please get this book!

Also, this will be my final post of the year, as I will take a break while we celebrate Christmas and New Year's (not Jewish holidays, I know. One day, I'm going to explore all the Jewish holidays on this blog—that will be fun!).

Until then, Merry Christmas and happy new year! See you in 2019!

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: An Answer to My Question

Ahhh! This is too good not to share!

In reading on in Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, the authors start describing the place where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount.

Remember how I wondered in the post "When Jesus does Math" how the 15,000+ people were able to hear Him speaking, since they were outside—and before sound systems?

Spangler and Tverberg answered this for me! "How is it possible that Jesus could have been heard by thousands of people without a megaphone to amplify His voice? A number of years ago, biblical scholar B. Cobbey Crisler discovered the answer in the land itself. He found that the hillside near this rounded shoreline forms a natural amphitheater. Because of the acoustical properties of the surrounding land, a person could stand at the bottom of the hill or sit in a boat just offshore and be heard by someone far up on the side of the hill. So good were the acoustics that the speaker could talk in a normal voice and be heard" (page 174).

Sounds silly, but I'm so proud of myself for catching this, something I'd never thought of before seeing the place where Jesus taught that famous sermon. And finding this answer today felt like a "Great job being a student of Me, My Daughter" moment.

Thank you, Jesus!

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: The Hem of His Garment

In "Touching the Rabbi's Fringe" (Chapter 11) of Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, authors Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg explored a concept I've never heard of before.

The authors are talking about the tradition of Jewish men wearing tzitziyot, or tassels, on the hem of their garments. They explain, "In ancient times, these garments people wore indicated their status in society. The hem was particularly important because it symbolized the owner's identity and authority. Legal contracts written on clay tablets were 'signed' by pressing the corner of one's hem into the clay" (page 159).

This is interesting to me, because to me, a hem, especially of a longer, outer garment worn in ancient times would be the dirtiest part of the garment (in my imagination). It could possibly skim the ground, drag in puddles, and swirl in the dust. For it to be the most important part of the garment never crossed my mind.

So then, they use 2 examples. The first is the story in 1 Samuel 24:4-5 of when David sneaked up behind Saul in a cave and cut off a piece of his hem in En Gedi. (Remember these caves where this happened?) The authors point out, "Afterward, David is overwhelmed with remorse for what He has done. But why? Hasn't He just spared the live of a power-mad king intent on killing him? However, by cutting the corner of Saul's robe, David was symbolically assaulting the king's authority to reign. His action was tantamount to knocking the crown off Saul's head, a job David believed belonged only to the Almighty" (page 159). 

Wow, did you know that? I didn't! I always stopped at what I inferred was almost a mocking of Saul—proof that David could have killed him but didn't. Like he was shaming Saul. But this understanding makes it go so much deeper than that!

Here's another reference to a hem, this time it's Jesus' hem when the woman with the issue of blood touches it. "The hem would have signified Jesus' identity and authority. What's more, the place where the tassels were attached would have been considered the holiest part of his garment. So it seems likely that the woman knew exactly what she was reaching for. Jesus' purity was so great that instead of becoming defiled by her touch, it healed her impurity. What a beautiful picture of the power of Christ's holiness to heal and to bless" (page 163).

This is a story talked about often in churches, and I always saw the woman reaching for the hem to be a sign of her utter humility and even shame—that she was reaching for the lowest, dirtiest part. I saw the crush of the crowd maybe even forcing her to the ground as she gathered her courage to just touch a piece of Jesus' clothes. I never imagined she knew she was reaching for what was seen as the holiest and most authoritative part! 

While I was writing this blog, another reference struck me, this one from Isaiah 6:1: "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of His robe filled the Temple."

I wonder if we can use the teaching on the importance of the hem in reading this? The train would definitely have a hem. Could it be that the train filling the Temple is also a symbol of God's ultimate power, authority, and holiness?

(Edit added July 29, 2019: for a further exploration on this theme and the stories above, check out this post).

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: Rabbi Jesus

In Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, authors Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg spend a lot of time explaining what it means for Jesus to be called a "Rabbi". I'm not going to describe it all, but they make their case well through describing the cultural characteristics and practices of being a rabbi in the first century.

In Chapter 4, "Following the Rabbi", they explore the custom of how students of a rabbi, or, disciples (talmidim in Hebrew) would literally leave their homes and families to live with and literally follow their rabbi wherever they went. Rabbis traditionally married later, and spent their time traveling throughout Israel, teaching from the Tanakh (the Law, Prophets, and writings, or what we now call the Old Testament). Because a rabbi was a respected position in Israel and hospitality is a vital cultural practice, the rabbi and his disciples stayed in the homes of the people they taught. 

The authors point out just how extreme this act of following was for the disciples of the rabbi. Everything he did, he did alongside them. In turn, they served him in every way except for untying his sandals (a servant's job). It was more of an apprenticeship than school. 

But the relationship went even beyond that. On page 63, the authors state, "During the time of Jesus, one's rabbi was considered to be as dear as one's own father, and it was traditional for disciples to show the same reverence for their rabbi as their father, or even more." There were even common statements that show this even deeper: "If a man's father and his rabbi are both taken captive, a disciple should ransom his rabbi first."

The authors point out that it's no wonder that Peter said things like, even if I have to die with you, I'd never disown you" (Mark 14:31). And how even more shocking is his betrayal of Jesus... and even more so, Judas'! "Peter's devotion was in direct contrast to Judas' disloyalty, highlighting how unthinkable it would have been for a disciple to betray his rabbi with a kiss! By understanding the traditional bond between the rabbi and disciple, we can also sense the depth of Peter's anguish after denying Jesus three times" (page 64).

Reading that really struck me. I always pictured it in the terms of, "They spent 3 years with Him and grew very close, so the betrayal was terrible," but now, thanks to Spangler and Tverberg, I have an even deeper sense of the horror and anguish they must have felt.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It might not be a Jewish holiday, but there are so many examples in the Bible of (and commands to) give thanks.

There's so much I am thankful for, but going along with the theme of this blog, I am so thankful for all I have learned about Israel and Biblical history. I'm thankful for those have gone before me in studying these things, that I can learn from them, and for all the teachings out there (and so many to discover) of Jewish culture and ancient times.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: Things left Unsaid

In chapter 3 of Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, authors Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg explore the concept of "stringing pearls".

Early rabbinic tradition shows as classic technique where a rabbi would quote part of a verse and leave the rest unsaid. It was the job of the audience to know (or find) the reference (and context) to understand the full extent of this reference. 

Jesus Himself used this technique as well. There are places in the Gospels where He replies to someone or says something that seems innocuous to a modern reader, but then the next passage talks about how the people were enraged and wanted to kill Him. To us, it seems extreme, especially because what He said wasn't that provoking. But the authors point out that what Jesus was saying was what He wasn't saying. In fact, they state, "There are times when knowing what Jesus doesn't say is becomes as important as knowing what He does say.....The passages from which Jesus quoted provide background for understanding His meaning more fully. If we miss His reference, we may miss His point" (page 42).

For instance, an example of this will be Matthew 21:16, where Jesus quotes Psalm 8:2, "Have you never read, 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise?' But the rest of the verse in Psalm reads, "because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger." How does that change our understanding of the story?

The authors say this can happen with just a simple word or phrase. A good rabbi could make references like this, linking verses together from the law, the prophets, and the writings, which is the process of stringing pearls. They would link these verses based on those very words or phrases. Every culture has symbolism or specific references. For instance, if you say "towers" in the United States, people will think of the September 11, 2001. The authors also use the example of a 'bloody glove' that we'd know references OJ Simpson's famous trail in 1996. These are references are things that other cultures might not necessarily pick up on. Add into the mix that modern, Western readers are reading a translation, and we can miss a lot.

Here is an example the author's give that I find fascinating: When Jesus said in Matthew 13:33: "The kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all the way through the dough", the words "a large amount of flour" are actually the words for "3 seahs" in Hebrew.

This is a very specific references, that everyone would have pick up on, a reference "to the story of when God and 2 angels visited Abraham. As Abraham was hurrying off to catch his fattest calf, he caught up with Sarah and told her, 'Quick.... get 3 seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread' (Genesis 18:6). Three seahs is is about fifty pounds of flower, enough to feed a hundred people! These huge quantity of bread that Sarah baked for just 3 strangers must have awed ancient listeners, and the details of the event would have stuck in their minds... [In fact] the fact that Sarah's leavening was sufficient for such a huge baking project must have seemed like a tiny miracle" (pages 43-44). 

Knowing this reference, suddenly the words "a large amount of flour" seems extremely specific instead of general!

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: Anointing a King

There is so much good stuff in Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus! The authors Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg explore how the Jewishness of Jesus can transform a Christian's faith—and it's so true!

In this post, I'm going to talk about something stood out to me from the first chapter, which builds on a topic I explored in this post, about what it means to have a king.

The authors open with a reference to the story of Mary anointing the feet of Jesus in John 12. This is a story that is studied a lot in churches, and I've personally heard a lot of teachings on it—on the expensive nature of the perfume (about a year's wages), of the rudeness of the host in not having Jesus' feet washed, in the shocking nature of Mary wiping His feet with her hair, that she was also preparing His body for burial (Matthew 26:12), of how she gave the greatest gift as an act of worship.

But I've never heard this before.

The authors clarify (what is also in Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus) that "Messiah" means "the Anointed One". They state: "The word 'Messiah' alludes to the ceremony used to set apart someone chosen by God, like a king or a priest. Instead of being crowned during a coronation, Hebrew kings were anointed with sacred oil perfumed with extremely expensive spices. Only used for consecrating objects in the temple and for anointing priests and kinds, the sacred anointing oil would have been more valuable than diamonds. The marvelous scent that it left behind acted like an invisible 'crown,' conferring an aura of holiness on its recipients..... In the ancient Middle East, the majesty of a kind was expressed no only by what he wore—his jewelry and robes—but by his royal 'aroma.'" (pages 20-21)

But it doesn't stop there, because the authors point out that Mary's perfume likely lingered on Jesus for days, and could possibly still have been smelled while He was on the cross.

And what about this Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16:
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?"

Knowing this important aspect of Jewish first-century culture definitely does what the authors claim: gives a much richer Bible study and understanding!

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus

All right, it's time for another book study on the culture of first century Israel! Are you ready? We're going to be reading:

This is another book by Lois Tverberg (and this one is also with Ann Spangler), and (spoiler alert!) I have two more in my "to be read" pile. I can't wait to see what I learn from these authors!

See you next week for our first post!

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Get this Book!

That's it for our series on Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes. I honestly could keep going, but I believe that anyone who went to the trouble to write a book deserves to have people read it, not the reviews on summaries. I hope my series on it has piqued your interest!

I can't state strongly enough just how much I believe every Western Christian should read this book. It will not only give great insight into other cultures (and our own), but it will reveal things we didn't even know we were reading (or missing) in the Bible. It's so good that I'm already on my second read through!

You can get it on Amazon here. Check it out and then let me know what you think!