Below is a slightly modified version of a post I made on my old blog in May of ‘08. I think it bears repeating, since it’s a kind of a continuation of the unintended theme I have going here at the moment. ;P
A little over a year ago, I read a blog post about eavesdropping. In a nutshell, the writer reminded me that when we read Paul’s writings, we are reading letters that were not written to us; they were written to other people in another period in history – a period that in no way resembles our own.
Still, we apply the teachings in Paul’s letters to other people quite literally to our own lives, don’t we? Personally, not being a first-century type of a girl, I see nothing wrong with makeup or with the plaiting (that’s braiding for those who may not be aware) of hair. My hair being halfway down my back, you can pretty well bet I braid it on occasion – especially when it’s hot outside (which it pretty much always is here in Texas). I’ve even been known to wear a short (as in about two inches above the knee) skirt on occasion because I’m told I have nice legs. I’m pretty positive I am not going to hell for wearing makeup, braiding my hair, or wearing a short skirt every once in a while, even if Paul said (in the first frakkin’ century!) that women shouldn’t do that.
So why do we go about and act (or listen to those who would tell us) that Paul’s letters are clearly written directly to us?! That is, in my opinion, positively idiotic, particularly when we open any Bible and read, at the beginning of each letter, exactly who Paul was addressing! Not only that, we have approximate dates for when each letter was written! I don’t know about any of you, but I was definitely not alive in AD 54…unless I’m like some weird, freaky science-fiction thing that somehow got transported 2,000 years into Earth’s future. That’d be kinda cool (especially if I had, like, a lightsaber or something!), but I rate the likelihood of that being the story of my life right up there with people opening ice cream stands in Hell.
So, why do I say all this? Because I believe that a teacher bears a greater responsibility to ensure that what they are teaching is absolutely correct – and it literally drives me absolutely bonkers when a teacher teaches something that is so wrong that I can barely contain myself when I hear it. Ephesians chapter 6 is a good example of this.
Pretty much anyone who has ever heard this passage taught has heard the (what I believe to be) B.S. teaching: the Roman shoes, with their spikes, so you can stomp all over the enemy. The Roman breastplate, so highly polished that it blinds the enemy, the Roman shield, which covered from neck to thigh (actually, that was the Greeks…some Romans did carry that large shield, but most carried the smaller round variety)…excuse me while I go put on my hip waders and get an industrial-sized can of air freshener to clear the smell of fecal matter from the room.
It makes a great sermon, because it charges people up, gets ‘em rarin’ to go, makes ‘em feel good, yee-haw. And that’s what church is for, right? Firing people up, making ‘em excited about God, woot! Sorry, I think I may have just puked in my mouth a little bit right there – I’m afraid that I believe that living a life in relationship with God is more important than sitting in a pew and asking someone else to get me excited about God.
But let me ask you this…Where in all of Ephesians does Paul start talking about Romans? Especially look in the context of 6:10. Maybe I’m reading the wrong translation, so I’ll go get my Greek one. Nope, not there, either. What is Paul talking about throughout nearly the entire letter, though? Relationship. How we are to treat one another. Servanthood. Hmmm….that’s interesting.
Another interesting little factoid is that one of the largest gladiatorial arenas in the Roman Empire in the mid-first century was located in Ephesus. The History Channel produced an amazingly good documentary on this about five years ago for their “Rome Week” event. Well, that knowledge does kind of change one’s outlook and point of view on this passage a bit now, doesn’t it? By AD 54 the games were incredibly popular – Ephesus’ arena was one of the largest and was frequently used – and the people there would have been very familiar with how gladiators went into battle.
This brings up another point: what Roman soldier, what soldier at any point in the history of humankind, has ever had to be told to put on every piece of armor at their disposal? Speaking as a retired soldier, I can tell you: none. Not one. Going anywhere near a battlefield, whether for practice or for real, without all your armor, pretty much guarantees disciplinary action. Ask the soldier headed for Iraq who forgot to pack his Kevlar. Ask the soldier in my basic training unit who lost her bayonet. Ask me: I left my gear in the back of my secured military vehicle overnight in a secured motorpool once and paid dearly for it. Gladiators, on the other hand, contrary to Ridley Scott’s incredibly compelling film, considered it more honorable and more of a test of their skill and abilities as combatants (one-on-one, not mass battle re-enactments) to enter the arena with as little armor as possible.
Another point concerning Roman soldiers and gladiators: Roman soldiers either were Roman citizens or were completing a tour of duty (usually 20 years) that would allow them to become Roman citizens. They were not servants; they gave orders. Gladiators, on the other hand, were not only servants, they were slaves, trained to fight. The most skilled or brave of them, or those the Emperor chose to honor could earn their freedom by fighting for it in such a manner that impressed the Emperor. Otherwise, slaves they remained (well-treated and well-trained slaves – gladiators standard of living was well above what one would expect for a slave because their masters needed them to be in top physical condition to win fights so that they could bring in a hefty income for their masters. Gladiators, again in contrast to Mr. Scott’s film, rarely, if ever, wanted for anything). There were many cases of men who would willingly give up their status, their freedom, and all that they had in order to become gladiators. They would take on the status of a slave for the hope of future glory.
So, why the history lesson?
Well, first of all, when we read Ephesians in its entirely, we see that Paul is addressing specific issues in how people should relate to one another and behave towards one another. We can surmise (though we can never know) that the Ephesians wrote to him asking about certain, specific problems in the way relationships were going on, and that he was responding to each point that they raised. Then we get to Ephesians 6:10:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (NKJV)
Finally, be constantly strengthened in the Lord and in the active efficacy of the might that is inherent in Him. Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God to the end that you will be able to hold your ground against the stratagems of the devil, because our wrestling is not against blood and flesh, but against the principalities, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against spirit forces of perniciousness in the heavenly places. On this account, take to yourself, at once and once for all, the complete armor of God in order that you may be able to resist in the day, the pernicious day, and having achieved all things, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins in the sphere of truth, and having clothed yourself with the breastplate of righteousness, and having sandalled your feet with a firm foundation of the good news of peace; in addition to all these, taking to yourselves the shield of faith by means of which you will be able to quench all the fiery arrows of the pernicious one, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God; through the instrumentality of every prayer and supplication for need, praying at every season by means of the Spirit, and maintaining a constant alertness in the same with every kind of unremitting care and supplication for all the saints, and on behalf of me, in order that there might be given me utterance in the opening of my mouth, in every fearless, confident freedom of speaking, to make known the mystery of the good news on behalf of which I am an ambassador in a chain, in orderthat in it I may speak with every fearless and confident freedom as it is necessary in the nature of the case for me to speak. (Wuest)
Now, many translations and many teachers will say that this word “finally” means “for the rest.” Indeed – with that I can agree. But I have heard it taught (in error, I strongly believe), that this word “finally” means “for the rest of you.” Huh? So it doesn’t apply to everyone else, only the people who aren’t parents or children or masters or slaves or otherwise addressed in some part of your letter? Well, that seems pretty stupid, doesn’t it?
Going back to what I spoke of in the beginning of this blog – that we are eavesdropping on a 2,000 year old letter that is in response to what those in Ephesus had written to Paul and asked him about (and we will never see that letter), I believe this could more accurately be translated “Regarding the rest of what you wrote to me about…”
I believe Paul was encouraging all the Ephesians to stand strong in things like strife, temptations, trials, because his very next statement is to tell the Ephesians that, unlike in the gladiatorial arena, we do not struggle against flesh and blood for our freedom, we “wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
I have studied and meditated this passage for more than 5 years now, and now more than ever, I am convinced that this passage refers not to behaving like Roman soldiers – strongarming and pushing our will on others, relying on the authority of “our position” to get things accomplished – but like gladiators…willingly taking on the status and position of servanthood, putting on the whole armor of God – not just the parts we feel like putting on – as we fight against those powers, principalities, rulers of darkness in this present age and spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places for our future glory.