Denver Journal - 6:0205 - Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary
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Denver Journal An Online Review of Current Biblical and Theologica Theologicall Studies. Studies.
Publications
Students
Volume 6 - 2003
Editor: Richard S. Hess
Hoehner, Hoehner, Harold W. Ephesians: 2002 xxix+ xxix+ 930 pp. pp. $54.99. $54.99. ISBN 0 Ephesians: An Exegetical Exegetical Commentary Commentary . Grand Rapids: Baker. 2002 8010-2614-8 In 1985, Harold Hoehner, Hoehner, now distinguished distinguished professor professor of Biblical Biblical Studies Studies at Dallas Seminary, Seminary, took a year's year's sabbatical sabbatical to Tyndale Tyndale House, Cambridge, Cambridge, to begin begin working working on this commentary commentary.. Two Two more sabbaticals sabbaticals and seventeen seventeen years later, he has completed what what will will no doubt be be his own magnum opus as as well as one of the most prodigious efforts by an individual New Testament Testament scholars in recent times. This will be the standard, standard, detailed evangelical evangelical commentary commentary on Ephesians Ephesians for many, many, many years years to come. The introduction alone occupies occ upies 130 pages, of which almost half deals with authorship. In thoroughly reviewing the external external and internal internal evidence, evidence, Hoehner Hoehner demonstrates demonstrates the unanimous, unanimous, early attestation attestation for Pauline authorship, authorship, no early Christian acceptance of pseudonymity, pseudonymity, the number of lexical and linguistic distinctives that appear in other undisputed letters of Paul, Paul, the correlation correlation between between the long sentences sentences of Ephesians Ephesians and its thanksgivi thanksgivings ngs and doxologi doxologies, es, and the likelihood likelihood that the epistle was an encyclical encyclical accounting accounting for the more general contents. contents. He doubts, doubts, however, however, that that the original manuscript manuscript of 1:1 lacked "in Ephesus." Ephesus." On every every count, the evidence evidence argues for Pauline Pauline authorship. authorship. No specific subgenre of "epistle" "epistle" accounts accounts for the exact exact structure of of the letter, which divides divides neatly into into two halves (chaps. (chaps. 1-3, 4-6). Its purposes are multiple but they coalesce in Paul's Paul's desire for unity demonstrated demonstrated through love, love, which produces reconciliation--the theological heart of the letter as well. The commentary commentary proper follows follows a meticulously meticulously detailed outline of the letter. letter. One-half- to twotwo- or three-verse segments segments are introduced, introduced, in turn, followed followed in each case by the Greek text, text, Hoehner' Hoehner's s English translation, translation, and a word-by-word word-by-word or phrase-by-phrase phrase-by-phrase commentary commentary.. Virtually every exegetical exegetical question imaginable is raised, possible answers answers presented presented and assessed, assessed, and clear conclusions stated. At the end of each exegetical exegetical section, section, equally forthright forthright and succinct summaries recapitulate recapitulate what has been affirmed. The largest single portion of the exegetical exegetical task reflected reflected in Hoehner's Hoehner's comments comments involve word studies. studies. Not content content simply to accept the opinions opinions of others, others, Hoehner Hoehner has researched researched afresh the classical classical Greek, Septuagintal Septuagintal and New Testament Testament backgrounds backgrounds of all key terms and then decided how how best to render each. But, with every exegetical exegetical issue, issue, he also surveys surveys the massive secondary secondary literature, literature, including a considerab considerable le amount of of it in the footnotes. footnotes. Thus neither primary primary research nor interaction interaction with scholarship scholarship has been sacrificed at the expense expense of the other. A short review can only sample a tiny handful of the conclusions Hoehner comes to as he proceeds through Ephesians. Ephesians. With Lincoln, Lincoln, "the heavenlies" heavenlies" (5X, (5X, first in 1:3) are the unseen realm where where angels and demons do battle for human souls. The election described in 1:4 is single (not double) predestination, the middle voice indicates a personal interest interest in the one chosen, chosen, and God selected selected individua individuals ls not randomly randomly but in light of all known known options. The "mystery, "mystery,"" first introduced introduced in 1:9, is something something hid in ages past, past, now revealed, revealed, unable to be unraveled unraveled or understood understood by human ingenuity ingenuity alone. By the time we we get to chapter chapter 3 it will will be clear that that the full extent extent of this disclosed secret secret is the unity of Jews and Gentiles alike coming to Christ for salvation on equal terms, with with neither being subsumed under the other. The sealing of the Spirit in 1:13 denotes his his ownership of of believers, believers, begun at conversion conversion and granting granting them eternal eternal security. The headship headship of Christ, Christ, introduced introduced in 1:22, 1:22, employs employs the controversial controversial kephale. kephale. With Cervin and Perriman, Perriman, the term means neither neither authority authority nor source so much much as prominence. This perspective perspective will will be reiterated reiterated in the discussion of husbands and wives wives in chapter 5 but it is never clearly clearly spelled out how it differs differs from from or improves improves on the classical sense of "headship." The perfect periphrastic participles in 2:6 and 8 intensify the present results of being saved; one enters life by grace to be sure, but the emphasis here lies on on living out one's Christian Christian life by the grace which also keeps keeps one safe. From From the numerous numerous ways in chapter 2 by which believers believers are united with with Christ, Christ, they are enabled to to receive receive every spiritual spiritual benefit. benefit. The "middle wall wall of partition" in 2:14 is a metaphorical metaphorical one of division division between between Jew and Gentile Gentile involving involving attitudes attitudes of superiority superiority that engendered engendered hostility. hostility. The "law of commandments commandments in decrees" decrees" is the entire Mosaic Law, not not merely civil or ceremonial ceremonial laws. laws. The "head "head of the the corner" corner" in 2:20 should be understood understood as a cornerstone cornerstone and not a capstone. capstone. The eige in 3:1 is a first class conditi on, not doubting that Paul Paul knew his audiences had heard of his stewardship. The expression is best translated translate d "surely." The The hos in in v. 5 is descriptive descriptive not restrictive, restrictive, that that is, the mystery mystery was was not disclosed disclosed partially partially in previous previous generations. generations. It was just previously previously unknown. unknown. The unity stressed throughout throughout chapter chapter 3 challenges the
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church in every time and place to to heterogeneit heterogeneity y in community: community: "Growth "Growth in the individual individual believer believer cannot cannot occur in isolation but must be accomplished in context with other believers. Furthermore, true growth cannot occur by association with only certain believers, ones preferred because they are of the same socioeconomic, intellectual, or professional status" (p. 486). The filling with the fullness of God in 3:19 reflects reflects successive approximat approximation ion to God's moral character, character, not some ontological deification. One may think of chapters chapters 1-3 as summing up up the believer's believer's call; chapters chapters 4-6 then sum up what the the believer's believer's conduct should be. be. Unity continues continues to be stressed, notably in the sevenfold sevenfold use of "one" "one" in 4:4-6. 4:8-9 refers refers to the the ascension and the subsequent sub sequent redistribution of gifts received from humans, thus harmonizing the MT and Targumic renderings. renderings. Nothing appears appears here here about any descent into Sheol or hell. The distinction distinction between between the gifted gifted individuals individuals in 4:11 proceeds proceeds along the following following lines: evangelists evangelists win converts, converts, apostles establish establish churches churches and prophets prophets fill fill in needed revelation. revelation. With Wallace, "pastors "pastors and teachers," teachers," since plural, plural, are not an exact fulfillment fulfillment of Granville Granville Sharp's criterion; criterion; all pastors should should teach but not all teachers teachers pastor. "Speaking "Speaking the truth" truth" is too narrow a translation translation of aletheuontes in v. 15; 15; the aletheuontes in word means means being real or or truthful truthful in both conduct and speech. speech. V. V. 28 "reflects "reflects a mean betwee between n two extremes extremes.. One is neither neither to hoard nor recklessly recklessly give all away" away" (p. (p. 627). It is not humor humor but but sarcastic sarcastic ridicule ridicule in putting people down that that 5:4 5:4 condemns. 5:18 describes describes filling "by" "by" not "with" "with" the Spirit, and the three subsequent subsequent co-ordinate participles participles are participles participles of result. Spirit-filled Spirit-filled people will will sing hymns, give thanks and submit submit themselves themselves one to another another (vv. 19-21), 19-21), according according to their specific specific positions in in life, as spelled spelled out by 5:225:226:9. Submission is voluntary and never justifies transgressing God's explicit commandments. But neither is it dependent on the appropriate appropriate behavior behavior of the authority authority figure in in each pairing. pairing. "The washing washing of the the water" water" in 5:26 probably probably alludes, alludes, metaphorically, metaphorically, to the bridal bath practiced practiced in the first century. Intriguingly Intriguingly,, Hoehner Hoehner opts for the little-known little-known textual variant in v. 30 that adds adds "out "out of his his flesh and out of his his bones." bones." Twice Twice children are commanded commanded to obey both "parents" "parents" in 6:1-2, so that the shift to "fathers" "fathers" in 6:4 is probably not a generic equivalent equivalent but a further recognition recognition of male male headship. headship. But, as throughout throughout the domestic code, Paul radically radically redefines redefines the roles of those in positions of responsibility responsibility and oversight oversight in terms of love, love, especially countercult countercultural ural against the Roman patria potestas , an absolute right right of men to treat treat wives, wives, children and slaves slaves however however they wanted wanted to. The final section on the armor of God reflects the defensive posture of believers--standing their ground (even the sword of the Spirit is not seen in this context context as ready for attack or going going on the offensive). offensive). "This "This is not about a victory or defeat. defeat. It is about holding fast to territory territory already already won by Christ. The believer needs needs to realize realize that the devil and his angels are universal universal and strong, but not omnipotent. Accordingly, the strength of the Lord gained by utilizing the full armor of God is stronger than all the power of the wicked" (pp. (pp. 836-37). The conclusion of the letter with its exact parallelism with the end of Colossians is best explained as coming from the same writer sent out at the same time via Tychicus. Helpful, Helpful, often lengthy excursuses excursuses punctuate punctuate the commentary treating treating such themes as "in Christ," Christ," "election," "election,"pleroma , "mystery, "mystery,"" the household code, code, and slavery slavery in Paul's Paul's time. The volume closes with comprehen comprehensive sive author and and Scripture Scripture indexes, indexes, but no full bibliography bibliography appears, appears, since this this would have added added a hundred pages to the volume. First footnote footnote entries give full information, though, which the author index can help on e find, so this refusal to make a long book longer proves welcome. It seems almost petty to to make any substantive substantive criticisms criticisms after working working through this this masterpiece. masterpiece. Still, Still, it might be worth worth noting that Hoehner Hoehner does not seem to acknowledge acknowledge any strengths strengths (only weaknesses) weaknesses) of the new look on Paul. It is not clear, for example, example, that Paul's Paul's contrast between between grace and works works can be generalized generalized to all situations of human human effort as Hoehner does. The more Pauline the letter truly is, the more we we must recognize even "works" "works" unqualified as shorthand for "works of the Law." Similarly, Similarly, while Hoehner Hoehner's 's dispensationalism dispensationalism rarely rarely colors his exegesis in a way to which practitioners practitioners of other theological theological systems would object, object, it is not obvious that only those portions portions of the OT repeated repeated in the NT remain operative. operative. fulfilled in Christ; all applies applies to Christian Christians s but only once we understan understand d how the the Christ-event Christ-event has All the OT has been fulfilled changed things. things. By Hoehner Hoehner's 's criterio criterion, n, he should assume assume Israel no no longer has has any distinctive distinctive claim claim on the land (but he assumes she does), because because no NT passage repeats repeats that OT promise. promise. Likewise Likewise it is hard to see NT apostles as inerrant inerrant as OT prophets, prophets, once we realize realize Paul identifies identifies "apostleship" "apostleship" as a spiritual gift. No other gift is regularly regularly used without without error error by fallen Christians. Christians. "Prophecy, "Prophecy,"" is curiously defined defined as narrowly narrowly as many charismatics charismatics do, do, in order to to argue that itit has ceased, without without recognizing recognizing the contexts in the ancient world world in which it could be applied to what we we would probably probably call "preaching. "preaching."" While Hoehner correctly questions the alleged allusions to baptism every time a reference to "putting on" or "water" or related metaphors metaphors appear, appear, it is hard to agree with him that water "baptism "baptism"" is not in view in 4:5, since metaphorical metaphorical baptisms baptisms elsewhere elsewhere in the NT and early Christian Christian literature literature are regularly regularly qualified qualified in such a way as to clarify that something something other than water water is in view. And he ignores the the category of a conditional conditional imperative imperative in dismissing dismissing the understanding understanding of 4:26 4:26 that takes it to mean, mean, "If you are angry, angry, don't don't sin." It is not obvious that the absence absence of any word for for "obedience" "obedience" in the commands to wives (contraste (contrasted d with their their presence in the commands to to children and and slaves) slaves) is as insignificant insignificant as Hoehner claims. claims. But these kinds of disagreements disagreements are inevitable inevitable and scarcely scarcely cancel out the monumental monumental significance of of this volume. Ernest Ernest Best's Best's ICC volume on Ephesians Ephesians may be almost as comprehensive comprehensive from a liberal perspecti perspective; ve; A. T. Lincoln' Lincoln's WBC is thorough thorough but not as consistently consistently evangelic evangelical al as most in the series. series. Peter O'Brie O'Brien's n's PNTC PNTC is every bit as robust robust in defense of
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Pauline authorship authorship and exegetically exegetically compelling, but much briefer. briefer. Hoehner's Hoehner's volume should thus occupy a distinctive and important niche within NT scholarship for a long time to come. Craig L. Blomberg Distinguished Professor of New Testament Denver Seminary Denver Journal Home Copyright © 1997-2006 Denver Seminary. 6399 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, CO, 80120. 303.761.2482 or 800.922.3040.
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