This is the last post of the series. I’ve finished my paper and turned it in. Essentially, these last three posts have been my paper. It was incredibly hard to write because my professor set the page limit at eight pages - and then told us that this was an opportunity to practice concise writing…ugh…I don’t do that well…though when I have to do so, I get some fantastic editing in.

Perhaps to continue on this theme and expand on at least one of the passages surveyed here…I’ll post the paper I’m writing for Romans class on Romans 8.18-25. Now that’s a paper free from conciseness. I’m going on page ten and am finishing up verse 22. I’m expecting about 15 or 16 pages for this one. If I did that for each other passages surveyed in this series…I’d have a nice size book.

Anyway, here are Paul’s prison letters:

Paul’s Prison Letters

The letters to the Ephesians and Colossians share many elements already discussed. The most significant two images are death and life and slavery and freedom. Both letters begin with a discussion of Christ’s preeminence, related to his death and resurrection.[1] In chapter two of both letters, Paul describes the past state of these believers as, “dead in [their] sins.”[2] The difference between the two verses is Ephesians tends to expand Paul’s thoughts, so that where Colossians says, “the uncircumcision of your flesh,” Ephesians broadens the phrase into a full sentence, “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.”[3]

The unique contribution Ephesians and Colossians to Paul’s concept of the old and new is encapsulated by the word, “ἀπαλλοτριόω.” The word is used merely three times and only in these two letters. Paul uses ἀπαλλοτριόω in relation to Gentiles. It can be glossed as alienated or estranged.[4] When used of believers, ἀπαλλοτριόω, on both occasions, describes a past status, followed by their present status in relationship with God, putting the theme of 2 Corinthians 5.[5]

Most of Philippians is devoted to the manner the believer ought to live out his or her life as a result of this eschatological change. The only explicit passage is in 3.1-14. Paul warns the Philippians not to put any confidence in the flesh, a reference to physical circumcision. This passage is similar to the polemic emphasis of Galatians dealing with Judaizers who force circumcision on Gentile believers.[6] In these verses, Paul draws a sharp contrast between the Christian believers and those requiring obedience to the Mosaic Law and circumcision.

Conclusion

The twenty five verse letter to Philemon provides a fitting illustrating of the results from Paul’s view of the eschatological change, grounded thoroughly in Christ’s death and resurrection. The thrust of the letter is Paul’s intercession on behalf of Onesimus to Philemon to receive by a slave who ran from his home to Paul in Rome.[7] Within these verses, Paul entreats Philemon to receive Onesimus back, not merely still as a slave, “but better than a slave, as a dear brother in the Lord.”[8] By receiving salvation, transformation takes place so that while the old era of slavery continues to exist, the relationship between slave and master is created anew.

[1] “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us” (TNIV, Eph 1.7-8a). Also, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (TNIV, Col 1.21-22).

[2] “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins” (TNIV, Eph 2.1). “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ” (TNIV, Col 2.13). See page 4 for reasons why the TNIV’s translation, “sinful nature,” is an inadequate translation of σάρξ.

[3] TNIV, Col 2.3

[4] In Colossians 1.21, Paul describes the believers as alienated from God and enemies because of their evil behavior. In Ephesians, the word is in the context of the believers formerly being alienated from the citizenship of Israel in 2.12 and of unbelieving Gentiles alienated from God in 4.18.

[5] Colossians 1.22, speaks of the believe being reconciled (ἀποκαταλλάσσω). Ephesians 2.13, sets up a contrast from the previous status saying, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (TNIV). Both verse begins with the words, “νυνὶ δὲ,” which Paul often uses to signify an eschatological change (cf., Rom 3.12; 6.22; 7.6; 1 Cor 5.22; Col 3.8; also Heb 8.6; 9.25). Also, these two passages emphasize Christ’s death as the catalyst causing the change in the Gentile’s relationship with God.

[6] Cf. especially to Gal 1:8–9; 5:12; 6:12–13.

[7] It is not necessary for Onesimus to be a fugitive. “Slaves who were experiencing difficulty in their masters’ homes were known to leave the master in search of one of the master’s ‘friends’, who would be sought out as an advocate to plead the slave’s case” (David Arthur deSilva, An Introduction to the New Testament : Contexts, Methods and Ministry Formation [Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2004], 670).

[8] TNIV, Philm 16.