An Armored Household: Isaiah 59 As the Key to Ephesians 5:21-6:9 and 6:10-17 Holly J

Journal of Biblical and Theological Studies JBTSVOLUME 3 | ISSUE 2 An Armored Household: Isaiah 59 as the Key to Ephesians 5:21-6:9 and 6:10-17 Holly J. Carey [JBTS 3.2 (2018): 260–270] An Armored Household: Isaiah 59 as the Key to Ephesians 5:21-6:9 and 6:10-17 HOLLY J. CAREY Holly J. Carey (Ph.D. University of Edinburgh) is Professor of Biblical Studies at Point University, West Point, Georgia. Abstract: The household codes of Ephesians 5:21-6:9 and the following “Armor of God” passage in Ephesians 6:10-17 have long been regarded as self-contained. Scholars have seen practically no relationship between these two portions of the letter, reading the latter as a new train of thought for the author. In this study, I argue that, contrary to these scholars, there is indeed a relationship of the household codes to Ephesians 6:10-17. It is demonstrated that this crucial connection is found in the author’s use of Isaiah 59. With sensitivity to this intertext present in the passage, it will be argued that (1) the original context of the Isaianic passage illuminates the meaning of the Divine Warrior motif in Ephesians, (2) the image of the clothing of the Christian in God’s armor is significant precisely because it transfers the work of the Divine Warrior to the follower of Christ, and (3) the message of justice in Isaiah 59 helps to account for and make sense of the redefined roles of the household codes, and particularly in the Pauline understanding of ideal relationships among the family of God. Key Words: Household codes, Isaiah 59, Armor, Divine Warrior, justice, family Introduction The latter part of the letter to the Ephesians is jammed-packed with memorable passages. Two of these have been the passionate focus of students, pastors, and scholars in their study, preaching, teaching, and writing. The household codes of Ephesians 5:21-6:9 constitute a clearly defined section of the letter, addressing directly members of the Christian household concerning their relationships with each other. On the heels of the household codes comes a pericope that has been familiar and deeply personal for a great number of Christians through the centuries, the “armor of God” passage of Ephesians 6:10-17. Distinguished from the previous passage by a significant section break and even a separate sub-heading in virtually all modern translations of the letter, this passage has most often been interpreted as one that introduces an entirely new and distinct train of thought for Paul.1 Moreover, in the 1. The Pauline authorship of Ephesians has long been disputed. For the purposes of this paper, I 260 Holly J. Carey: An Armored Household scholarly literature on the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-17, little is said about the surrounding cotext of the passage and how the context of the letter might affect its meaning. In fact, although most scholars do not word it in quite so stark a manner, at least one scholar has suggested that the two have nothing to do with each other: With v. 10 the subject changes abruptly and one of the most original sections of the letter begins. No clear connection exists between the behavior of members of a household, all of whom are believers and who are not depicted as in conflict with one another, and a struggle between every believer and the superhuman powers.2 As one can tell, this commonly-held view – that the household codes of Ephesians 5:21-6:9 and the passage that immediately follows have practically no relationship to each other – is based primarily on how one interprets the latter portion. In the case of Ernest Best, whom I have cited above, his sharp distinction between earthly relationships and supernatural powers necessarily leads him to see virtually no connection between these two passages.3 Although the household codes of Ephesians 5:21-6:9 and the armor of God passage in Ephesians 6:10-17 have previously been regarded as unrelated, in this paper I will challenge that view by examining the primary intertext used by Paul in 6:10-17 – Isaiah 59 – and then discussing how that intertext should inform our understanding of just what Paul is calling for when he “rallies the troops” in the Ephesian church. I will show that there is a crucial connection between the household codes and the “armor of God” passage, and that the interpretive key is found in the author’s use and application of the imagery of the Divine Warrior. With a sensitivity to these intertexts present in the passage, it will be argued that (1) the original context of the Isaianic passage illuminates the meaning of the Divine Warrior motif in Ephesians, (2) the message of justice in Isaiah 59 helps to account for and make sense of the redefined roles of the household codes, particularly in the Pauline understanding of ideal relationships among members of the family of God, and (3) the image of the clothing of the Christian in God’s armor is significant precisely because it transfers the work of the Divine Warrior to the follower of Christ within the social context of family.4 will refer to the author as “Paul,” without affirming or denying whether the apostle Paul penned the letter (Eph 1:1). For a thorough discussion concerning the authorship of Ephesians, see Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians (WBC 42; Dallas: Word Books, 1990), lix-lxxiii. 2. Ernest Best, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Ephesians (ICC; Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1998), 585. 3. I will revisit this issue of the relationship between the earthly and the supernatural in Ephesians later in the paper. 4. As the discussion of non-resistance and pacifism has resurfaced with a vengeance in the last few decades, so has a reading of Eph 6:10-17 with this lens become a rather influential way of interpreting the passage. Although interesting and helpful, this is simply not the avenue that I will be pursuing in this paper. Rather than focusing on exactly how a Christian should interact with earthly and supernatural enemies, this paper will concentrate on exactly who should be the ones reflecting the attributes that Paul calls for in this passage and who should be the recipients of the benefits of those 261 Journal of Biblical and Theological Studies 3.2 Isaiah 59 The motif of the Divine Warrior in the Old Testament is a fairly pervasive one, which makes sense in light of the history of the Israelites and their belief in a God who championed them against their enemies.5 Not only is God presented as the Warrior who fights on their behalf, but there are also passages which describe how God functions metaphorically as the armor of his people.6 Perhaps nowhere is this Divine Warrior motif more present than in Isaiah, where God reminds his people that (a) he is strong enough to not only withstand, but to control their enemies, and (b) he has not abandoned them and chosen another group through which to work.7 These emphases are particularly acute in Isaiah 59, where God answers the accusation (or lament) that he is too weak to save his people by arming and clothing himself for battle. The first part of the chapter describes the very bleak scenario that God’s people have created for themselves. The appearance of God’s absence can be explained by their continual insistence to commit atrocities that are selfishly motivated (59:1-2). Isaiah goes into a detailed account of just how desperate things have become: there is murder, lying, cheating, and violence (59:3-6). In a particularly vivid verse, Isaiah describes the enthusiasm with which the people are pursuing injustice, contrasting it with the way of peace that God has prepared for his people mentioned previously in Isaiah:8 Their feet run to evil, and they rush to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, desolation and destruction are in their highways. The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths. Their roads they have made crooked; no one who walks in them knows peace (59:7-8).9 In typical Isaianic fashion, the perpetrators of these crimes appear to be both insiders and outsiders (he switches personal pronouns throughout the chapter), resulting in attributes. See Gerald Janzen, “Divine Warfare and Nonresistance” Direction 32/1 (2003): 21-31, for discussion on this passage and nonresistance. This is his ultimate concern, and thus his thesis statement: “It is the thesis of this article that Paul proclaimed the divine Warrior of the Isaianic texts to be contending against enemies on behalf of his people, the Church, in the NT setting just as Isaiah so proclaimed for Israel. If that is the case, then the victory won by Jesus at the cross and in the resur- rection has closed the era in which God’s people engage in secular warfare” (22). 5. See Exod 15; Deut 32-33; Judges 5; 2 Sam 22/Ps 18; Ps 35, 68, 77, and Hab 3. 6. See Gen 15:1; Ps 3:3; 18:2; 2 Sam 22:3, 31. 7. Isa 1:24-26; 5:25; 9:8-10:11; 13:3-5; 19:1-5; 29:3-10; 30:27-28; 40:15; 41:1, 5; 42:13; 51. 8. See Isa 40:3-5. 9. All citations of scripture will come from the NRSV unless otherwise stated. 262 Holly J.

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