God Without Religion_ Can It Really Be This Simple_ - Andrew Farley [27]
As we’ll see, the most straightforward reading of these chapters in Ephesians is the following: Paul refers many times to himself, the apostles, and his fellow Jews by using “we” and “us.” And he refers to the Ephesians (Gentiles) by using “you” and, in particular, “you also.”
An Ancient “Y’all”
This all sounds great, but does the grammar support this interpretation? Yes, the grammar supports it. Since the letter was addressed to hundreds or even thousands of Ephesians, the you here (the Greek plural pronoun humeis) is a plural you. It’s like a southern “y’all,” as we say here in Texas. As we read on in Ephesians, this “you plural” only becomes clearer:
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. (Eph. 2:11–13)
Our first inclination might be to read a verse that says “you” as referring to ourselves, individually. But that’s not the context here. In this passage, “you” is clearly and unmistakably plural, referring to the Ephesians—all of whom were Gentiles. Paul goes on to call them “uncircumcised” (v. 11), “excluded from citizenship” (v. 12), and “far away” (v. 13). Clearly, Paul is addressing them as Gentiles.
The Race Card
So why does Paul play the race card here? Remember that Gentiles were seen as unclean and unworthy to commune with God. The Jews looked at Gentiles as the lowest form of humanity on earth. The Gentiles had no hope, no calling, no covenant, and no relationship with the one and only God.
In historical context, Paul’s words are highly controversial! How could Paul, who himself was a Jew and a Pharisee, be so bold as to claim that the dirty Gentiles had been brought near to God? But this is precisely Paul’s claim:
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier. . . . His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross. (Eph. 2:14–16)
If context reveals that God’s predestined plan was to bring the gospel to Gentiles, what does this mean for our modern-day debate over predestination of individuals? That’s a question we’ll save for a little bit later. First, we’d better be certain that is what’s really going on here. If we are genuinely going to experience God without religion (even Grade A Choice Religion!), we can’t leave any stone unturned.
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My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a film about thirtysomething Toula Portokalos, who lives in a Greek community in Chicago. Toula works in her father’s Greek restaurant, Dancing Zorba’s. Toula’s father wants her to marry a nice Greek man, have lots of Greek children, and settle down to a traditional Greek life. But Toula is searching for more in life and finds it when she meets Ian Miller. Ian is a high school English teacher who is not Greek by any stretch. After hiding their relationship as long as they can, the cat is eventually let out of the bag, and Toula’s dad blows his stack.
If you’ve seen this movie, you know that the humor revolves around two very different families. Ian Miller comes from an unexpressive, sterile American family. In contrast, Toula knows only the chatty, in-your-face Greek life. Throughout the movie, Ian’s parents are continually alarmed by the Greeks—a fire pit in the front yard complete with roasted pig, an aunt who tells them stomach-churning stories about a tumor twin, and strong liquors that send the Millers’ heads spinning.
The Millers see Toula’s Greek family as brash, uncultured,