From: Ben Crick (ben.crick@argonet.co.uk)
Date: Fri Feb 20 1998 - 22:32:11 EST
On Wed 18 Feb 98 (12:49:17), richlind@ix.netcom.com wrote:
> I am looking at Ephesians 2:14-15 and have been wrestling a bit with
> the prepositional phrase "EN TH SARKI AUTOU". Maybe it is just a
> problem of fatigue on my part :-) but here is my riddle... with what
> should we associate this prepositional phrase? With LUSAS? With THN EXQRAN?
> With KATARGHSAS? With both LUSAS and KATARGHSAS? Or what are other
> possibilities?
Dear Rich
In context, the enmity is that between the Gentiles (verse 11) and the Jews
(Israel, verse 12). There is a greater enmity than that between Jew and
Gentile: it is that between Jew and God and Gentile and God. This enmity
between Jew and Gentile is abolished as a side-effect of the abolition of
our common alienation from God, which was accomplished by Christ's sufferings
and death. These put "paid" to the demands of the Law, and so reconciled us
lawbreakers to the Lawgiver.
This resulted in the breaking down of the divider between Jew and Gentile,
and in the abolition of the enmity between us, and between us both and God.
Compare Colossians 1:21-22 KAI hUMAS POTE ONTAS APHLLOTRIWMENOUS KAI EXQROUS
THi DIANOIAi EN TOIS ERGOIS TOIS PONHROIS, NUNI DE APOKATHLLAXEN EN TWi
SWMATI THS SARKOS AUTOU DIA TOU QANATOU PARASTHSAI hUMAS hAGIOUS KAI
ANEGKLHTOUS KATENWPOIN AUTOU, ktl.
So back to your question: "[his sufferings and death] EN THi SARKI AUTOU" is
the means whereby (a) the dividing wall is broken down TO MESOTOICON ...
LUSAS; and (b) the enmity is abolished THN EXQRAN ... KATARGHSAS.
EMOI GAR...
Ben
-- Revd Ben Crick, BA CF <ben.crick@argonet.co.uk> 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK) http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm
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