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The Head/Body Metaphors of Ephesians

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2009

George Howard
Affiliation:
(Athens, Ga., U.S.A.)

Abstract

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Type
Short Studies
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1974

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References

page 350 note 1 The contrast would repay study, and is apposite to issues first raised in E. Norden's celebrated Agnostos Theos.

page 350 note 2 Heinrich, Schlier, ‘Κεϕαλή, άνακεϕαλαιόομαι’, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Kittel, G., III, 673–82;Google ScholarSchenke, H. M., ‘Der Widerstreit gnostischer und kirchlicher Christologie im Spiegel des Kolosserbrierfes’, Z.T.K. LXI (1964), 391403.Google Scholar See also generally Batey, Richard A., ‘Jewish Gnosticism and the “Hieros Gamos” of Eph. v. 21–33’, N.T.S. X (1963), 121–7;Google Scholar‘The ΜΛΑ ΣΑΡξ Union of Christ and the Church’, N.T.S. XIII (1967), 270–81.Google Scholar

page 350 note 3 Schweitzer, A., The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle (New York: H. Holt, 1931);Google ScholarFeuillet, A., ‘L'Eglise Pléràme du Christ d'apreés., 1, 23’, Nouvelle Revue Théologigue, LXXXVIII (1956), 449–77; 593–610;Google ScholarKuhn, K. G., ‘Der Epheserbrief im Lichte der Qumrantexte’, N.T.S. VI (1961), 334–46;Google ScholarBruce, F. F., ‘St Paul in Rome 3. The Epistle to the Colossians’, Bulletin John Rylands Library, XLVIII (1966), 268–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar see also Cambier, J., ‘La signification christologique d'Eph. IV. 7–10N.T.S. IX (1963), 262–75.Google Scholar

page 350 note 4 Knox, W. L., St Paul and the Church of the Gentiles (Cambridge University Press, 1939);Google ScholarBenoit, P., ‘Corpstête et plérôme dans les épîtres de la captivité’, R.B. LXIII (1956), 544.Google Scholar

page 351 note 1 Paul Feine, Johannes Behn, Kümmel, W. G., Introduction to the New Testament (14 ed. revised; Nashville: Abingdon, 1965), 253–5.Google Scholar

page 351 note 2 See John, Coutts, ‘The Relationship of Ephesians and Colossians’, N.T.S. IV (1958), 201–7;Google ScholarKlijn, A. F. J., An Introduction to the New Testament (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1967), 102.Google Scholar

page 351 note 3 For an up-to-date survey of the problems see Roy, Bates, ‘A Re-examination of Ephesians 123’, Exp. T. LXXXIII (1972), 146–51.Google Scholar

page 351 note 4 Some take it as a neuter passive. In this case the Church as the pleroma is the accomlishment of what is in process of being fulfilled. See Hermans, R. and Geysels, L., ‘Efesiërs, 1, 23: Het pleroma van Gods Heilswerk’, Bijdragen, XXVIII (1967), 279–93.Google Scholar

page 351 note 5 The Body: A Study in Pauline Theology (London: SCM Press, 1952), 68.Google Scholar See also Lightfoot, J. B., St Paul's Epistle to the Colossians and to Philemon (3rd ed.; London, 1897), pp. 255 ff.Google Scholar; Westcott, B. F., Saint Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians (Grand Rapids, n.d.), 28.Google Scholar

page 351 note 6 Robinson, J. Armitage, St Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians (London, 1939), 5761.Google Scholar

page 351 note 7 Ernest, Best, One Body in Christ (London, 1955), pp. 139–59;Google ScholarRobinson, J. A. T., The Body, pp. 68–9.Google Scholar

page 351 note 8 But see Abbott, T. K., The Epistle to the Ephsians and to the Colossians (ICC; Edinburgh, 1909), p. 38.Google Scholar

page 352 note 1 See Rom. viii. 32, xi. 36; I Cor. ii. 15 (some MSS), viii. 6 (twice), xii. 6, 19, xv. 27, 28 (two, possibly three times); II Cor. iv. 15, v. 18, xii. 19; Gal. iii. 22; Eph. i. 23, iii. 9, iv. 10, 15, v. 13; Phil. iii. 8, 21; Col. i. 16 (twice), 17, 20, iii. 8, 11 (some MSS), iv. 17; I Tim. vi. 13. On Phil. iii. 8 see Blass, F. and Debrunner, A., A Grammar of the New Tesament and Other Early Christian Literature, trans. Funk, R. W. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1961), p. 87,Google Scholar and especially Arndt, W. F. and Gingrich, F. W., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957), p. 339.Google Scholar I do not consider Eph. iv. 15 to be an exception but understand τ⋯ π⋯ντα there to be the object of αύξήσωμεν as will be discussed later.

page 352 note 2 To pursue the matter of usage and style in Paul see Cadbury, H. J., ‘The Dilemma of Ephesians’, N.T.S. v (1959), 91102.Google Scholar

page 352 note 3 On this passage see Cambier, J., ‘La signification christologique d'Eph. IV. 7–10’, N.T.S. IX (1963), 262–75.Google Scholar

page 352 note 4 Stephen, Bedale, ‘The Meaning of Κεϕαλή in the Pauline Epistles’, J.T.S.N.S. IV (1953), 211.Google Scholar See also his ‘The Theology of the Church’, Studies in Ephesians ed. F. L. Cross (London, 1956), pp. 6475.Google Scholar

page 352 note 5 Bedale, ‘Meaning of κεϕαλή’, p. 213.

page 352 note 6 Ibid. pp. 213–14.

page 352 note 7 One Body in Christ, pp. 146–7.

page 352 note 8 Ibid. p. 147.

page 353 note 1 The Body, p. 66.

page 353 note 2 The indirect object of έδωκεν in Eph. iv. II is τοīς άνθρώποις, understood from verse 8.

page 353 note 3 This interpretation, if correct, renders Best's notion of two headships incorrect. See One Body in Christ, pp. 146–7. The passage speaks of only one headship, i.e. that over all things.

page 354 note 1 Ibid. p. 147.

page 354 note 2 Bedale, ‘Meaning of κεϕαλή’, p. 214.

page 355 note 1 Thus we would disagree at least partially with Franz Mussner when he says, ‘Haupt und Leib sind eine unzertrennliche Einheit; der Leib kann ohnc das Haupt und seine Wachstumskräfte überhapt nicht existiern’, Christus das All und die Kirche (2nd ed., Trier, 1968), p. 144.Google Scholar

page 355 note 2 Another striking parallel to the compination of the ideas in Eph. i. 22–3 and iv. 15 is found in the following formula in the magical papyri: καλ ούρανός μέν κεϕαλή, αλθηρ δέ ςώμα, γη πόδες, τό δέ περλσε ύδωρ, ώκεανός, Αγαθός Δαίμων σύ εί κύριος ό γεννῶν καί τρέϕων καί αύξων τά πάντα. See Preisendanz, K., Papyri graecae magicae, die griechischen Zauberpapyri (1931), vol. II, xii. 232–5;Google Scholar xiii. 768 ff. All the necessary elements are present, i.e. head, body, feet, and the transitive use of αύξάνω with τά πάντα as its direct object.

page 356 note 1 I translate from the text given by Gregg, J. A. F., ‘The Commentart of Origen upon the Epistle to the Ephesians’, J.T.S. OS, III (19011902), 402Google Scholar (lines 131–7): έννόει βασιλέα μέν πληρούμενον τῆς βασιλας καθ έκαστον των αύξόντων τήν βασιλείαν κενπύμενον δέ ταύτης έν τοι¯ς άϕισταμένοος τούτου το⋯ βασιλέως ούδέν δέ ό<λ>ως άρμοδιώτερον τῆ χριστο⋯ ϕιλανθρώπω έστί βασιλεία…οιτινες προσϕγοντες αύτῶ συμπληρο⋯σιν αύτο⋯ τό σωμα κενόν πως δν δτε λείπει τῶν εύεργετουμένων διό πληρο⋯ται έν πᾶσι τοις προσιο⋯σιν ό χριστός λεῷπων τούτοις πρίν προσέλθωσιν

page 356 note 2 Whether his unified body includes heavenly beings lies outside the scope of this study.