REVELATION: The Blessed and Faithful Fallen

There won’t be a lot of new things found in the following Text, as it will be a continuation and reinforcement of the pictures and ideas we have already studied. Let’s pick right up in the fourteenth chapter of Revelation:

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

And with that, John calls back to numerous images we have already spoken about. Whether we think of it in terms of the Olympic games and the great competition, or an apocalyptic showdown between the kingdoms in the heavens, we have a clear picture of the clash that is taking place. We have the dragon/beast tag team going up against the Lamb and his followers. Having already addressed the slain lamb earlier and spoken about the great multitude of 144,000, John has set the stage for this epic confrontation. On one side will be the intimidating beast and his followers — all wearing his mark; and on the other side, the slain lamb and his followers who are wearing his name on their foreheads. Once we are enabled to see the book of Revelation in its context, the juxtaposition is almost impossible to miss.

When John references the sound from heaven “like the roar of rushing waters” and loud peals of thunder, not only does he pull his material from the Tanakh (the most likely source being Isaiah), but he also ties it contextually into culture, as well. In our previous post about Pergamum, we spoke about the god Asclepius and the “hospital” known as the Asclepion. In the center of the Asclepion is a running spring (still flowing to this day) and the sound of rushing water is connected to the healing and restorative voice of Asclepius. Could the reference to harps be a nod toward the people of God heading into captivity, throwing their harps up into the trees in mourning? Possibly.

Water engineered to run down the stairwell at the entrance of the
Asclepion diagnostic center in Pergamum which created...

...the sound of rushing water that reverberated throughout this acoustically
designed tunnel.

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

A second angel followed and said, “ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”

You can feel the anticipation for this great showdown building as you listen to the angels flying around the scene. If one were to think of this scene visually, they would feel like this contest is staggeringly weighted. This seven-headed beast that rises out of the sea and takes his stand on the beach is up against a slain lamb and a bunch of virgin followers. It would seem like this is going to be a massacre.

But the angels give way to a different story. Singing about the glory of the Creator Judge and the fall of the great beast, they seem to be celebrating a bit early, don’t they? But maybe this is the point. Maybe the end of this story is inevitable and we can celebrate.

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

And now, John calls the readers to stay committed to patient endurance. This road will not be an easy one to walk, but its destination is certain and sure. John reminds them we know how this story ends; it’s a story that has been written for a very long time.

To make that point stick, John uses imagery that — once again — has been pulled straight from Tanakh. By suggesting the beast and his followers will be drinking the cup of wrath, filled with God’s fury, John pulls his readers back to passages like Jeremiah 25, Psalm 69, or Psalm 79.

But this will not feel like victory celebrations galore. The walking of this path will be a journey filled with toil, tribulation, and strife — even death.

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Yes, this first-century resistance will often lead to death. As we saw earlier in the book of Revelation, John is not afraid to deal with the very stark realities of what faithfulness looks like in the face of this beast. But John insists their deeds and their faithfulness will have eternal ripples.

And indeed they do. I have sat in the shaded ruins of Ephesus and read the words of Revelation to myself and to others. I have heard them read to me, and the ripples of those who gave their lives still impact my heart today. May we believe the deeds we engage in today matter, as well.

My students and I, revisiting the story of those lost first-century heroes
of Ephesus, while we sit in the modern day ruins.

REVELATION: Will the Real Beast Please Stand Up?

If we had any question about the dragon and its connection to the Roman Empire, we should clear that up in this chapter. To that end, we need to do a little bit of contextual work. We mentioned before that we would return to Ephesus to further our study, and now that time has come. Ephesus is the place I believe John penned the letter of Revelation. We’ve alluded before to the largest gymnasium in the Roman world being constructed by Emperor Domitian. Not only was the size of the structure nearly unbelievable, but the speed at which it was raised is staggering.

The massive ruins of Domitian's gymnasium (from the view from the southern wall)

Of the twenty-two advents Domitian directed for his imperial worship (yes, you read that correctly — twenty-two), one of the largest was in Ephesus and centered around the grand opening of his monstrous gymnasium. The building project, which typically would have taken over a century to complete, was finished in just four years. One of the most famous finds at the site is the bust to a 30-foot statue of Domitian, which many assume once stood in the apse. Historians don’t spend any time making Domitian look good and often referred to him as “the Beast.”

If one would have looked toward the harbor of Ephesus from city center, they would have seen the construction of Domitian’s gymnasium. It was going up so fast that some referred to it as “the Beast rising out of the sea.” In fact, Pliny said Domitian was “the Beast of the Sea, whose teeth drip with the blood of good Romans.”

Having made mistakes in the past, the people of Ephesus were not going to miss the opportunity to support the new emperor and make their own voluntary gesture of worship. To this end, they raised funds and began construction of the Flavian temple to Domitian, which sits just west of the upper agora (toward the other end of the city). They were also trying to complete the construction of this much smaller temple, and it was going up rather quickly. Built on a vaulted platform supported by twenty-four pillars, each depicting one of the legal Roman gods, the image was clear: The Roman gods hold up Domitian, not the other way around.

The vaulted ruins of the Flavian Temple (view from southern wall)

Remaining pillars that held up the platform for the Flavian Temple

Many historians have suggested this is where the people of Revelation received what was often referred to as “the mark of the Beast.” We know from history that during the Domitian reign, citizens were required to swear their allegiance and worship to the divine emperor. After offering incense (possibly at a location like the Flavian temple), you were given a stamp or mark that allowed you to engage in local commerce. Without the mark, you could not buy or sell in either of the Ephesian agoras.

There’s much more that could be unpacked, but for now let’s turn to the Text of Revelation 13:

And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

As we’ve seen in ancient Jewish apocalyptic literature, beasts with horns on their heads are almost always used to denote kingdoms and their many rulers. Not only does the beast match a description that is full of images for the Empire of Rome, but it even gives the description of one particular head that “seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.” One of the most famous aspects of Emperor Vespasian (an earlier Roman emperor) was his fatal head wound that had been miraculously healed. This reference is obvious and deliberate on John’s part. There is no mistake: The beast is a representation of Rome.

The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

Whoever has ears, let them hear.

“If anyone is to go into captivity,
    into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
    with the sword they will be killed.”

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.

Again, the purpose for John writing this letter is stark and clear in context. He pulls no punches and cuts right to the heart of the matter. He knows what life is like under the rule of emperor Domitian; he is not naive to the fact that people all throughout his great city are giving their lives to follow God, and he encourages them to stand firm and hold fast. He continues to say that perseverance is the answer for their struggles.

Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

And again, the context of Revelation and Ephesus helps us hear John’s references with cultural clarity. John writes to them about the temptation to give in and worship the beast. You may remember John’s letter to Ephesus in Revelation where he spoke to them about how they hated the teaching of the Nicolaitans. The believers there were apparently committed and resolute in their ability to resist the demands of imperial worship. John tells them they will have to remain strong in their commitment.

About the number of the beast, it should be noted that we’ve seen this number before. It has been used all throughout the Hebrew Scriptures to denote evil and the adversary. One might remember the reference showing up in the story of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, as well as David and Goliath. On a very basic level, the number 666 is simply the most fitting number for the beast. But many historians have also pointed out (correctly, I believe) that early writers and theologians would play with numerical values of names. In the Hebrew world, this is called gammatria. If you take the names of multiple Roman emperors and “calculate” the value of their names, you can often create the value of 666. This is not as striking of an accomplishment as it sounds, as you can do it with many, many names (including Santa Claus, but I digress). At any rate, it may have been a common conversation John is playing off of for his own purposes.

In the end, we can invite ourselves to examine our lives and worship patterns. I think it’s helpful to see what the early believers were willing to do in order to stand against idolatry. The danger in a culture like ours is that the temptation is much more subtle, because it’s not accompanied by the threat of death or imprisonment. But I often wonder what my world demands I sell out to. What marks do I carry? May we stand on the shoulders of those early recipients of Revelation and exude the patient endurance and faithfulness John called them to.

REVELATION: The Throne Room

We will continue to use the same hermeneutic of culture and Text as we study Revelation. Before we read Revelation 4, it would be helpful to note the context surrounding the Roman priests who worked for/with the emperor.

Rome had twenty-four legal and official religions. Each of these religions had a head priest who served as their imperial representative — like an ambassador — for Caesar. These priests served in a very public and political office, often making their appearances at public proclamations, coronations, parousias, olympic games, and other imperial events. As history describes them, they were always seen wearing white robes and golden crowns. At times, they are described as having golden sashes around their waist or chest, and they would often lead the people in great song.

I’ve mentioned before my belief that Revelation was written during (or at least in reference to) the reign of Domitian. You may also recall the discussion about the largest gymnasium in the world under construction in Ephesus. If you go to those ruins today, you will find dominant images around the structure (as well as other cities in biblical Asia). Just outside the gymnasium sits a gate with ornate decorations of an ox head every ten feet or so. Each emperor had a different animal they chose to represent themselves, whether it was the strength of an ox or the veracity of a lion. Common images for Domitian were the ox and the lion. He also erected numerous images of himself, as well as the great Roman symbol of the eagle.

A statue (located at Pergamum) of a Roman emperor; note the images of
animals around the bottom of the torso (eagles, lions, rams, etc.)

There is record of the rise of Domitian as emperor, and his selection of Ephesus as his neochorus. He planned his great arrival in Ephesus to coincide with the grand opening of his newly constructed gymnasium. It would have been a much anticipated arrival, and the energy in Ephesus at the time would have been electric. Many historians have painted pictures of what the scene could have looked like.

One could imagine the boats arriving in the harbor and the soldiers disembarking, dressed in their shining armor with brand new medallions that read, “Emperor Domitian Flavius, Lord and God.” They may have even brought off the ships brand new statues and other decorative emblems to install all over Ephesus. Eventually, the high priests would assemble, a courier might read the pronouncement and introduction of Emperor Domitian, and then the twenty-four priests of the twenty-four legal Roman religions would begin to lead the people in song. Dressed in white robes and wearing golden crowns, one of the most common songs of the Emperor (think of “Hail to the Chief”) was one that sounded like it came straight out of Isaiah (which raises all kinds of other questions, but some other time).

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty! Who was, and who is, and who is to come!”

We’ve found that record in a couple different places referencing the songs of the olympic games and the arrival of the Roman emperor. But alas, we should read Revelation 4:

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.  

From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
    who was and is and is to come!”

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they existed and were created.”

In view of the cultural context, this entire fourth chapter is a brilliant subversion of the arrival of Caesar. There are twenty-four priests and pronouncements of glory, incredible songs, and worship of a king. In the words of my good friend Aaron Couch, it’s as if John is writing this letter of apocalyptic encouragement and saying, “I’ve been to the throne room of God — and Domitian isn’t on it.”

In a world that was overrun with the pronouncement and pomp of a powerful ruler, John reminds his readers who the real king is. There is a more true king than the one who claims to wield the throne with power and fear. May this same reminder remain true to us in a world that claims so many things to have power and sway over our present and our future. While it's tempting to wrap up with eloquent resolutions to our conversations, this is actually what the book of Revelation is about. And so we move on into the next chapter, having just been witnesses to the great heavenly pronouncement of who is truly in charge.

REVELATION: Ephesus and Their First Love

The first “letter” written within the book of Revelation is the letter to the church in Ephesus. Many scholars have pointed out that the order of the seven churches comes in the order the postal delivery route traveled in the first century. The letter begins in Ephesus, for that is where the letter is most likely penned. This is where the apostle John ended up being stationed as the “Pastor to Asia,” and Church tradition holds that he lived here with Mary (the mother of Jesus).

Ephesus was written about by some as “the head of the snake” in reference to the Christian movement. While many people speak of Antioch being the headquarters of Christianity, this was only a reality for a small period of time. As this early movement exploded throughout the world of biblical Asia and Asia Minor, Ephesus (the second largest city in the Roman empire) was centrally located and became the likely port city for the movement to call its home. Because of this, one of the battles Ephesus constantly had to fight was that of false apostles, false teaching, and all kinds of bad orthopraxy.

This appears to be something they handled quite well, at least if the letter to Ephesus is any indication. Let’s look at that now.

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”

You can see John mentions more than once their faithfulness and endurance in the realm of not tolerating wicked people, of testing things for the act of discernment. John also references the Nicolaitans. From what we know in history, our best understanding of the Nicolaitans is that they were a group of people who proposed full engagement with the pagan Roman culture. Probably influenced by the same Gnostic heresies the New Testament writers are often battling, these false believers had proposed that one could engage the pagan practices in the flesh, while keeping their spirit pure and totally devoted to God.

In a sense, it would be like somebody crossing their fingers behind their back while they offer incense to pagan gods. The explanation goes something like this: “I’m not truly worshipping those gods. God knows what’s in my heart.” And what is so damning for many of us is how much we find that thinking prevalent in our own lives and hearts — if we are willing to look closely.

There are many other details in the letter to Ephesus we simply don’t have clear ideas on from history. It is the wrong church letter to teach the greater principles about the methodology of John in Revelation, so we’ll keep moving in order to see those principles more clearly. However, rest assured that we won’t be leaving the overall discussion about Ephesus, but only the letter in chapter two. Since Ephesus was the place where the letter was penned, we will find its culture and imagery come up over and over again as we study.

Don’t fret. We’ll return to Ephesus in good time.

PASTORAL EPISTLES: Tough Titus

We don’t know a whole lot about the story of Titus, but what we can glean from the Text, history, and tradition seems to stand in contrast to Timothy. Titus is a gentile, an uncircumcised convert from Antioch who is stationed on the small island of Crete. Paul also opens his letter to Titus by calling him a true son of their common faith, and then speaks of this assignment on Crete.

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Titus has a tough job on Crete. Consider the next words from Paul in the letter:

For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth.

The striking lesson for me is Paul’s actions in the assignments of his disciples. According to our study, Paul has raised up two (among others) disciples. I have always called these two Tough Titus and Timid Timothy. Remember, it was Timothy who was told not to let anyone look down on him because he was young. Paul also writes to Timothy:

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

It sure seems to me that Timothy struggles, on some level, with timidity and confidence. Paul will need to station pastors at two different churches: Crete and Ephesus. He has two candidates: Tough Titus and Timid Timothy. Who do you post where? I understand some might say, “Put Tough Titus on Crete! They are a rough crowd!” Fine, but please don’t forget about Ephesus.

Ephesus will be the headquarters for the early church in Asia and Asia Minor. It’s considered to be the largest church in the first century. Depending on which scholar you are asking, the estimates for the population of first-century Ephesus will range from half a million to a million and a half people. This is the second largest city in the Roman empire, second only to Rome itself.

Crete is a tiny island. It’s a low risk, moderate reward situation. But Ephesus is a huge risk, high reward situation. At least by our standards.

But I am reminded that my standards aren’t always the measuring stick used in the Kingdom. While Timothy would have never been given the green light by many of our great church planting organizations, he was by Paul.

And Paul knows it won’t be easy; but he believes in Timothy.

I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

Later Paul will say:

You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

I find myself inspired again and again by Paul’s call to Timothy. Leaving him in the largest church, struggling with confidence, Paul insists on his belief in Timid Timothy — a redeemed mumzer in Christ Jesus — and leaves him with this charge: Preach the Word.

May we be as bold to follow the instructions and actions of the Rabbi that came before us and his early followers.

EPHESIANS: Family Membership

The book of Ephesians is going to bring up topics that will run consistently in line with previous discussions we’ve had with Paul. The letter will open with more references to predestination, and Paul will speak in chapter three of his special revelation that he preaches in his gospel. You might remember the conversation within the book of Galatians where Paul was adamant that he did not receive his gospel from the teachings of men, but he received it directly from Jesus. Listen to his similar words to the Ephesians:

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

Paul says he has received a “mystery made known to [him] by revelation, … that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” This not only finds itself to be completely consistent with Paul’s message, but as we’ve pointed out before, continues the main thrust behind so much of the New Testament (even outside Pauline literature).

It also serves as a good transition to talk about the unique message and flavor of the letter to the Ephesians. These Gentiles have become full members of one body and fellow heirs with Israel. This will be Paul’s primary argument through the first half of Ephesians. If we pay close attention to the pronouns of Ephesians 1–3, we’ll begin to notice what Paul is saying to the Ephesian church. Look at how Paul opens his letter:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Paul starts his letter by — as usual — recognizing the origins of the story of God that lie within the Jewish people. This one narrative God has been telling began with God choosing a partner in Abraham, shaping a nation in the desert, and calling them to live at the crossroads of the earth as a kingdom of priests. As we mentioned in Romans, this is their story to tell.

This will become even more clear in the next statement:

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Who were “the first to put [their] hope in Christ”? The Jews. But after making this observation about his Jewish brethren, Paul will shift his use of pronouns. Watch:

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

This will become the theme of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians — a theme of family membership. His message is simple, but profound, and hard for many in his day to accept. In Christ, these Gentiles now have a place to belong — not as outsiders, but as insiders. Look at what Paul will say later at the beginning of chapter two and notice his use of pronouns and their implications:

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

It sounds as if Paul has taken a page right out of Romans. “Where, then, is boasting?” he had asked. He also uses the same argument about all of us having given in to the “cravings of our flesh” (sarx) and, just like in Romans, if this is true for all of us, then this gift of salvation comes as a free gift of grace and no one will find themselves able to boast.

Paul continues:

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)—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. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 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, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Paul says these Gentiles used to find themselves separated from the people of God. They were excluded from citizenship in Israel and were strangers to the covenant. But Jesus has changed all that and brought them near. In Jesus, God tore down any sense of division that resided between the groups and allowed the Gentiles to enter. From this new truth, God has created a “new humanity” (which is a great translation from the Greek) that is able to put on display the reconciliation of God.

But Paul isn’t done talking about family membership:

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

What fantastic news for all of Paul’s Gentile readers in Ephesus!

Paul will spend the last half of the letter applying what this means to the believers in Ephesus. If this gospel is true — this announcement of a new King (Jesus) and a new Kingdom (the new humanity) — then there is a new way the believers in Ephesus should live. In chapters 4–6, you will see Paul draw this out by calling the people of God in Ephesus to walk in the light and love others in a way that the world will see this gospel displayed. He will talk about a practical and more literal family membership in the ways people treat their spouses, their children, their parents, and everyone else in their households (that is, master and slave relationships). All of this will take into account the brilliant context of Ephesus.

Speaking of context, one should keep in mind as they read the passages about husbands and wives that Ephesus served as the neochorus for Artemis — the Roman goddess of sexual fertility (and the reader might be familiar with the riot in Ephesus [Acts 19] and the people shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”). As we saw in Corinth, this is going to play into the way Paul tells the men and women of Ephesus to conduct themselves. He says they are to live counter to the culture. In a world where women like to disrespect their husbands and flaunt their mythology and goddess worship, Paul tells them to submit to each other. In the context of Ephesus, it makes sense that Paul would make special mention of the wives, not because it is the “wifely role” to submit to the husband, but because in Ephesus it’s more important than ever.

One of my favorite passages comes in the middle of this conversation and is built around the context of the annual Artemisian festival held in Ephesus. Every year, at the festival of Artemis, the people would parade the statue from the Artemisan temple (one of the ‘Eight Wonders of the World’) down to the harbor. Once at the harbor, the Artemisian priests would wash the statue with water and begin the slow ascent back to the temple of Artemis. This procession would inaugurate a festival of sexual frivolity and debauchery that was rivaled by few festivals in the empire.

Consider this context as you read Paul’s words from chapter 5:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

If this “family of God” in Ephesus is going to tell the world what God is like, they are going to need to love and submit to each other in a unique way. In the same way, if we wish to have anything to say to the world around us, we are going to have to find it within ourselves to pursue this “new humanity” that shows unity and love and service to those who were once far off.

It will be a battle. May Paul’s prayer be ours:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

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. 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, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.