One In Jesus

Submitting to one another

The final participle forms the “theme participle” of the rest of the chapter and part of chapter 6. In a series of injunctions to husbands and wifes, fathers and children, masters and slaves, Paul gives example after example about how to submit to one another. The command is much broader than the congregational setting or the agap?. But the agap? is illustrative and symbolic of all that follows.

Eating together in ancient times was symbolic of acceptance. Eating in someone’s home was for the host to accept you as a social peer and to come under his protection. In a society highly divided along class lines, largely defined by inheritance, the agap? dramatically turned the world upside down. Continue reading →

The agap?

Now, let’s return to the image of the pagan banquet, characterized by drunkenness, gluttony, and sexual immorality. This is debauchery. In contrast is the Christian love feast, the agap?. While Paul’s instructions aren’t limited to the agap?, you can’t help but figure this is the setting he had in mind as he wrote these words. The agap? is the obvious contrast. Moreover, it’s a place where Christians would gather, and because they’re gathered, would sing.

The agap? was a key part of the early Christian community (Jude 12; 2 Pet 2:13), from the very beginning of the church —

(Act 2:46-47 ESV) 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

What does this mean if not: they met in homes, ate together, and sang praises to God? Now, we want to extract some commands from this passage, but it’s more about the fulfillment of prophecy, associated with the realization of the long-promised Kingdom. Continue reading →

(Eph 5:18-21 ESV) 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Context, context, context. Remember what we covered in the earlier posts on Ephesians. Paul isn’t changing subjects. Indeed, it’s plain that this sentence continues Paul’s earlier thoughts. He begins with “and” — connecting this sentence with what precedes. And he ends the sentence with “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ,” in parallel with — Continue reading →