CHAPTER FOUR

SACERDOTAL SEPARATISM

WASHING AWAY POLLUTION A legalistic, perfectionist, ascetic Judaic piety required repentance and remedies for physical, moral and ritual contamination. Purification of flesh and spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 7: 1) through the cleansing power of water provided the most natural remedy. In Colossians the spiritual experience of participation in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ through baptism is stated to be the Christian replacement of circumcision and the regulations for the body as irnposed by the IjTO~XE~iX ";O\) X00"fLOU (2:11-12, 20-21; 3:1-3). While the legal demands have been cancelled (2:14), those baptized have already been made alive and forgiven (2:13); their "Iife is hid with Christ in God" (3:3). Not even the act of baptism is effective in forgiveness of trespasses (2 :13) unless there is "faith in the working of God" (2:12). The use of the term, "~iX7tT~ljfLOC;," (2:12), rather than the customary ~,x7tT~ljfLiX, suggests the ritual washing of eating utensils (Mk. 7:14). This usage suggests further that Christian baptism is the new counterpart of the ceremonial washing of cups, pots and vessels. Ascetic rules for food preparation and consumption (2:22) were meant to avoid contact with impure, defiling objects.' In Ephesians 5:26-27 the corporate, rather than the individual, sanctification of believers is described in terms of cleansing the church, so as to be glorious and holy, without spot, wrinkle or blemish. This purification from defilement is effected "by the washing (AOUTpOV) of water with the word." In the Septuagint AOUTpOV is the term used for "laver," the bronze bowl employed for ritual cleansing. In this context the reference seems to the bride's bath before her marriage. Eph. 4:5 insists on only one baptism. The soteriological nature of the cleansing taught in Ephesians could be a constructive response to proponents of ablutions and to opponents of marnage. Hebrews 5:11-6:12 was addressed to those who, having become dull of hearing (5:11; 6:12), were in danger of drifting away from the

I Norbert Hugede, Commentaire de l'Epitre aux Colossiens, Geneva (Labor et Fides, 1968),155; cf. Lev. 5:2-3; 11:8, 24, 31, 39; 15:7; Num. 19:11-12, 19; 31:19. SACERDOTAL SEPARATISM 135

Gospel (6:4, 6-8; cf. 2:1>. Being "unskilled in the word of righteousness" (5:13) and in the distinction of good and evil (5:14), they had been unable to progess beyond the elementary rudiments which marked the beginning of their Christian life: namely, "repentance from dead works and ... faith toward God, ... ablutions, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment" (6:1-2). These initial requirements, which by themselves do not foster "the full assurance of the ho pe unto the end" (6:11), are ostensibly more Jewish than specifically Christian. The readers' understanding of Christ was germinal, undeveloped. They were preoccupied with eschatological judgment (cf. 6:5b, 7, 9) and with the means of escaping condemnation Jesus as the Melchizedekian High Priest (6:19-10:20, now supposes that his addressees have gone on to maturity of knowledge of the Son, confidenee 00:19, 35) and full assurance of faith 00:22, 39; cf. 6:11). "By a new and living way" 00:20) eondemnation has been escaped by the purifieation and washing of an evil eonseienee through faith. A partial explanation of this is found in Hebr. 9:6-10:2. Aeeording to 9:9-10, "Various ablutions (ßCX7tnG!-LO~), regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation, ... eannot perfeet the conseienee of the worshipper." For if the sprinkling of defiled persons ... sanetifies for the purifieation of the flesh, how mueh more shall the blood of Christ ... purify your conseience from dead works to serve the living God" (9:13-14). "Since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come ... , it ean never by the same saerifiees whieh are continually offered year by year, make perfeet those who draw near ... If the worshippers had once been cleansed, they would no longer have any eonseiousness of sin" 00:1-2). Such is the shorteoming of all Levitieal rituals. A major theme of the Epistle is announeed at the outset: the Son "rnade purifieation for sins" 0 :3). In Philippians 3 Paul taunts his opponents as dogs (v. 2) who are