NO MORE WALLS! THE NONOBLIGATORY ORDINANCES CONTAINED IN THE LAW AND THE CREATION OF ONE NEW MAN IN CHRIST: EPHESIANS 2:11-22 A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest, North Carolina In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by James B. Joseph May 2004 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © 2004 James B. Joseph This Dissertation was prepared and presented to the Faculty as a part of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina. All rights and privileges normally reserved by the author as copyright holder are waived for the Seminary. The Seminary Library may catalog, display, and use this Dissertation in all normal ways such materials are used, for reference and for other purposes, including electronic and other means of preservation and circulation, including on-line computer access and other means by which library materials are or in the future may be made available to researchers and library users. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Student Name: James B. Joseph Dissertation/ Thesis Title: No More Walls! The Nonobligatory Ordinances Contained in the Law and the Creation of One New Man In Christ: Ephesians 2: 11-22 This Dissertation/Thesis has been approved. Date of Defense: May 3,2004 Major Professor: Faculty Reader: Faculty Reader: Director of Ph.D.! Th.M. Studies: / Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IX ABSTRACT x Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION 1 General Overview ......................................... 1 The Logical Structure of This Exegesis ........................ 2 The Historical Setting of Ephesians ........................... 4 The Difficult Grammatical Arrangement of Ephesians 2: 13-18 ..... 14 The Meaning of Christ's TO ME.a6TOLXOV TOU <Ppa:yp.ou Auaas, Tll, V "EX 8 PUV ........................................... 16 The Meaning of Christ's TOV N6p.ov TWV 'EVToAwv €V ~6yp.uaLv KUTUpy1jaus ........................................... 21 Looking Ahead ........................................... 24 2. A FIRST-CENTURY MEANING OF TO ME~OTOIXON TOY 4>PArMOY .............................................. 26 Laying the Foundation: A Contemporary Misunderstanding Regarding Paul's Use of This Metaphorical Image .............. 26 Contemporary Thought Regarding the Meaning of ME.a6TOL XOV ••• 27 Metaphors ............................................. 33 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Paul and Architectural Metaphors ........................... 38 Paul Was Not Alone in Using Architectural Metaphors ........ 38 Ariston: Third-Century B.C. Philosopher .................. 38 Philo Judaeus: First-Century Jewish Writer ............... 39 Epictetus: Late First-Century Stoic Philosopher ............ 42 Paul of Tarsus: First-Century Christian Leader ............... 42 Primary Extra-biblical Literary Evidence for the Meaning of M€CT6TOLXOV ....•.••.....•....••••••••...••......•••.. 46 Early Greek Lexicons ..................................... 46 Greek Literature Regarding Architectural and Boundary Walls .... 48 A First-Century Architect, Virtruvius ...................... 48 Flavius Josephus: First-Century Jewish Priest ................ 50 Lucian of Samosata: Second-Century Philosopher ............ 52 Physical Boundary Walls: A First-Century Fable, The Lives ofAesop............................................ 54 Latin Law and Literature Regarding Architectural and Boundary Walls ....................................... 55 Titus Maccius Plautus: Late Second-Century B.C. Comic Playwright .................................... 58 L. Annaeus Seneca Senior: Late First-Century B.C. Early First-Century Roman Reciter ...................... 59 Plinius Caecilius Secundus: Late First-Century Roman Senator 59 Digesta Iustiniani Augusti: First to Third-Century Digest of Roman Law ........................................ 60 Ovid: Late First-Century B.C. Early First-Century Poet ......... 64 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Summary . 65 Supporting Archeological Evidence ............................ 66 General Background ...................................... 66 Rome. 68 Greece. 70 Eastern Europe .......................................... 72 Asia Minor 73 Priene ............................................... 73 Ephesus ............................................. 74 Sardis ............................................... 75 The Meaning ofTa MECTOTOlXOV ToD <Ppa:Y\-Lou ................. 77 3. THE MEANING OF TON NOMON TON 'ENTOAON 'EN ~OrMAnN KATAPrHLAL ............................. 84 Laying the Foundation: An Overview of Modern Thought Regarding Paul's Teachings on the Salvific Efficacy of "Works of the Law" 84 Paul and "Works of the Law" in Its Historical Context 88 "The Mosaic Law" and "Works of the Law" in the Maccabean Era ................................ 88 "The "Mosaic Law" and "Works of the Law" in the Roman Era Up To A.D. 70 ........................ 92 Paul and "Works of the Law" in Its Theological Context ......... 105 The Place of the "Mosaic Law" in the Messianic Age .......... 105 The Place of "Works of the Law" in the Messianic Age ....... 119 Paul and "Works of the Law" in Key Literary Contexts .......... 124 Vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Paul, "Epyn NOfLou, and the Relevance of "Epyn NOfLoU For Those Who Are €V XPLcrT0 ............................. 129 The Meaning of "Epyn NOfLoU l30 NOfLOS .............................................. 130 "Epyn N'OfLOU ....................................... l36 The Relevance of "Epyn NOfLOU Tots EV XPLcrT4'> in Paul's Letters ....................................... 144 Galatians ............................................. 146 1 & 2 Thessalonians and 1 & 2 Corinthians ................. 148 Romans .............................................. 150 Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon ............ 153 The Pastoral Letters .................................... 156 A Proposed Meaning for TOV NOfLoV TU>V 'EVTOAWV EV, LlOYfLncrLvA' K nTnpY1lcrns' ............................... 157 Existing "EX8pu between Jew and Gentile ..................... 161 Possible Categorical Divisions within TOV NOfLOS ............... 165 Possible Referents for iloYfLnTn ............................. 173 The Meaning ............................................ 180 Within the Literary Context of Ephesians ................... 182 Within the Literary Context of Paul's World ................. 187 4. EPHESIANS 2:11-22: THE DEMOLITION OF THE DIVIDING MIDDLE-WALL ........................................... 196 Introduction ............................................... 196 Vll Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. An Overview of Ephesians ................................. 197 Ephesians 2: 1-1 0: Saved by Grace ........................... 210 Ephesians 2:11-22 ......................................... 213 Ephesians 2:11-12: You Gentiles Were without God ............ 215 Grammatical Construction and Textual Variants. .. 216 Meaning and Context ................................... 217 Ephesians 2:13-18: Christ Provides Reconciliation for Both Jew and Gentile ....................................... 219 Grammatical Construction and Textual Variants .............. 220 Meaning and Context ................................... 227 Ephesians 2:19-22: Jewish and Gentile Believers Are the Household of God .................................. 240 Grammatical Construction and Textual Variants .............. 241 Meaning and Context ................................... 244 Summary ................................................. 249 5. CONCLUSION .............................................. 252 The Ongoing Function of the Law ............................. 252 The Message of Unity in Ephesians 2:11-22 ..................... 255 The Church's Responsibility To Be the "One New Man" 258 APPENDIX: GREEK TEXT AND A TRANSLATION OF EPHESIANS 2:11-12 ............................................... 267 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................... 269 Vlll Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. First and Second Levels of the "House of Diana" Located in Ostia ...... 69 2. First-Century Floor Plan of Contiguous Houses in Delos .............. 71 3. Foundations of Houses Laid Out in an Orthogonal Pattern in Olynthus The Houses for Any One Insula Are Separated by "Middle-Walls" 73 4. Floor Plan of a First-Century Ephesian Insula with Shops and Apartments -Typical "Middle-Walls" Noted .............................. 75 5. Arrangement of a Seventh-Century Sardis Section of Shops, Residences, Synagogue, and More ....................................... 76 IX Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT "No More Walls! The Nonobligatory Ordinances Contained in the Law and the Creation of One New Man in Christ: Ephesians 2: 11-22" provides an in-depth exegesis ofEph 2:11-22