Transgressions & Sins (part 1)

And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience… - Ephesians 2:1-2  (NET)

Before we embark on an attempt to understand Paul’s communications here in the second chapter of Ephesians, it is imperative that we find its context.  To do so, we revert to the first chapter of Ephesians, where we find Paul in presentation of the establishment of God’s kingdom in and through the Christ.  He writes: “…He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (1:20b-21).  When we hear such things, it is probably worth considering the possibility that Paul is not necessarily merely making statements about the location of the Christ or offering facts about heaven, but that he is also adopting the lofty rhetoric of the Caesar cult.  Paul and other New Testament authors routinely lift and adapt language applied to the Caesar, and instead apply it to the Christ---the world’s true ruler. 

Additionally, we must make note of Paul’s statement in regards to “this age” and “the one to come.”  It seems that Paul wants his readers to avoid any possibility of thinking that Christ’s reign is something limited only to the future, but that it is very much present in this age, owing to history’s climactic events of cross and Resurrection.  Indeed, it is manifest whenever the Gospel (Jesus is Lord) is preached in word and deed.  His talk of the age to come in which all things will be renewed, of which we are given a taste in this age in the power of His eternal life in union with Him as we preach and act according to the Gospel’s proclamation (ordering our lives according to the claim and acting according to the example and teaching of the Christ), points us to the hope of our faith, which is to participate in the Christ’s kingdom, to share in the resurrection, and to participate in God’s restoration and re-creation of the world. 

To drive home the point that Christ reigns in this age, with His kingdom very much present, Paul writes, “And God put all things under His feet, and He gave Him to the church as head over all things” (1:22).  Yes, all things are under His feet.  There, that “all” means “all,” as in “Jesus is Lord of all;” and His Lordship is extended through His people of this confession.  Again, it is worthwhile to hear Paul parroting the language of the Caesar cult, insisting that these things are actually true of Jesus, with the Caesar and his empire being merely a parody of the kingdom of God and its King. 

Having established that Paul is referencing the kingdom ruled by the Christ, Paul appears to engage in the presentation of a contrast concerning kingdoms.  Based on what we have already observed, not only can we sense a subversive counter-imperialism to be understood by all of his readers, but we can also acknowledge the potential premise of a polemic directed at those of his hearers that would have been Jewish.  Owing to their long-held expectation of their God’s entrance into history on their behalf, and the attendant kingdom that was to be established with all nations becoming subservient to Israel, we can surmise that Paul’s Jewish hearers would have been steeped in a nationalistic mindset as it relates to the kingdom of God.  Along with that, we can be confident that his audience consisted of both Jews and Gentiles, because in the eleventh verse of the second chapter, he directs his words specifically to “you, the Gentiles in the flesh.” 

When it came to the establishment of kingdoms, what was this world’s present path?  The path was war.  The path was violence for overthrow and for subjugation.  Specifically, Caesar’s path for the expansion of his kingdom was “war, victory, peace.”  In a stark contrast, we know that the path that Jesus took to establish His kingdom was far different.  Of course, we can all well understand that peace attained through the constant threat of violent death is a shaky and transient peace indeed.  It seems to be in this light that Paul addresses the Jews in his audience, when he says that “you were dead in transgressions and sins, in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path.”