Thoughts going in, Sunday Aug. 26th

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

            This week we come to the 7th and final part of our sermon series on God's Blueprint for the Church. Paul's method in Ephesians was to begin with the BIG picture and gradually work his way down to where his audience lives. Now as he's finishing up, he returns momentarily to the big picture. There's a war; a battle and struggle for hearts minds and souls. But it's not a regional conflict, it's a cosmic conflict (v12). Even so, it's a cosmic conflict that manifests itself at the personal level--hence, he wants his converts to be fully aware of this. The battle is not against our Hindu neighbor, or agnostic comedians like Bill Maher, or authors like the late Christopher Hitchens; the battle is spiritual; it's against the spiritual forces of evil.

            There are several fascinating aspects about this passage, not the least of which revolve around Paul's use of Roman soldier attire as metaphor for spiritual-preparedness. As a sidenote, it should be mentioned that 'religion' was a HUGE part of Roman military life. This quote from an online article summarizes things well:

Religious observance was one crucial way of sustaining loyalty and power through a shared 'pietas.' Shared religious observance was a means of developing and strengthening a vital esprit de corps - as was reverence shown to the standards which, although not worshipped as such, were the embodiment of the spirit or "genius" of the unit, being kept in an aedes, or chapel alongside the image of the Emperor and other sacred objects, and always being treated with due respect and reverence. In the uncertainty of battle, reassurance from the haruspex ( literally "gut gazer") that the omens were good or that Jupiter, suitably fed and watered, was watching over you ready to hurl his thunderbolts at the enemy must have been particularly welcome news to the troops ready for battle.

            In other words, whatever private gods the soldier may have personally trusted in (the more the merrier), the unit as a whole relied on the system of Roman state-religion from Jupiter Optimus Maximus on down, as mediated by the Emperor (High Priest, pontificus maximus) through the military units. Hence, preparing for battle and going to war was an intensely religious experience! For that matter, the (expected & hoped-for) outcome of the battle was also religious. The resulting pax or peace... was the religious outcome to be expected when opponents to the militaristic-state Roman religion were vanquished.

            And so, a Roman soldier preparing for battle would say his prayers; make his sacrifices, which included vows for further sacrifice if victorious, and then adorn himself in the 'vestments' of his sacred calling, as he prepared to enter the battlefield and become the hands and feet of Jupiter against the foe.

            And so some thoughts....

v10:  Paul begins the passage by urging his readers to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. In other words, the strength for what's up ahead is there and available, but it is from outside of us. We must rely on a power not our own.

v11: Put on the WHOLE armor. Paul stresses that what we will face will have both offensive and defensive elements. Grabbing a sword is insufficient; having a shield alone leaves one vulnerable. And again, the point is not to think about jousting with the atheists in the public square, but rather, to call to mind Jesus on the mount of temptation. In his spiritual warfare with Satan, he used the Word both offensively and defensively.

v12: The Roman soldier would've seen his struggle both as one against flesh and blood AND in spiritual terms. Jupiter was doing battle against the lesser deities of the Barbarian; slaying the Barbarian would be the physical manifestation of Jupiter's conquest of the Barbarian's god(s). Sadly, it seems to me that too often the Church loses sight of the fact that our militaristic language is strictly spiritual. But we do not defeat God's enemies by engaging in acts of hatred and violence against other people. God's enemies are defeated when the Gospel of Jesus Christ is lived and modeled for a pagan world to see and be drawn to.

v14-17: Paul now goes on to break the whole battle-kit down in spiritual terms: The belt gathers in the outer tunic allowing for better/faster range of movement. In addition, the belt is a carrier for things like the sword. The breastplate protects the body's vital organs; the Christian's breastplate is righteousness (the external righteousness of Jesus, which inspires our desire to emulate him). Having our feet 'fitted' (or shod, kjv) brings to mind Roman battle sandals that were spiked for the purpose of maintaining one's footing in battle. The shield was often equipped with an outer layer of leather; soaked in water before battle, this would extinguish a common offensive weapon of the day, the fiery arrow. The helmet protects the head, the seat of our intellect; the sword, aka "Word of God," is both an offensive and defensive weapon.

v18: And pray ALWAYS. There is no "before" and "after" the battle because the battle is always raging. And pray not in a selfish personal sense, but for the good of the whole.

v19: And pray especially for the furtherance of the Gospel, for the conquest of the Gospel is what brings ultimate peace.

Cheers,

TM

Thoughts going in, Sunday Aug 19th

15 So then, be very careful how you live. Don't live like foolish people but like wise people. 16 Make the most of your opportunities because these are evil days. 17 So don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord wants. 18 Don't get drunk on wine, which leads to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit 19 by reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for your own good. Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts. 20 Always thank God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

            We're now nearing the end of the series in Ephesians.... and you get the sense that St. Paul is wrapping things up. For the last couple of weeks I've been content to use one-word descriptors to sum up what Paul is talking about in terms of God's Blueprint for the Church. Last week that one-word descriptor was "different." The week before it was "unity." If I were to stay with a one word descriptor for this week, it would probably be something like "FOCUSED."

            Paul's 'Jewishness' comes out in this very brief passage. By which, I mean, he uses typical rabbinic CONTRASTS (wise vs foolish, filled with wine vs filled with the Spirit, redeeming the time vs not redeeming the time, etc. etc.), and he also frames his comments in terms of WISDOM.

            Any time the word wisdom occurs in the New Testament, there's an immediate question as to whether or not the writer is thinking in terms of Greek wisdom (philosophy, schools of thought, etc.) or Jewish wisdom. The Alexandrian Jewish scholar Philo attempted to show that the two were not completely incompatible, yet for the purposes of the biblical writers they are most frequently viewed as opposites and/or incompatible. For instance:

(Prov 14:12) There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

(1Cor 3:19) For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.

(1Cor 1:19) For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE.

In contrast to the world's wisdom, the Scriptures usually point to God (and His Word) as the source of true wisdom:

(Prov 9:10) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

(James 1:5) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach

(2Tim 3:15) and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus

            I suppose if one were looking for a simple/concise definition of "wisdom" in the biblical sense, it would be: "having the mind of God." On the surface this seems unattainable--after all, God is God and we're not. Yet the Scriptures over and over paint a different picture. That far from being unattainable, God has reached out and revealed Himself precisely for this purpose: so that we, his Creation, can become like Him. That said, the Scriptures also paint the picture that such a pursuit is not as mundane as simply "making a decision for Jesus." It is a life-long process of formation.

            This gets us back to this week's brief section from Ephesians 5. What does being FOCUSED on this [life-long] FORMATION look like? It strives for wisdom (knowing the mind of God as revealed in His word, v15). It is cognizant of the "time" (season) that we're in (v16). Ancient and agrarian cultures are especially 'seasonally' driven. You must do certain things in certain seasons or else you take grave risks. [think of the fable of the ant & the grasshopper... and not recognizing the season]. Making the most of the opportunities ("redeeming the time, KJV) is the order of the day because the days are evil.  The days are evil...is an interesting phrase. I've wondered if it occurred anywhere else, but so far it appears to be unique to Ephesians. Regardless, Paul appears to be using the phrase as evidence or reason to be about the business of God.

            He goes on to further unpack what this means: 18 Don't get drunk on wine, which leads to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. We could almost use modern thought processes for following his logic. If the times are that bad, if the days are "evil," then perhaps my first impulse is to reach for certain "coping mechanisms" such as abusing alcohol. In this sense, "drunk on wine" can be metaphorical for ANY escapist and unhealthy (spiritual OR physical) coping mechanism. He could easily have said: don't drug out; don't fall for 'shop till you drop;' don't lose yourself in cyberspace every waking hour; don't be overcome by the career treadmill; don't go into permanent off-the-grid retirement/vacation mode.... etc. etc. etc. The point being, if you FILL yourself up with these things, there's no room for God's Spirit...hence the contrast in v18.

            Finally, for enquiring minds, he tells us HOW to be filled up by God's Spirit: 19 by reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for your own good. Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts. As much as memory verses are of great value and having Christian music on the radio in your car, that's not what Paul is talking about here. In the KJV the passages begins with a "ye." 15 See then that YE walk circumspectly...  Point being, Paul is addressing the GROUP, and hence, is talking about GROUP WORSHIP. Whole articles could be written on this topic, but Paul's point seems to be that the importance of the corporate worship of the congregation cannot be under-emphasized. It is nothing less than the ACTIVE FILLING UP of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers! Vs 20 has a neat 'double-meaning' emphasis, as he mentions giving thanks always to God, which can mean recognizing that all that we have and our life as a whole comes from God and should be received with a thankful heart. Yet, the Greek word there is "eucharisto"... the word we get our sacramental word "Eucharist" from. This points us back to the Eucharistic Gathering of the congregation--where we not only give thanks to God for the greatest gift ever, His Son our Lord, but we actually receive the blessings needed to go back out and redeem the time of the evil days that we find ourselves in.

cheers,

TM

Thoughts going in, Sunday Aug 12th

Eph 4:17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. 20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Those who have been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 1 Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

            Vss 17-24 are actually not included in the lectionary, but I can think of no good reason as to why they would've been left out. To my mind, vs 17 is central to St. Paul's Gospel message. Gentiles are included in God's plan of salvation; they are the wild branch that has been grafted in (see Romans 11); and they are to come in *as Gentiles... the ceremonial Law and its customs do not apply (see all of Galatians). YET, even though they do not have to submit to circumcision or keep kosher dietary rules, Paul expects them to live a morally righteous life. It's as though Paul is telling them they have to be morally Jewish, even if they are not Jewish in any other sense.

            This brings up the topic of general morality in the pagan Greco-Roman world.... a topic that is broader than what I can explore here. Suffice to say that in many ways pagan morality THEN wasn't that different than the secular morality of our age. Life, no doubt, was valued less. Where today one might figuratively stab someone in the back in order to get ahead, back then it was more likely to happen literally. Sexual morality was just as loose then as it is now; etc. etc. Paul's point is that he expects his converts to adopt the same moral ethic that has ALWAYS been expected of God's covenant people. They are saved *as Gentiles, but they can no longer let their lives be defined by Gentile norms.

            A question that comes to my mind is HOW and to WHAT EXTENT does this apply to us today as a principle? Given what Paul tells us, it seems true that we can identify certain timeless aspects of a "Gentile culture." A Gentile culture is hardened against the one true God (v18); it's entirely given over to sensuality, it engages in anything that tickles those senses, and it is driven by greed (v19). Doesn't this sound like something off every tv show on the air today? Further, Paul goes on to say that a Gentile culture is given over to using falsehood to get ahead, spreading lies about our neighbors/competitors-in-life, acting out of anger, taking what doesn't belong to us, being defined by bitterness, rage, brawling and slander, and every form of malice.

            It's easy to become somewhat de-sensitized to this stuff. It just seems like a normal part of life. People are people. Road-rage, bar-brawls, and malicious slander can happen all within a city block.

            Perhaps one of the things, then, that Paul is getting at here is that by "putting off the old self" and "putting on the new self" (rich baptismal language of vss 22-24) Christians have not only been RESCUED from the emptiness of this "Gentile" life, but they've also been EMPOWERED to choose the way of Christ. **NOT that this will win them any brownie points in the Gentile world. The Gospel is "foolishness" to outsiders (1Cor 8). Gentile culture will naturally consider Christians to be either hypocrites or patsies. But for those who are aware of their sin, aware of God's holiness and their own shortcomings; aware of the immense sacrifice of Christ on the cross on their behalf, and aware of the everlasting hope of salvation, the life of Christ is accepted as a blessed calling.

cheers,

TM

Thoughts going in, Sunday Aug 5th

Eph 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-- 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." 9 (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

            Continuing with Ephesians, we now enter chapter 4 of the letter. The lectionary has us in the first 16 verses.... which in a way is a bit much. The overall 'theme' of these verses is 'unity in the Body of Christ,' but within that theme there are many different things going on.

            I find the opening line to be of interest. Paul doesn't appeal to his Apostolic authority for what he's about to say... rather, he appeals to the fact that he's a "prisoner for the Lord." The sense I get is that what he's doing and what he believes is important enough to him that he's willing to be in chains, and even to face death.

            Concerning our sermon series "God's blueprint for the Church," all along Paul has been talking about this 'new structure' that God is building. Sometimes he refers to it as the 'church,' sometimes he uses the old term 'temple.' Now he switches metaphors and begins calling it a 'body.' Yet, the metaphor works because this thing God is building isn't made out of stone or bricks; it's ALIVE. It consists of real people. That's what makes the theme of this week's lesson SO important:  UNITY. Imagine a LIVING structure. What if Soldier Field were ALIVE? Now imagine if this living Soldier Field lacked unity. Part of it wanted to be a football stadium, part of it wanted to be a museum, part of it wanted to be an aquarium. Imagining such a hodgepodge of disunity gets us very close to what Paul is talking about today....

            Vss 4-6 constitute not only a REASON for the unity that Paul is calling us to, but also EXAMPLES of what this unity looks like. In many ways one could say that Paul is expanding on the basic confession of the ancient Jewish Faith, the Shema: "Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one (Dt 6:4)." Expanding this oneness, Paul is saying, leads to the seven-fold oneness mentioned in these verses: one Body (the Church), one Spirit, one hope, one Lord (Jesus), one faith (not faith in the heart, but doctrinal body of belief), one baptism..... and finally one God.

            Throughout the passage Paul presents contrasts. The structure that God is building, this living church/temple can either be immature and unhealthy--marked by disunity and "carried about by every wind of doctrine," (vs 14) **OR** it can be mature and healthy: unified in the seven-fold oneness of God...shackled as it were to his peace/shalom (v3) and being built-up/maturing to look, act, sound like, be like Christ in the world.

cheers,

TM

Thoughts going in, Sunday July 29th

Eph 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

            We continue this week with the sermon series "God's blueprint for the Church." So far we've seen God's marvelous overall PLAN (week 1) and that it entails an EXTREME MAKEOVER (week 2). In chapter 3 of Ephesians vss 1-13 Paul continues to unpack what he calls the "mystery" that has been revealed now in these latter times--the mystery that God had no intention of leaving the Gentiles out of the picture forever. This is a major recurring theme in most of Paul's writings. This makes sense given that Paul felt a primary calling to be the "Apostle to the Gentiles."

            After further summarizing the revelation of the mystery--that God would have ONE covenant people, comprised of both Jews and Gentiles based on faith in the Messiah Jesus--Paul finishes out chapter 3 with the verses chosen as this Sunday's reading... what amounts to a beautiful prayer.

            The metaphor of building/blueprint is taking shape. Paul uses such terminology himself. Already in chapter 2 he said:

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

            So... the structure may not have WALLS (we saw that last week), but it does have a foundation, a chief cornerstone,... and in this prayer of St. Paul we can even discern what I would call "pillars of support." This brings me to a note before proceeding further. Ephesians can be very easily divided into two main parts: DOCTRINE (chapters 1-3) and RESPONSE, or 'ethics' (chapters 4-6). In other words, Paul spends the first half instructing his audience about what they should believe and why, and the last half remarking about the difference it should make in their lives. As he does this, Paul is providing more and more detail regarding what God's blueprint for the Church should look like.

            Hence, regarding the 'pillars' of this structure that God is building... these pillars that individual believers, you and I, are to be, two things jump out at me specifically:  (1) we are to be STRONG pillars, " strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, (vs 16)." And, (2) we are to be STEADY, 'grounded' pillars, "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love (vs 17)."  Strength that comes not from worldly concepts of power but rather from the Holy Spirit.... and groundedness that comes from.... of all things... love. This sounds very counter-cultural! This sounds like it could only come from the heavenly Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

cheers,

TM

Soreg, Middle wall of Partition, Herod’s Temple, Jerusalem, ISRAEL

Filed under: JERUSALEM — Leave a comment

September 27, 2011

Istanbul Archeological museum:  Greek:  “No intruder is allowed in the courtyard and within the wall surrounding the temple. Whoever enters will invite death for himself!”

This was a warning stone placed in the partition wall of the Herodian temple at Jerusalem. The wall was designed to partition access to the area for worship preserved for the Israelites, and separated access from the gentile. This was a literal interpretation of the intent of Num 1:51: “and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death“. The wall or “soreg” was described as being 3 cubits high by Josephus (1) Along the top of this wall at regular intervals were placed stones, an example seen in the photograph above. Interspaced was lattice-work or “a reticulated fence of sticks” ten hand-breadths high (7) which was perforated by 12 gates.  The photographed stone was discovered by Clermont and Ganneau in 1871 at the northwestern corner of the graveyard abutting the temple mount wall.  The court styled ”hieron” or sacred is referred to in John 2:15 and Acts 21:28,29 and was the issue of the dispute with Paul that he had brought gentiles into the very sacred area of the temple itself. The reason for the dispute being his presence in the city previously with Trophemus. There was a progression in height of the court floors, with an elevation of 8 feet to the court of the women, then again another further 10 feet to the court of Israel, then another 3 feet to the court of the priests and then another 8 feet to the floor level of the holy place. (2) The wording on the stones was engraved some in greek, and others in latin (3) The intention of the partition was captured in a speech recorded by Josephus by Titus, that by “our” (roman) permission the wall was allowed to be constructed before the sanctuary. Have we not given you leave to kill such as go beyond it, though he were a roman? (3b).

Rabbinic traditions have Alexander the great coming to Jerusalem, and not crossing this wall of partition: “This far are we allowed to enter, but interior to this point we have no permission to penetrate” (4) Later in Hasmonean times, there was greek desecration of the fence in 13 places. These breeches were restored, but marked as to allow remembrance of the victory that deity had provided over the greek power. (8)

This middle wall of partition became a feature used by the apostle Paul in Eph 2:14 where he describes access through Christ to be not determined on national merit, but access through the merit of faith see also Rom 5:2. A willing gentile could not access temple worship even if wished to, and the character of his access to God relied not on ritual worship but through a system of acceptance outside the mosaic traditions.

This provision was written into the prophets when the Elohim of Israel would say that He would create peace for him that was near, and tho him that was far off Isa 57:19 and that the nations will bring an offering come into his courts Ps 96:7,8 and all flesh shall worship Isa 66:23 The testimony of Isaiah became the words of Christ in his cleaning of the temple: His house will be a house of prayer for all nations Isa 56:3-7; Luke 19:46 but the Jews had robbed Yahweh of service.

The spiritual obligation of permission of entrance was an important one, carefully guarded by the sons of Korah who learnt the lesson of thoughtless approach, and speaks loudly to us the importance of thinking before engaging in worship. The Soreg inscription is also a rich example of the confidence we can have in the reality of the structures spoken of in our scriptures.

1. Josephus antiq: 15.11.3ff
2. Eastons Illustrated dictionary pg660
3. Josephus wars 5.5.2 (3b) 6.2.4
4. Gen Rab 61:7
5. GASmith: Jerusalem the topography, economics, the history from earliest times to AD70 1. pg 511
6. Sharon E. J. Gerstel: Thresholds of the sacred pg 15
7. Mishnah Middot 74;   Kelim i. 8
8. Tractate Middot 2.3

Thoughts going in, Sunday July 22nd

Eph 2:11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (which is done in the body by human hands)-- 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

            This week we continue the sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church," using St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians as our text.

            Our passage this week uses very strong "building/construction" imagery. It begins by discussing the specific building material...herein stating that at one time... simply BEING GENTILE... aka not being Jewish meant that one was not suitable building material. This is a very heavy "before & after" statement made by Paul. Once you were nothing, now you are something. So what changed? More specifically what change caused this change in their status? Vs 13 answers that question: But **NOW** in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ (14) For he himself is our peace...

            Very often (if one reads them) we come upon the term the "Christ event" used by theologians. What they're trying to get at is the truth presented here by St. Paul, namely, that the birth/death/resurrection of Jesus Christ--the Christ event--is the epicenter of ALL of human history. Human history culminated THERE. Up until that time God was preparing for it; and since that time the Gospel has been spreading out into all lands.

            As is so often the case, the Bible presents a truth without going into great detail as to the mechanics of that truth. So for instance, a brief glance at human history is enough to instruct us as to the 'enmity' that existed between Jew and Gentile. The Jewish Scriptures not only encourage this separation/division.... they DEMAND it! And the entire oral tradition that grew up around these Scriptures supported the idea of separation/division.

            Nowhere was this separation/division more keenly evident than at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. There is more than a little irony here. On the one hand the Jews had a long tradition of seeing themselves as a "Light" sent to "illumine the Gentiles." They were supposed to be a beacon in a world of darkness, urging the Gentiles to forsake their false gods (and/or even the false belief in "no god") and embrace the one true God. Yet, upon coming to the Temple Mount... the focal point of God's PRESENCE on earth, a "dividing wall of partition" existed. More on this can be read online at:

http://biblicalgeographic.com/2011/09/27/soreg-middle-wall-of-partition-herods-temple-jerusalem-israel/

But suffice to say, this dividing wall meant business. The inscription upon it read:  "No intruder (aka foreigner, Gentile) is allowed in the courtyard and within the wall surrounding the Temple. Whoever enters will invite death for himself."  The above article goes on to say: "The wall was designed to partition access to the area for worship preserved for the Israelites, and separated access from the Gentiles. This was a literal interpretation of the intent of Numbers 1:51 (regarding the tabernacle... the pre-temple structure) "And when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death."

            **THIS**, then, is the context for our text. No little separation existed; this is no minor issue. But NOW everything has changed, St. Paul says: 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. Somehow, the death of the Jewish Messiah removed the covenantal distinction in God's eyes between Jew & Gentile. Again, Paul is short on the details of how. Yet, I suspect that it has to do with the idea of "fulfillment." Jesus said I came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it (Mt 5:17). Once fulfilled, however, ... once Messiah had come... and suffered... and died... and rose again for the sins of the world, the need for a distinct covenantal ethnicity to produce the Messiah had been fulfilled. The door of covenantal relationship could now be thrown wide open. There is also another way to look at it--and that is in terms of "guilt" for Messiah's death. Both groups are equally "represented." The Jewish leaders incited the crowd to "crucify him, crucify him," but it was a Gentile Roman governor who gave the order and Gentile soldiers who drove the nails into his flesh. Covenantal distinctions were erased at the death of God's Chosen One. And with His resurrection, covenantal distinctions remain erased.

            Did all of this take God by surprise? Not at all. It was the goal all along... with the ultimate idea being to BUILD SOMETHING NEW; a NEW HUMANITY that was neither Jewish nor Gentile, but believers in Jesus. Not only that, but this new building would be THE NEW TEMPLE. Check out the flow of Paul's logic: 15 His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple 22 to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

            In short, there's a new "Temple" in town. One without dividing walls; one without "ranks"... one without "divisions."

cheers,

TM